Friday 2010-02-25 Development update:Interview by Grégory Lemasson/Discussion Thread

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by Flanker35M

S!

Good news since sounds have been a bit problematic in IL-2 during the years. Currently I am using a Realtek AC1200 sound chip installed on my motherboard. It seems to work just fine, even better than my Creative X-Fi I have there. That card caused popping sounds etc.

Probably you was need to minimize the channels and frequency, then - no problem.
However yes, the sound of Il-2 was designed for hiend sound cards and good speakers with subwoofer.
Now it is designed for both - entry level and high. Should works everywhere the same. Now it is independed of sound drivers of different producers that had different panning and other features and quality. For Il-2 the lowest was Creative SB Live - only on such cards you may hear the supercharger separately of other sounds.
modders simply killed it...

[Dash 8]

Originally Posted by Oleg Maddox

Probably you was need to minimize the channels and frequency, then - no problem.
However yes, the sound of Il-2 was designed for hiend sound cards and good speakers with subwoofer.
Now it is designed for both - entry level and high. Should works everywhere the same. Now it is independed of sound drivers of different producers that had different panning and other features and quality. For Il-2 the lowest was Creative SB Live - only on such cards you may hear the supercharger separately of other sounds.
modders simply killed it...

This is why I have never had a problem with the sound in IL-2. I have always been running it with an Audigy 2 sound card and a very nice 5.1 surround sound system. I can hear all kinds of little subtle sounds and effects in the different engines, including the turbochargers and little pings and knocks from the engines.

I tried out the sound mods but didn't like them. They sound more like being at an airshow than being inside the cockpit, so I went back to stock IL-2 4.09. I have over 8000 hours in Real Life flying as I am a commuter pilot on a DeHavilland Dash 8. I am quite used to what a prop driven aircraft sounds like from the inside, and IL-2 with higher end equipment is VERY good. I can't wait to hear the sounds of BoB!

[Freycinet]

Great update, thx!

Oleg, with MSFS dropping out of the game, I think you have an opening for making civilian flight sims based on the SoW engine. I really wouldn't want to see that personally, because I like to shoot things up, but I think you could do it, and that is where the really big money is.

The whole issue will be decided by how you approach the third-party developer issue. How to make tools for them. How to allow them or not allow them access to core features. Third party involvement is essential, because one single developer can never satisfy the thirst for content by modern-day users.

If you step back from all the extremely detailed issues these forums are full of, I think you should try considering yourself more like someone setting the ground rules for a whole industry, rather than just a developer of a single product. It would be the next step.

[Caveman]

Originally Posted by Freycinet

Great update, thx!

Oleg, with MSFS dropping out of the game, I think you have an opening for making civilian flight sims based on the SoW engine. I really wouldn't want to see that personally, because I like to shoot things up, but I think you could do it, and that is where the really big money is.

The whole issue will be decided by how you approach the third-party developer issue. How to make tools for them. How to allow them or not allow them access to core features. Third party involvement is essential, because one single developer can never satisfy the thirst for content by modern-day users.

If you step back from all the extremely detailed issues these forums are full of, I think you should try considering yourself more like someone setting the ground rules for a whole industry, rather than just a developer of a single product. It would be the next step.

OLEG... LISTEN... THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE! I've been watching the industry since the early 80s and I can tell you that the timing is now to capture the entire flight sim industry that MS has left behind... I'm sure you know that, but I can tell you from a grass roots level of looking around those types of forums, etc that the shell has been cracked and folks are looking for a new base to build a general aviation simulator on...

Do you have anyone aggressively pursuing the opportunity? I've noticed that even BOP has been able to make users in that community giddy... And... X-Plane of course... 20 years from now, let's hope you're living off the royalties of a 3rd party A-380

[Caveman]

Oleg,

BUTTKICKER question:

I can't speak for all the planes, but I've always thought the IL-2 Sound Engine was incredible on IL-2 for the 109 which I fly about 98% of the time. The turbine whine, the 3D capability to capture correct dopplar affect at all speeds of the plan and at all throttle settings was incredible.

Then I bought a BUTTKICKER GAMER and took the experience to a new level. For me, the positive change was analogous to going from no trackIR to using a trackIR... a great thing.

http://www.buttkickergear.com/ButtKi...er_p/bk-gr.htm

Is the sound code being worked in such a way to specifically take advantage of the BUTTKICKER device? The device works reasonably well in IL-2, although the settings were somewhat sensitive, making adjustment to a sweet spot somehat difficult when different planes were flown...

Can you comment on any specific considerations done for this device?

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by Freycinet

Great update, thx!

Oleg, with MSFS dropping out of the game, I think you have an opening for making civilian flight sims based on the SoW engine. I really wouldn't want to see that personally, because I like to shoot things up, but I think you could do it, and that is where the really big money is.

The whole issue will be decided by how you approach the third-party developer issue. How to make tools for them. How to allow them or not allow them access to core features. Third party involvement is essential, because one single developer can never satisfy the thirst for content by modern-day users.

If you step back from all the extremely detailed issues these forums are full of, I think you should try considering yourself more like someone setting the ground rules for a whole industry, rather than just a developer of a single product. It would be the next step.

It is really very hard task but my target.
At the moment we can't begin with civilian big aircraft. There is not some special features that are neccessary for modeling such aircraft and envirouments (modern radar system, speeches, etc)
But....
Right at the time when we will release first tools will be possible to make:

1. Sport piston engine aircraft
2. Almost any or any piston engine or multi engines aircraft of WWII time
3. envirouments, including new ground objects that will corresponds to that time (cars, ships, U-boats, tanks, rail road cars and many other things...)
4. to make own campagin engines, including for online. As a separate modules, that are using our API.
6. To program new devices for aircaft and other technics (this will happens a bit later that all above).
7. To add new calsses of controlable units in the game (cars, tanks, ships, u-boats, maybe even human as a first person... ). But this tool will be relased as the last from our side and for this we will need a time. The most complex.

Then... at the same time we should make own next sim. The next will be separate sim, but it will be possible to install as a merged version with previous one... Experience show me that this is the only one right way.
With new sim we will add new features (like in the past). Half or the models already done for the new sim so probably you may calculate what the sim it should be. Can't name you... because everything may happens... And in reality we was planning two sims right after BoB.... Maybe this also happens. All will depends of success or no success on the market with BoB. Hope success... everything will be fine then. I even can image how fine and how great will be life of this project Then I can to retire on a pension after some 10 years of SoW success

[MikkOwl]

Oleg, you're going to be like that Hideo Kojima guy who does the Metal Gear Solid game series for Konami. He keeps stopping it but then comes back to do another, then another, then another. I don't know how much of your simulators are thanks to you (because this is a major team effort, and you must have incredibly talented intelligent guys working for you to have such few people responsible for so many areas, and still making them so good) - and so I don't know how the IL-2 game series will go if you retire. Maybe someone to take over.

But hey, SoW isn't even out yet, and 10 years is a long time. Imagine what leaps can be made in technology and how your urge to develop more cool things can be revitalized even more.

EDIT: As for the next sim, if half the aircraft already made.. Battle of France including Dunkirk maybe. Possibly Barbarossa as it uses all the German planes. MTO also a strong possibility.

EDIT2: After my question on the rear gunners of aircraft like Bf 110, I went and looked around the forum searching, and I found one answer you gave stating that there are plans to make the gunners communicate positions of enemy aircraft to the pilot.

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by MikkOwl

Oleg, you're going to be like that Hideo Kojima guy who does the Metal Gear Solid game series for Konami. He keeps stopping it but then comes back to do another, then another, then another. I don't know how much of your simulators are thanks to you (because this is a major team effort, and you must have incredibly talented intelligent guys working for you to have such few people responsible for so many areas, and still making them so good) - and so I don't know how the IL-2 game series will go if you retire. Maybe someone to take over.

But hey, SoW isn't even out yet, and 10 years is a long time. Imagine what leaps can be made in technology and how your urge to develop more cool things can be revitalized even more.

EDIT: As for the next sim, if half the aircraft already made.. Battle of France including Dunkirk maybe. Possibly Barbarossa as it uses all the German planes. MTO also a strong possibility.

EDIT2: After my question on the rear gunners of aircraft like Bf 110, I went and looked around the forum searching, and I found one answer you gave stating that there are plans to make the gunners communicate positions of enemy aircraft to the pilot.

I can develop with team any type of the games. However I'm with love to aviation during all my life. And I understand that it is small niche in the games market, where are going not so great money like in other some genres. The principle of meged separate sims in one in time - the only one system that can help stay on the board and make hi-end class avia sims.


Rear gunner: Speeches of them is work of Ilya. Programmer can make some limited AI interaction. The main thing - to make some most important and useful things.
Already now we have much more commands to AI comparing to Il-2 (I'm speaking about control by command across the Tab button in Il-2)

[MikkOwl]

Originally Posted by Oleg Maddox

I can develop with team any type of the games. However I'm with love to aviation during all my life. And I understand that it is small niche in the games market, where are going not so great money like in other some genres. The principle of meged separate sims in one in time - the only one system that can help stay on the board and make hi-end class avia sims.


Rear gunner: Speeches of them is work of Ilya. Programmer can make some limited AI interaction. The main thing - to make some most important and useful things.
Already now we have much more commands to AI comparing to Il-2 (I'm speaking about control by command across the Tab button in Il-2)

Well, life isn't only about making even more money. Having fun doing it and being able to focus on something one has passion for ranks very highly I think (as long as you meet some minimum standard of life quality otherwise). I would choose the same thing as you I think... and by the way, I loved airplanes my whole life I think. At first more modern looking jets (starting with F-4 Phantom II to modern times. I found myself in the middle of the 1980's (born in 80) with the planes then, where it was cold war type aircraft. Thanks to IL-2 many years later, I got a big, if not bigger, interest in WW2 era aircraft too

The method you use for selling more versions is clever and logical. Eagle Dynamics are doing similar things, and they realize it is the best way too I think. Because then the older sims can be benefit from technology of the new sims, and at the same time keep the 'family' of the sims together. But a requirement for this to be successful is that the start sim engine technologically is 'future proof' so that can upgraded and adapted easily for the coming sim stand-alone expansions. IL-2 was like this and SoW will be too.

The gunners don't need that much AI or commands. But since they are always with us, they probably need a bit more variation to their speech than other aircraft. Even when everyone else is shot down, you still have your crew members/gunners in the same aircraft so it is logical.

I use a program called "Shoot" for Windows sometimes, that can recognize my speech (very accurate and fast!), and I use it to talk to the AI in IL-2. It is a bit complicated to set up with all the keypresses needed, but I managed to make it so fast that it is impossible to see the HUD radio stuff appear (realistic). I think that a native feature in IL-2 to support speech recognition would be a good idea for many reasons, including for third party expansions etc. For civilian flying too. There is a lot of possibilities for anyone developing the AI speech and pilot speech interaction using such a feature. Native is better than external. And this is an area that has very little development in the game world, developers just didn't care about developing and using it.

EDIIIIIT: Some things would make speech interaction much easier and useful (here are suggestions).

1. Logic to permit someone to be talking only to one other plane (selection basically, other AI ignore the commands). This way it is possible to keep closer communication with a single wingman or leader. Naming another aircraft or the group makes them listen to commands again.
2. Related to 1, tell the other pilot to execute basic maneuvers like "break left/up/down/right" or "tach weave". Wingman tactics benefit a lot.
3. Be able to use numbers to tell them more specific things. Like altitude, heading, speed, the direction of a contact, how many contacts, the range at which to open fire (just examples of possible uses). This is impractical for typing but not a problem for speech recognition.

[dce21b]

Originally Posted by Oleg Maddox

7. To add new calsses of controlable units in the game (cars, tanks, ships, u-boats, maybe even human as a first person... ). But this tool will be relased as the last from our side and for this we will need a time. The most complex.

Then... at the same time we should make own next sim. The next will be separate sim, but it will be possible to install as a merged version with previous one... Experience show me that this is the only one right way.
With new sim we will add new features (like in the past). Half or the models already done for the new sim so probably you may calculate what the sim it should be. Can't name you... because everything may happens... And in reality we was planning two sims right after BoB.... Maybe this also happens. All will depends of success or no success on the market with BoB. Hope success... everything will be fine then. I even can image how fine and how great will be life of this project Then I can to retire on a pension after some 10 years of SoW success

Hi Oleg I'm a stalker on forums usually just read a lot and ask a question from time to time so I would just like to say hello and say how wonderful your products are.

With what you are saying is possible as far as adding vehicles and people etc have you ever thought of maybe the next add on would be for ground warfare? I have read somewhere that you are allowing Human controlled AAA on airfields which is really cool.

What I am getting at is that sims for all niches are hard to sell and be profitable and If it were possible to make the community explode by having an all in one game like World War 2 online. It is so hard to find a game where all aspects can be represented.

Sometimes I will crash near a target area and just hang out to watch the AI tank battles etc and think how cool it would be if I could be in control of that King Tiger on the hill pushing through to capture a town and its airfield.

We are living in amazing times and technology is advancing everyday, IL2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles has lasted 10 years and still looks and plays great. So with a life expectancy of maybe another 10 great years would this be possible?

I know some people would say that this type of game, with this type of detail, would take to much resources. But what if the add-ons you released were stand alone as well.

For instance perhaps you are a tank simmer and you have no interest in flying at all you just want to drive tanks etc. You could buy Tubruk, Operation Barbarossa or how ever you wanted the timeline to go.

Im not sure how well the game would look to troops on ground level but you could have their stand alone adapt for them where as all the graphics and mechanics of the game would be geared for "tank simulation". And it would be able to interact with SOW.

Where as all the flight mechanics wouldnt be needed and could be instead be replace with the tanks. Then for online play the way the missions are setup you could just have the tanks spawn in a staging area on the map where as not to be too far from the frontline. Possible have tanks be AI controlled unless taken over by Human. Have breakthroughs where your line crumbles from not enough air support and now your pilots have to stop the blitzkrieg from reaching the town.... the possibilities are endless.

Point being is you make such a quality game if you could unite the differents sim communities together in one package with high quality sims that work together it would be amazing. Then that for sure would garuntee the success of the game. Imaging if you add human soldiers you would get lots of FPS players to the game. Not only supporting a great sim but helping to grow the community. Even naval warfare is possible.

How sweet would it be if you could have a Normandy scenario where everything was alive take your posion... invade or defend the beaches bombard the beaches with your ships strafing the beaches in your 109.

Wow Im rambling sorry its just that this has been a dream of mine for so long and I hope to see the day it comes true. I just know it will but when.