This just in from Forgotten Battles forums:
An translation of an open interview with Oleg Maddox posted at sukhoi.ru, translated by crazyivan
AviaForum: Oleg, are you planning to continue development of IL--2 after release of BOB? Is there possibility of passing IL-2 to some 3rd party company for further development?
O.M. : Development of IL-2 will be stopped after planned add-ons. Passing it off to the third party is possible and we are ready to discuss it such offer if we receive one. Meanwhile, nobody offered anything. Main request to potential partner is serious support of the product, guarantees that balance and order on line will be kept and readiness to work on the same level of quality, which was set by us.
Aviaforum: After recent breaking into SFS files, what is being done to protect online play in BOB?
O.M.: During last month, month and the half entire system of coding was rewritten from scratch and will be implemented with nearest add-on. On the side note, I would like to thank people who broke into the code for not spreading information around. Actually this had happened before, but back then, we only implemented small changes. Now, we completely changed concepts of code protection. Same system with modifications will be introduced in
AviaForum: Is it possible to organize combined server for many players?
OM: New engine allows to organize combined are for many players.
If we get support from the publisher, we are ready to release MMO simulator based on BOB, where not only planes will be controlled by the players, but also tanks, cars, vessels, submarines, basically all elements of warfare that are present in the sim.Aviaforum: How will you implement work of radar stations? Will players be able to request information from then about situation in the air? Are you planning to develop tools for coordination of the actions pilots in the air? Are you planning to expand control over AI wingmen?
O.M.: It will be the same as in real life. Radar stations will coordinate pilots and direct them in the areas where enemy planes were spotted. If you are talking about german technologies in using radar, I cant promise anything yet, not sure if they will be implemented in BOB. Amount of commands for AI will be expanded. Structure of the menu will remain the same, but variations will increase.
Aviaforum: When soviet-geman conflict will appear in BOB, how are you planning to develop series even further?
O.M.: BOB will progress identical to IL2 series, it will contain series of simulations which will work together or individually. Dates of the release of eastern front are not known yet. I can only tell that part two will not be dedicated to GPW, we are planning to implement theater that was never introduced in the simulation before.
Aviaforum: What will be expected system requirements? Is it possible to release Benchmark for it?
O.M.: We don¡¯t have exact system requirements yet. All I can say that system that runs IL2 on the max settings will run BOB on lowest ones. I don¡¯t see a reason to make a benchmark, it will be not less then 1GB in size and spending time and resources for something that nobody can pull off the internet is just silly. ¬à.
Aviaforum: How different are physical aspects of the flight model between BOB and IL-2. Will model be completely new or just improved and corrected IL-2 model? Are you planning to model wind?
O.M.: Feel of the flying will not change much. We think that in IL-2 physics are close to reality, so you can correct all you want, general feeling will not change. Simply we`ll add more details. Engine of BOB has nothing in common with engine of IL-2, it`s even written in the different language. We are modeling that only wind, but many other things, for example: thermal up-streams and different cloud effect..
Aviaforum: AI in BOB: seeing behind, accuracy of gunnery, etc¡¦.
O.M.: AI significantly changed and will use a lot more resources than it does now. Visibility from AI perspective is honest even now, it just aces look behind them a lot more often then rookies. Clouds are not see thru for AI and virtual pilots. Accuracy of shooting will depend on g-forces. During active maneuvering accuracy will be reduced and under effect of great forces will not be possible at all. Besides, in BOB crew members will have different skills, meaning pilot could be an ace, but gunners rookies and so on. Difference will be drastic, for rookies we model panic, that is when they shoot all over the place.
Aviaforum: what is the progress of BOB, what stage is it on. When can we get screenshots, videos, ect¡¦.?
O.M.: Not this year.
Aviaforum: Will you improve instruments for making in game tracks?
O.M.: F¬à¬â¬Þ¬Ñ¬ä .trk will not be supported anymore. Format of ntrk will be expanded. Right now I cannot say precisely what kind of tools will be implemented, but it will be greatly increased.. We are not planning to make any utilities for conversion ntrk files in other formats. There are plenty of great programs out there for that purpose.
Aviaforum: Are you planning to make civil aviasimulation?
O.M.: No, we don¡¯t have such resources. This is difficult task for us, since we don¡¯t have specialists with good level of knowledge in some areas, for instance modern navigation systems. That means we have to figure it all out from scratch, but this is time and money, big money.
But we are including SU-26 as a bonus. We are hoping that further development of aerobatics planes will continue and we are planning to support this as much as we can.
...
New engine allows to organize combined are for many players. If we get support from the publisher, we are ready to release MMO simulator based on BOB, where not only planes will be controlled by the players, but also tanks, cars, vessels, submarines, basically all elements of warfare that are present in the sim.
Looks like the 1C:Maddox is getting ready to set foot on HTC's turf.
This should be interesting to watch and see how it unfolds.
