Get out your code breaking books and Enigma machine readers because Jason Williams, IL-2’s Lead Producer, has just put another fun and cryptic message out on the IL-2 forum. What does it mean? Let’s have a quick look at what we know!
The post and speculation
Posted just a couple of hours ago at the time of this writing, Jason posted a thread with a ‘.’ for a thread title and then the following sequence of numbers.
112140151320451815134141
Jason Williams on the IL-2 forums
Not being much of a code breaker myself, this looks like a random sequence of numbers. To be fair, it could absolutely be a random sequence of numbers intended to keep us guessing. In September, Jason teased us with something that ended up being the announcement of two Collector Vehicles. In November of 2019, we got a more formal note that something was coming. That ended up being Battle of Normandy.
I don’t think we can or should read too much into the size or scale of the announcement. It’s likely bigger than a sale but it doesn’t seem likely that 1CGS is about to announce a new major product either as both Flying Circus Vol 2 and Battle of Normandy are on the way.
From the reveal of infantry, to the announcement of new clouds that were teased earlier in the year, to a new campaign… literally anything is a potential here. But something IS coming so that’s exciting!
Meanwhile, if you feel like trying to crack the number code that’s been posted… by all means, let me know what you find!
Stormbirds 
Tank Crew 2, perhaps?
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It’s possible although that would once again mean three big titles at the same stage at the same time. Jason did say he didn’t want to do that to the team again. I think that may get announced closer to the end of Normandy’s dev cycle.
Still possible!!
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Hopefully Channel Battles- 1941 to 1942. I would imagine it wouldn’t require too much work with most of the requisite aircraft already completed and the map in development for Normandy. Lots of interesting timeline events as well; Channel Dash, Dieppe raid etc. This would also kind if tie into Battle of Normandy if that timeline commenses say early 1943.
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About time we got some news about iL-2! So excited!!
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Maybe they’re going to fix the worst controls setup in sim history 😉 I’ve really got into IL2 again recently, but I still can’t get my head around how bad that aspect is.
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Star Wars Squadrons had the worst controls setup in sim history. Both IL-2 series are better than that ☺️
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True…but they at least tried to fix it and it works now! IL2 is still a nightmare. I’ve been trying to get people to play it and they’ve been cursing the set up! It really puts them off!
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I never found it to be that challenging but maybe I have Stockholm syndrome. What features do you think it should have? (I’d like to see a search for binding ala DCS personally)
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That would be a good start.
Otherwise, it’s the fact that you can assign multiple commands to a single button and not know about it. As a result, people end up with confusing controls. Also, there’s no way of knowing whether the aircraft you are flying has an oil radiator, for example. It would almost help to have a DCS-style setup for each aircraft. However, something like elevator trim isn’t just listed as elevator trim, it’s stabilisers and trim and I think something else, depending on what aircraft you fly. Quite why this is the case I do not know, but this then necessitates using one button for multiple functions…when it could just be listed as elevator trim for all aircraft. They all do the same function, but maybe slightly differently. It would help that you could press the button in the key assignments and it then goes to the command (as happens in DCS) but at the same time, because a button can be assigned to multiple commands, this isn’t possible.
DCS just does the control setup so much better overall.
IL2 seems to have limitations on how many controllers it can recognise too. We’ve also got some guys with custom-made cockpits and IL2 doesn’t seem to allow for some switches to be in certain positions, the buttons are toggles not on or off position, there are ways around this but they can be out of sync.
It just seems like something from the late 90’s. It’s not progressed since IL2 1946 and it shows.
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The big problem with the DCS setup is that they don’t do copying across aircraft easily (yes you can do it but it’s not easy). Recently I’ve been flying the DCS: P-47 and that’s been great except I have to rebind everything or do an awkward copy between the early D-30, the late D-30 and the D-40.
Sometimes I spend more time rebinding controls in DCS than actually playing it. So… it’s not all good there although it does a lot of things well.
IL-2 does show you exactly what control you have double bound. I double bind a bunch of controls to have it all setup the way I want it. It’s so easy and I appreciated it so much in 2013 that I thought it was a great system.
Most people don’t share my enthusiasm for the setup so obviously it needs more work. I’d like some sort of hybrid between DCS and IL-2’s current setup. Not sure how they do it but there we go 🙂
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Yes, I’ve had that with the Spitfire when you go between the clipped wing and the full-wing in DCS.
I’m just glad IL2 has finally stopped randomly reassigning my controls every time I launch it. That made it doubly difficult as I had no idea whether my controls would work when I got in. That really did put me off playing it for a long time.
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For sure. That switch between different Spitfire wing types really threw me off too. IL-2’s modification system is far better!
That control reassignment is a weird one. Did you ever figure out what the problem was? I’ve had IL-2 installed on my system for 8 years now and it’s never once happened.
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I never got to the bottom of it, it just stopped doing it. I still can’t use both of my Blackhog B-explorers in IL2 though, just the one. I have to unplug the other one or it can switch the controls round on them and I don’t know which, if any, is going to work. That’s not the fault of the controller, they work perfectly in DCS and others. It seems to be something to do with IL2.
IL2’s modification system is better in that sense, though I prefer how you set your load out in the DCS. It would make sense for DCS to adopt something like the IL2 system for different variants of the same aircraft, like the clipped wing Spit or the change of engine in the P-51. I think there may be some more differences between the P-47, but so long as there are no cockpit changes I’d be happy with the IL2 style system and just have one control set up.
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If i may chime in on this – you are correct, IL2 binds not even half as good as DCS. I’ve got a WinWing F18 setup, 4 MFDs, Rudder Pedals and on top of that (cuz i need dem Buttons!!) an Warthogstick attached to my usb ports. I had to physically unplug and replug them in a certain order for IL2 to recognize the ones i absolutely have to use. They give you something like the first 8 connected to your computer, everything above that count does not exist. (in DCS i’ve never seen something like a devicecap).
And while we are at it, Il2 has a bit of an issue binding cooliehats, or 3 Way switches…
BUT
you said you could multibind keys and IL2 does not complain about it. However thats only part of the story. They add inside the bindyfield a tiny little white square. if you hover over that square with your mouse it’ll tell you exactly what else is bound to that key.
What i’d like to see from them is the ability to push a button and the binding menue shows what it is for (again, like DCS :D)
You mentioned
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I LOVE that feature from DCS World. The ability to press a button and just jump right to whatever the heck it is… pure gold. Definitely would like to see that in IL-2.
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I prey for Tank Crew : Battle of Normandy or IL2 : battle of the pacific
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I second Battle For Pacific! And hopefully it’s a battle that will see late war Japanese planes like the George, Frank…
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I’d love to see that vintage of Japanese aircraft. But with two big projects ongoing, do you think the announcement is that big?
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With two big projects already currently underway, how likely do you think the announcement is on that scale?
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Highly doubt it, sadly…I imagine if they were going to finally announce their foray into the pacific, it would be to time it with something major…but oh well, one can dream.
Or maybe they might finally announce a flyable B17.
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If they are running out of ideas I wouldn’t mind, for nostalgia reasons, a 1946 pack with the Go229, Do335, He162 and maybe a couple others that were tested or flown in very limited use. I don’t want to see Il2 turn into war thunder but its been done in the series with success.
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That’d be kind of fun. For the Allied side I’d like to see a few responses. The Meteor for example. Combat use but not a ton of it.
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Meteor would be great to have, at least it was in service and shooting stuff down and then went over to Europe. I’m assuming it would end up as a collector aircraft though.
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Yeah that’d definitely be a collector plane. Of the hypothetical options out there, I’d love to see a Meteor because it was in squadron service and shooting down V-1’s and busting up trucks and light targets near the end of the conflict. Even if it did narrowly miss having an aerial battle.
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I think they’ve got better options to cover before they get to that stage. It would be good for them to do some early war Western Front stuff before they have to resort to scraping the barrel like that again. I realise this is hamstrung by agreements with Cliffs but they should start to see that they’re flogging a dead horse there.
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A flyable b25 woud be my wish.
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I’d LOVE to see that! The C-47 is also still on my wishlist. Both would be cool too!
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Pacific, Battle of Britain, early Blitzkrieg campaign..
Italy or Africa….
Anything to expand the series would be great
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All of those sound great but I suspect that this may be more on the GAZ/SdKfz level of announcement. We should know soon!
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Most likely it has something to do with the next installment of CloD/IL-2 Dover series.
It can’t be another GBs module because they’re already doing BoN, it most likely can’t be TC2 as they’re doing 2 things at the same time, can’t be another update as they just had a DD last week and nothing looks ready to be released just yet, WIP images of Drop Tanks in an upcoming DD seems less likely as Jason would probably tell us that or say that “something special that people have been waiting a long time for will be shown for the first time in our next DD”.
That’s why I feel it has something to do with CloD as Team Fusion has shown nothing off for an upcoming expansion since August 2020. And what better way to get the community excited for that than hyping them up with this cryptic message.
But if it’s something else, hopefully it will be worth this.
Cheers.
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The C-47 Dakota can be flown in collectors’ aircraft
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It’s an AI only aircraft right now.
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Two wishes for the IL-2 control setup:
1. The ability to assign two buttons pressed simultaneously on a controller for a command. I can do this in Elite Dangerous, for example, but have tried both the T-Flight HOTAS X and the VKB Gladiator NXT and IL-2 didn’t allow either to set a stick modifier button.
2. Command search like in MSFS and others.
Happy Friday!
Simon
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