SvAF

So... today's update was a short one with a little bit on everything we want to know.

About the upcoming patch for Clod, with main focus a new graphics engine which seems to increase performance drastically, this little tidbit showed up on Russian sukhoi forum by luthier (in google english though ;) ):

So we try very hard to make it more habitable, believable landscape. With the patch, the main task - graphics - is almost ready, but, as always, for three days on this part of it, two on the other, five on this one. The problems were only with decals yes yes sprite transparencies, until we solve as collect, verify until - well, not next week for sure.

Then we finally got our hands on Clod airplane templates for those who wants to make skins.

Maddox Games seems to have taken up Friday Updates, partly for the work of fixing Cliffs of Dover and partly for the upcoming title that we guess is Battle of Moscow or similar.

First the results from a benchmark with the new graphics engine and then Luthier answers questions from the community:

Benchmarks on the BETA version of the new graphics. Testing FPS on the first British campaign mission. Max details. Old graphics – 74 FPS average. New graphics – 134 FPS average. i7-870, 4Gb RAM, GeForce GTX 570.

1. Will the new graphics engine have improved SLI/Crossfire performance? SLI currently gives minimal frames per second increase for many players and can introduce stutters.

At last we have a new toy. We have been getting updates from this work, some VERY interesting, for over a year now from Team Daidalos and finally the day has arrived. Of course you DO know that this patch can only be installed on a 4.101m Vanilla installation (you DO have one as a spare don't you? ;) )
Otherwise patch order from DVD (IL21946) is 4.08m>4.09m>4.10m>4.101m<4.11

Dear IL-2 fans,

On behalf of 1C:Maddox Games and Daidalos Team, we are pleased to present you the patch 4.11.

The development of 4.11 patch took us yet another year to complete. Our main focus was on delivering you an uncompromised...

Lucasfilms will finally be releasing George Lucas' passion project, Red Tails, in US theaters January 20th. This action-packed movie is based on the true story of African-American pilots who experienced segregation during World War II. Although they were in the Tuskegee training program, they spent most of their time on the ground rather than in the air until they were called to duty by Col. A.J. Bullard. Lucas has spent over 23 years and $93M of his own money to take the movie to the big screen.

When asked about the difficulties he had in getting the movie made, Lucas responded:

Well, Will Smith's not in it and it's not a sequel. If we had that, we wouldn't have had the problem.

A World of Planes Alpha tester has given us yet another video from the upcoming game and it sure looks promising - graphicswise anyway.

Here you may also see the two clips released before, just press "READ MORE".

The gang over at 1C/Maddox Games wish us all a Happy New year with a few screenshots of the upcoming sequel and some reassuring words about the continued work with Clod.