We’ve got a new update for IL-2 Series. Update 1.004 covers a lot of ground including AI, VR, career mode, fuel management and many more items. It also makes the first step on the road towards a dynamic campaign system with persistent damage on map objects in career mode coming for the first time. Let’s have a look!

Updates abound

Update 1.004 is a comprehensive update for Korea IL-2 Series addressing issues and adding improvements to AI, VR, career mode, fuel systems, multiplayer, graphics, sound and landscape.

One of the big focuses here for both developers and the community is AI. The AI now reportedly have new defensive maneuvers when attacked. They also aren’t spinning their aircraft or crashing into the ground as frequently. Other updates are more detail oriented like improved taxi behaviour, improved landing behaviour (specific to the F-51D), better target tracking by AAA guns, ground vehicle route following and other changes.

I know some of you are keen to see improvements to VR and there are a couple of noteworthy items listed in the patch notes. VR Optimized mode is now automatically engaged when a VR headset is engaged. They also report fixing “interpupillary distance in the hangar in VR mode.” Its not much but I’m hoping the VR Optimized mode might be helpful to some of you (let me know in the comments).

New “Strategic Object Cover” and “Enemy Harbor Attack” have been added to both Career and Task Editor modes so there are new actions to undertake. More vehicles and AAA guns have been added to Armed Recce and Traffic Interdiction missions while changes to intercepting enemy aircraft now include both propeller and jet driven aircraft (previously only jet aircraft seemed to appear).

Another big change is fuel management with a new manual fuel management system now added. It can be managed automatically or manually on preference. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got that set.

A long list of updates have been made to areas of the Career mode including adjusting unit positions (for Red team) with Soviet aircraft staying in MiG-Alley areas while North Korean and Chinese aircraft venture outside of that area, there are changes to award condition checks, and various other adjustments. This patch also adds persistence to the state of the career mode’s world. A destroyed bridge in one mission will stay destroyed for several more missions before being repaired for example. A first step towards a dynamic campaign system that the developers are planning for the future.

Read the full change log here!