IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles Series Lead Producer Jason Williams celebrated his birthday yesterday and that seemed like occasion enough to offer a flash sale on the IL-2 store but it was also an opportunity to answer questions posted to the forum throughout the day. I’ve collected some of the many key highlights from the questions that he answered.
Community questions answered
Jason opened the floodgates as the community came in and asked many questions. Jason wasn’t able to answer them all of course but he did give us some new insights into the current development of the series and at least a couple of ideas of what might come next.
I’ve captured questions from the community (some have been edited for clarity) and Jason’s response. You can always click his name and get the full context and additional replies as well.
Would you ever consider it feasible to do carrier ops in a Med./ N. Atlantic scenario?
Consider?
Med – Yes
North – Atlantic – No
Actual build – Maybe, time will tell.
Jason Williams
Do you see IL2:GB being updated for a long time so that “IL2:GB 2.0” comes about slowly as a series of patches and content packs (much like that other sim), or would you prefer to make a completely fresh sequel one day?
Mmm… at some point we’ll have to stop with this particular engine, but some parts of it will live on in an evolved form in a “new engine”. Some parts may be completely new, which parts remains to be decided. Making an entirely new engine from scratch sounds good, but is actually a bad idea.
Jason Williams
We will ever see a fleshed out mission editor more user friendly, and better integrated into the game?
The ME will not be “simplified” as you are thinking. It may be a complicated tool, but it is very powerful. However, we are re-vamping the QMB to include what we call the Advanced Quick Mission (in development now) which is our previous campaign tech added to the QMB. This will add a lot more options for actual missions in the QMB. All the current stuff will also remain.
Also, some in the community have harnessed our mission tech like Vander and Pat Wilson so there are already some easy to use options for creating missions.
Jason Williams
Do you have any update you could share with us on the Marshal feature and the improvement of the internal aircraft systems like the fuel system?
Marshal development has been tortured and unfortunately it involves someone leaving the company so I can’t go into details. It’s a less than ideal situation. The Marshal mode has parts built that work, but testing has revealed many bugs that need to be fixed. We are hopeful this summer it will be ready for release. It’s been in beta a couple times, but did not perform well. unfortunately.
Fuel systems is nearing the finish line, but will need to be tested. That is Mr. An.Petrovich’s department. He is working hard on it.
Jason Williams
Are there any plans to revisit some collectors like Spitfire V? Mods like clipped wings, guns or later engine would be a nice to fit in a variety of scenarios.
I doubt this will happen. Spit Vb is likely done. It’s very hard for us to go back and update older planes, that’s why I have been having us make as many options as we can at the outset for new planes. However, new 4K skins are coming for it finally thanks to ICDP.
Jason Williams
Can netcode be improved to allow for more than 84 players per server please?
More than 84 is likely not going to happen. I need a dedicated net code programmer and they are in short supply and the way we model things may always be incongruent with so many users. I prefer to try and make 84 players at a time as solid as possible at this point. This something I’d like to change for a future engine, but how that will happen is still unknown.
Jason Williams
What is the tech/improvement you’d like most to see implemented in IL2 (and of which you know it’s possible, or at least not impossible)? So I’m not talking about new aircraft/theatres here (PTO) but rather about technical stuff. E.g. massed formations, MSFS-like graphics, wake turbulence, improved 3d resolution for the older BOS models, you name it.
Would love to improve our older vehicles models (especially our trains) and some older plane models. Also, bigger better clouds (this will likely get done at some point) and improved sky domes.
Jason Williams
Do you know if, theoretically, the data would be available for a fall of France scenario?
Battle of France is technically possible, but would it sell well? And making any early war French plane would be a real challenge.
Jason Williams
Would you consider adding the Italian theater of operation ?
Yes, but the map is tough to make work and Italian birds are harder to research, but it’s possible. I love the Med and North Africa theaters. Big reason why I supported Team Fusion’s work. Will we ever go there? Unclear. There is a fun Mod for Kuban that sort of brings NA to life in our sim.
Jason Williams
When will GAZ-MM 72k be released?
Second half of this month. Closing stages.
Jason Williams
Is a flyable B-25 Planned at any point ?
Desired – yes
Planned – not yet. Have no one to build it.
Jason Williams
How are DLCs and collector releases typically decided on ? Do user requests/polls hold any weight? Who determines, “what will sale well?”
I determine what to make with input from my team and what the community seems to desire and of course sales data from existing modules and aircraft. That’s a big part of my job, applying my experience in the marketplace to find products and content that will help sales. The loudest voices on the forum do not make up the entire decision making process. Often behavior on the forum belies actual customer behavior in the marketplace. Not every decision I’ve made is golden , but the business has grown considerably since 2016 and content has expanded greatly. And learning from mistakes is part of the journey. I always want to make more content, features and tech believe me..
Jason Williams
Any chances of building a Pe-3, Bf-110F, and Tu-2S in future Eastern Front installments?
Another Eastern Front product is possible, but right now just focused on Normandy and FCII. We will have 12 months to go till completion on BON and FCII.
Jason Williams
Could we expect some “crazy” collector planes like a Do335, Ta-152H, Meteor or P-80 in the next years? I know those types were not commonly used, but they would be lovely to have.
Would love these planes in a late war scenario and they are possible to build. Several late war Soviet planes would be great too.
Jason Williams
Is there a chance that we will see Mercedes D.IIIau engine at least for Fokker D.VII and Pfalz D.XII ?
Yes, it’s in the general plan for later in this FCII dev. cycle, but how it manifests itself is unknown. Han knows more about when it’s possible to build.
Jason Williams
Any hint on when the next update is coming? Absolutely itching for that Spit XIV :’) In addition, when BoN’s dev cycle is complete, are there plans to potentially expand on Channel Front content (say, 1941-1943) through collector’s vehicles? Or is that something that’ll be left to Team Fusion in CLoD?
Next update in about two weeks. No joke.
I don’t know how much we’ll focus on the Channel Front after Normandy. I would love a couple new planes that participated in that theatre. That much I know.
Jason Williams
Is the pilotable C-47 Dakota more likely to see the light of day ?
More likely than no? Yes, but we’ll see. Keep your fingers crossed.
Are there any general improvements planned for the flight models of all planes? Like when you guys introduced compressibility?
Right now just focused on fuel systems and drop tanks and knocking out other niggles that most of you aren’t even aware of. No huge general FM changes planned. Our FMs are pretty damn good.
Jason Williams
I was wondering if the team has already decided which version of the 410 will be added with BoN since it wasn’t mentioned in the DD with all the beautiful pictures?
A-1
Jason Williams
Jason, I don’t want to discuss the “engine timers” (the fact that engines get damage after exceeding emergency mode for example) other than to ask. Could it be a separate difficulty option?
I want to make an engine durability setting to allow uses and servers to set it to whatever they think is right. But we have to build it and don’t know when I can make this a priority, other things need to come first.
Jason Williams
Please forgive me if this is a sore subject but many of us in the WWI community feel that there are serious issues with the DM in FC. Will they be addressed before the release of FC2?
These complaints are not easily solved. I have some ideas on what we might be able to do, but we will have to work them out internally first before I say anything publicly. I don’t want to set false expectations.
Jason Williams
There’s a lot in there but key among them is news that the next patch is due in about 2-weeks putting it as coming out the week before Sturmovikfest. That’s exciting news and I’m looking forward to flying the Spitfire XIV during the festival!
Didn’t get your answer in? That’s ok because I’m arranging a new Stormbirds podcast episode with Jason Williams so if you have questions you’d like me to ask I’m happy to take them!
Stormbirds 
Too bad about not fixing the Mission Editor, it’s the the poorest aspect of the sim.
Good news that the QMB will be improved. It’s been a very long wait.
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I wish I had also asked if interactive cockpits are going to happen, not necessarily clickable cockpits, but something where you hover the mouse over a gauge and it gives you info. Ex. CFS3.
People who have done reviews about Desert Wings-Tobruk have mentioned that they like how the cockpits are interactive in that game.
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Are there any Tank Crew additions or updates planned?
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Jason only replied with no comment. So nothing is known, announced or teased at. Doesn’t mean anything beyond simply that.
Most of us are very hopeful that there will be a sequel and Jason did indicate earlier this year that it was a fast growing demographic. That tends to be a good thing and the suggestion to me that this market is opening up for them.
To be clear, we know about the AA trucks that are coming and we know that they are adding the new ‘DVD’ damage system and that there will be some infantry added to the sim as well.
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Fantastic questions and in a brilliantly concise fromat Shamrock! Saves trawling the Forum, so thanks a lot.
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Thanks Raptorattacker! Happy to help!
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To be fair the Mission Editor was not released as a part of this simulator but rather as a concession to the pleading community for something to use. It came out with very little user guidance and we have had to work it out for ourselves. The developers never had the intention of releasing an ME for public consumption, so it is very much a ‘Take it or leave it’ kind of thing. I am grateful that they gave in to the community demand and offered up something that we could use. Well done for that!
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I might be in the minority, but I see a user friendly Mission Editor as being essential. As the QMB has been weak from day one, the lack of a user friendly ME has been more apparent. A better QMB will go a long way to fixing the situation. I look forward to seeing the new QMB, it might be really good.
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Advanced QMB has my attention! I’m very interested to see what they do with that.
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Please ask about an update on infantry!
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Will do!
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Will there be any second check to the Hawker Tempest flight model?
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Is there something specific to that question?
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Please ask about career mode fixes/upgrades/improvements. There are lot of things to fix/improve there, but not much is going on recently.
Also will the new decal system make it to the career mode?
With correct markins and numbering on aircrafts and maybe even dynamic kill count 🙂
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Are there specific Career mode features you’re looking for?
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Well, I think any improvemetns on the career system would be appriciated.
Basicly I would love to see bug fixes, improvements in AI behaviours and tactics, and mission structure/mechanism. And anything making the missions less predictable, more dynamic would be a welcome improvement too.
Just a few things coming to my mind right now:
– you can’t continue (it breaks the save) Moscow career to Stalingrad unless your squadron fights until the end of the champaign.
– On Kuban campaign sometimes waypoint generation ets messy and in the end your flight starts form a different airfield far west.
-The generated kills for AI is off the place – for me 90% of times they get bomber kills even on bomber escort or ground attack missions.
-The Stukas always carrying home their bombs as the lead destroys the only target. It makes no sense. They should have more secondary targets.
And many more.
-Aircrafts under attack should break their landing procedure (unless seriously damaged). Also many times I saw undamaged AI start landing approach in the middle of combat if they are near a friendly base (I guess their primary objective is completed).
-Escorted flights always land on a base next to the players airfiled. This should be improved. Flights should return to their own bases. Escort objective should succeed if the escorted flight is at a safe distance from the frontline.
Oh and one more thing!
Can we expect a much more useful, and active communication system in the future? Where you can actively communicate with your flight and tower, and as a leader with ‘flight command center’.
Even the the original il2 comm system is light years better then the current automated system.
If done properly it could be useful for in multiplayer too.
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Does 1C plan to address issues the community have raised about the lackluster performance of AP relative to HE rounds in IL2: GB? I know he has made some general comments about changes to the DM but it would be nice to get some more specifics.
Also, will API will be included as part of the fuel system update?
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BTW, I get that this is a touchy subject for Jason and there’s a bit of toxicity in the community about it, but I’m hoping you being able to him talk in-person will make it easier to discuss in a non-confrontational way 🙂
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Definitely a hot topic recently. I’ll ask about damage modeling including the AP/HE debate as well as incendiary bullet types and the fuel system. Probably a couple of questions in there! 🙂
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First of all, thanks a lot for this very informative Q&A. Greatly appreciated!
I have two questions:
1. Any plans on improving single player campaign? I’m thinking about stuff like (animated) briefing rooms, some ground personal on airfields. Also more diverse missions. Take for example bomber intercept missions. The number of enemy escort planes seems to be linked to the number of planes in your own flight. Not so good. There should be more “surprises” along the way.
Well, anything that makes the campaign feel more “dynamic”,
2. Personally I would love to see a Battle over Germany, e.g. the night bombing campaign of the RAF against the Luftwaffe. I know that is would be a strategic scenario, while IL-2 is a tactical sim.
Well, just my two yen.
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Hello,
I’m a big fan of your blog and read it daily. If you are looking for more questions for Jason can you please ask if the BMW-powered Ju88R-2 is being considered as an engine/canopy mod for the Ju88C-6 in BoN? Also, do they think they could use FC2 & FC3 to get all the western front stuff from RoF out and then possibly release a “Battle of Tarnopol” module with the three Russian aircraft from RoF (plus a couple new ones Morane-Saulnier Parasol/Bullet and/or Farman) and then a selection of Austro-Hungarian aircraft (Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (early/late), Hansa-Brandenburg D.I, Oeffag D.II, Oeffag D.III, and maybe a Rumpler C.Ia or Albatros C.III for the Germans). Is this something they would consider?
Cheers and thanks for all your hard work,
Fafnir_6
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Thanks for reading and commenting! Great questions! I’ll find a way to ask about many of these.
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Awesome! Thanks man.
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Hey Shamrock, as you know, big fan! Wondering if you could ask Jason about what extra naval assets we are going to get with BoN? A fully aaa armed destroyer or cruiser would be great fun to attack! Also is there a chance of torpedo armed aircraft, specifically the ju88 and a20? Cheers
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I’ve been wishing for a properly simulated Yak-3 for years. It’s the most iconic and capable late-war mass produced Soviet fighter. Is 1C committed to eventually adding it to the IL-2 series either as a collector’s plane or as part of a new chapter (Operation Bagration for example)?
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Hi Shamrock,
thanks for the write-up. WRT FC II / III could you try to determine the (possible range of) collectors’ aircraft? Still not gone with FC II on the grounds that it look a little like RoF plus VR and very little else, but if there were something a bit more interesting about the project then it might encourage veteran fence-sitters to swing behind the work.
Interesting that Jason referenced Pacific as a dream but a difficult one while France / Italy remain a hope but complicated by not only the source material but also the investment / revenue calculation. Can I ask you question him regarding splitting the deliverables away from the major offerings and towards a rolling input / revenue model like DCS but retaining the IL-2 coherence:
1. Channel 1941-42, 4 a/c collectors set (could include Ju-87B, for example, as used at Moscow)
2. Kiev or Smolensk map with or without aircraft (would work with current selection)
3. Seelow Heights map with 2 plus 2 aircraft (Yak-3 or -9 plus LA-7 and Fw.190-A9 plus…..109G-10? Bit boring, or TA-152 which is interesting but getting into fantasy territory)
3. Straits of Messena map but probably without further Italian aircraft on a profit / loss calculation (P-51A and Mc.205?)
4. ‘French pack’ of 3 Fr. and 1 German (fighter / tactical bombers) for use on BoBp / BoN map – this is a lot of work and understandably may never occur
5. Pacific as the object of next 5 years derived from the current and planned effort.
Just some ideas to raise 🙂
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I’ll ask as much as I can about Flying Circus for sure. I’m gearing up to go flying tonight at the fly in and I think veteran fence sitters are missing out on a great experience! Especially when it was up for $20 during the flash sale. I’ve wasted more than that going to a bad movie.
On the alternate business models Jason already did respond to that and I don’t think we’ll get into it. The TL;DR is that they think the one they have is working and smaller packs don’t save them much money.
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Thanks for the response. They know their business model better than we.
Great job as always! Look forward to your reported chat.
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He said he does not know who would build a B25 for him, you could ask him if they considered 3rd Partydevelopement of aircraft (like in DCS) at some point. Sharing devtools, letting other companies build stuff, throw in some internal and beta testing, ensuring some kind of quality control and i could imagine a b25 would be there sooner than later.
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A part answer to that is that yes, they have and it hasn’t gone all that well going by this statement: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/70762-24-hour-flash-sale-on-tc-fc1-and-bobp/?do=findComment&comment=1077159
The other part would be that they already have Ugra Media fully engaged making FC2 so I doubt there’s added capacity there right now. There may not be many more groups that could do it. Digital Forms, the folks who did the 3D work for Tank Crew perhaps? But hard to know what they are up to or if they might be doing more tank content in the future.
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Hi!
It’s perhaps a somewhat mundane question, but I wouldn’t exactly know where precisely I’d have to ask it on the Il-2 Sturmovik forum:
Could it perhaps, by any chance, made possible to get an additional wire transfer payment (SEPA) option in the web shop? The customer would have to pay upfront, of course, but that would be fine with me. Credit cards aren’t that popular in Europe (at least not as compared to the US and, anyway, I at least don’t own one), AmazonPay has become ‘credit card only’, PayPal is a mixed blessing and Steam, well, there is the 30(?) percent cut it takes and it’s also always somewhat behnd the curve. At the moment I am simply not able to buy anything from their shop.
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HI Errol,
This is possibly something for the suggestions section of the main forum. I love to try and help people get into sims any way that I can, but the payment methods and processes are very far outside of my area of expertise. You could try posting a comment here: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/forum/12-suggestions/
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Hey Shamrock.
Late with this question for Jason but will try anyway.
“Will FC vol2 include mechanics for photo recon and artillery spotting like, or perhaps improved upon, those in RoF?”
Army support was the raison d’etre for air power and the way it developed through WW1, It is central to all missions.
Thanks
Baer
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Hey Baer,
That’s a really good question. I’ll add it to the list!
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