Hello Everyone!

Today is a Big Day for our project and our community - update 4.701 is now available! And with it comes a new game world technology – cloud rendering based on hypertextures. This technology, in comparison with the previous one, carries a number of improvements, such as:

• Increased variety of cloud cover;
• A new level of scale of cloud formations;
• Higher level (macro level) of cloud structures;
• Greater realism of structures and forms of cloud formations;
• Improved lighting model of clouds, and objects under and in the clouds;
• Diverse structure of overcast clouds (including "windows" and cloudless areas);
• Localization of precipitation under significant cloud formations and, as a consequence, localization of precipitation on the map;
• New visualization of precipitation at a distance;
• New rainfall lighting model;
• Lack of repeatability of the cloud distribution map on the scale of the game map;
• Reduced number of "compromise" solutions such as "object outlines" "mountain intersection aliasing", etc.;
• Increased performance of the graphics subsystem.

The mission format was changed, so third-party missions and campaigns need to be re-saved using Mission Editor or Mission Re-saver utility. Old track records can be played by deleting the .msnbin file from their folder. We have taken great care in mimicking the current cloud selection options for mission builders, so all your older missions are technically compatible with the new clouds. However, the clouds will look quite different and you may need to adjust your mission design to get the desired result. The new clouds are much larger on average than the current ones so visuals will be quite a bit different. We apologize if the new clouds inconveniences mission makers. We hope that the improvements outweigh any problems and we also hope to add some additional cloud patterns in the coming months.

Overall, we hope the new clouds will significantly increase the visual realism of our simulator, as well as bring a new greater simming and gaming experience.

Another great addition in this update is for Flying Circus – Vol. II. Included is the versatile two-seater - the German DFW C.V. It was the most common aircraft of this type on the German side from 1917 until the end of the First World War. This small aircraft is capable of carrying up to 200 kilograms of 12- and 50-kilogram bombs. Additionally, it is armed with a Spandau machine gun and a defensive Parabellum. Various modifications are provided for the installation of a camera, radio, defensive turret with a Parabellum coaxial machine gun or a Becker 20mm automatic cannon. The placement of the Benz Bz.IV engine is a peculiar one, in which the pilot has significant difficulties in looking ahead. However, this motor is quite powerful at 200hp. Quite an accomplishment in 1917.

In addition, this update brings a long-awaited development goal - all planes are converted to 4K skins texturing. This was done in coordination with a few super dedicated community members! The last aircraft to be converted from 2K to 4K texturing in update 4.701 is the Yak-1b series 127. In addition, the Battle of Normandy development plan is moving along, and in this update, all map building objects planned for Normandy are available in the Mission Editor. Also in 4.701, all ground vehicles, which were planned for the Flying Circus – Vol. II were added to the project. Finally, there are many other changes and improvements, a complete list of which you can find below:

Main features
1. DFW C.V airplane is now available for all customers who pre-ordered Flying Circus Vol. II;
2. The new hypertexturing cloud technology added to the sim;
3. Yak-1b fighter has external 4K texturing done by Martin = ICDP = Catney;
4. Visual shot effect improved for all guns in the game;
5. New fuel tank explosion visual effects created: different for WWI and WWII era aircraft and for ground and in-flight explosions;
6. Wind direction can be chosen in Quick Mission;
7. Morning/evening fog can now be selected with any weather subtype in Quick Mission;
8. Precipitation strength can now be set separately from the cloud type in Quick Mission;
9. Cloud types have informative names in the Quick Mission weather panel;
10. Fw 190 A3, A5 and A6 aircraft paint schemes updated (Martin = ICDP = Catney);
11. P-39L paint schemes updated (Martin = ICDP = Catney);

New objects for Battle of Normandy
12. European farmsteads “town_eu_small”;
13. English city blocks "town_gb_block";
14. Temporary Mulberry harbor objects "mlbr_bridge", "mlbr_pierhead", "mlbr_phoenix", "mlbr_phoenix";
15. Radar stations Chain Home Low, Chain Home RX, Chain Home TX, FuMG-401 Freya LZ-A, FuMG 41/42 Mammut;
16. V-1 launch site structures (the missile itself is still in development);
17. A short section ramps for railway and road bridges "br_rw_ramphish_dn" and "br_rd_ramphish_dn";
18. A reverse arch for the automobile bridges "br_rw_invarch";
19. Pier object “port_n_walkingpier”;
20. Hangars, barracks and shelters “arf_n_hangarb1”, “arf_n_hangarblister”, “arf_n_hangart2” (open and closed), “arf_n_nissenhut” (in blocks one, two and three barracks), “arf_n_hangarb1”;
21. Objects updated: airfield hangars “arf_hangars_1”, “arf_hangars_2”, “arf_hangars_3”;
22. Objects updated: "arf_caponiers_13_h_1" and "arf_caponiers_14_h_1";
23. Coastal barriers ("hedgehogs", etc.) "bf_n_barrageat", "bf_n_barragebg", "bf_n_barragelog";
24. Defenses “bf_n_mgpos”, “bf_n_aaposmid”, “bf_n_aaposheavy”, “bf_n_artpos”, “bf_n_comandpost”, “bf_n_pbunker” (as well as static artillery of the German coastline defense):
25. Unique landmarks: Ardennes Abbey, Caen Castle, Falaise Castle, Evreux Cathedral, Cherbourg Fort, Moncton Fort, Portsmouth Hospital, Stonehenge, Winchester Prison;
26. German long-range artillery concrete positions R669 (155 mm) and R683 (210 mm);
27. British armored car Humber Mk.IV;

New objects for Flying Circus Vol. II
28. Renault FT tank;
29. Schneider CA 1 tank;
30. Mark V (female) tank;
31. The open version of Leyland 3 Ton truck;
32. The open and ambulance versions of Daimler DR4 truck;
33. The open and mobile AA searchlight versions of Benz LKW 1912 truck;
34. The open, ambulance and mobile AA searchlight versions of Jeffery Quad truck;
35. The German AA 37 mm automatic gun Maxim Flak M14;

Aircraft changes
36. P-51D-15 engine model was fine-tuned and its speeds increased slightly (by about 5-8 miles per hour with a boost of 67 inches) as the result;
37. P-51D-15 handling at high speeds was improved. Controls are a little less stiff within the envelope;
38. P-51D-15 behavior at high Mach numbers was tweaked, Shaking and loss of control at the edge of envelope more severe; More likely to suffer airframe damage if trim used too liberally at high Mach.
39. P-51D-15 autopilot has been improved - the level flight assist more accurately maintains the altitude with different amounts of fuel remaining;
40. The excessive water spattering on the P-51D-15 canopy during the rain has been reduced;
41. Fixed shaking of both SPAD VII.C1 150 hp and 180 hp in the absence of a control signal at high (but lower than buffeting) speeds;
42. The issue of the absence of US pilots in B-25 and A-20 aircraft during Winter has been fixed;
43. The texture of the smoke generators in the hangar was corrected;
44. Fixed the "lagging" of the ammo explosion effect from the aircraft;
45. Reduced the likelihood of cases when a high-speed frontal collision won’t cause aircraft destruction;
46. Ju 87 D-3 brake flaps won’t visually disappear at a distance;
47. The AI pilots try to not hit allies in the line of fire (functionality restored);
48. Fuel tanks and aircraft structure are correctly damaged by AP projectiles fired by simple (non-detailed) AI-controlled objects;
49. Fokker D.VIII: the anemometer is correctly visible from the cockpit;

Ground vehicle changes
50. KV-1s and T-34 mod. 43: the interior visual model of the gun in the mantle area has been improved;
51. KV-1s machine gun ammunition corrected (coaxial MG 25 magazines, rear MG 9 magazines, bow MG 15 magazines);
52. The overestimated combat survivability of guns, guidance mechanisms, electrical systems and radio stations has been reduced on all tanks, both detailed and simple. Tank guns can be disabled by an AP round hit of a similar caliber or multiple hits of .50 and larger caliber AP bullets;
53. MG firing sound correctly stops when a detailed tank is destroyed;
54. AI-controlled tank and aircraft turret MGs sounds corrected;
55. Some AI-controlled tanks and AFVs will fire their coaxial MGs (Humber, SdKfz-222);
56. A game and dedicated server crash bug that could happen randomly in multiplayer missions with A LOT of ground vehicles has been found and fixed;

Career and Quick Mission changes
57. In Сareer mode the UK and US crews have the correct crew visual models and paint schemes depending on their country;
58. Random encounters with high-altitude interceptors (including Me 262) added to AQMG;
59. In AQMG, the behavior of AI bombers in Intercept Bombers type missions has been changed (they may panic, drop the bombs and run away when the flight leader is shot down);
60. UK and US callsigns of ground observation posts have been corrected in AQMG;
61. Correct paint schemes are assigned to aircraft covering the airfield in Attack Airfield type missions in AQMG;
62. The cruise speed of P-47D-22 and P-47D-28 in Career mode missions is adjusted to the historical 250 mph;
63. Two previously AI-only squadrons in the Career mode on the Rhineland map can be joined by the player: No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron RAF and No. 329 (Free French) Squadron RAF.
64. The redeployment mission from Migalovo to Dugino on 22.10.1941 for the German II./LG 2 squadron (Bf 109 E-7) has been restored;

Mission Editor changes
65. Location of the toolbars are saved correctly, system toolbars and sections are removed;
66. It is now possible to set a block of buildings state to ‘destroyed’ by not entering all the individual IDs of the blocks, but only one ID = -1 with a damage level of 1. This should greatly save time for adding a destroyed block of buildings, reduce the size of missions created, mission loading time, and slightly increase performance.
67. Setting the value of block damage with ID = -1 between 0.1 and 0.9 will result in random destruction of the corresponding percentage of buildings in the block (the fewer buildings are in the block the more random it becomes). The random destruction of specific buildings is tied to the coordinates of the block on the map.