We don't know if anythings coming for sure, but I'm not aware of Luthier ever saying they won't refine the pilot, squadron segment for the series. I'm also not sure if a modder or third party could add that feaure. I do know the new series will be far more modder friendly, which should help the community add features that the developer doesn't have the time or feels its not worth their time to add.

If the mod tools are as good as you hope Chivas then they will be a god send to CLOD.
The trick is....when.

Though just thinking, how will Steam handle online mods?

Thats a good question. I have no idea how Steam will react to Mods, but it will have to allow them on a server option bases. I would imagine the developer has thought this through as the plan has alway been for the new series to be Mod friendly and will be using Steam. Maybe someone else who plays other sims on Steam can tell us if some mods are allowed.

It's completely up to the game developer on how they do it, i.e. make it like IL2 and have specific servers set up per mod or go the full hog and let Steam take care of some of the download/install stuff. Steam 'workshop' is something relatively new, and a poke around here gives you the idea of how community mods can work for big games like Skyrim and TF2:

http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/

My guess would be that server operators turn off the Valve-anti cheat (VAC) and just manually set up mods however they like just like IL2 today. It's not a well-kept secret that all CloD servers have VAC turned off already, so nothing much will change.

If MG were feeling confident in their platform (i.e. they aren't and won't be ) then going the workshop route for a Steamworks title would be ideal for me personally. The workshop framework of where all the mods can be found, voted on, described and a single click 'subscribe' action would make it very easy to manage mods - it ensures they are kept up-to-date and the good ones 'bubble up'. The CloD community might be a bit small for it (and are generally anti-Steam anyway).

Edit - In plain English summary for cheesehawk: Um, magic happens..

You should know by now why Luthier is loath to say anything on the forums.

There is now way they could implement AA, AF, and DX 11 on unfinished, unoptimized code. Those features could be implemented when the game engine has been finished and optimized. The next optimization patch will probably realize enough head room for AA and AF to become a viable option. I have no doubt we will see DX11 implemented at some point, but my recall of a Luthier post suggested that not only does the game engine code have to be further refined to use it, but there are problems with Intel's DX 11 code as well. Although this could just be my misinterpretation of a Luthier post.

Luthier has NEVER spoke of FSAA Chivas, apart from one post in a update thread before release where he said "there is no FSAA on those shots because HDR is on and we cant use both at the same time"
Make of that what you will.
Has there been any word from Luthier about the mod tools yet?

Because Luthier doesn't talk about every aspect of the sim doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

AA is still listed in the COD options. AA and AF need resource headroom before they can be selected as an option.
The next patch should provide the necessary headroom to implement atleast AA, if not AF aswell.

I have no idea how HDR and AA coexist, but if HDR is not an option and is always on why have AA listed in the options.

Luthier hasn't mentioned anything about the mod tools lately as I'm sure he has higher priorities at the moment.
I would imagine someone in the development is working on mod tools as we speak, or scheduled to work on it when time and resources allow.

The development is up to its ass in alligators at the moment, and putting out fires everywhere. Hopefully by the time the sequel comes out they will have a stable finished game engine, as the very hard work they're been doing on the code for the last year can't be readily seen. Most of that work would normally have been done before release, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way.

I paid $50 for this sim.
If I have to pay another $50 to get the original product to work correctly - that may be the final
straw for me.

Although, as has been discussed before, $50 is a bargain, and these things probably SHOULD cost $100 or more.
'sigh'

Exclusive COD patches will probably make the sim work correctly, but thats very subjective. What features should have been in the original series is another question. Its hard to say which features should have been in COD as none were promised, and very little is written on the box version I bought or the official website. Yes the developer told us what features they were working on for the series development, but they went out of their way to say there were no promises. That said I'm sure we will eventually see most features we've heard about and a few we haven't.

We will be paying around fifty dollars an addon, plus fee patches for the next ten years or so. I think the days of free content we had in the original series are over, atleast until most of the COD issues are addressed. I agree our pay back in entertainment value will be far more than the minuscule cost we'll pay for that software. That was the case for me, and most people here, with the original series, and I have little doubt it will apply to the new series.

This is the best way to look at it.... When you buy the following sequels....think that your only paying for the new theaters, maps, aircraft, missions and campaigns, etc, while any features, etc included that apply to COD are free.

As long as the patch fixes the problems we have now, most important being the CTD, AI and FM, then i can start flying again.