Luthier announces new project

Would you trust the creator of Cliffs of Dover with your hard earned cash? If so, read on:

MOSCOW, Russia – September 1, 2013 - Legendary flight simulation designers Ilya Shevchenko, Igor Tishin, and Matt Wagner are excited to announce an upcoming Kickstarter campaign for a new WWII flight simulation being developed for the PC. DCS WWII: Europe 1944 is the start of an exciting new flight simulation series. Built by industry veterans at RRG Studios with the same approach that made famous flight sims of the past great, and in partnership with the experts at the Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics, the simulation aims to satisfy seasoned aces as well as attract new pilots to the genre.

DCS WWII: Europe 1944 will take the player to the skies over Western Europe at the height of WWII in 1944. Players will attack enemy ground vehicles in the famous P-47 Thunderbolt in the Battle of Falaise, or intercept waves of B-17 Flying Fortresses in their Messerschmitt Bf.109; or attempt to fend off incredible new Me.262 jet fighters in their suddenly slow and obsolete propeller-driven Spitfires.

With successful Kickstarter funding of stretch goals, the project will include more famous historical aircraft, such as the Lockheed P-38, de Havilland Mosquito, Messerschmitt Me.262, and even a flyable version of the Boeing B-17.

The simulation is based on the award-winning DCS engine used in such stellar products as DCS: P-51D Mustang and DCS: A-10C Warthog. DCS WWII: Europe 1944 will boast an all-new EDGE landscape engine, as well as many new and updated features.

As all simulations in the DCS line, DCS WWII titles will boast detailed recreations of famous WWII aircraft and meticulous modeling of individual aircraft systems. Combat missions over a huge game world painstakingly recreated from period maps will offer rich single-player experience recreating famous battles from both sides.

DCS WWII will also ship with advanced AI that recreates historical tactics and models pilots of varying skill levels, from bumbling rookies to merciless aces. Other features such as the dynamic weather and seasons, comprehensive training, robust multiplayer , a powerful mission and campaign editor, as well as a mission replay system, pilot log book, and other features will all add up to incredible player experience.

“With unparalleled attention to detail, our developers have decades of experience with aerial combat simulations,” said Ilya Shevchenko of RRG Studios. “We are famous for our ability to make our games fun while maintaining unwavering dedication to historical realism. We can do it because the relatively simple aircraft of the WWII era do not require extensive training, and nimble controls and simple weapons naturally lead to fast-paced close-quarters battles.“

“We want to open a new page in WWII combat simulations,” said Matt Wagner of Eagle Dynamics. “At the same time we strive to recapture everything that made the flight simulations of the past great, starting with a thick spiral-bound manual and comprehensive training, and ending with great free-for-all multiplayer. We want to keep creating the content that we enjoy creating and that our fans enjoy playing for years to come.”
The team intends for DCS WWII: Europe 1944 to act as the forerunner of a long-running DCS WWII simulation series covering all theaters of WWII, and expanding into other nearby conflicts, such as the Korean War.

In addition to industry-leading attention to detail, incredible graphics, unparalleled flight dynamics, and award-winning multiplayer, DCS WWII: Europe 1944 will also shop with an innovative distribution model. As the last major release in the DCS line, DCS World, DCS WWII will also be distributed via a free-to-play model. The full-featured core game will be available as a free download, allowing anyone to check out the game and its features. Additional modules containing new aircraft or new gameplay areas will be available as a separate purchase.

The free-to-play model allows a wider audience access the core game by, in essence, offering a free demo that allows anyone to try the game before they buy it. At the same time, the model accurately reflects immense development costs attached to historically accurate study sims.

The Kickstarter campaign for the title will launch on September 5th.

About RRG Studios

RRG Studios brings over 10 years of experience with WWII flight simulations to the table. Staffed with flight sim veterans that worked on the greatest WWII flight sim series of the 21st century, we literally wrote the book on the new generation of flight sims.

About Eagle Dynamics

Eagle Dynamics is the studio responsible for the biggest modern aviation sims of the past twenty years. In-house experts have industry-best experience with physics, avionics, ballistics, and all other components that go into making a successful flight simulation. Eagle Dynamics continues to redefine the genre and continuously sets the bar high with each new release.

About the Fighter Collection

The Fighter Collection is the company that manages Eagle Dynamics. It is based in Cambridge, England, and it operates Europe’s largest fleet of airworthy WWII aircraft. The Fighter Collection runs the annual Flying Legends airshow, giving us unprecedented access to the aircraft we simulate.

New WWII prop fighter sim on the way - based on DCS P51D

In recent days we saw this great news on Russian forums from the project lead of IL2 Pacific Fighters and Cliffs of Dover, Ilya Shevchenko:

Some of you have probably already knows. For everyone else - my name is Ilya Shevchenko. Usually on the forums I am known as Luthier. Developing a flight simulation for almost 14 years. But all that I have done before - in the past. And I want to talk about the future.

And so to the future.

I'm with some former colleagues have long talk with the guys from Eagle Dynamics. Our relationship has not had to go public, but due to inadvertent click of the mouse they climbed out prematurely.

While officially podtvezhdayu items that have already announced yesterday:
1. There is a joint development between companies RRG Studios and Eagle Dynamics.
2. Make a new flight simulator WWII.
3. Founded on the principles that have been used in the development of DCS: P-51.
4. According to the work of the pilot, interactive booths, detail buttons, levers, loyalty, manuals, and elaborate on the aerodynamics - as in the P-51.
5. According to the simulation of internal systems - a model of pressure in every corner of the hydraulic system and etc - will be easier.
6. The landscape will be EDGE.
7. Theater, a set of aircraft, screenshots, videos - all will be announced later.

New information:
1. Tomorrow morning I, as well as the crew of the Eagle Dynamics, smooth formation is directed at an airshow Flying Legends. There we will feel from the inside planes and in every way with them converge. We will shoot a lot of videos and pictures of everything that can not be.
2. The official announcement of the project, with videos, screenshots, terms, and super detailed descriptions likely to be the 1st September 2013. This date, for some reason, it was critical for the project. So everything will be exactly.

Additional new information to disclose to the time I can not.

I will communicate with everyone and answer questions, not counting the next few days when I'm at an airshow kayfovat Surrounded by the beautiful curves of the favorite creatures. I will be a regular here in the DCS, and at the office forums ED.

Since then there have been a few more rumours - namely that this is intended as the first in a new WWII series by ED/DCS, that the series will stretch to Korea, that the team will add to the DCS platform with improved landscape etc.

If you haven't already got the basic DCS P-51D module, read the review here.

http://www.simhq.com/_air15/air_550a.html

A real WWII theatre and campaign is exactly what this module was missing, and it always did have the feeling it was just a test project to see how easily WWII aircraft could be integrated into the DCS ecosystem.

Later, ED introduced an AI only FW190 into the module, and again, showed that was possible, so it is no surprise they have now taken the logical step of beginning production of a series of WWII based modules. The good news is they have lured the lead developer of iconic titles like Pacific Fighters and Cliffs of Dover to lead the project - Ilya Shevchenko.

Shevchenko is a leader with enormous passion and ambition. Reportedly, he had to fight hard to get Oleg Maddox in IL2 days to agree to develop Pacific Fighters, but his determination proved worthwhile as it is one of the great sim titles for Pacific Theatre fans. However, there is some debate about whether the ultimate product was more the work of Maddox, or Shevchenko.

Shevchenko's passion led him into deep waters in Cliffs of Dover however, where 'scope creep' (the inability of a project leader to stick to clear and simple project goals and timelines) was one of the things that led to the much delayed release of a very buggy product for which Shevchenko later apologised and worked hard to fix.

DCS World is a great platform for someone like Luthier to work in - as the basic game code is already there, and he can concentrate on creating content.

If he can keep his ambition under control, the already established platform of DCS World and the P51D should be the ideal sandbox for him.

Butchering the Butcherbird

Video of P51D vs the new AI FW190D in the latest DCS update, from 'tracefantaps'

And here is a brief external video from farber2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcRWF-3Lcxg

 I will very soon do a full writeup of the DCS FW190D, with screenshots and external video, as they are almost certain to make it flyable.

BOB2 Wings of Victory update

Boreas has updated his RAF engine sounds based on some new sound sampling of real Merlins he has done. I am a big fan of Boreas work. You can get them here:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/2/3/2305200/RAF%20engine%20sounds.zip

Hazzie has posted some nice 109 skins. See them in action at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Ergxl5wo0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmZ7unp3eCk

Skins downloadable at http://www.mediafire.com/?agyr6s3o3sla1o3

Cherkassov is updating the Bf110 skins in the multiskin mod




Stickman has remade the Sheerness region with historical precision, as usual




Hazzie has also been working on prop blur at various engine speeds and settings:

Low:


High:


And work has started on version 2.13, with the following wishlist and work in progress identified (may or may not make it into the final update):

- Terrain elevation
- Multiskin additions
- City, airfield, port and landmark updates to further improve historical accuracy
eg Newhaven, swing bridge area


- Chalk Cliffs (at the moment there is a bug making some cliff tiles 'see through')
- Campaign map


- Ongoing work on 'Buddye's Buglist'

1. Still some minor warps in AI behavior to fix when changing maneuver codes (nevertheless huge improvement over original ones).
2 Pilot to bail-out 3-5 seconds after final punch (currently with no delay). Bail-out delay time could be randomized based on skill and damage.
3. Bombers formations to spread-out in panic, drop bombs and return home when attacked fiercely. Shooting down the whole group of unescorted JU88s without any panic signs across the whole slaughter process seems a bit unrealistic.
I've seen some "automatic" panic only with single stuka pilot when attacked directly (here it could be more randomized). His few comrades could join in as well at a random manner depending on skill and situation.
4. Personalized squadron roster in SPC like in EAW. Newcomers, KIAs,wounded score, rank etc, pilots to fly the mission/rest, current AI level for a given pilot.
5. Label types to be toggled continuously from none through single character to long ones with different key stroke than labels on/off
6. Different labels for quick check where direct wingmen are
7. Clouds to cast shadows on the ground (maybe it is there and I missed it).
8. 3D sound in external views - currently only fly-by sound present
9. Fix replay problems
10 Fix MP Beta issues and refine
11. Prevent AI from seeing through the clouds
12. Review report in the Campaign (bad counts for Hurri, Ric reported on beta forum). --- I think Randy mostly fixed this one?
13. Fix the winds so they can be evoked (now only below 1000 feet)
14. Real gunsites for the BOBII flyable A/C
15. Fix the not working or broken 3D gauges ------------ Stickman will need to Status this one but we fixed most. Ithink?
16. All RAF spits will have Two Speed/Constant Speed propeller ----------------- We know how to do this but the question is impact to Game play?
17 Fix the problem with adding A/C in BOBII. Add the Tiger Moth to BOBII
18. Players can man the gunner position in the BF110 and Ju87
19. Start the process of AI being able to improve and not make the same mistakes
20. Continue Fred’s Mission Editor Concept
21.Correct adverse yaw effect – Blue Six interest ----------- I think Ken fixed this one?
22. Fix RAF 303's number of bullets and rate of fire issue ----- I fixed this one some time ago, I think.
23. Investigate solution to AI blacking out like player
24. Formation jitter
25. Jittering Gauges (really just not smooth operation)
26. Broken Gauges ---------------------------------------------- Oops, thei is the same as 15?
27.. Small jumps intermittently during combat
28. "Hicup" that results in the Min FPS display hitting 1,2,3,4
29. Fix AutoPiolt so that it does not go to external view but stays in cockpit view.

'Full Real' battles in Gaijins War Thunder

While 'full real' is a bit of an overclaim, War Thunder does have an in cockpit mode with most HUD features disabled that enables players to get a more realistic dogfight experience.

GloDark has produced a nice video to show how this mode works.

See also this thread from GloDark on the topic

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3735410/Continued_Adventures_in_Full_R#Post3735410

CoD REDUX campaigns now updated for TF Mod

The RAF and Luftwaffe REDUX campaigns have been updated to make the most of the new features in the TF MOD for those using it.

These versions are for use only with the TF MOD. If you don't have the TF MOD version of Cliffs of Dover, these campaigns are available in normal versions (see links below).

REDUX campaigns feature missions designed by Heinkill, with scripting by Bolox and Gabuzomeu, giving you campaign kill counts, medals and promotions.

The TF MOD version has been enhanced with high altitude missions, new objects and different aircraft types including 100 Octane RAF and LW fighters.

This package contains both the RAF and LW campaigns, for separate install as desired. You will see 'For TF MOD' in yellow letters on the splash screen, if you have installed correctly.

If you have a campaign in progress, you can just install straight over the top and continue where you left off. More detail in the extensive README documents.

Enjoy!

Download REDUX for TF MOD

Get BOTH the RAF and LW REDUX campaigns for TF MOD from Airwarfare, here: http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php/down...igns-for-tf-mod

Looking for the REDUX campaigns for the stock version of Cliffs of Dover?

If you don't use the TF MOD here are the original versions. (These will also work with the TF MOD, they are just not optimised for that MOD, so they don't include high altitude missions, new objects such as the ships, or the new 100 Octane fighters...)

RAF: http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php/down...ux-raf-campaign

Luftwaffe: http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php/down...ampaign-seelowe

Enjoy!

Heinkill, Bolox, Gabuzomeu and testing teams.

_________________________

New effects work by Team Fusion for CoD

Team Fusion has continued to work on improving effects and trying for higher framerates with effects like smoke and contrails.

See video here:

http://vimeo.com/65968983

They have also shown a screenshot of work in progress on a new naval unit - the Rodney class British cruiser.



Bringing capital ships like this into the game will mean they also need to bring in weapons which can be used to attack them.  In the 1940s the only German munition capable of sinking a British cruiser or battleship was the LTF5 torpedo, so for CoD that would mean adding it to the loadout of the He115 seaplane. The LTF5 was a particularly ineffective torpedo, as it had to be dropped at exceedingly low airspeed or it would dive to the bottom. So any aircraft delivering it, was a sitting duck. Still it would make for an interesting mission or two to set up a brace of He115s to attack the HMS Nelson!

FW 190D for DCS

An upcoming patch for DCS World will possibly include a FW190D as a long awaited adversary for the DCS P-51D Mustang.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=104773




This is fantastic news for those of us who have been grumbling about the fact there were no prop adversaries for the beautiful DCS P-51, which meant there was no COMBAT in this Digital COMBAT Simulator product.

The FW190 will be released as AI only at first, but later as a full fidelity aircraft on the same level as the P-51.

Team Fusion mod for Cliffs of Dover: full review!

New flight models, contrails, high altitude dogfighting, but especially the ability to join online battles with 100+ players on the server at a time in a lag free environment, this is what the new Team Fusion Mod for IL2 Sturmovik Cliffs of Dover can offer.

Read the full review by Heinkill and Sokol1 here:

If you already have the mod and are looking for a fantastic offline campaign specially optimised for the mod, look no further than Bolox Spitfire on my tail campaign: here http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3843

New Luftwaffe REDUX campaign for Cliffs of Dover!

Now available for free download: Luftwaffe REDUX campaign for Cliffs of Dover; Operation Seelöwe



Mission design and storyline Heinkill, scripting by Bolox and Gabuzomeu, beta testing by W1ndy and BlackLion

Download self installer (.exe) here: https://www.box.com/s/um183lta0m9n4pzwt4cq
Or ZIP install file here: http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php/down...ampaign-seelowe

Seelöwe, or Operation Sealion, was the planned invasion of England by German forces in the Autumn of 1940.

It never happened. But what if it had?

Using REDUX campaign scripting by Bolox and Gabuzomeu, we have revisited the stock CoD Luftwaffe campaign and completely reshaped it to craft an Operation Sealion invasion campaign flown from the Luftwaffe perspective.

You will fly as a pilot in the rebellious unit Stab I (Jabo), I/JG53 – a unit of battle hardened Luftwaffe veterans who not only took on the British, but also the Nazi high command during their stay in France in 1940. In this scenario hand picked pilots, including yourselves, have been selected to form a Bf109E4b Jabo, or ground attack unit, to support ground forces in the invasion.

The Seelowe Luftwaffe REDUX campaign offers you both air to ground and air to air action, and:

- takes you from the eve of the invasion, defending the invasion fleet at Calais, to the full fury of the invasion in the skies and over the cities of England.
- features the popular REDUX scripting of Bolox and Gabuzomeu with air and ground kill counts, campaign victory totals, and medals.
combat AI settings optimised to provide best possible aerial combat experience
- missions including escort, airfield attack, sea convoy attack, shipping cover, air convoy escort, AAA and AT suppression, combat air patrol
- daily combat reports, using period photographs, track the progress of the invasion
the usual attention to ground object detail at airfields, ports and in cities. Armour and ground forces clash on the ground below as you fight in the skies above.
- historically appropriate order of battle on both sides, including Axis support by Italian forces
- compatible with TEAM FUSION mod v. 1(3)
- includes a 23 page readme with the history of Operation Sealion and the featured unit, JG53.

What's different to the popular RAF REDUX campaign?



Ground attack! This is a jabo campaign with ground and air missions, so naturally the campaign script keeps track of your ground kills, as well as your air kills.



Installation and uninstallation

The REDUX campaigns are supplied in a self installing EXE program. Run this program and when prompted by the installer, browse to where you have your ‘IL2 Sturmovik Cliffs of Dover’ directory, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\parts\bob\mission\campaign. The campaign will then install and replace your existing Luftwaffe campaign in the campaigns menu.

If you do not choose your game directory, the campaign folder (campaign_de) will be placed in your My Documents folder. To uninstall you can simply ‘verify’ your game in Steam and it will restore your game to its original condition, but this will also remove any other mods you may have installed.

If you wish to uninstall manually, a backup of your stock Luftwaffe campaign can be found inside the campaign_de folder called ‘campaign_de.zip’. Just copy this zip file onto your desktop, delete the existing campaign_de file, and unzip the old campaign into the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover\parts\bob\mission\campaign directory.

REDUX and the ‘Open Battlefield’ concept

REDUX campaigns are built on an ‘Open Battlefield’ concept. This means mission events do not center around the player, rather the player is just one part of a dynamic ongoing war. At the time of your mission, other Luftwaffe and British aircraft will be flying and executing their own missions, completely unrelated to yours. While you are flying East to attack Manston, you may see German bombers headed West to attack Tangmere. You may be tasked to execute a straightforward ground attack on a neighbouring British airfield, and see a nice, juicy unescorted RAF bomber flight cross your path shortly after takeoff. On the ground, German and British forces will clash and the front line will be constantly moving from mission to mission.

We do not employ spawn triggers to set up meetings between the player and other friendly or enemy flights. This may be an easy way to guarantee the player some action, but is completely unrealistic. In combat, pilots were assigned precise take off, rendezvous and ingress times and other units and actions depended on their ability to execute to these.

Whether you as a player follow the waypoints assigned in a mission briefing is entirely up to you – if you are flight leader, the route you take is yours to decide, but it will have consequences. In REDUX missions, if you miss an escort rendezvous because of poor navigation or timing, you will miss the rendezvous, and your bombers may get slaughtered. If you are sent to intercept incoming bombers and spend too much time on the deck, or miss a waypoint, you can miss the intercept, and the bombers will get through unscathed. If you do not take the route outlined in your briefing, you may avoid enemy contact – or you may meet a superior RAF force en-route to their own target.

How plausible is the Seelöwe Luftwaffe REDUX campaign storyline?

The original CoD Luftwaffe missions have been extensively reworked, based on the notes from a Royal Military Academy Sandhurst wargame conducted in 1974 to simulate a September 1940 invasion by Germany. (See Readme).

In this exercise, each side (played by actual British and German officers respectively) was based in a command room, and the moves plotted on a scale model of SE England constructed at the School of Infantry. The panel of umpires included Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland, Admiral Friedrich Ruge, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, Rear Admiral Edward Gueritz, General Heinz Trettner and Major General Glyn Gilbert.

The main assumptions were that:

a) the Luftwaffe had not yet won air supremacy;
b) the possible invasion dates were constrained by the weather and tides (for a high water attack); and c) it had taken until late September to assemble the necessary shipping.

´
One of the clever tactics used by the German planners in this wargame, to secure the success of the initial landings in Britain, was a decoy ‘invasion fleet’ which sailed from Norway toward the North of England. By setting out from Norway with a force of heavy warships escorting merchant ships, and allowing themselves to be spotted on a course for the north of England, the Kriegsmarine convinced the British commanders a ‘pincer’ movement of landings in the north, and south, was underway. The Royal Navy was forced to send the British Home Fleet into the North Sea to try to intercept the decoy fleet, and rely on its more vulnerable destroyer squadrons to intercept the Channel invasion.

The Sandhurst wargame concluded that with good weather, this strategy could have succeeded in allowing the first wave of German troops to get ashore. The storyline for this campaign closely follows the events of the Sandhurst wargame.

In addition to the Sandhurst wargame, this campaign draws on the work of British and German historians and writers such as Peter Fleming, Egbert Keiser, Richard Cox and Derek Robinson, whose analyses provide inspiration for the political back story you will see unfolding in the Seelöwe REDUX campaign.