System requirements

I just hope that Oleg doesn't pull a "Crysis" and release a game that only 5% of the gaming population have computers capable of getting playable frame rates on. IL-2 was pretty system intensive on release day, and it took years for a PC to be able to play it with everything cranked to max and still not break the bank.

If this game is going to be a "CPU/GPU" killer then releasing the gaming specs at the last possible minute would be the best approach. Sometimes a week's difference can make a game "more playable" if Ati or Intel just did a price cut and made the rest follow suit.

[Blackdog_kt]

I think it's been stated a few times that even though the title is developed with current hardware to save time compiling, it is heavily tested on older hardware to make sure it will be able to run on a wide range of PCs.
That's part of the reason the screenshots in the updates are mostly captures from lower detail settings (eg, DX9, no anti-aliasing etc).

I think SoW will scale pretty well thanks to the multi core optimization. I'm guessing that everyone with 1-2 year old hardware will be able to run it on lower detail settings, medium for current mid-range PCs and for full detail we might have to wait a couple of years for more powerful PCs.

In summary, it will run on a lot of different PC specs, just not at full detail.

[kendo65]

+1
Think you've got it pretty much spot on there Blackdog_kt.

I've been thinking that it is funny/strange that they are posting quite low-res shots from Luthier's 'not cutting edge' machine - ie I'm sure that (even now) the game can be made to look better than this and no doubt will in final production release.

Maybe it's the old keep a lid on expectations, then knock 'em out when it counts strategy.

I hear what your saying guys, but what possible harm could it do to have just one High res screen shot with AA on in direct X 11?? It seems very strange that we have not seen one yet especially when the game supposed to be out next month (joke)

[Chivas]

Oleg has stated hes holding some surprises back, maybe thats one of them. Still nothing to worry about, as it appears things are progressing. Maybe not to suit everyone or the developer, but its still progressing.

[kendo65]

I'm really coming to the conclusion that SOW will look MUCH better (or be capable of this if hardware permits) than the current screenshots are suggesting. I think we all try to make allowances for the WIP quality of the screenshots - but I don't think we're making enough.

I'd draw a comparison with how il2 looks in original 4.07 compared to 4.09 - with much more functionality unlocked.

It's almost like a deliberate policy of expectation management by the developers. The screenshots we're seeing are almost completely low-res, DX9, little or no AA, settings turned down. I'm partly puzzled as to why they do it like this - I know that everything is labelled as WIP, but people inevitably make judgements of what the final game will look like based on what they see in the updates.

I can only conclude that they are intensely relaxed about the probable final release quality of the game and so are completely unconcerned to show us it in its low-res, low-setting, bollock-naked, rough and ready form.

A very strange marketing stratergy though, lets show the whole world how this product looks at its worst setting, its never been done before and i doubt again.