New 2019 IL-2: Great Battles content release info

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

News, put together by Stormbirds

IL-2’s Lead Producer, Jason Williams, revealed plenty of new information today in a post on the IL-2 forums with plenty of far reaching details on the release order of content coming to the IL-2 series including some surprise changes to the order of new materials.

There has long been speculation on the order that content will release in for IL-2: Battle of Bodenplatte (not to mention Tank Crew and Flying Circus). In the post that went up a few hours ago, we’ve learned about each of the three titles and what content is releasing and when.

Me262 coming sooner than expected

Though long thought to be the last aircraft to be released, 1CGS has apparently made tremendous strides in getting the required flight model changes and jet engine modeling inserted into the engine – to that point that the Me262 will now release alongside the FW190D-9.

That means that the FW190D-9, already well known to be coming next, will come with the Me262. That is incredible news and a change of plans from 1CGS on release order compared to what we previously knew.

Here’s the new order:

1. Me-262 and Fw-190 D-9
2. P-51D
3. B-25 (AI)
4. Tempest Mk.V
5. P-38J

Excitingly, the P-51D is next in the line-up but it does mean that we’ll be waiting for a while yet for another two highly anticipated types: the P-38J and the Tempest Mark V.

Tanks will be coming in larger packs

Eight more tanks are coming in 2019 for Tank Crew – Clash at Prohorovka. While the tanks themselves have been well known for over a year now, the actual release order has been only guessed at based on what we’ve seen from the work in progress images.

The next release for Tank Crew will include:

• M4A2
• PzKpfw IV Ausf.G
• T-34 model 1943
• PzKpfw III Ausf.M
•  

Following that, a second release will include:

• SU-122
• PzKpfw V Ausf.D
• SU-152
• Sd. Kfz. 184 

I would suggest to those unclear about this that it is very likely that there will be large gaps in between these releases as the models for these tanks are worked on.

Two additional vehicles will be offered as Collector Vehicles (like Collector Planes) and they are:

• GAZ-MM + 72K
• Sd. Kfz. 10 + Flak38

These two mobile flak vehicles will provide a whole new aspect for the IL-2 series with a new mission – firing back at aircraft attacking ground targets and tanks.

One thing is certain and that is Tank Crew will be growing immensely from its currently very early access state into a complete package over the coming months.

Flying Circus aircraft still to come

We already knew that the Fokker D.VII and D.VIIF were coming alongside the Sopwith Dolphin. From there we were only making educated guesses, however, according to Jason Williams, the order will go as follows:

• Fokker D.VII and D.VIIF and Sopwith Dolphin
• Albatros D.Va and S.E.5a
• Bristol F2B and Halberstadt CL.II and CL.IIau

Flying Circus has four aircraft that have helped prove and cement the concept of bringing Rise of Flight’s aircraft to the next generation of the Digital Warfare engine – letting people experience VR WWI air combat and enjoying the benefits of years of development on the series’ engine. The rest of the aircraft line-up will help further sell the concept I think – and it leaves me hopeful for a future Vol 2 follow-up too.

Map release order too

We now have information on the release order for the new maps coming as well.

1. Bodenplatte Map
2. Arras Map
3. Prokhorovka Map

Last in the order is the recently revealed Prokhorovka map which is interesting because we’ve seen this map in development while the Arras map for Flying Circus has not yet been seen in work in progress screenshots.

Many months ago we saw the first images of the Bodenplatte map followed up by images of new city layouts that would help the 1CGS team quickly populate the largest (and most densely packed) map in the series’ history.

Of course, the Bodenplatte map isn’t just one theme as it comes with all four seasons – summer, autumn, winter, and even a spring thaw version of the map that is something we’ve not really seen before.

And those other features

Sometimes I think we get so caught up about seeing our favourite aircraft or tank added that we sometimes forget that the thing that helps propel all of this along are those “other features” that are so essential to making something like the IL-2: Great Battles Series compelling.

1CGS has no shortage of that planned.

• Bodenplatte Career
• Bodenplatte Scripted Campaign
• Another Payware Scripted Campaign or two from 3rd Parties
• Tank Crew Scripted Campaigns
• American and British Radio Calls
• Air/Field Marshal Feature
• Object Viewer
• New MP Lobby  (Fingers crossed, this one won’t be easy) 
• PWCG Online Co-Op Campaign (Go chew on Pat about this) 
• and hopefully many other tweaks and fixes etc. as we go along.

Things like a Career we’ve come to expect from the 1CGS team who delivered that feature in March of 2018 and which has, in my mind at least, transformed the single player experience. Other things like the Air Field Marshal and a new Multiplayer Lobby have the potential to be game changing for the multiplayer experience.

We’ve got a lot to look forward to in the IL-2 series this year and I think we’re in for another transformative year for IL-2: Great Battles. And who knows… 1CGS always has a few surprises rolled up their sleeves.

Original source
https://stormbirds.blog/2019/01/15/new-2019-il-2-great-battles-content-release-info/

[jeanba]

I am mostly interested by the BodenPlatte Map

Maps are very important in a sim to me and I wish it is out soon

That's usually when I see a map that I decide whether I buy or not a sim