Blessed are the map makers. lol
I believe that the new maps and plane slots will inject new life into this sim.
We might as a budding community want to come up with a uniform patching and release
method for online play. Maybe new versions of the game.
4.10 = BoB online, BoB Channel, Malta, Spitfire Mk1 and so on.
This would also leave the anti mod crowd behind @ 4.09 final.
Just an idea
I think 4.10 (or 5.0) is a good idea, myself.
At a certain point, it would be best ---for compatibility reasons with future mods---to codify a version.
Take FC's work with ships, for example. It uses a couple files ALSO used by fabianfred's mod. Those would ideally be combined. There can certainly be room for customization for personal taste, but mods that use the same files simply need to be combined into "supermods." That doesn't mean the ommunity cannot openly create more, even use them with hand edits to static.ini or whatever, but at a certain point things need to be stabilized.
Take my plantation tile mod. It only needs tweaking, it's done, basically. But I really cannot use it on a map right now for compatibility reasons. When some mods like this share files, the only way to have compatibility starts to be multiple releases. You have to make a vanilla version, one that works with the ffb mods, and one that works with the ship pack. Maybe another that works withthe ship pack AND ffb's mods. Then you update your mod... now you need 4 more releases of it, etc. If FC updates the ship pack, does he just blow off compatibility with other popular mods and force them to release updates, etc, etc.
At a certain point, some larger mod packs make a world of sense, IMHO.
I do not think modders should get involved in releasing a numbered update to IL2.
Maddox Games have supported the series with free and paid addons and for an outside entity to issue a numbered version update is out of line and will create ill will.
Whatever any outside entity adds to the final 4.09 it will still only be 4.09.
If AAA decides to bundle new planes, maps and certain upgrades for our convenience, fine, just call it the AAA adon to 4.09.