Hey folks, it’s been a while… a long while. You have not heard much from me lately, the main reason is because after a series of launches, @tbuc took over the Release Master place (and thanks for that, because I needed it badly!). U4 is in good hands.
I know some are expecting a release for Easter, but sorry, no. You are right though that we are working hard on it
U4 Schedule
Our plan for U4 was explained here and it is still our baseline. Our deadline was Q1 2024, but I believe we will not finish this in Q1, so my bet now is somewhere in May (@tbuc knows better, though). With luck, April.
U4 Plan
As usual, this release turned out more complex than expected. One of the main reasons was the transition to PBR. There were some nasty bugs hidden there (specially related to lighting), some of them were present but not noticeable, others are new bugs introduced by this new model and its texture sets. We also spent quite some time transitioning aircraft data to protobuffers (more robust internal format).
Here is the updated list:
- Link16 implementation for F16.
- PBR: this is in the final stages. We hope the last CTDs were sorted.
- OpenXR implementation: I believe this is finished from what I heard (haven’t tested it though, so cannot say).
- A/C data in proto format.
- F15:
- new 3D model!
- Basic F-15 A/G: it is possible to release bombs in very basic CDIP.
- Basic ILS implementation (still under test).
- More MFD pages implemented.
- Some new callbacks.
- Performance improvements (specially for AMD cards)
- New ballistic code.
- tons of bug fixes
- and more!
The star of this release will definitely be the Link16, we hope you will have a whole new experience! I mean, this is a HUGE effort (affects UI, network, 3d, avionics, DTC etc).
Also, graphics already shows a bit of improment over U3 with the introduction of PBR (this is a great step towards NT and unified database).
There are some hidden gems, like the new explosion code, which takes fuel into account to decide how much the aircraft should burn or even if it should explode immediately.
Please, also notice there are a lot of new things not listed here (@Mav-jp can probably tell more).
What is missing?
I believe Link16 is in the final stages. Once it is finished, we will be ready for release. But there are some points still bugging us:
- A dogfight bug which needs to be fixed (invisible after respawn).
- F15 ILS still not very precise.
- Shadows are still bugged from views which are not in the same position as the camera.
Rest assured, we are working hard towards U4. The most serious bugs were fixed and now we are moving towards the end. The good news is that U3 seems to be doing good in terms of stability and we heard reports of MP with more than 40 people without issues. Meaning: we are not in a hurry.
Future
A release as complex as U4 will probably bring some new bugs, which we will try to address with hotfixes. If all goes well, our goal is to make the move to NT after U4. But still too early to talk about it, so don’t expect it anytime soon.
We are also planning some new aircraft (red side…), and also implement more F-15 AG modes (which will be cool for ITO).
Meanwhile, keep on rocking! Thanks for making this community the BEST!