People and Team

Jason Williams is the head, Albert Zhiltsov (LOFT) is the producer.
Developed by the new "1C Game Studios".
1C Game Studios is made of 777 team combined with some of the old 1C Maddox team. (Jason)
777 as a brand and entity is not disbanded and will continue to be used (for RoF). (Jason)
Current team is a few dozen people give or take contractors. (Jason)
Luthier (Ilya Shevchenko) is not part of the project. (Luthier)
BlackSix is part of the new team. (BlackSix)
1C is a "partner" (publisher?). (Jason)
Ubisoft is not involved. (Jason)



Business and Plan

Initial client release is slated for early 2014. (Press Release)
Business model will have some similar aspects with RoF, but it will not be identical. (Jason)
Business model will be a hybrid between RoF and the old IL-2 [1946]. (LOFT)
Free-to-play client (as with RoF) will not be available. (Jason)
Some sort of free demo is planned. (Jason)
New content added over time after initial launch (paid). (Jason)
New theaters and planes are planned for the future if everything goes to plan. (Jason, LOFT)
Closed Beta planned. (Jason)
Pre-orders will open in 2013. (LOFT)
Private project, no government/state is involved with financing. (LOFT)



Technical

Will use Digital Nature (Rise of Flight) engine. (Jason)
Engine will be DirectX 9 based on launch. (Jason, LOFT)
If this product is a success - DirectX 11 support will be considered for the future. (Jason)
Native 64-bit support is still considered. (LOFT)
Windows 8 will be supported. (LOFT)
Work will be done to make the engine ready for WWII aircraft. (Jason)
Engine can support different types of player vehicles from main battle tanks to giant robots. (Jason, LOFT, also see tank video)
TrackIR will be supported.
Oculus Rift support is a possibility. (Jason)
Steam support is unlikely. (LOFT, Jason)
System requirements not known yet. (Jason)
Multi-threading and multiple cores will be utilized. (Jason)
Multi-core support will be the same as in RoF (best with 4-core CPU). (LOFT)
External physical instrument support (as IL-2 DeviceLink) will not be available at launch. (Jason)



Mods, Skins and Editor

Mission Editor will be similar to RoF. (Jason, LOFT)
No third-party planes or API planned. (Jason)
Other types of mods will be supported (as with "mods on" in RoF). (Jason)
Official Skin Packs will be used (as in RoF). (Jason, LOFT)
User skinning will be supported with provided templates. (Jason)
Map Editor as a tool will not be available (however theoretically it will be possible to create new maps without an editor). (LOFT)



General

Not a CloD clone sequel, a brand new game. (Jason)
Not an arcade game, a simulator. (Jason)
Not a MMO. (Jason)
Only the critical systems will be modeled: propeller pitch, boost, altitude control, different mechanization, weapons etc. (LOFT)
Not a study/training sim (think FSX, DCS), but a combat simulator. (LOFT)
Would like to return to the original IL-2 [1946] idea. (LOFT)
Will include both multi-player and single-player gameplay options. (Jason)
For SP: QMB, Single Missions and a Career/Campaign system. (Jason)
No clickable cockpits planned. (Jason, LOFT)
Cockpit switches and toggles will be animated (to what extent unknown yet). (LOFT)
Cockpit details will not be modeled to CloD level. (LOFT)
Engines will operate in a realistic manner as they do in RoF. (Jason)
AI will be updated for the WW2 combat. (Jason)
Infantry (on the ground) will not be modeled. (LOFT)
Will not be able to leave the plane and control the pilot. (LOFT)
Parachute jump and bail out will be implemented (how detailed unknown yet). (LOFT)
No pilot body in cockpit view. (LOFT)
Will have an achievement/award system. (LOFT)
Track recording will be available (as in RoF). (Jason)



Planes

Plane list not yet decided. (Jason)
Plane list will be announced in February 2013. (LOFT)
At least ten aircraft planned for launch (fighters, attack planes and bombers). (LOFT)
LaGG-3 is kind of unofficially confirmed with cockpit image (3DsMax render) and imported CloD model. (LOFT)



Map and Campaign

Covering the time period of the Battle of Stalingrad. (Jason)
The map will be geographically accurate. (Jason)
The snowy battlefield around Stalingrad will be believable. (Jason)
Will start with "Operation Uranus" (Soviet counterattack) and will finish with liberation of Stalingrad. (LOFT)
Some terrain detail/visual improvements planned (from RoF point of view). (LOFT)
Map length from west to east is 360 km (Tatsinskaya - Stupino / Kapustin Yar). (LOFT)
Map height from north to south is 230 km (Kletskaya - Kotelnikovo). (LOFT)
Projected map area. (by Rodolphe)



Multiplayer

Will have dedicated server support. (Jason, LOFT)
No official servers (only player/third-party hosted). (LOFT)
Not a MMO, don't expect hundreds of players per server. (Jason)
Multi-crew aircraft with full multiplayer support. (LOFT)



Other

There will be developer diaries on Fridays (not every Friday). (Jason)
BoS content will not merge with (or install over) Cliffs of Dover as stated before by former Maddox team. (Jason)
Some of the models and textures might be re-used from CloD. (LOFT)
RoF development will continue. All promised content is on track, 2013 roadmap is still unknown (Jason).
RoF (engine) might benefit from the work done on Battle of Stalingrad. (Jason)
The new Channel Map for RoF will not be available in BoS. (Jason)
The team inherited from 1C all materials, documents and studies for the Battle of Stalingrad and the Eastern Front. (BlackSix)