Last week, Gaijin Entertainment showed off a first look at the next major update in its hit free-to-play vehicular combat multiplayer game, War Thunder. The Firebirds update is set to introduce several new gameplay features and improvements, many of which we learned even more about today via an official Steam post.
In the blog update, the developers gave a glimpse at War Thunder Firebirds’ improved test flights, cockpit model updates, air combat graphical effects, and RWR indication, and new screens.
The new test flights coming in Firebirds will allow you to customize your terrain, letting you pick from Western Europe, Eastern Europe Winter, Desert, Mountains, Jungle or Middle East Mediterranean. The spawn point can also be customized.
Planes can load in either at the airport or between loading in at the airport or anywhere 500 m to 7 km in the air for planes. Helicopters can spawn at the airport or up to 2km in the air. If you’re really looking for a challenge, you can also spawn in at an enemy air defense zone. Lastly, naval-based planes will be able to spawn on aircraft carriers.
You can expect the following airport and surrounding landscape features in War Thunder Firebirds as well:
- New airfield buildings
- Skid marks
- Airstrip light indicators
- Diverse test flight targets
- Static & moving ground vehicles, from trucks to tanks
- Enemies aircraft at different altitudes
- Bases to bomb
- Ship variation
- Active air defense systems
Original test flight settings will also still be available in the update, allowing you to customize your game mode, weather, and time of day, among other things. Several cockpits are getting updates, including the entire line of the Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber and its cannon variants, the Soviet Su-2 attackers, the BB-1 for planes, and the US and Chinese OH-58D and Italian Agusta A for helicopters. 109EOA-2 cockpit models have also been updated.
The other change coming to cockpits can be seen via updates to the screens and RWR indication warning system. Jet aircraft and helicopters will now display these threat markers in the cockpits exactly as these systems would work in reality on specific models of aircraft.
First-person players will notice the following additions:
- Radar screen and RWS screen is being added to the JAS39A Gripen.
- Multi-functional display (MFD) for the Platan optical-electronic system in the Su-34 cockpit.
- Authentic digital indicators for multi-functional displays and a HUD for the F-15E.
Last but not least, War Thunder Firebirds takes graphical effects to a whole new level for the series. Afterburner flame effects and rocket boosters have been added for jet aircraft, while the brand-new LERX Vapor can be seen causing a bunch of different effects to an aircraft’s wings depending on if they are gaining altitude or sliding on surfaces like concrete, snow, or sand.
This is just a small example of some of the practical changes coming in War Thunder Firebirds. Be sure to check back to Simulation Daily for more updates on the game as they come out.
