Another great IL-2 developer diary is out and thanks to Jason Williams, the Executive Producer, we now have some great new Normandy map screenshots featuring the iconic white cliffs near Dover. We also have some news about the Ar234, B-26 AI and the next patch. Let’s have a look!
The cliffs!
Taking on the Normandy map project means revisiting a locale that the 1CGS team has already covered in the past. Rise of Flight featured a really well done channel map that was a showcase for what the old Digital Nature engine could do back when it released. Now it looks like 1CGS are doing the same with the Digital Warfare engine that powers Great Battles as we have an updated look at the cliffs near Dover. They look really good from what we can see!
Here’s the other exciting piece. Jason reports that the map will be released later this summer. That suggests to me that we might be seeing this map come our way sometime in late July or early August if I were to make a guess.
That puts it slightly behind the late June release that I was thinking of at the start of the year but not too far off of that.
Coming next
We’ve also learned from the developer diary this week that two new pieces of content are due in the next update and that they are already testing them in beta. The Ar234 and the B-26 (AI only) are both on their way and are currently being tested according to this news.
Beta testing usually happens only a couple of weeks before an update comes out so we seem likely to have another consequential content release within the next few weeks. Assuming that this comes to pass that will mean that we have just the Me410, the V-1, and the Normandy map left when it comes to content.
The final piece of the puzzle then will be the Career mode for Normandy. That, of course, relies on all of this other content being in place and will be the last to arrive. And we shouldn’t forget either that Flying Circus Vol 2 is still owed its multi-seasonal WWI map which is also on the way. Stay tuned for all of that!
In the meantime, read the latest update right here!
Stormbirds 
When the map is released it would be interesting to see how this map compares to the CloD map (save for places not on the BoN map like London and stuff added after 1940).
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That could be very interesting. Could also compare to parts of DCS The Channel and Normandy maps too. I suspect each will have their own unique experience.
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I mean, come ON, folks – I’m looking at this brand new map and thinking of the lukewarm reception DCS South Atlantic is getting, and wondering what the differences are…?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a long-time customer of 1CGS and will continue to be so, but when it comes scenery quality, IL2’s maps leave a LOT to be desired.
That “low detail” gets us a very well balanced game that performs better than those with highly detailed scenery (esp in VR), and I’m all for it because combat flight sims aren’t about sight seeing, after all.
But again, it’s seems there’s a distinct dual standard when it comes to the two games…
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I think part of the issue with the DCS maps is that they are expensive, and the quality control is all over the place. People are being asked to spend $60 for a map that looks worse than current DCS maps, performs worse, and is missing quite a bit of content.
IL2 maps are extremely consistent in terms of quality and performance. They also come free, which makes any shortcomings they have quite a bit easier to swallow.
So if anything, I think people are applying a pretty consistent standard, which is “what am I getting for my money” and with that, it’s real hard to come to the conclusion that IL2 is worse.
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Yeah there is a value for money proposition here too. The price of DCS: South Atlantic map may well end up being a positive when the asset pack starts to drop into place – right now its “just” the map and I think that may be poorly communicated on what scale that’s going to be expanded.
IL-2 definitely has good value for the money considering the price to the sheer amount of content!
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The overall value prop of IL2 packages is a GREAT point – thanks for reminding me.
Still and all, I only fly a very few aircraft, so the maps are (for me) just as important as the machines we operate over them.
I’d argue that the IL2 maps aren’t free – they’re included, and clearly a big part of each packages price (including all the enhancements to general world features). It’s no small point.
Not asking them to change, by any means, because 1CGS have indeed struck that fine balance between simulation and performance that is so critical.
Overall, though, I find that I never perform free flights in IL2, whereas I frequently do in DCS, and it’s due simply to the overall quality of the terrains.
Again, just a point of comparison where I find it “interesting” that some people will nitpick the finest of details in one product line and not another.
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For me I see these two products very differently and here’s why. 1CGS does well with IL-2 because they don’t go with satellite imagery and the whole look of IL-2 is a subtlety stylized take on everything. The ground textures are definitely repeating tiles but they do a good job of making them look good for the most part.
It works well on Kuban and Prokohorvoka. Not too bad on Stalingrad and Moscow. Rhineland (Bodenplatte) is the largest and least impressive looking as a result. This looks really good. The textures on the terrain are obviously repeating but again of high quality.
DCS: South Atlantic suffers the way most ortho packs do. Up high it looks good. Down low it doesn’t. And some of the lower resolution mesh features on the mountains really spoil the effect too. Solvable for sure.
Normandy, from what we can see, has some decent quality mesh. IL-2 map meshes are mostly fairly low but 1CGS go to some lengths to hide it and I appreciate the artistry.
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I don’t know, DCs maps mountains are quite bad, at least Nevada and Persian golf
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You’re right Alex. They have a fairly low resolution mesh there too. This … feels worse. It may be that the mesh needs refinement (i.e. same number of polys just arranged “better”).
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Very excited about the continued WW1 content. Though, as someone who does not own any IL2 content rn I’m gunna use the sale to buy some WW2 content and stick with the RoF aircraft I own (maybe get a few more to fly the German aircraft for the whole war). But I definitely look forward to jumping into Flying Circus as soon as I can.
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