Interview with Ilya (translation please)

[Richie]

Thanks BlackSix

[Ataros]

The main facts are they are eager to support the series for at least 10 years. The new engine unlike the old IL-2 one allows replacement of complete modules and sub-modules like happens with sound now. On the other hand this fact made the core engine so complex and so hard to develop from scratch (and hunt all the bugs).

Also there are plans to include features that would allow the series to have some good cybersport application (they try to borrow some cybersport-related ideas from Starcraft).

SDK can be available only after the aircrafts are finalised because the documentation for the SDK can be written only by the chief aircraft programmer and will take about 4 months to write. Thus he has to stop his work on aircrafts first.

Disclaimer: this is not word by word translation but just my interpretation.

[Ataros]

My personal opinion on SDK is that we have to ask the devs at least to provide a limited SDK for maps and ground units to allow making some basic gunsights for AAA and tanks (e.g. similar to WoT game). Frankly I do not think work of the aircraft programmer on aircraft would ever stop because publishers will push for a new theatre after BoM. La-5 model is made for Stalingrad or Kursk as far as I understand.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by Ataros

Frankly I do not think work of the aircraft programmer on aircraft would ever stop because publishers will push for a new theatre after BoM.

+1

Also people tend to discount the time taken to create documentation like user manuals. Especially in this case where I expect any documentation would be written in Russian and then they would need to find a translator fluent with a grasp of the appropriate technical language.

As an example Australia Navy recently introduced the MU90 Light Weight Torpedo. There was a significant holdup in their deployment as French and Italian data and test reports of the weapon system were supplied in their original languages.

Not only did they need to have excelent French/Italian/English technical translation skills they also had to have the appropriate security clearance! It took them a long time to find one!

Cheers!

[Flanker35M]

S!

Thanks Ataros and Black6 for the snippets.

[dali]

the guy on the left looks like Rasputin

[flyingblind]

When it comes to generating income from a game I suppose the biggest difference between ROF and IL2 is that ROF operates in a limited theatre over the Western Front. There just aren't the opportunities to created additional maps so all they can do is sell planes. IL2 on the other hand represents a truly world war with a number of seperate areas of operations that can be used as a base for stand alone or merged updates. The different approaches suite the different games.

[Ataros]

Another thing I did not mention is time to create a new aircraft in original Il-2 was 1 month for 2 people. In CloD it is 9 months for 2 people.

Thus almost 10 times more time/resources is needed for creation as well is for bug hunting.

[addman]

Originally Posted by Ataros

Another thing I did not mention is time to create a new aircraft in original Il-2 was 1 month for 2 people. In CloD it is 9 months for 2 people.

Thus almost 10 times more time/resources is needed for creation as well is for bug hunting.

As I suspected. The developers (Polyphony Digital) of Gran Turismo 5 had the very same problem and that's one of the main reasons that game was delayed for so long. Of course they have a much bigger dev team than MG but they also had to create hundreds of licensed cars with manufacturers breathing down their necks making sure their models were faithfully represented.

I think some people don't really grasp this around here, if we get one extra plane in a patch then that would be a luxury for us. I'm not even expecting ANY new planes in patches, it will probably most likely be DLC further down the road considering the amount of resources/manpower it takes to produce new aircraft. I actually fully support a DLC implementation for the new IL-2 series, it's a good way to keep the cash flow for MG and hopefully one can pick and choose what one would like to download instead of getting unwanted crap planes, the Lerche springs to mind.

[trumps]

I am definately a fan of the RoF DLC type system, for add-on aircraft to existing theatres. I am amazed at peoples assumption that any extra aircraft developed down the track should be passed on for free, especially these days with the time and effort required to produce them to the standard the we all expect. And yes, the idiot planes like the lerch and some others should not have the time and effort wasted on them, and I dare say wouldn't if they were produced as money earning products!

Craig