Greetings, Pilots!
Well, the release of “Korea” has taken place, and the first week has passed, during which we made tremendous and quite successful efforts to fix the set of shortcomings and issues that were identified at the beginning of the project's widespread use. In its current state, the version is running quite stably and provides a high-quality, uninterrupted gameplay experience, which we are incredibly happy about.
Now we are focusing on the improvements that we planned to carry out after the project's release. Today, we would once again like to highlight the enormous amount of development work that went into creating “Korea.” And we have prepared two things for you that tell the story of this process.
The first is a short video in which we talk about the new features and show exclusive footage of flights in a real MiG-15UTI, which we managed to capture while working on the project, along with impressions from the pilot flying this wonderful aircraft.
We have also compiled a list of significant changes that distinguish “Korea” from “Great Battles” and that were made over the course of four years of development. This list of differences clearly highlights why we call “Korea” a truly new game built on a new engine. Please note that many of the items on this list could be expanded into an entire separate article — which, incidentally, is exactly what we have been doing over the past year by releasing the previous 83 Developer Diary issues for you. To keep this list from becoming excessively long, we have not included smaller changes either, although many of them are quite important to the overall result, because, as with any complex mechanism, there are no details here that do not matter.
So, here is the list of the main changes that distinguish the “Korea” project from “Great Battles”:
GAME MODES
Commander Career — experience the events of the Korean War from April 1951 to July 1953, with new gameplay mechanics, 22 mission types, and 63 playable air units.
Mission Editor — a new built-in editor with 25 types of combat missions and expanded options for configuring their parameters.
Scripted Campaigns — play handcrafted campaigns. At release, James Yarborough’s “Home by Christmas” is available.
Single-player scripted missions — play scenarios created by users. At release, two large-scale combat missions are available.
Museum — an in-game catalog featuring the appearance, specifications, and detailed descriptions of more than 100 vehicles and other pieces of equipment represented in the game.
Fly Now! — quickly take to the air in an aircraft selected in the Museum and try it in a variety of combat roles.
Trials — unique missions for practicing and testing piloting and air-combat skills, with four trials for each aircraft.
Dogfight — a continuous multiplayer scenario with drop-in access for up to 84 players.
Co-op — cooperative play through PvE and PvPvE scenarios.
Track Playback — watch a recording of a battle.
GRAPHICS: NEW TECHNOLOGIES
GRAPHICS ENGINE AND RENDERING
A modern graphics engine built entirely on DirectX 12.
A unified texture and material system based on Physically Based Rendering (PBR).
Support for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) image upscaling.
Support for NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) image upscaling.
New anti-aliasing modes: universal TXAA and DLAA for NVIDIA graphics cards.
Rendering in linear color space provides more natural color blending and physically correct lighting.
Color grading based on Lux Color Grade technology.
A secondary reflected-lighting system for objects in the frame.
A new system for dynamic environment reflections.
A system that allows graphics settings to be applied without restarting the game.
LIGHTING, ATMOSPHERE, AND VISUAL EFFECTS
Improved High Dynamic Range (HDR) effect.
Improved Bloom effect.
A new, highly detailed Sun Glare effect.
Gun Camera filming effect.
Ray-traced volumetric lighting for the atmosphere and haze provides more natural light distribution and a stronger sense of depth.
Mountains and hills cast shadows on atmospheric haze, the terrain, and objects located behind them.
Physically correct lighting of objects and terrain that accounts for the shape of the ground surface and flight altitude.
Rain is rendered in the near, middle, and far distance.
Night lighting for settlements, roads, and airfields.
High-intensity light sources from illumination bombs.
A new system for lighting, animating, and editing visual-effect particles.
WATER AND COASTLINE
Ray-traced water transparency.
A new system for rendering the three-dimensional sea surface and ship-motion effects.
A new hybrid reflection system for water surfaces.
Visualization of differences between areas of the sea surface at long range.
Realistic coastal-water depth improves the appearance of shorelines and surf and also makes it possible to simulate amphibious landings.
A system for automatically texturing riverbanks and seashores.
Animated water textures in mountain rivers and below dams.
A new system for rendering river dams.
TERRAIN AND VEGETATION
A new airfield texturing system with support for creating surface relief.
A new system for rendering trees and forests, together with a completely updated set of vegetation models.
A grass-rendering system with greater variety and detail.
A new system for rendering the ground surface at extremely close range.
A shrub-rendering system.
CITIES, BUILDINGS, AND DESTRUCTION
A new system for creating, editing, and rendering cities and villages.
Partial level-of-detail switching for individual groups of buildings.
Highly detailed models of houses and other buildings with additional close-range details.
A detailed animation system for the destruction of bridge spans.
Buildings and vehicles can be placed on artificial surfaces such as breakwaters, piers, and embankments.
Functional road and railway tunnels.
Explosion craters, earthen revetments, and trenches with actual depth and increased detail.
ROADS AND RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE
A wide variety of road types.
Railways with three-dimensional rails and sleepers.
A system for automatically placing three-dimensional railway crossings where railways intersect roads.
Roadside utility poles with night lighting, wires, and a physical destruction model.
Roads and railway track beds use complex materials and normal maps to reproduce fine surface relief.
VR AND COCKPIT VIEW
The pilot’s body model is visible from the cockpit view.
OpenXR support in addition to OpenVR.
GRAPHICS: CONTENT
AIRCRAFT, COCKPITS, AND DAMAGE
8 highly detailed player-controlled aircraft models recreated with the highest possible degree of authenticity, including their cockpit interiors.
Higher texture density and detail for interiors.
4 AI-controlled models of multi-engine bombers and transport aircraft.
All aircraft exterior surfaces and cockpit interiors use PBR materials with normal maps, providing more accurate surface texture, relief, and interaction with light.
New approaches to material surface detailing, especially aircraft skin and paint finishes.
New landing-gear visuals: three-dimensional tire tread, animated tire compression, and tire damage.
Large holes and openings left by torn-off airframe panels reveal the internal structure of all parts of the aircraft, including engine compartments and cockpits.
Damage is now visualized not only through textures, but also through changes to the three-dimensional model.
Animated fragments of damaged aircraft skin move under the force of the airflow.
Improved two-stage visualization of cockpit glazing damage.
MAP, TERRAIN, AND VEGETATION
A 500 × 500 km map of the Korean Peninsula.
A new approach to terrain design with more varied and realistic environmental details and textures.
Five seasonal variants of the map.
16 tree models with variants for all five seasons.
10 shrub and grass models with variants for all five seasons.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAP OBJECTS
42 airfields with detailed surroundings.
2 training ranges.
24 military camps.
51 mining facilities.
800 settlements.
1,500 bridges.
40 tunnels and dams.
8,000 km of coastline.
11,000 km of road network, including 37 km of tunnels and 195 km of bridges.
84 bridge and tunnel models.
15 dam models.
200 models of houses and other buildings.
VEHICLES, WEAPONS, AND CHARACTERS
78 models of ground vehicles and weapons.
18 models of ships and boats.
10 pilot models and sets of flight gear.
38 character models: civilians, ground and naval personnel, and soldiers.
40 models of aerial bombs and rockets.
VISUAL EFFECTS
500 completely new visual effects.
510 visual effects recreated from scratch for Korea.
PHYSICS AND DAMAGE MODEL
FLIGHT MODEL AND AERODYNAMICS
An improved model of air compressibility at high speeds and the related effects, including changes in aircraft trim and controllability.
An improved model of the effect of wing sweep on aircraft aerodynamics.
An improved model of aerodynamic load distribution along the span of the wings and tail surfaces.
An improved model of how control surfaces and wing high-lift devices affect aircraft stability and controllability.
An improved flight-performance calculation system — values now change more accurately and smoothly depending on flight conditions.
A new modular physics model for jet engines, providing more realistic behavior under different conditions, including damage and transient operating modes.
An improved Force Feedback system.
AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND COCKPIT
Radar rangefinder for the gunsight.
Radar illumination warning indicator.
External drop tanks.
Detailed logical simulation of the aircraft’s hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, and fuel systems.
Animated deformation of landing-gear tires under the weight of the aircraft.
Animated vibration of cockpit elements, including instrument needles, panels, levers, wires, and other details.
A detailed cockpit instrumentation model with a large number of functional controls.
Level Autopilot with pitch hold and two turn rates.
AIRCRAFT DAMAGE MODEL
Engine assemblies and individual components can be damaged independently of one another.
The detailed hit model accounts for control linkages, load-bearing structural elements, control-system components, and powerplant components.
A detailed damage model for engine subsystems.
Engine cowlings and some other airframe panels can be torn off.
Propeller blades, including metal ones, can be perforated or shot off.
Damaged landing-gear struts can fall out of their bays.
Landing-gear tires can be punctured.
Landing-gear tires can blow out.
Wing panels are divided into damageable sections in greater detail.
Damage can deform not only the horizontal stabilizer surfaces but also the vertical fin.
Damage to hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical systems is modeled, along with the related instruments and components.
The chance of fuel ignition depends on incendiary bullets, shells, and tracers, as well as fuel-tank fill level and the severity of leaks.
Self-sealing fuel tanks and inert-gas pressurization are modeled.
SHIP DAMAGE MODEL
The flooding model accounts for watertight compartments: ships can remain operational while partially flooded.
The damage model allows ship hulls, funnels, and masts to be destroyed, and mounted guns to be torn away.
PHYSICS OF GROUND OBJECTS AND VEHICLES
A new physical bridge-destruction system.
The physical model of airfield surfaces accounts for runways and taxiways: safe taxiing and takeoff require the use of prepared surfaces. Taking off across the airfield is now unsafe. Additional surface types with different physical properties have been added.
The ground-vehicle physics model accounts for collisions, nearby explosions, and falls.
A physically correct movement model for cars and tanks.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AIRCRAFT BEHAVIOR AND COMMAND
An updated combat module for AI-controlled aircraft, featuring a new target selection and assignment system as well as revised behavior logic for special situations.
A new command system for AI-controlled aircraft with expanded capabilities for the player acting as commander.
The player commander can issue orders to wingmen and receive information from them about the combat situation.
An expanded set of aircraft-group formations, improved formation keeping, and complex combat formations.
An improved ground-attack system: AI-controlled aircraft plan their attack runs more effectively and execute attacks more efficiently.
An improved air-combat system for high-speed and high-altitude engagements.
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AND RADAR GUIDANCE
An expanded radio-communications system based on speech synthesis.
A system for providing information to AI-controlled aircraft from ground-based radar guidance stations.
A system for player interaction with ground-based radar guidance stations.
AIRFIELD TAXIING
An airfield ground controller with an expanded taxi-route graph.
Airfield taxi-route graphs are now separate objects with expanded editing capabilities.
GROUND VEHICLES, TURRETS, AND INFANTRY
Two-way vehicle traffic on wide roads.
Turret AI has been optimized, making it possible to include large numbers of infantry squads in the game.
GAME WORLD
MISSION SCALE AND TOOLS
Large formations of simplified AI-controlled bombers — up to 64 aircraft, excluding escorts.
A system that allows individual route segments to be skipped, if desired, in missions involving long-distance flights.
A special Reposition command for moving aircraft and ships around the map.
The Time Shift function allows a specified portion of a mission to be skipped. Aircraft continue to consume fuel during the time shift. The function works together with the system for repositioning aircraft and ships on the map.
At the start of a mission, vehicles and other units can be placed on buildings, bridges, and piers.
PILOT AND CUSTOMIZATION
Pilots who leave their aircraft and end up in the water can swim.
After landing by parachute, the player can move around the map on foot.
In a single-player mission, the player can leave the aircraft, return to it if it is undamaged, or take control of another aircraft.
Several pilot appearance options and hundreds of portraits: European, African-American, Latin American, Chinese, Korean, and Russian.
Selectable helmet liveries for U.S. pilots.
Aircraft numbers up to eight characters long.
Aircraft numbers are displayed according to the way they were marked on different aircraft types.
Victory tally markings can be displayed on the aircraft.
Selectable personal aircraft emblems.
WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION
Player-configurable ammunition belt composition.
Additional ammunition types: armor-piercing incendiary and high-explosive incendiary rounds.
Napalm tanks.
Cluster bombs.
Illumination bombs.
INFANTRY, CIVILIANS, AND PERSONNEL
Mortar crews.
Rifle and submachine-gun squads.
Machine-gun squads.
Civilian population in cities and villages.
Workers in industrial zones, ports, and industrial facilities.
Military personnel in military camps.
Ground crews at airfields.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORLD OBJECTS
Road trailers, including towed guns in transport configuration.
Tanker trucks and refueling vehicles.
Military buses.
New animations and sounds for train departures and arrivals.
Vehicle and trailer marker lights operate at night.
An expanded system of truck and trailer variants, including tarpaulins, soldiers, fuel cargo, ammunition, anti-aircraft mounts, and box-body utility modules (KUNG).
An expanded system of train cargo variants, including ammunition, fuel, coal, assorted crated cargo, logs, trucks, and tanks.
Cars, tanks, and trains can be assigned identification numbers in the mission settings.
Different paint schemes can be selected for ground vehicles.
Functional radar stations.
Functional pontoon rafts.
Mining facilities.
Functional tunnels.
Wooden bridges.
Repair sections for destroyed bridges.
DAMAGE TO GROUND OBJECTS AND VEHICLES
Three-dimensional craters from large aerial bombs make it possible to disable a runway through intensive bombing.
A detailed damage system for mobile ground vehicles, with individual parts capable of being torn off.
A detailed damage system for static military objects, including artillery, radar stations, searchlights, and other equipment.
Guns and machine-gun positions can be disabled by taking out their crews.
When a ground vehicle is hit, surviving crew members or weapon crews scatter.
Separate settings for resistance to blast and fragmentation effects make combat damage more realistic.
A decal system displays bullet and shell impact marks on AI-controlled ground vehicles and ships.
The crew of a knocked-out tank can abandon the vehicle and scatter.
SHIPS AND VESSELS
A new object class — sailing vessels.
When a ship is damaged, boats and rafts are launched into the water.
Optimized ship-turret AI significantly reduces the performance load generated by AI-controlled ships, including in multiplayer.
Some crew members are visible on decks and superstructures according to their battle stations.
Ships fly flags whose animation depends on wind direction and strength as well as the ship’s movement.
Ship guns can be disabled by taking out their crews.
Ships are equipped with functional navigation lights.
Some crew members abandon sinking ships and vessels and swim away.
SOUND
A new version of the FMOD sound engine.
Support for stereo sound and 5.1 and 7.1 multichannel audio systems.
A modern approach to the sound design of game objects, including their movement, engines, and system operation.
Each aircraft has a unique sound model that realistically reproduces the sound of the historical aircraft under different conditions.
A new approach to weapon and ammunition audio using modern sound-engine capabilities and new artistic solutions.
A new system for pilot radio communications with more realistic audio and flexible options for adding new content.
MULTIPLAYER
An optimized network model for ground vehicles and ships allows more complex multiplayer scenarios to be created.
A modern and user-friendly interface for multiplayer modes.
A new approach reduces fragmentation of the player base caused by different control devices and secondary settings.
A system for sharing tactical markers on the in-game map helps players coordinate their actions and focus on common objectives.
A new game-statistics system.
A new social system featuring built-in squadrons and a friends list.
INTERFACE
TECHNOLOGY, CONTROLS, AND OVERALL DESIGN
A new interface engine based on Noesis technology.
Faster loading of the game and complex missions.
A new interface design that brings back the tactile aesthetic of Rise of Flight in a modern form.
A unified design approach for all in-game dialogs.
Support for controlling the interface with gamepads and HOTAS systems.
A new, user-friendly game settings system.
IN-GAME INTERFACE
An aircraft-systems control window.
An aircraft-damage information window.
An expanded wingmen command window.
A more detailed Head-Up Display (HUD) with configurable indicators.
A new player-statistics window.
MAP
Map measuring tools: ruler and protractor.
Custom map markers that can be shared with other players in multiplayer.
CONTROLS
DEVICE SUPPORT
Native gamepad support.
In VR, the game can be fully controlled with HOTAS without using a mouse or keyboard.
Connected input devices are detected without restarting the game. On the login screen, the check is performed once per second; in the control settings, devices can be rescanned with the Refresh Devices button.
CONTROL SETUP AND ASSISTS
A new control setup assistant.
A new system for detailed control-command configuration.
The Sector Menu (Multimenu) allows all aircraft systems to be controlled without memorizing commands and also helps players learn them gradually.
A system for searching commands by name or by pressing an assigned button.
The ability to quickly clear command assignments for the selected device.
AXES, RESPONSE, AND MODIFIERS
New modes linking the position of the physical controller stick to the aircraft control stick. They are designed for desktop joysticks, long-throw floor-mounted joysticks, Force Feedback devices, and gamepads.
New built-in response curves, individually tuned by the engineers for each aircraft and control method.
Custom modifier buttons.
The ability to assign a command using two modifiers.
The ability to assign axes to button-type commands.
An additional additive axis mode with dead-zone and sensitivity settings.
The ability to control aircraft yaw using two separate axes — for example, gamepad triggers or automotive pedals.
CONTROL TEMPLATES
A control-layout template system with save and load functionality.
Ready-made templates and graphical control-layout diagrams for more than 70 device models.
IN-GAME CAMERAS
New Drone View Near Aircraft camera — F3 key.
New Wingman View camera — LWin + F3.
The ability to adjust camera roll — LShift + NP4/NP5.
The Tracking, Chase, and Gun Camera views now feature new dynamic tracking effects and allow the viewing angle to be adjusted.
Onboard cameras with new dynamic effects.
The Gun Camera view with a dedicated graphical post-processing effect.
When looking around without TrackIR or VR, the virtual head shifts when the view is turned more than 90° to the side.
A new automatic camera-control system for track playback selects the most suitable viewing angles based on upcoming events.
UTILITIES
Faster loading of the Mission Editor.
An optimized object-selection system in the editor.
New, more readable fonts in the editor.
A road-editing system.
A terrain-editing system.
A system for editing bodies of water and forests.
New built-in tools for automated detailing of coastlines, roads, and rivers.
An expanded system for applying additional textures and details to the terrain.
NEAR-TERM PLANS
With the release of Korea, a new stage in the game’s development begins. Ahead are new aircraft, missions, and gameplay mechanics, as well as further development of the simulation, artificial intelligence, and multiplayer.
Below are the main areas the team is already working on.
NEW CONTENT AND MODES
A DLC featuring five aircraft and new gameplay mechanics.
A training mode for basic piloting and air-combat skills.
New scripted campaigns.
Twice as many mission types in Commander Career and the Mission Editor.
DEVELOPMENT OF GAME SYSTEMS
Persistent map damage from day to day in Commander Career.
A more realistic engine-damage model for exceeding the permitted operating time at combat or takeoff power. It will account for the heating of valves and piston rings: burn damage can reduce compression and eventually lead to engine seizure.
Further improvements to AI-controlled aircraft behavior algorithms.
Greater variety in radio communications.
New multiplayer features.
SERVICES AND TOOLS
Leaderboard.
A viewer tool for user-created models.
SUPPORT AND IMPROVEMENTS
Further refinement and improvement of all game systems.
Rapid bug fixes based on player feedback.
The next step for Korea, as you can see from our extensive list, is the first expansion, and we will be sharing more details about it in our upcoming Developer Diaries.
But before that, we will have some news about the long-awaited bombers!
Stay tuned for updates and follow us on social media —Discord, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, and X to be among the first to learn all the details about this DLC.
See you in the skies over Korea and happy hunting!
