The month of surprises continues for the IL-2 series with 1CGS revealing the latest news and information on the series including news on co-op mode and some beautifully textured P-39L-1 work in progress images. Oh, and one really cool video! We’ll get to that!
Water streaked canopies are coming to IL-2
This one was truly a surprise. We’d heard musings about most of the other surprises this month but this one was truly one that the devs hadn’t talked about or mentioned in much of any way.
With this new effect, raindrops appear realistically on the canopy of the aircraft with appropriately angled effects on the sides of the canopy and a different effect on the front and on the top.
See for yourself!
In my opinion this is an incredibly convincing effect and it really looks good. I’m curious to see if they go with the same or similar effect while flying through clouds. Rise of Flight did it and I’m curious if they will here.
Two additional questions spring to mind. Can oil leaking from the engine after battle damage be done in the same way? It’d be far more convincing than the current effect. Also, what happens with snow? Would wet snow stick to the canopy?
We don’t know these answers yet and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is iterated on over time. It’s completely convincing and better than I could have imagined. The team is to be commended on this!
This may or may not make the next patch so it could be 2018 before we see it which is fine. Also, its completely optional so you can turn it off if you want. I’ll be leaving it on!
Co-op mode details
The long awaited return of co-op to the IL-2 series is coming along. We learned a few details today.
This will function similar to Rise of Flight (and also the original IL-2) with one person starting a new co-op server, other players join and then a mission or series of missions are loaded. Players pick their spots from available aircraft and then unselected aircraft are flown by the AI.
It has some interesting added features:
The mission scenario could be nearly anything you could think of – scripting allows a mission designer to create almost any combat situation. Moreover, branching multiplayer campaigns will be possible, when a mission outcome decides which mission to load next.
Very cool!
Multiplayer upgrades coming next year
The biggest issue with IL-2 multiplayer right now is perhaps not in a server but what happens before you get there. There is no social element or aspect to the series and that makes getting people into co-ops or organizing group sessions difficult. In the glory days of IL-2 multiplayer, HyperLobby (a third party lobby system) would be full of players and active chat rooms would allow for people to advertise and run co-op and dogfight matches.
Friday night co-ops were a lot of fun back in the day. I think those or something like them will add a lot to the series again and it looks like Jason Williams and team are working on something coming in 2018 that should help make this all work. This is what Jason had to say:
What Han mentioned in the DD for COOP is both our basic functionality (very similar to ROF) which is coming for Kuban and a future feature we plan for next year that has a more Hyperlobby like interface which I am trying to get done for you guys.
That sounds good!
The P-39 gets it’s textures
We’ve seen the untextured version before but now we get to see the P-39L-1 in all of its glory. And it looks phenomenal!
The L-1 version packs a 1,325 hp Allison V-1710-63 engine and is armed with a single M4 37mm hub mounted cannon, four M2 .30 cal light machine guns, and two M2 .50cal heavy machine guns.
Though tricky to fly at times, the P-39 is a legend in Soviet service and this L-1 version should be able to handle itself well. More information is coming next week which I’m eagerly anticipating!
More images and information are available on the IL-2 forums!
Stormbirds 
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