1C Game Studio’s latest developer diary for the IL-2 Series is focused on visual effects. With the new engine in place we’ve seen visual effects really take a step forward for the series, however, it seems that they are not done yet and that some effects are temporary and that newer more impressive options are being implemented. Let’s have a look.

Visual updates on the horizon

Visual effects are no doubt important to any flight sim experience and doubly so for a combat flight sim where flame, smoke, tracers, and other visuals are all needed to be rendered in large quantities. 1CGS are replacing some visuals currently in place with newer more impressive ones.

Old style effects are being replaced with newer ones that are both more visually impressive (according to the developer diary) and more efficient utilizing newer techniques. They say that a B-29 test interception scene gained frame rates from 65 up to 125 fps with the newer effects.

We’ve already seen improved smoke effects, dust, moisture, city smoke, and aircraft explosions but others are coming and a new video showcases some of the changes.

Bomb explosion effects, blast waves, dust clouds, debris and fragment effects along with AAA gun and flak explosion effects are all being updated in similar ways. So too are visual updates for effects on aircraft. Here’s a piece of the diary to better illuminate what they are talking about:

Now it’s easy to distinguish between shell types: high-explosive hits are significantly different from armor-piercing hits. The bursts differ in flash, size, duration, detail, and color. Armor-piercing hits are lighter and more transparent, as they only penetrate; they produce a small flash, few sparks, and little smoke. High-explosive hits have a characteristically large flash, lots of smoke—both light and dark—and fragments. Incendiary hits leave more incendiary elements and burnt material. Now you can accurately determine what caused the most damage to the target in the crosshairs of your gunsight. Each hit type has a variety of dimensions corresponding to the caliber, the amount of explosive in the ammunition, and the number of fragments.

This all sounds good to me. Better visual effects that also perform better than the old placeholders? Great. I’ll look forward to seeing them in action.

Read the full diary here.