This early access game was brought up in the holiday thread, but thought would be nice to separate for discussion. It really is making me interested, but the price is a little steep t make me immediately jump in. Would love to hear continued impressions from folks that have it which my entice me in jumping in now:)
Here is what I know about it so far.
- $94 to get early access for premium edition (only version available right now)
- With the early access, it seems you really only get 2 extra planes, plus early access to the game now...didn't see much else in goodies
- The required servers to access are only available during specific time periods - therefore, you might not be able to play at certain times
- Only single player content is currently available
- Currently requires you to login to their servers to play...believe there will eventually be an offline mode
So with that said, would love to hear from people who have the game as it gets developed and whether it is worth the $94 right now.....with a birthday coming up, maybe a nice present to myself:)
I've got it. Is it worth $94 right now? Not a chance. It's still pre-alpha so what it offers is currently very limited. You can fly either the Bf-109 F-4 or the LaGG-3 Ser 29 through a handful of canned missions such as "takeoff practice", "takeoff and landing in a crosswind", "dogfight", "ground attack", etc. Some features haven't been implemented yet. Some are only partially implemented with "placeholder" code or graphics.
Having said that, I'm quite happy to have bought in. Even in its current state, the flight models are great. And it's good to be able to give the developers feedback and actually see them implement your suggestions with each new iteration.
If you're a huge flight sim fan and you can afford it, I'd say get it. It's already far more polished than CLoD ever was. If you're looking for a complete game, I'd say wait or go get a DCS title, Rise of Flight, or even War Thunder. Any of those will give you a lot more depth right now.
I don't know exactly how this game will end up. I can already see elements of Rise of Flight in it. Very nice flight models and lots of cool environmental touches like lighting, tracers, explosions, exhaust flames, and just general ambiance. However, like Rise of Flight, it feels a little sterile at the moment. I don't know what they're planning as far as single player goes but if that's going to be your main focus, you might want to hold off to see if they make the SP experience a little more robust and immersive than it is in Rise of Flight.
Will it be worth $94 in the future? I hope so. You're paying for the potential of a great sim at this point. Whether that potential turns into a reality remains to be seen.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and strafe some StuGs with my 37mm.
Thanks SDR...in the end I will be in it for the single player side of the game. I did see some screenshots and it certainly did look like ROF, not necessarily a bad thing. Just need to ensure they have a good campaign system and some good missions. I love the idea of flight sims and recently bought WOFF, just not an expert in them so takes me time to figure things out. I do like the idea of being part of the development, have been in many early access programs, but they have been far cheaper:)
Please please take into account CLoD.
I was in exactly the same boat with CLoD...though not early release. I bought it on release given the company's stock (IL Sturmovick and IL2) and it was a HUGE let down. If you buy into this early, you may completely find yourself as I did on release of IL2-CloD - totally and utterly let down...and my disappointment didn't end on release either. Same for World in Flames...there are lots of problems with the game.
Do yourself a total favour and wait until it's released and been around the block. I'm saying this as an impulse buyer...I pretty much want a game out the block if it's a genre I'm interested in. But I am slowly coming round to the fact that I can wait a couple of months and buy in when it's right.
You know and I know for an absolute fact that this game (and pretty much every other game released for PC) is not going to be bug free...so at the very LEAST these companies should be offering early BETA access cheap as chips...but they're not...because they know people will buy in. The game will be reduced at some time after release and ALL the BETA testing will be done. Do yourself a favour and steer clear for a few months.
You totally know that you are paying not only full price but likely over the odds to beta test a game. Don't do it.
This company has a track record of releasing bollox which turns out brilliant. So wait until it turns out brilliant. Even if you pay $94 for it then, at least it's a working product.
I saved myself over £130 by forcing myself not to buy World in Flames - which appears to be a multiplayer no-go mess and a pretty bug ridden solitaire game.
Regardless of my thoughts of the developers - you KNOW it makes sense to wait. There is TOTALLY nor reason to buy into it early and EVERY reason to wait.
You have plenty of games Grim - don't throw your money at something that's not ready (and might not even be on release!)
Just my advice buddy - and for the record, in case you didn't get it, I don't have it yet and won't do until considerably after release if at all.
Thanks Judge, always value your feedback since we appear to be so alike:)
Couple questions though....isn't this supposed to be a complete rewrite and not just a bolt on to CLOD? Isn't the team involved even different? Not saying it won't end up being bad, but just thought this was kind of a complete do over.
Trust me, I won't be throwing my money immediately at it, unless I can get comfortable with it. My main goal would be to get early access to learn how to play it and well, get it early:) But your right, I am sure there will be enough bumps along the way.
Like you said, maybe better to focus on what I have right now:)
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on December 28, 2013, 07:09:29 PM
If you're a huge flight sim fan and you can afford it, I'd say get it. It's already far more polished than CLoD ever was. If you're looking for a complete game, I'd say wait or go get a DCS title, Rise of Flight, or even War Thunder. Any of those will give you a lot more depth right now.
I know you have legitimate complaints about CLoD's shortcomings, SDR, but I just don't see how the Alpha of BoS can possibly be more polished than CLoD in its current state -- which is to say, CLoD updated with the TeamFusion patches.
I fully expect to buy BoS down the line, maybe in Beta if it's offered. But it's clear that BoS is simplifying aspects of flight and combat that are more thoroughly modeled in CLoD. The BoS damage model is more simplistic. BoS won't offer clickable cockpit controls the way CLoD does -- I wouldn't say that makes BoS more simplistic, but it does take away some immersion, particularly if you play CLoD with the "anthropomorphic limits" option.
BoS seems like it is shaping up in very promising fashion. I just think CLoD deserves another look. Especially if you play multiplayer, it's a great sim -- far better than anything War Thunder can offer, for example.
Sandman,
Not to completely go off-topic, but can you tell me what TeamFusion has to offer that makes CLOD a better game now? I have heard some speak of it, but haven't really looked into it yet.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on December 28, 2013, 07:09:29 PM
However, like Rise of Flight, it feels a little sterile at the moment. I don't know what they're planning as far as single player goes but if that's going to be your main focus, you might want to hold off to see if they make the SP experience a little more robust and immersive than it is in Rise of Flight.
^ This is pretty much why I have not bought into this game yet.
While I have faith that it's going to be a fine game at some point- Rise of Flight is certainly an excellent sim- the lack of a meaningful single player experience has caused me to more or less shelve RoF. Nothing I have seen has indicated BoS is going to have a more robust SP experience than RoF.
I absolutely hope I'm wrong, and if I am then this will be a definite buy. However, I'm willing to wait and see at this point.
I contrast this with DayZ, for example, where the mod was most excellent and I have every confidence the stand alone version will be at least as good if not better. So in the case of DayZ I'm perfectly content to spend now to have a chance to be part of the game's development, knowing that in the end I'm going to be satisfied with my purchase.
If you're a big fan of RoF, BoS is probably (probably) a safe bet. If you feel lukewarm about RoF like me, wait and see is likely a safer path for now.
Quote from: sandman2575 on December 28, 2013, 07:24:51 PM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on December 28, 2013, 07:09:29 PM
If you're a huge flight sim fan and you can afford it, I'd say get it. It's already far more polished than CLoD ever was. If you're looking for a complete game, I'd say wait or go get a DCS title, Rise of Flight, or even War Thunder. Any of those will give you a lot more depth right now.
I know you have legitimate complaints about CLoD's shortcomings, SDR, but I just don't see how the Alpha of BoS can possibly be more polished than CLoD in its current state -- which is to say, CLoD updated with the TeamFusion patches.
I fully expect to buy BoS down the line, maybe in Beta if it's offered. But it's clear that BoS is simplifying aspects of flight and combat that are more thoroughly modeled in CLoD. The BoS damage model is more simplistic. BoS won't offer clickable cockpit controls the way CLoD does -- I wouldn't say that makes BoS more simplistic, but it does take away some immersion, particularly if you play CLoD with the "anthropomorphic limits" option.
I have CLoD on the HD still and have the TF 4.0 mod installed. Some aspects are great, so as a sim it's got some excellent features. As a Battle of Britain experience, it's a letdown. Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory is still miles better than CLoD. Add in the fact that the CLoD front end interface is an unintuitive mess and is missing way too many features, quite a few of which I personally consider to be essential, and it's just not worth the headache for me.
As for clickable cockpits, that's something we differ on. As I outlined in a different thread, I don't really care for clickable cockpits. I find mapping things to the HOTAS much more immersive. Different strokes.
As for the damage model, CLoD's is amazingly detailed and I suspect that you are correct in believing that BoS's will be more simplistic. I'm OK with that myself. In CLoD, I found it pretty rare that I'd take heavy damage yet still live long enough to worry it. So for me, it doesn't really matter if the game tells me that I've suffered a cut fuel line and spar damage as opposed to a blown carburetor and a bent aileron. The end result is that I'm still going to spin in and die, even if the bugger who shot up my engine in the first place doesn't loop back around to finish me off.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 28, 2013, 07:23:16 PM
Thanks Judge, always value your feedback since we appear to be so alike:)
Couple questions though....isn't this supposed to be a complete rewrite and not just a bolt on to CLOD? Isn't the team involved even different? Not saying it won't end up being bad, but just thought this was kind of a complete do over.
Trust me, I won't be throwing my money immediately at it, unless I can get comfortable with it. My main goal would be to get early access to learn how to play it and well, get it early:) But your right, I am sure there will be enough bumps along the way.
II
Like you said, maybe better to focus on what I have right now:)
well thx the Grim
I'm not opposed to early access...not at all. I just think these companies ought to get the message that we're not willing to pay full price for it. If we're expected to test a product, the least they can do is offer it to us cheaper.
I bought ArmA III cheap as it was ALPHA. Turns out the game was good in ALPHA and fantastic when the single player campaign was released.
The same was NOT true for CLoD...even months after and in fact the game was dropped and left to modders so they could move onto the very game you speak of.
I have absolutely no faith in any game prefixed with IL2 except that it will
eventually be good...maybe even great
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 28, 2013, 07:28:49 PM
Sandman,
Not to completely go off-topic, but can you tell me what TeamFusion has to offer that makes CLOD a better game now? I have heard some speak of it, but haven't really looked into it yet.
Hey Grim -- I think the short answer is, TeamFusion did as modders what 1C should have done as developers -- they've turned CLoD into a fully realized game. Not a perfect game, of course, but one that certainly lives up to expectations of what people thought Cliffs of Dover would be -- a great ww2 flight sim.
Here's some propaganda about the most recent patch ;) -- lots of emphasis on graphics enhancements, but the TF team has done a huge amount if work improving flight modeling and other important stuff 'under the hood'.
http://vimeo.com/77082835 (http://vimeo.com/77082835)
All this is just to say, if you're looking forward to Battle of Stalingrad, as I am, you might want to give CLoD another chance, esp as you can pick it up relatively cheap nowadays.
wow. great video.....I did pick up the game awhile ago for a few bucks so will have to look at finding this mod to download and try. thanks
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 28, 2013, 08:13:26 PM
wow. great video.....I did pick up the game awhile ago for a few bucks so will have to look at finding this mod to download and try. thanks
If you have CLoD sitting around and have not tried it with the TF mod, my advice would be to load that up before you blow a 100 dollar wad on BoS.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on December 28, 2013, 08:48:41 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 28, 2013, 08:13:26 PM
wow. great video.....I did pick up the game awhile ago for a few bucks so will have to look at finding this mod to download and try. thanks
If you have CLoD sitting around and have not tried it with the TF mod, my advice would be to load that up before you blow a 100 dollar wad on BoS.
Yep, good advice and downloading all the patches now.....will give it a shot first.
Great vid.
I thought CLoD looked great out the bag...but that takes it to another level!
I fully agree with trying out CLoD again if you have not done so after the Team Fusion patches have been released.
It's a gorgeous looking, realistic feeling and great performing sim nowadays which certainly deserves the look of any (WW2) flight sim enthousiast!
The multiplayer community seems to have become more active now too and word seems to spread that the sim is pretty good now and more people are starting to take another look.
BoS is a promising project, but it has a serious contender in DCS WW2. Especially since many of the old Maddox crew is over there now.
BoS is co developed by the guys from Rise of Flight so that certainly gives them a pretty good rep too. Its interesting to follow both projects, but no way I am going to pay just under 100 dollars to get on board, no matter the combat flight sim enthousiast that I am.
DCS A-10C, Falcon BMS and CLoD keep me more than satisfied at the moment.
Quote from: Yskonyn on December 29, 2013, 03:22:58 AM
I fully agree with trying out CLoD again if you have not done so after the Team Fusion patches have been released.
It's a gorgeous looking, realistic feeling and great performing sim nowadays which certainly deserves the look of any (WW2) flight sim enthousiast!
The multiplayer community seems to have become more active now too and word seems to spread that the sim is pretty good now and more people are starting to take another look.
BoS is a promising project, but it has a serious contender in DCS WW2. Especially since many of the old Maddox crew is over there now.
BoS is co developed by the guys from Rise of Flight so that certainly gives them a pretty good rep too. Its interesting to follow both projects, but no way I am going to pay just under 100 dollars to get on board, no matter the combat flight sim enthousiast that I am.
DCS A-10C, Falcon BMS and CLoD keep me more than satisfied at the moment.
Will DCS WW2 have a campaign and be in a realistic setting?
Quote from: JudgeDredd on December 29, 2013, 02:37:45 AM
Great vid.
I thought CLoD looked great out the bag...but that takes it to another level!
It does look nice....you have to install patch 3 and 3.1, before you can install the new 4.0 patch. Last night I got the 3. and 3.1 patch loaded and hopefully will get the 4.0 patch loaded today.
Within the game, I know you can remap the controls to the joystick, but I didn't see a spot where you could calibrate the joystick (i.e. sensitivity, deadzone, etc.), is there a place within the game to do that? Other games seem to always have those options somewhere. With a few of my flights yesterday, things seemed very jumpy.
I'll add my tuppence as someone has plopped down sixty quid for this. I did it in the full knowledge that I was not buying a game in the first instance, so I'm not disappointed that there's nothing really to do yet.
The CloD comparison is not really valid at the moment as that was released as a finished game, and, in my experience, did not actually work properly, let alone deliver a gaming /sim experience. BoS at pre-Alpha does actually allow me to fly around and enjoy the (IMO) lovely visual effects.
Anyone looking to jump into to a fullly-formed WW2 game should get CloD: TF have fixed a lot of it and it is dirt cheap.
The naming protocol of the IL2 games is also causing some confusion it would seem. IL2 BoS is based on the RoF engine which is a different piece of software to that used by IL2:CloD and is being developed by a combination of 777 and 1C, not just 1C( the people who did CloD - the prime movers of which are now doing DCS WW2). It therefore has none of the issues that IL2:CloD had/has in terms of system requirements and so on. It will have its own issues, as RoF does, but that's another story. If you want to find out what they are (whether BoS will suit you and your system) you can D/L RoF for free and try it out.
RoF took some ironing out (and that was done by 777) but now that engine works pretty well, so by extension BoS works almost out of the box in terms of graphics.
Those want to play flightsims will have to expect that they're going to cost a lot of money. A hundred bucks seems steep, but that gets you 8 planes eventually (I think). In comparison DCS Mustang is about $25 now on Steam, so their planes are twice as much. WT is FTP but people spend hundreds of dollars to keep up with the opposition rather than grind.
Go into "Controls Options", click the "Axes" tab, and then highlight the controller axis you would like to adjust. You should see some sliders at the bottom of the page for sensitivity and top and bottom end dead zones. (I think, I'm going from memory as I'm stuck at work still.)
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on December 29, 2013, 08:08:40 AM
Go into "Controls Options", click the "Axes" tab, and then highlight the controller axis you would like to adjust. You should see some sliders at the bottom of the page for sensitivity and top and bottom end dead zones. (I think, I'm going from memory as I'm stuck at work still.)
Thank you, I will take a look.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 29, 2013, 07:19:23 AM
Quote from: Yskonyn on December 29, 2013, 03:22:58 AM
I fully agree with trying out CLoD again if you have not done so after the Team Fusion patches have been released.
It's a gorgeous looking, realistic feeling and great performing sim nowadays which certainly deserves the look of any (WW2) flight sim enthousiast!
The multiplayer community seems to have become more active now too and word seems to spread that the sim is pretty good now and more people are starting to take another look.
BoS is a promising project, but it has a serious contender in DCS WW2. Especially since many of the old Maddox crew is over there now.
BoS is co developed by the guys from Rise of Flight so that certainly gives them a pretty good rep too. Its interesting to follow both projects, but no way I am going to pay just under 100 dollars to get on board, no matter the combat flight sim enthousiast that I am.
DCS A-10C, Falcon BMS and CLoD keep me more than satisfied at the moment.
Will DCS WW2 have a campaign and be in a realistic setting?
Yes and yes, but to what extent we do not know yet.
But as it will be a DCS brandend title it will mean they will aim for a realistic sim. Not an arcade one. Though you can scale it to be more arcade if you want, in the options.
The DCS crew have been talking about a Dynamic Campaign system. Wether they mean a 3rd party one or one that is being developed in house is not known. Even less if this is a system for all products or just for DCS World or even only for DCS WW2.
It's speculation at this point, but I can give you a safe bet on it including the more traditional form of linked missions forming a campaign,just like their other products.
Thing is: if you regard the Oleg Maddox crew as the hotshots in the sim scène then perhaps you need to keep a look at DCS:WW2 and not get confused about IL2 Stalingrad's name.
Most of the old IL2 crew is not working on that title.
Quote from: Yskonyn on December 29, 2013, 08:19:35 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 29, 2013, 07:19:23 AM
Quote from: Yskonyn on December 29, 2013, 03:22:58 AM
I fully agree with trying out CLoD again if you have not done so after the Team Fusion patches have been released.
It's a gorgeous looking, realistic feeling and great performing sim nowadays which certainly deserves the look of any (WW2) flight sim enthousiast!
The multiplayer community seems to have become more active now too and word seems to spread that the sim is pretty good now and more people are starting to take another look.
BoS is a promising project, but it has a serious contender in DCS WW2. Especially since many of the old Maddox crew is over there now.
BoS is co developed by the guys from Rise of Flight so that certainly gives them a pretty good rep too. Its interesting to follow both projects, but no way I am going to pay just under 100 dollars to get on board, no matter the combat flight sim enthousiast that I am.
DCS A-10C, Falcon BMS and CLoD keep me more than satisfied at the moment.
Will DCS WW2 have a campaign and be in a realistic setting?
Yes and yes, but to what extent we do not know yet.
But as it will be a DCS brandend title it will mean they will aim for a realistic sim. Not an arcade one. Though you can scale it to be more arcade if you want, in the options.
The DCS crew have been talking about a Dynamic Campaign system. Wether they mean a 3rd party one or one that is being developed in house is not known. Even less if this is a system for all products or just for DCS World or even only for DCS WW2.
It's speculation at this point, but I can give you a safe bet on it including the more traditional form of linked missions forming a campaign,just like their other products.
Thing is: if you regard the Oleg Maddox crew as the hotshots in the sim scène then perhaps you need to keep a look at DCS:WW2 and not get confused about IL2 Stalingrad's name.
Most of the old IL2 crew is not working on that title.
I am actually not a flight sim expert and have no loyalties to any given team:) I just want the best flight experience, which for me means the following:
- I like it to be realistic in the sense the aircraft can't do super things or things they would never do in real life, BUT I want to be able to use simplistic controls. I don't want to trim, blip, mix fuel, etc. I want to have a wide range of options to make it easier or harder for me based on my mood that day:)
- A good campaign, prefer dynamic but I know that is not likely in most games today.
- There is nothing like shooting down other planes or hitting ground targets and getting that awesome feeling when you do it.....BUT in most flight sim games today, I have a hard time doing that. Need to make sure the game provides options (i.e. ai difficulty settings) where newbies like myself can share in that joyful feeling. Too many times nowadays I mostly fly around without being able to hit a darn thing. I know, its me, but still I want to have fun too:)
- An immersive feeling.....Wings Over Flanders Fields is my best measure of what I mean with this...just gives a feeling of "being part of something"
- A good base of aircraft included with the game.....I realize it seems these flight sims are moving to a DLC model where you only get a handful with the game and then everything is a purchase, but for me that is a little bit of a turn off. I would rather pay a little higher price at the start to get everything versus pay $5-$10 for every future plan I might want and for eye-candy. Don't think I will be in luck with this, since even WOFF is going down the add-on route.
- Doesn't have to have the latest and greatest graphics, just functional. Prefer older graphics if it provides a smoother experience.
When I bought WOFF, I also had to buy Combat Flight Simulator 3.....I did not install that.....but thinking maybe I will to see what kind of fun it might offer....does anyone have experience with CFS3 and is it worth even trying to play? I know the graphics will be outdated, but that is my least concern.
Here's a blurb from the IL2: Battle of Stalingrad forums:
Abbreviations
•BoS - Battle of Stalingrad
•CloD - Cliffs of Dover
•RoF - Rise of Flight
BATTLE OF STALINGRADPeople and Team
•Jason Williams is the head, Albert Zhiltcov (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.
•777 as a brand and entity is not disbanded and will continue to be used (for RoF).
•Current team is a few dozen people give or take contractors.
•Luthier (Ilya Shevchenko) is not part of the project.
•BlackSix is part of the new team.
•1C is a "partner" (publisher?).
•Ubisoft is not involved.
Business and Plan
•Initial client release is slated for early 2014.
•Business model will have some similar aspects with RoF, but it will not be identical.
•Business model will be a hybrid between RoF and the old IL-2 [1946].
•Free-to-play client (as with RoF) will not be available.
•Free demo is planned.
•New content added over time after initial launch (paid).
•New theaters and planes are planned for the future if everything goes to plan.
•Private project, no government/state is involved with financing.
General
•Not a CloD clone sequel, a brand new game.
•Not an arcade game, a simulator.
•Only the critical systems will be modeled: propeller pitch, boost, altitude control, different mechanization, weapons etc.
•Not a study/training sim (think FSX, DCS), but a combat simulator.
•Would like to return to the original IL-2 [1946] idea.
•Will include both multi-player and single-player gameplay options.
•For SP: QMB, User Missions and a Historical Campaign.
•No clickable cockpits planned.
•Cockpit switches and toggles will be animated.
•Cockpit details will not be modeled to CloD level.
•Engines will operate in a realistic manner as they do in RoF.
•AI will be updated for the WW2 combat.
•AI will fly with the same flight model as the player (no simplifications).
•AI will be able to make decisions when to return to base (due to damage/fuel/ammo/etc).
•Multiple AI difficulty levels (novice, ace, etc).
•No pilot body in cockpit view (possible feature for the future/after release).
•Will have an achievement/award system.
•Aircraft "weathering" option/slider (as in CloD) will not be available.
•Realistic sound travel time (sound waves will be simulated).
•Will be able to open (and eject) the canopy (with impact on aerodynamics)
•Machine gun synchronizers will be accurately modeled (as in RoF).
•Wake turbulence will be modeled.
•Compressibility of air will be modelled.
•Aircraft skins according to selected regiment (but will be able to unlock additional ones by playing Historical Campaign).
Aircraft
•Ten aircraft planned for launch:
•LaGG-3 (series 29, VK105PF engine)
•Bf 109 F-4
•Yak-1 (M-105PF engine)
•Bf 109 G-2
•IL-2 (1942 year model, single-seat, AM-38 engine, VYa-23 cannons)
•Ju 87 D-3
•Pe-2 (series 87 and 110)
•He 111 H-6
•La-5 (with premium pre-order or separate purchase)
•Fw-190 A-3 (with premium pre-order or separate purchase)
•Flight model will be much more accurate and harder (compared to CloD).
•3D models will be more accurate than RoF or CloD (poly count wise).
•Aircraft will not be balanced (for "game" reasons) and built/modeled as they were.
Field Modifications
•Will have un-lockable (and free) field modifications (5 for each aircraft).
•Field modifications will be realistically modeled (with advantages and disadvantages).
•Examples: two-seater IL-2, drop tanks, under-wing gun pods, different bombs, rockets or even removing head armor plate for improved visibility.
Damage Model
•Damage model has (already) been improved (from RoF point of view).
•Will have a cockpit damage model.
•Exploding wing ammunition magazines are part of the damage model.
•Will be able to damage other aircraft with your propeller alone.
•Falling parts (from other aircraft) can damage your aircraft.
•Bomb blasts can damage nearby aircraft.
Radio, Communication and Navigation
•You will be able to issue radio commands to AI (by hearing your own duplicated radio command voice and AI response).
•Ground forces will communicate with you over the radio.
•Airfield services also become more sociable (compared to IL-2 [1946]).
•Different radio frequencies (will be able to listed to enemy radio under certain conditions).
•Airfield maintenance and supply service and ground units will use flares.
•Radio navigation (beacons/AM stations) not planned for initial release.
•No built-in VOIP (voice chat).
•Navigational lights will be modeled.
Ground Interaction
•Infantry will not be modeled.
•Will not be able to leave the plane and control the pilot.
•Ground search lights and aircraft landing lights will be implemented.
•Refuel, repair and ammo replenishment at airfields will not be available at launch (planned for the future).
•More than 30 ground vehicles.
•More than 500 static objects.
Map
•The map will be geographically accurate.
•The snowy battlefield around Stalingrad will be believable.
•Some terrain detail/visual improvements planned (from RoF point of view).
•Map length from west to east is 360 km (Tatsinskaya - Stupino / Kapustin Yar).
•Map height from north to south is 230 km (Kletskaya - Kotelnikovo).
•Projected map area.
•Other small MP online maps are planned for release (as with lake map in RoF).
•Dynamic day/night cycle.
•All major historical airfields will be present.
Historical Campaign (Single-player)
•Historical single-player campaign will require internet connection.
•Covering the time period of the Battle of Stalingrad.
•Will start with "Operation Uranus" (Soviet counterattack) and will finish with liberation of Stalingrad.
•Campaign will be split in 5 main phases of the Battle of Stalingrad.
•Phases are unique in regards of disposition of troops, defensive lines, weather conditions, aircraft in theater and squadrons taking part in the action.
•New campaign phases will be unlocked by completing mission objectives.
•Missions will be generated on the server for the selected campaign phase.
•Will be able to change sides before every mission.
•Will have to choose (or change) regiment when joining a new campaign phase.
•Every regiment has a home base and specific aircraft in service.
•Fighter, ground attack or bomber mission types (depending on your aircraft).
•Mission types will differ with each campaign phase (e.g. more Luftwaffe supply missions during the aerial bridge period).
•Weather is taken into account for each campaign phase.
•Will have an optional "quick" mission option (skipping take-offs/landings).
User Missions & Quick Battles (Single-player)
•Will not require internet connection and will not affect global statistics.
•Quick battles are created with QMB (quick mission builder).
•Similar quick battle options as in RoF.
•User missions are created with FMB (full mission builder/editor).
•Both these modes allow players to use user-made aircraft skins.
Multi-player
•Will have dedicated server support (Windows only).
•No official servers (only player/third-party hosted).
•Up to 100 players per server.
•Multi-crew aircraft with full multiplayer support.
•Capture-the-flag (CTF, as in RoF) online game mode will not be available in BoS.
•Realism settings will be server-side and forced on players by the host.
•Two server types based on whether global statistics are enabled or not.
•Servers with global statistics disabled will have unlocked/unrestricted skins.
Technical
•Will use Digital Nature (Rise of Flight) engine.
•Engine will be DirectX 9 based on launch.
•If this product is a success - DirectX 11 support in the future.
•Windows 8 will be supported.
•Work will be done to make the engine ready for WWII aircraft.
•TrackIR will be supported.
•Oculus Rift support is confirmed.
•FreeTrack will be supported.
•Steam version is unlikely.
•Multi-core support will be the same as in RoF (best with 4-core CPU).
•External physical instrument support (as IL-2 DeviceLink) will not be available at launch.
•Multi-monitor setups will be supported.
•Force-feedback will be supported (and "better than previous games").
•Stereoscopic 3D support is confirmed.
•SLI/CrossFire will be supported.
•Will not use GPGPU (not applicable and no server-side option).
•The terrain will be bump-mapped.
•Will have dynamic cockpit shadows.
•The sound will be designed for stereo (but will work fine with multi-channel output).
•Visibility range is 40km.
Mods, Skins and Editor
•Mission Editor will be similar to RoF.
•No third-party planes or API planned.
•Other types of mods will be supported (as with "mods on" in RoF).
•Official Skin Packs will be used (as in RoF).
•User skinning will be supported with provided templates.
•Map Editor as a tool will not be available (however theoretically it will be possible to create new maps without an editor).
Other
•BoS content will not merge with (or install over) Cliffs of Dover as stated before by former Maddox team.
•Some of the models and textures might be re-used from CloD.
•RoF (engine) might benefit from the work done on Battle of Stalingrad.
•The Channel Map for RoF will not be available in BoS.
•The team inherited from 1C all materials, documents and studies for the Battle of Stalingrad and the Eastern Front.
Thanks for posting SDR, couple of initial observations
- Flight model will be much more accurate and harder (compared to CloD).
Ouch, just what I need something even harder to control:) Hopefully, the different settings will allow for it to be easier for those that need it.
- Historical single-player campaign will require internet connection.
Very surprised about this one.....since they ended up making offline an option for ROF (except when you needed to upload stats)...wonder what their thinking here in taking things backwards.
Quote from: sandman2575 on December 28, 2013, 08:02:26 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 28, 2013, 07:28:49 PM
Sandman,
Not to completely go off-topic, but can you tell me what TeamFusion has to offer that makes CLOD a better game now? I have heard some speak of it, but haven't really looked into it yet.
Hey Grim -- I think the short answer is, TeamFusion did as modders what 1C should have done as developers -- they've turned CLoD into a fully realized game. Not a perfect game, of course, but one that certainly lives up to expectations of what people thought Cliffs of Dover would be -- a great ww2 flight sim.
Here's some propaganda about the most recent patch ;) -- lots of emphasis on graphics enhancements, but the TF team has done a huge amount if work improving flight modeling and other important stuff 'under the hood'.
http://vimeo.com/77082835 (http://vimeo.com/77082835)
All this is just to say, if you're looking forward to Battle of Stalingrad, as I am, you might want to give CLoD another chance, esp as you can pick it up relatively cheap nowadays.
I agree. What I'm doing is playing CLOD and ROF until BOS comes out. This is based partly on the principle that by the time a sim comes out with a good Malta campaign, I've already (sadly) moved on to something else.
AND some scary flight models of those Russian planes should be pretty interesting.
Yeah, I've been playing pretty much nothing but CLoD and RoF of late. Sometimes hard to pick which to play, actually -- I really love what both these games have to offer.
I picked up DCS P-51 on the Steam sale, along with A-10C, both for ridiculously cheap during a 'Flash Sale', $14 a pop ;D. Haven't even had a chance to install them yet -- just too much flight sim goodness right now. Can't wait for DCS WW2...
I actually think the historical campaign sounds cool the way the above post laid it out. I think the online server connection is how they control the persistent battlefield effects they might have planned. I'm just waiting on more SP campaign details before I hit the purchase button for this one. I probably will end up buying the non premium version that only has 6 aircraft on release rather than commit a hundred now and hope for the best.
Quote from: sandman2575 on December 29, 2013, 12:27:05 PM
Yeah, I've been playing pretty much nothing but CLoD and RoF of late. Sometimes hard to pick which to play, actually -- I really love what both these games have to offer.
I picked up DCS P-51 on the Steam sale, along with A-10C, both for ridiculously cheap during a 'Flash Sale', $14 a pop ;D. Haven't even had a chance to install them yet -- just too much flight sim goodness right now. Can't wait for DCS WW2...
I have some DCS stuff (Base, Su-25 and Combined Arms). I think I actually have slightly more fun in DCS these days because the editor is pretty good and DCS world has more potential depth than either CLOD or RoF. I guess by depth I mean more things going on (RADAR, missiles, helicopters etc.). On the other hand DCS takes slightly more mental preparation for me than CLOD or RoF -- mostly because I've been playing RoF for years and CLOD for many months more than DCS.
Quote from: Yskonyn on December 29, 2013, 03:22:58 AM
BoS is a promising project, but it has a serious contender in DCS WW2. Especially since many of the old Maddox crew is over there now.
Maddox is overrated.
Quote from: Skoop on December 29, 2013, 03:48:52 PM
I actually think the historical campaign sounds cool the way the above post laid it out. I think the online server connection is how they control the persistent battlefield effects they might have planned. I'm just waiting on more SP campaign details before I hit the purchase button for this one. I probably will end up buying the non premium version that only has 6 aircraft on release rather than commit a hundred now and hope for the best.
Maybe, I guess we will have to see....I still like have an offline option if possible for the occasion where their servers are down or my connection is not working.
Quote from: Father Ted on December 29, 2013, 08:04:15 AM
Those want to play flightsims will have to expect that they're going to cost a lot of money. A hundred bucks seems steep, but that gets you 8 planes eventually (I think). In comparison DCS Mustang is about $25 now on Steam, so their planes are twice as much. WT is FTP but people spend hundreds of dollars to keep up with the opposition rather than grind.
I have no idea what the finial pricing will be for the DCS WW2 aircraft will be but if the kickstarter pricing was any indication they will be much cheaper than the $25 price tag for DCS Mustang. During the kickstarter campaign a single aircraft cost $0 (and that could turn out to be the P-51...still TBD). $30 was good for 5 aircraft.
http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/products/WWII/backer_paypal.php
In both games, they could also strangle you to death with various optional DLC like soundtracks, skin packs, and such.
I think the best approach to both BoS and DCS-WW2 is to buy in early if you're feeling altruistic, or if you really want to get in on the ground floor. But I wouldn't hold my breath re: proposed features or speculation about what each will offer. With BoS, for example, I would expect something very similar to RoF set in WW2...that means everything from DRM on. Meaning, getting into offline campaign mode might still require an internet connection, etc.
With DCS, well, if you love DCS:World then you know what you're getting. If you don't like DCS:World, like me, I see know reason to throw good money after bad.
There are some variables here, but both groups have put out sims previously (or are building on existing sims) so there shouldn't be a lot of surprises regarding what you're going to get for your investment.
They are going from Alpha to Beta tomorrow and they've introduced a new "standard" pre-order edition in addition to the "premium" one that was going for $95.
The standard edition is on for $54.99 USD right now (reg $59.99) and includes everything in the premium edition except the La-5 ser. 8 and the FW-190A-3 aircraft. You can buy those at a later date if you want to upgrade.
http://il2sturmovik.com/ (http://il2sturmovik.com/)
The devs have announced that the game will also be available on Steam later this year.
Here's the latest from the devs.
QuoteTo all who have been watching how our project evolves and have taken part in the Early Access including those that are labeled as Founders - we are glad to inform you that we're entering the final stage of development of IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad.
Eighteen months ago in December 2012 we announced the start of a new flight sim project and now you can see what exactly that project is. In February 2013 development started, and six months after that we decided to provide the community an opportunity to support our enterprise via the Founder program. Thus, the game became available for sale in July 2013. It was a bold and peculiar move for us and for flight sim fans as well. We hoped that our adult and mature community would understand the specifics and decide to help us in our courageous endeavor. And many of you did, helping us get to this important point in the development process.
Four months after the opening of pre-orders we started the Early Access program - another risky step considering that our goals and player's expectations could have been completely different. But then we decided to establish a highly transparent communication operation with the community. And there were arguments, kudos and critiques, but this was exactly the thing that allowed us to build such cooperation with thousands of players from all over the world. And we feel this approach proved to be a good one with positive results.
Today, a new stage of development is upon us – the Beta-version stage. The Alpha version is a cast copy of the project, it's a shadow with the original forms merely sketched. The Beta version already has all key elements and the game is practically ready to be released - it just needs to be tested and tweaked. Our game will remain in the Beta stage for the whole summer of 2014. All this time will be spent for testing and quality assurance procedures. lL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad will be released in September 2014.
Although not our original planned release date, we decided to prepare the game properly so we could present it to the worldwide flight sim community with pride. And your support and attention has proven us that the future of our project is worth fighting for despite all circumstances. Rest assured that the rest of the path will be exciting too. Firstly, we received numerous requests to make Standard edition available again, so we agreed to put it back in the store until June 18th. All the details about the two different editions are available on our site.
Secondly, as a sign of gratitude for your trust and great support we decided to give the Founders tag to everyone who bought the game from November 2013 till May 2014. Because that way you can be recognized as someone who made the rebirth of your favorite gaming genre possible!
We also plan to launch the game on Steam later this summer. Pricing will be similar to the one on our site. All details about the Steam release will be announced later.
Thanks again to all Early Access participants and pre-order owners! You have been making the game together with us. It's a rare and precious experience for us and hopefully you as well. And thanks to you the project is going to be of a nice quality. The remaining 50% of the development progress is polishing, debugging and taking care of performance and usability issues.
The next step is the Beta version. Looks like we made it, guys! And congratulations on the V-E day!
Today we give you soviet fighter La-5 for the early access. It's one of the two premium planes in our project. This means that golden Founders and early access owners will be able to try the plane in a few hours, but players with Standard edition already have time to plan purchasing La-5 in future. Both La-5 and Fw 190 A-3 will be available in our store in the end of June.
Thats all it took. Downloading now.
Well this is discouraging. I was hoping they'd try to make improvements in the single player experience over ROF but it looks like they're going in the opposite direction. Doesn't sound like a campaign at all really, just a series of unrelated quick missions tied together by a specific date. Can't see a lot of user made campaigns coming out as the FMB will be the same as in ROF and that is an absolute bitch to use.
QuoteHow will the single-player campaign work? Are we going to play as an abstract or real pilot, or we freely choose where to server and what plane to fly? Are separate missions in the campaign connected?
Our goal is to tell the story of Battle of Stalingrad to as many players as we can. This approach along with restricted development period surely limits us in comprehensive recreation of smaller details. Thus it will not be a single player campaign about a pilot or a squadron. It will be about aircraft and war history.
We'd be glad to avoid endless community arguments on that matter. However, there's a lot to discuss since even historians are not certain about some moments. So we just turn away a bit from these issues and create a game about planes. Let your imagination personalize your gaming experience. We're an unbiased story teller. You are pilots living virtual lives in the sim. Also, this community is quite segmented in its desires, just because you are the loudest, does not mean you are the biggest. A lot of players can't afford to spend more than 1 hour a day in the game while the other group of players is able to play the game 10 hours a day or even more. And we realized that it's not us making the game emotional, it is you. Our part is to deliver necessary conditions for your experience.
IL2:BOS campaign will tell you the story of Battle of Stalingrad from November 19th 1942 till February 2nd 1943. The whole period is split into operations (phases of the battle). Each phase has a realistic template on how ground troops and airfields were positioned. We did our best to be as precise as possible in this and all templates are based on historically correct data and real maps. We divided the battle into several key parts: Uranus, Little Saturn, Aerial Bridge, Winter Thunder and so on.
Meanwhile the player is not limited with anything and the playable character is impersonalized. Each player is going to have their own virtual life and singular, specific experience and emotions. You'll be free to pick any plane, any airfield and any mission that is available at that moment. And this unique experience of yours will build your personal campaign.
Missions are not connected with each other. There's sort of a "groundhog day" within each single phase. Time of a day, weather conditions (within a list of historically correct ones for each period) will vary every time you start the mission. And you play this or that phase as many times as you want. Several successfully completed missions open access to the next phase leaving the completed one available for reply at any time. This is akin to sand-box style gaming.
Players who are looking for precise reconstruction of particular historical events will have community created missions to satisfier their demands. Those missions can tell about specific pilots, events and real combat missions down to historically correct personal skins and battle conditions. But our studio is not able to deal with such amount of tasks right now, that's why community we'll need to provide themselves with those WWII reconstruction missions. And the main campaign will remain available for the wider audience.
Isn't that just a random battle creator?
Quote from: TacticalWargames on May 31, 2014, 07:18:39 PM
Isn't that just a random battle creator?
Sounds like it, although they say the mission types can change as the date (phases?) advance. Dunno. They're making it sound pretty abstracted, as if your pilot's "career" won't even be tracked. ROF's beta career wasn't anything special, mainly due to the limited squadrons you had to choose from and the poorly randomized missions, but at least it kept track of your pilot's career and his accomplishments. Not sure if BOS will even have that, after reading this. :'(
At least they're talking of trying to mix up the missions this time around.. would get so sick of flying the exact same mission & route in ROF repeatedly. It was obvious that they didn't have much variation in their Beta Career mission generation. The PWCG definitely does much of that stuff better, although I had to tweak some settings to be happy with that one too.
Patrick Wilson was the maker of PWCG for ROF. He said it took him over 1,000 man-hours to make the program. He also said he has no interest in WWII so he won't be making any such program for BOS.
I've had too many bad experiences with this series to even contemplate buying in.
Besides - I have to keep my money for Elite:Dangerous
Quote from: JudgeDredd on June 01, 2014, 01:14:58 PM
I've had too many bad experiences with this series to even contemplate buying in.
Besides - I have to keep my money for Elite:Dangerous
So is this your pledge to not buy any new games until Elite is out? If so, I want in on that bet:)
Well, until I decide to buy Elite. I may very well cave on the next version of the beta which I presume will have trading and docking etc - things that are currently in alpha
Quote from: JudgeDredd on June 01, 2014, 02:46:23 PM
Well, until I decide to buy Elite. I may very well cave on the next version of the beta which I presume will have trading and docking etc - things that are currently in alpha
The current beta has everything that was in the alpha as far as I can see. I just docked in a spaceport yesterday.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 01, 2014, 03:31:09 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on June 01, 2014, 02:46:23 PM
Well, until I decide to buy Elite. I may very well cave on the next version of the beta which I presume will have trading and docking etc - things that are currently in alpha
The current beta has everything that was in the alpha as far as I can see. I just docked in a spaceport yesterday.
There's definitely a dark streak in you JH! O0
It has trading too
ah...two people from the dark side! >:(
I sprung for the IL2 BOS premium edition and have been flying it pretty regularly, definitely have gotten my money's worth as far as hours spent.
The recent announcement about the SP campaign caused quite a stir in their forums, really goes to show how important SP is to flight simmers. The SP they stated does sound kind of stale like the DCS SP content.
The up side is that the community is already working on content for BOS using the ROF editor (supposedly the 2 are exactly the same). There's a group already testing a persistent battlefield type of mission that runs on a MP server, sounds pretty cool.
Another slight bit of controversy is the lack of a Full mission builder. 777 stated that BOS uses the same insanely complicated ROF editor that no one can use, so the plan is to release the FMB after release when it can be totally revamped to a more user friendly state like the original IL2 or ARMA.
777 / 1C stated that they are leaning heavily on the community to run with the development of SP content, and that they will offer full support to anyone willing to put forth the effort. Though Pat Wilson has stated that he has no plans for IL2 BOS, he stated that he will offer up his campaign generator to anyone willing to do the leg work of converting it to BOS.
So with that I guessing that things will evolve with this new version of IL2.
In the Mean time, I'm having a blast in the dogfight servers in MP. If I get shot down too many times in a fighter, I like to switch to a PE2 and fly over the op airfield on a carpet bombing run. Always nice to catch a few airquakers on the ground trying to take off in their bf109s.
Quote from: Skoop on June 02, 2014, 12:05:34 PM
I sprung for the IL2 BOS premium edition and have been flying it pretty regularly, definitely have gotten my money's worth as far as hours spent.
Sounds great. Some things to bear in mind about simulation games like BoS are:
1) only the community can put in the hours it takes to get a niche sim up to community standards
2) RoF didn't make enough money compared to the work put in on it
3) WOFF with its big single player aspect was eventually built after the sims it was based on was abandoned
4) CLOD is only really playable in a community-built set of mods and campaigns
5) So feeling bad about BoS not having a good single-player campaign is somewhat premature and anachronistic: only the community can fix up these games because the audience is so limited and cranky.
So it's another sim that will rely heavily on modders to fix up the single-player?
That's disappointing. Sounds like I may as well wait for a couple years before checking back. Is it just focused on multi-player? :-\
As of right now, mostly. You can set up quick missions similarly to how you could in ROF. There's not currently any method of keeping track of pilot stats or anything like that though.
MP is basically AirQuake at this point. Big furballs on a relatively small section of the map. That'll expand over time. The guys who run the Syndicate servers have already stated that they're working on BOS stuff so if online's your thing, it sounds promising that there'll be lots on offer.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on June 02, 2014, 03:51:15 PM
As of right now, mostly. You can set up quick missions similarly to how you could in ROF. There's not currently any method of keeping track of pilot stats or anything like that though.
MP is basically AirQuake at this point. Big furballs on a relatively small section of the map. That'll expand over time. The guys who run the Syndicate servers have already stated that they're working on BOS stuff so if online's your thing, it sounds promising that there'll be lots on offer.
So even the ideal multi-player stuff will be custom user-created stuff from the people who host the games?
This is sounding worse all the time. Perhaps it will be a great sim but it sounds as if the developers are just making a kit of sorts and not shipping with much content. :(
Quote from: Nefaro on June 02, 2014, 04:40:45 PM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on June 02, 2014, 03:51:15 PM
As of right now, mostly. You can set up quick missions similarly to how you could in ROF. There's not currently any method of keeping track of pilot stats or anything like that though.
MP is basically AirQuake at this point. Big furballs on a relatively small section of the map. That'll expand over time. The guys who run the Syndicate servers have already stated that they're working on BOS stuff so if online's your thing, it sounds promising that there'll be lots on offer.
So even the ideal multi-player stuff will be custom user-created stuff from the people who host the games?
This is sounding worse all the time. Perhaps it will be a great sim but it sounds as if the developers are just making a kit of sorts and not shipping with much content. :(
For me very often the kit is the game. For example, in ARMAIII, I just play in the editor using clutz-based keystroke algorithm.
Anyway, BoS just added the Focke-Wulfie 190 (A3 with the original BMW 650A engine!). I think the game will be pretty interesting eventually and it will be fun to get in at the first completed iteration and see it evolve.
This is the danger for developers who sell alpha- and beta-releases: people talk about those products as if they are the finished game. The MP available at the moment is only intended as a try-out for those who want MP and the SP missions are just show-cases for the planes. Looking at early-access features and saying, "There's not much of a game here!" seems a little harsh to me.
FWIW RoF was aimed more at the MP market and suffered a bit, so I believe the devs have put more effort into the SP experience for BoS.
Quote from: Father Ted on July 30, 2014, 04:14:52 PM
This is the danger for developers who sell alpha- and beta-releases: people talk about those products as if they are the finished game. The MP available at the moment is only intended as a try-out for those who want MP and the SP missions are just show-cases for the planes. Looking at early-access features and saying, "There's not much of a game here!" seems a little harsh to me.
FWIW RoF was aimed more at the MP market and suffered a bit, so I believe the devs have put more effort into the SP experience for BoS.
I would prefer not to give final judgement until it's been officially released and 'finished' for awhile. But the developer statements (some mentioned earlier in this thread) makes me think it will not be receiving much, if any, attention regarding a facet I highly value - the campaign environment.
1.101 update has been released along with the BOM early access which makes the I-16 Rata available for use in BOS. Fun little plane, comical flying it in pvp online.
list of changes :
1. I-16 fighter is now available to pilots who preordered Battle of Moscow. Players who don't have it will be able to fight with it;
2. HDR can be turned off;
3. SSAO can be turned off;
4. Terrain Texture Draw distance can now be increased with a dedicated setting option;
5. New Choose plane screen added to Quick Mission builder;
6. F11 free camera is now available;
7. Your plane's camera should be shaking because of explosions nearby in external view with Cinematic Camera turned on;
8. Improved sun visuals on dusk and dawn;
9. More precise (realistic) calculation of the earth's curvature;
10. Max number of players per server increased to 64;
11. An automated chat warning about insufficient server performance capabilities added;
12. Variations of bomb aerodynamics added for more realistic bomb spread;
13. Bombs can now ricochet if dropped at a low angle;
14. Snap view settings can now be reset with the Reset user settings option;
15. Bombing tips added to the bombsight mode, press "?" to show them;
16. Ammo counter for the hand signal pistol added to GUI;
17. The following rules are now applied to server names:
first 3 letters of the name must be latin;
first 3 letters cannot be a single letter repeated 3 times;
names that include text from the config file are prohibited;
names that consist of latin letters, numbers, spaces and ( ) - / . , : = only are allowed;
a letter cannot be repeated more than 3 times in a row (aaa - okay, aaaa - not okay);
names can be not longer than 128 symbols;
symbols (not letters or numbers) can be repeated 2 times in a row max (== - okay, === - not okay)
18. Added cameras attachable to objects:
call in the currently selected object - LAlt + F2;
customisable configs are available here: <game_folder>\data\LuaScripts\WorldObjects\fixcameras
19. Watching game recordings should no longer cause game crashes;
20. Abrupt lightning changes at sunset time were fixed;
21. The issue with the camera jumping to a map corner instead of showing the player's plane when crashed was fixed;
22. Wind correction setting for bombsights was changes. Now, when all settings are correct the target should not move in the sight when the wind is blowing;
23. The issue with bomb falling through the ground with no explosion fixed;
24. Heavy AA guns will be using contact fuses when shooting ground targets with HE rounds;
25. Pilots gestures in MP fixed;
26. Pilot's heavy breathing should no longer be heard on the external cameras;
27. Incorrect drag caused by bomb holders on Fw 190 was fixed (thanks to the report submitted by Ze_Hairy);
28. Config files responsible for weather settings was changed (they are now divided adequately to different seasons. Missions that were made before this update must be reconfigured using the new weather config structure;
29. Airfield choice should no longer be instantly reset with a click on the map in Campaign;
30. Server list will not shake when scrolling it;
31. A rare issue with text lines in the list of scenarios only showing when under the mouse cursor was fixed;
32. The issue with the Start button unavailable for some time after entering an MP match as a gunner was fixed;
33. The gunner icon was fixed in MP;
34. The distance controlling element of the He 111 bombsight was fixed (it doesn't jump anymore);
35. The bubble is moving smoother now in the Pe-2 bombsight;
36. Spontaneous bomb release in Auto and Scope bombsight modes on He 11 fixed;
37. The issue with NaN values shown on the dashboard right after a start in MP fixed;
38. The bug with chat message colors in MP fixed;
39. The 3d marker showing the center of an attack zone was fixed (swords instead of a yellow border);
40. The exploit of avoiding navigation markers with a map on/off trick in MP was fixed;
41. Resetting control settings should also reset inverted axis;
42. Several bugs related to inverting axis (including those bound to mouse) were fixed;
43. Scroll bars in the GUI are now working in a more traditional way;
44. Pe-2 wings could appear randomly broken (fixed);
45. Fw 190 additional guns status lamps are added to start and stop sequences (so they are turned off on parking);
46. Fw 190 flight stick texture error fixed;
47. Bf 109 F-4 и 109 G-2: Z-fighting on seat back and canopy fixed;
48. Enemy AAA should no longer appear close to player airifield in quick missions.
Everyone who's pre-ordered (or will pre-order) Premium edition of BOM gets access to the first game's plane - I-16 type 24. The release plan for 4 more aircraft is as follows:
August - MC.202 Series VIII
September - P-40 E-1
October - Bf 109 E-7
November - Bf 110 E-2
Owners of Standard edition pre-order will get access to the early game builds of BOM later in October 2015.
Latest Patch info, and release of the P-40E1.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad
Announcement
Version 1.103
Posted Today, 02:50
http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/18456-game-version-1103-discussion-p-40e-1-early-access/?p=289635
Version 1.103
Dear customers of IL-2: Sturmovik!
Today we complete another stage of Battle of Moscow development and present you another milestone aircraft - P-40E-1 fighter. Those who pre-ordered Battle of Moscow premium edition and have Battle of Stalingrad can fly it right away (other BoS players can fight against it in Quick missions).
P-40 vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCTyOjXiqtM
In addition to P-40 fighter this update also brings numerous improvements for joint BoS and BoM platform. Complete list of them can be found below.
P-40E-1 has some unique features available for the first time in our project:
1. Ultra-violet lighting of cockpit gauges, information plates, needles and labels
2. Tail wheel steering controlled by rudder pedals via sping-loaded "soft" rods with special mechanism of "steer control cut" when wheel is declined more than 30°
3. Six M2 Browning .50 cal machine guns have 5% more combined 1 second burst energy than Fw 190 A-3 with gun pods. This makes P-40 the new leader among the fighters in our project in terms of firepower.
4. Green sun filter on gun sight :-)
Changelist of version 1.103:
1. P-40E fighter is availble for those who pre-purchased premium edition of Battle of Moscow, other players will be able to see it as an enemy.
2. DServer and overall multiplayer stability improved, found memory leaks fixed.
3. High-G effects are working again.
4. AI pilots correctly use rockets against ground targets.
5. AI pilots behavior tuned for higher skill levels, aces are now more aggressive.
6. AI pilots pursue and attack fleeing air targets better.
7. AI pilots better attack targets flying at low level.
8. AI avoid a fleeing target better (previously it could crash into it after attacking).
9. AI should no longer 'stuck' and fly into the ground during low level dogfight (was a random issue).
10. Ju-87 AI flight members better assign targets between them.
11. Bombers and transport planes don't make evasive maneuvers in high priority flight mode.
12. AI pilots now return to base after spending all ammo.
13. A high level AI takes into account only enemy fighters while making decision to attack (previously they could cease an attack against a large group of any enemy planes).
14. AI pilots now correctly drop their bombs with a player after being ordered 'do like me'.
15. AI pilots now drop all smaller bombs or launch all smaller rockets at once while engaging a single target to reduce the time being under fire.
16. AI pilots maneuver for attack runs almost two times quicker than before.
17. AI wingmen take off on their own if flight leader (player) took off without following take off procedure.
18. A signal flare is correctly visible to multiplayer clients.
19. AI should no longer continuously turn engine boost on and off (happened in some combat situations).
20. AI correctly turns engine boost off after disengaging.
21. Default trimming for airplanes with manually controlled stabilizer has been changed from trimming by stabilizer to trimming by trimming tabs.
22. Default trimming for all airplanes is set to standard atmosphere, 3000 m altitude, horizontal flight at maximum unlimited engine mode.
23. Trimming reset command now resets rudder and aileron trimmers to neutral position (instead of cruise flight position as it was before).
24. Altimeters now indicate negative altitude if a plane altitude is lower than airfield altitude and altimeter is set to airfield altitude.
25. Air speed indicator delay reduced.
26. MC.202 engine could be damaged by exceeding 2450 RPM and keeping boost in continuous mode.
27. MC.202 targeting reticle adjusted.
28. Bomb air fuse is now animated, it rotates and disappears after a correct amount of rotations, arming a bomb.
29. Bomb fuses reworked, air fuses and electromagnetic fuses implemented.
30. Graphical interface optimized to reduce memory footprint and fragmentation (this should improve overall application stability).
31. Plane marker in F2 camera mode should no longer blink at a certain distance.
32. Your last position in Scenarios menu subfolders is correctly stored.
33. Additional logging added to find a source of incorrect colors in multiplayer chat and ladder. If you see an incorrect color (enemy instead of friendly for example) please make a screenshot, close the game and send <game_folder>\data\_gui.log file to us (via forum or support).
34. User interface should no longer hang in case of lost connection with a master server.
35. FPS should no longer severely drop during opening a topographic map using O button.
36. If an object is inside an area of forward observer, its marker will no longer turn grey at larger distances.
37. Time should be displayed correctly during track replay.
38. It's now possible to tune a color of lines and zones on the mission map for custom missions (10,0,0 - enemy color, 0,0,10 - friendly color).
39. Issued commands will no longer 'stuck' during track replay.
40. Now you can use the mouse to look around an object (without the need to turn the interface off using H button) in track replay mode.
41. Camera no longer switches to external view after a failed bail out attempt (because of too low of an altitude).
42. Engine sound of destroyed ground vehicles is removed correctly now.
43. Destroyed rail wagons can't 'teleport' to a nearby railway any longer (a rare issue).
44. DShK fire effect now works correctly.
45. Effects work correctly in MP game (previously an intact vehicle could emanate smoke like a damaged one).
46. Multiple instances of bomb impact effects.
47. Flight leader now correctly addresses a forward observer when entering its area.
48. Check Zone and Proximity triggers now work in multiplayer.
49. Waypoints in campaign are placed further away from enemy airfields.
50. Tactics overlay (frontline) in campaign is shown not only during mission selection, but in mission briefing and on flight map as well.
News on upcoming patch at the end of the month.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad
Announcement
Dev blog #109
Hello everyone!
I'm glad to inform you that Autumn has came! :) The development of autumn and summer Stalingrad maps is almost complete and we need to finish only "Battle of Stalingrad, part 1" campaign. This new campaign includes several new cool features like new mission types "Attack river ships", "Cover river ships", "Attack river crossing" and new story missions at the beginning of each campaign chapter.
In addition, the development of Bf 109 E-7 fighter is close to finish, the only tasks that remain are flight model fine tuning and teaching AI how to fly it.
All these features are planned to be included in 1.104 update that is scheduled for end of October. We hope that we will complete this objective :)
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=BMHrGvCn9c0
YouTube™ Video: IL-2: BoS - Fw 190 A-3 top-mast bombing on summer Stalingrad map
Views: 7,738
Focke-Wulf 190 performing a top-mast bombing against cargo ship on Volga river near Stalingrad in summer season. Test pilot: Han
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=Ns9GnN0eJww
YouTube™ Video: IL-2: Sturmovik - Bf 109 E-7 first flight
Views: 5,600
Coming soon in the end of October 2015. First take off. Pilot: Han
Il2 BOS News:
Update 1.104
Today we reach a major milestone in IL-2 Sturmovik project and we sincerely hope you'll enjoy the new stuff.
First of all, we added the long awaited summer and autumn seasons along with the new campaign that covers early stages of Stalingrad battle from last days of flaming August to the middle of November when first snowflakes started to fall on the ruins of the city. In the new campaign we've tried to implement some of your requests and it contains static scenarios in addition to regular dynamically generated ones. Each one of them is a short story of a Russian or German pilot, a small episode of the world war.
Second, a new plane appeared in the 'already released' list of Battle of Moscow aircraft - Bf 109 E-7. Now all customers of Battle of Moscow can fly it while those who have only Battle of Stalingrad can choose it as an enemy, as well as all other BoM planes.
Third, today is a happy day for those who pre-purchased standard edition of Battle of Moscow - now they can jump into pilot seats of I-16 type 24 and Bf 109 E-7 (only the owners of Premium version of Battle of Moscow could fly them earlier). MC.202 and P-40 E-1 planes are still exclusive to Battle of Moscow Premium version, they will be available for separate purchase later.
Just in case you haven't noticed, there is an active sale underway. Now you can add La-5 and Fw 190 A-3 to your account if you own standard version of Battle of Stalingrad at half the price. Standard and Premium (which already includes these two planes) editions of Battle of Stalingrad are also 50% off, so if your friend (or maybe even you) doesn't have BoS yet it would be a good opportunity to fix this. Please note that additional planes should be added on Steam for Steam version and in our store for non-Steam version.
See you in the sky, pilots! For a safe take-off don't forget that engine power is significantly lower at higher summer temperatures than during winter.
1.104 change list
1. Bf 109 E-7 fighter is now available to customers who pre-purchased standard version of Battle of Moscow. Anyone who own Battle of Stalingrad can set it as an enemy.
2. New maps added: Summer Stalingrad, Autumn Stalingrad, Summer Lapino and Autumn Lapino.
3. New campaign added: Battle of Stalingrad: part 1
4. New tactical overlay shows frontline and units locations on in-game campaign map
5. Interaction between an aircraft and ground has been improved to the next level of detail, you'll notice a distinct difference between concrete and dirt runways, fields, ice and other terrain types. In addition, they become more slippery during rain.
6. Additional optimization of the game and dedicated server added.
7. Maximal amount of players on one server increased to 84.
8. Problems found with AI taking off have been fixed.
9. AI plane control improved, this should decrease the probability of AI getting into uncontrollable spin (was especially profound on Fw 190).
10. AI ground attack routines improved, it now maintains a higher speed, resulting in higher survival rate.
11. AI landing routines improved, which should reduce risk of colliding with other planes or objects.
12. Setting bomb fuses to off will now properly stop them from exploding after drop.
14. Elevator controls now being damaged correctly, so it's impossible to have only half of elevator damaged.
15. Control rods can be damaged only by hitting parts of a plane where they are located.
16. Stabilizer damage resistance corrected for LaGG-3, La-5 and Bf 109 planes.
17. Playing back the record including P-40E-1 with 500 kg bomb will no longer cause an error (for tracks recorded in this version).
18. Minor improvements for mission creators (lines type 3..8 will render at different thickness).
Also plans in place to add crewable tanks into the sim.
If you own the game, fire it up. All kinds of new content, 50 % off steam sale running right now.
For you SP guys, a Community member has added the IL2 career generator app to add career elements to the stock campaign.
Also Pat Wilson is in the process of converting his Career Generator from ROF to BOS, the second version of the beta is now available for use. I plan to try it out sometime this week.
Quote from: Skoop on October 28, 2015, 12:06:11 AM
For you SP guys, a Community member has added the IL2 career generator app to add career elements to the stock campaign.
Also Pat Wilson is in the process of converting his Career Generator from ROF to BOS, the second version of the beta is now available for use. I plan to try it out sometime this week.
Innnnteresting. ^-^
Quote from: Skoop on October 28, 2015, 12:06:11 AM
For you SP guys, a Community member has added the IL2 career generator app to add career elements to the stock campaign.
Why 777 was so opposed to including real "career elements" in the first place is something I'll never understand.
Most likely the standard blanked statement from indie sim devs, limited resources and manpower so they have to focus on the vital elements. But hey, if you liked pat's career generator in ROF, now you have a ostfront WWII version.
I like PWCG for RoF -- and think Pat Wilson deserves enormous credit and thanks for putting it together. But it will always be a band-aid for RoF. There's no way around the fact that it's clunky to use, looks primitive, and feels detached from the game (of course it is detached) in a way that's pretty immersion killing. I'm sure it will feel the same way for BoS.
I understand the 'indie developer with limited resources' argument. But no one was asking for miracles from 777. They did include SP and a campaign. *Why* they insisted on creating a non-dynamic, non-career-based 'campaign' rather than something most simmers would recognize as a campaign mode (i.e. you're a pilot who flies for X squadron and keeps a record of missions -- like Over Flanders Fields or countless other sims) -- that's the part that baffles me.
Quote from: sandman2575 on October 28, 2015, 10:55:55 AM
Quote from: Skoop on October 28, 2015, 12:06:11 AM
For you SP guys, a Community member has added the IL2 career generator app to add career elements to the stock campaign.
Why 777 was so opposed to including real "career elements" in the first place is something I'll never understand.
They obviously prefer focusing on modelling the aircraft in 3D, and perhaps flight modelling.
Seems like they want to just make a toolkit and let the community do the rest of the work. :-\
I have no problem with the toolkit strategy and let the community build the missions. There's plenty of good content coming out from the community, infact I'd rather they keep focusing on evolving the engine so we get closer to persistent battlefield campaigns. The mission makers are already there and need performance increases, looking at tech upgrades like x64 and DX11. That's only going to happen with the community building SP content to fill that void.
Skoop (or anyone else in the know) -- Is it still the case that BoS doesn't let you combo key bindings on your flight stick? This limitation wasn't an issue for me in RoF because of the simplicity of the flight controls. But with BoS I found it a genuine handicap (...one of the reasons I uninstalled BoS months ago -- that and the constant 1.5GB updates....although I'd be willing to look at it again).
My T-Flight Hotas X doesn't have nearly enough buttons for this 'one key per function' silliness --
Yeah, it doesn't have a builtin modifier key like dcs. You would have to use target or some other joystick programmer to achieve that which is a downer for most people.
You can assign multiple keys functions to one key, if that helps. Meaning the keys for the 109 stabilizer can be the same keys for trim in all the aircraft even though it seems weird that they have different trim keys for the 109, 190, and all other aircraft. I basically just set all trim to the same keys.
Another trick to maximize your limited controls, is to use hotas keys for all open or all closed on your engine management. Meaning you could set both the radiator and oil rad to those same keys so they are both controlled at once. Make fine adjustments with keyboard keys. I find that having all the CEM keys bind together really helps in combat, because your not going to be making fine adjustments when your dogfighting.
Thanks for the tips skoop. Seems pretty ridiculous that BoS doesn't include this functionality. For all its faults, Cliffs of Dover gave you way more flexibility for setting up controls.
Quote from: sandman2575 on October 28, 2015, 06:09:14 PM
Thanks for the tips skoop. Seems pretty ridiculous that BoS doesn't include this functionality. For all its faults, Cliffs of Dover gave you way more flexibility for setting up controls.
Yep. And the current Fusion-modded CLOD still is the best-looking flight sim of all time. Plus the mission editor (where I play) works very well.
I have BoS and eventually will get BoM, but I'm not playing it much at the moment. The P-40s are nice to see though.
Question for the experts if I could --
I reinstalled BoS last night. Still finding the joystick mapping limitations very frustrating, but regardless --
Trying to fly the 109F -- I'm noticing in lower altitude flight that my plane pulls strongly to the left, whether at lower or higher speeds? I checked my roll calibration and it's centered, and I don't think this is engine torque, or is it? I never noticed anything like this before -- maybe they've updated the FM since last I played?
They have made some FM changes to the 109 since release. Mine does pull to the left as well it's the torque, historic from what they say. You really notice it on take off, I almost have 50 to 70% right rudder engaged to keep it straight on the runway. It seems to pull less as you gain speed and alt.
I had to get a CH stick a couple weeks ago because my Warthog took a crap. The CH fighterstick actually has analog trim dials that allow you to force aileron trim into the 109 when historically it only had elevator trim. It's so useful, I don't know if I will put my warthog back in service once it's fixed.
I suspect they made some FM tweaks to all the 109 FMs with the addition of the emil, my rudder and trim seemed to produce way more drag than before v104. Had to make some adjustments.
The Emil flys nice, the BOM planes will be fun if they keep the maps balanced. If your going competitive MP and rolling lonewolf, your gona want to fly the 109f4 or yak-1. If you go for p-40s or i16s, your gona need a wingman on comms or your toast.
That's the thing with going backwards in the timeline, a lot of the MP guys pass because the inferior aircraft will give them no edge.
As an aviation enthusiast, I couldn't resist, some good planes in the BOM package.
As the speculation goes, people think that they will go Kursk, then MED, then maybe Westfront or Pacific which will be cool. That would bring a pretty diverse package of theaters and planes....comparable to 1946.
Also on the controls subject, if you notice in ROF you can create control profiles for specific aircraft. This is crucial for flying the Fw190, which has extremely sensitive controls. BOS has a ones size fits all control system, which is a hassle because every time I fly the folke wulf, I have to reset my stick settings specifically for the Fw190.
Eventually we will get plane specific control profiles like ROF. If ROF has a modifier switch in the control settings, I bet we'll get that added too.
I booted it up for the first time in months. Such a frustrating game! I love how the aircraft fly and how the enemy fighters behave and respond. I had a blast escorting some IL-2s to their target in my Yak. We got bounced by 8 Bf 109G-2s and a really exciting, chaotic fur ball ensued. That part of the game is great!
Too bad the larger world is so bad. The enemy AI for fighters seems good but the bombers are still dumb as rocks. Friendly AI is still broken as far as I can tell. My wingman happily blasted several rounds into my engine in an effort to kill the 109 I was tailing. The rest of the flight buggered off after some random Tante Ju and refused to respond to orders.
Mission briefings still lack individuality or historical verisimilitude and the map waypoints are cookie cutter affairs. Debriefs are even worse. I got 3 kills and was awarded the spiffy medal of awesomeness and 312XP or something.
I gave up on wishing the devs would listen to the dwindling player base and build a single player campaign. Hopefully Pat can work a miracle but from what I've seen of his build so far, it's got a long way to go.
What would be a great compromise would be to migrate the coop mode from ROF. It's already in the editor, they just need some coding to link it into the game.
I brought up the hopeless wingman AI many times, the best would just have the feature to fly all campaign and SP missions with a buddy in coop mode.
You can build MP missions to function as a coop, but to play some of the cool sp missions as a coop, it would require a complete rewrite.. So it's a hassle for the guys who create sp missions. A built in coop mode for the single player content would be the way to go. The AI does well when it's not tied to a wingman, but when you rely on it as your wingman, it seems to always fail.
In all fairness though, I don't remember the AI wingmen in clod or 1946 or DCS really strikingly better. They all have their AI quiks.
Well...if that's all they need...
"they just need some coding to link it into the game"
So the 1.05 update has arrived.
Most notable are the addition of the Bf-110E2(to purchasers of Battle of Moscow EA), crewable tanks, and the support for flying with mouse control.
Testing all of these at the moment.
further notes here :
Update 1.105
Hello everyone!
The end of November is here and, as we promised, the work on the next update is finished. It is a big step forward in the development of the project once again and it brings two huge chunks of new functionality and content: aircraft mouse controls and player controlled tanks. Of course, it adds a new playable plane for Battle of Moscow owners as usual: twin engine heavy fighter Bf 110 E-2 (players who have only Battle of Stalingrad can set it as AI controlled plane or encounter it in multiplayer).
Previously in our developer diary we told about the new additions in detail, you can read them here:
Developer Diary, part 113
Developer Diary, part 114
Here's a brief overview:
Tanks:
1. "T-34-76 made by Stalingrad Tractor Factory, model of 1942" and "PzKpfw III Ausf. L" tanks are available to all owners of the game.
2. You can operate them using the following controls:
"E" - Start engine
"Cursor Keys" - Movement (the game automatically translates these simple direction commands to pushing pedals, switching friction clutches and changing gears).
"RAlt-C" - Close/open hatch (riding with open hatches is obviously more dangerous).
"LCtrl-C" - Switch to gunner and back to driver seat.
"RAlt-G" - Switch ammunition: Armour Piercing / High Explosive / Machine Gun.
"Ralt ;" "Ralt ." - Adjust gunsight verticaly (range)
"Ralt ," "Ralt /" - Adjust gunsight horizontaly vertical (only on T-34)
"Mouse Wheel" or "LShift - Mouse Wheel" - Zoom in or out
"T" - Set turret to stowed position / Take control over the turret
3. At the release, there are two multiplayer missions where you can try them (or provide air support):
3а. First mission is a territory capture that can be played on tanks and planes simultaneously. Tanks need to capture enemy tank spawn points designated by flags, getting closer to the enemy airfield. Players who prefer air power can take off from the airfield either on ground attack planes to support their own ground forces or on fighters to counter enemy air. To capture a flag, ground forces must preserve numerical superiority in its vicinity for a short time. After capturing a couple of enemy flags, tanks can move further to the enemy airfield and wipe it out for good, winning the mission.
3б. Second mission is simpler, but can be more hectic. Players on tanks can participate in the endless AI tank battle (roughly 2 vs 2 tank companies with artillery support) to turn the tide in their favor. Here you immediately jump into the heat of battle. If many players participate in this mission, it can grow up to battalion vs battalion size. Supporting your side from the air is also possible.
Aircraft mouse controls:
1. A mouse controlled plane has the same flight model, damage model and weapons systems as joystick controlled plane, there are no simplifications in the simulation.
2. Mouse controls only pitch, yaw and roll, the rest of the systems (engine, weapons, landing gear, flaps, brakes, etc.) are controlled in the same way as with joystick controls.
3. Server owners can allow both control types on a server or restrict it to be joystick-only.
4. Default mouse controls are mapped to:
"Mouse movement" - Aiming the 'advanced helper' pointer
"Mouse wheel" - All engines throttle
"Left mouse button" - All guns fire
"Right mouse button" - Hold it to look around without changing the direction of the flight
"F1" - Default view from cockpit
"F4" - External view with mouse controls (available only at Normal difficulty since external views are disabled on Expert)
"LShift + mouse wheel" - Zoom view or sight
The full 1.105 change list follows:
Spoiler
Main features:
1. German two-seater Bf 110 E-2 is available for all customers who pre-purchased Battle of Moscow. All other players can set is as AI plane in skirmish or scenario.
2. Player controlled tanks Pz III Ausf L and T-34-76 STZ (Autumn 1942 series) can be added to multiplayer missions. They can be controlled by one or two (driver and gunner) players.
3. Mouse control scheme added (experimental). Flight model is the same as with joystick control scheme (player points the mouse cursor in a direction he or she wants to fly and a special helper adjusts control surfaces to fly in that direction). Server owner can restrict control scheme to joystick if desired.
4. New flag object added that can be used in multiplayer missions for capturing objects and territories.
5. Planes made for Battle of Moscow are added to Battle of Stalingrad campaign as AI controlled planes based on their real life participation in the battle (they appear in certain time periods): La-5 ser.8, MC.202 ser.8, Bf 109 E-7, Bf 110 E-2, I-16 type 24 and P-40E-1. This makes the campaign more interesting and its chapters more diverse.
6. Head movement in cockpit limitation system changed:
Spoiler
Improvements if physics and systems modeling:
7. ATA limiter removed from P-40E-1 since there was none on this model. You can increase pressure above 45.5 for a limited time. If in-game engine helper is switched off (Expert mode), it won't return to normal values automatically after spending time limit, potentially breaking the engine.
8. Bf 109 F-4 and G-2 thermal balance corrected using 'African' reference: larger and larger radiator opening yields less and less cooling increase, which leads to necessity of opening radiator more at higher temperatures and during climb.
9. Bf 109 G-2 engine reacts to throttle axis in a more convenient way.
10. La-5 can no longer can be destroyed by engine shake.
11. La-5 can be landed without landing gear.
12. I-16 can be landed without landing gear.
13. Fw-190 can be landed without landing gear.
14. Pilot won't always die after nose-over.
15. Yak-1 pneumatic flaps extension speed increased (~80° per second while stationary, less at high speeds) based on learning video for Yak-15 with the same flaps system.
16. IL-2 pneumatic flaps extension speed increased (~33° per second at 200...220 km/h speeds) based on restored IL-2 flight video.
17. Bf 109 tail reinforced to make it more resistant to taxiing over rough ground.
18. Bf 109 G-2 ATA gauge shows correct information after starting a mission in air.
19. Bf 109 G-2 auto level works correctly at 2 km altitude and 500 km/h speed.
20. Damage system has been reworked (more accurate armor penetration calculations).
21. Tracers are randomized while shooting several MGs at once (this was an issue on P-40).
22. Ammo mass is reduced correctly while shooting several MGs or cannons of the same type.
23. Aircraft ground impact at high speeds now correctly causes a detonation (in previous version it could survive a shallow impact at 500+ km/h speeds).
24. Message in technochat about extending or retracting flaps is not displayed when they are fully extended or retracted.
25. Technochat symbol showing that engine assist is on is restored for Bf 109, Fw 190 and MC.202.
26. Bf 109 F-4 and Bf 109 G-2: technochat symbol restored showing that game radiator control helper is on. On-plane automatic radiator control symbol changed in technochat.
27. Gunner turrets rotate more smoothly.
28. Turret rotation smoothness tuned for large zoom values.
29. Mechanical aiming sight corrected on MC.202 ser.8.
30. Contrail appearance altitude now depends on season (temperature). Contrails are intermittent at the altitude of their appearance.
Artifical Intelligence improvements:
31. Ju-52, He-111 and Pe-2 take off better (course oscillating reduced at take off start).
32. AI controlled fighter carrying bombs or rockets now behaves like ground attack plane and doesn't enter combat on its own. If attacked, it will drop the bombs and engage.
33. The simulation will no longer crash while attempting to delete an AI controlled Ju-87 during its bombing run with siren switched on :)
Other changes:
34. Fixed issue when impact angle wasn't calculated properly for ground vehicles.
35. AI controlled tanks armor structure made more detailed, they have correct armor angles and they can't be destroyed by hitting secondary parts if the main armor body is intact.
36. Target destruction messages ('player destroyed something') are visible only for the player coalition in multiplayer (so they won't reveal the player position to the enemy).
37. After capturing an airfield in multiplayer mission its symbol is updated properly.
38. DServer stability improved, it shouldn't crash after prolonged periods of time.
39. Wrong chat colors in multiplayer fixed.
30. Trees along the roads added to summer and autumn maps.
41. New feature: ability to automatically login and load a certain mission or replay. Use config file <game_folder>\data\autoplay.cfg.
42. Game log in time reduced.
43. Object textures in mission editor update after changing the map preset to another season.
Quote from: Skoop on November 24, 2015, 05:49:25 PM
So the 1.05 update has arrived.
Most notable are the addition of the Bf-110E2(to purchasers of Battle of Moscow EA), crewable tanks, and the support for flying with mouse control.
Crewable tanks already? That's kind of surprising. Not sure what to make of this in a flight sim. Hopefully it works well.
I do love those twin engine aircraft. Looking forward to seeing how the Ju-88 looks when it's completed.
Just spent the past hour playing it, the tanks are surprisingly well done. Only the PzIII and T34 are playable, but they have interiors and decent physics. You can drive and gun which is great for playability, I hate when you have to have an AI drive in arma and then they just lumber around when you give them commands. The environment actually looks nice down low, and even the trees block line of sight, unlike combined arms for dcs. It should make for some interesting scenarios.
The 110 is pretty nice, probably the best version I've seen modeled to date. You can select additional armor, a 1000kg bomb, or 2 500kg bombs with 4 50kg bombs for load outs. I was hoping for the additional gunpods with the 37mm, but that's a later version of the 110 that will come with another installment down the road.
Nice. As I've not played since the new summer map update, I'll definitely have to check it out now.
I was very pee-ed off over how the release was handled and the attitude of the devs. Bordered on shameful for promises made and not delivered. But I have to say the sim is pretty good. The devs have put a lot of effort into it when I thought for sure it would be abandoned. I give them credit for that.
I do think they still want it to be a War Thunder-type game. It reminds me of Jutland and Storm Eagle Studios and its attempt to go after Steam. I think putting any effort into tanks and mouse control wastes effort that should be used to stay with its core market. Trying to take a hard core-type sim and put features in that might draw the WT crowd in will just push their core hardcore players away, while not really drawing in a new crowd.
Some of the War Thunder crowd have slowly begun inching into proper flight sim territory, looking for better representations, without the need for them to dumb it down too much.
You can tell they are getting new blood this way by the regular forum posts asking about joysticks (people never having owned any before) for the sim in question. They also often mention playing stuff like WT or other arcade ones being their introduction.
Maybe the devs are just attempting to make it look a bit more familiar to the new customers who came from more casual flight sims, I dunno. But they shouldn't try to compete with the Arcade market.. just stick with what they already do and improve upon that.
I actually like the inclusion of tanks and mouse control. It allows me to take part in some of the scheduled MP coop events from my work laptop when I'm stuck at work and don't have my full set up. With my laptop I can atleast man a tank or drop a bomb from a stuka, don't get me wrong, I'd much rather fly from home with my hotas and pedals....It bridges a gap for me. But you guys are correct, the devs have been trying to tap into the WT crowd.
I wouldn't worry about it, the most common server settings in mp are full real, the sim scales to both beginner and expert settings like dcs. There's no preference to beginner or expert crowds, just making it more marketable to a larger audience.
The engine does full real flight so well, it's probably the main redeeming quality that allowed it to weather the storm of a rocky release. I hope they do one more eastern front installment for all the late war stuff then go pacific or MED. I wouldn't be surprised if they go West, pacific, or med next because it's been a goal to make the sim more appealing to US / western Europeans.
I'd love to see a p-47 jug or a corsair with this engine.
Oh and I just noticed that BOS is in the steam sale for half off.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/307960/
Quote from: Nefaro on November 25, 2015, 10:09:59 AM
Some of the War Thunder crowd have slowly begun inching into proper flight sim territory, looking for better representations, without the need for them to dumb it down too much.
You can tell they are getting new blood this way by the regular forum posts asking about joysticks (people never having owned any before) for the sim in question. They also often mention playing stuff like WT or other arcade ones being their introduction.
Maybe the devs are just attempting to make it look a bit more familiar to the new customers who came from more casual flight sims, I dunno. But they shouldn't try to compete with the Arcade market.. just stick with what they already do and improve upon that.
Must be a difficult balancing act for them, though. The market for a bollock-hard, you-need-a-HOTAS-and-TIR combat flight sim must be pretty small. So if they aim just for that they have to charge a huge amount per unit to make a living. I can see that they would want to try to broaden the appeal, and shift more units at a lower cost - especially as the realistic cost for a hard-core sim might put off the hard-core simmers.
And as you said, there are signs that people are "upgrading" from WT.
Plus - TANKS! But is it really T34s v PzIIIs? Seems to be a slight Russian bias there...
Or a German bias...The East Front is where most of the large armor battles were fought.
Well I'd rather be sitting inside a (virtual) T34.
I'm generally alright with them easing the less experienced flight sim noobs into it by including features to do so. Hell.. I think some flight sims have been focusing way too much on clickable cockpit buttons and letting other areas wither.
I'm all for having the mode with automated engine management & visual tags enabled. Not only is it easier on noobs, I have to spend less familiarization time before getting to the real reason I play the things - blowing shit up while tossing a plane around the sky.
Hrmm.. after seeing Magz' vid on the new stuff, I think it's probably a good idea to expand the flexibility if they want to grow the sim. Huge ground & air combined arms server maps, running constantly, could be pretty damn fun even for the most casual settings & definitely draw more players.
But isn't War Thunder already doing...and doing relatively well. WoT seems to be heading there also. Again, if they were the first ones to do this, I can see the uniqueness in doing it. But others are already getting the investments and establishing themselves. A slow crawl to the business model will fail. And they only start repairing major damage to their core audience.
The main thing it has over WT is that it does full real a hell of a lot better. So it's like a graduation from the arcade stuff.
It has created more activity on the servers, the 2 official servers hosting capture the flag missions with moving frontlines have been a blast. It's so much more rewarding lining up your stuka with gunpods and plinking a tank with a human driving it especially when he's got a bead on a friendly PzIII.
The 110 has been great too, I love lobbing the 1000kg bomb right onto the top of T34s. I actually got a Yak kill in it. Great for taking on IL2s, the 110's cannons will shred anything unfortunate enough to fly in front of your nose.
Quote from: RyanE on November 26, 2015, 06:59:25 AM
But isn't War Thunder already doing...and doing relatively well. WoT seems to be heading there also. Again, if they were the first ones to do this, I can see the uniqueness in doing it. But others are already getting the investments and establishing themselves. A slow crawl to the business model will fail. And they only start repairing major damage to their core audience.
WT and the like catch a lot of hell from customers, for numerous things. One being the problems with their 12v12 style one-off matches, and the ensuing problems with the matchmaking balance itself. Another is their free-to-play model which forces players to grind through types they sometimes don't want to bother with and tend to nickle & dime them for the later era stuff.
In other words, it has a completely different marketing model and multi-player matches. Plus the FM & DM are much better in IL-2.
While I occasionally enjoy flying stuff in WT for it's ease and getting into multi-player very quickly, some of the aforementioned down sides to it can be quite glaring. I see players complain about them constantly.
Info for Update 1.106....Mig-3 released.
We're glad to tell you that the work on new update 1.106 is finished and it is already available. This new version contains numerous additions and improvements, new plane, design changes and so on - you can read the full change log below.
The main addition is the Soviet fighter MiG-3 series 24, which is available to all players as AI controlled plane in QMB and early Stalingrad campaign (in the time frame when it was actually there) while customers who pre-purchased Battle of Moscow can fly it already.
Another significant addition to the game is the new languages support: Spanish and French. The long awaited feature of propeller wash affecting grass is also made it in. Later we also plan to make planes bend the grass by their fuselage and wings like player controlled tanks do. In addition, a significant amount of work has been done on physics and plane 3D model improvements, tank armor made more detailed, multiplayer changes including victory points allocation.
We hope you'll enjoy the new version we prepared for you, friends.
Main changes:
1. Fighter-interceptor MiG-3 series 24 is available to players who pre-purchased Battle of Moscow. Those who only have Battle of Stalingrad can set it as an AI plane in single player or encounter it in multiplayer.
2. Spanish translation added.
3. French translation added.
4. In MP, dots showing enemy and own objects near airfields and tank bases have been removed. Airfields and tank bases now use different symbols 'under air attack' or 'under ground attack' instead. If server hoster wants to keep previous 'radar' functionality, it's possible to add a spotter unit to the airfield.
5. Airfield symbols in multiplayer were redesigned to make their selection easier when positioned near each other.
6. New multiplayer scenario 'River clash' added. In this scenario tank and aircraft players must work together to cross the rivers and eventually reach the enemy airfield.
7. Player controlled tanks now bend down the grass.
8. Propeller wash now affects grass.
9. New system preserves your multiple joysticks mappings in case of their ID was changed by DirectX after disconnecting and reconnecting or PC reset (it identifies various control devices by GUIDs and names).
10. Early war (1941) tanks added: KV-1 mod. 1941, Т-34 STZ mod. 1941, Pz III Ausf.H and Pz IV Ausf.F1. You can use them in custom missions or encounter in QMB. They will appear in Battle of Moscow campaign in the future.
Changes in flight modeling and AI:
11. Pilot head limits in closed cockpit were corrected for all planes.
12. Default pilot head positions were corrected for all planes.
13. In case of fuel tank penetration, LaGG-3, La-5, Pe-2, P-40 amd Bf 109 E-7 engines will no longer stop before spending all the remaining fuel.
14. Propeller governor works correctly after starting a mission in P-40 with cold engine.
15. Head shake reduced on IL-2 at high engine RPM.
16. IL-2 engine now automatically enters boosted mode by enriching mixture when engine helper is active (at Normal difficulty mode).
17. Automatic He-111 bombsight mode no longer resets after exiting bombsight view.
18. Muzzle velocity was corrected for He 111 Mg-FF guns.
19. Bomb release sounds added for all planes.
20. AI turret gunners now engage attacking fighters at 3 times longer distance if they have plenty of ammo left.
21. Field of view (looking down) corrected for AI LaGG-3, Lа5, IL-2, Bf 109 F4, Bf 109 G2, Fw 190 A3 (reduced in general).
22. Inversion trails are now related to air movement.
3D aircraft model changes:
23. Fixed issue with invisible fuel leak on I-16, MC-202, Bf 110, Ju 87.
24. Slits between cockpit and fuselage removed on several planes.
25. 'Dancing reflections' bug in Bf 110 E-2 cockpit fixed.
26. Yak-1 mixture control lever movement corrected (inverted).
27. Bf 110 E-2 engine gauges disappear correctly after losing an engine.
28. Venturi tube added to I-16.
29. Animation of flight and oxygen controls corrected in Bf-110 cockpit.
3D tank model changes:
30. Tank suspension made more detailed. Now it's easier to hit hull sides between the wheels, but it's harder to hit a track itself.
31. Unbuttoned gunner/commander can be hit by bullets and fragments, making this view dangerous (there is no visible human model yet).
32. Unbuttoning/closing hatch is now animated and T-34 hatch provides some cover.
33. Т-34 gun mantlet armor corrected (was 2x more before).
34. Missing armor plate added to Pz. III turret (left side).
35. A small hole in T-34 armor between its hull and turret was patched up.
36. Spare track links attached to Pz. III front hull provide additional armor.
37. Tracks on player controlled tanks are now more resistant to bullets and smaller caliber rounds.
38. LOD models added for player controlled tanks, this should improve performance in large tank battles in multiplayer.
39. Tank destruction corrected (a random bug could cause tank turret to remain intact).
40. Tank shot smoke effect was corrected - now it's a bit more transporent
Multiplayer changes:
41. Victory in MP is granted to the side which has more points left after time runs out or to the side which reduced enemy points to zero.
42. Coalition victory points in MP can be reduced by 50 by achieving special goals set by mission designer.
43. Victory can be achieved by completing a Mission Primary Objective specified by mission designer.
44. At the end of the mission victorious players, who fought at least for 15 minutes and did not change sides, receive +50 additional points on Normal and +100 on Expert difficulty.
45. Tank players always receive 100% points even if their tank was damaged or destroyed, since they can't return home like planes (with the exception of friendly fire, that yields 0% points given).
46. Credit for tank kills should be awarded correctly in all cases.
47. Mission designers can block airfield or tank base by assigning it an empty object pool via CMD_behaviour command.
48. Balancer functionality that adjusts the number of players between coalitions now works for tanks as well.
49. Balancer now allows up to 2 Pz. III players per 1 T-34 player, depending on total player amount.
50. Microstutters in large MP battles should be gone now.
51. Remaining coalition victory points are displayed on mission end screen.
52. Statistics on a custom difficulty server are displayed without redundant 'custom 0% points' label.
Other changes:
53. Scenario mission corrected in the 2nd chapter of the early Stalingrad campaign.
54. Outro video should correctly play at the end of late Stalingrad campaign.
55. Fw 190 escort missions corrected in the campaign (starting altitude was too low when escorting ground attack planes).
56. HUD transparency setting now affects mouse cursors in flight.
57. Pontoon bridge entrances are now visible from longer distances.
Did some tests yesterday in the Mig3, it's very unique plane and well modelled. They definitely did their best to have it represent it's true strengths and weaknesses. It's horrible at SL to 2000 meters, but a beast at above 5,000. Only soviet fight in the game capable of competing with Luftwaffe at high altitude. Nice addition to the sim balance, many Luffte guys just camp out at high alt and try to sniper you. Now you can climb up there and flush em out. Really enjoyable to fly, if you can kill a 109f4 at 2,000 meters alt...you are one hell of a pilot....the mig handles like an unstable brick when it's low and slow.
I didn't expect the
Pat Wilson Campaign Generator for BoS to show up this quickly. :o
http://www.pwcampaignmanager.com/pwcgbos/web/PWCGBoS.html
I'm sure it's a work-in-progress but maybe it's now time for some single-player rejoicing?
Vid instructions:
This is good news. Why the developers continue to ignore this type of feature is puzzling.
Quote from: IronX on January 12, 2016, 05:27:58 PM
This is good news. Why the developers continue to ignore this type of feature is puzzling.
I chalk it up to "DCS Syndrome". They probably enjoy everything about creating aircraft, but not so much the environment framework in which to immerse them.
So the programmers of such flight sims tend to spend as much time as possible doing what they want to do most - creating the virtual aircraft.
It makes the most sense, if you think about it. If programmers from the IL-2 or DCS bunch were given the option between spending a month working on a new aircraft model, or expanding the sim environment (campaign, mission generation, map & AI unit improvements, etc), it's obvious which they would prefer.
The environment stuff only gets expanded after the player base has been clamoring for it long & loud (as in the case of DCS), and sometimes that doesn't even elicit much (IL-2).
I tested the Pat Wilson campaign generator, it works same as ROF. It pretty flexible you can select settings to have big furballs or small skirmishes. It has all the features the classic il2 sp career campaigns had. It definately threw a bone to the sp crowd. One thing that is cool is the situation map, you can see ground formations and aerodromes. I'd like to see him develope that part more to sort of add a strategic layer.
There's no campaign in serious sims like FSX and XPlane. Maybe they are emulating FSX and XPlane where 3rd party will provide the career goodies (Virtual Airlines, Air Hauler, FS Economy, FS Passengers, etc.).
50% Off in the Halloween sale.
Through Monday.
Both on Steam and separately.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/307960/
http://il2sturmovik.com/store/battle-of-stalingrad/
Since taking up flight sims again, lately, I've also been quite interested in getting back into this one. Now that there have been many updates, some new map scenery, everything unlocked, etc.
The 'Wings Of Liberty' MP server sounds like the place to be. Similar to the ongoing air war servers I've enjoyed in ROF, where people tend to play the objectives.
I've also been thinking about reloading this one. Although I was never very good at take offs and landings in fighters. Their narrow, spindly little legs always led to disaster. So I stuck with the bombers, especially the He 111, and quite enjoyed it until the missions became repetitive. I should have moved on to MP, but feared a bomber wouldn't last five minutes.
Only $12 here...not the steam version, but may be worth it..
https://www.kinguin.net/product/99992/il-2-sturmovik-battle-of-stalingrad-digital-download/
Quote from: IronX on October 28, 2016, 05:57:39 PM
I've also been thinking about reloading this one. Although I was never very good at take offs and landings in fighters. Their narrow, spindly little legs always led to disaster. So I stuck with the bombers, especially the He 111, and quite enjoyed it until the missions became repetitive. I should have moved on to MP, but feared a bomber wouldn't last five minutes.
I also had a helluva time taxi'ing and taking off in some of them. Got a bit used to the fighters, but some still tried to kill me. The Pe-2 didn't like me trying to taxi at all.
Seems there is some finesse tricks to them I didn't know about.
While it now has a Pat Wilson Campaign Generator for single-player, I think the real fun is in multi-player. Been enjoying learning some DCS button-pushing, but the good MP servers don't compel players to take out or defend objectives very much. I kinda like having that extra team focus, even if I'm flying casual as all hell.
Quote from: Nefaro on October 28, 2016, 09:58:02 PM
Quote from: IronX on October 28, 2016, 05:57:39 PM
I've also been thinking about reloading this one. Although I was never very good at take offs and landings in fighters. Their narrow, spindly little legs always led to disaster. So I stuck with the bombers, especially the He 111, and quite enjoyed it until the missions became repetitive. I should have moved on to MP, but feared a bomber wouldn't last five minutes.
I also had a helluva time taxi'ing and taking off in some of them. Got a bit used to the fighters, but some still tried to kill me. The Pe-2 didn't like me trying to taxi at all.
Seems there is some finesse tricks to them I didn't know about.
It's all about balancing throttle, brake and rudder. I have to confess that I gave up on the game because I was exhausted by the time I got from dispersal to the runway. I've yet to try it, but the new patch (2.004?) has apparently addressed the overly springy undercarriage, making both taxiing and landing a bit easier.
I might pick up BoM in the sale...
Edit: BoM not in sale, but just had a quick go in BoS and made my first decent landing in an F4, so things seem to have improved.
Quote from: Father Ted on October 29, 2016, 05:27:11 AM
It's all about balancing throttle, brake and rudder. I have to confess that I gave up on the game because I was exhausted by the time I got from dispersal to the runway. I've yet to try it, but the new patch (2.004?) has apparently addressed the overly springy undercarriage, making both taxiing and landing a bit easier.
I might pick up BoM in the sale...
Edit: BoM not in sale, but just had a quick go in BoS and made my first decent landing in an F4, so things seem to have improved.
:) That is good news about a better landing experience. Might have to try it out.
Quote from: Father Ted on October 29, 2016, 05:27:11 AM
Edit: BoM not in sale, but just had a quick go in BoS and made my first decent landing in an F4, so things seem to have improved.
Good news!
My landings weren't
too horrible. But the planes did seem extra bouncy, even in gentle touchdowns.
I just gotta get used to "punching" the rudder in short bits, and using the left/right brakes to help steer properly, while on the ground. Been flying mostly WWI and modern jets, in recent years, where the tail-dragging wheel was non-existent or amounted to a wooden stick that didn't really turn. :))
I see the upcoming Ju-52 will be able to drop paras, which is pretty cool, although I have no clue how that works in-game. Perhaps like a bombing mission where you need to get your pixel-truppen on a target? And I thought a He 111 would make a nice target in MP, lol.
Chuck's pdf Guides are great...
http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/10268-chucks-aircraft-guide/
I've been using the ones for the advanced DCS aircraft, too.
Whoa, those are some impressive guides! Thanks for the tip.
Also:
Requiem's IL-2 BOS Aircraft Familiarization vid series (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGX9Gh0JnUo&list=PLnyigzFtHeNquPvKFr3mazkk_VK0JpxUw&index=2)
A quick way to get to know each type and how to take off & land them.
Chuck's Guides have a bit more detail regarding some things. Such as the special way to steer Russian aircraft on the ground (short brake then rudder input), and such. But those vids hit the main points.
Are the nations mixed in MP like our favorite DCS server? Or GE one side SU the other?
Is this really worth it if I have IL-2 1946? I've been impressed that gig has the latest and greatest updates for that sim.
I don't play MP.
Quote from: Tuna on October 30, 2016, 08:00:18 PM
Are the nations mixed in MP like our favorite DCS server? Or GE one side SU the other?
Probably depends on the server setting, like DCS, but I'm pretty sure most of them are German vs Soviet sides. O0 The ones I played on were.
Quote from: DoctorQuest on October 30, 2016, 08:13:36 PM
Is this really worth it if I have IL-2 1946? I've been impressed that gig has the latest and greatest updates for that sim.
I don't play MP.
Over 1946? I think so. The flight and damage modeling is FAR superior to that of IL-2 1946. The older one has been regularly described as feeling like flying "on rails" through the sky in comparison.
BOS is made by the Rise Of Flight devs, using a related engine, and ROF has a great reputation for the feel of it's flight modeling. This one is also much prettier.
But it's single-player is a mixed bag. The AI pilots are rather stupid, just like they were in ROF. I recall them only knowing two moves; a constant left or right turn, and a Split-S. Their logic is probably the same in BOS. Of course, the
1946 pilots have their own problems, ignoring the physics restrictions placed on player pilots & such, being able to pull inhuman Gs without any issue for starters.
While there is a dynamic campaign mod out for BOS, I've not yet tried it. I used the similar one for ROF, and it was an impressive mod. However I'm more about the multi-player so I can't say how well it turned out for this new one since it's still limited by the mission generation, and other such stuff, in vanilla BOS.
SP in Battle of Stalingrad is lackluster. You can use PWCG as a 3rd party add-on to generate somewhat decent missions but the biggest problem with the SP game is the ridiculous leveling system the devs put in place. Each time you succeed, you gain XP which were used to unlock skins and additional weapons loads (thankfully they did away with much of that foolishness). As you gain levels up to a maximum of 10, the AI gets tougher. Sadly, this doesn't mean more skilled pilots with a wider repertoire of maneuvers on hand. It just means they can fly with perfect e-retention and fire golden BBs of death with unerring accuracy and there's no real way to control this. Your XP level is global so once you hit level 10, you stay at level 10 as there's no real career system in place. You can't start over with a new virtual pilot.
From a content standpoint, I consider BoS about where the original IL-2 was at the Forgotten Battles release. As to gameplay in SP, I only play single missions and consider it on par with the original IL-2. Its the feeling of flying and the atmosphere of combat where BoS starts to surpass the original IL-2.
1946 and the 3rd party mods has so much damned content its hard to compare it to anything. But when I actually go back and fly 1946, its feels sluggish and vanilla. But where else, for now, are you going to get that balance of content and combat flight simulator than with 1946.
Frankly, I have flown 1946 maybe 2 hours this year. I have flown BoS a couple hundred.
Quote from: RyanE on October 31, 2016, 05:45:47 AM
Frankly, I have flown 1946 maybe 2 hours this year. I have flown BoS a couple hundred.
...and I'm the other way about, but that's mainly because my squadmates are stuck with the older game and I'm a MP kinda guy.
I would point out, though, that BoS is half-price til tomorrow. Definitely worth getting at that price even if "just" for SP. As others have pointed out, it is a step-change up from IL2'46 in terms of FMs and gfx: IMO you'll get many hours entertainment learning to fly the crates and looking out the windows, even before you start trying to shoot stuff.
Thanks for the feedback but I think I'll pass. I have doubts my rig would be able to run BoS and I have no immediate plans to upgrade. I find it hard to believe this will be the last sale ever.
Could not disagree more with the FM discussion, though. "Flying on rails"????? What settings was this person using? They may not be perfect but "flying on rails" is a bit of an exaggeration in my opinion. No, I've never actually flown any of the aircraft modeled (I have flown a T-6) but 1946 seems to do a decent job of modeling FM compared to other sims I have. I am NOT saying BoS may not do a better job on FMs but 1946 gives me enough challenges to keep me happy, thank you very much.
Good discussion.
The taxi'ing is still a damn nightmare to learn.
It's easier taking off and landing than to taxi. Notably the Russkie planes.
Just using mostly brakes & throttle in ze German ones can be gauged after some practice. But having to keep tapping the brakes in order to get your rudder turn to work one direction or another, in the Soviet ones, takes extra learnin'.
Wouldn't be so bad if getting one tire in the snow/grass didn't pretty much prevent you from moving again. :o
Anyway..
Just flew a sortie in the Bf-109F4, on the Wings Of Liberty server.
Enjoyable time despite a 110 spinning into me in one taxi attempt and only seeing a couple friendly bombers while I was up.
Very much reminds me of playing ROF on the Full Realism servers, having to navigate by landmarks while looking for little specks in the distance. Pretty much the same game engine, so the terrain & such look very similar. :)
Quote from: DoctorQuest on October 31, 2016, 12:37:25 PM
Could not disagree more with the FM discussion, though. "Flying on rails"????? What settings was this person using? They may not be perfect but "flying on rails" is a bit of an exaggeration in my opinion. No, I've never actually flown any of the aircraft modeled (I have flown a T-6) but 1946 seems to do a decent job of modeling FM compared to other sims I have. I am NOT saying BoS may not do a better job on FMs but 1946 gives me enough challenges to keep me happy, thank you very much.
Good discussion.
Ah, dear old FM discussions...My take on '46 v BoS is that the latter gives me a greater sense of sitting behind a powerful engine in a plane designed to be inherently unstable. Whether that is down to the FMs or the graphics or the sounds, or a combination of all three, I don't know. It's obviously an entirely subjective viewpoint: I'm not saying that one better FMs than the other, just that the newer game is the more immersive experience - for me.
Quote from: Father Ted on October 31, 2016, 02:02:01 PM
My take on '46 v BoS is that the latter gives me a greater sense of sitting behind a powerful engine in a plane designed to be inherently unstable.
This is a really interesting insight. While I'm not a hardcore flight simmer, I have definitely found BoS to be more challenging than either Il-2 '46 or Cliffs of Dover, purely in terms of mastering flight characteristics.
I spent many hours in Cliffs of Dover trying to master the 109 Emil -- eventually got pretty decent at it, even in the E-2 (?) that doesn't offer automated prop pitch.
But by comparison, I find the 109F in BoS to be a *lot* harder to fly. "Inherently unstable" seems right to me. Take-offs in the 109 are definitely harder in BoS than in Cliffs of Dover (although I think the latest Team Fusion patch upped the difficulty in CloD). Landings seem harder to me too, as the 109F seems more prone to stalling/spinning out as I approach the landing strip if I'm not super delicate with the rudder.
Anyway, picked up the FW 190 and the La-5 on the BoS sale. Who knows if I'll ever figure out how to fly them though!
Quote from: sandman2575 on October 31, 2016, 02:58:07 PM
Quote from: Father Ted on October 31, 2016, 02:02:01 PM
My take on '46 v BoS is that the latter gives me a greater sense of sitting behind a powerful engine in a plane designed to be inherently unstable.
This is a really interesting insight. While I'm not a hardcore flight simmer, I have definitely found BoS to be more challenging than either Il-2 '46 or Cliffs of Dover, purely in terms of mastering flight characteristics.
I spent many hours in Cliffs of Dover trying to master the 109 Emil -- eventually got pretty decent at it, even in the E-2 (?) that doesn't offer automated prop pitch.
But by comparison, I find the 109F in BoS to be a *lot* harder to fly. "Inherently unstable" seems right to me. Take-offs in the 109 are definitely harder in BoS than in Cliffs of Dover (although I think the latest Team Fusion patch upped the difficulty in CloD). Landings seem harder to me too, as the 109F seems more prone to stalling/spinning out as I approach the landing strip if I'm not super delicate with the rudder.
Do you have a rough idea of your hours spent in CloD v BoS, sandman? It may be that the 109F in BoS is different to fly rather than harder if you've got your muscle-memory sufficiently invested in the CloD version.
I certainly have no RL flying experience (beyond a fair amount of gliding when I was a Tedlet), so my observations are really just hearsay. For instance I find the F4 in BoS to be a bit more wallow-y than what I'm used to in '46 (where it's a bit more on rails, dare I say ;)), but I can't say which is the more "accurate". I guess what I was getting at initially was that BoS matches my
imagination of what of flying and fighting was like then better than '46.
Quote from: DoctorQuest on October 31, 2016, 12:37:25 PM
Thanks for the feedback but I think I'll pass. I have doubts my rig would be able to run BoS and I have no immediate plans to upgrade. I find it hard to believe this will be the last sale ever.
Could not disagree more with the FM discussion, though. "Flying on rails"????? What settings was this person using? They may not be perfect but "flying on rails" is a bit of an exaggeration in my opinion. No, I've never actually flown any of the aircraft modeled (I have flown a T-6) but 1946 seems to do a decent job of modeling FM compared to other sims I have. I am NOT saying BoS may not do a better job on FMs but 1946 gives me enough challenges to keep me happy, thank you very much.
Good discussion.
Does your rig run RoF ok? BoS seems to do pretty good on my system, very smooth. I'm AMD FX-6300 8 Gig of memory and I think a GTX 660. DCS and FSX do not run as smooth.
I have a lot more time logged in CloD than BoS -- according to Steam, 95 hrs. vs. 12 (!) hrs. So I'm sure you're right that that's coloring my impressions a bit. Still, I can't help but feel that the 109F in BoS is more temperamental than the 109E in CloD. It just feels more unstable to me, where CloD's 109E feels more predictable and forgiving somehow.
Quick question for Moscow owners: If I bought BoM directly from the devs, can I add it to my Steam account? I already own BoS for Steam.
Magz had some vid showing of a player tank on tank thing going on in BoS - is that still a work in progress? Combined arms stuff really makes me giddy, and I'd like to (again) return to Ostfront action!
Quote from: IronX on November 02, 2016, 02:04:11 PM
Quick question for Moscow owners: If I bought BoM directly from the devs, can I add it to my Steam account? I already own BoS for Steam.
You can buy from developers but there is a process for activating it with a steam key. When you buy from the 1c site, don't download the game, instead use the key to transfer it to a steam key, then go to steam and activate it there. I would check at the dev site for more precise details. You can only have the game activated on steam or non steam, not both. Once you transfer your key to steam there's no going back to the non steam client with out the devs resetting your key manually.
Cool, thanks. If I get I might just stick with Steam.
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on November 02, 2016, 02:57:57 PM
Magz had some vid showing of a player tank on tank thing going on in BoS - is that still a work in progress? Combined arms stuff really makes me giddy, and I'd like to (again) return to Ostfront action!
It's not especially fancy. Or finished AFAIK.
I don't recall seeing people use both in MP, but I haven't done much of it yet.
Quote from: IronX on November 02, 2016, 03:53:16 PM
Cool, thanks. If I get I might just stick with Steam.
I switched my key to steam and have no complaints.
I picked it up from Steam in the end, so all is good. Now to learn how to fly the new birds!
So there was a recent update to IL2BoS that reportedly improved the graphics engine performance a good-to-great amount, depending on your hardware.
I've not fired it up yet to try, since busy playing some other things (plus more DCS on the menu first). But it's great to see the developers spend extra time optimizing their sim. :bd: Other devs should do likewise; it doesn't get as much attention as it should these days.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 28, 2016, 08:23:08 PM
So there was a recent update to IL2BoS that reportedly improved the graphics engine performance a good-to-great amount, depending on your hardware.
I've not fired it up yet to try, since busy playing some other things (plus more DCS on the menu first). But it's great to see the developers spend extra time optimizing their sim. :bd: Other devs should do likewise; it doesn't get as much attention as it should these days.
It also added the JU-52 and a scripted campaign.
Got my rudder pedals in the mail yesterday!... LOL Nef you were right, it does take some getting used to. I guess there will be a lot of practice needed before I venture into the MP skies. Although having the individual toe brakes is awesome. Taxing is a breeze now, it's just that next step 'the takeoff' that is becoming a new adventure!
Quote from: Tuna on December 29, 2016, 09:35:01 AM
Got my rudder pedals in the mail yesterday!... LOL Nef you were right, it does take some getting used to. I guess there will be a lot of practice needed before I venture into the MP skies. Although having the individual toe brakes is awesome. Taxing is a breeze now, it's just that next step 'the takeoff' that is becoming a new adventure!
I think it only took me a few days of virtual flying to get accustomed to using the rudder pedals.
After that, I became increasingly endeared with them. Despite my feet being larger than what they were created for (makes accidental toe brake use quite probable) I'd be frustrated flying without them nowadays. Especially in prop planes.
I need to get some of these. Any recommendations?
Quote from: IronX on December 29, 2016, 03:50:51 PM
I need to get some of these. Any recommendations?
What's your budget?
Quote from: IronX on December 29, 2016, 03:50:51 PM
I need to get some of these. Any recommendations?
The ones I bought were CH Pro, they were 120 on Amazon (I think Nef also told me, these were the ones he had and they've served him well).. Thrustmaster has a pair that is around 65, but they seem to be very close together. After the CH Pro ones the prices seemed to climb pretty rapidly. Outside my budget, have other things I want to direct money towards.
Quote from: IronX on December 29, 2016, 03:50:51 PM
I need to get some of these. Any recommendations?
Need or want? I would say decent stick > head tracking > pedals for flight simming. And actually when I say decent stick I have a T16000 which is pretty low-end price-wise, but it does the job. My Headtracking is TIR5, which is great.
And to answer your question, I have the CH Pro pedals, and they're good, though have gotten a little spiky on the toe-brakes.
But definitely head-tracking before pedals.
I've got a set of ProFlight pedals from Saitek if anyone wants to buy a used set. I've tried pedals on a couple of occasions and found that I prefer using a twist-stick to the pedals. I have a wheeled chair and I found I was pushing myself away from the pedals and screwing up my POV via TrackIR when I was using the pedals. Plus I guess I have a lead foot and never did get the touch required to make fine inputs instinctively.
I've been using TIR for years and would never fly without it. I just have an inexpensive Logitech Pro 3D stick at the moment but am thinking of upgrading that and getting pedals. As for budget, I don't want to buy the most expensive kit available, but will consider most prices.
I'd also suggest investing in a Track-IR set foremost, after a HOTAS you're comfortable with. Pedals third, although I regularly had some issues with using big rocker switches for rudder, and using stick twists was even worse when going for fine rudder control (such as when aiming guns in a biplane & sometimes WW2 aircraft).
Yep, Track IR is THE essential piece of kit after a joystick. The twist stick I use now is hella annoying when it comes to fine control. That's why I'm hoping pedals are the way to go.
For me PEDALS are just a pain in the butt. You cannot relax while using them because your legs are raised at least in my setup, unless I dig a hole in the computer room, my chair is simply not a bucket seat that puts me on the right angle to use pedals. They have to be secured by something so they don't slide across the floor.
Think my issue is the natural tendency to ride a bike and turn the wrong way.. Also the FW is not an easy bird to take off. I was able to do ok with ME109 and Stuka, so just gotta practice more.
The JU-52 is awesome.
Quote from: Tuna on December 29, 2016, 09:17:01 PM
Think my issue is the natural tendency to ride a bike and turn the wrong way...
I did that at first (despite actually having learned to fly IRL :-[). The way I got past it was to imagine the pedal pulling the control cable: left foot forward pulls the rudder to the left, plane yaws left. Talking of yaw, you should re-visit RoF with your new pedals - the rudder is a much more important control surface in those old crates than in the WW2 ones.
Quote from: Father Ted on December 30, 2016, 01:46:48 PM
Quote from: Tuna on December 29, 2016, 09:17:01 PM
Think my issue is the natural tendency to ride a bike and turn the wrong way...
I did that at first (despite actually having learned to fly IRL :-[). The way I got past it was to imagine the pedal pulling the control cable: left foot forward pulls the rudder to the left, plane yaws left. Talking of yaw, you should re-visit RoF with your new pedals - the rudder is a much more important control surface in those old crates than in the WW2 ones.
It's funny, I understand the concept (foot forward the direction you want to turn - because that's the cable that's pulling the rudder), and it works great for me in the beginning when the torque starts. But then once I lift the tail, and the nose starts to move the opposite side, my "Bike Mind" takes over.. Maybe they're too sensitive? Is there a way to change the sensitivity or should I? When I go into input, I only see one Joystick, I assume that's the main one.
Think I've got it now.. just have to go easy on the throttle until the torque dissipates. Then straighten the rudder out and open the throttle after. FW190 is just more finicky then the others.
Quote from: Tuna on December 30, 2016, 02:45:28 PM
...it works great for me in the beginning when the torque starts. But then once I lift the tail, and the nose starts to move the opposite side, my "Bike Mind" takes over.. Maybe they're too sensitive? Is there a way to change the sensitivity or should I? When I go into input, I only see one Joystick, I assume that's the main one.
I doubt they're too sensitive - I have the same pedals and haven't fiddled with the curves. However, should you wish to, I'm 90% certain you can alter the response of each control axis. Not as subtly as you can in RoF, but you can make it so they're less sensitive in the centre part of the throw. Off the top of my head it's under a "responses" tab on the controls menu.
The take off is a balance between opening the throttle and counteracting the ensuing torque/prop-wash effects. What I tend to do is slowly advance the throttle and gently feed in the rudder by "feel" - much as you say. IMO pedals are an advantage here, because of the added tactility they bring (when you get used to them!)
I changed the sensitivity curves for my rudder pedals in DCS.
Don't recall if I need to for BOS.
Then again, just keeping the planes going straight, while taxiing in BOS, is much more difficult than actually flying or taking off in the things. As if they made the tail wheel constantly try to turn perpendicular to where your aircraft is pointing while on the ground. :pullhair:
Was told to constantly "punch" the rudder to left or right as needed, so there is definitely more footwork involved in BOS ruddering. Ends up being a constant ordeal in many types. Not too bad if you manage to notice your heading just starting to vaguely go one direction, but if you're too slow on the pedals, it can increase quickly and be more of a pain to get back to center without oversteering.
Here ya go, Tuna!
New tutorial vid for Fw190A3
Sounds like the 190A3 is getting an overhaul from the developers when the new A5 model comes out.
Fw190A5 in Battle Of Kuban or separate DLC? I dunno.
lol. I was actually watching that this morning.
Quote from: Tuna on January 22, 2017, 11:38:47 AM
lol. I was actually watching that this morning.
Still crashing & burning?
At least the devs seem to be receptive towards adjusting some of the wonkiness with their modeling.
I've been doing ok, taking off in the 111. I wanted to do the FW this morning, after watching that video. But it wasn't available on the MP server I've been going on. Last week in solo, I was able to take off ok after many tries. Just gotta be gentle. Let the torque dissipate as the speed climbs, wait till it's at 100 kph to lift the tail of the ground.
Longknife on Asid's site, posted some nice screenies of our MP session the other night.
I moved my computer upstairs today, onto my son's desk (since he's back at college). But I haven't moved the TrackIR/Joystick/Pedals up yet.
Enjoying my Rudder Pedals and Il2.. Just need some darn escorts!
Last night's run
Approaching the target
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/466/32370684251_15286ba1be_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RjudDH)
Bombs away!
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/722/31648908564_8feb1d95c2_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QdGVTj)
Target hit, actually it was a fuel dump so destroyed lots of lil tanks
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/391/32451777736_34504b1e44_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RrDQVf)
Coming in for landing, Engine 2 had been smoking for awhile, as I was attacked by a fighter as I left the target area. My gunner took care of him though! Just was nervous that ME 109 on the runway wasn't gonna take off in time.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/493/31648906584_da59ab4219_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/QdGVib)
Safe at home.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/759/32451776206_c691fdfa3c_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RrDQsS)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/698/32340619142_7b92bae5e8_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RgQ8kL)
Good looking game. :dreamer:
Last time I took a Bf-109 out in multi-player I got murderized. Wandered into a scrap, but couldn't tell who the hell was friendly or enemy so I hesitated while circling to get a better view. Eventually got bounced from two different directions at once. :buck2:
Well now, if you 'escorted' me, you would know that anyone that is firing on me, is a bad guy (one thing that sticks out on this game is tracers!), or a friendly that deserves to be shot down! 8)
Quote from: Tuna on January 25, 2017, 10:22:46 AM
Well now, if you 'escorted' me, you would know that anyone that is firing on me, is a bad guy (one thing that sticks out on this game is tracers!), or a friendly that deserves to be shot down! 8)
I was getting this kind of hint before. Just thought I'd push you into saying it. >:D
And "escort"? Would be more like "decoy"! :))
Last night I took a plunge in the Soviet side. The PE2 is a whole new batch of WTF! After googling I was finally able to get it up off the ground. Of course I had another couple of Tunaisms. First I had the old do a roll motion with the Joystick and the guns start firing (experienced this one with DCS, have to unplug and replug in thejoystick to fix).
Next.. a week ago when test flying the Stuka, I mapped the Dive Brake to the Landing Gear button (because I figured the Stuka has fixed landing gear why waste a button). Of course I forgot about it. So hear I am in the PE2 flying to the target and wondering wtf that rattling is (thought I damaged something taking off). The MP server I was on, did not allow outside views of the plane. Later on I watched a recording of the part of the flight and lo and behold, I flew to the target and back with the dive brakes out! :crazy2:
Soooooo....
your joystick AND your mouse are defective and 'accidentally' fire when you don't intend to.
Hrmmm.
:crazy2:
Quote from: Nefaro on January 26, 2017, 02:35:09 PM
Soooooo....
your joystick AND your mouse are defective and 'accidentally' fire when you don't intend to.
Hrmmm.
:crazy2:
Happens to us all after a certain age (although not me)
I thought the deploying the Dive Brake and flying that way the whole mission that way was pretty stupid. Doh, what's that rattling noise!
See now if I had a wingman he'd tell me "Hey your Dive Brake is deployed".. Kind of like "Hey Tuna, why you flying around with your landing gear down". :bd:
Quote from: Tuna on January 26, 2017, 06:08:52 PM
I thought the deploying the Dive Brake and flying that way the whole mission that way was pretty stupid. Doh, what's that rattling noise!
See now if I had a wingman he'd tell me "Hey your Dive Brake is deployed".. Kind of like "Hey Tuna, why you flying around with your landing gear down". :bd:
Asking me to check your undercarriage AGAIN?! :hide:
Despite such a request, I may try some more 109 'drifting' soon. Do some donuts, farm some landing strip with all those squirrely-ass tail wheels. If I get the urge to do some PC gaming this weekend. Been in a digital game funk this week, though.
Multi-crewing a bomber is always an option too, I suppose. Easy to take a gunner spot although it could be a bit dull for stretches.
I hope DCS gets done with their WW2 dev distraction soon, and get around to adding multi-crew features like they've had planned. Would be much more fun to do in an Apache, with it's pilot/gunner setup. Which is one in the plans IIRC. :bd: Fookin KS fails. :tickedoff:
Apache is a good idea, does DCS's Engine have that kind of capability?
Quote from: Tuna on January 27, 2017, 07:19:57 AM
Apache is a good idea, does DCS's Engine have that kind of capability?
They've been planning on adding it for awhile. But that damn 3rd party Kickstarter screw-up has forced them to concentrate on making all the WW2 crap currently coming out (since the 3rd party dumped it after getting funded).
So all the DCS stuff is pretty much on hold until they fulfill that.
IIRC, it's supposed to be in before the F-14 is released. I think that's supposed to be the first fully represented two-seater. They will also include an commandable AI in the extra seat for when we fly them solo. Saw mentions of the Apache and some other stuff opening up later on, afterward.
Lotsa work to do on that, I'm sure. Meanwhile, they're doing someone else's work on Normandy '44 map and Spitfires instead. *grumble grumble*
Fw-190A3 FM patch is out.
Reportedly much better to fly now. :bd:
I'm still on a general digital gaming hiatus. Not sure if I'll be doing anything this weekend.
Quote from: Tuna on January 27, 2017, 07:19:57 AM
Apache is a good idea, does DCS's Engine have that kind of capability?
It's rotary wing physics are excellent. Vortex Ring state, ground effect and orographic wind effects are all modelled.
Quote from: Nefaro on February 02, 2017, 02:16:21 AM
Fw-190A3 FM patch is out.
Reportedly much better to fly now. :bd:
I'm still on a general digital gaming hiatus. Not sure if I'll be doing anything this weekend.
Went on Wings of Glory last night to try the IL2 and the Axis had twice as many players as the Allies. Axis usually has more, but I guess last night must've been tons of people checking out the 190.
Quote from: Tuna on February 02, 2017, 07:18:47 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on February 02, 2017, 02:16:21 AM
Fw-190A3 FM patch is out.
Reportedly much better to fly now. :bd:
I'm still on a general digital gaming hiatus. Not sure if I'll be doing anything this weekend.
Went on Wings of Glory last night to try the IL2 and the Axis had twice as many players as the Allies. Axis usually has more, but I guess last night must've been tons of people checking out the 190.
Last couple times I joined MP, most were flying Russian planes.
I just figured it was because the Yak-1 was the prime overall performer, as modeled in the game. Maybe they tweaked some other FMs since then?
I'm really enjoying the PE2 it's pretty fast.. Can do both Level and Dive bomber role, a lot of fun!
Quote from: Tuna on February 02, 2017, 09:29:40 PM
I'm really enjoying the PE2 it's pretty fast.. Can do both Level and Dive bomber role, a lot of fun!
I'd prefer flying that Peshka, over any other bomber in the sim, for just that reason. The IL-2 is also enjoyable but slow as hell, like the rest.
Think I only flew the Pe-2 once. It took forever to get onto the damn runway because I didn't know how the hell to keep it from continuously spinning in a ground turn.
Quote from: Nefaro on February 02, 2017, 10:48:02 PM
Think I only flew the Pe-2 once. It took forever to get onto the damn runway because I didn't know how the hell to keep it from continuously spinning in a ground turn.
Once you get it down, it's not too bad, just program a key to the brake and press it while doing the rudder It drove me crazy, especially when I didn't know they the toe brakes weren't working!
Anybody know what command to map for 'aiming' the tail guns? I deleted the mouse from the default by mistake, and I don't see which one to map it back to. Nothing as simple as "Aim" there.
Quote from: Tuna on February 14, 2017, 08:24:46 PM
Anybody know what command to map for 'aiming' the tail guns? I deleted the mouse from the default by mistake, and I don't see which one to map it back to. Nothing as simple as "Aim" there.
You mean to look down the gunsight?
Shift + T
(after you hit 'T' to take control of the gun)
No, T and Shift T work fine for me. But once I do those I can't move the gun. I think when re-mapping keys initially, I saw a double or triple action on the mouse thinking that I would never use the gun I removed it. But now I forget which command it was mapped to. I see the command for T and Shift T, but nothing that says 'aim' near it. I'd hate to go back to default after mapping all the keys that I did.
Quote from: Tuna on February 15, 2017, 06:59:06 AM
No, T and Shift T work fine for me. But once I do those I can't move the gun. I think when re-mapping keys initially, I saw a double or triple action on the mouse thinking that I would never use the gun I removed it. But now I forget which command it was mapped to. I see the command for T and Shift T, but nothing that says 'aim' near it. I'd hate to go back to default after mapping all the keys that I did.
So you need to know which axes the mouse was mapped to for gunner controls?
I sometimes have trouble with this too and believe for me that it's a conflict between TrackIR and the mouse. Usually a few taps of the T key sort it out.
Quote from: IronX on February 15, 2017, 11:15:46 AM
I sometimes have trouble with this too and believe for me that it's a conflict between TrackIR and the mouse. Usually a few taps of the T key sort it out.
Maybe that's it.
I wasn't using my TrackIR the other night, when riding gunner in Tuna's Peshka.
I saw something that said vertical something and horizontal something (at work so not sure the commands) but it didn't fix it. I wonder if it was because I was in Blister turret and that might be a different command set.
Quote from: Tuna on February 15, 2017, 06:59:06 AM
No, T and Shift T work fine for me. But once I do those I can't move the gun. I think when re-mapping keys initially, I saw a double or triple action on the mouse thinking that I would never use the gun I removed it. But now I forget which command it was mapped to. I see the command for T and Shift T, but nothing that says 'aim' near it. I'd hate to go back to default after mapping all the keys that I did.
Here are my (default) mouse camera view controls.
Under
Camera Controls tab of Keybindings:
Camera Zoom = Mouse Wheel
Rotate Camera up/down = Mouse Y
Rotate Camera left/right = Mouse X
WARNING: make sure you add those in one of the extra available columns! Don't overwrite any other existing ones!
OT.....
Why the hell do I keep having to shut down IL2-BOS through task manager the first time I attempt to log in?
Accursed game freezes on attempting to log in so I have to hard kill it at least once every time. After restart and second attempt, it has been working fine. :pullhair:
I recall having a rare issue like this with ROF, but this has been steady with BOS. These good flight sims are in constant Beta/Alpha condition. :tickedoff:
I don't think it's camera, because I can move my head with Track IR.. the gun won't move.. there was some settings near the T and CTRL T that I tried, vertical and horizontal, but they didn't seem to do anything.
Ugh!
I had unplugged my USB Throttle awhile back because I wasn't using it. Plugged back in recently...
After starting up IL2BOS, all my mapped keys are assigned to the wrong stick/throttle/rudder now.
Will be forced to go back and re-map every fookeen keybind over again. F this. *ragequit*
I just don't have the patience to be redo'ing my keybinds, on a regular basis, due to poor keybind & options programming.
Wow, that's a weird one.. I always have to unplug mine when I get the left roll = guns blazing issue (all though that one is not game specific since it happens in DCS too. :crazy2:
Quote from: Nefaro on February 15, 2017, 08:51:37 PM
Why the hell do I keep having to shut down IL2-BOS through task manager the first time I attempt to log in?
Accursed game freezes on attempting to log in so I have to hard kill it at least once every time. After restart and second attempt, it has been working fine. :pullhair:
I recall having a rare issue like this with ROF, but this has been steady with BOS. These good flight sims are in constant Beta/Alpha condition. :tickedoff:
A similar thing happens to me. In single-player, when the mission is about to launch, it freezes with a black screen that requires me to kill the game through the task manager. It does this every other time I run the game. But then it will always work after that first reboot. Hasn't happened in multi-player yet, thankfully.
Try full screen window mode, seems to perform better for me.
Quote from: Tuna on February 16, 2017, 12:41:32 PM
Try full screen window mode, seems to perform better for me.
I switched mine over to that a long time ago, after reading the same suggestion regarding freezes and/or fps issues.
My "freeze" isn't technically a complete lock-up. It's just some issue communicating with the login server. Just sits there endlessly, as if waiting for a server reply that will never come. Have to hard exit the damn thing.
Did a few flights with IronX last night.. Thanks for the company Iron!
En-route to the target
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2821/33633994700_ad0f1e766b_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tf81Qm)ironx1 (https://flic.kr/p/Tf81Qm)
Target ahead
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2924/33206907633_2cb27c9eec_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SAo5Je)ironx2 (https://flic.kr/p/SAo5Je)
Bombs away
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3953/33862207562_5926315ca6_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TAhEyS)
Bomb looking good
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2882/33176241974_72bf066078_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SxEUTY)
Target Destroyed!
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3940/33862210112_498b20a34d_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TAhFjQ)
IronX dodges the blast
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2945/33176244174_e1912337cb_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SxEVxU)
IronX going for two, bombs away on the first
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2883/33862212802_caec179023_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TAhG8d)
Direct hits on both targets by IronX, impressive bombing run!!
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2908/33206930173_787357073e_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/SAocqR)
Nice screenshots Tuna.
:dreamer:
We were just missing a 3rd ???
Quote from: Tuna on April 13, 2017, 04:32:51 PM
We were just missing a 3rd ???
Sooooooo... what are you trying to say?
:))
I guess you ended up getting BoM then, seeing as you have a '110. I think that specific aircraft would be the only reason I considered getting that one. More so that Battle Of Kuban is coming out before long, with it's sexy later-war models. <:-)
But you know me. I still primarily dream in afterburner (aka DCS).
Nice screens, Tuna!
Didn't do so well today, getting shot down by Yaks on both missions. :(
Next BoM sale and I'm in!
It's a bit of both.
BOM is on sale right now SDR!..
https://il2sturmovik.com/store/battle-of-moscow/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/store/battle-of-moscow/)
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 14, 2017, 03:44:13 AM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 14, 2017, 03:17:28 AM
Next BoM sale and I'm in!
BoM? Isn't this BoS?
JD, BoM is the 2nd installment of BoS.. gives you Moscow maps and I think 8 more planes.. ME 110 E2 and Ju 88 being the two I wanted. I guess Battle of Kuban which isn't on sale gives you the ME 110 G2. Don't think Kuban is 'out' yet, but they're starting to release some of the planes to the people he bought it now.
The 110 g2 is a blast to plink tanks with the pod mount 37mm. The devs just released the big 2.009 update that has full VR support, so if you have a headset, check it out....it's suppose to be excellent.
BOS 3.001 and the new Kuban DLC just dropped. I am very impressed with where this sim is now. It is solid and beautiful. And looking at plans for even more content down the road, its becoming a sim worthy of the IL-2 name.
Nice...off to go check it out !
I've kind let slip my enthusiasm for WWII flight sims over the years...nail in the coffin being Cliffs of Dover.
This thread piqued my interest again but when I visited the site, I was saddened to see Cliffs of Dover sitting there - were these the devs that created that shitehole game?
If not - I might be tagged back into this. ^-^
Of course, there's always DCS which is doing a WWII theatre - I'd be interested to know if anyone has both and what they think.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on March 15, 2018, 05:50:33 AM
I've kind let slip my enthusiasm for WWII flight sims over the years...nail in the coffin being Cliffs of Dover.
This thread piqued my interest again but when I visited the site, I was saddened to see Cliffs of Dover sitting there - were these the devs that created that shitehole game?
l
If not - I might be tagged back into this. ^-^
Of course, there's always DCS which is doing a WWII theatre - I'd be interested to know if anyone has both and what they think.
They should have ditched the IL2 name - it has just caused confusion. BoX is unrelated to CloD. It has become a very good sim since a slightly shaky start (when they tried to embrace gamey things like unlocks).. It really is worth a look - and they have regular sales.
BTW CloD is unrecognisable from the PoS it was on release. An independent team of modders have ironed out just about all the kinks and added some new content as well. This new "Blitz" edition is £20 on Steam.
CloD is 100% improved from its original release by the community modders. It still has some issues that date back to the origins, like AI wingman and opponents.
To me BoX is now the epitome of a WW2 flight sim. It has improved as a game immensely since its weird initial release.
BOX is by far the best WWII flight sim right now, the new content added a dedicated career mode to better the SP experience and a Coop mode for MP. You can now host games from inside the game menu with out messing with the dedicated server client.
They run regular half off sales, if you get BOS, you get all the new updates. You only miss the aircraft and careers from the other ones (BOM / BOK) It's the opposite of battlefront, you by one module and you forever get the latest version. You even can fly on maps you don't own in MP, great decision so that MP doesn't get fragmented into multiple versions.
DCS WWII needs a lot of work, I regret buying it at this point because I never fly the WWII stuff. Every time I go to DCS it's for the modern stuff.
Quote from: RyanE on March 15, 2018, 02:16:31 PM
CloD is 100% improved from its original release by the community modders. It still has some issues that date back to the origins, like AI wingman and opponents.
To me BoX is now the epitome of a WW2 flight sim. It has improved as a game immensely since its weird initial release.
I thought BoX was more a descendant of Rise of Flight than of IL-2 or CLoD. I like BoX. I will probably be looking into it sometime soon.
Its developed by the same team as RoF, but is a completely different engine, from my understanding.
Quote from: RyanE on March 15, 2018, 04:54:01 PM
Its developed by the same team as RoF, but is a completely different engine, from my understanding.
It's an improved version of the same engine. If you know RoF, BoX will be instantly familiar (in terms of UI, not planes obvs.) In fact, the team are going back to WW1 with "Flying Circus" which will effectively update RoF to the current BoX engine. But it's all evolution rather than revolution.
Bought - BoS and BoM O0
I like the improvements to the game. Normally I play multi-player only, but I am enjoying the new off-line career mode.
Love my Heinkels.
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on March 15, 2018, 08:36:19 PM
Love my Heinkels.
I have a problematic interest in the P-40 series.
Update is slooowwww... 2.70GB. It's been over an hour and I'm at 475 MB.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on March 15, 2018, 05:50:33 AM
I've kind let slip my enthusiasm for WWII flight sims over the years...nail in the coffin being Cliffs of Dover.
This thread piqued my interest again but when I visited the site, I was saddened to see Cliffs of Dover sitting there - were these the devs that created that shitehole game?
If not - I might be tagged back into this. ^-^
Of course, there's always DCS which is doing a WWII theatre - I'd be interested to know if anyone has both and what they think.
I quickly dropped CoD after doing some IL-2BOS long ago. BOS is my only go-to WW2 flight sim right now; the rest just don't compare.
Although I haven't flown in IL-2 for a long time. Cold War jets addiction for me, baby. :coolsmiley: Despite getting my ass kicked in these '70s era minimal-tech rides.
<:-)
(https://lh6.ggpht.com/nOu5HCquTNhYC6R1dv6vMTvO6kMZ8A0Tcpt23CPTmw9z5ocXCeVSFGGwgU0hJPiE3g8=h900)
Quote from: JudgeDredd on March 15, 2018, 05:54:44 PM
Bought - BoS and BoM O0
:bd:
You'll like. BoS/X is sexayy and still has that ROF-style quality sound immersion I always loved.
My god the p-39 is a blast. It flies OK but the gunnery is perfect for me. 4,000 rounds of 30cal, 400 rounds of 50cal, and 60 rounds of 37mm, can't miss when your putting out a wall of lead. The 37 with AP rounds is a sight to be hold when you get a hit. I saw one round rip a stuka apart from tail to nose. I'm going to have to remember to start clicking on the gun camera.
Quote from: Nefaro on March 15, 2018, 11:26:30 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on March 15, 2018, 05:54:44 PM
Bought - BoS and BoM O0
:bd:
You'll like. BoS/X is sexayy and still has that ROF-style quality sound immersion I always loved.
Ready for some MP again? I'll move my pedals, stick and Track IR upstairs!
Quote from: Tuna on March 16, 2018, 05:55:15 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on March 15, 2018, 11:26:30 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on March 15, 2018, 05:54:44 PM
Bought - BoS and BoM O0
:bd:
You'll like. BoS/X is sexayy and still has that ROF-style quality sound immersion I always loved.
Ready for some MP again? I'll move my pedals, stick and Track IR upstairs!
Doubt I'll be doing IL-2Bo again until I budget for the new Kuban content.
Even then, I haven't even turned on my gaming pc in three days. Been in that general funk for months, other than an occasional Dom5 or TWW2 single-player taste.
Quote from: Skoop on March 16, 2018, 04:45:37 AM
My god the p-39 is a blast. It flies OK but the gunnery is perfect for me. 4,000 rounds of 30cal, 400 rounds of 50cal, and 60 rounds of 37mm, can't miss when your putting out a wall of lead. The 37 with AP rounds is a sight to be hold when you get a hit. I saw one round rip a stuka apart from tail to nose. I'm going to have to remember to start clicking on the gun camera.
Heh. I tried out the P-39 as well. The 37mm is pretty awesome if you can score a hit with it. The muzzle velocity is so low, I feel like I'm firing a trebuchet when I watch the tracer plummet.
A-20 is pretty fun as well but god damn, those gunners take forever to get into position!
That A-20's rear gun has a very limited magazine too, which makes it quite vulnerable to attack.
WOW. This "series" is DLC city :pullhair:
Quote from: JudgeDredd on March 17, 2018, 03:53:40 PM
WOW. This "series" is DLC city :pullhair:
LOL.
That's every "series" nowadays. Where ya been, JD? :))
So the day has finally arrived! IL-2 is one sale and 3.001 has been released with Dynamic Campaign.... Time to drop Stalingrad and Moscow in my cart!
Good stuff! If you're looking for people to pair up with in MP let me know.
Quote from: Tuna on April 03, 2018, 11:14:04 AM
Good stuff! If you're looking for people to pair up with in MP let me know.
Damn. I only bought this 20 days ago!
Thinking of picking up myself...just curious, what version do people go with? Steam or direct from web site? Thought I read latest expansions won't be coming to Steam soon if at all so I was leaning towards direct from the company.
I bought direct from the company. They provided keys to switch over to Steam if I want to.
I've been playing through an Ironman campaign in Kuban where I'm flying a P-39 for the 16th GIAP. Survived 9 days so far, been shot down twice, and racked up 14 kills (4 Stukas, 1 FW-190A, 9 Bf-109 G-4s).
I think I got the original through Steam (courtesy of Nef, guess he felt bad for me cause I was laid off O0). Then I bought Moscow when it was on sale through their site. Even though I got the original through Steam, you don't have to run it through Steam, you can fire it up right off the executable without Steam (because it makes you logon to their site anyways).
I switched my key to steam and prefer it that way. You can buy the EA expansions from their site and it automatically activates in steam. There are no delays or separation like DCS and DCS Steam, it's all one system in IL2.
The SP career mode is a blast. It would be great if you could run the career missions in the new coop mode with buddies as wingmen.
To use the new coop mode, I have to create a quick mission or download a mission and host it with the new interface with in the game. It's pretty easy to do there's an auto template set with the coop mode and the community already has a running library of coop scenarios to use.
Quote from: Skoop on April 03, 2018, 07:38:34 PM
The SP career mode is a blast.
Is the new SP career mode available if you just have Battle of Stalingrad (me) -- or do you need Battle of Moscow as well (not me)?
Quote from: Skoop on April 03, 2018, 07:38:34 PM
I switched my key to steam and prefer it that way. You can buy the EA expansions from their site and it automatically activates in steam. There are no delays or separation like DCS and DCS Steam, it's all one system in IL2.
The SP career mode is a blast. It would be great if you could run the career missions in the new coop mode with buddies as wingmen.
To use the new coop mode, I have to create a quick mission or download a mission and host it with the new interface with in the game. It's pretty easy to do there's an auto template set with the coop mode and the community already has a running library of coop scenarios to use.
Interesting....so that must mean the expansions are built into some update that is applied to Steam at the same time so that you can play those. I would prefer getting through steam myself, but was just concerned I wouldn't be able to use the expansions if I ever bought.
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 03, 2018, 07:58:01 PM
Quote from: Skoop on April 03, 2018, 07:38:34 PM
The SP career mode is a blast.
Is the new SP career mode available if you just have Battle of Stalingrad (me) -- or do you need Battle of Moscow as well (not me)?
Available with both through the latest update 3.001. The patch puts the dynamic campaign career mode in all versions.
Quote from: PanzersEast on April 03, 2018, 08:50:34 PM
Available with both through the latest update 3.001. The patch puts the dynamic campaign career mode in all versions.
Thanks. Dynamic campaign seems to be getting pretty good reviews/feedback. Am going to have to reinstall this. And probably buy the P-40 on sale while I'm at it...
Nice. And yet DCS can't pull this off.
It's not dynamic in the falcon sense where there's a strategy game going on that you control and you jump in and fly missions that affect the outcome.
It's more like the career mode for rise of flight or even the classic IL2.
The missions are dynamically generated based on the situation depicted on the campaign map, but those maps reflect unchangeable history. It definitely adds to the flavor and immersion which is a huge improvement over the previous SP content.
It's more like a WWII pilot RPG than a dynamic campaign.
Quote from: jomni on April 03, 2018, 10:04:03 PM
Nice. And yet DCS can't pull this off.
Why the need to knock another great game in order to acknowledge something noteworthy of another? BoS used to resemble a mmo console arcade game with unlockables. Nobody compared it unfavorably to DCS then...it took the BoS team years and three separate releases to start to get their act together.
DCS has many campaigns available and a very powerful mission builder and editor. Yes, a dynamic campaign would be nice, but even BoS doesn't have that.
Just finished my first Ironman campaign. More specifically, a Bf-109G-4 finished it for me with a few 20mm shells to the back of my noggin. I was playing as a Soviet pilot in the Kuban campaign. I started in P-39s flying for the 16th GIAP. Racked up a good number of kills but we got stood down for a few days due to losses. We got resupplied with P-40Es and I got a promotion. First mission as a P-40 pilot was to escort a flight of Sturmoviks to their target. They got bounced by some 109s and 190s. I got target fixated on a 109 going after the IL-2s and never saw his wingman drop in behind me. Dead on the first burst of fire. 8 missions completed over 14 game days, 15 air-to-air kills, zero ground kills, two bailouts, and a flaming crater for a grave. Good times!
I think I'll take up a Sturmovik next. I've always been more partial to ground pounding. Slow moving targets are easier for me to hit (sadly, so are trees...)
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 04, 2018, 02:57:49 PM
Just finished my first Ironman campaign. More specifically, a Bf-109G-4 finished it for me with a few 20mm shells to the back of my noggin. I was playing as a Soviet pilot in the Kuban campaign. I started in P-39s flying for the 16th GIAP. Racked up a good number of kills but we got stood down for a few days due to losses. We got resupplied with P-40Es and I got a promotion. First mission as a P-40 pilot was to escort a flight of Sturmoviks to their target. They got bounced by some 109s and 190s. I got target fixated on a 109 going after the IL-2s and never saw his wingman drop in behind me. Dead on the first burst of fire. 8 missions completed over 14 game days, 15 air-to-air kills, zero ground kills, two bailouts, and a flaming crater for a grave. Good times!
I think I'll take up a Sturmovik next. I've always been more partial to ground pounding. Slow moving targets are easier for me to hit (sadly, so are trees...)
Awesome.
I'm going in tonight. Going to fly for the Jerrys.
I had to buy the Fw-190 and the P-40 :'(
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 04, 2018, 02:57:49 PM
Just finished my first Ironman campaign. More specifically, a Bf-109G-4 finished it for me with a few 20mm shells to the back of my noggin. I was playing as a Soviet pilot in the Kuban campaign. I started in P-39s flying for the 16th GIAP. Racked up a good number of kills but we got stood down for a few days due to losses. We got resupplied with P-40Es and I got a promotion. First mission as a P-40 pilot was to escort a flight of Sturmoviks to their target. They got bounced by some 109s and 190s. I got target fixated on a 109 going after the IL-2s and never saw his wingman drop in behind me. Dead on the first burst of fire. 8 missions completed over 14 game days, 15 air-to-air kills, zero ground kills, two bailouts, and a flaming crater for a grave. Good times!
I think I'll take up a Sturmovik next. I've always been more partial to ground pounding. Slow moving targets are easier for me to hit (sadly, so are trees...)
Part of getting older.. bad eyes.. slower reflexes.. Ground Pounding still fun! O0
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 04, 2018, 03:48:40 PM
I had to buy the Fw-190 and the P-40 :'(
When the FW-190 first came out, I really struggled just taking off.. I think they made it a lil easier after a few patches. Every plane has little idiosyncrasies to make em different. HE 111 is a beast and slow climber.. Russians have those pneumatic brakes that are totally different. JU 88 just takes love taps on the tow brakes. I think I enjoyed the PE2 and JU88 the most of the planes I owned (but I don' have Kuban yet. and I haven't given the IL2 a serious try yet).
I didn't have too many problems taking off in the 190 but taxiing to the runway was a bitch. The one that really gave me fits was the Hs 129. I must've wrecked two dozen planes ground looping while trying to take off before I got the hang of it.
Ran into my first bug with the new campaign system. The game started my flight out on the runway as normal but there was another flight mixed in with ours and the take-off order was screwed up resulting in a bunch of collisions and damaged planes.
Sounds like O'Hare at peak
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 03, 2018, 05:34:23 PM
I bought direct from the company. They provided keys to switch over to Steam if I want to.
Wondered why Kuban wasn't showing up in Steam. WTF?
So they're only selling Steam keys on their own site, but not actually ON Steam? ???
I'm guessing that my Steam version items can't be transferred to the non-Steam version?
What a fucking mess.
Quote from: Nefaro on April 04, 2018, 09:26:55 PM
So they're only selling Steam keys on their own site, but not actually ON Steam? ???
I'm guessing that my Steam version items can't be transferred to the non-Steam version?
I think you can activate your steam keys here (once you are a registered user) : https://il2sturmovik.com/store/license-keys/
Quote from: Pete Dero on April 05, 2018, 05:01:06 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on April 04, 2018, 09:26:55 PM
So they're only selling Steam keys on their own site, but not actually ON Steam? ???
I'm guessing that my Steam version items can't be transferred to the non-Steam version?
I think you can activate your steam keys here (once you are a registered user) : https://il2sturmovik.com/store/license-keys/
O0
Great. Thanks!
I tend to get a bit miffed when a publisher changes distro platforms mid-stream. Just had to vent a little, due to the extra hassle.
I didn't think they changed it. I thought it was always like that because of the way they release content. But I bought BOS a long time ago and my memory could be foggy.
It doesn't work the other way around any more (activation on Steam).
https://il2sturmovik.com/steam-rk/
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad
This key swap program only applies to IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad keys purchased during the Early Access and Pre-Order periods prior to October 22, 2014.
We're sorry, but you can't transfer your license to Steam.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Moscow
This key swap program only applies to IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Moscow keys purchased during the Early Access and Pre-Order periods prior to August 9, 2016.
We're sorry, but you can't transfer your license to Steam.
Quote from: RyanE on April 05, 2018, 07:07:28 AM
I didn't think they changed it. I thought it was always like that because of the way they release content. But I bought BOS a long time ago and my memory could be foggy.
Despite being officially released, they didn't put their latest large expansion, or it's DLCs, on Steam (Battle of Kuban). Despite their previous releases being there.
I'm sure it's just to avoid paying the middle man. Just a bit annoying because I had been digging through the BoX Steam page, looking for the newest
Kuban add-ons that were recently released, and they just weren't there.
I didn't know they never planned on adding it to the Steam client, where the earlier releases have been. Nor that I had to go buy directly from the publisher's site, and do some extra key juggling on the web, in order to meld my Steam parts with the non-Steam parts. :tickedoff:
Thankfully the guys here, at Grogheads, could fill me in. I don't read the dev's forums much, therefore this was all unknown to me. Can only imagine how others who own the Steam version would still be in the dark.
Quote from: Pete Dero on April 05, 2018, 07:15:05 AM
It doesn't work the other way around any more (activation on Steam).
https://il2sturmovik.com/steam-rk/
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad
This key swap program only applies to IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad keys purchased during the Early Access and Pre-Order periods prior to October 22, 2014.
We're sorry, but you can't transfer your license to Steam.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Moscow
This key swap program only applies to IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Moscow keys purchased during the Early Access and Pre-Order periods prior to August 9, 2016.
We're sorry, but you can't transfer your license to Steam.
Ugh.
Now I'm confused again.
Does this mean I would need two different installations of the same client? One for Steam
BoS/
BoM aircraft, and a separate non-Steam install to use the
BoK planes?
Or does it still work going from Steam to the independent client, just not the other way around?
Meh. Will put off
Kuban until a sale, I suppose. Got enough to do as it is.
Keys you get on the website must be activated on the website (only way to buy Kuban and Battle of Bodenplatte for the moment as these aren't available on Steam yet).
Keys you get from Steam can be activated on Steam and on the website.
I believe both use the same installation ( Purchases in Steam must be activated before you can use them - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=300717163 ).
Flying the Battle of Stalingrad in the 109 F-4 escorting 87s. We were jumped en-route to the target by I-16s which went straight in on the 87s. I was at a 11'oclock high position and was able to turn into on 16 and down him.. after some maneuvering (don't get into a turning match with them). I engaged a second target which was on the tail of a friendly... this one was a little tougher as he lead me away from the group. Eventually I was able to make the kill, however was basically out of ammo. I decided to RTB because I am just cannon fodder flying around. I landed safely and exited mission....
Mission Failed, WTF? I lost all but one in my flight, it was a bad day. I was confused if I failed the mission because I RTB, or the later. It appears that once over the target, they were jumped again and did not fair well. We lost our flight leader who had 10 Air Kills. I'm the new guy and even with 2 kills on the first mission am the unlucky black sheep.
Ugh -- guess I learned the hard way that BoS really does have some incompatibility with GTX 780-series cards. Weird. I hadn't played BoS in well over a year -- and used to be able to play with my GTX 780 Ti without problems. But after reinstalling, setting up controls, etc. etc., I'm finding my game crashing within 2-3 minutes of getting in the cockpit. Some folks suggest rolling *way* back to nvidia drivers from 2015. Can't really justify doing that myself though, for one game.
Was keen to try the new career mode too! >:(
Rut row. I think I have a 780m. I will need to try the base game tonight before I buy that P-40 or BoM. :-\
Quote from: PanzersEast on April 05, 2018, 09:28:09 AM
Flying the Battle of Stalingrad in the 109 F-4 escorting 87s. We were jumped en-route to the target by I-16s which went straight in on the 87s. I was at a 11'oclock high position and was able to turn into on 16 and down him.. after some maneuvering (don't get into a turning match with them). I engaged a second target which was on the tail of a friendly... this one was a little tougher as he lead me away from the group. Eventually I was able to make the kill, however was basically out of ammo. I decided to RTB because I am just cannon fodder flying around. I landed safely and exited mission....
Mission Failed, WTF? I lost all but one in my flight, it was a bad day. I was confused if I failed the mission because I RTB, or the later. It appears that once over the target, they were jumped again and did not fair well. We lost our flight leader who had 10 Air Kills. I'm the new guy and even with 2 kills on the first mission am the unlucky black sheep.
It's annoying but you have to make sure you activate all the "trigger" points on a mission in order for it to be rated as a success. I've had a few like yours where I got into a dogfight, got separated from the escort group, ran out of ammo and RTBed. If you didn't reach the activation trigger spots on the map, it's counted as a failure. Also usually means you've got to shepherd the attack planes all the way back to their base before you land.
Quote from: mbar on April 05, 2018, 01:23:12 PM
Rut row. I think I have a 780m. I will need to try the base game tonight before I buy that P-40 or BoM. :-\
Yeah that sounds wise-- I have the P-40 in my Steam check-out bin, but held off buying in light of present problem (...yeah I know, it's just $10 -- I'll probably buy it anyway...)
I'd be curious to hear if you experience crashes with the laptop version of the GTX 780, mbar. I'll keep fingers crossed that you don't, but based on the IL-2 forum, the 780-incompatibility is a well-documented problem. https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/30089-please-read-about-nvidia-graphics-card-issues/ (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/30089-please-read-about-nvidia-graphics-card-issues/)
After some attempts and joystick configuring I was able to do a 7 minute free flight. I shot up a truck convey and they shot up my coolant. Will do more testing but I set graphics for windowed, 1920x1080, with balanced settings. I had to turn on vsync because the tearing was terrible with trackIR. I will keep testing.
I keep running into problems with overcrowding on the runways during mission starts causing collisions which end the mission before it even begins. Might have to revert to air starts.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 06, 2018, 01:25:36 PM
I keep running into problems with overcrowding on the runways during mission starts causing collisions which end the mission before it even begins. Might have to revert to air starts.
This is what I have had to do until a patch is released.
Is anyone who plays this able to stay in formation? If so - what's the secret?
I'm particularly poor at it when I start on the ground for takeoff. Either I fall way behind or I'm too far ahead.
I've still got that damn issue with the X-52 locking up my PC when disconnecting (not the game's fault - hardware/system issue) which is really keeping me from digging in more to my flight sims :knuppel2:
It seems replacing the driver 8.0.121.0 with 7.0.42.12 did the trick :-\
It's mostly throttle control. In MP, the flight lead will state ata (essentially throttle) and radiator settings, allowing those flying with to match the settings. Keeping the closest lead plane in a certain part of the windshield gives you an indication of relative speed and altitude. Practice makes perfect.
The AI speed is way too fast for a tight formation flight. I just follow loosely to the combat zone. You can get a pretty tight one with bomber formations when escorting bombers.
There needs to be some tweaking of friendly AI in the campaign for sure. One thing I'd like to test is if they behave better when I'm leader giving them orders from the menu. Friendly AI will not cover your six, but if your the leader and give the help order, interesting to see if they come to help.
The P-40 is a beast. I love it.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 08, 2018, 06:38:18 PM
The P-40 is a beast. I love it.
You had to say that....sale ends tomorrow and the two remaining DLC planes have been lingering in my cart, including the P-40....
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 08, 2018, 06:53:27 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 08, 2018, 06:38:18 PM
The P-40 is a beast. I love it.
You had to say that....sale ends tomorrow and the two remaining DLC planes have been lingering in my cart, including the P-40....
Easily worth 9.99 in my opinion.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 08, 2018, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 08, 2018, 06:53:27 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 08, 2018, 06:38:18 PM
The P-40 is a beast. I love it.
You had to say that....sale ends tomorrow and the two remaining DLC planes have been lingering in my cart, including the P-40....
Easily worth 9.99 in my opinion.
Yep, I purchased it right after I posted:)
The P-40 feels like it weighs a ton. I get the sensation that I'm about to fall out of the sky at any moment when I fly that beast. For me, the fighter I enjoy flying the most is the Macchi 202. I don't like fighting in it so much as the guns are weak but flying in it is an absolute blast.
Bought just the P-40. Leaving Moscow and MC.202 for another day. I have more joystick configuring and flight lessons to do first.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 08, 2018, 11:30:43 PM
The P-40 feels like it weighs a ton. I get the sensation that I'm about to fall out of the sky at any moment when I fly that beast. For me, the fighter I enjoy flying the most is the Macchi 202. I don't like fighting in it so much as the guns are weak but flying in it is an absolute blast.
From memory, the P-40
was pretty damn heavy. IIRC, it had an overly beefy wing structure which weighed it down quite a bit.
Doesn't help that it's engine was generally mediocre at best, too. Those Allisons that the US put in everything in the early war = :uglystupid2: At least some of the intermediate models were on the higher end of early war firepower.
Quote from: Nefaro on April 09, 2018, 09:10:10 AM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 08, 2018, 11:30:43 PM
The P-40 feels like it weighs a ton. I get the sensation that I'm about to fall out of the sky at any moment when I fly that beast. For me, the fighter I enjoy flying the most is the Macchi 202. I don't like fighting in it so much as the guns are weak but flying in it is an absolute blast.
From memory, the P-40 was pretty damn heavy. IIRC, it had an overly beefy wing structure which weighed it down quite a bit.
Doesn't help that it's engine was generally mediocre at best, too. Those Allisons that the US put in everything in the early war = :uglystupid2: At least some of the intermediate models were on the higher end of early war firepower.
That is why Chennault utilized the hit and run tactic from a high altitude and then bugged out.... build up enough energy, attack, and then break off contact..... but the P-40 could shred you if the sites got on you.
I bought the P-40E-1 and Fw 190 A-3 but in game they are showing as locked. Do these things not unlock automatically through Steam?
Nevermind - you do have to activate them on their system.
What a crap system. Buy on Steam, get key, sorted. Nope...go to external website and log purchase. Also, when starting game, ignore Steam security and implement crap, slow third party DRM.
I thought we were leaving that shit behind.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 09, 2018, 03:18:22 PM
I bought the P-40E-1 and Fw 190 A-3 but in game they are showing as locked. Do these things not unlock automatically through Steam?
Nevermind - you do have to activate them on their system.
What a crap system. Buy on Steam, get key, sorted. Nope...go to external website and log purchase. Also, when starting game, ignore Steam security and implement crap, slow third party DRM.
I thought we were leaving that shit behind.
I've had no such problem with the IL-2 system. I bought everything through their store and my keys were instantly validated to my account with all aircraft unlocked in game. Weird.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 09, 2018, 03:27:27 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 09, 2018, 03:18:22 PM
I bought the P-40E-1 and Fw 190 A-3 but in game they are showing as locked. Do these things not unlock automatically through Steam?
Nevermind - you do have to activate them on their system.
What a crap system. Buy on Steam, get key, sorted. Nope...go to external website and log purchase. Also, when starting game, ignore Steam security and implement crap, slow third party DRM.
I thought we were leaving that shit behind.
I've had no such problem with the IL-2 system. I bought everything through their store and my keys were instantly validated to my account with all aircraft unlocked in game. Weird.
I presume it's because I bought through Steam.
My main point is why have 2 DRM systems anyway. When I buy DLC for an Ubisoft game, I don't have to go to Ubisoft's website and activate it (thought it does load their client).
I have always assumed the dueling activation systems are because of the way they release content in early access and the way the game started out. But just an assumption.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 09, 2018, 04:10:23 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 09, 2018, 03:27:27 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 09, 2018, 03:18:22 PM
I bought the P-40E-1 and Fw 190 A-3 but in game they are showing as locked. Do these things not unlock automatically through Steam?
Nevermind - you do have to activate them on their system.
What a crap system. Buy on Steam, get key, sorted. Nope...go to external website and log purchase. Also, when starting game, ignore Steam security and implement crap, slow third party DRM.
I thought we were leaving that shit behind.
I've had no such problem with the IL-2 system. I bought everything through their store and my keys were instantly validated to my account with all aircraft unlocked in game. Weird.
I presume it's because I bought through Steam.
My main point is why have 2 DRM systems anyway. When I buy DLC for an Ubisoft game, I don't have to go to Ubisoft's website and activate it (thought it does load their client).
It is due to picking it up on Steam.
I just happened to pull the trigger at a time when Steam had a small sale on BoS a couple years ago. Seems there are extra hoops to go through now that the publisher stopped selling their newer stuff in the Steam store. :-\
That's what I was asking the questions about a couple pages back. The new
Battle Of Kuban, and it's DLC planes (La-5FN :smitten: ) are only being sold on their IL-2 site. No more Steam for you! :P So we're gonna have to mish-mash the codes into the client activation.
I bought the original EA of BOS way back in 2014 when there was just the Lagg, 109, and IL2 to fly. Then into the BOM era, 2016, I had to do a reinstall of the game due to a system reformat. I figured I would use the opportunity to convert all my account over to steam and did so with out a hassle.
When Kuban was announced, I bought the early access because I like getting the planes and testing them out while the module is being working on rather than wait a year for the whole package.
I bought the Kuban on the 777 site, and it automatically activated Kuban in my steam account. It was seamless.
You shouldn't have to maintain 2 clients for IL2, I know when I switched there was some fine print saying switching to steam is ok...it's all or none, theres is no switching back from steam.
You should be able to buy the Kuban content at 777 and it should activate into your steam account if thats how your game is running. Thats how it worked for me.
I'm almost done with flight simming tbh. There's alot of weird shit happening on my system when I unplug my X-52.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 09, 2018, 04:10:23 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on April 09, 2018, 03:27:27 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 09, 2018, 03:18:22 PM
I bought the P-40E-1 and Fw 190 A-3 but in game they are showing as locked. Do these things not unlock automatically through Steam?
Nevermind - you do have to activate them on their system.
What a crap system. Buy on Steam, get key, sorted. Nope...go to external website and log purchase. Also, when starting game, ignore Steam security and implement crap, slow third party DRM.
I thought we were leaving that shit behind.
I've had no such problem with the IL-2 system. I bought everything through their store and my keys were instantly validated to my account with all aircraft unlocked in game. Weird.
I presume it's because I bought through Steam.
My main point is why have 2 DRM systems anyway. When I buy DLC for an Ubisoft game, I don't have to go to Ubisoft's website and activate it (thought it does load their client).
If you have transfered the Steam keys to the website the game will run without the need for Steam to run (removing one of the two DRM).
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 08, 2018, 11:30:43 PM
The P-40 feels like it weighs a ton. I get the sensation that I'm about to fall out of the sky at any moment when I fly that beast. For me, the fighter I enjoy flying the most is the Macchi 202. I don't like fighting in it so much as the guns are weak but flying in it is an absolute blast.
I had been flying quick missions with the LaGG-3. I tried the P-40 last night. I pulled back gently on the stick and nothing seemed to happen. I thought maybe I'd lost my joystick config so I yanked back on the stick and then the P-40 began to climb. I'd mistakenly thought the LaGG-3 might be similar to the P-40 in performance. I just looked at a Wikipedia of both planes. They only look similar. :) ;D
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 10, 2018, 12:45:02 AM
I'm almost done with flight simming tbh. There's alot of weird shit happening on my system when I unplug my X-52.
I heard, from an X-52 user, that there have been wiring problems developing with them over time. Causing issues in the X-52.
Can't recall if it was some bad cold-soldering or what. Just that people were having to get new HOTASes because the wiring in their X-52s were shorting out or some shit.
Maybe it's just your X-52's wiring screwing up, too?
So I started a Russian LA5FN Campaign as Commander and it seems to have curtailed some of the tactical stupidity of friendly AI. I can't say they execute my commands perfectly, but atleast it keeps them nearby during the furball instead of chasing the enemy off a hundred miles and ending up dead.
I've done 5 missions now with no plane or pilot losses. I also pick their load outs, fuel, and skins. I even do it for the missions I don't fly on.
Having 65% fuel must really help those AI Lagg drivers when taking on 109s.
Quote from: Nefaro on April 10, 2018, 03:16:14 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on April 10, 2018, 12:45:02 AM
I'm almost done with flight simming tbh. There's alot of weird shit happening on my system when I unplug my X-52.
I heard, from an X-52 user, that there have been wiring problems developing with them over time. Causing issues in the X-52.
Can't recall if it was some bad cold-soldering or what. Just that people were having to get new HOTASes because the wiring in their X-52s were shorting out or some shit.
Maybe it's just your X-52's wiring screwing up, too?
Thanks Nef - I've posted here http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=21911.new#new to stop taking this thread off topic.
The issue I have with my X52 was the connection between the throttle and joystick. All of a sudden the joystick stopped working, it would flash the lights but that was it. Saitek gave me the run around when I tried to use my warranty to I just ended up using the throttle by itself and an Extreme 3D Pro as a joystick. It works well enough since I'm not doing a lot of hardcore MP type stuff these days.
New patch is out that has a lot of campaign fixes in it, 1gigs worth.
Quote from: Skoop on April 18, 2018, 05:13:04 PM
New patch is out that has a lot of campaign fixes in it, 1gigs worth.
The Gig Is Up.
My update keeps failing.
There was some weird stuff going on with the latest update yesterday. Like having the total patch size that's displayed going higher and higher for no apparent reason. I do believe they've gotten it sorted. I just canceled the update, and restarted the client and that did the trick.
Quote from: Stryker07 on April 19, 2018, 02:46:45 PM
There was some weird stuff going on with the latest update yesterday. Like having the total patch size that's displayed going higher and higher for no apparent reason. I do believe they've gotten it sorted. I just canceled the update, and restarted the client and that did the trick.
There was a patch to the patch in the past day.
Would expect more in the near future.
First Bodenplatte Early Access and 3.03 released. P-51 and P-47 can't be far off.
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/12826-game-updates/?do=findComment&comment=620990
Oh that sweet, sweet, sweet G-14! Don't get me wrong, the Spitfire Mk IX is a sweet ride, and just my type with clipped wings and 18lbs of boost, but that G-14 is a rocket. The primary reason I pre-ordered is the P-38, but now I think the G-14 and K-4 will be seeing a lot of flight time.
Quote from: Stryker07 on June 04, 2018, 05:01:34 PM
Oh that sweet, sweet, sweet G-14! Don't get me wrong, the Spitfire Mk IX is a sweet ride, and just my type with clipped wings and 18lbs of boost, but that G-14 is a rocket. The primary reason I pre-ordered is the P-38, but now I think the G-14 and K-4 will be seeing a lot of flight time.
Battle of Kuban: Ju88A in trouble:
Drop those bombs, before you splode!!!!
Nah. Ride 'em in and die like a warrior!
I gotta get in on the IL2 tank action at some point...
Quote from: MengJiao on July 17, 2018, 12:09:42 AM
Quote from: Stryker07 on June 04, 2018, 05:01:34 PM
Oh that sweet, sweet, sweet G-14! Don't get me wrong, the Spitfire Mk IX is a sweet ride, and just my type with clipped wings and 18lbs of boost, but that G-14 is a rocket. The primary reason I pre-ordered is the P-38, but now I think the G-14 and K-4 will be seeing a lot of flight time.
Battle of Kuban: Ju88A in trouble:
Spirtfire Vb:
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on July 17, 2018, 07:52:49 AM
Nah. Ride 'em in and die like a warrior!
I gotta get in on the IL2 tank action at some point...
The tank action thing seems both inevitable and weird. How many times have air games evolved some kind of ground action component? DCS for example. War thunder for another example and I'm sure there are others.
Fair point - but it would seem (now, I'm saying this without the benefit of playing on IL2 servers and knowing anything about the base) that the sheer scope of IL2 is screaming for honest-to-God combined arms capability.
I enjoy War Thunder for the same sort of reason but I crave more historical accuracy and more realistic maps on which to do this. The "3 lane / 3 Capture Points," maps that are in rotation are dull and "small," to me in a way. Won't stop playing it, mind you, but it ain't a shiny penny any more if you know what I mean.
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on July 17, 2018, 08:53:15 AM
Fair point - but it would seem (now, I'm saying this without the benefit of playing on IL2 servers and knowing anything about the base) that the sheer scope of IL2 is screaming for honest-to-God combined arms capability.
I enjoy War Thunder for the same sort of reason but I crave more historical accuracy and more realistic maps on which to do this. The "3 lane / 3 Capture Points," maps that are in rotation are dull and "small," to me in a way. Won't stop playing it, mind you, but it ain't a shiny penny any more if you know what I mean.
Same here. I think a decent IL2 overall battle game could potentially be really great. For one thing the terrain is real and the planes are pretty real too. Well have to see about the tanks and trenches and artillery etc.
Yeah. I agree. I have a love hate relationship with war thunder. The effects and even the damage model are great. But the systems modelling is shocking as is the tanks you play against and the people playing the game. Although simulator battles are fun in war thunder. They are nothing like a real attack, especially a combined arms one. I would look forward to a ww2 tank simulator. But I would have preferred it in DCS to be honest. Having said that il2 will do nicely if the terrain and the game modes are done well. I don't know if I could stand driving around for an hour and then being popped by some sniper tank who had been camping out... I would want to spawn into an AI tank immediately.
I would have kept up with steel beast but none of my mates got it and the cost of updates and dongle shenanigans sort of sent me in a different direction.
If il2 does AT guns and infantry well with proper combined arms it could be good. But what do we achieve in the end without some sort of ccop campaign mode? Not much of interest I would say!!! I don't care how many tanks are involved.
Quote from: MengJiao on July 17, 2018, 08:04:28 AM
Quote from: MengJiao on July 17, 2018, 12:09:42 AM
Quote from: Stryker07 on June 04, 2018, 05:01:34 PM
Oh that sweet, sweet, sweet G-14! Don't get me wrong, the Spitfire Mk IX is a sweet ride, and just my type with clipped wings and 18lbs of boost, but that G-14 is a rocket. The primary reason I pre-ordered is the P-38, but now I think the G-14 and K-4 will be seeing a lot of flight time.
Battle of Kuban: Ju88A in trouble:
Spirtfire Vb:
P40 with some sea:
Quote from: Destraex on July 17, 2018, 09:26:14 AM
Yeah. I agree. I have a love hate relationship with war thunder. The effects and even the damage model are great. But the systems modelling is shocking as is the tanks you play against and the people playing the game. Although simulator battles are fun in war thunder. They are nothing like a real attack, especially a combined arms one. I would look forward to a ww2 tank simulator. But I would have preferred it in DCS to be honest. Having said that il2 will do nicely if the terrain and the game modes are done well. I don't know if I could stand driving around for an hour and then being popped by some sniper tank who had been camping out... I would want to spawn into an AI tank immediately.
I would have kept up with steel beast but none of my mates got it and the cost of updates and dongle shenanigans sort of sent me in a different direction.
If il2 does AT guns and infantry well with proper combined arms it could be good. But what do we achieve in the end without some sort of ccop campaign mode? Not much of interest I would say!!! I don't care how many tanks are involved.
Yeah. Lookin' like ARMA 3 utilizing Zeus and a WW2 mod might be the best bang-for-the-buck right now in terms of having a dedicated group going up against whomever in a PvE sort of way that keeps the interest level for those playing. It's just that IL2 is so much more prettier.
[Note: Googled this topic after writing this and "The Sherminator," has plenty of such videos covering this kind of thing on his YouTube channel - didn't know that; color me interested].
I don't care about the tanks in il2 myself, I just hope the Kursk map that it ships with will be flyable buy all the planes.
The IF Arma mod surpasses anything that il2 could do ground combat wise. But getting a playable tiger and a Kursk map will be great. It kinda of adds more to the eastern front with out having to start up a new dev cycle and doing this while the new west front addition goes on. We may get to the pacific by this time next year at this pace.
I don't know if I've missed something along the road. My daughters boyfriend was playing IL2 Battle of Moscow/Stalingrad quite happily last week and at the weekend, I bought the Spitfire VB through the Steam Store as it was mentioned it was DLC available for those items.
I came back today from my daughters graduation to see this message from Steam.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1809/43474297551_ca8b5b7962_b.jpg)
Anyone got any knowledge of this before I go looking at what else is around?
I bet you didn't heed the warning over the past month about linking your account to steam.
.
.
.
It's still in my steam library. My key was converted over from the other client originally to steam.
Moonraker again (looking for a ship I thought I put into a mission file):
Quote from: JudgeDredd on July 17, 2018, 02:49:13 PM
I don't know if I've missed something along the road. My daughters boyfriend was playing IL2 Battle of Moscow/Stalingrad quite happily last week and at the weekend, I bought the Spitfire VB through the Steam Store as it was mentioned it was DLC available for those items.
I came back today from my daughters graduation to see this message from Steam.
Anyone got any knowledge of this before I go looking at what else is around?
If you are still looking :
https://il2sturmovik.com/m/SteamAndIL2AccountGuide.pdf
Thanks Pete.
It seems my keys have been revoked by Steam at the request of 1C because I bought from Kinguin. I have also paid £30 for DLC (3 additional aircraft) through Steam which I guess I've lost as their refund policy doesn't apply to DLC (or some wording along those lines)
I'm in discussion with Kinguin. If I get a refund, I'll use the money for DCS content. If I don't :hug:
I've been thinking about it - and the balls on 1C going to Steam and saying "These keys weren't bought from our select few resellers and so I want you to revoke them" - and pretty galling that Steam went "Ok".
I didn't buy from Kinguin with my eyes shut...however, I was of the impression that whilst not strictly legal, it's not illegal either. I could argue (perhaps unsuccessfully) that they behaved more illegally than I did.
Quote
Manufacturers that produce products including computer, telecom, and technology equipment very often sell those products through distributors. Most distribution agreements require the distributor to resell the products strictly to end users. However, some distributors choose to resell those products to other resellers. In the late 1980s, manufacturers labeled the resold products as "grey market".
There is nothing illegal about buying "grey market" products. In fact, the US Supreme Court has upheld the idea that grey market products are legal for resale in the United States regardless of where they were produced or originally sold. The EU Supreme Court has similarly ruled that grey market products are legal for resale in the EU, provided that the equipment was originally sold by the manufacturer inside the EU.
Manufacturers created the term "grey market" in an effort to instill fear in customers that buying such equipment was somehow illegal in an effort to assure manufacturers that customers would only buy directly from them
Maybe JH can erm - correct me.
Anyway - I got my money back from Kinguin though I did lose £30 in DLC.
Bad thing is, Kinguin is still selling keys :pullhair: .. I would think IL2 would send them a cease and desist instead of screwing players.
Bummer, man.
I have always wondered if the 3rd party Steam sellers were worth the risk and hassle.
Man that sucks judge, that turned out far worse than what I that it was.
I'm not going to plead innocence here - though I don't think I'm guilty either and what they've done is pretty outrageous.
But - all said and done, I knew what I was doing when I bought through Kinguin. TBH, the worst I thought would happen was that I would not get support from 1C. I really, really did not think 1C and Steam would collude to remove the products. Afterall - 1C has my money. Regardless of how much Kinguin paid for those keys, 1C got the money for it (well...as long as they weren't stolen I suppose).
Anyway - upshot is Kinguin refunded me (though in store credit, which I'm going to refuse and ask for cash to be refunded - that's how I paid!). Steam has actually refunded the Spitfire VB I purchased on Sunday - so I got that £14 back. They are refusing to refund the other 2DLC, but I've wrote to them and basically accused them of colluding with 1C to steal my product. Whilst I acknowledge that 1C is saying there's something wrong with the key, Steam sold me the DLC and they are now trying to leave me with DLC that I cannot play because they removed my main games.
What's very sad about all this is 1C had a customer here that was willing to pump money into their game. I was literally on the verge of buying Battle of Kuban - I mean literally. They had already got £30 out of me for DLC. If we assume they got £20 of the £40 I paid for the BoS and BOM, then they had £50. I was then about to buy Kuban at £50 AND I would've been all over more of their DLC.
They've lost me. I knew after the shite horse that was Cliffs of Dover I shouldn't have gone near them - they left gamers holding that rotten baby - and against my better judgement I did.
They've lost me as a customer...and anyone around here that knows me knows that that could be a considerable loss of cash. I've spent over £600 on DCS!! And why have they lost out? Not because I got the game cheap - not really because they run sales themselves - but because I didn't buy from them or Steam.
GFY 1C :bd:
It sucks overall, but the key might be this part...
"well...as long as they weren't stolen I suppose"
I don't know any more than what you said, but all of these 3rd party Steam license sellers seem sketchy. I always follow the adage of; if its too good to be true, it probably is.
JudgeDredd. I agree. It's always a risk to buy from key market place stores (although I am not familiar with Kinguin). It sux to have them remove the game from your library.
I would be interested to know what was wrong with the key. Did they state that?
I find il2 stalingrad to be decent, but not on the same level as DCS obviously. Which is a study sim in general. But I cannot play it due to my tinitus and not having many sound options to turn down the engine drone\whine. Both DCS and War Thunder have a tinitus option.
A good well done multiplayer coop ww2 Tank simulator is something I have always wanted. A potentially good ww2 tank simulator. The only one out their at the moment that should be comparable to this is steel beasts pro PE and it's setting is modern.
Tank Crew module available for early access. Only $69.99 US, that's a whopping $10 off the $79.99 standard price!! Honestly I was floored by the cost of this module but also very curious. Because with a price like this it could be a fully fleshed out simulator. I wanted to pose the following questions:
a) Will the campaign be coop. I don't want another dry tank sim that gives very little reward. I don't particular want the standard sim canned missions, which have no soul, low production value that any mission builder player could make and don't really make you value your crew members either.
b) Will infantry and other support vehicles are or will be depicted. For example will the campaign have us run up against AT gun belts. AI assault guns and tank destroyers such as the STUG III G or su76. Infantry that unload from half tracks to support your advance and call targets. Sit on the back of your T34s. Minefields. You know. A simulation of what it would really be like to be in a tank in ww2. To know your crew members and possibly even some of your supporting infantry leaders. Not just a simple tank vs tank gunnery range simulator. Unlike in the air, the ground is probably a bit more complicated in terms of crew and supporting elements like infantry interaction as well as the variation of assets possible for a ground simulator.
c) I know maps will be improved. But with most games I notice that the only terrain variation are in very long slow gradients? So basically you never get sharp ridges or micro terrain features to hide in. The maps are more drawn as over views of massive distance to both save computing power and the map makers time.
d) Are crew models inside the tanks intended to be made? Will we see how cramped and hard it is for them to move around in the tank and how they were actually posed for various actions?
e) Will cockpits be clickable?
f) I transfered my il2BOS to steam a long time ago. Should I wait to buy this module until it is available on steam?
I really like tank crew so far and think it has great potential. I haven't played with it a lot so I can't answer most of your questions yet, but there are AT guns manned by infantry...I know because I just got wasted by one hiding behind a barn.
I hope to try it in VR tomorrow. I hear it offers an exceptional and wildly immersive experience in VR.
Jarhead
I will keep playing war thunder or combat mission cmx2 until they confirm the above I guess. Realism for me is not simply the machines. But the men as well. The tank simulator that treats infantry as just as important as the tanks that supported them will get my money. I really hope that it is this simulator.
Good to hear their are At guns though. I wonder if the AT gun crews have the good sense to pack up, limber up to their half tracks or tractors or jeeps and run for it when they are discovered. See these are the things I am talking about. Being able to witness human reactions and the story of your crew. I don't think I am asking too much from what for me (adjusted for US currency) would be a $107 investment. That may be even more than Steel Beasts pro PE actually.
Tank sims that have gone before:
t34 vs tiger - great tanks but basic and buggy mission scripting. Has infantry but only very silly infantry.
t72 Balkans in Fire - Very lonely on that battlefield
Steel Fury Kharkov 1942 - I don't think I played this one. But hear it's missions were buggy trigger missions with vague briefings. Single only i think
Steel Armor Blaze of War - Don't have it but would like to get it. Single player only
Steel Beasts Pro PE - The best of the lot. But modern. Multiplayer and has infantry.
War Thunder - Good damage model but balanced and a lot of things inside the tank do not work realistically and neither do the match ups. although simulator mode and events makes it kind of a light tank sim.
Panzer Elite?
Problem with most of the above is no multiplayer coop campaign. Poor mission structure and production values. The tanks got the attention instead of the things surrounding the tanks that were just as important for realism and immersion.
Quote from: Destraex on July 18, 2018, 08:19:25 PM
I would be interested to know what was wrong with the key. Did they state that?
No. All I could see was that the keys were not bought from their store, Steam or other "approved" retailers (like Gamersgate).
Looks like I'll be investing in DCS WWII when another sale hits :)
Quote from: Destraex on July 19, 2018, 12:49:30 AM
Jarhead
I will keep playing war thunder or combat mission cmx2 until they confirm the above I guess. Realism for me is not simply the machines. But the men as well. The tank simulator that treats infantry as just as important as the tanks that supported them will get my money. I really hope that it is this simulator.
Good to hear their are At guns though. I wonder if the AT gun crews have the good sense to pack up, limber up to their half tracks or tractors or jeeps and run for it when they are discovered. See these are the things I am talking about. Being able to witness human reactions and the story of your crew. I don't think I am asking too much from what for me (adjusted for US currency) would be a $107 investment. That may be even more than Steel Beasts pro PE actually.
Tank sims that have gone before:
t34 vs tiger - great tanks but basic and buggy mission scripting. Has infantry but only very silly infantry.
t72 Balkans in Fire - Very lonely on that battlefield
Steel Fury Kharkov 1942 - I don't think I played this one. But hear it's missions were buggy trigger missions with vague briefings. Single only i think
Steel Armor Blaze of War - Don't have it but would like to get it. Single player only
Steel Beasts Pro PE - The best of the lot. But modern. Multiplayer and has infantry.
War Thunder - Good damage model but balanced and a lot of things inside the tank do not work realistically and neither do the match ups. although simulator mode and events makes it kind of a light tank sim.
Problem with most of the above is no multiplayer coop campaign. Poor mission structure and production values. The tanks got the attention instead of the things surrounding the tanks that were just as important for realism and immersion.
Tank Crew is going to be limited, or confined to what the IL2 engine is capable of. It was designed for aviation, so there are going to be limitations as to what it can pull off for tanks. This whole thing started as an experiment by a few 1C devs who wanted to see what the engine could do on the ground. When they created the tank mod, in their free time, they were surprised at how good the engine looked from the new perspective. This is how the project was born. So, IL2 does infantry, but I wouldn't expect them to look or behave much differently then they do when you're flying aircraft in the same engine.
Have you looked into the STA mod for Steel Fury? It's pretty annoying to install, but well worth it if you're starved for WWII tank sims.
http://stasf2008.forumotion.com/forum (http://stasf2008.forumotion.com/forum)
Just as an aside to this - and I promise I'll drop this now - this is a post from Jason that has shown up literally this week.
Quote
Pilots,
Just a reminder to NOT buy any of our products from unlicensed "grey" market websites. 1. You are all aware which sites I am referring too. Today while doing some back end work related to our recent and improved Steam integration, we 2. deactivated a batch of old keys that appeared to be unused so we could replace them with some fresh updated keys needed for a special program. These new keys were to be used to meet some other obligations we promised our customers related to Steam. 3. Turns out a large percentage of those keys were obtained through fraud and abuse and then sold second-hand through grey market sites that do not have a license to sell our products. 4. As we have stated before, such keys are subject to deactivation at any time once the fraud is either purposely or in the case, accidentally discovered. Combating fraudulent purchases is a never ending battle and we have taken steps to minimize this so we can avoid what happened today. But we can't beat this problem alone. If you like our products, protect yourself by 5. buying only through our website direct or through Steam direct or from one of our few licensed re-sellers like Gamersgate etc. If you have a question about a retailer ask us and we will let you know if they are legit.
6. If a key or product you own was inadvertently deactivated that was bought direct from us or direct from Steam contact our support and we will investigate your case. You will need to show proof that you made the direct purchase for us to re-instate the product. If your key was deactivated and you bought it from a grey market site you need to contact them for a refund. We have ZERO control over their policies and have ABSOLUTELY NO relationship with them whatsoever, hence why we do not encourage anyone to buy from such websites.
We offer many aggressive discounts and promo codes throughout the year and there is really no need to buy from such sites. There are even several users who purchase many licenses and give them away to players with little money. This community is quite generous. Such fraud is the worst kind of greed and it is perpetrated by scum who don't care about your hobby or this small genre. Don't reward them by buying from grey market sites.
Jason
I've highlighted the bits that really piss me off about this.
1. Are we? Even if I am, what about someone looking for a flight sim that encompasses the Russian theatre?
2. Really? Old keys that were unused? You mean the "old keys" that are registered on YOUR website under MY account? They were showing as unused?
3. Proof? Where is your proof that these were obtained through fraud or abuse? Al I know is I looked for Battle of Stalingrad on Google and Kinguin was listed with a reasonable price
4. Really? I don't frequent your website, so how would I know? Also, again, less suspecting people may not know to check your website to see who you sell your programs through
5. Talk about grey area? "...one of our licensed re-sellers
like Gamersgate
etc"? Really?
6. So whatever it is you've done is actually catching legitimate purchases from your own site and Steam? Seriously, if your control of your keys is that bad that you are deactivating your own keys or Steams, then something more is afoot than another website getting keys fraudulently from you
Lastly this
Quote
Combating fraudulent purchases is a never ending battle and we have taken steps to minimize this so we can avoid what happened today
Like what? Taking Kinguin to task? No. Because you know it's not illegal. You just don't like the practice
Sorry - continue talking good things about the game. I'm done with it now. I've got a refund and moving onto another sim.
:bd:
It sounds like you got most (all?) of your money back outside of a handful of DLC you bought through Steam. Why not just buy the game through Steam now?
If you like the game, I'm not sure why you're taking this hard line. You admitted you had some concerns about buying through that Kaiguin website. It seems those were well founded concerns. Learn from it and buy the game legitimately, now that you've got your money back.
On a separate note, the fellas who made WoFF are putting out their WW2 sim in the near future. If it's anything near as good as their WW1 sim, I'm all in. Might be worth holding out for rather than going down the DCS rabbit hole.
And no, I don't know if it will have tanks (or multiplayer Coop)! ;)
I'm not giving them anymore money. Whilst I can be reasonable about their issue with Kinguin, I think the way they handles it was shocking. No money from me.
As for "most", turns out I got all of it back. Steam were initially refusing a refund for the DLC because it was bought back in March. When I asked what processes they used to make sure my rights were protected and that 1C's request to remove my key was based on evidence that the key was a stolen key, they wrote back and refunded me for that DLC. Nice of them - but it took 3 posts to get there. They were downright refusing at first.
So all money had been returned.
As for taking this hard line, it's a matter of principle. 1C has no knowledge at all that the key I have was stolen. All they have is the fact that I didn't buy it from their site, Steam, Gamersgate or "one of their other licensed resellers". They're making an assumption it was stolen when the truth may well be that they at least had a "discounted" value from the sale....we can all make assumptions.
So I think the fact they took that line was bang out of order. Had I received a message from them saying the key I had was from a stolen batch I would've cut them some slack and bit the bullet. Had they provided evidence of that, if that would've been possible, I wouldn't even have murmured about it. But the assumption is - and being made by posters over at 1C - is that the keys were stolen. I've had no message to say that's the case...the game was just removed. I'm not rewarding a company that does that.
Besides - I didn't say I liked it. In truth, it was pretty and a decent game - but it wasn't me all over it. I'm not massively into WWII flight sims...too few blowie up tools. I hardly played it. It was my daughters boyfriend that was loving it. He'll have to play Cliffs of Dover and wait for a DCS sale ;)
I had the same issue as JD.....truthfully, I didn't really care too much since the game did not resonate with me anyway. When I buy games from Kinguin or the like, I know there is always some level of risk but this is the first time anything like this has happened. With that in mind, based on the volume of bought games, this is a risk I am always willing to take, even if I lose a few $$$ here and there. But even in this case things turned out fine, got a full refund that I will simply buy something else.
Not just because of this issue, just something about 1c and their reps have always rubbed me the wrong way so I don't really have any intention of supporting them anyway.....
Ever since the Update, I can't join New Wings or Tactical Airgroup.. Hit Start and CTD :-(.
Amazing...I just played a Tank Crew mission in VR and I'm sold. I was in a Tiger acting as a spearhead for a support company moving to secure a railroad crossing. We had to clear a farm of an ambush, defend against a flight of Sturmoviks and then go toe to toe against a mixed company of tanks, AT guns and mechanized infantry. Just...wow. I could almost feel the snow spraying onto my face when I popped open the hatch to look around. I guess I had the speakers pumping and my wife actually came down to my office and was like, "WTF? It sounds like WWIII down here..." I was like, "close, babe...its WWII...eastern front. Go away!" Just a strikingly immersive experience in VR.
I can confirm that there is infantry moving around, along with towed artillery and anti-tank guns. Several of the open canopy vehicles also have exposed crew, gunners and riders.
Simply wonderful. Very excited about watching this develop.
Wow, that sounds great. I may have to finally get a vive VR, I saw the pro has the higher resolution...that's what I've been holding out for.... Also some say to hold out for the wireless vive pro.
Hot damn that sounds awesome, Jarhead. :notworthy:
I'll take some screen shots of the non-VR game, which is impressive in its own right, but the VR experience just adds a level of immersion that unfortunately doesn't translate well onto screen shot or video. It really just needs to be experienced first-hand.
Sounds sexy. Wonder if Post Scriptum will be just as good, but on the other end of the continent?
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on July 20, 2018, 08:59:48 AM
Sounds sexy. Wonder if Post Scriptum will be just as good, but on the other end of the continent?
Is post scriptum going to have the interior of vehicles modeled in 3D with the option to jump into several different crew positions?
From the looks of a couple of videos I've seen so far, tanks have multiple crew positions that are open to different players but couldn't say anything about 3d being supported at this point.
I just did some research and apparently vehicle interiors will not be modeled in PS. I can't say I'm surprised.
PS may still be good, but I don't think it will compete seriously in terms of sim-like immersion with what you have in IL-2 Tank Crew, which seems much closer to the Steel Beasts Pro type of experience, although certainly not at the same level of fidelity.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 20, 2018, 09:04:13 AM
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on July 20, 2018, 08:59:48 AM
Sounds sexy. Wonder if Post Scriptum will be just as good, but on the other end of the continent?
Is post scriptum going to have the interior of vehicles modeled in 3D with the option to jump into several different crew positions?
I will check for you shortly
^I already checked. See above.
The answer is no.
So you did. I was curious though so I had a look and the interiors are not modelled. However the mouse look within the postions (except the gunner who is locked to his target sight) still gives the feeling of being immersed in the tank. That you can move your head within the position. Which is pretty amazing for a tank and infantry combination FPS. I think red orchestra 2 though definitely had fully modelled interiors, just that they were not simulator like.
However the answer is certainly YES to jumping into different crew positions. Tanks generally have a crew of 3 in post scriptum in my experience.
I agree that Tank Crew will almost certainly be better simulation wise. Post Scriptum is multiplayer only. But they do promise to do a good physics model for armour penetration etc.
I find post scriptum armoured vehicles very immersive. But there is generally only 1 or 2 tanks per side per server. So far I don't see any tank "platoon" tactics. Just skirmishing on a very small tactical level. A simulator like tank crew or steel beasts will give you a much larger and more realistic theatre unit and mission feel with much larger maps. Post Scriptum is also missing the nuances of tank operation like gear changing and manual turret overrides etc that would be in a sim.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/41721128980_7de3ace920_z.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1804/41721129580_11c392e29d_z.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1822/41721133140_7880b04079_z.jpg)
See how you can look left and right within the positions.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1786/43482140852_354cb3b9d4_z.jpg)
You can turn out in any position as well... perhaps except gunner which I did not try.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1784/42812608534_233f146f4b_z.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/913/42812611714_2081c9d927_z.jpg)
Notice how you sit back a bit from the open drivers hatch in this armoured car? You can mouse look left and right from within.
I know it's not the experience you were looking for. But I think for what it is, it's pretty well done.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1823/42812615374_762bdfc804_z.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/931/42812615974_8029b58567_z.jpg)
Red orchestra 2 tank interiors on the other hand:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsimhq.com%2Fforum%2Ffiles%2Fusergals%2F2013%2F06%2Ffull-28642-59694-2013_06_07_00022.jpg&hash=a742e45079acf46354b58763e44e9166849975e5)
P.S. I could find no way to adjust the sights on the tiger in post scriptum to make the range reticle swing inside this tank as it should. But I did find out the gunner has his own periscope that can be spun around!! How cool.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/848/42813186634_bf998c9931_z.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/850/42813186034_7ef5c12931_z.jpg)
My early impression from owning both games is that tanks play more of a supporting role in PS, with occasional tank v tank combat, whereas IL2-TC is more of a tank (light) simulator. While tank interiors would be nice for PS, their absence certainly doesn't detract from the gameplay.
The interiors for IL2-TC are okay and hopefully will be improved with better lighting/shading and the addition of crew models. Also, there needs to be some form of feedback in the Expert setting, unless I'm missing something, as to what ammo is loaded, either graphically or via voiceover. I'm sure that in time, this too will be addressed.
Irons do you know if you can change the range setting dial so that it spins in post scriptum?
Those screenshots look great...I would unquestionably jump on PS, but I'm really disappointed there is no offline play...
For the record, TC presently does not have higher fidelity features like gear shifting either. I think I read this will be added, though...?
Quote from: Destraex on July 20, 2018, 11:10:34 AM
Irons do you know if you can change the range setting dial so that it spins in post scriptum?
Doesn't appear to be implemented as yet. There are no key bindings for it.
You've probably found the same thing as me in IL-2-TC that unless you know the range, you are still going to be firing ranging shots. Admittedly, once the range has been found, setting it makes it easier for follow-on shots.
They need laser rangefinders!
I didn't notice if this had been posted...
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/38073-update-and-resolution-to-deactivated-steam-key-issue/
Quote from: RyanE on July 20, 2018, 08:11:03 PM
I didn't notice if this had been posted...
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/38073-update-and-resolution-to-deactivated-steam-key-issue/
Wow! JD...looks like you are back in business! :coolsmiley:
For what tanks were killed by I found this to be very interesting. The video is very recent. You will note that aircraft had very little impact on armour. You will also note that when the German RPG style weapons came into being late war the ratio of kills with them became huge. Something like 25-35% in spring 1945 against the allies? It seems data from the Russian front is much harder to come by at least in English?
I am however not worried about the infantry's effectiveness of killing tanks, but rather that without them you change the way tanks were used and protected. In short, tanks are most effective with infantry. This is what I want to see simulated. As a tanker you want to be wishing for your infantry when you do not have them. You want to fear going near towns or in towns where you can be ambushed by infantry. You want to be spraying possible infantry positions with machine guns... but can you spare the rounds? You want to button up close to those possible positions as you will get sniped at and only unbutton at long distances. THe infantry scouting ahead for AT positions etc. You don't just want to bound around bumbling into AT gun ambushes all the time. At the very least you want infantry that can spot and take care of them or tell you where to shoot. That is why infantry had phones on the back of shermans at some point. Sure you could go on the offensive with your tanks and nothing else, you could lose your infantry support in the break out or leave them behind. But then their are only limited things you can do. Which amount to long range raiding. This is all that tank crew will be able to simulate I guess. But not even that without enemy infantry regiments. Maybe just localised skirmishes. Rather than being part of large offensives.
I remember reading about Russian infantry using old AT-Rifles in numbers to take out tanks at close range as they rolled over the infantry lines. Not sure how true that was.
This begs another question. How many tanks can fight each other at once?
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/37499-developer-diary-part-195-discussion/?page=4
On this page Jason confirms they do not have the time or resources to make infantry. So unfortunately this tank simulator is rather like a flight simulator with fighters and no bombers.
What you essentially have is a fish bowl style simulator. Rather than a combat simulation you literally have the ability to drive around and shoot other vehicles in a vacuum. For $107 Australian I am amazed that they don't have the resources. I think they would get many more people on board if they did have infantry even as an addon. Perhaps we should lobby for an addon product that includes properly modelled infantry? Never going to happen right?
Perhaps it would be possible to get canned animations from somewhere so they do not have to do the hard yards? It makes me wonder if their new ww1 sim is going to do rising flight's hand signals? Do they have the rising flight source code? It's the same guys right?
For my money. "Tank Crew" apart from the tank interiors, seems to offer the same experience to me as war thunder and post scriptum do. The only differences I can see are a few support vehicles like AT guns and transports. The latest il2 has a reputation for being a "light" simulator anyways that is not too far from war thunder with a little more to learn to take off. I suspect the same "cherry picking" will be applied to the tank game. This is even though considering they did a whole flight simulator, at the same price which is a much more complex undertaking. They don't seem to have the "resources" to do this tank simulator if it involves developing new things in the engine.
Quote from: Destraex on July 20, 2018, 09:27:53 PM
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/37499-developer-diary-part-195-discussion/?page=4
On this page Jason confirms they do not have the time or resources to make infantry. So unfortunately this tank simulator is rather like a flight simulator with fighters and no bombers.
What you essentially have is a fish bowl style simulator. Rather than a combat simulation you literally have the ability to drive around and shoot other vehicles in a vacuum. For $107 Australian I am amazed that they don't have the resources. I think they would get many more people on board if they did have infantry even as an addon. Perhaps we should lobby for an addon product that includes properly modelled infantry? Never going to happen right?
I'm not sure how he is defining "infantry"...I'm playing Tank Crew now, and I find groups of men moving around on the battlefield. They seem to be disembarking from trucks and APCs, or abandoning AT guns, artillery and destroyed tanks. They may not be "infantry" in the traditional sense, but its highly immersive, so I really don't care what you call them. Also, its not just shooting vehicles in a vacuum. I'm not really sure why you think this. You've obviously played IL-2 from the aerial perspective, no? Does it look like the land war is just in a vacuum from the air? No...it doesn't feel that way from the ground either. APCs, Artillery, towed weapons, light, medium and heavy armor, aviation and men are all moving and fighting. I really don't see what you are so disappointed about. I've played War Thunder and I can tell you Tank Crew blows it out of the water.
Quote from: Destraex on July 20, 2018, 09:27:53 PM
For my money. "Tank Crew" apart from the tank interiors, seems to offer the same experience to me as war thunder and post scriptum do. The only differences I can see are a few support vehicles like AT guns and transports. The latest il2 has a reputation for being a "light" simulator anyways that is not too far from war thunder with a little more to learn to take off. I suspect the same "cherry picking" will be applied to the tank game. This is even though considering they did a whole flight simulator, at the same price which is a much more complex undertaking. They don't seem to have the "resources" to do this tank simulator if it involves developing new things in the engine.
Again, I'm not really sure why there is confusion here...mostly seems to be from Jason's part, maybe because of the language barrier? They are using a third-party developer to build the tank exteriors and interiors and they are making a map from scratch specifically for the tank battles, so I don't see any issue involving resources.
All I can say is, I'm playing TC in VR and I absolutely love it.
Again...its not the easiest to install and get setup, but its totally worth it if you're looking for WWII ground combat with tanks, support and infantry.
Quote from: RyanE on July 20, 2018, 08:11:03 PM
I didn't notice if this had been posted...
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/38073-update-and-resolution-to-deactivated-steam-key-issue/
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 20, 2018, 08:29:56 PM
Quote from: RyanE on July 20, 2018, 08:11:03 PM
I didn't notice if this had been posted...
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/38073-update-and-resolution-to-deactivated-steam-key-issue/
Wow! JD...looks like you are back in business! :coolsmiley:
woah!! That's great news. Unfortunately, I got a refund so I don't think I'll be on the receiving end.
However, this action has gone some way to restoring my faith in them and perhaps, just perhaps, they'll find their way to my wallet.
Thanks for the news. O0
I would like to add that whilst I (as many) were accused of thieving their product - something I am not sure of nor anyone else could/did provide evidence of - it would be absolutely wrong of me to fill in their support form and get the game from them - being as I have had a refund. So that's something I won't do because I would be
knowingly stealing their product.
But I may well buy it again. I'll see. It depends on how far away a DCS sale is
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 20, 2018, 10:18:31 PM
Quote from: Destraex on July 20, 2018, 09:27:53 PM
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/37499-developer-diary-part-195-discussion/?page=4
On this page Jason confirms they do not have the time or resources to make infantry. So unfortunately this tank simulator is rather like a flight simulator with fighters and no bombers.
What you essentially have is a fish bowl style simulator. Rather than a combat simulation you literally have the ability to drive around and shoot other vehicles in a vacuum. For $107 Australian I am amazed that they don't have the resources. I think they would get many more people on board if they did have infantry even as an addon. Perhaps we should lobby for an addon product that includes properly modelled infantry? Never going to happen right?
I'm not sure how he is defining "infantry"...I'm playing Tank Crew now, and I find groups of men moving around on the battlefield. They seem to be disembarking from trucks and APCs, or abandoning AT guns, artillery and destroyed tanks. They may not be "infantry" in the traditional sense, but its highly immersive, so I really don't care what you call them. Also, its not just shooting vehicles in a vacuum. I'm not really sure why you think this. You've obviously played IL-2 from the aerial perspective, no? Does it look like the land war is just in a vacuum from the air? No...it doesn't feel that way from the ground either. APCs, Artillery, towed weapons, light, medium and heavy armor, aviation and men are all moving and fighting. I really don't see what you are so disappointed about. I've played War Thunder and I can tell you Tank Crew blows it out of the water.
Quote from: Destraex on July 20, 2018, 09:27:53 PM
For my money. "Tank Crew" apart from the tank interiors, seems to offer the same experience to me as war thunder and post scriptum do. The only differences I can see are a few support vehicles like AT guns and transports. The latest il2 has a reputation for being a "light" simulator anyways that is not too far from war thunder with a little more to learn to take off. I suspect the same "cherry picking" will be applied to the tank game. This is even though considering they did a whole flight simulator, at the same price which is a much more complex undertaking. They don't seem to have the "resources" to do this tank simulator if it involves developing new things in the engine.
Again, I'm not really sure why there is confusion here...mostly seems to be from Jason's part, maybe because of the language barrier? They are using a third-party developer to build the tank exteriors and interiors and they are making a map from scratch specifically for the tank battles, so I don't see any issue involving resources.
All I can say is, I'm playing TC in VR and I absolutely love it.
Do you have any screenshots of said infantry? I would love to see them.
When I say infantry I do not mean crew but rather infantry that act in the infantry role moving with your tank forces or fighting against your tank. I realise there are at gun crew and the like.
As for playing il2 from the air. The ground war looks like I would expect a traditional flight simulator from the air should look. A few odd emplacements or convoys, maybe a train. On the ground I expect it to be ramped up somewhat.
Do you know if they plan to have tank crew inside the tanks? How many tanks do you work with at a time?
Quote from: Destraex on July 21, 2018, 04:39:57 AM
Do you have any screenshots of said infantry? I would love to see them.
I'll take some.
Quote from: Destraex on July 21, 2018, 04:39:57 AM
When I say infantry I do not mean crew but rather infantry that act in the infantry role moving with your tank forces or fighting against your tank. I realise there are at gun crew and the like.
This probably is not in the game, nor will it be in the game. Again, you are describing something that you can get from Steel Fury 1942 with the STA mod I've linked to. Not sure what you're waiting for. Its a fantastic game modded correctly.
Quote from: Destraex on July 21, 2018, 04:39:57 AM
Do you know if they plan to have tank crew inside the tanks?
Dunno. I hope so.
Quote from: Destraex on July 21, 2018, 04:39:57 AM
How many tanks do you work with at a time?
I've only played one scenario. I like it so much, I keep going back to it. However, in that scenario, you are in a Pz VI spearheading a support company. The company has at least a platoon of Pz IIIs, looks like a platoon, or more of Sd. Kfz. 251s and a platoon of Sd.Kfz. 7/1 20mm Flak guns. Its a pretty formidable force.
Remember, it is very early in development. I'm already extremely impressed, but I do expect it to improve drastically.
These two shots are from the beginning of a mission in the STA mod. We're just about to assault a hill. This is what you are looking for in a tank sim, yes? :coolsmiley:
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37664888_10204989206246048_3419476055667245056_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=072de0d651f0365a8f2529927f46c778&oe=5BE4CF57)
(https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37565391_10204989206086044_4831258679472816128_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=605b9b7ee83de319f834721afdd0777c&oe=5BE57297)
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 21, 2018, 09:37:21 AM
These two shots are from the beginning of a mission in the STA mod.
I find the STA mod 3.3 is only available by donation. Do you happen to know who much this donation is ?
Quote from: Pete Dero on July 21, 2018, 10:39:22 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 21, 2018, 09:37:21 AM
These two shots are from the beginning of a mission in the STA mod.
I find the STA mod 3.3 is only available by donation. Do you happen to know who much this donation is ?
Yes. You'll need to be pay $15EUR for the base mod v3.2 and then another $5EUR for the most current v3.3 May-Aug update. It comes with a lot of missions and campaigns, but there are extras available for donation and the interiors for the T34 and Pz V Panther are extra, as well (each $5EUR). It adds up, and its a real hassle to get working, but well worth it in my opinion and the modder, Lockie, is very responsive.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 21, 2018, 11:07:26 AM
Quote from: Pete Dero on July 21, 2018, 10:39:22 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 21, 2018, 09:37:21 AM
These two shots are from the beginning of a mission in the STA mod.
I find the STA mod 3.3 is only available by donation. Do you happen to know who much this donation is ?
Yes. You'll need to be pay $15EUR for the base mod v3.2 and then another $5EUR for the most current v3.3 May-Aug update. It comes with a lot of missions and campaigns, but there are extras available for donation and the interiors for the T34 and Pz V Panther are extra, as well (each $5EUR). It adds up, and its a real hassle to get working, but well worth it in my opinion and the modder, Lockie, is very responsive.
Thanks for the info. Found out I need to buy the base game for the 2e time if I want to play it again.
First time I got it from Stardock back in 2008. Installed then with the Impulse app. That was replaced a couple of years ago by the Gamestop app. Now the Gamestop app doesn't work anymore (server to log in to is gone) and no way to install the game I have paid $50 for.
Hate to ask guys, but do you have a direct link where you can buy/download the SF mod? I have tried searching multiple times, but couldn't find the place where you could donate/buy it.
Yah, I'm able to get into Wings of Liberty again! :bd:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1806/42834819104_2af8889890_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/28gaDnS)
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on July 21, 2018, 01:50:12 PM
Hate to ask guys, but do you have a direct link where you can buy/download the SF mod? I have tried searching multiple times, but couldn't find the place where you could donate/buy it.
Yeah...that's a real pain in the ass too. You have to PM Lockie from the forum and tell him what you want. He'll then give you info. To make payment by PayPal and then he will send you the links and PWs. I wish it was all simpler...but, it's not. Again, all worth it in my opinion. They've done amazing things with this engine.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 21, 2018, 02:24:39 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on July 21, 2018, 01:50:12 PM
Hate to ask guys, but do you have a direct link where you can buy/download the SF mod? I have tried searching multiple times, but couldn't find the place where you could donate/buy it.
Yeah...that's a real pain in the ass too. You have to PM Lockie from the forum and tell him what you want. He'll then give you info. To make payment by PayPal and then he will send you the links and PWs. I wish it was all simpler...but, it's not. Again, all worth it in my opinion. They've done amazing things with this engine.
Thanks so much, I would have never figured that out......does look good so thinking of trying it.
Go for it...dont give up if install seems frustrating. I'll help as much as I can here and they are very responsive in the newcomers forum too.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 21, 2018, 02:32:08 PM
Go for it...dont give up if install seems frustrating. I'll help as much as I can here and they are very responsive in the newcomers forum too.
i sent my pm to the person so just waiting for it now
Couple of observations...
The IL2 tank crew thing is an offshoot of the flightsim technology and as such (I'm pretty sure) will not feature infantry other than as decoration.
What they decide to charge for it is up to them.
The IL2-BoX franchise is not a sim-lite akin to Warthunder
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 21, 2018, 09:37:21 AM
These two shots are from the beginning of a mission in the STA mod. We're just about to assault a hill. This is what you are looking for in a tank sim, yes? :coolsmiley:
Screenshots of STA mod look very nice thanks Jar. But I need multiplayer which I must look to see if it supports.
I apologise as well for getting you to make those screenshots, originally I was referring to tank crew with regards to screenshots because of the statement you made that I quote below. I wanted to see the men disembarking for trucks and APCs etc in Tank Crew. Just thinking also their may be an NDA?
"I'm not sure how he is defining "infantry"...I'm playing Tank Crew now, and I find groups of men moving around on the battlefield. They seem to be disembarking from trucks and APCs, or abandoning AT guns, artillery and destroyed tanks. They may not be "infantry" in the traditional sense, but its highly immersive"
Quote from: Father Ted on July 21, 2018, 06:54:36 PM
Couple of observations...
The IL2 tank crew thing is an offshoot of the flightsim technology and as such (I'm pretty sure) will not feature infantry other than as decoration.
What they decide to charge for it is up to them.
The IL2-BoX franchise is not a sim-lite akin to Warthunder
a) Father Ted if you are charging $107 Australian, which is around the same price they charged for the entire brand new freshly developed il2 back when it was first released. I expect them to "develop" the engine some more. But that is just me. I am trying to figure out whether to put down for it at some point. Gathering intel here from the folks that will give the honest hard answers. I understand that this is basically an offshoot muck around project some of the devs did in their "spare" time for fun. But now they have made it into a very expensive full game. This is not a small investment for me.
b) They can charge what they want. I can judge whether they have done enough to justify that in my eyes as a customer.
c) By sim-lite, I meant that it is not considered to be as complex as cliffs of dover or DCS for the most part. It's default settings if I recall correctly manage most things for you out of the box. It is much more of a war sim than a study sim if I recall which is not a bad thing in my book and is why I hoped for more for the price on the ground. I know when il2 BOS came out some of the community considered it a flight game first and a flight simulator second. War Thunder air on realistic settings is surprisingly complex for a free game by the way but certainly not a simulator either.
P.S. On the forums over at il2 BOS I am already reading that Jason came back when somebody complained about the textures being too low res that they did not do better textures so it would run well for "everybody". Another reason I wanted to see screenshots on Jarhead's beast. I am not hater. But I don't know whether it's going to be worth it for me and more importantly if I will be playing on my own.... I am kind of the lead scout for my group sometimes with these kind of games. They are huge investments for one that really only plays with others for the most part online. To get a couple of my group to grab this with me I would have to prove it offered something different and engaging. An amazing point of difference. I am currently not seeing any.
Here it is:
"We can't make such huge textures and expect it to run so smooth for everyone. But you can always make new ones with mods and see what happens.
Jason"
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/37499-developer-diary-part-195-discussion/
BTW Jarhead did you say the campaign is coop ??
Can someone explain to me why they would consider BOS less of a sim than CLOD? I play both and would never have made that distinction. I find myself playing BOS and its add ons more because of the development that been done, but still play CLOD a bit. I just don't see the difference.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 11:16:34 AM
Can someone explain to me why they would consider BOS less of a sim than CLOD? I play both and would never have made that distinction. I find myself playing BOS and its add ons more because of the development that been done, but still play CLOD a bit. I just don't see the difference.
Because CLOD is broken beyond belief and it's made
slightly better by Blitz
No?
I'm not 100% on it because I gave up on CLoD because it was broken. I then downloaded Blitz because I heard it fixed shit and whilst it did, it appears there's some issue still. My daughter's BF was playing it (far more than I have) and said there were lots of glitches - and that was with
Blitz installed
I just remember CLoD not only being broken but an absolute shadow of what it was meant to be. I'm not talking about what gamers
thought it would be - but what they were
actually led to believe it would be.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 11:16:34 AM
Can someone explain to me why they would consider BOS less of a sim than CLOD? I play both and would never have made that distinction. I find myself playing BOS and its add ons more because of the development that been done, but still play CLOD a bit. I just don't see the difference.
That's my feeling too.
BTW @Destraex my "observations" were a little more pithy than they should have been - apologies.
I guess the "how sim is a sim?" question is pretty subjective after a point. My personal take is that a sim should give you a glimpse of what the real thing was/is like. For me, the study sim is like a hyper-realist painting - highly detailed but a little flat and soul-less. RoF/BoX/CloD I see as a piece of Impressionism - you could argue that it's a little fuzzy around the edges, but it does give you a feel for the occasion.
As I said that's just my view. I can fully see that some will only be happy with a sim when they know they have to throw all the switches and so on. For me, however, once you have solid FMs, high fidelity doesn't trump the sensation generated by the graphic and audio artists who use their smoke and mirrors to put you in the cockpit. And, at the moment, I think the guys at 777/1C are the best at that art.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on July 22, 2018, 12:45:31 PM
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 11:16:34 AM
Can someone explain to me why they would consider BOS less of a sim than CLOD? I play both and would never have made that distinction. I find myself playing BOS and its add ons more because of the development that been done, but still play CLOD a bit. I just don't see the difference.
Because CLOD is broken beyond belief and it's made slightly better by Blitz
No?
I'm not 100% on it because I gave up on CLoD because it was broken. I then downloaded Blitz because I heard it fixed shit and whilst it did, it appears there's some issue still. My daughter's BF was playing it (far more than I have) and said there were lots of glitches - and that was with Blitz installed
I just remember CLoD not only being broken but an absolute shadow of what it was meant to be. I'm not talking about what gamers thought it would be - but what they were actually led to believe it would be.
While a good rant, doesn't really answer the question of why CLOD, BOS, or even DCS would be considered better sim than the other.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 11:16:34 AM
Can someone explain to me why they would consider BOS less of a sim than CLOD? I play both and would never have made that distinction. I find myself playing BOS and its add ons more because of the development that been done, but still play CLOD a bit. I just don't see the difference.
I think its a matter of focus rather than game mechanics that impact play. DCS seems like more of a sim than anything else I play, but it also works better overall so its hard to gauge. For me CloD Blitz is more or less perfect as far as it goes, but I agree, its only slightly more of a sim (judging by all the options I never use) than BOx -- where I use more of what's available.
So why is it more of a sim? Are there specifics? Is it switches, flight models, weapon effects, etc.?
I see you mentioned options. To me, they both have a lot of options. I don't see a big difference.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 02:20:35 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on July 22, 2018, 12:45:31 PM
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 11:16:34 AM
Can someone explain to me why they would consider BOS less of a sim than CLOD? I play both and would never have made that distinction. I find myself playing BOS and its add ons more because of the development that been done, but still play CLOD a bit. I just don't see the difference.
Because CLOD is broken beyond belief and it's made slightly better by Blitz
No?
I'm not 100% on it because I gave up on CLoD because it was broken. I then downloaded Blitz because I heard it fixed shit and whilst it did, it appears there's some issue still. My daughter's BF was playing it (far more than I have) and said there were lots of glitches - and that was with Blitz installed
I just remember CLoD not only being broken but an absolute shadow of what it was meant to be. I'm not talking about what gamers thought it would be - but what they were actually led to believe it would be.
While a good rant, doesn't really answer the question of why CLOD, BOS, or even DCS would be considered better sim than the other.
It wasn't meant to be a rant. I misread your (admittedly) simple post. Apologies.
No apologies needed...it was a good set of comments. I find CLOD somewhat no fully fixed yet also. They made tremendous progress, but there are still issues.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 04:11:03 PM
So why is it more of a sim? Are there specifics? Is it switches, flight models, weapon effects, etc.?
I see you mentioned options. To me, they both have a lot of options. I don't see a big difference.
In terms of what you actually do in the game, they are essentially the same BUT there seem to be more possible ways a player can manage his aircraft in CLoD...though as to whether they are all functional or make any sense I have no idea...I keep the sim element pretty low in all games I play. DCS seems to be more of a sim since in most cases the options for management seem to have definite impacts (for example in the Mig21, leaving your radar on uses up the alcoholic coolant). In the case of DCS this perception is probably partly the result of the fact that the game runs very well for the most part-- so you can detect impacts that might in CLoD escape you because you aren't sure if the game is acting like it is supposed to at least some of the time.
But your example is a modern plane. I am wondering about WW2 planes as a direct comparison. For example, is engine start or management any more complex or realistic in any of the three? Or does the the complexity even matter?
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 06:09:59 PM
But your example is a modern plane. I am wondering about WW2 planes as a direct comparison. For example, is engine start or management any more complex or realistic in any of the three? Or does the the complexity even matter?
DCS is more complex.. have to go online anytime I want to start my Mustang.. sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail.. lol.. I think the Warthog is easier to start.
OK, that's a start. But what is more complex? Is it because its a P-51 in general? Is the ME-109 more complex in DCS than in BOS?
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 06:09:59 PM
But your example is a modern plane. I am wondering about WW2 planes as a direct comparison. For example, is engine start or management any more complex or realistic in any of the three? Or does the the complexity even matter?
I think most of the complexity adds nothing to the immersion or realism. In reality in 1940, Saunders took off in a Blenheim at night to escape from France with an unknown extra load of passengers and he'd never flown a Blenheim or any two-engine plane and could not find the prop pitch control in the dark.
Similarly, I can take off in BoX without much trouble if I cut back on the "realism" settings and that seems reasonable. DCS has more settings to mess with and CLoD has the second most and BoX seems like the most reasonable (with fewer settings) and possibly the most realistic.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 06:19:49 PM
OK, that's a start. But what is more complex? Is it because its a P-51 in general? Is the ME-109 more complex in DCS than in BOS?
Hard to say. The 109 in DCs is the K version and in BOx the G14 is the most advanced 109. BOX has more versions of the 109 and that suggests some good sim work and not too much wasted complexity...ie that the complexity that there is is worth the effort in terms of distinguishing aircraft types.
I have tried a 109 in both CLOD and in BOX. What I found is the main difference on start up is that CLOD has a clickable set of switches, vs. BOX is only through key binds. If I am in expert mode, I see a similar process process to start the engine in BOX vs. CLOD. What I did notice through a mistake is that if I miss a step in CLOD, the engine seems to start anyway. Seems like more a procedural placebo.
I could be wrong on all accounts. I have never used complex start up on any sim. And, frankly, complexity of engine start up is maybe 10 on my list of how I view realism in a sim.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 06:19:49 PM
OK, that's a start. But what is more complex? Is it because its a P-51 in general? Is the ME-109 more complex in DCS than in BOS?
In BoS, you just hit E? After start you might make adjustments on BoS panes with RPMs and cooling.. watching pressure.. But I think DCS is a lot more realistic.. i.e you can't just hit E.
I think so, as far as the E goes. It does go through the sequence. So my question is it that much more realistic? What effect does the complexity have?
I know in BOX, you have to make some adjustments before the E. ANd then you hit the E. If your intial settings aren't right, you have to stand down for a short time until a restart is allowed. That is the depth of my knowledge.
Honestly, if you (we) want to discuss which game is a better "sim" it is important to qualify what is being simulated, and why it is better.
I know we sort of skip that part of the discussion in our desire to just debate the merits of one game vs. another, but it's an important aspect.
There was a brilliant post about this a long time ago on SimHQ. I doubt I could find it now...maybe I'll try. It was by the guy who created that Yankee Air Pirate add-on for Thirdwire's Wings over Vietnam. The gist of it was that while a certain amount of systems fidelity is necessary in a combat flight sim, there is a point at which it doesn't add as much to the simulation of a pilot's decision-making in combat.
I don't play BoX, DCS WW2, or IL-2 Tank Commander, so I can't comment on specifics. But using two WW1 simulations I do play as a comparison, Rise of Flight and Wings over Flanders Fields, a common observation is that RoF is better at simulating the mechanics of flying a WW1 aircraft, while WoFF is better at simulating flying a WW1 aircraft in a war. It's a pretty powerful observation. One can argue either is the better simulator, but without qualification I think it's hard to debate the statement.
Perhaps why a simple answer to you question is somewhat elusive. I mean, I find DCS to be remarkable in its simulation of its aircraft, but it doesn't give me nearly the satisfaction of the simulation of flying a fighter in a war like Falcon 4. Which is the better simulation? That depends...what are you trying to simulate?
I can't believe I found this...the internet is an amazing thing.
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3496831/a-discussion-on-the-future-of-yap-and-flt-sims#Post3496831
It's a worthwhile post to read through.
Thanks for that. I wasn't looking for a definitive answer. I just saw some comments about one sim being more realistic than another. I was curious what answers I would get. I got a couple good answers about why people feel the way they do.
I just find it interesting that people have a hard time defining why they think one sim is more realistic than another.
Me too. I hear that frequently, "Sim X is more realistic!" Realistic at simulating what? It makes a difference.
A very brief war story: When I flew P-3s, we had two different simulators we would use. One was a full mock up of a P-3 cockpit, with full motion and everything else. But the graphics were like playing MS Flight Simulator from about 1995...and it only had night...and only part of the world simulated. I remember flying it one day on a pilot trainer, taking off out of Kaneohe and flying an approach into HNL....only to find that HNL, the biggest airport in the islands, simply wasn't there. It wasn't in the database. Realistic? But the systems, the weather modeling, turbulence, physical sensations on the controls...all very much just like the real airplane.
The second simulator was the tube part of the simulator where all of the crew stations were simulated. Theoretically you could like the cockpit with the tube (they were in different parts of the building) and fly a full ASW mission. At night. With virtually no graphics. But, usually for an ASW trainer, the crew would go into their part and the pilots would sit at a console with little paddle wheels like an old Atari controller, and some instruments for speed, altimeter, artificial horizon, etc. And we be sitting there in our desk chairs with no representation of the outside world at all, in the air conditioning, just dialing the little paddle to bank the plane, or setting airspeed and altitude on the autopilot input. It provided the pilots with the geometry and timing problem of hunting a sub, and provided the same problems to the TACCO in back, but was it a realistic simulator?
Well...realistic at what? At hunting a sub with a full crew? Or realistic at flying a P-3?
Got my butt kicked by Jason Williams (a dev moderator for il2?) while trying to explain and understand views on infantry in the new tank crew module that we have been discussing here. I think he "heard" me :P
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/38036-a-few-important-questions-about-tank-crew/
"Then don't buy it and stop trying to discourage others from enjoying it. You want infantry. Heard you. Next.
Jason"
Happened to see this today as well. When I see how he talks and his general mannerism and put the voice to the text. It seems much more palatable.
Quote from: RyanE on July 22, 2018, 08:09:06 PM
Thanks for that. I wasn't looking for a definitive answer. I just saw some comments about one sim being more realistic than another. I was curious what answers I would get. I got a couple good answers about why people feel the way they do.
I just find it interesting that people have a hard time defining why they think one sim is more realistic than another.
Ryan. Generally when I say realism with regard to il2 or DCS I mean the technical aspect. The flight model and how complex it is. How many damage points are on an aircraft and how well bullets are modelled when they hit the aircraft. Whether the air affects them in flight. How an aircraft reacts to getting hit. for instance if a particular system is hit, no matter how small. Does the simulator model that system to begin with and does it have a damage model routine for the system getting affected.
Another aspect is the way the airflow and weather, wind currents etc are modelled not only off the perfectly good aircraft but a damaged one. DCS goes to extreme lengths to model weather and aerodynamic effects, where lesser or older simulators only have a very few simple models and points that affect the aircraft.
Some simulators (including DCS lower flight models) use scripting for events rather than real physics modelling that happens dynamically and in real time. So say the air from a storm hits the wing hard. Instead of modelling airflow at that point with a physics interaction and calculating it in real time then having an effect. A script will be run. Meaning that a set reaction will happen according to some lines of code saying "wing hit = bump 1mm". A canned reaction if you will. This may not matter to you or you might not even notice. But to some of us it really feels different.
Then of course you have simulators which pick and choose what systems they consider important enough to model at all. That is part of the reason DCS with it's clickable cockpits is hard to create. Because then the player notices when buttons do not do anything if any systems are not modelled.
For all intents and purposes modelling the aircraft handling slightly differently when out of ammunition and theirfore lighter probably won't matter to a lot of people. But it's all part of that complex layering of multiple simulation systems (weather models, airframe models, physical affect modelling, damage modelling, system modelling etc) interacting together and how well they do it. How much detail the developer puts into each aircraft and whether the models are superior to other sims or whether every aircraft in that simulator has those models applied.
For me DCS has the best mix of realism while having enough variety in aircraft and scenery plus AI aircraft to be a viable combat simulator. il2 has pushed out a lot more a lot faster and on reputation and from what I have seen especially at release when people were comparing it to CLOD. Apparently at least at that time. I remember reading how the damage models and points of damage, especially with the engine I think??? Were a lot simpler back then. Also il2 went backwards to dx9 where clod was dx11 back then.... I have no idea if they have revised and introduced newer more DCS models these days.
Another aspect is the flight curves that are used. Some engines are less smooth because the dots on the flight curves are at longer intervals, making flight feel less smooth or just missing some flight characteristics of that aircraft b cause of it. When I last compared the two. Dcs just felt a lot more like the aircraft was alive and that I could feel the tactile feedback. Problem with dcs is that for ww2 it does not have that many aircraft to fly.
I guess the question for me is. Could I fly the aircraft if I played the simulator for long enough? For that a clickable cockpit is something that is desirable and for me is a major difference between the two.
I think by the way. That DCS when it comes to ww2 aircraft may lag behind il2bos in some aspects as it's a bit newer. I also just like the look of dcs and that it has tinitus settings. Some still swear by the older original il2. Preferring that to BOS. I tell you what makes a sim for me these days though. This will make you laugh. The ability to clearly see enemy aircraft. Dcs has a mode that makes aircraft draw bigger at distance because they know that drawing 1 pixel on the screen at x distance does not cut it. You think of how clear aircraft are to see at distance looking from the ground and compare that to a sim. Generally it's much harder to see them clearly at distance as they turn them into single black pixels.
Have you flown the latest versions of BOX ? I would say BOX is ahead of everything vs DCS WWII. I don't think clickable cockpits matter until your in modern aircraft or your doing 737s in prepare. It's a waist that I even have dcs WWII. I'll probably end up flying the WOFF WWII sim before I spend much time with DCS WWII. Now if DCS makes that AI B-17 Flyable with multicrew capable, now we're talking about time worthiness.
Skip no I have not played it lately because of my ears. But your point goes to my point about tank crew. Put infantry in and you probably have me. As for il2bx being better than dcs for ww2. Can you explain why in detail without referring just to the sheer amount of content they have pumped out?
BOX has better organic feel of flying a prop aircraft. Each BOX aircraft has unique characteristics. The graphics are better and performance is better, and the effects / animation are better in BOX. The default SP Campaigns are better. There's too much carry over from DCS modern in the WWII aircraft, like the lame stall and black out effect. The stall effect seems so much better in BOX, then when enhanced with VR and force feedback, it's been described as amazing.
I may have to find a way to try it again. But when I compared them the flight model in DCS felt a lot better and more tactile as well as me really enjoying the clickable cockpit aspect. I just love pressing buttons and seeing them move and work. Understanding what I am doing. I am very visual like that when it comes to mechanical things.
Quote from: Destraex on July 25, 2018, 12:14:55 AM
Skip no I have not played it lately because of my ears. But your point goes to my point about tank crew. Put infantry in and you probably have me. As for il2bx being better than dcs for ww2. Can you explain why in detail without referring just to the sheer amount of content they have pumped out?
For me at least, the sheer amount of content in BOX makes it by far the best WWII fighter/bomber simulator. All the WWII planes in DCS are late-war classics whereas in BOX you get a nice early-mid focus (eg, P-40, Spitfire Vb, 109E-G, A-20B) and of course CLoD is very early war. It would be nice to get an early war-mid war mediterranean focus some time (P-40B for example), but at the moment for me BOX is a lot more interesting than DCS for WWII planes. Something like a less-gamey-obsessed War Thunder was out there (covering Swordfish to Meteors, but as planes not as game features) that would be the sort of thing I would like best.
ATAG is doing a med sim with the CloD engine. It's got the usual suspects, and F model 109s.......and the P-40C, P-40E and the Martlet/F4F. Those last 3 have me sold tbh, and it's fairly far along in development. They have a section in the BoX forums all to themselves with a recent (July 6) update on the state of the game.
Quote from: Stryker07 on July 25, 2018, 08:38:05 PM
ATAG is doing a med sim with the CloD engine. It's got the usual suspects, and F model 109s.......and the P-40C, P-40E and the Martlet/F4F. Those last 3 have me sold tbh, and it's fairly far along in development. They have a section in the BoX forums all to themselves with a recent (July 6) update on the state of the game.
Looks pretty good:
Aircraft
Gladiator II Cockpit 3D work and import is complete. The Vokes filter (for use in desert conditions) has also been added to the External model.
CR-42 Cockpit 3D work is complete, cockpit import and animation is now underway. External model 3D work for bomb racks also complete.
Bf-109E-7/E-7NZ External and Cockpit 3D modelling is nearing completion. Drop tank modelling for the E-7 and F's is complete.
The Me109F 3D work is mostly complete and texturing work is now underway (covering F1, F2). Import of an Alpha F-1/F-2 with placeholder Cockpit & Textures is in-game. Ultimately it will have high resolution textures as per the Bf109E. The F-4 3D cockpit/external will take longer due to 3D cockpit differences and the 3D modelling of the underwing gunpods.
Wellington IA cockpit, turrets, and bombardier positions 3D work are now complete. Wellington IA/IC front and rear Turret 3D work is complete and imported in game. Wellington IA/IC Cockpit/bombardier positions are now awaiting commencement of the import process following completion of the CR-42 import. Note, the IA and IC had different bombsights so the bombardier positions are different. Wellington IC external model waist gunner positions 3D modelling are awaiting assignment although we are unlikely to expend effort modelling a mannable gunner position as players are unlikely to use it.
Hurricane IIA/IIB/IIC (and Trop versions) external 3D modelling is complete and is now being prepared for import. Cockpit 3D modelling requires some details. IID external 3D modelling is underway.
Spitfire IIB 'B' wing external 3D modelling is underway and should be completed within the month.
Spitfire V external 3D modelling for Trop version is in progress. Due to the differences in the wing there are a huge number of rivets and panel lines to move.
Dewoitine D.520 cockpit 3D modelling is almost complete. External model 3D work is nearing completion with the LOD modelling complete.
P-40C external 3D modelling is nearing completion. Cockpit underway.
P-40E external and cockpit 3D modelling is maturing nicely and not far off being completed.
Martlet III external and cockpit 3D modeling is mostly complete and the LOD's have recently been completed.
Nice interview with Jason.
They released a few more planes for early access for Bodenplatte today. I took up the P-47 for a quick flight (and shot up a train. It kinda had it coming)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/45960367172_9bc6cb2bab_h.jpg)
So......many.....gauges....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4830/45960366962_38d5c0bbd0_h.jpg)
Die train!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4849/46009661031_244fa7304e_h.jpg)
Cut that a little close....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/45960367572_f38380f6e7_h.jpg)
So, how does she fly?
I've so far held off on Bodenplatte, but with the release of these American fighters it's getting harder and harder to stay away.
Feels right. Take off and landing was a breeze (took a lot of runway to slow down though). I was able to push the engine pretty hard and never got close to overheating unlike the Soviet planes. Felt a bit slow and had poor acceleration but handled well. Very heavy and pick up speed very quickly in a dive. I nearly put it in the dirt on my first couple of strafing attempts. Haven't tried a dogfight yet.
Lotta verbage on that dashboard. In a past life, I'm fairly certain I killed myself lawn-darting one of those things as I just focused on reading all the warning tags and whatnot in front of me. Lol.
Beautiful stuff there.
I just picked up BOS in the Steam sale.
I'm late to the party, but wow! Goodbye DCS! BOS actually feels like a proper game with it's missions and campaign and not a click-pit simulator.
Now, if only they would venture into modern flight, I would have a reason to uninstall DCS forever.
Quote from: Apocalypse 31 on November 23, 2018, 11:06:05 AM
I just picked up BOS in the Steam sale.
Same, with BoMosc, too. No extra planes yet. Might get the Soviet Airacobra...? But I'm mainly thinking of playing the Axis. Any suggestions? (I know the freight hauler campaigns are supposed to be quite the different experience.)
Flew the new planes over the holidays. Love the new p47 but it's a pig for down low dog fighting. I was far more leathal in the spit mark ix. Also the 109k that was released with the p47 maybe the best all around fighter in the game. It's now my best axis plane. Supposedly the p47 is supposed to own at 20000 feet, but in online dogfight no one ever flies that high.
Heh yeah probably because 9 out of 10 dogfights end in a descending scissors. :)
I might have to poke my head into the BoX franchise, but how's the spread of aircraft that are flyable? Only lend-lease / captured western aircraft or do the(mods?) games also feature western or desert front missions?
Quote from: Apocalypse 31 on November 23, 2018, 11:06:05 AM
I just picked up BOS in the Steam sale.
I'm late to the party, but wow! Goodbye DCS! BOS actually feels like a proper game with it's missions and campaign and not a click-pit simulator.
Now, if only they would venture into modern flight, I would have a reason to uninstall DCS forever.
My goodness. You really seem to hate DCS, your not just mad at them for the ww2 entry they made but also want to get away from their jets. But why?
I do agree though, BOS is defo more aimed at the experience of war and making it easier to get into. It's more fleshed out and really seems to be pumping flyables out quickly.
I generally for my tastes like sims that I don't have to strain too much (un-naturally so) to see enemy A/C in and am more interested in visceral flight (including clickable cockpits) than the "role playing war" side of things. DCS ticks both of those boxes.
Quote from: Destraex on November 23, 2018, 05:06:47 PM
My goodness. You really seem to hate DCS, your not just mad at them for the ww2 entry they made but also want to get away from their jets. But why?
Just getting fed up with the DCS hype. Modules that are hyped up then released with 1/2 features only to be abandoned less than a year later, maps the same.
DCS doesn't feel like a game, and I have rarely enjoyed my time playing it - it is more of a struggle to jam the proper keys in an expedient fashion than apply tactics and feel enjoyment (for me).
Multiplayer is also poorly done in DCS, like it was an afterthought - even which the developers admit the game wasn't initially developed for multiplayer.
IL2 just feels more game-like. Sure, its not as full fidelity as DCS, but my goal is enjoying the game and focusing on
tactics and the art of war - rather than tedious tasks like turning the master-arm switch ON, turning the missile selector lever to the right pylon, ensuring the FCS is warmed up and oriented properly, ensuring that the safety latches are unlatched on BOTH the laser range finder AND the fire controls, ensuring my target is within proper range and that my lase is correct - all that to launch a HOT3 in the Gazelle.
Quote from: Yskonyn on November 23, 2018, 04:39:36 PM
Heh yeah probably because 9 out of 10 dogfights end in a descending scissors. :)
I might have to poke my head into the BoX franchise, but how's the spread of aircraft that are flyable? Only lend-lease / captured western aircraft or do the(mods?) games also feature western or desert front missions?
No Steam mods that I can find. If there are other mods, perhaps someone can say.
Obviously the original IL-2 (on sale dirt cheap at Steam right now, as IL-2:1946), has absolute tons of things included, not counting who knows how many mods.
Currently you can run a career from the Battle of Moscow, through the Battle of Stalingrad, through the Battle of Kurban, all of which feature rather different terrain (especially Kurban), but all are separate purchases of course (the other two being large DLC for Stalingrad). DLC aircraft tend to not be available through all campaigns, which is understandable: getting a FW190 at the Battle of Moscow might be gauche. ;)
The Soviets fly a nice mix of Lend/Lease aircraft (freaking Airacobras!) plus their own gear. The Nazis stick with their own kit, except for an arguably competent Italian fighter. Each plane comes with skins, and with variant loadout options. I do not understand how a 1 kilogram rear-view mirror would result in a 1kph speed loss in a HS 129-B2 "Duck" tactical bomber, when a 10Kg radio compass results in a speed loss less than 1kph, but there we are. ::) (This is extra DLC, btw.)
Stalingrad starts you with 4 operational craft on each side (2 fighters, one tac, one med bomber). I find a bit of personal amusement in the base model IL-2 (of the game's name) being the 1938 design for clear-sky warfare, with the armor and rear gun left off by Stalin's command because he was expecting to overrun German positions so hard their airforce would be wiped out on the ground. ::)
A similar spread of 8 aircraft for Battle of Moscow, at least some of which can also be used in later campaigns I would expect. Kurban unlocks another 8 craft, though I'm not sure how many can be used earlier. There's also a special Soviet story-campaign for Stalingrad as a DLC, where you play a specific character, a fighter-pilot grounded for injury and deemed unable to fly fighters, who gets shifted to the eponymous IL-2 instead.
^It's Kuban, not "Kurban"...
You mean it isn't where the Kurgan comes from?!
:hide:
Quote from: Skoop on November 23, 2018, 01:04:01 PM
Flew the new planes over the holidays. Love the new p47 but it's a pig for down low dog fighting. I was far more leathal in the spit mark ix. Also the 109k that was released with the p47 maybe the best all around fighter in the game. It's now my best axis plane. Supposedly the p47 is supposed to own at 20000 feet, but in online dogfight no one ever flies that high.
Yeah, the Kurfurst seems pretty deadly. I just shot down 3 P-47s at 4500m in one. I just don't like flying 109s though. I always end up burning out the engine no matter how much I hold back on the throttle. (and I ground loop a lot when taxiing onto of off of the runway.)
I think I like the Spitfire Mk IX the best of the new planes. I seem to be able to fly rings around most things I go up against although I did have a helluva lot of trouble with some A-9s. They managed to pull just ahead of my reticle no matter how sharp I cut my turn.
I'm really looking forward to the Tempest. That's the plane I flew the most in Il-2 1946 when I played online.
Goddammit...
^ You don't have any of the il2 BOX series yet ?
No...but I think I am going to get the base game and the HS2 dlc tomorrow morning.
Not sure how much you like flying Russian and german stuff, many of you will want to fly only western allied stuff which requires Bodenplatt. No map or SP career yet in early access, but you could fly QBs and any online map is fair game as long as there's Bodenplatt planes on it.
Quote from: Skoop on November 24, 2018, 12:26:27 PM
Not sure how much you like flying Russian and german stuff, many of you will want to fly only western allied stuff which requires Bodenplatt. No map or SP career yet in early access, but you could fly QBs and any online map is fair game as long as there's Bodenplatt planes on it.
You can fly western planes in Kuban (Spitfire Vb, P-40E, Aircobra and A20, even in Western markings)
Quote from: MengJiao on November 24, 2018, 01:34:11 PM
You can fly western planes in Kuban (Spitfire Vb, P-40E, Aircobra and A20, even in Western markings)
You can put up some He111s and Me109s against those Spits, squint a bit, and pretend it's the BoB
Or Malta or with p40s -- Palmyra.
And this is by the original 'Ilya and Oleg' crew of the original IL-2 games?
Quote from: Yskonyn on November 24, 2018, 02:20:22 PM
And this is by the original 'Ilya and Oleg' crew of the original IL-2 games?
Nope. An offshoot that developed
Rise of Flight. The original main developer had some bizarre ideas that really hurt the game but after he left and Jason took over, they've been slowly but surely turning it around. The original dev wanted a highly detailed, complex flight sim engine with complex engine management but he wanted this sim engine to be crammed into a weird game world catering chiefly to the online twitch crowd. I think he saw the success of World of Tanks and War Thunder and wanted a piece of that so he put in a player leveling system where you needed to earn XP to unlock skins and upgrades for your plane. It also included an AI skill scaling system so the higher level your avatar was, the tougher the AI became. Once you reached the maximum level of 10, AI anti-air was laser like in its ability to nail you and nearly every enemy pilot was an ace. There was no way to reset your level because it was tied to your account, not individual pilots within the game. This was due to the fact that you didn't actually create a pilot within game. The "campaigns" were just a series of randomly generated missions where you could select any airfield on the map and choose any plane based there. You'd get a generic mission where you'd fly the same diamond shaped flight path, attack or defend whatever the objective was, and then RTB. Didn't matter how many planes went down on either side as the game didn't track any stats beyond the amount of XP you'd earn for completing the mission. Very little in the way of immersion, especially for single player. Players would just try to plough through easy missions in order to grind XP so they could unlock all the stuff. The dev responded by putting a maximum 2x time compression cap on single player missions.
The community was pretty unhappy with this design decision but he simply refused to listen and would just ban people from the forums if they voiced even mild criticism. Single players pretty much shelved the game and the online community lost a lot of people as well. Most servers were underpopulated or completely empty even during peak hours. They finally got the guy to step down and started addressing player concerns. Single player still isn't great but it's improving constantly. They still have the goofy leveling system but you can now opt to start with everything unlocked so it's mostly there as a legacy that everyone can just ignore. The enemy AI is no longer tied to it as strongly so you aren't getting punished by ground fire. There's a campaign system that allows you to create pilots complete with biographies and the game will now track the stats and progress of said pilots as well as the stats of squadrons.
It's fun to play now in SP and the MP servers are filling up again.
^Its so rare that a game can turn around once it gets off to a bad start making a negative first impression...that IL-2 BOS has succeeded in doing that is a credit to the quality of the game.
Eastern Front of WWII (and WWI incidentally) has always been the most fascinating to me.
Just to be certain here: there is a solid SP campaign for Battle of Stalingrad, right? Everything I have read indicates that there is.
Similar in look and feel to how the campaign system from Rise of Flight works.
Good enough. Just the fact that it is the Battle of Stalingrad is the draw.
Quote from: Gusington on November 24, 2018, 07:34:37 PM
Good enough. Just the fact that it is the Battle of Stalingrad is the draw.
"Blazing Steppes" (which is cheap right now) has its own narrative IL-2 campaign, too, over Stalingrad.
^Yeah I saw that but before I dive that deep I want to just dip my toe in the original campaign. The last ten years have not been proud ones for me for flight sims...I have such excitement and high hopes but then they become very difficult for me to learn. I have read on Steam that BoS is less unforgiving for n00bs, thus my interest (besides it being on the Eastern Front, etc.)
That said, I am planning on getting the Hs129 DLC for some tank killin'.
Love the Hs129 too, but it was historically a bust. Not as good at tank killing as it was suppose to be. Tank killing improved when they modded antitank rockets to the wings and tungsten rounds to the belly gun. The late war model with the 75mm AT gun mounted in the belly was a beast in original IL2, but historically never saw combat. Most pilots saw it as a death trap with no defensive gunners.
Rudel, Germany's ground attack ace, preferred the twin cannon 37mm stuka with tungsten rounds for tank killing.
The 1943 IL2 model that drops PTAB AT mass bomblets from the bomb bays was game changer for killing entire columns of vehicles.
:dreamer:
I find the Hs129 to be the hardest plane to fly in the game. Taxi and take-off is very difficult. It's really hard to keep the thing from ground looping. Once you do get it up in the air, it feels very under-powered. It takes a long time to climb and it feels nose heavy no matter how you trim it. The damn thing just wants to crash. Strafing with it is hard because it sucks so badly at climbing. After 2-3 passes, you've lost so much energy that you have to bugger off and spend a few minutes climbing back up high enough to be able to make a few more passes.
Is there a difference between ordering at their site or over at Steam (like DCS)? Or does one buy Steam keys at their website as well?
Those reviews are equivalent to Steam reviews for "the flying Duck", too. It's fun to play as a piece of history and a challenge, but isn't as effective as the Stuka or BF-110. (The latter of which is stock for one of the DLC operations, I forget which, Moscow I think. But which you can't buy as DLC, through Steam anyway.)
Quote from: Yskonyn on November 25, 2018, 06:21:13 AM
Is there a difference between ordering at their site or over at Steam (like DCS)? Or does one buy Steam keys at their website as well?
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/37142-heads-up-changes-coming-to-il-2-steam-integration/?tab=comments#comment-626889
Bf110 and the Stuka are some of my favorite aircraft, since I was a kid playing LucasArts Battle of Britain. I even enjoyed being the gunner in both.
Thanks Pete! :bd:
OK so I bought the base game and fired it up.
It was in windowed mode to I put it in to full screen mode and futzed around with the resolution. I maxed it out, so much so that the options menu on the intro screen was inaccessible. To get it back I modified the startup .cfg file and put the resolution back down to 1920 x 1080.
Only issue now is the menu text and Steam comes up with blurry text. I tried changing the resolution and a couple of other graphics changes but I can't get ride of this blurry text. I even re-installed but it didn't work. No other games have this issue.
Any idea on how to get crisp text back? It was fine when I booted the game up the very first time. Graphics appear to be fine...no blur.
REEEFUNNNDDD!
>:D
I don't know the answer, but my bet would be on some problem interfacing with Windows' dot-per-inch text modifier.
Nah son...I want to play this too badly. I feel I got it at a steal too for ~16.00 instead of the usual fiddy dollars.
I have actually had a font issue like this once before with one of the Clad in Iron games but it went unresolved.
So with the account link from steam to il-2 account.....if you originally bought all your content on Steam, can you now install the IL-2 client (from the company's web site) and play just using the client, not Steam?
Gus, the blurry text is something I might recognise; I had it on my old monitor when games defaulted to a refreshrate that it didnt support.
For example, whenever games defaulted to 75hz I got that blurry text, so its worth trying if you can force refreshrate somehow.
^Thank you! You think that's through the video card console (mine's an NVidia) or through the game itself?
I looked through my NVidia console and Stalingrad isn't listed there...
My main problem is that I have no idea what I'm doing. L:-)
I'd be glad to read instructions, but there don't appear to be any. I accidentally turned on autopilot and rode my HE 111 into the clouds following a swarm of my peers, while mouselook/zooming around with interest, but how do I adjust anything, or what do any of these things mean (aside from some obvious guesses), no idea. My stick-and-throttle might as well have been a cat on my lap for all the good they did in affecting what was going on. Is there any way to make practice flights? Who knows?
^I feel this will be the level I will be at when I start.
This guy, Requiem, has been a little helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwV5RLX7mkaDy5gTIiuwGmg
I've seen that guy's links posted all over the place. Must be very good.
Gus, its in the game. Video options, where you select your resolution. If there is an option to select a refreshrate try 60hz and see if it solves the issue.
But most often with games where this posed an issue with my monitor the games wouldn't allow me to select a refreshrate and I needed to edit some .ini or config file.
If the structure of IL-2 BoX is anywhere near that of CLoD you can easily force a refreshrate in the config files.
If you need concrete help I can dig into the file system once I am back home and have installed the game.
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 25, 2018, 07:57:16 PM
My main problem is that I have no idea what I'm doing. L:-)
I'd be glad to read instructions, but there don't appear to be any. I accidentally turned on autopilot and rode my HE 111 into the clouds following a swarm of my peers, while mouselook/zooming around with interest, but how do I adjust anything, or what do any of these things mean (aside from some obvious guesses), no idea. My stick-and-throttle might as well have been a cat on my lap for all the good they did in affecting what was going on. Is there any way to make practice flights? Who knows?
My Notes for HE 111.. So you'll want to map some buttons for oil and water radiators.. then you'll only need to fiddle with Throttle and RPM after.
HE111
Climb
2300 RPM 1.15 ATA
Cruise
2200 RPM 1.1 ATA
Water and Oil Rads
Supercharger Stage 2 over 2000 Stage 2 2500
Max temp 105 C
Take off Flaps 15-20 Center 100 rotate 150
Thanks again Yskonyn - will attempt to force the refresh rate when I get home later today. Thanks too for the file offer - I may have to take you up on it. Already edited the startup cfg file so it shouldn't be too big a deal to do again if I have to.
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2018, 09:31:19 AM
Thanks again Yskonyn - will attempt to force the refresh rate when I get home later today. Thanks too for the file offer - I may have to take you up on it. Already edited the startup cfg file so it shouldn't be too big a deal to do again if I have to.
If you want to do some MP Gus, I'm game!
Man, I would so like to get in to this but having to futz with water and oil temps and RPM as well as throttle... I just want to fly pretty planes and shoot other pretty planes...
Is there lazy idiot mode to these games? :P
Quote from: Barthheart on November 26, 2018, 11:10:21 AM
Man, I would so like to get in to this but having to futz with water and oil temps and RPM as well as throttle... I just want to fly pretty planes and shoot other pretty planes...
Is there lazy idiot mode to these games? :P
I rarely mess with those more advanced engine management settings. It may be to my detriment, but it has not stopped me from blowing up a lot of crap and really enjoying the sim...
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 26, 2018, 11:15:30 AM
Quote from: Barthheart on November 26, 2018, 11:10:21 AM
Man, I would so like to get in to this but having to futz with water and oil temps and RPM as well as throttle... I just want to fly pretty planes and shoot other pretty planes...
Is there lazy idiot mode to these games? :P
I rarely mess with those more advanced engine management settings. It may be to my detriment, but it has not stopped me from blowing up a lot of crap and really enjoying the sim...
Hmmm... so you don't have to constantly make changes to this stuff to fly? That's why I gave up on the original Rise of Flight... to hard to just fly the planes let along shoot at anything...
Quote from: Barthheart on November 26, 2018, 11:17:56 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 26, 2018, 11:15:30 AM
Quote from: Barthheart on November 26, 2018, 11:10:21 AM
Man, I would so like to get in to this but having to futz with water and oil temps and RPM as well as throttle... I just want to fly pretty planes and shoot other pretty planes...
Is there lazy idiot mode to these games? :P
I rarely mess with those more advanced engine management settings. It may be to my detriment, but it has not stopped me from blowing up a lot of crap and really enjoying the sim...
Hmmm... so you don't have to constantly make changes to this stuff to fly? That's why I gave up on the original Rise of Flight... to hard to just fly the planes let along shoot at anything...
You probably do in order to maximize performance, but I have not found any of that essential to actually fly and fight successfully.
water and oil, just open em before you take off, and you're okay. rpm, and pressure, you just have to not run your engines on full power for a long time
German planes are mostly automatic so you don't need to fiddle with fuel mixture, oil and water radiators, or prop pitch for the most part. Soviet planes are much more hands on and do require a lot of adjustments if you choose to enable full realism. You have the option to go into custom realism settings and turn features/requirements in and off for single player however.
Thanks all.... now I have to spend more money.... :buck2:
Anybody try out this view tracker:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/929270/ViewTracker/
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on November 26, 2018, 11:38:26 AM
German planes are mostly automatic so you don't need to fiddle with fuel mixture, oil and water radiators, or prop pitch for the most part. Soviet planes are much more hands on and do require a lot of adjustments if you choose to enable full realism. You have the option to go into custom realism settings and turn features/requirements in and off for single player however.
FW 190 and Me 109. I don't think the others are auto?
One learning thing that irked me, was the brakes being different between the GE and SU planes!
Quote from: Barthheart on November 26, 2018, 11:46:47 AM
Anybody try out this view tracker:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/929270/ViewTracker/
Not yet but it looks very doable (if still early and unstable).
Quote from: Tuna on November 26, 2018, 11:50:27 AM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on November 26, 2018, 11:38:26 AM
German planes are mostly automatic so you don't need to fiddle with fuel mixture, oil and water radiators, or prop pitch for the most part. Soviet planes are much more hands on and do require a lot of adjustments if you choose to enable full realism. You have the option to go into custom realism settings and turn features/requirements in and off for single player however.
FW 190 and Me 109. I don't think the others are auto?
The early HE 111 has some automation, I noticed. Startup from a cold engine is mostly automated for example, with just enough input to say "I'm helping!" ;)
Another handy bit of automation is a ten second timer that flicks between left and right fuel tanks for improved balance.
No, what SDR was saying is that RPM is handled automatically. Engine start up is auto on all. DCS it is not!
Hm, He 111 not sure that rpm is handled automatically -- it's independent from the throttles, too (though obviously they're clustered together.)
The mixture is automatic now (didn't use to be), and I think the superchargers are automatic although I get the impression you can do them manually if you want.
Thanks again Yskonyn. Definitely up for MP with everyone here once I get up to speed.
And I am counting on an idiot/realism mode. Otherwise I won't get off the virtual ground.
Still tempted to get the Hs129 because I love me some ground attack...are there any other ground attack planes available, besides the Stuka?
IL-2!
Surely not for the Germans....Shirley.
The 110 is a favourite of mine for ground attack. And stop calling me Shirley.
Never!!
I didn't see the 110 available as dlc...I don't think I saw it listed in the base game either...?
I was going to say BF-110. However, I think it's only available as part of the Battle of Moscow package? -- though doing so unlocks it for subsequent campaigns, too.
(I have a question mark there, because I don't recall seeing a gruppe with any 110s available at the start of Typhoon.)
The advantage to spending cash on Moscow now is: (1) you can get it while it's on sale ;) and (2) you can run a career from there through Stalingrad (and Kuban later).
I picked up Moscow when I got Stalingrad, so that's where I'm starting.
(Though I'm going to figure out how to do quick missions with no threats for sake of doing practice flights first.)
I like the JU 88 and PE 2, because you cN choose between level bombing or dive bombing for attack! pe 2 is nice and fast and climbs quickly. he 111 and stuka are pigs climbing. 111 carrys a nice bomb load though. I haven't flown the il2 much
No Bf 110 in the Stalingrad game. The 110 E2 comes with the Moscow game and the G2 (a 110 on roids) comes with Kuban. The E2 can be used in the Stalingrad career mode, however.
JU 88 is from Moscow too right?
Correctamundo. It's also a great bomber.
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 26, 2018, 01:46:23 PM
(Though I'm going to figure out how to do quick missions with no threats for sake of doing practice flights first.)
You just pick a quick mission ;). I think it's in the main menu. It'll take you to a map with symbols of A/C on it denoting different missions. Pick one with a single A/C, set it what you want (runway/airstart, weather, etc) and away you go.
BTW I would suggest to all newcomers that grabbing a friend on TS who knows the ropes and going to an empty server is the quickest way to learn. I don't mean combat, just the idiosyncrasies of the controls and so on. Apart from anything else respawning is much quicker in MP than in SP.
Thank you, Father. I wanted to hold off on spending too much right away without learning first. However if Battle of Moscow is still on sale today I would get it for the 110 and for the campaign interlocks that Pratt is describing above. Plus the G2 (110 on steroids) sounds just too delicious to pass up...never heard of this plane before!!
Edit: I see the G2 comes with Kuban...I'll wait for that one 😎
I've actually really enjoyed flying the "Tante Jew".
I...I am afraid even ask.
At that price, grab Moscow too, the e-110 is good for dive bombing.. but JU 88 is an awesome plane!..
Was tempted on Kuban but figure that will be 16 bucks someday too. .only interested in two planes on that one, so not gonna spend 37 bucks for that.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 26, 2018, 03:00:01 PM
I've actually really enjoyed flying the "Tante Jew".
That's the only plane I haven't bought. I do enjoy shooting them down though. They make for great practice dummies when you're learning a new plane/weapons system. I threw a flight of 8 of them up and slapped the bright red paint scheme on them when I was learning to use the Gr21 rocket system on the Bf109 G12. They blow up real good!
Which plane is that?
EDIT: Never mind, googled.
Today is the first time I have ever heard of that plane referred to with that name.
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2018, 05:47:13 PM
Today is the first time I have ever heard of that plane referred to with that name.
Its really the "Tante Ju" (literally, "Aunt Ju"). Its a nickname given to the aircraft by those who flew it.
I knew 'tante' from my own family but never in this context.
Yskonyn - when you have a moment let me know which file you edited to change the monitor refresh rate. I can't do it in game.
Thanks all for answering my questions. This game is cool! And all I've done so far is fly around in single plane missions! This game has just the right settings for my required idiot mode. :bd:
Fooled around in my He 111 tonight. ...uh, not a euphamism! But I love it so much... :smitten:
Basically went absolutely minimal by setting up a parked aircraft and hopping in at 5am (with a few restarts) so I could play with the views and cameras and the HUD, and getting familiar with the little tritium (??) glow-in-the-dark dials. Discovered that while the flaps work fine without power, the lights do not. :buck2: Also discovered the skybox rotates as time passes! :smitten:
Also discovered that the game seems designed for 4K instead of merely 1080p, in some regards, as the stars and some scenery joints 'slip' between the pixels when my view moves around. This would be less obvious when not in the dark, I expect. I tested at two stages higher in resolution (the max available) and this effect disappeared, but (1) I'm fuzzy about whether I should be running my monitor that high on any regular basis; and (2) the screen text becomes unreadably small and a bit smeery (which made me worry I had borked my text like Gus did!)
More discoveries:
* There's a ton of simulation going on under the hood (apparently? or only a facsimile?) during engine startup, which seems like it could be controlled in theory, though I can understand why the devs would assume no one would.
* Cabin lights turn on other crew station lights, too. These can be seen somewhat outside at night! This is despite the cabin lights for the pilot being ALMOST COMPLETELY USELESS!! For goodness' sake, I can see a vaportight incandescent (apparently?) below my left foot, but no, all I get is a pen-light showing me overhead gauges that are already lit up; and another penlight showing me some flap controls that are also already lit up internally.
* My landing/taxi light is hilariously useless despite making me a target (with lens flare and prismatic sparkle if I dolly the camera around outside. But I suppose the point is to show me when I'm close to the ground.
* The plane starts parked in random (?) areas on the field, and not necessarily at its revetment. That's just odd.
* OMIGOSH I LOVE MY CONDOR LEGION SHATTERED SNOW PAINT JOB SO MUCH YOU GUYYYSSSS!!1! :D :D :D
* I know I can make some camera adjustments (in theory) that will allow me to see some glow-dark gauges behind my pilot's seat left and right (those are two of the trim adjustments) -- one of the preset views does show the left one, but nothing shows the right one. Why would that not have been dialed in already by the devs...? Maybe left over from a prior patch adjustment? It takes me to a fully useless view behind my right hip, but I still can't see the gauge. Nor does rotating my head with mouselook help. (No doubt trackIR or the equivalent will help with this later. And the HUD UI would show keyboard adjustments.)
* There are at least two secondhands on the clock (placed very handily on the center of the yoke, I was pleased to see), which are not animated. Why they're even there at all eludes me.
* Not sure where the bomb view is, in the cabin. Or the plane. I know how to get there by key, but not its location in relation to the plane.
* I like how the belly gunner has been animated to sit up in the fusilage until after takeoff. Even though he would practically never be seen. Apparently (based on a YT video) the forward gunner gets into position at the start of the mission, from his little folding seat next to me, too, but I haven't caught him doing that yet. Why he would be prone out front during takeoff, I don't understand, but maybe it's a realistic balancing thing. The inside of the plane's body is trololol narrow. No apparent way for the cabin guys to go back there or vice versa? (I mean not even a door.)
* Field of view seems distortedly wide. Maybe this can be adjusted in config, but not in-game so far as I can discover. Possibly this is set so that the "instrument view toggle" will show everything without yanking the pilot's head back in a heron-curved-neck fashion?
* Dolly-camera-ing around outside, I can hear distant big guns, and birdsong. Nice touches.
* The "canopy" toggle opens and closes a window. The "window" toggle does nothing. Okay.
* Evidently, though I haven't tested this yet, I can draw and shoot three colors of flare gun, and a personal pistol. I presume this is outside the one little window I can open? Why I would do this in the game is beyond me. I can understand flare signaling in real life, I guess, but in the game? And pistols wouldn't be used in flight, right?? YOU HAF FAILED ME FUR ZE LAST TIME, FORWARD GUNNAR!!
:dreamer:
Forgot to mention:
* despite the fact that if any plane should be flying in formation, it's this one, there are apparently no "formation lights". The toggle key does nothing. I've dolly-cam'd all around the bird. I guessed they should be small lights on the back wing edges, but no joy yet.
* there are two little dots of tritium lighting in the cabin which I cannot for the life of me understand. I can't help but suspect they're marking dials that I cannot adjust my view sufficiently to see (yet). It's making my OD-C itch. Note to self, do not fly bombing runs at night in this thing. I will fixate on trying to figure out what those are, and roll us into a spin...
Alright, I'm in. Buying BoS and BoM now. :wow:
:cowboy:
Actually it wasn't all you guys. I went to the San Diego Air and Space museum Sunday and got all fired up about aviation again. They had a spectacular WW1 set up, lots of old biplanes. It was really well done.
But it got me motivated to finally break out the HOTAS and get things working...it's all sort of jumbled up in my office right now.
I doubt I'll get to it until the weekend, but once I do, watch out in MP.
I may or may not have screenies coming tonight... :-*
Broke down and grabbed Kuban before the sale ended!
I fondled Moscow last night but held off. Still thinking about the Bf110 and its sweet, sweet variants though.
Quote from: Gusington on November 27, 2018, 09:33:17 AM
I fondled Moscow last night but held off...
Heyoooo! :))
(Heinkel He-111 = love that plane)
After whining last night, I hopped back on to try to figure out what the heck I was seeing, and solved several mysteries in the He 111.
* I hunted down every last one of the weird snippets of night-glow I was seeing. Two of them were air pressure gauges for oxygen masks -- I have yet to determine whether the game actually features crew members wearing them, much less whether they fluctuate. One of them was the ampmeter for the battery. This does fluctuate, as I confirmed while watching different parts of the cabin during the automated startup procedure. And one was nothing more than a dot to indicate where to put one's hand on a console for initial switches during the startup procedure. Those switches are mostly not operable in the game, but they all have audible localized sounds (the clicks are coming from 'there'), and some of them do move (the engine pull-starters and their covers). The gears and dials for two of the trimming controls, flanking my seat left and right behind me, are not glow-painted. I'm probably supposed to adjust them by 'feel' (and so by the HUD).
* I do not apparently have a personal pistol. I do have a flare pistol, which I found stored up near the front gunnery 'bed'. I also found where the three colors of flares are stored. The flare pistol does not seem to go anywhere when used, but then when I take over a crew position I can't see the 'figure' for that crewman in any case -- only in camera views, or looking at other crew from my position. I can shoot flares, but other than a poomf sound and a little HUD icon telling me I have one less flare of that color, nothing seems to happen. I can't shoot the flare from a camera position outside the plane. I can't shoot the flare from anywhere but pilot's position. Shooting the flare does not require me to open the window (ahem "canopy"). A flare shot inside the cockpit ought to be fatal and/or hilarious!
* There is in fact, as I should have expected, a door panel between the cockpit and the main body. It can't be actually 'used' of course, but at least it's there. I just couldn't see it from turning my 'head' around at the standard position in the seat. All positions, however, have a body/neck shift 'map' (using the num keys), which can be dialed in somewhat to save the position to a more useful 'look', and between those and the front gunner I was finally able to see the cabin door. (I spent much of my time last night checking out the 'view' angles for each position, most of which are set up to scan parts of the sky or ground as might be expected.)
* There are dozens of bundled ammo boxes around the two 'cabins'. Presumably they get used up during reloads. The only true "turret" gun (which does not need the generator on to work, much like the flaps ;) ), shows that its ammo boxes have animated shells which can be seen through some tracking windows: when you don't see a shell there anymore, then you've got less-than-the-mark nearby. It's a very nice little practical touch.
* The side and belly guns are comically, though no doubt also realistically, restrictive. Enough so that I thought of the Doolittle raid painting broomsticks to save on weight, just to keep fighter defense worried that shooting might start. Apparently there's a command to tell your gunners to start shooting at ground targets and things of that sort, which in this bomber would be rofl. ...and now I'm wondering how feasible it would be to try my brother's old Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe tactic of landing his bomber on the way back from the target to strafe opportunity targets and then take off again! ;D
I snuck Cliffs of Dover Blitz out of the sale just over the wire it ends in about 30 minutes, just on the hope that someday it won't be a broken mess... :dreamer:
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 27, 2018, 12:30:53 PM
I snuck Cliffs of Dover Blitz out of the sale just over the wire it ends in about 30 minutes, just on the hope that someday it won't be a broken mess... :dreamer:
You have to get the fusion group's rebuild (I think that is even on Steam): Blitz
Quote from: MengJiao on November 27, 2018, 12:38:27 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 27, 2018, 12:30:53 PM
I snuck Cliffs of Dover Blitz out of the sale just over the wire it ends in about 30 minutes, just on the hope that someday it won't be a broken mess... :dreamer:
You have to get the fusion group's rebuild (I think that is even on Steam): Blitz
I did. Latest word is that they even have Mediterranean Theater DLC on the way!
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 27, 2018, 12:47:46 PM
Quote from: MengJiao on November 27, 2018, 12:38:27 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 27, 2018, 12:30:53 PM
I snuck Cliffs of Dover Blitz out of the sale just over the wire it ends in about 30 minutes, just on the hope that someday it won't be a broken mess... :dreamer:
You have to get the fusion group's rebuild (I think that is even on Steam): Blitz
I did. Latest word is that they even have Mediterranean Theater DLC on the way!
Oh, well at this point its not a broken mess or at least it seems reasonably functional to me.
:bd:
Since I grabbed Kuban this morning, I was looking for Engine specs. .found this great PDF covering BOS, BOM and BOK
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/30773-bom-cockpits-and-operation-quick-guide/ (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/30773-bom-cockpits-and-operation-quick-guide/)
@ Jason - I reckon a fair few of your issues with BoX will fade away with TIR. Admittedly it's not cheap, but you seem to to be getting into your flightsims and TIR (or the DIY solutions) will make the whole experience that much better.
Thanks for posting the above, Tuna!
Quote from: Father Ted on November 27, 2018, 06:13:32 PM
@ Jason - I reckon a fair few of your issues with BoX will fade away with TIR. Admittedly it's not cheap, but you seem to to be getting into your flightsims and TIR (or the DIY solutions) will make the whole experience that much better.
I know; I was looking at the latest TrackIR setup at Amazon today, although I'll probably test out ViewTracker first.
However, really a lot of my issues were solved by learning how to use keyboard 'leaning'. I'm just still poking around in the interface getting comfortable with it. :coolsmiley:
The main thing I'm worried about at this point is why my stick-and-throttle set didn't work the first night I ran it. I didn't try getting those to work last night; will probably try to tonight. But even if I'm stuck playing bombers by keyboard and mouselook, I'll have gotten my money's worth. O0
Some artsy nonsense last night. (Click to toggle embiggeness)
5am in the cockpit, looking out over the left wing.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/2840/oQFfVz.jpg)
Craft is totally dead. Where did Germany get all the Tritium necessary for this glow...? :o
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6044/A3Wfaq.jpg)
Looking up at the sky through the canopy (and at the fuel gauges and main console, all overhead)...
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/6593/ItyMl8.jpg)
The 'main console' keyboard stretchpoint.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/7550/4G3Mq1.jpg)
Behold! -- the cabin lights!
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/8656/kHCDGp.jpg)
How useless are the cabin lights?
(https://imageshack.com/a/img921/3287/S9YxjO.jpg)
This useless (in the game anyway). They light up things that I can already see in the dark already. And nothing else. For comparison...
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6569/TOZNiG.jpg)
If that was a kneepad or something I'd accept the result even if I couldn't use it in the game. But it lights up something the pilot would never be able to use for writing on or whatever. :P
I assume at night in the dark, with night vision, these lights would be far more useful in real life. In the game, their only use is for the repeater compass on the right. (And I don't know why I would need the repeater except in case of absolute emergency navigation with one having been shot up.)
0645ish. The crew has arrived, and we patiently pose as the propaganda schmuck dollies around outside...
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/7774/9W4V89.jpg)
Our grim resolve illustrates the harsh reality of war. (And of living in a Nazi regime where we'll be shot if we don't pose for the propaganda photos with grim resolve.)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/1250/TjhnQ5.jpg)
I'm not the world's biggest fan of lens flares in most of my games, including this one -- I'd turn it off if I could figure out how! -- but it does sometimes make for artsy "photo" ops (where its presence makes actual sense):
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/9220/pAaBHz.jpg)
A few minutes later with the engines now warming up:
(https://imageshack.com/a/img921/7382/b3ZN82.jpg)
Higher angle = superior propaganda! (Thanks Goebbels!)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img921/2699/1oQl6Q.jpg)
Same shot slightly tweaked to remove the bourgeoise lens flare in favor of romantic realism.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img921/8655/7sncYs.jpg)
The photos don't do justice to the dust being blown backward by the wash in the morning. This was the best I could get for that effect.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/8448/Bxj4P3.jpg)
Based on this shot and similar doll-arounds outside, I infer that the bombsight must be, as I would kind-of expect, under the front gunner. Why I never see it there, in his position or the pilots, I don't know. I can see the gears and chains to open the bomb-bay doors (or possibly the manual crank for the landing gear), but not the bombsite apparatus.
For practice and familiarization I'm setting up without an exterior bomb, which you can or rather cannot see slung outside under the left of the fuselage (photo right). The bay doors are photo left of the bomb clamps. The sim requires me to put something in the bay, so I've got some practice smokebombs. I'm not entirely sure I ever saw them from any of the crew positions, but freezooming the camera around and clipping through the body of the craft, I can see where they are.
Now off to figure out whether I can get my Thrustmaster rig from a few years ago to work...
SWEET paint scheme BREH
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 27, 2018, 06:59:40 PM
...
Craft is totally dead. Where did Germany get all the Tritium necessary for this glow...? :o
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6044/A3Wfaq.jpg)
...
That is most likely radium on the dials not tritium. Pretty sure radium was still widely used through the war years. Easier to get and brighter that tritium.
The Germans sure know how to do a killer paint scheme!
I signed up my campaign for the Condor Legion, too, so it's historical for the Battle of Moscow. (At least sort-of.)
For the life of me I cannot get the external camera option to active!?! Tried remapping to different keys, and even buttons on my joystick... nothing... any ideas why?
Do you have it enabled under settings? If you select "expert" then external views are disabled.
Quote from: Barthheart on November 28, 2018, 06:24:41 AM
For the life of me I cannot get the external camera option to active!?! Tried remapping to different keys, and even buttons on my joystick... nothing... any ideas why?
If you were playing MP, the server may have it disabled.
I most certainly do not have Expert selected. :2funny:
Are you talking about "Settings" under the Options menu from the man menu or "Settings" once in a mission? I didn't see any choice in either place but really wasn't looking in the mission settings for this...
I have not even done a real mission yet let alone venture into MP Tuna! :o
Quote from: Barthheart on November 28, 2018, 08:07:29 AM
I most certainly do not have Expert selected. :2funny:
Are you talking about "Settings" under the Options menu from the man menu or "Settings" once in a mission? I didn't see any choice in either place but really wasn't looking in the mission settings for this...
I have not even done a real mission yet let alone venture into MP Tuna! :o
Hop on MP with me n Iron X tonight!
I never did get around to working out my joystick/throttle issues last night, but I did decide to cash CloD:Blitz back in while I still could, since I saw there were lots of complaints about joystick functionality and I didn't care for its limited campaign settings or mission structures. Seems like the Battle of Britain sim available from Matrix is still better (modded up of course). And I had picked up IL-2:1946 while it was on sale, too, so I won't be hurting for extra stuff.
I don't recall at what point the easy/expert/custom settings kick in (I want to say during mission or campaign setup), but if SDR says exterior views are disabled in "expert" that must be what he's talking about, and thus there must be a checkbox for it in the "custom" list.
IronX and I flew a couple quick sorties tonight. I had a good run in Ju-88 against factory 28 buildings from 3000 meters. Then when IronX joined we hopped in ME-110 G version and went at it against the enemy shipping.
I hit the drink on the first mission, but was successful the next attempt :crazy2:
IronX on the attack
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/45184455715_b262674a44_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2bQN9tV)
Bombs away
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4829/45184456195_ab8cf127f3_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2bQN9Cc)
Direct Hit!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4867/45184456655_c078bfe2a9_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2bQN9L8)
Figured out external camera - in mission settings must check "Allow Spectators"... of course... ::)
On the server we were on, it doesn't allow external views. But when are playing back recordings you can switch to external
Great shots O0
And thanks to Yskonyn, I was able to fix the fonts in my game :bd:
Nice!
Yes! Now I can move forward to get totally intimidated by the game! I'm hoping to do a few ride along MP sessions to try to learn something. Anything, really.
One important thing to 'learn', is the difference between the Russian and German brake systems. With the germans you can use your toe brakes on your rudders. With the Russian, you need to set a key for the pneumatic brake, with that one you activate the brake button while steering the rudder in the direction you want to brake.
Kind of funny with this game, taxi and take off is the hard thing to to learn. But once you get it, life is good.
I've yet to fly US, and don't own the spit. So not sure how their brakes work.
The Spit has a handbrake paddle switch on the yoke in real life. No idea if it works like such in the sim though.
So maybe, it's just like the Russians then.
Spent several hours this afternoon figuring out, for my He-111...
1.) Why my stick/throttle wasn't working. The problem turned out to be that even though the system detected my rig and assigned inputs to it, in FACT I had to go back and manually reassign everything. Which makes some sense, because the game couldn't possibly know the control limits without input testing -- but good design realizes this and prompts you for the input tests upon detecting a rig that it doesn't have a profile for! :buck2:
2.) Why my engines never warmed up. I have to throttle them up to 50% for a few minutes. I sat there for 30 minutes waiting for any twitch at all. Nope!
3.) Notably, the water and oil temps are not what the instructions generally say for operation (70 and 80 respectively). 38ish degrees C is fine for each. But then I was ignoring the instructions since I wasn't actually planning to try to take off yet.
4.) I wanted to manage my mixtures and radiators and superchargers myself and blade pitch myself. I'm still not sure the He-111 actually has blade pitch -- it has RPM but not "pitch" per se, distinct from the throttles for each engine. But the RPM acts like the pitch. But when I pitch back and forth (took a while to find good throttle-key bindings for this because my secondary rocker suxxxxxxs and should never be used for anything important), the graphics don't show the blades pitching. But I'm sure I saw that on demo tutorial films!
5.) While I was able to get my oil radiators to operate correctly, I could never get the system to open or close (incrementally or absolutely) the water radiators. Or the mixture for that matter. I've heard that manually mixturing has been removed from the He-111 (if not from the game) during a patch, but the game seemed to allow me to turn manual mixing on at one point. But then I could never get it to pay attention to my mixing or water commands after that. Eventually I went back to having the computer manage it automatically. I can't even fly yet, so maybe that's just as well.
6.) I probably need a new stick and throttle. At least a new throttle (and thus a new stick since they can't be switched out). My throttle is jerky and sticks a lot, especially past 50% open -- the point where I need fine control! I could use the keyboard of course, especially for flying a bomber, but the input lags a bit.
7.) Nothing, and I mean nothing that I've watched or read explained that I should use my toe brakes for fine inertial steering control. This took me a while to learn. Using inertial toe-brakes to control torque and air-torsion drift during takeoff is seems a little weird, too... (Edited to add: in fairness, the quicknotes do talk about toe brakes, I now notice. But not during takeoff! -- there's no way to get enough airflow over the rudder at lower speeds to offset the torque or even the torsions created by the airflow from the props including over the rudder!)
8.) While setting my elevators on the stick, I thought the game was telling me they had somehow been read backward, so I inverted the inputs. While trying to take off for my very first time, merely to see if I could (I ran out of runway) I nosed down pulling back the stick, and faceplanted. #:-) It took me a minute to understand that I had wrongly inverted the inputs after all.
9.) Note to self: 100% flaps is probably not the ideal setting for taking off in a bomber.
Never had to warm my engines up. .do MP servers have eliminated wait times for that? Have to turn the RPMs up to get rolling.
Also, the 111 is a pig climbing.. so need the speed. 20% flaps to take off. .then as soon as you have enough speed raise em.
Yep, taken off a few more times than I've landed now, but not too many more times. ;)
It has definitely helped that I'm letting my non-existent co-pilot manage the radiators, and linked my rpms with my throttles more organically. Then I recalled that helicopters generally do link their throttle with the "collective", even though technically you can adjust one without adjusting the other; and ditto for modern plane engines anyway.
That said -- I'm still doing something wrong at takeoff. I don't even have real bombs on board (the quick mission makes you take something so I've got a pack of internal paintbombs), and I'm unable to get off the ground before reaching the end of the runway -- when I ought to be rotating when I pass the tower at the halfway point!
At first I thought the problem was that during initial thrust I was tapping my toe-brakes to overcome the various forces pulling me rightward, and so bleeding off too much speed. But doing nothing until the rudder can operate at higher speed made no difference.
Then I thought maybe I need to lower my flaps past 20 degrees to 30 or more, adding drag but also lift, reducing my takeoff threshold. But that didn't work either.
Now I'm wondering if I should go with no flaps until I get up to 180 or 170 and them drop them quickly... but other people seem to use 20 degrees for takeoff.
Another theory is that I'm still lacking power because I'm not waiting until temps are 80/70 (or whatever the normal operational minimum are) before takeoff. I'll test that tomorrow when I try again with an already-started engine; but I've also tried taking off after already flying around, and there seems to be no difference that way either!
One more theory is that I'm simply at an airfield that isn't designed to takeoff He-111s. But the quick mission setup doesn't put -111s at every field, so presumably I'd be somewhere with a long enough main strip.
If worse comes to worst I can always just start further back at a feeder strip entering into the main strip, but that seems like cheating... :-\
I've never tried the He111, but one thing occurred to me - does it have a tailwheel lock?
Don't know if it helps, but I've always done gas at half capacity on all flights. Don't think you need more than that to fly to bomb site and return.
On some of the German planes, you pull back on the stick to the lock the tailwheel (I forget if that was the case with the 111, it is definitely the case with the FW 190.
If it is the case, with the 111, maybe that will help you get up to speed, that the toe brakes is bleeding off.
JU 88, you use light tapping of the toe brakes to offset torque, but I forget on the 111. But you do need your speed to get airborne, one of the 'harder' planes in that regards.
Definitely RPM 100% during take off, I immediately after safely airborne, then lower throttle and rpm to nominal settings for climb (so you don't burn the engines).
Need to be sensitive with it taking off, because it does not want to just fly, unlike many other birds.
With Radiators, I usually just open them when I start the engines. .I haven't run into any problems with over cooling like on a dive in RoF.
Looking at my notes from before, you can Lock the tailwheel.
Take off Rads Fully open.. Max RPM 1.35 ATA (1 minute max)
Climb 1.15 ATA 2300 RPM 30 min rating
Limits
1.35 ATA 2400 rpm 1 min max
1.15 ATA 2300 rpm 30 min max
1.10 ATA 2200 rpm Max continous
Take off
Lock Tail Wheel
100kph ease tail off ground
150 rotate gently
Airborne.. pull u Wheels and Flaps quiclky
Adjust Manifold and RPM
Locking the tail wheel must have changed, because that's impossible now. I checked that yesterday, despite having read already that the He-111 didn't have a tailwheel lock. (Or not the 1941 version perhaps.) Trying the tail-lock key does nothing.
Another thing that occurred to me -- though once again it seems like something that people would have mentioned in their notes for takeoff, or in videos -- is that while in flight the -111 naturally wants to nose-over, so a significant amount of tail-down elevator trim seems necessary. (Graphically that's the flywheel attached to the seat's right side.) I've never seen ANYONE yet mention this, but they have to be doing it -- so maybe this is the missing factor? They just dial it in automatically during pre-start or taxi, and don't think about it anymore?
The fuel is a good idea; I'll test that. :bd:
Generally the computer likes to keep the radiators fully closed until the temps really are at 80 or 90. (There's a graphic for this on the engines outside in front of the landing gear, btw, although it can't be seen from the pilot's seat.) On takeoff having the radiators fully closed reduces drag, but I've tried that, too, and it didn't seem to help (or not nearly enough for me to notice -- maybe I take off earlier in the grass instead of just before I hit the revetments!!)
I feel like I must be doing something super-wrong, but dang if I can figure out what... :buck2:
There's a key that turns on total autopilot, which can be used for takeoffs -- I tried that on my very first flight (testing a campaign mission), but I wasn't paying attention, and the runway was different anyway. If I can find that toggle again, I'll see what the computer does on this field.
So pulling back the stick, no longer locks the tailwheel? I'm not sure if it gave a 'message' or not.
Quote from: Tuna on December 02, 2018, 11:20:11 AM
So pulling back the stick, no longer locks the tailwheel? I'm not sure if it gave a 'message' or not.
I'll try, but all instructions I've read or seen say to use the rudder and/or toe brakes to keep the craft straight on takeoff. Nothing about locking the tailwheel, whether with a stick-back or by keyboard (LShift-slash, as I recall).
Again, maybe that's different for the 1943 -111 at Stalingrad and later. I'm flying the 1941 variant at Moscow.
(...it just occurred to me that the 1941 variant may not have the horsepower to take off as quickly, and so the problem may just be that and a runway not really designed for it despite the quickbattle providing it as an option! -- which is also where the Moscow campaign sent me, btw. Then again, the autopilot had no problem taking a flight of them off on a shorter runway, the squadron being stacked up, and carrying a real bombload. But then maybe there was less fuel...)
This all sounds extremely complex. Where to begin?
I wonder if one of the historical 'narrative' campaigns would be like a tutorial?
Quote from: Gusington on December 02, 2018, 11:54:58 AM
This all sounds extremely complex. Where to begin?
I just set up quick missions and start in the air.
So much to learn both in the narrative of the game, the campaign system and how to actually fly...Meng that sounds like the only real option. To be prepared to crash and burn 100 times before even thinking about getting a kill or some combat experience.
Quote from: Gusington on December 02, 2018, 04:13:56 PM
So much to learn both in the narrative of the game, the campaign system and how to actually fly...Meng that sounds like the only real option. To be prepared to crash and burn 100 times before even thinking about getting a kill or some combat experience.
Plus you get a feeling for what planes you like to fly....how controls work, effects of weather, what 3000 meters looks like etc.
O0 I see no other option really. Same for WoFF too, btw.
Quote from: Gusington on December 02, 2018, 04:13:56 PM
To be prepared to crash and burn 100 times before even thinking about getting a kill or some combat experience.
The thing is, these things are designed as simulators first and games second, yet it is very rare for someone to attempt to learn to "fly" competently (as one would have to do IRL) before starting to try to shoot things down.
But it's not as hard as Cliffs of Dover, or DCS.. the engine starts itself.. you just can't run it full power all the time.
Quote from: Gusington on December 02, 2018, 11:54:58 AM
This all sounds extremely complex. Where to begin?
You could start with the 109f, it's mostly automated. Only key things to know is medium right rudder for take off and don't go full throttle for more than a minute. You'll burn out the engine if the ATA gage runs over 1.42 for more than a minute. The failure is programmed randomly too, so you may be able to go a minute 30.
Thanks guys! Anyone wants to go MP with me as gunner as I've done with Tuna in the past, let me know!
Quote from: Gusington on December 02, 2018, 06:32:01 PM
Thanks guys! Anyone wants to go MP with me as gunner as I've done with Tuna in the past, let me know!
Let's repeat our rousing success! (I think you guys were killed by a particularly aggressive cloud bank last time, right?)
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on December 02, 2018, 06:57:34 PM
Quote from: Gusington on December 02, 2018, 06:32:01 PM
Thanks guys! Anyone wants to go MP with me as gunner as I've done with Tuna in the past, let me know!
Let's repeat our rousing success! (I think you guys were killed by a particularly aggressive cloud bank last time, right?)
The birds in this game are a lil more stable than that darn Gotha.. Aggressive clouds can easly down the Gotha!!! Mkay!!!! :tickedoff:
Love me some Gotha :smitten:
Feminine Goth? ...I dunno. :hide:
Oh behave.
What's the best plane for you to be a gunner in? The 110 have twin mounts?
If possible I would love to fly along in a 110. I think someone posted above that is possible even if I don't own Battle of Moscow, too.
k, maybe tonight if things are quiet at home. And SDR can provide fighter support, that way he can make fun of me, if a cloud kills us!
I'll keep an eye out this afternoon for multiplays. O0
Killer clouds will get you every time. Or is that clowns? Probably both.
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 03, 2018, 01:54:33 PM
I'll keep an eye out this afternoon for multiplays. O0
More like evening, at work now ;-)
Quote from: Tuna on December 03, 2018, 02:31:01 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 03, 2018, 01:54:33 PM
I'll keep an eye out this afternoon for multiplays. O0
More like evening, at work now ;-)
What time? :D If you'll open it up to super noob mode I might jump in.
Quote from: Barthheart on December 03, 2018, 02:47:39 PM
Quote from: Tuna on December 03, 2018, 02:31:01 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 03, 2018, 01:54:33 PM
I'll keep an eye out this afternoon for multiplays. O0
More like evening, at work now ;-)
What time? :D If you'll open it up to super noob mode I might jump in.
Maybe 6 or 7 est? Was thinking Wings of Liberty, which is usually populated. But if you were going to pilot, we could go to New Wings, which is usually empty (But I wouldn't need a gunner then :crazy2:)
Super Noob Mode is my only mode.
Quote from: Tuna on December 03, 2018, 03:04:53 PM
... Wings of Liberty...New Wings...
No idea what this means? :crazy2:
Server names IIRC from what/where Magz plays on and mentions in his YouTube spots.
Sounds like fun; so jelly.
Meanwhile for Gus: I'm trying to learn the -111 the way a new pilot would. Considering there are no official instructions or tutorials... :buck2:
0.) Calibrate my stick and throttle controls. (Should have done that first.)
1.) Watch instruction videos and read instruction summary pdfs.
2.) Set up a quick mission starting parked at 5am. Check out which dials glow in the dark, and familiarize myself with them. Try going through the automatic startup and shutdown on the engines, and see what difference that makes in cockpit functionality. (Can I turn on lights without starting engine? Nope -- though in real life I ought to be able to. Are lights helpful and how far? Not really in this case.)
3.) Hang around until dawn or quickstart back in at 6:30. Compare night-light dials with visual controls and dials. See what moves around automatically during engine startup / shutdown.
4.) Learn how to use the external camera, and watch control surfaces adjust with the controls.
5.) Since I don't have a tracker, figure out where the quicksnaps are for each position and how to toggle through them. Visit each position in the craft doing that and mouselooking around. Use T to grab and ungrab the guns; LShift-T to look down the sights. Where there are multiple guns per post, learn how to cycle through them. (The side gunner in the 111 works both the left and right fuselage guns, which have almost-useless shooting arcs -- mostly our own wings! He steps back and forth across the coffin for the belly gunner. ;) The belly gunner switches back and forth between aft and (when installed) fore guns, with not much better arcs. The top gunner has by far the best shooting arcs. The nav/bomber gun, and the others except for top, are mainly there to keep enemy pilots from simply stabbing with direct runs at the bomber with impunity. They amount to harsh language being thrown at the enemy to make him back off. ;) )
6.) At that point, I start learning what it takes to taxi around. This gives me a feeling for the mass of the craft, and thus its inertias, which will come in handy later.
7.) Now I'm at the point of learning taking off (still haven't gotten back to learning why takeoff speed takes so much longer to reach than expected) and landing, as well as some simple maneuvers. I'm pushing myself somewhat on the landings, since my life isn't really at stake: I might need to land quickly in a mission later under adverse circumstances. Making high-risk landings forces me to push the performance envelopes, too, such as for combat maneuvers.
8.) Next I'll start learning some navigation plotting.
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 03, 2018, 03:59:47 PM
still haven't gotten back to learning why takeoff speed takes so much longer to reach than expected
I mentioned tailwheel lock because I don't think you should have to use brakes to control the take off run, but if that isn't the issue, then I think it must be a prop-pitch thing
Pratt that sounds like a course at the Air Force Academy.
Quote from: Gusington on December 03, 2018, 06:37:58 PM
Pratt that sounds like a course at the Air Force Academy.
Could be worse. Could be DCS! -- except I recall hearing that those
do have proper manuals and maybe even tutorials...?
I've been dying on Wings of Liberty server the last few nights. I'll keep an eye out for you guys.
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 03, 2018, 07:23:56 PM
Quote from: Gusington on December 03, 2018, 06:37:58 PM
Pratt that sounds like a course at the Air Force Academy.
Could be worse. Could be DCS! -- except I recall hearing that those do have proper manuals and maybe even tutorials...?
It varies some, but some aircraft have great manuals and tutorials in DCS
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 03, 2018, 07:23:56 PM
Quote from: Gusington on December 03, 2018, 06:37:58 PM
Pratt that sounds like a course at the Air Force Academy.
Could be worse. Could be DCS! -- except I recall hearing that those do have proper manuals and maybe even tutorials...?
Chucks guides has a guide for the he111, not sure where to get it these days, check google or the il2 site guides section may have it. There is a basic manual in the games folders, it's more geared towards the UI though.
LOL I just saw Tuna on Wings of Liberty. Unfortunately I immediately got shot down by some ATAG guy. I gotta pair up with a wingman, this solo shit just isn't working.
The thing is, I knew the guy was back there somewhere because I could hear his plane, but I checked 6 and couldn't find him until he shredded my wing off.
We'll have to hook this up on Friday when y'all can stay up later on east coast time. Meantime, I'll see if I can figure out this Discord thing, and maybe get a working mic.
Quote from: Skoop on December 03, 2018, 08:39:20 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 03, 2018, 07:23:56 PM
Quote from: Gusington on December 03, 2018, 06:37:58 PM
Pratt that sounds like a course at the Air Force Academy.
Could be worse. Could be DCS! -- except I recall hearing that those do have proper manuals and maybe even tutorials...?
Chucks guides has a guide for the he111, not sure where to get it these days, check google or the il2 site guides section may have it. There is a basic manual in the games folders, it's more geared towards the UI though.
I'd like even a basic manual! -- but I haven't found it in the game folder.
I have Chuck's guide but it's for Cliffs of Dover. Some of it is still relevant for BoX, but a lot of it involves clicking on things that just aren't clickable or even functional in BoX. My favorite example of this, is the awesome chairlift for the He-111 pilot! -- once you open the canopy above the seat, you can raise your chair on a hydraulic lift so that your head is sticking a foot or two above the canopy. There's even a pop-up little windscreen!
BoX doesn't have this at all, although it's my pet theory for what a big yellow pull-knob-lever is doing at the front of the cross-T console: it has no functionality I can find, nor even a label anywhere (including in historical photos and the only cabin schematic I've been able to find yet where I think it's entirely or mostly missing).
Quote from: Toonces on December 03, 2018, 08:45:56 PM
LOL I just saw Tuna on Wings of Liberty. Unfortunately I immediately got shot down by some ATAG guy. I gotta pair up with a wingman, this solo shit just isn't working.
The thing is, I knew the guy was back there somewhere because I could hear his plane, but I checked 6 and couldn't find him until he shredded my wing off.
We'll have to hook this up on Friday when y'all can stay up later on east coast time. Meantime, I'll see if I can figure out this Discord thing, and maybe get a working mic.
SDR and Ironx were on earlier, we flew a few bombing runs together. I was in the HE 111 when you saw me. Had a successful run the first time.. 2nd one, I got damaged bad by AA, so I turned my 111 into a dive bomber (it actually worked - but died shortly after).
For some reason the beginning of tonight, I could not take off for the life of me in the JU 88.. took till the 3rd try. LOL Ironx was very patient :crazy2:.
I never did see Gus my gunner :-(
I've flown a ton of Aces High 2, so I'm not a total n00b to MP combat sims. However, without some sort of labels, I'm finding it extremely hard to pick out aircraft. I actually picked up a friendly last night in a 110, winged up on him, and still lost sight after he made a few turns to line up on target. Those little dots are exceedingly hard to see.
Like any game, there is certainly a way to approach it. I haven't quite figured out where to sit when solo'ing; what alt to ingress, where folks tend to congregate, etc. I'm actually a fan of icons because I think those little single pixels are harder than real life. Regardless, if that's how it is, then I'm either going to have to work on my sighting skills, or figure out the game mechanisms, or get a wingman, or all of the above.
I've yet to actually get a shot off on an enemy plane. It'll happen, but the learning curve is challenging.
Quote from: Toonces on December 03, 2018, 09:15:45 PM
I've flown a ton of Aces High 2, so I'm not a total n00b to MP combat sims. However, without some sort of labels, I'm finding it extremely hard to pick out aircraft. I actually picked up a friendly last night in a 110, winged up on him, and still lost sight after he made a few turns to line up on target. Those little dots are exceedingly hard to see.
Like any game, there is certainly a way to approach it. I haven't quite figured out where to sit when solo'ing; what alt to ingress, where folks tend to congregate, etc. I'm actually a fan of icons because I think those little single pixels are harder than real life. Regardless, if that's how it is, then I'm either going to have to work on my sighting skills, or figure out the game mechanisms, or get a wingman, or all of the above.
I've yet to actually get a shot off on an enemy plane. It'll happen, but the learning curve is challenging.
Yeah.. that's why I'm usually just bombing... lol. I could be fighter bait for you sometime if you want. (not for you to shoot down, but to attract fighters for you to shoot down!).
Quote from: Toonces on December 03, 2018, 09:15:45 PM
I've flown a ton of Aces High 2, so I'm not a total n00b to MP combat sims. However, without some sort of labels, I'm finding it extremely hard to pick out aircraft. I actually picked up a friendly last night in a 110, winged up on him, and still lost sight after he made a few turns to line up on target. Those little dots are exceedingly hard to see.
Like any game, there is certainly a way to approach it. I haven't quite figured out where to sit when solo'ing; what alt to ingress, where folks tend to congregate, etc. I'm actually a fan of icons because I think those little single pixels are harder than real life. Regardless, if that's how it is, then I'm either going to have to work on my sighting skills, or figure out the game mechanisms, or get a wingman, or all of the above.
I've yet to actually get a shot off on an enemy plane. It'll happen, but the learning curve is challenging.
Spotting is tough, this is where 4k monitors help. I have the zoom key mapped to my hotas and zoom in to max to spot the prey. Falcon and DCS have an option to scale the objects bigger at distance to aid spotting, BOX's system does a good job of showing enough detail at distance to get a good ID.
After messing around tonight I confirmed two things:
1.) For whatever reason, my elevators WERE always starting at like -45% trim! :o I will provisionally assume there are real-life reasons for this, some of which I can make guesses at but haven't confirmed yet.
2.) Zeroing the pitch trim out before takeoff helped nothing at all that I could tell. Maaaaybe a little. Maybe.
Even so, having a seriously nose-down airframe constantly -- and not even naturally but by default trim -- would be something I should expect tutorials to warn about?!
I'm familiar with Falcon's smart scaling, and I think that's a fine compromise.
If it exists in BoX, I either don't have it set up right, or it's not as well implemented in BoX as Falcon...IMO of course.
I'm pretty sure the ATAG that shot me down was sitting in my blind spot for while screwing with me. I thought I heard him, did a few break turns to check 6 and didn't see anything, but kept hearing something that didn't sound right. I did a few more shallow turns, looked around, and since I only have a couple hours in the game, I figured maybe it was an engine sound I hadn't noticed before...until my wing was shattered in a split second of .50 cal fire.
There's always a learning curve. Again, I just need to figure out where folks tend to congregate, spatially and in altitude. Driving in at 4k straight and level is never a winning plan.
Quote from: Toonces on December 03, 2018, 08:45:56 PM
I gotta pair up with a wingman, this solo shit just isn't working.
QFT.
While I can get away with some sneaky solo flight kills in DCS servers regularly enough, my experience on IL-2 servers with realistic settings is usually getting gang banged by multiples.
To be clear, it happens in both. Just seems like there's always a veteran IL2 group on the enemy team just waiting to pounce. :arr:
During the week can be rough - I responded to your text after 9pm last night Tuna, apologies.
Weekends are typically better as Toonces says - except this one, I'll be away til Sunday.
But keep pinging, prime gaming time for me is between 9 and 10 pm EST weeknights.
Quote from: Gusington on December 04, 2018, 08:38:03 AM
During the week can be rough - I responded to your text after 9pm last night Tuna, apologies.
Weekends are typically better as Toonces says - except this one, I'll be away til Sunday.
But keep pinging, prime gaming time for me is between 9 and 10 pm EST weeknights.
I'm usually up to bed by 9 on weeknights, oldman!
'Olde'
Insert Gary Oldman yelling at Final Fantasy 7 Cloud.
Pics from last night's session
Me n IronX getting ready to takeoff
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/32309395808_005f896463_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Re56Jq)
My first dump (failed 2 times before successful - weird, cause I was fine a few nights before)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4854/32309396358_7f9e708f4a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Re56TU)
Lucky me, Ironx was patient and waiting for me.. Getting close to the target. Notice my missing Elevator, I was hit by a spinning fighter prior to takeoff, but didn't realize I had the damage. Ironx, let me know once I was in the air!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/46130574112_9490e63758_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dhpfw5)
Bombs away, heavy clouds in target area
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4856/32309396978_1758e12883_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Re575A)
Success!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/46130575612_12c2ba190f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dhpfXW)
Ironx got jumped on by two fighters (funny that one didn't go for me (tight wingmen). He dove to evade and decided to do a low run on the target while making his run.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/31242055307_50e03c761e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PAKGzZ)
He had some successful strikes, but was a hurting pup with the two NME on his tail.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/31242055987_c4f1e24576_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PAKGMH)
Our second mission, we hit the Railway Station south of the last target, this time both diving, due to the cloud cover
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4882/31242056757_30e7fec6e4_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PAKH1Z)
Success
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4839/31242057417_03928c06a3_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PAKHdn)
Ironx beginning his dive (he flew a 110 this mission). That ground explosion to the left is me, got shot down by AA :-(
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/31242058237_c3348127a0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PAKHsv)
SDR joined us for a mission after that. Later I did a couple solo missions in HE 111.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/31242059117_2c88332eff_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PAKHHF)
Great looking screens. What's up with the swastika though? It's missing parts. Is that on purpose?
^ Yes, so that the game complies with the laws of some countries - although this no longer applies to Germany, I believe.
Great screens, as always, Tuna.
Quote from: IronX on December 04, 2018, 06:04:22 PM
^ Yes, so that the game complies with the laws of some countries - although this no longer applies to Germany, I believe.
Great screens, as always, Tuna.
I wish there was some place to find all the keys for 'replays'? Would like to move around more. I thought I found something in the past. but forgot to write it all done in a notepad file.
Cool shots. Hopefully I can get a new headset tomorrow and join you guys soon.
I wanna shoot Toonces down!
SDR and I flew a couple missions tonight as Ruskies.. no sign of Toonces!
Quote from: Gusington on December 04, 2018, 08:27:22 PM
I wanna shoot Toonces down!
Well, there
are a couple more options, though I don't suppose they're suited for multiplayer. Exactly.
(1) Set up a quick mission in your chosen aircraft, preferably one with a gunners station, and in the difficulty for your mission (use "custom") click the AI button. This starts the mission under total AI control. It will start the engines, taxi, takeoff, fly to the target(s), do its things there, then fly home and land. You can watch from the pilot station as the AI adjusts controls under various circumstances, and help defend the craft if necessary.
(2) Same deal, but instead of AI, turn on all the help aids. Simple physics (the windflow of your props won't affect your rudder etc.), unlimited ammo, no wind, unbreakable, etc. Make sure the AI is still managing the engines and the radiators etc. -- you just tell the throttle what power you want to use, the AI does the rest and will throttle you down if you're threatening to blow the engines too quickly. As you get comfortable, you can do missions with fewer aids. O:-)
I was taking the Air Force Academy approach. Which considering THERE ARE NO MANUALS REALLY, was more bothersome than it should have been, and I've had to do a lot of trial and error. A report of that shall come next...
Meanwhile, I begin to approach starting to be competent!! <:-) L:-)
I discovered (through some trial and error and trees) what the longest runway was at my airport, after deciding that if I'm going to learn proper takeoff management then I should go whole hog, or two whole hogs so to speak, with my heaviest possible bombload: two 1800 kg bombs, 100% fuel, and two extra gun mounts.
I discovered that even on the longest possible runway -- i.e., using the runway with smaller taxiways on each end, and using those for my takeoff as well -- I was still in the grass and unable to quite clear obstacles at the end of the taxiways even with an eventual lurchoff.
(This also basically confirmed that other people are taking off with 50% fuel. Or much less. I eventually flew around for an hour in-game and barely touched my fuel supply.)
The problem, I realized, was that the computer was throttling me down at the last moment to avoid blowing the engines, even on the longest runway path available -- also my 20% flaps were causing too much drag, so I had to add them at the last moment when I got to 180 kph. I could adjust for the drag, but what about the downthrottle? If I simply turned that management off, I'd blow the engines taking off at the last moment, instead of throttling down and crashing!
The eventual solution?
Start dead cold.
Ironically, this is what I had been trying to do from the start.
By spending a few (time compressed minutes) warming up, and taking over the radiators manually, I could keep the water and oil at around 40 degrees. That was enough to get me to taxi speed without the autogovernor going 'nope!' And then when it was time to start my full open throttle at the far end of my chosen taxiway, I closed all my radiators first to reduce drag maximally.
Normally that would overheat my engines, but I was rolling as cold as possible for travel functionality!
Result: I hit 180 kph only a little after leaving the far taxiway, and with flaps then to 20% (or 24%) I could 'flap' off the ground, yank my wheels up, and reduce my flaps for more airspeed, while keeping my engine at full power longer. Then when the temps got to be a problem, I just opened my radiators, which increased some drag, but by then I had safe speed (above 200) and altitude. (...sort of. I cleared some 40 meter trees by only a little!)
Eventually on this flight I also discovered that with a maximum load, I needed to quickly transition to 100% down-elevator or up-pitch trim! (Not sure I should start my takeoff with that, though. It might drag my tail too much. Come to think of it, this might have been the point to so much down-pitch trim to start with! -- get that tail off the ground pronto!)
Anyway, once I got enough speed and altitude over the countryside, I turned around, flew to my first waypoint, scoped it out, flew to my second, chose a copse of trees to glide-bomb (using the glidescope cheat to be honest), flew back, landed, took off again, circled around for another slightly less successful landing (in the grass next to the main runway, with some bunny hopping, didn't go full flap soon enough to get down, probably blew one of my tires). Quit for the night, time for bed! :bd:
:buck2:
I saw you guys logged on when I started my computer last night, but no gaming yesterday.
I'll be looking for you guys on Friday for sure.
Going to a party. :crazy2:
New update out today. Some "interesting" choices when to comes to where effort was focused.
28. Bodenplatte pilots put on and remove oxygen mask when needed;
29. Bodenplatte and Flying Circus pilots put off their goggles on parking;
32. Gunner folding seat animation corrected on Ju-88;
34. Dead pilot model position corrected on Pfalz D.IIIa;
41. The maximum number of ejected cartridges corrected based on real time instead of a simulated one;
Tuna and Jason heading to the target.. We were like Keystone Cops today! But good 'learning' experience.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4898/46330995011_d53a16e87f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dA7sEP)
The target had little to fear from me... :hide:
Last run last night, JU 88... Coming into the target at 3000 Meters, a lot ouf cloud cover
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/46360305051_a8312b3f18_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dCGFwk)
Release the first present.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4838/46360308921_9830495ed0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dCGGF4)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4817/32488528838_0807d5cb05_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RuUcJW)
Direct hits on the target!!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4844/32488530388_974fc071a9_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RuUdcE)
If I could've seen the AA gun from way up there, I would've dropped a second earlier!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4884/32488531288_bcb2456446_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RuUdtb)
Immediately after I was jumped by an LA 5.. he was a smart one staying out of range of my gunners, to make them burn their ammo (will have to learn the 'fire when they are close' key).
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/46360306661_3340a6aecd_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dCGG16)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/46360307201_040dfa875f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dCGGap)
I survived the first guy and was immediately jumped by two more, they were taking their time having their way with me.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/32488533218_e5da52501e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/RuUe3s)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/46360307871_cb0643ddd3_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dCGGmX)
I did however make it back to friendly territory before having to ditch, pilot survived!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4899/46360308361_61e1ac0262_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2dCGGvp)
Damn Tuna, that Junker is a Junk-er now. ;D
Yeah. the landing gear wouldn't even go down!!... I used the dive breaks instead! :pullhair:
Good job!
Ouchie :arr:
You should ride along with us as top gunner sometime, Gus!
Have you got a chair for him to stand on? SORRY, I could never resist a cheap shot. :hide:
Not to be a 'cheap' shot, but can you raise your seat in this game? Pain in the butt taxing in that JU-88 from the pilot position!
Stack of phone books and I'm fine.
I've been trying to hook up with you guys but the timing has been off.
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks during the holidays we can make it happen.
I may want in on some of this action...
Something Tuna and I discovered, is that on most (all?) public servers, you can jump into someone else's aircraft to help as a gunner, but if you do then you're locked into that position unless you quit the mission. The pilot can jump to any gunnery position (as usual) but guests in his aircraft cannot.
This is suuuper annoying when there's only a two-person team in a craft with multiple gunnery positions. I understand that the point is to manage the drop-in / drop-out nature of being a gunner, so that anyone can join and should be able to know beforehand what slots are open to join in. But it's still :P
Nice pictures Tuna!
It looks super sharp. Whats your screen resolution?
Nothing great, something/1080 I think. lol, at work so cant look. But it's a 22 inch monitor, which isn't huge nowadays.
Agree with JP, they should let hop in people man other positions, maybe even Bombardier. But I guess that would piss you off, if a stranger popped in there.
God knows the damage I could do just hopping into a bombardier's position.
Maybe if they have pilots the power to control who can hop in. then let them change positions?
Question, do you have to own the plane to hop in?
My guess is probably not, although I've owned the planes I've gunned for you. When I look at the list, I can see planes apparently available for me to gun for, which I don't necessarily own. But my guess is mainly based on the crafts clearly being on-disc DLC, just like Kuban: we flew around that wonderful Kuban mp campaign map, despite me not owning Kuban!
Quote from: Tuna on December 18, 2018, 06:34:04 AM
Not to be a 'cheap' shot, but can you raise your seat in this game? Pain in the butt taxing in that JU-88 from the pilot position!
LOL, I probably told this story before, but when I was in flight school, I was too short to fully deflect the rudder pedals in the T-44, which is pretty much required for any single engine work. So I had to fly with my NATOPS manual behind my back...like a really thick phone book...in order to boost myself forward enough to fly the plane! \m/
^Brother
I understand that in Cliffs of Dover, which is much more detailed than the BoX games (though now under management by the same team, so hopefully fixes will be coming in for problems), the He-111 (which already has a nice view) actually has a command to open the top hatch and raise up the seat to look around. It even pops up a little windshield! :smitten:
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 18, 2018, 10:07:10 PM
I understand that in Cliffs of Dover, which is much more detailed than the BoX games (though now under management by the same team, so hopefully fixes will be coming in for problems), the He-111 (which already has a nice view) actually has a command to open the top hatch and raise up the seat to look around. It even pops up a little windshield! :smitten:
Seriously? In the pilot position?
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 18, 2018, 10:07:10 PM
Cliffs of Dover, which is much more detailed than the BoX games (though now under management by the same team, so hopefully fixes will be coming in for problems)
I don't think that is the case. CloD (properly IL2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover) was developed by the makers of the
original IL2 series. BoX (properly IL2 Sturmovik: BoX) is a totally different game engine, developed by a different team 777 Studios. I think that 777 acquired the name IL2 Sturmovik, but handed over the code for CloD to an independent group of modders (Team Fusion). TF have re-worked CloD and now sell it as CloD Blitz and are in the process of making a Mediterranean add-on. Basically any fixes/changes in BoX will not affect CloD and vice versa. Just ignore the the words "IL2 Sturmovik" in all these titles and it becomes a lot simpler to follow...
Quote from: Gusington on December 18, 2018, 12:34:15 PM
God knows the damage I could do just hopping into a bombardier's position.
I feel as if this was meant to be a hidden metaphorical message.
What do you mean by hidden?
Quote from: Gusington on December 19, 2018, 03:50:10 PM
What do you mean by hidden?
It would not be 'terrific' that's for sure!
Flew the A-20 first time tonight.. what a breeze and joy to fly.. especially taking off and landing.. Tri landing gear must be the difference!
"And she's a one man gal, too! -- one man at a time, that is." :o
The Battle of Kuban has freaking P-39L-1 Airacobras, too. :smitten:
Haven't tried that on yet. Only did the ME 110 g with Ironx before today's Havoc flights. That was fun, we were skip bombing ships.
Me 110 :smitten:
Yeah, Kuban with all those U.S. planes is going to be a must-buy.
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP
Steam sale starts in mere minutes...it can hear me welping.
I've got Kuban...presently trying to determine whether I should get bodenplatte...
Wait...Bodenplatte was what I meant, not Kuban. Isn't Bodenplatte the one with the P-38 and P-47? I guess I could just go look it up myself, but you know...Gus.
Quote from: Toonces on December 20, 2018, 10:42:30 AM
Wait...Bodenplatte was what I meant, not Kuban. Isn't Bodenplatte the one with the P-38 and P-47? I guess I could just go look it up myself, but you know...Gus.
Yes. You meant Bodenplatte.
Quite. I might go full premium edition on that. That planeset is pretty amazing.
^Agreed...but its still too early for me. I'll probably dive in when the P-38 or P-51 is ready, unless it goes on sale earlier.
Quote from: Toonces on December 20, 2018, 10:42:30 AM
Wait...Bodenplatte was what I meant, not Kuban.
Oh, Kuban has its share of US punchyplanes. (The Boston and Airacobra previously mentioned, plus guest starring Soviet Spitfires.)
I want Moscow and the German tank killer.
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 20, 2018, 12:27:45 PM
Quote from: Toonces on December 20, 2018, 10:42:30 AM
Wait...Bodenplatte was what I meant, not Kuban.
Oh, Kuban has its share of US punchyplanes. (The Boston and Airacobra previously mentioned, plus guest starring Soviet Spitfires.)
I didn't get a Spit with Kuban? Is that one you have to buy on the side? Or deluxe version?
The spit mkvb is in kuban but your right it might be a deluxe addition. The spit mk ix is bodenplate, and is currently one of the top performers in the game.
I've always thought the Spit is one of the most elegant pure dogfighters of WW2. It suits my style of flying like an old sneaker.
I'll have to take another look at Kuban. I think I passed on it during the last sale because it was $30 while the others were like $7. I wanted to get my feet wet in the series before dropping that kind of smack.
Ditto on waiting for Kuban -- when my character campaign gets that far, I'll consider splurging on it. ;)
However, as Tuna and I discovered the other night, multiplayer maps with operational campaigns (not character, just various ops) can be flown on Kuban without owning it. So it's on-disc DLC to some significant extent! (I assume, though I might be wrong, that this doesn't include plane interiors or piloting characteristics, so that I would not for example be able to join as gunner with a plane that I don't already own.)
Cool site.. wish they had target recon photos too!
https://il2map.info/ (https://il2map.info/)
Found a new 'favorite' MP server Knights of Sky (Wings was having tons of issues). This one doesn't have the icons on the map, so you get to experience the joy of navigating (miss the CloD map tools in this case).
Bombing the docks of Stalingrad in the early morning flak
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4814/44583817030_3791d05ec9_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aVHHww)
Save return to base
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/44583816520_6cb7d603a4_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aVHHnJ)
Great first run!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4896/44583817460_e6a2f71bbd_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2aVHHDW)
Does it have an engine sound option yet and is the tank sim on sale? Still might be worth it for cheap without the infantry. A bit lonely but still might be worth it.
I don't think tanks are on sale, where that just came out. But they are having an Xmas sale right now, again I think older stuff (BoS, BoM, BoK, collectors planes).
Actually, I was just on their sale page and it looks like Tanks are included with the Air Games?
https://il2sturmovik.com/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/)
Edit: Strange but then they are selling 'tank crew' separately at a premium price. Maybe 'player controled' tanks on the regular expansions, doesn't mean you actually get inside them.
Quote from: Tuna on December 21, 2018, 07:18:40 AM
Actually, I was just on their sale page and it looks like Tanks are included with the Air Games?
https://il2sturmovik.com/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/)
Driveable tanks are included with the air modules, but this is totally different than Tank Crew, the armor module. Tank Crew features fully modeled and crewable tank units and ultimately a new map made for land combat. None of the alpha products are on sale.
My first attempt at Video.. JU-88 Bombing Run on Knights of the Air server.
I love the Kuban map soooo much! :bd:
Coming from DCS I really have a hard time enjoying the aircraft in BoX.
Their flightmodel seems quite basic and the fact that you don't really have a clickable cockpit, nor a detailed engine model makes me realise I am spoiled by the high fidelity of DCS's models.
VR performance and clarity in BoX is miles beyond DCS though! That's pretty awesome, I'll give it that!
I meant to comment on this the other day but didn't get a chance. Nice video Tuna!
@Yskonyn I had almost hoped as much. Because I cannot really play il2 because of the lack of sound options. There is enough to muck around with in a flight sim without also messing with the sound every time a patch comes out. So I don't bother. But boy will I be tempted when BoX bring out a ww2 carrier module, which may be soon. Having said that, I did all this when il2 sturmovik had all it's expansions out for carriers back in the day - although their are some aircraft that may now be possible where Oleg could not get a license for them bakc in the il2 1 days.
I think playing BoX would give me what I had back in the original il2 days and not much more. Unless I want to do VR it seems. Which is better for some reason in BoX?
Quote from: Yskonyn on January 04, 2019, 07:52:30 AM
Coming from DCS I really have a hard time enjoying the aircraft in BoX.
Their flightmodel seems quite basic and the fact that you don't really have a clickable cockpit, nor a detailed engine model makes me realise I am spoiled by the high fidelity of DCS's models.
VR performance and clarity in BoX is miles beyond DCS though! That's pretty awesome, I'll give it that!
Quite the opposite for me.
Granted the DCS jets are a league of their own, I find the feel of the WWII DCS planes quite lacking in feel of flight. The different planes just don't feel organic to WWII as they do in BOX. I think this has been an issue as I notice some of the DCS dev blogs noted man hours going into further WWII flight model updating. The end result maybe really good, but their mediocre right now.
My second video attempt.. Dropping the biggest bomb from the HE-111
Awesome tool for those long winter map trips in Moscow!
https://il2missionplanner.com/ (https://il2missionplanner.com/)
IL2 sale from now to the 11th. O0
Most excited to see Tank Crew develop...some great new airframes are also nearing release for Bodenplatte too.
https://il2sturmovik.com/news/450/dev-blog-214/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/news/450/dev-blog-214/)
Tank Crew is not available in Early Access yet, right?
Quote from: Gusington on February 04, 2019, 10:10:54 PM
Tank Crew is not available in Early Access yet, right?
Not right. It's been available for a long time now, but it's really early access. At this point I would only recommend it if you are going to play it in VR, which is absolutely amazing. Looks like a lot more content is coming this year though.
I looked for it on Steam last night and it's not there...is it only available through 777? If there is some kind of campaign available now? If so I would check it out. During my Steam search I did find a a WWI tank game reminiscient of Bomber Crew but a bit more cartoony called, appropriately, Armored Tank Crew...release date TBA, for those interested. I slapped it on to my Wishlist.
Quote from: Gusington on February 05, 2019, 09:27:31 AM
I looked for it on Steam last night and it's not there...is it only available through 777? If there is some kind of campaign available now? If so I would check it out. During my Steam search I did find a a WWI tank game reminiscient of Bomber Crew but a bit more cartoony called, appropriately, Armored Tank Crew...release date TBA, for those interested. I slapped it on to my Wishlist.
None of the EA stuff is available on steam as far as I know.
Found IL2 Tank Crew over at the IL2 store.
Quote from: Tuna on February 04, 2019, 03:24:57 PM
IL2 sale from now to the 11th. O0
Oh man so both IL2 Moscow and IL2 Kuban are on sale. I only have money for one so the question is:
1. Moscow?
2. Kuban?
3. screw my budget and get both!
I still need to dip my toe into Stalingrad but...I am afraid. I have been playing the tutorials in Wings of Prey and have become semi-competent to the point where I am ready to try an actual mission. I even dusted off my old Thrustmaster joystick. But I know Stalingrad is several degrees more difficult and I get the feeling it will chew me up.
You should ride along with one of us as a gunner some night, Gus!
W8, I adore the Kuban terrain, any season -- it's by far the most varied of the maps. It also gets some relatively late-war Western planes on lend-lease for the Russians, so you can fly an Airacobra against the Nazis, for example. (Not sure if that's stock, but if not it should be on sale, too.)
The main advantage to the Moscow campaign, aside from airframes you might be interested in, is running a dynamic campaign from as early, as long as possible.
Them Tanks is purty.
(must resist urge to buy...)
If you guys need a gunner this weekend in IL2 Stalingrad met me know. I say that all the time I know but this weekend should be open. It's been a while since I've gone along for the ride with Tuna, SDR, etc. and that was in RoF, IIRC.
I want to get Tank Crew in a bad way but I don't want to plunk down 70 bucks, fire it up and just stare at the screen like '...'
Quote from: W8taminute on February 05, 2019, 01:46:54 PM
Quote from: Tuna on February 04, 2019, 03:24:57 PM
IL2 sale from now to the 11th. O0
Oh man so both IL2 Moscow and IL2 Kuban are on sale. I only have money for one so the question is:
1. Moscow?
2. Kuban?
3. screw my budget and get both!
As JP said, the Kuban map is beautiful, and the A-20 is a breeze to fly, and the current sale price is cheaper than what I paid during the Xmas sale. and the ME 110 G is a powerful bugger!
Moscow is dirt cheap and has the Ju-88 (becoming my favorite plane).
I'd go with 3!
There's a couple scripted missions for it, you can also set up quick battles for it.
Might even be some complex mp missions that have the tank crew content added. I've seen some mp missions in the past that was sort of a capture the flag senario where some players would fight on the ground and capture flags in tanks, other players would dogfight and ground attack in the air with aircraft. It was pretty fun, this was done before the tank crew content, so I would imagine the tank crew vehicles would be included to the mission. There's a server that exclusively runs this can't think of the name though.
Worth noting that Kuban is totally included in multiplayer server games, though you can't set them up of course. I've been flying Kuban maps despite not owning it.
Of course, I can't fly planes outside what I own from Moscow (and normal Stalingrad). I don't think I already own individual DLC planes.
Dang it! Ok you guys convinced me to get both. I just won't eat lunch for a week to pay for those DLCs. Hey if the price is as good as it's gonna get I can't miss the chance.
Then I can at least play with Tuna and Jason with more purdy planes.
Quote from: Gusington on February 05, 2019, 01:51:13 PM
I still need to dip my toe into Stalingrad but...I am afraid.
Sounds like someone needs a :hug:
I'm also afraid of flying as a fighter pilot in this game because I know I'll get spanked before I get a chance to find out from where.
Quote from: W8taminute on February 05, 2019, 04:25:22 PM
Dang it! Ok you guys convinced me to get both. I just won't eat lunch for a week to pay for those DLCs. Hey if the price is as good as it's gonna get I can't miss the chance.
Then I can at least play with Tuna and Jason with more purdy planes.
Quote from: Gusington on February 05, 2019, 01:51:13 PM
I still need to dip my toe into Stalingrad but...I am afraid.
Sounds like someone needs a :hug:
I'm also afraid of flying as a fighter pilot in this game because I know I'll get spanked before I get a chance to find out from where.
Hop in the A20 first, you'll love it.. no crazy torque when taking off!! (landing is a breeze too).. Although, you have to know what keys are mapped to you're inlet cowlings (those are the ones on top of the engine), cause you have to close them as soon as you take off (I wonder if you could close em prior - havent' tried that). But shortly after takeoff, they will cause vibration in the plane until you close them. Other than that no crazy 'quirks' with that plane!.. Oh yeah the regular cowlings, I open them all the way, just like the Ju-88.... No oil or water radiators to worry about. Also remember you're measurements are in Feet not meters and MPH instead of KPH. However the bomb site converts automatically to the 'other'.
Had a great time flying with w8taminute and JP today!.. We may not have accomplished our 'formation' hit of the enemy targets, but I think we had a good time, and W8t and JP got familiar with the JU88!
I think next time we will be hitting the enemy in force!
Also I had my first experience with a 'stranger' hopping in a gunners position and damage my own plane, so that was a new experience for me. But I was recording, so hopefully he will be getting 'banned' from the KOTA server.
...wasn't me...I saw your Discord message about two hours too late :/
lol.. good thing, or you may be banned!
???
Yes, it's good practice to always lock your gunner positions before take-off.
Yeah that guy was a jerk. I saw the whole thing as I was on Tuna's six low.
Dicks like that should be banned (unless you're buds just taking the piss out of each other - that I can understand to an extent).
So, in this sort of thing, how would you unlock the position to allow a friend into the position?
Yeah, I think by default it is unlocked. JP and W8t actually hopped in a few times this weekend. I also hopped in JPs plane to help him navigate.
But this guy just popped in, un announced and started firing at our own plane. I had to eject after that because of lack of control from the damage. I made the video for the admins, so hopefully they ban him. At first they said they were gonna give a warning, but I said heck no, this guy was an ass! they said they would need a video. I think it was worth the while to get the guy banned. KOTA is a great server. dont need jerks like that.
Had some fun flights with w8t and JP this weekend. W8t and I had a couple successful runs in our A20s on the Kuban Map. Later, JP and I got to get lost in the featureless Moscow terrain, a good exercise in Navigation.
In the afternoon, did a few ground attack missions with TBAS squad, TK'd a teammate with a bomb! :crazy2:.
Good Lord I got lost. L:-)
Heck, at one point I dropped a bomb and accidentally switched somehow to the target camera, watching my plane and the falling bomb! And then I couldn't get out of that view (since I didn't know how I got into it to begin with), and watched my JU-88 enter the weirdest stall-spin from which I couldn't recover.
Also at one point I was trying to bomb an artillery position at low altitude and got caught in my own blast radius, which was hilarious. \m/
I also totally failed to hit anything at all. At one point I even instructed my gunners to fire on ground targets and tried to buzz an enemy forward airport! -- but there were no targets.
In my defense, the places I meant to go hit still showed on the map as having enemy forces there, but upon close examination (at practically ground level) there was nothing there. This seems like a bug on the mission generator code.
On the other hand, I also played my first dynamic campaign mission (starting during Typhoon, October 12th 1941 or thereabouts, I forget exactly), where I followed a cluster of six or seven other He-111 to go strike an artillery post. As far as the mission was concerned, all I had to do was drop bombs at a particular point, but good grief it would be impossible to even line up properly much less see anything on the ground with the heavy cloud cover at 700 to 1000 meters! -- and we were expected to be at 2500 by the time we got there!
So I opted to go for a shallow-slope dive bomb in my 1941 He-111, out of the cloud cover. Worked okay, too, except I forgot to set the controls to automatically drop my second set of bombs all at once so I only dropped the first bomb and one of the second set. Even then I got one arty gun; and considering the computer used THE VICTORY OF ABSOLUTE MATH to turn 90 degrees to the right and drop 7 planes worth of bombs instantly through cloud cover onto a coordinate, wiping out most of the position before I got there, I'm thankful I got anything at all!
My AI leader and comrades then got jumped by interceptors, while I meandered for home in the cloud cover. >:D But everyone got back safely. My only goof was turning off my engines before clearing the runway, expecting the mission to just end, and then being told to clear the runway as I was blocking other landings!
Good news! -- I didn't get lost yesterday on another autumn east-of-Moscow map! <:-)
Instead I spent all 3.5 or 4 hours of the match, steadily decreasing the number of He-111s available to the German side, by crashing them into the ground! We started with around 35 craft, and I think I had us whittled down to 21 or 18 or 16 or something by the end of the match!
<:-) :hide:
....let me explain.
What actually happened was that I used the whole match, since there weren't many people on that server yesterday, as a practical test bed for trying to figure out again how to take off and fly a 1941 He-111 with maximum bomb load (3800 kg!!) and maximum fuel, plus also the two 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon upgrades.
That's a flight weight close to 42000 kgs. :o
I had worked on this a couple of months ago while teaching myself (along with some tutorials) to fly the thing. In fact, I had figured out how to do so back then! -- but I couldn't for the life of me (the continuously crashing life of me) recreate how I did it.
Eventually I remembered how I solved the problem originally: by using a dead cold engine start.
Most multiplayer maps, including the server we've been playing on, don't bother with that because it's a lot of dead time that players don't usually want to bother with. So the servers are set for planes to already start with engines running and warmed up, or at least (like this server) for the engines to be pre-warmed so that after startup they're at nominal maximum operating temp -- for the He-111 that's around 81 or 82 C.
However, the He-111 can actually start taxiing long before then, and even start takeoff at around 40 degrees Celsius.
This is a huge difference because it means I can run the engines for about twice as long at full power before they start taking internal damage. It also means I can take off with my oil and water radiators fully closed, which reduces drag, and keep them closed for longer before my engines start overheating.
(By the same tokens, this process works a lot better on winter maps near or below freezing, once the engines get up to 40 C of course.)
There are a number of other requirements, too, which I was recalling and doing correctly -- except I'm not sure the runway at the bomber airbase was quite as long as the one I was practicing from a few months ago, partly because I was using some of the taxiways back then as part of my runway! But in any case, I was never going to overcome the lack of a dead cold start; and having forgotten that (for at least 2.5 hours), I kept switching up other things thinking I was remembering them wrongly.
Of course, even from a dead cold start the He-111 at maximum possible load doesn't accelerate in the air well, much less climb! In order to get up to a relatively safe bombing altitude (and my goal was 5000 meters), takes about 30 minutes of extremely careful orbits near the airfield. But the 'cold boot' (so to speak ;) ) does allow me to jump up quickly to about 300 meters, maybe even 500, and then level out with some sacrificial height to 200 kph before I have to rpm down and totally retract flaps. (A '41 He-111 at low level can only run a little more than 50% rpm pitch at full throttle before going into dangerous overpower take-off mode.) From there the aircraft will try to 'fly', and its natural lift can be nursed down into a 240 kph speed, from which a decent climb rate (still not great under these circumstances) can be attained.
Even then, it takes a long time to get to 1000 meters; but it takes a lot less time to get to 2500 meters, and less time again to get to 5000 (though by then the craft starts to lose too much lift to climb anymore, due to air thinning out), due to being able to increase the blade pitch incrementally, thus the thrust, as the plane gains height.
Anyway, once I realized I would be permanently handicapped with a 'warm boot' (so to speak), I started doing experiments to see how much weight I needed to shave off, to provide my takeoff with roughly approximate characteristics and success. 10 thousand kilograms worked, but that was like 23% fuel! -- fine for a quick trip to the front line and back, but not for gaining major height first! (Or fine enough for gaining major height but not for doing anything useful afterward.)
I think I ended the night on about 20K kilograms, a little over 50% fuel, which once translated to a 5000 meter travel/bombing height (with a lot of patience!), seems feasible for attacking any target the system might generate on a match. Always granting the targets are still there by the time I get there, of course, and/or are large enough for me to see and target (possibly through cloud cover)!
Still, if W8 and Tuna got together on a flight that way, we could deliver no less than 11 thousand 400 kilograms of explosive and shrapnel to a selected target on one sortie, at a height fairly safe from fighter interception (at least in 1941) and normal AA.
>:D
Whether vaporizing all of a large target at once would be worth the time-result efficiency is a whole other question.
In between flying with W8t and JP on Monday, I flew ground attack with the TBAS squad in ME 110's.. Got a team kill with a bomb :crazy2:
Enjoyed flying with you guys last night, will be on again tonight!
Ultimate kill-stealing!
Had a real fun run with JP and W8T last night on Moscow map, bombing the port north of Konakovo. Went in solo at first with an ME 109 to take out most of the AA, was damaged but crash landed and wasn't captured. Then the three of us proceeded to do multiple runs against the Target in JU-88s and JP in his HE-111. Wish I didn't have to stop, or we would've definitely completed annihilated the target. Maybe JP and W8t did after I left! ;-)
W8t took some further shots at the port, but I'm not sure about the results. My internet connection problems returned (which had scotched my massive score from following up Tuna's Wild Weasel attack, with two 1800kg bombs on the port), and screwed over my attempts to stay in the game. (Worth noting, I blasted 36 items at the port, most of them from one bomb the other falling a little too long; whereupon I discovered my plane was in my own blast radius! The poor craft bucked like a bronco on the way back but I managed to land safely at an alternate base.)
During the remaining time I was in, I experimented with trying to fly to the nearest player-opponent airport to plaster it with bombs! -- since no one was on the Soviet side so no one would be ticced off at me spawn camping. ;) While my approach was decent, I discovered that 2500 meters was too low to safely line up for level bombing, and I got completely annihilated by the base's AA. (No doubt they could hit me with flak at 5000, too, but their aimed shells would fall short, and I'd be able to drop from much farther away.)
With only 40 minutes remaining, I nursed the next 111 up to 2500 meters again and tried to hit the Soviet railway station across the river (following the tracks from Kalinin, our captured city near the airbase. The same tracks happen to lead to the Soviet player-base, by the way.) The railway station was so small, outside its nearby city in some woods, that I don't know why it was even listed as a target, but at least I could see its one somewhat large building. Unfortunately, I ran into the dreaded bouncy-bombsite bug for the first time (Tuna had the same problem a few days ago), and I totally missed despite persevering through epileptic bomb-fits. :buck2: Made it back to base with a few minutes to spare, though I broke one of my landing struts racing in.
One thing this game needs is recon photo capability to share with players on the same side.
Quote from: JasonPratt on February 21, 2019, 12:03:43 PM
...One thing this game needs is recon photo capability to share with players on the same side.
Actually I saw a YouTube video the other day in which one guy flew his fighter over a target, took a screenshot, then shared it on Discord with his team mates. They then followed up with a pretty good bomb run. Maybe we can try this out next time?
I flew a Peshka last night all alone. No one was on the server. During mid flight to the target someone joined in on the German side. Although I still had quite a way to fly to the target I figured I could make it there without incident. Well it turns out that right after a bombed the target taking out some buildings a 109 showed up just as I was turning to head home. He was on my 6 low but climbing fast. I was at 2.5km high and noticed my rear gunner started firing so I figured at that point the 109 must have been at my level. The Peshka's rear gunner cannot aim low as he sits in a top mounted blister bubble. Anyway I started jinking and weaving and then abrubptly went into a dive to guarantee my gunner could keep the enemy fighter above us so my gunner could continue firing. After about 45 seconds of playing this tactic my gunner shouted out saying that the target was no longer in range.
I then started watching the chat log and saw a message that my assailant had died! Looks like my rear gunner managed to damage the 109 just enough to force him to crash land. We did not escape unscathed however. My number two engine took some damage but I was able to nurse the plane back to the nearest friendly airbase and crash land safely. Got the whole thing on video which I'll share once I get a chance to upload it. :)
From our missions the other night
Nice video Tuna! Actually it's quite helpful too because I didn't realize how to skip bomb but now I do thanks to the footage you shared.
Quote from: W8taminute on February 22, 2019, 11:01:14 AM
Nice video Tuna! Actually it's quite helpful too because I didn't realize how to skip bomb but now I do thanks to the footage you shared.
Look forward to flying together again this weekend!
That looks like a lot of fun guys. Great video! :bd:
Quote from: Sir Slash on February 22, 2019, 11:50:54 AM
That looks like a lot of fun guys. Great video! :bd:
+1 I enjoy these vids..well done!
Tuna flying under me was hilarious!
Not as hilarious as me wiping the port off the map ten minutes later with THREE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND GRAMS OF HIGH EXPLOSIVE WRAPPED IN SHRAPNEL, but still genuinely hilarious. :D
(Also hilarious, the number of 111s I buried in the dirt trying to learn again how to take off and fly with nearly four million grams of etc. ::) )
(Also hilarious, crippling my own bomber wiping the port off the map because I caught myself in the shockwaves. :coolsmiley: )
To be fair, I was able to come in so low on the port thanks to Tuna's sovereign efforts removing the AA first.
Quote from: W8taminute on February 22, 2019, 08:46:05 AM
Quote from: JasonPratt on February 21, 2019, 12:03:43 PM
...One thing this game needs is recon photo capability to share with players on the same side.
Actually I saw a YouTube video the other day in which one guy flew his fighter over a target, took a screenshot, then shared it on Discord with his team mates. They then followed up with a pretty good bomb run. Maybe we can try this out next time?
Oooooo...! :o I concur with this plan!
Quote from: JasonPratt on February 22, 2019, 03:21:43 PM
Tuna flying under me was hilarious!
Not as hilarious as me wiping the port off the map ten minutes later with THREE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND GRAMS OF HIGH EXPLOSIVE WRAPPED IN SHRAPNEL, but still genuinely hilarious. :D
(Also hilarious, the number of 111s I buried in the dirt trying to learn again how to take off and fly with nearly four million grams of etc. ::) )
(Also hilarious, crippling my own bomber wiping the port off the map because I caught myself in the shockwaves. :coolsmiley: )
To be fair, I was able to come in so low on the port thanks to Tuna's sovereign efforts removing the AA first.
Were you able to find a way to 'change' the bomb delay while 'in flight'.. or is that only changeable in the hanger?
Hey all that devastation that was next to the port before I dive bombed was per the JP Nuclear express!
I haven't been able to look into it yet (nor really needed to -- in most cases it would be silly for me to fly low for a level or shallow dive run with such large bombs.)
I had faaaaarrrr too much umpiring to do for the Grogpublic tonight (about 4 hours worth!) bur I hope you and W8 and SDR had a lot of fun on the server!
I should be clear to fly quite a bit tomorrow, until the Saturday Night Fights over at ArmDrag.
Quote from: JasonPratt on February 23, 2019, 12:06:10 AM
I haven't been able to look into it yet (nor really needed to -- in most cases it would be silly for me to fly low for a level or shallow dive run with such large bombs.)
I had faaaaarrrr too much umpiring to do for the Grogpublic tonight (about 4 hours worth!) bur I hope you and W8 and SDR had a lot of fun on the server!
I should be clear to fly quite a bit tomorrow, until the Saturday Night Fights over at ArmDrag.
It was that bland Moscow Map that we had a hard time navigating last week.. We did the same mission (the fuel depot), we all got there, hit the target and made it back. I just think the port was a lot more fun!..
W8t signed off and SDR and I went after a tank column, with that one I ended up crashing from too low a strafing run. We called it a night around then.
They locked all the bomb loads in KOTA :pullhair: . Oh well it was fun while it lasted.
What? So, no bombing at all?
I talked to the server owner, it was a mistake. But they are blocking some of the heavys.
.......wat.
Sounds like I'm heading for Wings of Liberty then! :D
(I do kind of understand. If there are relatively few players on the server, there's prorportionately less probable interceptor defense against planes lumbering along with the heavier bombs.)
KOTA stats site is back up. Nothing from over the weekend tallied because it was down during that time.
http://kotastat.com/en/?tour=3 (http://kotastat.com/en/?tour=3)
That's good news. Now our tallies will be tallied again.
Quote from: Tuna on February 28, 2019, 09:26:22 PM
I talked to the server owner, it was a mistake. But they are blocking some of the heavys.
Incidentally, we discovered that the KOTA admins set up copy-planes among the heavy bombers, so that
most heavies cannot carry the heaviest loads, but a
few of them can. Which was a clever balancing solution.
Flew with Tuna a little on his last day able to "rudder" for a while (surgery being today). I don't think we struck the same targets at the same time, but it was a fun night.
After you left last night, Tuna, almost everyone left the server except for the Amazing Fire, who naturally felt kind of lonely, so we challenged to a duel: I took up a JU-88 to practice some line- and glide-bombing, and he hunted me on the map as I gave increasingly specific clues about my target. Eventually I lined up perfectly on an armored column, and let him know specifically what I was attacking -- but then all of a sudden my ping tanked and the server kicked me off!!
I felt bad for him, too, after that epic buildup, since he wanted a chance at getting five kills in one mission, so I agreed to a straight duel this time, over the German port (his choice, since he knew I didn't fly fighters and the flak would give me some help). I intended to find a German fighter to fly for the first time, but discovered that on the Kuban map of 1944 none of my fighters (from Moscow and Stalingrad packs) were unlocked!!
So I hopped into a 1941 He-111 (which was available), painted bright white, on the theory that it had the best AI guns of anything I could find, and told him I was on the way -- but not what I was flying, or what direction I'd approach from, nor what airport. I took a roundabout route on the coast, mostly so that I could get the bomber up near the cloud ceiling (though I promised to stay under the cloud tops and would get back under if I went over by accident), and also partly to make him burn fuel (though I only brought 40% myself).
By the time I got there he was bingo fuel, but had enough for dogfighting a bomber! Unfortunately, in the process of trying to text him my incoming altitude (since he was running low on fuel and didn't have time for a proper hunt), I accidentally deselected both my engines! -- so when the time came, none of my throttle and prop-pitch controls would work!
He used up all his remaining ammo on me, and I gave my guys the best shots I could manage under the circumstances (i.e. with a dead throttle and trying to figure out how and why to fix it). My guys got a few shots in, but his last slugs fatally wounded both my engines. I managed a controlled crash landing near the port, wheels down, though I nosed into the dirt after all. All the crew survived, and TAF got his fifth kill for the campaign board, so everyone was happy. {g} (Including a third guy coming in on the Russian side who got to enjoy our sparring from the side while going about his business.)
Victim for hire! Sorry I couldn't stay longer had to get up early. Ended up waking up at 3am, so hopefully sleep well tonight
How are you feeling Tuna?
Big news for Tank Crew! I was going to fly the Tomcat tonight...put looks like I might be going back to WWII instead... :smitten:
https://il2sturmovik.com/news/466/update-3012/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/news/466/update-3012/)
Quote
1. Fw 190 D-9 "Dora" fighter is available to Battle of Bodenplatte Premium Edition owners;
2. Prokhorovka map (Southern part of the Kursk salient) is available to Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka owners;
3. M4A2 tank is available to Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka owners;
4. PzKpfw.III Ausf.M tank is available to Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka owners;
5. Fokker D.VIIF fighter is available to Flying Circus - Volume I owners;
6. Locomotive tenders are destroyable once again;
7. The oxygen system capacity corrected (increased) on Fokker D.VII;
8. The sound of a damaged engine made more pronounced on all aircraft;
9. KV-1s, Pz.VI-H1, M4A2, and Pz.III-M have night gunsight illumination;
10. KV-1s and Pz.VI-H1 turrets bend their antennas when rotating;
11. Rocket exhaust flame corrected - it cuts immediately when the engine of a rocket stops and its smoke trail disappears faster;
12. A game freeze (when a statistics screen was visible on top of the other menus) has been fixed.
It's been a long time coming, but hopefully worth the wait. Just don't start it with Mods On checked as it crashed my game (fixed when unchecked).
Quote from: W8taminute on March 18, 2019, 06:10:16 PM
How are you feeling Tuna?
Not too bad, had to stay an extra day in the hospital. Definitely be long time before I'm flying. I should've lent you my gear!
Were you in the hospital for flu?
Got my 'other' knee done.
Eek
Quote from: MengJiao on November 27, 2018, 01:14:39 PM
Oh, well at this point its not a broken mess or at least it seems reasonably functional to me.
And somewhere over Kuban, the U-2VS:
Yeah, thanks to you reprobates I now own Kuban, Bodenplatte and Tank Crew.
Quote from: MengJiao on November 27, 2018, 01:14:39 PM
Oh, well at this point its not a broken mess or at least it seems reasonably functional to me.
And (also over the Kuban) -- P-47D-28:
I'm waiting for the ME-262 to pick up bodenplatte.
:o
...Me 262 you say?
Quote from: Gusington on April 26, 2019, 01:57:53 PM
:o
...Me 262 you say?
Yep. It already has the P-47 and FW190-D9. The P-51D is in the pipeline as well.
^As is the P-38!
I for one am waiting for Bodenplatte to pick up Bodenplatte. ::)
(No beta testing Bodenplatte for me. Heck, I still haven't worked much on my Moscow-to-Kuban career...!)
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2019, 02:00:24 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 26, 2019, 01:57:53 PM
:o
...Me 262 you say?
Yep. It already has the P-47 and FW190-D9. The P-51D is in the pipeline as well.
The new Spit flies rings around everything else in the sky. Makes online a slog. Oh look, everyone's in a Spit...again.
To be fair, didn't Goering agree with that, too? ^-^
Quote from: JasonPratt on April 26, 2019, 03:10:08 PM
To be fair, didn't Goering agree with that, too? ^-^
He did. However, it's also fair that in just about any flight sim/air combat game that has the Spitfire, it attracts players like moths. Inevitably the allied side is filled with the blighters.
The Mk V that was available earlier (Kuban I think?) was fun and competitive. The Mk IX in Bodenplatte? It's a beast. I can't wait for the Tempest!
Yeah, I like the Mark V. I haven't flown the new Spit, I'll have to take it for a spin tonight.
I know that in War Thunder, which is very dubious on the correctness of its models and pretty far from anything approaching realism, the Spitfire is basically a gravity defying uber-plane and people fly it as such.
The Spitfire is probably the purest fighter aircraft ever created. Absolutely elegant, and such a joy to fly. :smitten:
Quote from: Toonces on April 26, 2019, 10:48:34 PM
The Spitfire is probably the purest fighter aircraft ever created. Absolutely elegant, and such a joy to fly. :smitten:
Yeah, I spent a bit with the Mk IX tonight. Freaking amazing, especially when you force the opponent into a turn fight without much room.
You don't even really need to do that. With the new engine, you can climb with the 109s and keep pace with the 190s. About the only area where the Spit seems noticeably inferior is in the roll rate when compared to the 190s
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 26, 2019, 03:02:34 PM
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2019, 02:00:24 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 26, 2019, 01:57:53 PM
:o
...Me 262 you say?
Yep. It already has the P-47 and FW190-D9. The P-51D is in the pipeline as well.
The new Spit flies rings around everything else in the sky. Makes online a slog. Oh look, everyone's in a Spit...again.
I thought the 109K and the 190D were the hot planes in MP? I think KOTA limits how many are available due to that (though haven't flown in 6 weeks! :P )
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 27, 2019, 01:38:44 AM
You don't even really need to do that. With the new engine, you can climb with the 109s and keep pace with the 190s. About the only area where the Spit seems noticeably inferior is in the roll rate when compared to the 190s
Yeah, I'm still reverting to the habits in the Mk V, dragging the enemy low and making them bleed energy. I'm going to have to try some risky things against a poor AI and really get the feel of it.
It's a great plane. I'm also enjoying the Dora 9 though. It's super forgiving.
A competent 190 player should be able to beat a Spitfire.
I haven't tried it in IL-2 yet, but in Aces High2 you had to fight the 190 in the vertical and use that excellent roll rate to change directions quickly.
I don't know how similarly IL-2 models those two aircraft.
^ That is still the way to beat a spit in a 190. It requires a bit of patience though, far easier to grab a spit and just mix it up in turn fighting. Especially with the Mark IX spit, there's very little engine management, makes it easy to jump into with all kinds of skill levels.
Quote from: Tuna on April 27, 2019, 08:43:12 AM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 26, 2019, 03:02:34 PM
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2019, 02:00:24 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 26, 2019, 01:57:53 PM
:o
...Me 262 you say?
Yep. It already has the P-47 and FW190-D9. The P-51D is in the pipeline as well.
The new Spit flies rings around everything else in the sky. Makes online a slog. Oh look, everyone's in a Spit...again.
I thought the 109K and the 190D were the hot planes in MP? I think KOTA limits how many are available due to that (though haven't flown in 6 weeks! :P )
Tuna are you back flying again?
Quote from: W8taminute on April 29, 2019, 08:18:16 AM
Quote from: Tuna on April 27, 2019, 08:43:12 AM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 26, 2019, 03:02:34 PM
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2019, 02:00:24 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 26, 2019, 01:57:53 PM
:o
...Me 262 you say?
Yep. It already has the P-47 and FW190-D9. The P-51D is in the pipeline as well.
The new Spit flies rings around everything else in the sky. Makes online a slog. Oh look, everyone's in a Spit...again.
I thought the 109K and the 190D were the hot planes in MP? I think KOTA limits how many are available due to that (though haven't flown in 6 weeks! :P )
Tuna are you back flying again?
I haven't yet, but I think I should he okay. Driving, today is first day in the office.
Think I saw some posts about KOTA doing team events, I wonder if that is on the weekends.
Good to hear you're feeling well enough to drive again. When you're ready to fly let me know. I'm always up for doing a bomb run with friends.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 26, 2019, 03:02:34 PM
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 26, 2019, 02:00:24 PM
Quote from: Gusington on April 26, 2019, 01:57:53 PM
:o
...Me 262 you say?
Yep. It already has the P-47 and FW190-D9. The P-51D is in the pipeline as well.
Spitfire Vb:
The new Spit flies rings around everything else in the sky. Makes online a slog. Oh look, everyone's in a Spit...again.
The problem with playing WW2 fighter sims online is people generally don't need, or bother, to climb to high altitude. They don't want or need to waste the extra time & fuel climbing up there, and if their enemies are still far below them then they won't even be able to spot them.
The dogfights usually end up happening down at lower altitudes for those reasons. Which means all those fighters which do better at high speed and high altitude are at a disadvantage. Sure, you can still technically boom & zoom, but it's less effective down at low altitudes with denser air limiting speeds and equipment on high-speed interceptor types, such as turbochargers, becoming useless dead weight.
I think this online altitude issue is the main reason I prefer doing multiplayer DCS to anything WW2/prop-based. For one, having radar means you have the opportunity to spot your enemy even while at drastically different altitudes. Secondly, drastic altitude changes are much faster, and even required when evading or diving to terrain mask against radar & missiles. Alt is more of an extra strategic factor to be utilized rather than a limiting one. ;)
Hot Deals Sale https://il2sturmovik.com/
The discounts on the website run from May 15th - May 31st and on Steam from May 15th - May 29th.
Battle of Stalingrad - 66% Off (Website and Steam)
Battle of Moscow - 66% Off (Website and Steam)
Battle of Kuban – 33% Off (Website and Steam)
Blazing Steppe Scripted Campaign – 50% Off (Website and Steam)
Fortress on the Volga Scripted Campaign – 50% Off (Website and Steam)
Ten days of August Scripted Campaign – 50% Off (Website Only)
Havoc Over the Kuban Scripted Campaign – 50% Off (Website Only)
Cliffs of Dover BLITZ – 50% Off (Website Only)
Welp. (Dutifully opens Paypal)
...and now I'm in for BoS, BoM, and as I'm a Battle of Britain fan, CoD.
I'm so weak-willed. :-[
So IL2 Stalingrad, Moscow and Kuban are all on sale and especially Stalingrad and Moscow being at $17 USD.
I have IL2 1946, but have been looking at these for a while and with the sale I'm interested.
Any opinions on any of these games especially if you already have a fully modded IL2 1946? I only play single player.
Thanks!
IL2 website (https://il2sturmovik.com/)
Absolutely worth it.
Took advantage of the sale and completed the entire set.
Yeah, it's worth it.
I am a huge 1946 fan and this is a serious upgrade.
It's awesome WW, and there's some really good MP servers out there as well.
Super thanks for the replies. I'll be getting Stalingrad and Moscow then.
if you ever wanted to try mp, there's a few here who could join you.
Quote from: WallysWorld on May 31, 2019, 02:14:16 PM
Super thanks for the replies. I'll be getting Stalingrad and Moscow then.
Just be aware that these are completely separate titles from IL 46 and so you'll need to configure your controls (and everything else) from scratch. Be patient - it's worth it!
Thanks for the tips. I ended up buying Cliffs of Dover Blitz, Stalingrad and Moscow. Just setting up my controls now. It's slow, but it will be worth it.
Quote from: WallysWorld on May 31, 2019, 11:34:16 PM
Thanks for the tips. I ended up buying Cliffs of Dover Blitz, Stalingrad and Moscow. Just setting up my controls now. It's slow, but it will be worth it.
Cliffs of Dover Blitz is a totally different game. Plane Management is more realistic, but not sure if it runs as smooth as Il2 Box.
Yes. Cliffs of Dover Blitz is a facelift and conversion of a much older title that was originally plagued with bugs. It is based off of a popular fan-made mod that fixed a lot of the problems with the retail version. It's a good game, but not part of the battles series.
CloD is heartbreaking in its lost potential. That should have been the definitive WW2 flight sim.
It's only heartbreaking if WWII flight sims would have died with it. Fortunately the iL2 battle series, DCS, and even WOTR emerged since then, that I don't even care about clod...I forget it even happened. The only worth while point in having it is for battle of Britain MP, which WOTR can't do.
Ugh, yeah. I tried CloD Blitz again a while a go and I still can't enjoy it. Even with the work the supported modders did, the AI is still brain dead.
I can't go back to it at all after playing Great Battles, did my final uninstall. The Career mode and AI in Great Battles alone just makes it the better option.
(https://il2sturmovik.com/news/478/update-3101/?fbclid=IwAR1C26pUX9NalqiRAjnk87_W5OItCu0e915OATdKbQduo1Giwd_dhzsHn7U)
https://il2sturmovik.com/news/478/update-3101/?fbclid=IwAR1C26pUX9NalqiRAjnk87_W5OItCu0e915OATdKbQduo1Giwd_dhzsHn7U (https://il2sturmovik.com/news/478/update-3101/?fbclid=IwAR1C26pUX9NalqiRAjnk87_W5OItCu0e915OATdKbQduo1Giwd_dhzsHn7U)
Quote
Dear friends,
Today we have finished another huge update and it is already available to you. It includes the new war machines you can control - jet fighter/bomber Me 262 A Schwalbe for Bodenplatte, Т-34-76 made by UVZ factory in early 1943 for Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka and airplanes S.E.5a and Albatros D.Va for Flying Circus - Volume I.
Upping the exterior textures to 4К quality level for Bf 109 F-4 and Fw 190 A-8 are another neat feature, as well as adding visible crews to player controllable Pz.III Ausf.M and M4A2. All VR users get the long-awaited fix of an aircraft propeller that looked distorted with VR reprojection turned on. There are many changes in aircraft and ground AI. The level of detail of player controllable tank systems and their damage model is nearly final. And as usual, there are many improvements in FM and aircraft systems modeling.
IL-2 Sturmovik team wishes you nice summer weather and enjoyable flying in our sim!
Main features
1. Jet fighter-bomber Me 262 A "Schwalbe" is now available for all owners of "Battle of Bodenplatte";
2. Albatros D.Va is now available for all owners of "Flying Circus";
3. S.E.5a is now available for all owners of "Flying Circus";
4. T-34-76 UVZ made in early 1943 is now available for all owners of "Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka" (includes crew);
5. Bf 109 F-4 exterior textures are now available in 4К quality, including damage, thanks to =BlackHellHound1=;
6. Fw 190 A-8 exterior textures are now available in 4К quality, including damage, thanks to =ICDP=;
7. Crew models added to M4A2;
8. Crew models added to Pz.III Ausf.M;
9. In VR, active reprojection won't cause a rotating propeller to flicker;
10. The game launcher (non-Steam version) now offers more options (enabling or disabling VR, 4K textures, GUI autoscale and mods);
AI improvements
11. AI fighters may cancel the attack run when hit by a bomber gunner fire;
12. AI fighters aim better when engaging a straight flying target;
13. AI fighters open fire earlier when engaging a straight flying target;
14. AI fighters maneuver more carefully when covering bombers;
15. AI keeps the formation much better;
16. AI ground attack planes and fighters RTB if they have no ammo for forward-firing armament left;
17. AI bombers open bomb bay doors during the bombing run only if there are bombs inside;
18. AI bombers won't open bomb bay doors during the route by mistake;
19. AI won't attempt to land on tank spawn points in multiplayer in case of an emergency;
20. AI gunners fire only at targets selected as 'Engageable' (Mission Editor parameter);
21. AI guns and tanks aim in a more realistic way, there is a slight fire delay after aiming and before re-engaging;
22. Driveable tanks controlled by AI keep formation better, including cases of losing one or more tanks of a platoon;
23. Ground AI can set and keep User Formation by mission command (current relative position of vehicles in the group);
24. Ground AI has three new formations: line left, line right, centered line (relative to the group leader);
25. Ground AI now correctly selects and uses APHE ammo (it used only AP ammo before);
26. Ground AI won't fire at crewmen escaping from friendly vehicles;
New features for player controllable tanks
27. It's possible to limit the maximal gear by X and Z key;
28. Enter key invokes the damage control overlay;
29. Headlights state, engine damage and overheat, low oil pressure and battery charge, maximal selected gear limit are shown in the quick info interface panel;
30. Lots of instruments and controls are now animated: odometers, service meters, engine revolutions counters, ignition switches, starter buttons, oil temperature indicators, amperemeters, voltmeters, fire detection lamps, radio tuning dials, parking brake handles, turret locks;
31. Transmission damage affects the changing of gears, they become harder or impossible to switch;
32. Oil system damage causes engine damage at a progressing rate;
33. Cooling system damage affects oil and cylinder heads cooling effectiveness;
34. Electrical system damage affects the functionality of lighting, powered turret traverse and engine starter;
35. Engines have a heat model that is affected by damage;
36. Cold engine yields less power until it heats up;
37. An engine with overheated oil or cylinder heads accumulates damage fast;
38. 'Warmed up engine' option is valid for tanks too;
39. Fuel or oil leak could lead to a fire that can kill the crew and cause the ammo detonation;
40. In case of fire, the crew uses fire extinguishers if there are any left. It takes up to 2 seconds using automatic fire extinguishers and up 5 seconds using regular ones;
41. Damaged suspension springs or torsions can become lame;
42. If the coolant is boiling, there is a visible vapor exhaust from radiators;
43. A damaged engine can fill the tank interior with smoke;
44. Firing the gun and MGs can obscure vision in the tank interior;
45. Crew clothes, faces, hands, etc. can become dirty from smoke;
46. The turret traverse speed decreases with the inclination of the tank, it may be impossible to turn the turret at a high inclination angle;
47. The driver instruments functioning was updated;
48. Powered (electric) turret traverse mechanism added to KV-1s and Т-34-76-UVZ-1943 with the manual traverse as the backup one. The powered traverse mechanism won't work if it is damaged, there is no power or the engine is off;
49. Powered (hydraulic) turret traverse mechanism added to M4A2 and PzKpfw. VI Ausf. H-1 with the manual traverse as the backup one. The powered traverse mechanism won't work if it is damaged or the engine is off;
50. Backup (pneumatic) engine starter added to KV-1s and Т-34-76-UVZ-1943 that is used if there is no power;
51. Additional (panoramic) gunsight added to KV-1s and Т-34-76-UVZ-1943;
52. Backup gunsight (iron sights) added to Pz.III Ausf.M;
53. The shaft between the flywheel clutch and the gearbox on M4A2 is correctly animated;
54. Pz.III Ausf.M brake drums are correctly animated;
55. Pz.VI Ausf.H1 engine cooling fans are correctly animated;
56. Tanks won't 'jump' on rubble left from destroyed buildings;
57. A rare issue that could cause a still functioning tank to appear destroyed, but with functioning turret has been fixed;
58. A rare issue that could cause a still functioning track to appear destroyed has been fixed;
59. A small visual issue (grey square near the gun gunsight) has been fixed for Pz.III Ausf.M and Pz.VI Ausf.H1;
60. KV-1s paint color has been corrected;
61. The motion of a damaged right track of Pz.III Ausf.M has been corrected;
New features in aircraft physics, systems and animations
62. Infinitely firing aircraft of other players shouldn't randomly appear in multiplayer anymore;
63. Additional steps were taken that should eliminate a rare problem of another player plane being invisible before opening fire;
64. PTAB sub-munitions effect on ground targets has been corrected;
65. Damage calculations for AP, APHE and HEAT aircraft-launched rockets have been significantly improved;
66. Physical models of all aircraft engines have been revised, many rare bugs were found and fixed;
67. A rare issue that could crash the sim when all fuel was spent (or leaked away) on Ju-88 and He-111 H6/H16 has been fixed;
68. A rare issue in P-47 turbocharger that could crash the sim was found and fixed;
69. The error that caused the Flying Circus aircraft propellers to have more power than RoF ones has been found and fixed. The notable difference was found at lower flight speeds, but additional research showed that this error made during porting of RoF planes to Flying Circus more or less affected all flight characteristics of the Flying Circus aircraft. In this update this error is fixed, so flight characteristics of all Flying Circus planes fully correspond to RoF before update 1.034. You can see the updated flight characteristics of Albatros D.Va and S.E.5a in their in-game descriptions, while updated descriptions for other Flying Circus aircraft will follow in the next update when we redo all the required measurements;
70. All aircraft: when starting or shutting down the engine with all three difficulty options "Cruise control", "Throttle auto limit" and "Engine auto control" turned off you need to move the engine controls during the startup or shutdown procedure yourself;
71. All aircraft: wind noise sound with jettisoned or broken canopy won't disappear at 720 kph and higher speeds;
72. All aircraft: new technochat message informs the player about the engine failure (when it shuts off by itself without player or throttle limiter input);
73. All aircraft: new technochat message informs the player that the engine start command is ignored if the startup requirements are not met;
74. Fw-190 D9 and Me 262 A: there is a tip in chat clarifying that the engine throttle is blocked from moving to cutoff position when the engine is on;
75. Sopwith Camel and Sopwith Dolphin skid steering animations were corrected;
76. Weight values listed for all large gunsights of Flying Circus planes and for the camera on SPAD XIII.C1 have been corrected;
77. Weight values listed for additional Lewis MGs on Sopwith Dolphin have been corrected, speed loss information added;
78. Moving horizontal stabilizers control levers or wheels can be heard;
79. When an engine is turned off, the motion speed of a throttle lever with engine helpers turned on has been increased (it is now the same as its motion speed with engine helpers turned off);
80. In multiplayer, you can hear the engine starter of another player.
Because of the huge amount of changes, the track and mission format was changed. If you're an author of a custom mission or campaign, you need to resave your creation (it can be done quickly using 'Convert missions to binary in folder' in the Mission editor).
The Me-262! Finally.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on June 10, 2019, 01:57:40 PM
The Me-262! Finally.
Very excited about that, but also excited about the additions to Tank Crew. We now have a T-34-76 and virtual crew in the Pz. III-Ausf. M and M4A2. There are also a lot of new effects in Tank Crew that are going to add to the experience immensely, like damage effects and the like.
Overall, a huge update!
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 10, 2019, 02:06:52 PM
Quote from: SirAndrewD on June 10, 2019, 01:57:40 PM
The Me-262! Finally.
Very excited about that, but also excited about the additions to Tank Crew. We now have a T-34-76 and virtual crew in the Pz. III-Ausf. M and M4A2. There are also a lot of new effects in Tank Crew that are going to add to the experience immensely, like damage effects and the like.
Overall, a huge update!
Yeah, looks like I've got a long night of Great Battles ahead of me.
I took it up for a quick spin.
It's going to be a hard one to master. Steers like a freight train and it's ridiculously easy to bleed off all of your energy with just a few turns. I blew the engines a few times and had to resort to installing the fuel pump limiter thing (can't remember what it's called). I was able to fly around without going BOOM after that but I was having trouble getting away from A-20s. Gotta run straight and level to accelerate once your speed is gone. It packs a punch but it's hard to get the guns on target.
^Excellent! That's exactly how it should be. Going to try it out in about an hour.
Quote
Nov 6, 1944: First time I saw a jet, I shot it down. I was 1st in my group to shoot down an Me-262.
- Gen. Chuck Yeager
http://www.chuckyeager.com/yeager-destroys-an-me-262 (http://www.chuckyeager.com/yeager-destroys-an-me-262)
^Heh, that is frickin' awesome.
Chuck Norris memes Chuck Yeager. 8)
That was one of my favorite missions in Chuck Yeager's Air Combat.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on June 10, 2019, 04:08:19 PM
I took it up for a quick spin.
It's going to be a hard one to master. Steers like a freight train and it's ridiculously easy to bleed off all of your energy with just a few turns. I blew the engines a few times and had to resort to installing the fuel pump limiter thing (can't remember what it's called). I was able to fly around without going BOOM after that but I was having trouble getting away from A-20s. Gotta run straight and level to accelerate once your speed is gone. It packs a punch but it's hard to get the guns on target.
I took it up for a quick flight too and came away with the same impression. It's a very interesting aircraft to fly, but I think it needs to be flown very smartly in order to have any success in combat. I just enjoyed free flight and didn't even engage targets. Just wanted to get a feel for how it flies.
The only thing I struggled with was getting it off the ground. The nose pitches up fine, but the rest of the airplane just doesn't want to get off the ground. By the time all three wheels were off the deck, I was long out of runway. I'm going to have work on that.
I must add, though, that it is a beautiful aircraft and the cockpit is so reminiscent of much more modern second and third generation fighters. The Germans were such innovators and far ahead of their time in so many different ways.
Yowsers, yeah, finally got to try it out in free flight. Didn't even try to shoot anything down. Love the work they've put into it. Great cockpit, great feel. Sort of like riding a freight train set to full power.
I'm looking forward to mastering this. Hopefully a bomber rich environment will give this something to thrive on. Seems like a heck of an interceptor. Not fun to fly in the same way as the D-9 or Spit, but absolutely different.
New update is out.
You can fly the Tempest! (and other planes that suffer terribly by not being a Tempest). Took it up for a spin last night. I had some troubles with the game crashing when trying to load the new map but it just started working after the 4th try. The Tempest is awesome! Fast as hell, stable gun platform, dives like a demon and those 4x20mm wreck anything they touch. The P-38 was fun to tool around with as well. Never tried the P-51 because it's not a Tempest.
I had a lot of trouble taxiing the Tempest. Are there no independent brakes? Only the rudder seemed to work, but then only at slow speed.
Love the P-38. Perhaps my new favourite.
I couldn't get the left/right brakes to work either but the common brakes button worked fine.
The latest update also seemed to have screwed up my rudder, elevator, and aileron trim controls as well. Had to remap them to get them to work again.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on October 01, 2019, 11:02:13 PM
The latest update also seemed to have screwed up my rudder, elevator, and aileron trim controls as well. Had to remap them to get them to work again.
It's coz you can now map them to axes rather than buttons (again).
Aside from the weird LOD stuff going on (which I'm sure will be addressed soon), I'm enjoying the new content. As a (former now, I guess) Roffer, finally getting the Arras map is a big step in the right direction. MP is starting to be populated, and I think good times are just around the corner...
It's been problematic for me. I have to restart the game 3-4 times before it'll finally run without crashing. I see weird wire mesh polygon terrain masks poking through forests when I view them from a distance. When I see planes far off in the distance, the dots disappear and reappear depending on the zoom level. AI is ploughing into the ground again with alarming regularity, especially in the Tempest. I don't know if that's due to blackouts or just bad AI.
Sorry to hear that. May be worth revisiting your graphics settings (since the game appears to have changed in that respect). I have a mid-range system and don't try to run the game on "high". The dots in the distance thing is what I was referring to with the LOD. It's called "alternate visibility" and I think is designed to enable you to spot aircraft outside the 9km "bubble" which apparently existed in previous builds. A hot fix has been added which allows you to turn it off. FWIW those with kick-ass GFX cards and 4K monitors are apparently less affected...
Thanks. I think I've spent about as much time futzing around with GFX settings as I have playing the game. Doesn't matter where I set them, the wire mesh problem and the startup crashes persist. Zero response on the IL2 tech support forums to my posts.
Are these new patch/update problems affecting the Steam release, too, or is it just the new date/map/planes?
From what I've been able to glean from the IL2 forums, the distant dot bug affects everyone. The wire mesh problem seems to be an issue only for mid-rage AMD video cards. The crashes seem to be only me. I'm special and unique!!!!
Kuban and Moscow on sale for 12 and change.
Just finished moving and getting the internets up and running after two weeks of not gaming and there's a sale on! Whoo!
Quote from: Tuna on October 15, 2019, 05:16:16 PM
Kuban and Moscow on sale for 12 and change.
Grabbed them both, thanks fer the heads up.
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 11:48:00 AM
Quote from: Tuna on October 15, 2019, 05:16:16 PM
Kuban and Moscow on sale for 12 and change.
Grabbed them both, thanks fer the heads up.
We should have a flight night!
Yeah... I'm not good enough to fly with you lot. I've still got my training wheels on... :hide:
...and now they're in the stable! Can't wait for Tank Crews & Bodenplate to get less pricey at some point.
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 02:13:54 PM
Yeah... I'm not good enough to fly with you lot. I've still got my training wheels on... :hide:
There is nothing outstanding going on with me, JP and W8t.. plenty of crashes during takeoffs and taxiing.. Haven't flown since last winter, so I'm sure I will suck even more!
Quote from: Tuna on October 16, 2019, 04:58:09 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 02:13:54 PM
Yeah... I'm not good enough to fly with you lot. I've still got my training wheels on... :hide:
There is nothing outstanding going on with me, JP and W8t.. plenty of crashes during takeoffs and taxiing.. Haven't flown since last winter, so I'm sure I will suck even more!
Ha! I can barely survive starting in the air, let alone trying to take off or land. :crazy2:
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 05:20:23 PM
Ha! I can barely survive starting in the air, let alone trying to take off or land. :crazy2:
It took me a long time before I could do take offs and landings as well. I found that one trick for those is to constantly work on and tweak your input devices.
HOTAS and rudder sensitivity were a big reason I was having trouble spinning out keeping control on a tarmac. It was just a lot of trial and error to get them to the point to where what I was getting out of the game matched what I was intending when applying control.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on October 16, 2019, 06:07:43 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 05:20:23 PM
Ha! I can barely survive starting in the air, let alone trying to take off or land. :crazy2:
It took me a long time before I could do take offs and landings as well. I found that one trick for those is to constantly work on and tweak your input devices.
HOTAS and rudder sensitivity were a big reason I was having trouble spinning out keeping control on a tarmac. It was just a lot of trial and error to get them to the point to where what I was getting out of the game matched what I was intending when applying control.
Yeah, no practice is definitely part of my problem. But so is the lack of proper equipment. All I have is an ancient Logitech Attack 3 joystick. Oh and a severe lack of eye-hand coordination any more....
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 06:22:31 PM
Yeah, no practice is definitely part of my problem. But so is the lack of proper equipment. All I have is an ancient Logitech Attack 3 joystick. Oh and a severe lack of eye-hand coordination any more....
You might want to try the auto-rudder feature. It makes things easier if you're just on the joystick.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on October 16, 2019, 06:25:30 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 06:22:31 PM
Yeah, no practice is definitely part of my problem. But so is the lack of proper equipment. All I have is an ancient Logitech Attack 3 joystick. Oh and a severe lack of eye-hand coordination any more....
You might want to try the auto-rudder feature. It makes things easier if you're just on the joystick.
Huh... see, I didn't even know that was an option. Where is it buried?
Hop in the a-20 it's a breeze to take off.. no twisting and turning!
Remind me again, if I purchase on steam or at the official store, is the content accessible on steam and also their client? Or is it tied to the source you buy it from?
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 06:27:18 PM
Huh... see, I didn't even know that was an option. Where is it buried?
Open up the quick mission generator. Take a look at the bottom right, there should be a tab for realism next to the start button.
You can assign a custom realism profile and piloting assistance is on the far right. Quite a few settings there that make things easier but don't entirely ruin the experience.
Mostly they help get over the handicap of not having a high end interface setup.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on October 16, 2019, 06:40:17 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on October 16, 2019, 06:27:18 PM
Huh... see, I didn't even know that was an option. Where is it buried?
Open up the quick mission generator. Take a look at the bottom right, there should be a tab for realism next to the start button.
You can assign a custom realism profile and piloting assistance is on the far right. Quite a few settings there that make things easier but don't entirely ruin the experience.
Mostly they help get over the handicap of not having a high end interface setup.
O0
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 16, 2019, 06:28:18 PM
Remind me again, if I purchase on steam or at the official store, is the content accessible on steam and also their client? Or is it tied to the source you buy it from?
If you buy on Steam, it won't show up outside. So if your IL2 you bought from their store. and you run it outside of Steam, expansions you bought on Steam will not show up.
Everything inside or outside will be available running it in Steam.
Quote from: Tuna on October 16, 2019, 07:00:16 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 16, 2019, 06:28:18 PM
Remind me again, if I purchase on steam or at the official store, is the content accessible on steam and also their client? Or is it tied to the source you buy it from?
If you buy on Steam, it won't show up outside. So if your IL2 you bought from their store. and you run it outside of Steam, expansions you bought on Steam will not show up.
Everything inside or outside will be available running it in Steam.
Thanks....think everything I have purchased so far has been on Steam including the base game, so guess best to order anything else from there.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 16, 2019, 07:06:18 PM
Quote from: Tuna on October 16, 2019, 07:00:16 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 16, 2019, 06:28:18 PM
Remind me again, if I purchase on steam or at the official store, is the content accessible on steam and also their client? Or is it tied to the source you buy it from?
If you buy on Steam, it won't show up outside. So if your IL2 you bought from their store. and you run it outside of Steam, expansions you bought on Steam will not show up.
Everything inside or outside will be available running it in Steam.
Thanks....think everything I have purchased so far has been on Steam including the base game, so guess best to order anything else from there.
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/37142-heads-up-changes-coming-to-il-2-steam-integration/
If you are an existing Steam user and have already purchased content from our website you will not be able to use that content with your Steam version unless you link the accounts. Again, it's a one time thing and takes just a few seconds.
Wow I go away from the internet for one day and miss out on all this fun. Great to see a revival in interest for this game. I'd love to fly with you guys if you do setup a flight night.
Tuna, JP, and I had a lot of fun when we flew together way back when. O0
I'm down for a gunner position!
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on October 17, 2019, 07:53:59 AM
I'm down for a gunner position!
You can help JP navigate home. Been there, down that!
Note to self, time to re-install BoX! (Or GB or whatever the current IL-2 is called.) :D
See it rise into the sky
the hand so heavily it flies
before it takes away their lives!
There is no plan
for the shatter
hand
(One of these days I should figure out how to do custom decals so I can properly nickname my He-111 "Old Shatterhand".)
Heinkels are my spirit plane!
Alas, there isn't much on sale right now for BoX on Steam, and I've got what's on sale already.
Still, I picked up Kuban the last time it was on sale, so at least I'll have updated airframes if I play that map on mp; and I've got practically all the German premium craft now (including the Italian superfighter), except for the "Duck" and the cargo hauler (which I'll buy sometime for the campaigns but not for multiplayer.)
Quote from: Tuna on October 17, 2019, 08:19:37 AM
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on October 17, 2019, 07:53:59 AM
I'm down for a gunner position!
You can help JP navigate home. Been there, down that!
Actually that's a very good point. You don't have to fly if you are intimidated by learning all those controls and procedures. Simply team up with a fellow Grog and defend his plane in a gunner position. 8)
Quote from: W8taminute on October 17, 2019, 03:10:17 PM
Quote from: Tuna on October 17, 2019, 08:19:37 AM
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on October 17, 2019, 07:53:59 AM
I'm down for a gunner position!
You can help JP navigate home. Been there, down that!
Actually that's a very good point. You don't have to fly if you are intimidated by learning all those controls and procedures. Simply team up with a fellow Grog and defend his plane in a gunner position. 8)
Oh... I could probably handle that. :crazy2:
I often fly bombers with many gunner positions! :D
(I also do my best to avoid being shot at by enemy fighters, so it can get kind of boring as Tuna and W8 can attest.)
I have, however, been considering learning to fly Bf-110 and Stuka craft, and those can get into much more trouble with enemy fighters.
Quote from: JasonPratt on October 17, 2019, 04:22:51 PM
I have, however, been considering learning to fly Bf-110 and Stuka craft, and those can get into much more trouble with enemy fighters.
110 is a blast.. great ground attack plane.. and the later version has beefier engines.
Stuka, is a pig.
Okay... General Notice... I screwed up and not the first time (I think the other time was in the summer of '56 when I was 10ish ;D). In my enthusiasm for the sale I managed to purchase another copy of Battle of Stalingrad (not stupid, just enthusiastic). Anyway, I've got an activation key that I have no use for... Anyone interested? First PM wins.
Quote from: Tuna on October 17, 2019, 04:29:23 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on October 17, 2019, 04:22:51 PM
I have, however, been considering learning to fly Bf-110 and Stuka craft, and those can get into much more trouble with enemy fighters.
110 is a blast.. great ground attack plane.. and the later version has beefier engines.
Stuka, is a pig.
You're doing it wrong. None of the planes you mentioned is a Tempest. Until a Lancaster or a Halifax is released I don't think I'm going to touch anything else. Got 5 kills in a single sortie last night in my 1st online session since Tuna and so bombed some railyards about a year ago.
Don't own Bodenplatte. or however it's spelled.. not gonna spend 70 bucks, or whatever they charge.. I can wait for the inevitable sale! O0
Quote from: Tuna on October 17, 2019, 04:29:23 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on October 17, 2019, 04:22:51 PM
I have, however, been considering learning to fly Bf-110 and Stuka craft, and those can get into much more trouble with enemy fighters.
110 is a blast.. great ground attack plane.. and the later version has beefier engines.
Stuka, is a pig.
I've flown the Stuka albeit against no human opposition in an underpopulated server however it's not that bad a plane. It has it's flying quirks but once you learn them it's a great precision dive bomber. Just pray there aren't any enemy fighters in the air with you.
Quote from: Tuna on October 17, 2019, 04:46:08 PM
Don't own Bodenplatte. or however it's spelled.. not gonna spend 70 bucks, or whatever they charge.. I can wait for the inevitable sale! O0
You'll enjoy it, it's got some great planes. I particularly love the Tempest and FW190 D-9. The Me-262 is really interesting too.
Having trouble with the P-51D, mostly because most fights tend to get close to the deck in the game and it's not the best plane at low altitude. Get it up high where you get the whistle of death going and it's fun, just super unforgiving at times.
Quote from: Millipede on October 17, 2019, 04:37:03 PM
Okay... General Notice... I screwed up and not the first time (I think the other time was in the summer of '56 when I was 10ish ;D). In my enthusiasm for the sale I managed to purchase another copy of Battle of Stalingrad (not stupid, just enthusiastic). Anyway, I've got an activation key that I have no use for... Anyone interested? First PM wins.
All gone. RommelFox got it.
Quote from: Millipede on October 17, 2019, 06:28:18 PM
Quote from: Millipede on October 17, 2019, 04:37:03 PM
Okay... General Notice... I screwed up and not the first time (I think the other time was in the summer of '56 when I was 10ish ;D). In my enthusiasm for the sale I managed to purchase another copy of Battle of Stalingrad (not stupid, just enthusiastic). Anyway, I've got an activation key that I have no use for... Anyone interested? First PM wins.
All gone. RommelFox got it.
Thank you ! :bd:
I finally won something in life! :dreamer:
Quote from: RommelFox on October 17, 2019, 06:37:14 PM
Thank you ! :bd:
I finally won something in life! :dreamer:
You're always a winner when you post at the Grogs.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on October 17, 2019, 06:39:27 PM
Quote from: RommelFox on October 17, 2019, 06:37:14 PM
Thank you ! :bd:
I finally won something in life! :dreamer:
You're always a winner when you post at the Grogs.
It's true!
We also can't forget the considerable prestige and women one gains from being a member.
Well I've finally decided to make the jump into air simming. Any grogs got recommendations for good flight sticks? Keyboard and mouse only gets me so far over Stalingrad...
I use (and have done for years) a Thrustmaster T16000. I think it's a very good stick at the affordable end of the range. It doesn't come with many peripheral control axes (though there is a HOTAS version) so mine is paired with a homemade engine-control/trim box. It has a "twisty stick" for rudder control, which is pretty essential for taxiing those tail-draggers.
If you get into flight-simming, pedals for rudder control add to the immersion, but the thing you'll really want is Track IR (or a knock-off equivalent).
Quote from: Father Ted on October 19, 2019, 04:49:40 AM
I use (and have done for years) a Thrustmaster T16000. I think it's a very good stick at the affordable end of the range. It doesn't come with many peripheral control axes (though there is a HOTAS version) so mine is paired with a homemade engine-control/trim box. It has a "twisty stick" for rudder control, which is pretty essential for taxiing those tail-draggers.
If you get into flight-simming, pedals for rudder control add to the immersion, but the thing you'll really want is Track IR (or a knock-off equivalent).
I have the HOTAS version (https://www.amazon.com/ThrustMaster-2960778-Thrustmaster-T16000M-HOTAS/dp/B01KCHPRXA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=t1600m&qid=1571483238&sr=8-1).
You should be able to find one (stick & throttle) for just above $100 and it could be a very good start.
If you want to jump a bit farther the Warthog is a nice choice and will relieve you of around $350. (https://www.amazon.com/ThrustMaster-2960720-Thrustmaster-Hotas-Warthog/dp/B00371R8P4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=thrustmaster&qid=1571483600&sr=8-3&th=1)
I have the same Thrustmaster and love it!.. The poor man's HOTAS!
I've got some kind of Thrustmaster, can't tell which model (not on the stick or throttle).
The throttle is not the best quality; almost impossible to make small movements with it smoothly. But it works.
The key to any good set, first and foremost, is the gimble that the stick moves on. Make sure it's a metal ball if you can! -- anything else wears out eventually.
Thanks for the recs, Grogs! :notworthy:
Like Father Ted said do get some form of TrackIr. You will not be able to follow enemy planes without it and most sims will lose their appeal quickly.
Yeah.. Track IR is a must if you are flying
The Careers for Il2 BP, FC, and tank crew have been released, giving it a spin.
Wish there were tutorial or training missions...
Requiem's youtube tutorials are very good. He covers everything from basic fighter ops to very detailed how to on each specific aircraft. Also you can get some in cockpit references via the specs tab of the map.
If all else fails, jump in to the career right now and use the p-51 in the battle of the bulge. The p-51 is like the 109 where everything is automated so you can focus on just dogfighting, plus it handles like a dream and 777's version of it is amazing.
Quote from: Skoop on November 09, 2019, 07:19:12 PM
Requiem's youtube tutorials are very good. He covers everything from basic fighter ops to very detailed how to on each specific aircraft. Also you can get some in cockpit references via the specs tab of the map.
If all else fails, jump in to the career right now and use the p-51 in the battle of the bulge. The p-51 is like the 109 where everything is automated so you can focus on just dogfighting, plus it handles like a dream and 777's version of it is amazing.
Thanks, but I was more interested in tutorials and training missions for Tank Crew. Youtube videos are great, but I prefer interactive missions with instruction, similar to how DCS does it.
Quote from: Skoop on November 09, 2019, 02:29:10 PM
The Careers for Il2 BP, FC, and tank crew have been released, giving it a spin.
Ugh. I swore I wouldn't dig into this until I got my new 34" Curved Monitor and Thrustmaster Warthog in December.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 09, 2019, 09:27:01 PM
Thanks, but I was more interested in tutorials and training missions for Tank Crew. Youtube videos are great, but I prefer interactive missions with instruction, similar to how DCS does it.
Wait, which DCS modules have that? ???
Quote from: JasonPratt on November 09, 2019, 11:24:21 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 09, 2019, 09:27:01 PM
Thanks, but I was more interested in tutorials and training missions for Tank Crew. Youtube videos are great, but I prefer interactive missions with instruction, similar to how DCS does it.
Wait, which DCS modules have that? ???
Ummmmm....just about all of them.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 09, 2019, 09:27:01 PM
Quote from: Skoop on November 09, 2019, 07:19:12 PM
Requiem's youtube tutorials are very good. He covers everything from basic fighter ops to very detailed how to on each specific aircraft. Also you can get some in cockpit references via the specs tab of the map.
If all else fails, jump in to the career right now and use the p-51 in the battle of the bulge. The p-51 is like the 109 where everything is automated so you can focus on just dogfighting, plus it handles like a dream and 777's version of it is amazing.
Thanks, but I was more interested in tutorials and training missions for Tank Crew. Youtube videos are great, but I prefer interactive missions with instruction, similar to how DCS does it.
I agree, an in game tutorial would have been nice.
I did jump in and figured most out by just setting up my controls for it. Tank crew has it's own controls tab in the settings, however they are not exclusive so some things from flight will override into tanks like snap view settings.
One cool thing is that you can drive the tank while in the gunner or commander seat by using your HOTAS throttle for forwards and backwards and rudder pedals for left right....it works really good.
You have to control the main gun with the mouse, wont let you do it with your HOTAS stick, but the mouse worked ok. I set the sight range adjust to the 2 aux/side mouse buttons and the mouse wheel controls the magnification.
2 missions into the German Kursk Campaign and it's pretty fun. Nothing earth shattering, but fun and impressive that they could do this with the engine of a flight sim.
Battles of Normandy announced!
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/56307-announcing-battle-of-normandy/?fbclid=IwAR0bNWLRUpdMtzBwbTfmxYBc2iGu7_CtgqbHZnhPD8yPFc3Dn2iKn590Cpk (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/56307-announcing-battle-of-normandy/?fbclid=IwAR0bNWLRUpdMtzBwbTfmxYBc2iGu7_CtgqbHZnhPD8yPFc3Dn2iKn590Cpk)
Quote
Battle of Normandy, will continue to offer a wide variety of gameplay options and also push our product forward with additional technology, features and improvements. We will of course, have an awesome plane-set that represents the era in which the title takes place. It will also include all the features that is standard for our WWII titles such as QMB, Pilot Career, Custom SP Missions and Multiplayer support. We also plan to include a Scripted Campaign focusing on a specific part of the battle. See below for additional information.
Battle of Normandy Plane-set:
P-51 B/C
P-47D "Razorback"
Typhoon Mk.Ib
Mosquito F.B. Mk.VI
Spifire Mk.XIV (Collector Plane)
C-47 Dakota (AI)
B-26 Marauder (AI)
Bf-109 G-6 "Late"
Fw-190 A-6
Ju-88 C-6a
Me-410
Ar-234 (Collector Plane)
V-1 Buzz Bomb (AI)
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/uploads/monthly_2019_11/BON_Map_Announcement_EN.jpg.65ca8d95279495c17bda1f7c3c2e2fd7.jpg (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/uploads/monthly_2019_11/BON_Map_Announcement_EN.jpg.65ca8d95279495c17bda1f7c3c2e2fd7.jpg)
Is Tank Crew the same as the IL2 games to get into? In other words...not easy? Unforgiving? Demanding?
I am super interested in Tank Crew but I don't want to spend 70.00 to have it too difficult to play.
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2019, 12:13:38 PM
Is Tank Crew the same as the IL2 games to get into? In other words...not easy? Unforgiving? Demanding?
I am super interested in Tank Crew but I don't want to spend 70.00 to have it too difficult to play.
Its not Steel Beasts Pro in complexity, but it does model some complex mechanics and systems for the time period. Its totally worth it in my opinion...I mean, what other options are there for WWII armor simulation?
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2019, 12:13:38 PM
Is Tank Crew the same as the IL2 games to get into? In other words...not easy? Unforgiving? Demanding?
I am super interested in Tank Crew but I don't want to spend 70.00 to have it too difficult to play.
The biggest difficulty is getting a good and easy to remember control scheme set up.
I managed to do it by combining my HOTAS throttle, pedals, keyboard and mouse in such a way that the tank is easy and fun to operate.
Outside of that, it's pretty forgiving compared to the flight portion. I'd say about as good as Steel Fury if you ever played that one.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on November 26, 2019, 12:52:37 PM
The biggest difficulty is getting a good and easy to remember control scheme set up.
That's for damn sure.
Definitely true about it being the only WWII armor option out there right now...sadly.
I haven't played an armor sim since M1 Tank Platoon (the original) back when I was about 13.
But I have always had a fascination with it and that has expanded to WWII armor.
Good to read that it is not quite as difficult to get into as the flight sims.
Have any of you guys tried the Soviet or German campaign yet?
Quote from: Dammit Carl! on November 26, 2019, 12:56:59 PM
Quote from: SirAndrewD on November 26, 2019, 12:52:37 PM
The biggest difficulty is getting a good and easy to remember control scheme set up.
That's for damn sure.
Once I have a good HOTAS setup, I make diagrams on my computer for the controls setup for all of my flying games.
This is a great example:
(https://forum.il2sturmovik.ru/uploads/monthly_10_2015/post-979-0-43714800-1444132720.jpg)
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2019, 01:09:10 PM
Definitely true about it being the only WWII armor option out there right now...sadly.
There is also Steel Fury (https://www.gamersgate.com/DD-SFURY/steel-fury-kharkov-1942)
Steel Fury 1942 STA 3.3 Mod : http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=22684.0
Thanks - equally complex or even moreso?
Quote from: Pete Dero on November 26, 2019, 01:21:39 PM
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2019, 01:09:10 PM
Definitely true about it being the only WWII armor option out there right now...sadly.
There is also Steel Fury (https://www.gamersgate.com/DD-SFURY/steel-fury-kharkov-1942)
Steel Fury 1942 STA 3.3 Mod : http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=22684.0
Didn't someone have a problem with that site or model last year?
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2019, 01:37:16 PM
Thanks - equally complex or even moreso?
I would rate it equal.
Quote from: Tuna on November 26, 2019, 01:40:08 PM
Quote from: Pete Dero on November 26, 2019, 01:21:39 PM
Quote from: Gusington on November 26, 2019, 01:09:10 PM
Definitely true about it being the only WWII armor option out there right now...sadly.
There is also Steel Fury (https://www.gamersgate.com/DD-SFURY/steel-fury-kharkov-1942)
Steel Fury 1942 STA 3.3 Mod : http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=22684.0
Didn't someone have a problem with that site or model last year?
Not many places sell it.
This is the only other website I found (legal version) : https://www.wingamestore.com/product/5091/Steel-Fury-Kharkov-1942/
About two weeks ago, I downloaded and installed the latest Steel Fury 1942 STA mod from SF 1942 STA mod (http://stasf2008.forumotion.com/forum) with no issues. You have to PM the forum admins and make a donation and they will email you the download links and install instructions. In my opinion, the mods for SF1942 are well worth the donation.
Reading that past thread it was Jarhead that had the issue, his Paypal was frozen or something immediately after the donation. Did you ever get that fixed Jarhead? Was it just an accident because of where their country is?
I've played halfway through the German campaign for Tank Crew and it was pretty fun. The missions are a string of scripted missions that you just play in linear order. It's suppose to depict prokorovka which it does well with all the other AI tanks and planes moving about. If your looking for somekind of sp dynamic gameplay like m1 tank platoon this is not it. You just play through the 10 missions and that's it.
The dynamic gameplay comes into play on mp servers where you can play missions built in the editor by the community.
There's also more sp missions for download on the official site, but some of the capture the flag mp scenarios are pretty cool when you get a mix of players in tanks and planes on both sides or you can even coop it against Ai if it's been built in the editor that way.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 26, 2019, 11:06:59 AM
Battles of Normandy announced!
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/56307-announcing-battle-of-normandy/?fbclid=IwAR0bNWLRUpdMtzBwbTfmxYBc2iGu7_CtgqbHZnhPD8yPFc3Dn2iKn590Cpk (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/56307-announcing-battle-of-normandy/?fbclid=IwAR0bNWLRUpdMtzBwbTfmxYBc2iGu7_CtgqbHZnhPD8yPFc3Dn2iKn590Cpk)
Quote
Battle of Normandy, will continue to offer a wide variety of gameplay options and also push our product forward with additional technology, features and improvements. We will of course, have an awesome plane-set that represents the era in which the title takes place. It will also include all the features that is standard for our WWII titles such as QMB, Pilot Career, Custom SP Missions and Multiplayer support. We also plan to include a Scripted Campaign focusing on a specific part of the battle. See below for additional information.
Battle of Normandy Plane-set:
P-51 B/C
P-47D "Razorback"
Typhoon Mk.Ib
Mosquito F.B. Mk.VI
Spifire Mk.XIV (Collector Plane)
C-47 Dakota (AI)
B-26 Marauder (AI)
Bf-109 G-6 "Late"
Fw-190 A-6
Ju-88 C-6a
Me-410
Ar-234 (Collector Plane)
V-1 Buzz Bomb (AI)
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/uploads/monthly_2019_11/BON_Map_Announcement_EN.jpg.65ca8d95279495c17bda1f7c3c2e2fd7.jpg (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/uploads/monthly_2019_11/BON_Map_Announcement_EN.jpg.65ca8d95279495c17bda1f7c3c2e2fd7.jpg)
I would be more excited if they were announcing il2 pacific. I might have to wait for the 50% off on this one.
A flyable B-26 might have ampted me up, but AI only....really (scratches head).
I'm not unhappy with the Mosquito offering, or the Hornet (better than the Duck), or watching players abuse the Ar 234!
That said, I look forward with some hilarity to people figuring out how to haxor the V1 as a playable craft. >:D
I wonder if the pacific module was delayed due to a percived need to compete with dcs before dcs ww2 matures.
^Thank you.
Flying Circus and Bodenplatte, coming for Steam release Dec 3!
https://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791436106709/announcements/detail/1688216957706046395
*****************************8
Dear Pilots!
We have a few important announcements to share with you about our BOBP and FC Steam Releases and our latest Collector Planes Pre-Orders.
BOBP, P-38J-25, Fw-190 D-9 and FC Steam Release Date
We are thrilled to announce that Battle of Bodenplatte and Flying Circus are coming to the Steam store immediately after the Autumn Sale ends. We are aiming for December 3rd 2019 for the release. The BOBP release on Steam will be the Standard Edition with the two additional Collector Planes being sold separately. Flying Circus will include all ten aircraft, same as on our website. Each product will have a launch discount equivalent to the current Early Access discount enjoyed by customers on our website. The prices are as follows.
Battle of Bodenplatte on Steam - $44.99 (Reg. $49.99)
P-38J-25 Collector Plane - $17.49 (Reg. $19.99)
Fw-190 D-9 Collector Plane - $17.49 (Reg. $19.99)
Flying Circus on Steam - $69.99 (Reg. $79.99)
The launch discounts on Steam will be in effect for two weeks once launched.
Hurricane Mk.II, Yak-9 and Yak-9T Pre-Order Launched
We are proud to announce that we have begun taking Pre-Orders for the Yak-9, Yak-9T and Hurricane Mk.II Collector Planes in the IL-2 Webstore. These planes will be available on Steam when they are finished and ready to be flown.
The legendary British-built Hurricane came to fame during the Battle of Britain where it did the heavy lifting for the RAF in that pivotal battle. The Hurricane Mk.II series which consisted of the a,b,c and d variants was outfitted with a few different armament configurations. This included either the 12 x .303 machine guns in the wings or 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons also fitted in the wings. Many of the Mk.II's were of the 'Hurribomber' variety with wing racks for 250lb or 500lb bombs. One later variant could also carry two 40mm cannons for anti-armor duty. The Hurricane was built in large numbers and the Mk.II series was sent to all corners of the war to fly and fight, including the Eastern Front where the Soviet VVS put them to good use in several sectors.
The Yak-9 was the first model in the most mass-produced family of the WWII Soviet fighters - with its many modifications the total amount of units produced reached 16,769. The work on the new long-range recon and fighter plane began in the Yakovlev design bureau during Spring 1942. Compared to the earlier Ya-7, it had a boosted M-105PF engine, a lighter wing of composite structure, and the lower spine with a bubble canopy that significantly improved the rearward visibility. However, the armament was reduced to one nose-mounted 12.7mm UBS MG and one engine-mounted 20mm SHVAK cannon firing through the propeller hub. The mass production of the new fighter and its arrival to the frontline units begun only in 1943. In combat, the Yak-9 proved itself as very maneuverable and easy to control fighter, earning the love and respect of many Soviet pilots along with volunteer French from the Normandie Niemen fighter regiment.
An important variant of the Yak-9 family was the Yak-9T (tank), which appeared in early 1943. In addition to one 12.7mm UBS MG it was armed with a 37mm engine-mounted cannon model 11P (later NS-37) instead of the usual 20mm SHVAK. The installation of such a heavy and large weapon required reinforcing the airframe in the nose section and moving the pilot cabin 40cm (1.31 ft.) rearward, which resulted in worse forward and underside visibility. Combat trials showed that Yak-9T is capable of not only engaging bombers and various ground targets, but it could also hold its own as dogfighter. Its flight characteristics were only marginally worse than Yak-9 while packing a much bigger punch. Its production started in March 1943 and ended only in June 1945 with a total of 2,748 units produced.
Note: This announcement includes items not yet available on Steam, but will be once they are completed.
The Sturmovik Team
Does a p-38 come with Bodenplatte? Or custom plane only?
Might be a collector plane.
P-38 is a collector plane.
It's also a joy to fly.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on November 27, 2019, 10:09:17 PM
P-38 is a collector plane.
It's also a joy to fly.
P-38 is a collector plane, but I think it comes with Bodenplatte if you pre-order.
IL2 just released an update of some kind through Steam that took my PC a few minutes to digest.
Panther for Tank Crew released today!
https://il2sturmovik.com/news/516/update-4004/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/news/516/update-4004/)
:dreamer:
Sweet, I wonder if they'll add more missions for it. There's probably already missions up on MP servers that have the panther in use.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 21, 2020, 09:20:39 PM
Panther for Tank Crew released today!
https://il2sturmovik.com/news/516/update-4004/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/news/516/update-4004/)
strongly thinking about this one.......i don't plan playing mp nor do i own vr stuff......is it worth it just for single player ? are the tanks easy to command? is there a place that hosts missions created by players? appreciate any thoughts
Tanks are very easy once you set up a good profile. I use a hybrid of my HOTAS throttle, pedals and mouse and they run smoothly.
There wasn't a lot of MP for it last time I gave it a go, but I imagine as it gets in a finished state there'll be more.
It's the best WW2 Tank sim currently available, it's less and less feature light by the month. I strongly feel it's worth it with the current vehicle lineup.
I've been interested too but the price is hefty for something I am unsure about.
Quote from: Gusington on January 26, 2020, 04:43:44 PM
I've been interested too but the price is hefty for something I am unsure about.
agreed....only reason i haven't bought yet.
just curious, is the normal price $69 which it is right now? or is that a sale price? saw it say regular price was $79 but wasn't sure. if on sale, might force me to decide quicker:)
That's the sale price right now. They always have premium prices on their Early Access releases.
If it's the same as their other releases, once it goes in full release you'll be able to get it on sale for less than $30, but who knows how long that'll be.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on January 26, 2020, 05:18:14 PM
That's the sale price right now. They always have premium prices on their Early Access releases.
If it's the same as their other releases, once it goes in full release you'll be able to get it on sale for less than $30, but who knows how long that'll be.
thanks but to confirm....the $69 is a limited time sale price? if so, do you know when ends?
It looks like that's their standard early access discount now. Seems they've bumped it down a bit.
So it doesn't look like it's going to end until release.
I pretty distinctly remember spending $79 on it with them advertising the release price close to $100. Maybe that was Bodenplatte. I'm scatterbrained perpetually whiskey soaked.
No, they have actually revised their pricing structure. Flying Circus is down to $59 for early access now.
Not really on sale, but they've bumped their prices down on their EA offerings.
ok thank you, i have time to decide then:)
Quote from: SirAndrewD on January 26, 2020, 04:27:46 PM
It's the best WW2 Tank sim currently available, it's less and less feature light by the month. I strongly feel it's worth it with the current vehicle lineup.
This statement is debatable. The STA mod for Steel Fury is very impressive, once you get it up and running, and certainly, it is undeniably a much more fully featured single player experience. There is no shortage of missions and campaigns and the battlefield is full of infantry and supporting arms. It is much more alive than what is currently in or even planned for Tank Crew.
I will say, however, in VR...IL-2 Tank Crew is AWESOME!
The campaign was pretty fun that ships with it, but once you play through the 15 scripted missions that's it for SP unless you make your own or download ones made by the community.
I know many of you aren't MP guys, but many of the MP servers will regularly run missions in a capture the flag format where guys in tanks capture objectives and guys in aircraft try to support or interdict. Many of these missions have AI added, so there's a mix of AI tanks and planes along with player tanks and planes. They are currently working on a commander UI, so you can direct a mission like an rts if you want. Operating the tanks in MP missions might be the most lasting content for this part of the sim, fortunately or unfortunately however you look at it. My experience in MP is that it doesn't have to be air quake if you don't want it to be, just find some good pve servers and you'll never fall short of content.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 26, 2020, 05:58:06 PM
This statement is debatable. The STA mod for Steel Fury is very impressive, once you get it up and running, and certainly, it is undeniably a much more fully featured single player experience. There is no shortage of missions and campaigns and the battlefield is full of infantry and supporting arms. It is much more alive than what is currently in or even planned for Tank Crew.
I will say, however, in VR...IL-2 Tank Crew is AWESOME!
I'll agree there. STA for Steel Fury is amazing. I was just thinking of currently new product, but that's a pretty small cupboard of available offerings if I limit it that way.
I think they're both extremely worthy. STA is a bit of a hassle to get running and Tank Crew absolutely looks great, but yeah, can't go wrong with either. I endorse both.
So when you're discussing Steel Fury, do you mean Kharkov? Where is the best place to buy it? I haven't seen it available on Steam.
EDIT: just looked in my Steam library and I have Operation Star and Mius-Front. I don't suppose the STA mod is available for those, eh?
:buck2:
Quote from: Gusington on January 26, 2020, 06:37:40 PM
So when you're discussing Steel Fury, do you mean Kharkov? Where is the best place to buy it? I haven't seen it available on Steam.
Yeah, Kharkov. I have an old copy from Gamersgate. Still seems to be available there.
Well. The Reapers are now playing Tank Crew..so that's a solid indication that it's going to have a good community as it grows...
^Looks like fun! I really need to find time to get back into the game.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on January 26, 2020, 06:43:32 PM
Quote from: Gusington on January 26, 2020, 06:37:40 PM
So when you're discussing Steel Fury, do you mean Kharkov? Where is the best place to buy it? I haven't seen it available on Steam.
Yeah, Kharkov. I have an old copy from Gamersgate. Still seems to be available there.
Another legal option : https://www.wingamestore.com/product/5091/Steel-Fury-Kharkov-1942/
Thanks Pete/Andrew. No one plays or mods Mius Front or Operation Star?
https://www.gamersgate.com/DD-SFURY/steel-fury-kharkov-1942
Can't testify to how stable it runs, but presumably works?
Quote from: JasonPratt on January 27, 2020, 09:40:31 PM
https://www.gamersgate.com/DD-SFURY/steel-fury-kharkov-1942
Can't testify to how stable it runs, but presumably works?
It works and it's stable. It runs on my new rig that I got in November. I haven't tweaked it for 21:9 support but that's because I've been busy with other things.
Mmmmm... might need to install that! (I've had a copy since soon after GG started operation.)
Is the mod from ModDB, or where can it be found?
Quote from: JasonPratt on January 28, 2020, 01:56:28 PM
Mmmmm... might need to install that! (I've had a copy since soon after GG started operation.)
Is the mod from ModDB, or where can it be found?
STA mod : http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=22684.0
Don't know who's in the know 'bout this 'round here, but peep your IL2 profile for discount code(s) - I had two and would think that if you've an existing account, you may have some too - to apply towards purchases up till April 16th, I think.
Quote from: Gusington on November 28, 2019, 12:31:23 PM
IL2 just released an update of some kind through Steam that took my PC a few minutes to digest.
Airplanes?
$69.99 with a 15% discount. More than I thought it would be, but still a day one buy.
https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/)
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 01, 2020, 09:24:30 AM
$69.99 with a 15% discount. More than I thought it would be, but still a day one buy.
https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/)
I wish they'd sort out the naming of these things. This is an expansion for the Team Fury-enhanced CloD and not part of the IL2:BoX series (even though both titles are sold under the IL2Sturmovik banner and are published by 1C). I'm still not that enamoured of CloD, so I will wait and see on this, despite what looks like a mouth-watering trailer.
Quote from: Father Ted on July 01, 2020, 10:53:54 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 01, 2020, 09:24:30 AM
$69.99 with a 15% discount. More than I thought it would be, but still a day one buy.
https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/)
I wish they'd sort out the naming of these things. This is an expansion for the Team Fury-enhanced CloD and not part of the IL2:BoX series (even though both titles are sold under the IL2Sturmovik banner and are published by 1C). I'm still not that enamoured of CloD, so I will wait and see on this, despite what looks like a mouth-watering trailer.
Why not add it to IL 2 Stalingrad (current expansions Battle of Normandy - Battle of Bodenplatte - Battle of Moscow - Battle of Kuban) ?
Adding more flyable planes to one game instead of spreading them out over 2 games sounds better to me.
Quote from: Pete Dero on July 01, 2020, 11:03:50 AM
Quote from: Father Ted on July 01, 2020, 10:53:54 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on July 01, 2020, 09:24:30 AM
$69.99 with a 15% discount. More than I thought it would be, but still a day one buy.
https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/ (https://il2sturmovik.com/informburo/4429faf1e529493f888ffdcb96e83b75/832061964903c5cd3efdc513c699cd28/)
I wish they'd sort out the naming of these things. This is an expansion for the Team Fury-enhanced CloD and not part of the IL2:BoX series (even though both titles are sold under the IL2Sturmovik banner and are published by 1C). I'm still not that enamoured of CloD, so I will wait and see on this, despite what looks like a mouth-watering trailer.
Why not add it to IL 2 Stalingrad (current expansions Battle of Normandy - Battle of Bodenplatte - Battle of Moscow - Battle of Kuban) ?
Adding more flyable planes to one game instead of spreading them out over 2 games sounds better to me.
Because I don't think it utilizes the same engine. Tobruk is built from the older CLoD engine and not the one used by BoX.
True, massive engine differences. The CloD engine is far more complex for example, more like DCS as a study sim with clickable cockpits.
Quote from: JasonPratt on July 01, 2020, 12:47:46 PM
True, massive engine differences. The CloD engine is far more complex for example, more like DCS as a study sim with clickable cockpits.
I have seen this asked before. And I saw a simialr comment that it was the clickable cockpit that makes ore real. What makes CoD "far more" complex than IL2? Is clickable cockpit the main difference? If IL@'s engine management was just as complex under the hood, would that still count as complex?
Frankly, I own both and I find CoD difficult to play and the last iteration released on Steam still had a lot of AI and performance issues.
The Tobruk setting is damned sexy but that price...ouch.
I can't spend on the CloD at that price point, even with the cool setting.
I really don't like flying it it as much as the Great Battles games.
Quote from: RyanE on July 01, 2020, 03:21:01 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on July 01, 2020, 12:47:46 PM
True, massive engine differences. The CloD engine is far more complex for example, more like DCS as a study sim with clickable cockpits.
I have seen this asked before. And I saw a simialr comment that it was the clickable cockpit that makes ore real. What makes CoD "far more" complex than IL2? Is clickable cockpit the main difference? If IL@'s engine management was just as complex under the hood, would that still count as complex?
Frankly, I own both and I find CoD difficult to play and the last iteration released on Steam still had a lot of AI and performance issues.
They are just different games, pure and simple. Whether one or the other is more realistic is a subjective judgement. Myself, I favour IL2 over CloD. If I had the energy, I'd say why, but in the end it's irrelevant. It'd be like trying to define why one band is better than another - no matter what I say, I'm not going to persuade anyone that my fave band is objectively better than theirs.
I would have gotten this had it been under the BOX IL2. I want no part of CLOD, but when it drops to $10, I may check it out then. Unless reviews for it are stellar, I can wait and see with this one.
Some test footage from Wolfpack345 (one of my favorite simmers):
QuoteIn this exciting new IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover - Blitz Desert War expansion, you can fly with over 40 aircraft and variants from the Royal Air Force, the Luftwaffe or the Regia Aeronautica. See combat in the legendary Spitfire, sturdy Hurricanes, stubby Martlets, and rugged Kittyhawks, or take wing in deadly Messerschmitts and Macchis. The game introduces a flyable Wellington bomber, as well as updated versions of the Ju-88 and Heinkel 111H. Desert Wings allows bomber and fighter jocks of all skill levels the opportunity to fully challenge themselves in this historically based campaign.
In addition to the long list of flyable aircraft, there are over 25 new tanks, artillery and vehicles as well as 17 new ships, including massive battleships, cruisers, destroyers, patrol boats, submarines, torpedo boats and merchant ships; these additions allowing huge land and naval battles in ferocious detail.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings- TOBRUK will feature a 385km x 385km North African map recreating in precise detail the strategic stronghold of Tobruk and the rugged contours of coast, desert and sea which surrounds it, with over 75 airfields, multiple landmarks and towns, an extensive road system as well as the historical fortifications, minefields and defenses, all based on actual maps from the war. Combined with the excellent multiplayer environment that allows over 100 players and dozens of AI aircraft online simultaneously, IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings - TOBRUK promises intense and challenging human versus human aerial battles.
Damage modeling on the ships looks outstanding.
Is the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 in the game and/or flyable?
Quote from: Gusington on July 20, 2020, 05:18:04 PM
Is the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 in the game and/or flyable?
Apparently not flyable (if in the game).
QuoteComplete list of new Flyable aircraft for DESERT WINGS - TOBRUK:
German
Bf109E-7 (DB601Aa) (also the Tropical Version)
Bf109E-7N (DB601N) (also the Tropical Version)
Bf109E-7Z (DB601N + GM-1 Nitrous Injection) (also the Tropical Version)
Bf-109F-1 with MG/FFM
Bf-109F-2 with MG151/15mm (DB601N)
Bf-109F-2 with MG151/20mm (DB601N) (also the Tropical Version)
Bf-109F-4 (DB601E 1.30ata) (also the Tropical Version)
Bf-109F-4-Late (DB601E 1.42ata) (also the Tropical Version)
Bf-109F-4/R1 (DB601E 1.42ata, underwing 20 mm gun pods) (also the Tropical Version)
Bf-109F-4Z (DB601E 1.42ata + GM-1 Injection) (also the Tropical Version)
Ju-88A-5 (also Tropical Version)
Ju-88A-5-Late (with upgraded Jumo 211F engine) (also the Tropical Version)
Ju-88C-2 Heavy Fighter (conversion of the Ju-88A-1 short wing version)
Ju-88C-2-Late (conversion of the Ju-88A-5 long wing version)
Ju-88C-4 (with Jumo 211F engine, long wing) (also the Tropical Version)
Ju-88C-4-Late (with Jumo 211F engine, long wing and added twin 20 mm gun pod) (also the Tropical Version)
Heinkel He-111H-6 Torpedo bomber (with upgraded Jumo 211F engine) (also the Tropical Version)
Italian
Fiat CR-42
Macchi C-202 Series III
Macchi C-202 Series VIII
French
Dewoitine D.520 Series 1 (Hispano 12Y45 engine)
British
Gladiator Mk II (also the Tropical Version)
Spitfire Mk IIB (Spitfire IIA with two 20mm cannon, four .303)
Spitfire Mk VA (Merlin 45, eight .303 +12 boost)
Spitfire Mk VB (Merlin 45 two 20 mm cannons, four .303 +12 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Spitfire Mk VB-Late (+16 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Spitfire Mk VB-HF (Merlin 46 High Altitude engine +12 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Spitfire Mk VB-HF-Late (Merlin 46 High Altitude +16 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Hurricane Mk IIA (Merlin 20, eight .303 +12 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Hurricane Mk IIB (twelve .303, option for bombs +12 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Hurricane Mk IIB-Late (twelve .303, option for bombs +14 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Hurricane Mk IIC (four 20mm, option for bombs +12 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Hurricane IIC-Late (four 20mm, option for bombs +14 boost) (also the Tropical Version)
Hurricane IID Tankbuster (+14 boost) (ONLY the Tropical Version)
Beaufighter Mk IF - Late (with Hercules XI) (also the Tropical Version)
Beaufighter Mk IC (with Hercules XI, bombs) (also the Tropical Version)
Wellington IA + Tropical version
Wellington IC (with waist gun positions, standard CSBS bombsight) + the Tropical version
Wellington IC-Late (with waist gun positions, advanced Mk XIV bombsight) + the Tropical version
Wellington IC-T (torpedo version with front turret, bombardier removed) + the Tropical version
USA
Tomahawk Mk IIB (48 inches boost)
Tomahawk Mk IIB-Late (54 inches boost)
Kittyhawk Mk IA (56 inches boost)
Martlet III
Tropical Versions of existing CLIFFS OF DOVER- BLITZ aircraft:
Bf-110C models
Ju-87B
Heinkel 111H
Hurricane I/I-FB
Blenheim IV
Cockpit flashcards and short manuals will be included in the release, ensuring that experienced and new pilots will be able to competently operate and fly these aircraft within a very short period of familiarization.
Tobruk will also expand the original Cliffs of Dover campaign "to continue the English Channel campaign on the CLIFFS OF DOVER - BLITZ map with additional new aircraft, vehicle and ship types covering the period October 1940 to August 1941."
:-[
Release date for Tobruk is August 6.
Gus, I'd be a little surprised if the recent mega-mod compilation for IL2-1946 doesn't have that craft. Maybe someone who currently runs the mod can check it out?
Meanwhile, more Tobruk action:
I fell in love with that plane while reading The Pope and Mussolini a few weeks ago. Surprisingly Osprey does not have an offering on it either.
Quote from: Gusington on July 25, 2020, 07:40:38 PM
I fell in love with that plane while reading The Pope and Mussolini a few weeks ago. Surprisingly Osprey does not have an offering on it either.
You mean like this:
https://ospreypublishing.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Marchetti
Search is a powerful thing.
^Thanks. I did a search on Amazon a few weeks ago and found that but didn't think it was an Osprey book.
So I see there is a big sale on IL2 and some DLCs until the 24th.
I have the base game and a couple DLCs already and I'm kinda interested in the tanks. I see under Battle of Kuban, Moscow and Stalingrad DLCs it says "Player Controlled Tanks", do I just need to pick up one of those DLCs or is there something else I need too?
Redargo. The " tank crew" module is the one to get for tanks. You get 10 tanks in "tank crew" that are full fidelity and the Prokhorovka map specifically made for tanks. The Prokhorovka map has more ground detail.
I don't think the "tank crew" module is on sale cheap, because it is still in beta. You can only buy "tank crew" directly off the il2 website.
However, I believe their are a couple of tanks (1 on each side, an old pziii and a t34 I think) that come with one of the modules. I am not sure which ones. But they are "precursor" tanks. They were made by the dev team as a kind of free experiment before the "tank crew" module was thought of. They do not have interiors modelled or nice models/graphics etc. I would not be surprised if they are free with any module?? If you have the base game already then you already have them I suspect.
Holy crap Flying Circus is on sale for ~28.00!
Quote from: Gusington on August 19, 2020, 07:57:58 PM
Holy crap Flying Circus is on sale for ~28.00!
Buy it! Bags of fun for that price, plus I think it ships with a couple of campaigns now.
Quote from: Gusington on August 19, 2020, 07:57:58 PM
Holy crap Flying Circus is on sale for ~28.00!
Is this the one to get? Been wanting to get a WW1 sim but I start comparing them and end up not buying one.
I bought Flying Circus, Battle of Moscow and Battle of Kuban. I paused and considered Bodenplatte for a bit but for WWII I am really more of a Eastern Front feller.
Quote from: challerain on August 20, 2020, 05:34:54 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 19, 2020, 07:57:58 PM
Holy crap Flying Circus is on sale for ~28.00!
Is this the one to get? Been wanting to get a WW1 sim but I start comparing them and end up not buying one.
Well, it depends what you want out of your WW1 sim. This is the most modern one (and the only one with VR support) and the only one with a live(ish) MP scene. It's predecessor, Rise of Flight, looks and flies almost identically, has more aircraft and more maps, but most of the MP crowd have moved on to FC1, and it won't see anymore development. Your other choice (which I don't have) is Wings over Flanders Fields. This is based of off Combat Flight Simulator 3, so the graphics and flight models are a bit limited, and there is no MP. However, it does offer SP careers in a world more densely populated with friends, foe and "war-feel" (so I'm told) than the other two.
P-40?
Quote from: Pete Dero on April 01, 2021, 10:36:38 AM
Quote from: Sir Slash on April 01, 2021, 10:33:20 AM
P-40?
Surely
Yep. P-40E apparently whatever that means. I have trouble keeping p-40 types and designations straight. At least every game these days seems to have a healthy "Kittybomber" type. Wikipedia says:
P-40E, 820 aircraft built. Somewhere along the production line flared "fishtail" exhaust stacks appeared, and an unknown number of late production aircraft had larger vertical stabilizers.[2]
P-40ES, two aircraft modified into two-seat trainer aircraft.
P-40EF, a number of P-40Es and Ks modified by the Soviet Air Force as two seat photo reconnaissance aircraft.[1] The "EF" designation was unofficially given to the aircraft by the Soviets, with the F standing for "Foto", the Russian word for photo.[2]
Hawk 87A-2, export version, the RAF received 1,500 Kittyhawk Mk.IAs under Lend-Lease. These were given the USAAF designation P-40E-1. Some were diverted to other allies.
Battle for Normandy FINALLY released!
:D
Ow...my wallet.
Damn, I wish I was worth a damn at Flight Sims just to play this.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on September 07, 2022, 03:48:42 PM
Battle for Normandy FINALLY released!
So, like 100 flights of Germans intercepting sky-high against the unending clouds of Allied air supremacy?
(Just got finished reading the first chapter of Churchill's final WW2 memoir, where he references the "100 flights". I realize the game will doubtless be well balanced.)
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 07, 2022, 10:09:18 PM
So, like 100 flights of Germans intercepting sky-high against the unending clouds of Allied air supremacy?
No.
But it does have an IL2 Mosquito.
And the Ar. 234!
Anyone want to report some good campaign experiences so far? Maybe on multiplayer servers?
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 09, 2022, 07:43:27 AM
Anyone want to report some good campaign experiences so far? Maybe on multiplayer servers?
It's an IL2 Campaign. If you've played others you know what to expect.
What you've got here is a great new map and some very interesting warbirds to play with on it. I'll dig in on multiplayer this weekend and surely get my butt handed to me.
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 09, 2022, 07:43:27 AM
Anyone want to report some good campaign experiences so far? Maybe on multiplayer servers?
You need to give the guys who run the servers a chance to design some missions for the new map
I just wish this sucker would run on my desktop.
It just exits instantly with no error message. Last time I googled I only found people with the same problem, but no suggestions for solutions.
It runs on my laptop, but that one is a bit underpowered. Both Intel + NVidia Win10.
Quote from: Father Ted on September 09, 2022, 11:41:39 AM
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 09, 2022, 07:43:27 AM
Anyone want to report some good campaign experiences so far? Maybe on multiplayer servers?
You need to give the guys who run the servers a chance to design some missions for the new map
Sure, though I wondered if they had gotten code early to work on that. :nerd:
I'm pretty sure there's some servers up running the shinny new map. Combat box and Finnish are the best IL2 servers with persistent dynamic campaigns on them. Wouldn't be surprised if Pat Wilson's campaign system is up and running with Normandy map.
This little tidbit was in the latest patch notes...I thought it was pretty cool.
Quote
Take a look at the last item on the list - the story of how it made it into the update is very interesting. After the release of Normandy, a gentleman who saw our trailer on YouTube recognized his father's Typhoon by its tactical number (!), and wrote about it in the comments. He offered to provide more information and send photos. Of course, we updated the information (it is in the description of the paint scheme 'Collins'), and we have found an excellent use for one photo. As you know, in our sim you can place a photo in the cockpit of aircraft and tanks - by default it is a woman corresponding to the era and country, but the player can replace it with an image of their own loved ones or even put some notes there. Now the Typhoon by default will have the real photo of the wife and child of the 245th squadron leader Jack Collins, who has been killed in action over Normandy - exactly the photo that he would have placed himself in the cockpit of his aircraft in 1944.
This is a kind of a digital monument, a tribute to the memory of the pilot and his family. We want to extend this practice to other aircraft and tanks in our simulator - if you happen to know relatives of a pilot or tank crew member who fought in one of them, and they still have wartime photographs showing his family, please tell them to contact us at pr@1cgs.net.
That's pretty awesome. O0 It would be cool to see more war games include tributes to the actual veterans who fought in the portrayed wars.
^+1
I'll send a pic of my dad if they need a B-24 bombardier or navigator.
It's really cool, but I'd probably get bored staring at a face of a person I never knew. I'd rather dress my wife up in a 40s outfit for my IL2 picture.
Even more helpful, I've seen some edit the pic with reference material for the plane. Which reminds me, a kneeboard like dcs would go along way in quality of life for the sim.
I got an odd news release today from Il-2 through Steam for operation "Overlord", which... I don't quite understand, I thought the Normandy map, planes, and collector planes had been released last autumn? Is there a map expansion and different campaign on the way? More new planes in make/model? (Doesn't specify.)
At first I thought Steam was just throwing me old news up -- it does that sometimes. But nope, they released it today.
It certainly appears it is just an advertisement for the previously released Normandy. Very odd, but there is no new content listed in the store.
It was probably just released on Steam today. It's been available in early access through the BoX store for awhile.
That makes a lot of sense! -- I had completely forgotten they'd logically want to offer it through their own store first.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 16, 2023, 03:02:46 PMIt was probably just released on Steam today. It's been available in early access through the BoX store for awhile.
Nope... Normandy released on Steam on September 29 (came out of early access at the BoX store at the beginning of September). It was even discounted 25% during the holiday sale.
The news post yesterday is still unexplained, and odd.
Big news!
Flying Circus Vol II released today with the long promised and delayed WWI career mode!
They also announced Flying Circus Vol III, which is a bit of a surprise. After some of the shakeups at 1C I was concerned about the potential future of the Flying Circus brand.
Looks like Volume III will finally start covering the early war crates.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 03, 2023, 11:50:59 AMBig news!
Flying Circus Vol II released today with the long promised and delayed WWI career mode!
They also announced Flying Circus Vol III, which is a bit of a surprise. After some of the shakeups at 1C I was concerned about the potential future of the Flying Circus brand.
Lots in the community viewed the "shake ups" as a very positive move
Quote from: Father Ted on April 03, 2023, 12:43:17 PMLots in the community viewed the "shake ups" as a very positive move
It may very well be. Seeing FC2 released absolutely bodes well
Wow, not only was Flying Circus III announced, but so was Flying Circus IV with these planes...
British Sopwith Pup fighter.
British rear-engine fighter Airco DH.2.
British two-seat reconnaissance Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter.
German fighter Albatros D.III.
German Fokker E.III monoplane fighter.
German two-seat reconnaissance Roland C.IIa.
FC 3 is due this year, FC4 next.
So between III and IV that will cover most of the Rise of Flight machines and the new Western Front map has the battlespace covered.
I am so happy to have single player career in VR finally. It's looking like it's time to finally uninstall Rise of Flight.
Quote from: SirAndrewD on April 03, 2023, 04:23:26 PMWow, not only was Flying Circus III announced, but so was Flying Circus IV with these planes...
FC 3 is due this year, FC4 next.
So between III and IV that will cover most of the Rise of Flight machines and the new Western Front map has the battlespace covered.
Yeah...time to upgrade, I guess.
Everytime I see FC3 I think flaming cliffs 3! :) Acronyms are dangerous.