Combat Pilot - Alpha Update #1 Released for all Ace Tier Patreon Subscribers!

Dear Patreon Ace Tier Subscribers,

We are very happy to announce that we have released Update #1 for our Patreon Ace Tier subscribers. It is now AVAILABLE for download on your Steam accounts. Just update as you would any other game. If you are interested in trying it and becoming an Ace Tier member today might be a great time to join up! We’d love to have you try it and give us feedback.

https://patreon.com/combatpilot

This updates the previous Pre-Alpha to Alpha status. We consider this our new starting point for which all future builds will be added and referenced. This is version 0.503.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have previously cancelled your Ace Tier subscription, we have decided to extend *Update #1* to you and grant you Ace Tier access for the next 30 days. If you do not re-activate your Ace Tier subscription in 30 days your access will be closed. If this applies to you, there is nothing special you need to do, just update your Steam install to play. If you want to re-activate or upgrade to Ace Tier just do so on Patreon. If you have remained an Ace Tier member this entire time and continue to do so, you are a very special group and will be rewarded.

The actual list of improvements, fixes, changes, and iterations is too long to list in an official changelog. There are literally hundreds of them. We will create proper changelogs moving forward. But let me give you a rundown of what’s now included in the Alpha. Please remember, this is not a completed title and only contains features and content aimed for our Carrier Qualification release next year.

Main Features:

- Entropy FM Physics Engine (this is the biggest component of the update)

- F4F-4 aircraft as flyable

- A6M2 Model 21 aircraft as flyable

- USS Enterprise aircraft carrier where you can land and takeoff

- IJN Akagi aircraft carrier where you can land and takeoff

- Midway Atoll with Sand and Eastern Islands (Work in Progress, especially the vegetation)

- New Ocean (Work in Progress)

- Sky-dome and nighttime Celestial Map

- User Interface with support for Themes (Work in Progress)

- Quick Mission Screen (Work in Progress)

- Controller Assignments Screen (Work in Progress) (Not all planned functions work yet)

- Options Screen (Work in Progress)

- HOTAS support and Joystick Curves

- TrackIR support

- VR Support (Work in Progress) (Not optimized for performance)

- Virtual Instruments (Textual Data with Temporary Artificial Horizon)

Important Notes:

- Lighting is a work in progress and we are still experimenting with different solutions. You may experience strange artifacts, or other anomalies.

- The visual settings have been checked for HIGH/ULTRA. Settings below that have not been configured properly yet, which means that lighting will be off.

- Flying in pitch black (night) conditions will yield a lighting phenomenon where the cockpit looks brighter than external view.

- A6M2 cockpit and external textures are not final and are a work in progress.

- F4F-4 external textures are not final and is a work in progress. The cockpit is much further along in the texturing process.

- Ships do not have their final arresting wires or arresting gear installed. Both are missing some wires and barriers. Only two wires on Enterprise and five on the Akagi.

- Aircraft always collide with the landing wheels, even if the landing gear is visually retracted.

- Internal and external Cameras are not final several are missing corresponding keystrokes.

- G-force meter is buggy. A fix did not make it into the update. Blackouts and redouts do not work as well as they should

- No pilot models yet.

- No deck crew yet.

- No damage model yet.

- Cockpit does not have working instruments yet.

You may find other issues or bugs and you are free to report them either here in the Patreon area of the Discord or on our Forum. Just please remember that still a very heavy WIP.

Thank you to all our dedicated Patreon subscribers who have supported us since the beginning and stood at our side as we laid the foundation for Combat Pilot! A big salute to you all.

Enjoy and have fun!

The Combat Pilot Team