A new developer diary from 1C Game Studios is giving us a picture at what the developer plans to do with IL-2 Series as early access progresses with the new sim. While there is a lot to like, there are some weak spots and some pieces that are still left to develop and we’re getting a better picture of what that will be now.

Coming next to Korea

The diary indicates that Career mode is a significant project for them right now saying that its largely complete and that mission types are currently being built out. We’ve seen IL-2 Great Battles pick up many more varied career mode mission types in recent years so hopefully that experience will help inform this. Certainly the UI seems to show more choice in the career experience which seems interesting.

The elephant in the room is being addressed head on in this diary with a sizable comment about what they plan to do with the AI.

In Early Access, you may notice that AI-controlled aircraft don’t behave very fluidly. This is because most of our efforts are currently focused on fine-tuning the more complex gameplay mechanics implemented in Career mode: the player-commander’s command system for their wingmen, and operations against ground targets. The logic for missions like “Attack on Our Airfield” still needs to be finalized. These missions will arise unexpectedly for the player, and only the duty flight, designated by the commander (the player) in advance, will be able to scramble to intercept the enemy. Once these missing building blocks are complete, we can fully focus on fine-tuning the gameplay: the AI’s reactions to events and the logic for maneuvering in aerial combat.

Let’s hope that we see some big upgrades and ongoing refinement of this feature. It is certainly the weak spot in what we’ve seen released so far and I know for many the ability for the team to improve the AI will probably inform future purchasing decisions.

Another area of work is adding more missions. It sounds like they are putting more effort into the Exams section with an additional 16 missions being developed for that offering some more varied training experiences.

They are also refining the map, the effects system, flight models, damage model, and audio. Music integration is also underway with a new system for that.

Radio voice overs are also still being talked about which is good because I’m not yet a fan of where it is right now.

We’re also seeing feedback on the sound of English in voice conversations: it’s still the most challenging aspect, and we’re already thinking about ways to improve it.

Hopefully it improves!

Read the full report here!