The big news this week is that DCS World 2.8 is coming and its bringing with it some new features, particularly surrounding the sim’s rendering technology for clouds. This week we also get an announcement for Octopus G’s La-7 which is now formally announced as a module.
DCS World 2.8 and what that means
The underlying core technology behind DCS World is getting an upgrade in a forthcoming patch. The introduction of DCS World 2.7 brought with it a series of enhancements to the sim’s cloud rendering technology and DCS World 2.8 looks set to offer more updates in that area.
The big change? Dynamic weather fronts with moving clouds. Although impressive, the current weather system has static cloud formations. If you left your airbase in sun and flew into a dense cloud, you’d see the same cloud and the same airbase would still be in the sun when you returned 40 minutes later. No longer with 2.8.
Several short videos were released showing off the moving weather systems including this one below.
Eagle Dynamics report that they have also adjusted the “tone mapping” and “exposure control” which I’m assuming will have some sort of impact on the lighting. Notably, they say a Gamma setting of 2.2 is recommended. Adjustments to shadows on MFDs and cockpit shading is also reportedly adjusted.
I suspect there are mostly tweaks to the experience which will add up together to create a more impressive effect.
There’s also some interesting elements that have been updated including tweaked cloud rendering in general, tweaked rendering for VR, and several new visual effects. Those include rainbows and, a first for any flight sim that I know about, the ability to render ice halos which tend to happen during colder weather (especially aloft).
Some of the visual enhancements are nice but the moving weather fronts has created legitimate excitement within the community.
Octopus G La-7 announcement
Third party developer Octopus G is the next developer to get a spotlight and their DCS: La-7 project is now officially a module. Already previewed some time ago on the developer’s Facebook, the images we see today show a visually impressive cockpit and exterior model.
The La-7 is the late war WWII fighter developed by Lavochkin as a follow-up to the successful La-5. The La-5 itself was a development of the earlier and somewhat troubled LaGG-3. I’ve written some historical pieces and flight sim relevance on both LaGG-3 and La-5 for the IL-2 series for those interested. The La-7 took the late model La-5FN and cleaned up the airframe reducing weight and streamlining the aircraft. The result? A capable interceptor with excellent low and mid altitude performance and overall agility that matched or sometimes exceeded its rivals.
There is the question of where this aircraft sits in the DCS World WWII line-up as it, like Octopus G’s I-16, don’t really have a historical home (yet). On the other hand, the La-7 is a perfect dueling partner for the late war Bf109K-4 and Fw190D-9. We’ll see how that shakes out.
For all of this and more, be sure to check in on the DCS World Weekend News.
Stormbirds 
Together with the new dynamic weather fronts with moving clouds, I wonder whether ED will also introduce some sort of a weather forecast for mission briefings. These forecasts could of course, like in real life, get things wrong about projected weather developments. But once the dynamic weather is in place, having a briefing simply stating something like “partially cloudy” alone would no longer do. Having a weather briefing with all it’s uncertainties within DCS would be quite exciting stuff imho.
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As a self professed weather geek I’d love to see that!
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“…it, like Octopus G’s I-16, don’t really have a historical home (yet)”
Comment withheld for dead-horse flogging reasons…
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“Stop stop, he’s already dead!”
I know, I had to say something or someone would conduct a minor roast in the comments.
I still hope they will find a way to make some of this fit together at some point!
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I’m actually looking forward to seeing the La-7 come out. Given the current Axis aircraft, its not a bad match up. It also gives option soviet play (I-16 was a hoot, but that was really out of context given the stable-mates). LA-7 can be used in WWII or Korea themed scenarios – probably using Caucasus the way we sand boxed things for years… LA-7’s vs Corsairs & Mustangs over Korea, while Sabers and Mig’s battle it out at higher altitudes…
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Hey that’s a great point RE: Korea. It’s not exactly what was there but we’ve made due before and it was fun!
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Later models were more noted but there are references to LA-7’s in Korea as well. They made so many of the things, I’m sure it was a cheap give away to to the Soviet allies.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/88458
https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196391/first-aerial-victories/
Click to access teacher_resource_korean_war.pdf
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The weather system is great. Also the LA-7 is one of my favourite WW2 fighters of all time. Especially with Dolgushin’s paint Job. Buuut: are there any news about Vulkan? We would benefit so much from this API. Especially when it comes to VR.
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If the clouds/weather were a module, I’d put them Top Three along with the BS3 and F-15E. Really looking forward to the eye candy.
And the La-7 kind of interests me. It was my go-to plane in IL2-46 and I might just pick it up in 2029 when ED finally releases it. I’m not a stickler for proper context, I’ll fly it anywhere against anything, as long as it’s fun.
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That’s a great attitude to take of course. Fun is the key component here (and the eye candy helps!).
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Fs2020 has rainbows too
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I can read i swear. Disregard hah
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Done 🙂
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As exciting as this is, the park that stands out to me is “VR tweaks”. I note BIGNEWY’s recent comments on a Juice video that Multithreading testing is going well. I wonder how long before we DCS 3.0 with new API support and an engine optimised for Multicore processing? Good to see the La-7. Hoping for a Yak-3 too!
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*part
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