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!


14 responses to “IL-2 Series latest update targets AI, VR, aircraft fuel management, career mode and more”

  1. Does Korea have a “classic” career mode where you start at the beginning of the conflict, get a medal for a good mission and a promotion from time to time, and generally stay with the same squadron unless you want to transfer? Or do you have to do all the management stuff?

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    1. It doesn’t have a classic career mode, not in the same vein as Great Battles did. This one skews more towards giving the player control of the whole unit, managing the squadron and its resources, and flying missions as desired. IMHO, I REALLY like it and I think its much smoother and more thought out than the old career mode. But I do understand the desire to have natural progression rather than taking command right away.

      There is an alternate sense of progression as your squadron improves in its ranking, loses plans and pilots, gets new ones, and your pilot wracks up victories (which are then painted on the side of your plane).

      What I will say, and some have underplayed this, is that you can hit auto assign on most things in the mode if you don’t want to be bothered with the nitty gritty (and IMHO its not overly deep) and just get to flying the missions with not much fuss.

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    2. soulcheerfullyd3d645fd36 Avatar
      soulcheerfullyd3d645fd36

      When I first heard about the “Commander” thing it disappointed me. Now once I got into it I’m all in. I’m a long time IL2 guy with all the Great Battles and exclusively Single Player. It might not be for everyone but I was a serious sceptic and my mind has changed.

      Liked by 3 people

  2. Those are both encouraging things to hear.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Unfortunately this update worsened the game more than improve. There is an control issue what makes the game unplayable for some because open the map affects commands that are mapped on control items like Thrustmaster, Virpel etc… by this issue there is no chance to test the improved AI

    In the forum the VR users see no improvements..

    Empty online lobbies.. 🤷🏼‍♂️

    Many players are very disciplined

    The developers should invest more efforts before releasing an update like this

    We all hope for an hotfix before this upcoming weekend 🫣

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      I was really hoping that VR would be working better once again. Hope springs eternal that they will get it eventually.

      Haven’t run into that control issue myself yet. Not sure what that’s about. Maybe today’s hotfix has sorted things out.

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    2. “Empty online lobbies..” even without this new bug that happend online korea is not so popular, teather choice basicly limits it to mostly UN GA players option, and when you have no improvments to MP, there isent many reasons for GB MP guys to switch, aslo high price, poor VR performance plays a role. But if they selected WW2 teather they would have better numbers. Whats funny to me is that first improvment for MP they are adding leaderboard, lol

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      1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        I’m not entirely sure that the theatre is the issue just yet. Korea feels fresh and fun to me and I really like that they’ve ventured away from the typical for their first outing…. though I really do want to see them do lots of WWII to come.

        Right now I see almost exactly the same thing that happened with Battle of Stalingrad in the early days. Everyone got it, started flying it, found that it needed some work, went back to IL-2 1946 for a while and then a couple of years later it started picking up big numbers. This will take some time to get going.

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      2. i remenber when UP3 drop korea jets in IL-2 1946, online servers run missions with them, it was popular when it started for few weeks and then they disapered from rotations, i think its gona get better only when they come back to WW2. For MP to be good sides need balaced options, GA and bomber players play when servers are not popular they atract fighter players, you have one great fighter on red side but no good bombers, they miss on not making Tu-2 atleast but in jet age that would not move the needle much. MiG-15 vs Saber should be what atracts players but its not as cool as 109F vs Yak1 was in BoS MP

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  4. *disappointed

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  5. Just invested some time into the game

    The control bug is gone, nice to see this issue is solved quickly 🙂

    I played a frontline attack with my IL10 career a traffic interdiction with F 51. Both missions where absolutely playable in VR and I have not really something to complain.

    The increased variety of radio chats are very welcome while they need some improvements here or there but at all a promising feature.

    At all I have to correct my first more negatively comment, I think this update is a good step forward.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      I’m glad to hear all of that! I’m planning to put some more stick time in over the weekend so the hot fix arriving before weekend seems well timed.

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      1. yes , same, controls bug was unvelcome suprise when i was gona test out new AI changes

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