Friday Update, March 30, 2012
 

Good day everyone!

We still don’t have the beta of the patch ready for the public, nor do we have a definite release date. The particle system remains a final bastion of the micro-freeze. We almost succumbed to public pressure and released a version of the patch with micro-freezes every time there are particle effects on screen, but finally decided that would be anticlimactic at best. Drops in FPS every time you fire your guns would only add oil to the fire, in our opinion. Better to face your ire a little longer for not releasing the patch than to face the outrage when the long-awaited beta is imperfect.

Still, while our graphic programmers are struggling with that, other team members are progressing along other fronts.

We are showing you some screenshots of the most iconic aircraft from the upcoming sequel. We are currently fine-tuning the flight model, and new ground-attack AI routines. We just cannot hold back the screenshots of how cool it looks. We’re all stoked here.

We know that none of you can really share our joy yet, and Cliffs of Dover is all you have at the moment. We have discussed at length whether we should even be talking about the future while our present is in the state it’s in. Dissension notwithstanding, we did decide that some extra glimmer of hope is better than complete silence. The last thing we want is for an extra segment of the community to start complaining that we’ve stopped showing our Eastern Front content as well.

So that’s the update then!

Have a great weekend!

.

Damn, those look sweet. Can't wait to get some winter action on the eastern front :)
Thanks for the update!

Appreciate your honest approach b6. Excellent screenshots! Thanks

Hi BSIX,
thanks for update, I'm grateful the things keep going on, some of your picts still show anti aliasing problems, are u close to resolve this issue?
Thanks again

Two different maps? Or one with different weather?

Thanks for the update BlackSix and thanks for the reasoning behind holding off the beta patch.

Yes indeed, those shots look very nice!
Thanks for the update, I am just getting into this sim so the timing is good for me, looking forward to this beta update when it is ready.

This is going to be in my hard drive from the first day I think. Good job and thanks for continue with the updates and good look with particle optimizations. I think your decision here is the right one. Bring us that think only when it works perfect.

On the other side, I know is WIP, but I would like to see a bit more resolution in the cockpit interior details and texture. It looks a bit more blurred than 109, spits and hurrys, but I may be wrong. You get us used to quality that is hard to achieve... and you know, here are the consecuences. Very nice work, I wish you could show us more cockpit shots next week.

And please, white roofs in very snowy landscapes.

Thanks for the update B6! Interesting screens there, to be honest I thought at first it was IL-1946 winter landscape but I know it's WIP so I don't mean anything bad. IL-2 looks nice, more cockpit shots next time please. :)

excellent work - keep the faith. thank you.

More Cockpit pics of the IL-2 please, please, PLEASE .. ;)

Great Blacksix,

thx for the info and the screenies. We wish the developers a particlularly nice weekend :)

Greetz Allons!

Thank you for your update Blacksix.

I think I can speak for others as well as myself in saying that we would rather wait for the upgrade to "tick all the problem boxes" than get it sooner with bugs. May I also say that if your first language is Russian, your command of the English language is perfect. Please take a bow Sir..

Kind regards

Vonte

Спасибо за апдейт Александр! Илюшка такой мясистый:grin: Всей команде успехов и хороших выходных!

The main thing is you've found the cause of the micro freezes\stutters. I can wait a bit longer for the patch.

I wholeheartedy agree with this. Take your time to fix anything you find. Although I must warn you - if even one big performance bug stays in the final patch, you`re going to have hell break loose over here.


You can`t stress this enough, BlackSix. Maybe put it in your sig. People needlessly speculate about that, some even outright lie to stir some flames.


The Ilyushin IL-2 actually looks even more sturdy than in the "IL2 :1946". I just hope you guys can model it right, so it won`t be immune to every type of ammo there is.


You too and thank you for the update. Always appreciated.

Waiting patiently.

A great update there, BS! :)

I think you guys have made the right decision! I would have been over the moon if you had released it today but, if I'm honest, loading up a mission and finding the dreaded particle problem still there would have been comparable to discovering someone had relieved themselves on my corn flakes. :D

I take it the Roundels, tracers etc are totally sorted then?

I'd make a prediction on when I reckon the patch will be out but, the timeframe I have in mind would only make it look like a certain long running joke. :D

Good times are coming!

Thanks, waiting is easier now!

Wish you all the best with the remaining problems for the patch!

Thank you B6,

Right decision!

Is that the Baltic Sea in the background of on picture? I loved the Il2 Leningrad map, that in 1-1 scale would totally change my mind of the BoM project... :-P

Screen shots look great!

Thanks for the update, but my my concern is can all these problems be fixed, or does one problem create another one? In luithers post last Friday he mentioned that the target and bullet tracers had disappeared since the graphics update. Can you tell me if this has now been resolved or is this still an on going issue aswell?

Love the contrasting paint schemes/frost effect on the IL2s, do you just have the early IL2s or do you have the rear turret version?

Same to you and the team.

Thanks for the information. Especially the last two pics are great!

Thanks Black6! fine job

Looking good B6 - nice post, well written. Thanks
PPP

Looking great! :cool: Have a nice weekend:)

Looks epic to me, cannot wait to fly the IL2 in the new engine :)

Edit for the SimHQ'ers: Epic due to it being an IL2 in CLoD engine, ie; CEM, cockpit and stuff, yeh, the actual graphics themselves are the same as we have with no AA and bugs, why would the painted wording be overlaid on the iced paintwork?

Well done. Thanks B6.

Looks good. Keep it coming :)

Thanks for the update, too right to keep the patch on hold until it solves all the major performance issues and particle induced micro freezes are very significant degraders of game play.

Cockpit IL-2 has not yet fully ready, so we do not show it yet.
Buildings, trees, landscape - it's WIP
The inscription on the IL-2 is - "the Nazi invaders must die".

May we have a few more CEM options in that cockpit please:grin:

That's what it looks like to me. But maybe it's just their pc.

"Yeeee Haaawwww!" Thanks 1C, B6 and company; now I can go to Mexico, Playa De Carmen for a month! See ya'll at the end of April. I'll keep up with the post from my Iphone. I hope you guys good luck and I'll place a candle on the Virgin Mary's effigy.

By the way any of you guys in Cancun and wants a beer, message me. It's spring break here in USA and I'm going down there to relax.

Hey I found a pic of me in my tournament days in 1997 - 1999 CDV- Nival Blitzkrieg champion series in Leipzig Germany.

Great times. I'm the Blond head far left back.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...iegWilliam.jpg

cannot wait to send these IL-2 to ground :D

Thanks for the update. I feel encouraged and so should you guys in the Team. :cool:

PSSSSSTTTT..... maybe they forget about these pesky turrets, don`t know how often I was killed by them.......

:mrgreen:

Ilya and B6 - it's gorgeous. I'm almost moved. Thank you for sharing this beauty, and take your time for the patch.

Just one question: Will FM corrections be included in the next patch?

Cheers,
Insuber

Thank you B6 and dev team.

Cant wait to make some love with that beast. :-P

Great airplane.

Looking good, and thanks for the update and the reasoning behind the pushback on release :)

And if that isn't a challenge to all my fellow 109 pilots, I don't know what is! :D

Can't wait for this patch and looking forward to accepting the challenge on the Eastern front. : )

yesyesyesyes! Thank you B6!
Although rivers and lakes still don't look very convincing... :/

IIRC two-seater Il-2s became common from mid '43 on (they started earlier with field mods), so I guess that in BOM we should only see one seater versions...

and field mods were there in late 41 no?

http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=9290.0

Thank you for the update. And never be afraid to show new stuff! We're excited for more too.

I think some of us are just a little disappointed that it seems there will be no more new content for Cliffs of Dover. I'm sure the eastern front is a big exciting thing for you guys in Russia, but for me (Canadian of English ancestry) I desperately want MORE for the Battle of Britain. That's the part of the war that makes me sit up and take interest.

Not that I won't be flying IL-2s with happiness, too. I'd just like to maybe fly a Spit V with a glorious new cockpit sometime too :/ Or a Halifax. Or a... you get the picture.

Keep on working guys! We're all pulling for you to pull this off (even the angry guys ;) )

That looks fantastic. Particularly like the various autumnal colours of the trees in the autumn shots. That's the biggest prob with RoF's autumn map, trees are all one colour..

Snow on roofs?? No loft insulation back then, old chum! And it looks significantly better than old IL2 winter to me.

Once the patch for Cliffs proves to be everything we hoped for, I may even be persuaded to pre-order. I do miss my I-16 and Sturmo! :grin:

I guess that field mods were tried quite early, but for the Moscow operations, I'd say that most of the Il-2s were single-seaters.

Thanks BlackSix. Looking forward to buying a copy of the sequel. Update understood. Take your time and make it perfect. Thanks

Flight model for BoM or CoD?

B6,
is the skin become "white" with the time?
for simulate snow like "used" skin?

Now that is another nice update. Appreciate the news, Blacksix, can't wait to climb onboard the concrete pig again :D



Hey Gourmand, just saw and clicked your Sig. You should open your own thread about it, we really need a centralized Skin Site here like in the golden Days of IL2.

Sorry for the interruption, go on, gentleman =)

S!

Thank you for the update. Better have a bit longer wait to squash a big FPS killer than face the oh so dangerous army of forum warriors :D Great shots of the IL-2. Keep the updates coming, be it from CoD or the sequel :) Have a great weekend all!

SOOO many thanks for the update!!.
The pics are great!!
It would be great to see these ground snow pics from better altitude!! ;-)

Cant wait for the patch!! ARF!! :D

Looking good, and best decision on the patch. I'd rather it work without the stutters.

Thanks for the update.

Thanks!

Back to the Eastern Front!

I remember the back in 2001, walking through a COMPUSA store and coming across a title called "Il2 Sturmovik" with the aircraft in the pictures on the front cover.

I thought my eyes were going bad. At the time I believed that must be the only guy in the USA that read about the Eastern front and knew what an Il2 was. I don't think that I ever could imagine someone would build a simulator based on the Eastern front.

Couldn't wait to get home and fly it! I was even more amazed at the "feel of flight" and all the little details of the engine.

MS CFS II got uninstalled right after that - and even though I tried to reinstall and use it again over the years - it always was missing that incredible "feel of flight" that caused me to spend over a decade flying this sim.

Thanks for helping make my day one of hope, and fond memories Blacksix....

^ Nice Gunslinger :)

Thks for the update B6

Thanks for the update, have a great weekend:cool:

Thanks Black Six,good update.
Wise deciscion to hold the release of the beta patch until the micro studder issue is resolved as this has always been a big issue for Cliffs of Dover.
The screenies look great for the work progressing on the sequel ,glad to hear Ai ground attack behaviour is being worked on as often they never seemed to behave in a logical manner.

Thank you!

Viking

One thing that keeps bugging my mind;
If the sequel is based on the same engine,does it suffer from the same microfreezes?

Thx for the always honest updates. Personally I think Eastern Front = megayawn but understand why Russian team would think otherwise. How can it be anything but 1946 'with lipstick'?

Good luck with patch, right decision.

I know it's WIP but they really need to turn up the reflections on the aircraft models.
I think it looks more realistic, as seen in the early Stuka video. Other than that it's perfection. :)

Agreed, maybe they could try and crank up the AA a bit too, wouldn't hurt the plane models in particular.

Thanks for the update - and the new shots look awesome!

Interesting thoughts came to mind today. North American P51, 90 days from drawing board to flight and a Vickers Wellington built in a day. What is the difference in getting CloD up to spec and the two examples given? No frickin computers used in the first examples!!! Still, without computers, I wouldn't be having this discussion. Computers, don't you just love 'em.

No worries beter that it is done right and late than done wrong and early

Keep up the good work

So true what with this forum

Although I was hoping to have the patch before my daughter is born next week, I will be more than happy to wait till its done right :D

Also thanks for the continued updates and not giving into to the negativity!

Looks great thanks!

The autumn screens look much better than the previous ones we have seen. The colors are slightly varied in the trees, and they aren't so bright. The land also has a slightly browner tone to it, feels very fall now I like it!

Keep plugging away on the particle fps slowdown. That's one thing that bothers me right now in CloD. On takeoff the dust makes my fps creep.

Is it correct to say congratulations in advance? Sorry if a bit OT but we got our first wee one last September and we love her to bits but for God's sake man suck up all the free time you have now, later you will wish you had 10 minutes to spare, I am kidding you not. Congrats again!:grin:

Very nice, awesome screenshots. I agree on waiting to release the patch, the particle effects have always been an issue even on my 3 gig 580gtx card, and firing the guns and dust causing your fps to drop in half is no fun, so good call. Thanks for the update!

Thanks and why do you think I was hoping for the patch before she was born lol :D

I would like to know whether the particle effects problems are as per the current game version or have crept in with the new engine ? I would also like to know if the decal problem has been nailed ?

Although I respect the desire to release as good a patch as you can this will be a beta, yes ? Perfection is elusive and you will always find something to tweak. The boards here and elsewhere are getting quieter and that is not good for the game.

Personally I am not interested in the BoM project as I think it has been done before (and done well) but I do appreciate that there is a big target audience in Russia and commercial decisions must be made. I do think posting something about that is still far better than nothing at all.

Truth be told I'm relieved there is no beta out. I've lent my copy of the game to someone who wants to give it a go but wasn't keen to part with cash as things stand so I'd be well miffed if everyone was blasting round with super high fps's and no ctd's !.

Thanks for the update.

They are fixing the microfreezes, for the sequel and for COD.

Yes agreed i was wondering that.If it doesn't work for Clod then BOM will suffer the same.

They wont release BOM with the old engine, in fact it was stated that the screenshots were with the new engine, and we wont see the new engine till the stutters are fixed...

Nice pictures, but how are you going to release a sequel without even making Cliffs of Dover something we'd even want to play?

Oh come on, read the forums a little before posting this... sheeesh....

If you dont want to play it why are you hanging around here? Bored after homeworks? Go out and have a play there.. :rolleyes:

what happens when you turn that part off the part thats causing the microfreezing
 

Cuz if u can do that then turn it off, we can deal, but we can not deal with the freezing witch is affecting game play now.

Really thanks for a more honest assessment and reason, no patch release, again, Thank you. Please fix it and get jets in like in 1946 OMG i cant wait. I will buy all expansions i would pay to be in a bata patch program, i would just pay more if you would PLEASE FIX THE EXPLETIVE MICRO FREEZING AND MAKE IT 1st Priority, Thank you. Please setup donations button and counter so we can just start paying you and we can please cut out any middle men, there ass hats waiting to be worn by the next brilliant team. Thanks so much...

I really want to same some nasty Stuff but, I REALLY want to play this beautiful game and take ALL THIS frustration out on my opponent.

GOOD Job!!!!.


Jimmy OUT!!! :evil:

Thanks BS.

Congrats from me also! :) My son is 9 months old and.......

Look on the bright side! Cliffs of Dover will DEFINITELY be fixed and flying like a dream in 18 years time :D

Ha! Good point, but she will want to fly it in a few years so I am hoping for sooner ;)

BS...thanks for the pics. I'm thinking that next week is the week. :grin:

OT pre congrats too :) Having two sons myself I can tell you the first weeks will be a blur where you will not even remember you where waiting for a patch :) But maybe it's not the first one so you already know ;)

/mazex

Thought the most iconic aircraft would have referred to the Friedrichs ;)

Ahh, I still remember the first time me and my first born flew IL2 the first time together... He just wanted to splash that A20 in the Pacific all the time :)

/mazex

Thanks for the update & the screenshots,I'm sure like many others they keep me going & remeind me of the old days at Il-2 waiting for the next improvement.they do a lot to keep me ...uh...patient.
RePatch; I guess you are right in waiting,better to have it right than just slightly wrong.I can still play & enjoy sim as is ( frustrated a bit by FPS,non-working functions ,etc.,but there you are..) I can only hope you get the glitches out soon!
( Will be first in line to buy the Eastern Front!)

Not my first, and the group I am with, we are all about making time for family and sneaking in a little gaming :)

http://www.thedadsarmy.com

:D

and Thanks! :)

I can see why you're excited. Looks great!

Good decision too on holding the patch. Impatient as I am, it has to be RIGHT when it comes out. Otherwise it will be 'ugly' here ...(even more than usual :) )

Thanks for the update B6, I'm really glad you weren't put off posting sequel info. as many of us appreciate it.

Good decision to postpone the patch too. Best to sweep away the critics in one go in my opinion.

Keep up the good work.

@SiThSpAwN
congrats for new arrive, an year ago I was in same situation, CloD was released 26 April and my first newborn daughter came the 12 in April. I think I installed CloD 1 month later, fun is it?...not for me!!! An year later, today, how is it the situation? How many times do you see me on servers? here is the replay... Good luck.
BTW, I think I was rewarded by the most precious gift I have ever had!
I hope it is for you also
Cheers

Thank you for the update.
What a beautiful planes...

I think that joy is the best and easiest thing to share.
Looking forward.

Salutes Majo.

I'm really looking forward to blowing them out of the sky. :D (On the rare days I can actually get off the airstrip. lmao)

bob
 

the screen shots look ace for when the next part of cliffs of dover comes out and it is something to really look forward to however i would like for when battle of Britain is finally completed all problems are solved for the game to continue with out any new game releases like the Russian release to be available for at least half a year to a year so we can all finally enjoy the battle of Britain first with out any new versions being released then bring out the next game so we can then enjoy that at a later time

Looks good, but still no sign of AA :(

I may be overly optimistic, but jpeg compression can give a jagged look, perhaps it was how the screenie was saved and not so much the game engine, but as I said... maybe I am in denial lol

Thanks for the update. Loved the trees with different tones of yellow, brown, orange, also the brownish ground and villages.

Looking forward for the patch and the east front, and i´m not russian.

And the devs aint russian the patch :D

Ok, sorry :)

BS.
Excellent update!!!

Covers the current status nicely and also covers what is in the works for the future. Leaving me with a greater understanding of the patch and whetting my appetite for what is coming down the road.

Well done!

Regards . . .

Thanks for the update.