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 
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