The folks behind IL-2’s well known Combat Box server are making some big changes to the way that their server operates and have, in a lengthy product manual and through a video, revealed what it is that they are doing. In short, its a dynamic campaign system, but in the details there are some interesting tweaks to the usual arrangement. Let’s have a look!

Move the frontline with action and influence

Called “Project Apollo,” the folks at Combat Box have been building what amounts to a whole new server experience for their server. Following in the footsteps of other dynamic campaign servers, Combat Box looks to be bringing over the usual fare of dynamic frontlines and regenerating missions that move and shift depending on what activities have been undertaken.

As always, the details are essential as the team are planning some very interesting elements here.

When you join in, you can opt to take “possession” of a pilot that you can then cause to rise in fame as that virtual pilot’s life continues on. Promotions and awards will be part of the recognition that you’ll see in the stats system. There’s also the suggestion that a more famous pilot will have some sort of additional impact on course of the battle. Smartly, Combat Box are also ensuring that you can passively join and not worry about any of this and take a virtual pilot that has no fame.

Another new feature that’s planned is a kind of dynamic mission where your pilot will be given orders to fly a specific type of mission. These can be happening while the battle is going on throughout the server.

Supply will play heavily into the campaign as well. Targets will be given supply points to help determine the frontline. Resupply can help to reinforce these over the “days” of the campaign. Convoys will be dynamic and move between supply positions making them targets. Rear targets will be even more valuable than the frontline ones.

Multiple airfields will be on offer and the airfields will spawn at specific locations depending on factors like wind. Aircraft supply will matter too with frontline fields having less available supply while rear bases will have more (or infinite) supply.

Critically, there will also be no more safe spaces around spawn airfields as the fields themselves are part of the point system and subject to attack although the notes suggest that they will be heavily defended.

All in all, it sounds like a major upgrade for one of the IL-2 community’s top servers and it should shake up the multiplayer dynamic a bit.

Watch the video and read the doc

Check out this video from Wim on YouTube below and check out the Combat Box “Apollo” Project design document for more details.