Dear players!
Today is a big day for IL-2 Sturmovik project - version 1.201 release. It brings several very important additions.
First, we launch the open beta of the Battle of Moscow campaign and Moscow maps. This is another step forward in mapping technologies - it contains several innovations and will bring you many interesting features not available before, for example: grass airfields without a dedicated landing strip, historically reconstructed city of Moscow, towns of the Moscow region that also have historically correct layouts and architecture, new 'late Autumn' season, water reservoirs, canals, canal locks, many new railway and road bridges, forestation different to Stalingrad region one and other things.
We'd like to point out that now, at the open beta stage, the map will still be improved: pine trees will be added to the forests and the overall distribution of various forest types on the map will be more detailed. Of course we'll keep track of your impressions and improve the map where possible to make it as best as possible to the official Battle of Moscow release date. The campaign is also in open beta: it contains regular, generated missions, while scenario, static ones are being finished. Video intros between campaign chapters and chapter map tactical overlays are also WIP at the moment.
Second, players who pre-purchased Battle of Moscow will also get their hands on German twin engine dive bomber Ju 88 A-4 today. We must admit that it is the most complex aircraft in the entire project, but in the same time it is also a most interesting one in many ways. Rich instruments array, many system and flight model peculiarities, unusual gunner stations - it was an interesting experience to research and recreate and we think it will be interesting to the players to fly it.
Third, all 10 Battle of Moscow planes now have 10 official skins per plane that can be unlocked by progressing in the campaign. In addition, all 20 controllable planes in the game and each and every modification for them now have a technical specification you can view in player profile, during a mission briefing and even in the flight.
Fourth, the sim now has 64-bit architecture. This increases the engine potential and allows more detailed objects and textures to be created. Moreover, we used the dumps you submitted to fix several bugs that could crash the game. All this development should make the game much more stable in heavy, complex missions.
One of the crash fixes involved the track recording system, so the tracks format has been updated unfortunately - old track records won't work in the new version.
Finally, the new version 1.201 contains many additional fixes and improvements (as always) which should increase the quality of your play experience and add more realistic features.
Here is the change list for today patch:
http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/12826-game-updates/#entry344254