4.13 development update discussion and feedback

[SaQSoN]

Originally Posted by ECV56_Guevara

But there is ... on the pipeline....

There are a lots of WIP stuff at hands of DT and 3rd parties, however, all this is irrelevant to the content of DT addons, unless and until it is posted as official update.

Neither DT members, or DT 3rd parties have strict deadlines for their projects, unless a certain subject is adopted for an upcoming add-on. Usually, this happens when this subject is 99% ready and it's author(s) shows determination and ability to complete it in a relatively short time.

And only when this selected subjects reach alpha-test, or even beta-test stage, they get a chance to go into our public updates.

As for the other stuff - it may never be finished at all, due to various reasons, over which only authors may have control. Therefore, we do not publish any official info about such WIP projects. Otherwise, people may get a wrong impression, that DT promisses to include subjects, which may never be actually finished.

[ECV56_Guevara]

thanks for your very clear answer SaQSoN!
A last one question: Time ago, DT published updates for a future patch regarding some wonderfull features: Triggers, Ship Debries and Airborne radar. ARe these still WIP? or were cancelled?

бог mmy! только lods, чтобы закончить сову?
И, пожалуйста, не совпадайте на мне, я использовал переводчика!

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by SaQSoN

Neither DT members, or DT 3rd parties have strict deadlines for their projects, unless a certain subject is adopted for an upcoming add-on. Usually, this happens when this subject is 99% ready and it's author(s) shows determination and ability to complete it in a relatively short time.

Thanks for this policy. Over the years I've seen way too much "vaporware" on mod sites, where some enthusiastic young would-be modder gets a copy of GMax or Blender and tries his hand at making some sort of grandiose object like a 4-engined bomber. Usually, these projects die somewhere around the unskinned LoD0 model, once the modder realizes there's far more to making add-ons for IL2 than meets the eye.

Even experienced modders or mod teams can run into problems that result in a project being abandoned, like Oceanic Mod Team's gorgeous, but never released, Boomerang and Whirlwind projects that went off the rails when an earthquake destroyed their files.

TD is very conservative in their policies, but they are very reliable and produce first rate work, and I thank them for it.

[SaQSoN]

Originally Posted by ECV56_Guevara

Time ago, DT published updates for a future patch regarding some wonderfull features

Those updates were shown before we adopted the said above policy, thus they demostrated quite unfinished work. I can not tell you, what is the status of those, as I am not involved directly in development of any of those.

[ECV56_Guevara]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Thanks for this policy. Over the years I've seen way too much "vaporware" on mod sites, where some enthusiastic young would-be modder gets a copy of GMax or Blender and tries his hand at making some sort of grandiose object like a 4-engined bomber. Usually, these projects die somewhere around the unskinned LoD0 model, once the modder realizes there's far more to making add-ons for IL2 than meets the eye.

Even experienced modders or mod teams can run into problems that result in a project being abandoned, like Oceanic Mod Team's gorgeous, but never released, Boomerang and Whirlwind projects that went off the rails when an earthquake destroyed their files.

TD is very conservative in their policies, but they are very reliable and produce first rate work, and I thank them for it.

True 100%


Ok Mr. SaQSoN! Thanks for your answer!

[SaQSoN]

One more thing to the above: both DT members and 3rd parties are, obviously, free to post their personal WIP info (unless it does not affect others work and interests).

So, the pictures, re-posted by someone recently on the M4T forum are really a WIP shots, posted by DT members for their private use. However, they should not be regarded as related to the upcoming add-on, untill and unless it is stated in the official update on this site.

[ECV56_Guevara]

Regarding 3rd parties works, theres enought info about modelling new aircraft and objects in the il.2 modelling bible, but what about maps? The game map´s specs has been published in the SAS forum IIRC, but, there are no tutorials, or tools for map making. There are a lot of talented modders, maybe if you release the tools, or the tips, a lot of new maps will be available. The "microden" way, seems to be precise but, I think that it isn´t the method used in oficial maps. Please consider it.

[SaQSoN]

All you need for map making is Photoshop (or similar program) and a modded game. May be, also some additional small tools, which also available for modders for a long time now. Anyone, who really wants, can build new maps already and can find enough info on how to do it.

[Juri_JS]

Originally Posted by SaQSoN

All you need for map making is Photoshop (or similar program) and a modded game. May be, also some additional small tools, which also available for modders for a long time now. Anyone, who really wants, can build new maps already and can find enough info on how to do it.

One question just out of curiosity, because in the past I've worked professionally with geographic data:

Were the original IL-2 maps also build using SRTM data converted in Mircrodem, or was other data or another methode used?

[SaQSoN]

Originally Posted by Juri_JS

One question just out of curiosity, because in the past I've worked professionally with geographic data:

Were the original IL-2 maps also build using SRTM data converted in Mircrodem, or was other data or another methode used?

I don't know.

I can only say about the Kiev map, in which I took part as a 3rd party dev. It didn't use SRTM data, it's elevation was created manually, using 1930s-40s topographic maps.