flight sims?

[Dicke Bertha]

I bought IL-2 Sturmovik for a bargain price, thought I'd try out a flier game. I have a rather simple joystick, and after playing a little I am really sad to say that I cannot even shoot down my own bombers (yeah I went for them when I couldn't even find the enemy), I have no talent for this . I managed to alter the settings for the joystick as to make it less sensitive to my panicky jolts, but after a couple of tries, I have more or less decided that I belong on the ground.

I have two questions;
- how long does it take to learn and appreciate a flier game, or is it just hopeless?
- is Il-2 that game?

Any thoughts?

 

[MonsterZero]

IL-2 is the perfect game because you can focus on flying and shooting while maintenance of avionics is low. This is in contrast to modern jet sims like Lock On.

Learning it will be an ongoing process, I'm still learning after a few years but as long as you read the manual instead of just trying to guess, you can be on your own within a few days, maybe a couple of weeks. IL-2 features an autopilot which can take over at any point in flight, including landing. This is not realistic for WW2 aircraft, but helpful for learning and cruising when you just want to look around. However, a properly trimmed airplane, in IL-2 or real life, will fly straight and level almost like on autopilot!

For dogfhighting make sure you understand how the padlock function works, this allows your "virtual eyes" to follow the enemy around the sky automatically. If you view is focued only on what's directly ahead of you you'll never track the enemy except for a fraction of a second when he's at your 12. Proper padlocking will also require a hat switch on your stick to "turn your head" around.

The best joystick solution for IL-2 is a Microsoft Force Feedback 2 with handle twist for rudder control. You can also use a comparable Logitech model. I stongly recommend a force feedback stick because the vibrations are very realistic and help you understand what the airplane is doing even with your eyes closed. There are phenomenal joystick-throttle combos out there but they're expensive and not really useful except for extremely complex jet sims like Falcon 4 and they don't have FF.

I have been flying IL-2 since its original release over 2 years ago and it's still on my hard drive. I also fly sailplanes in real life and those IL-2 aircraft behave just like the real thing. Phenomenal flight modeling, but the chief programmer is an experienced aeronautical engineer; if he won't know what the hell he's doing nobody will.

 

[MonsterZero]

Oh, and one last thing: you may get discouraged too quickly if you start your education with the most challenging plane in the inventory. For easy to understand controls I recommend all Yak fighters. The IL-2 is gentle too, but very slow and lumbering so I don't know if it will suit your tempter. No matter what you're flying understand spin behavior and recovery because spins are incompatible with survival.

www.il2sturmovik.com has official patches that fix problems and effectively double the fleet of airplanes available to you as compared to the original IL-2 release (not Forgotten Battles expansion).

 

[Dicke Bertha]

Thanks Monster I'll try the Yak fighters. I was of course greedy and directly went for the FW-190. All I could see was a huge cockpit and a tiny tiny glimpse of sky above it. OK I won't give up. Is there a file somewhere for controls? I searched the CD but couldn't find any info that I could print. In the game there is a controls menu, but no "print" option, so do I have to dumpscreen it to print it?

 

[BigDog]

IL2 is probably the most realistic and hardest of the prop job sims.

So what does this mean. It means first you have to learn to fly. Not just putter about but to also do manuvers without loosing control. Once you have a solid foundation under you on the flight aspect you are ready to start on gunnery. Keep in mind you are shooting at a moving target from a moving platform. What this means is it is not easy. Tail shots are easiest and will give you some confidence. Defflection shots are much harder and being profficient at them and not just occasionaly lucky is a much aquired skill. With all gunnery engagements you want to be close, and by this I mean as a beginner you feel uncomfortably close, then it is time to fire.

 

[MonsterZero]

Thanks Monster I'll try the Yak fighters. I was of course greedy and directly went for the FW-190. All I could see was a huge cockpit and a tiny tiny glimpse of sky above it. OK I won't give up. Is there a file somewhere for controls? I searched the CD but couldn't find any info that I could print. In the game there is a controls menu, but no "print" option, so do I have to dumpscreen it to print it?

No, no, stay away from the FW-190 for now. This could be the deadliest newbie plane in the entire inventory. Stubborn and temperamental but extremely fast which means if you lose control things happen too fast to recover. It also takes forever to recover from dives; if you just pull on the stick with full force it will go out of control.

Start with the Yak-3 (or the La-5FN) and stay with it until you feel comfortable. Another great choice could be the Polish P-11. The P-11 is way too slow to catch up with anybody but it's superb for practicing takeoffs, climbs, cruise, maneuvers, aerobatics, descents, and landings. Good for air-ground gunnery too.

As for controls, if you don't have a special printed page with keyboard commands it has to be on the original CD in a format like PDF.

 

[Cheetah772]

Hello,

After taking a look at IL-2 games, I think I should stick to Wing Commander and Descent: Freespace games, they're much easier to beat.

Dan

 

[Dicke Bertha]

No Monster I searched the damn CD, no control pdf. I searched twice and thrice, they search him here they serch him there the scarlet pimpernel but do you have one? Pls mail then
wee286 at tninet dotty se

Is it playable live? I know I played close combat live on the internet before it was great fun.

 

[Cheetah772]

No Monster I searched the damn CD, no control pdf. I searched twice and thrice, they search him here they serch him there the scarlet pimpernel but do you have one? Pls mail then
weee286 at tninet dotty se

Is it playable live? I know I played close combat live on the internet before it was great fun.

Yes, IL-2 can be played online.

Dan

 

[Dicke Bertha]

Cool, then I'll definatley keep it up. Just have to learn not to crash all the time...Do you play it Dan?

 

[Dicke Bertha]

IL2 is probably the most realistic and hardest of the prop job sims.

So what does this mean. It means first you have to learn to fly. Not just putter about but to also do manuvers without loosing control. Once you have a solid foundation under you on the flight aspect you are ready to start on gunnery. Keep in mind you are shooting at a moving target from a moving platform. What this means is it is not easy. Tail shots are easiest and will give you some confidence. Defflection shots are much harder and being profficient at them and not just occasionaly lucky is a much aquired skill. With all gunnery engagements you want to be close, and by this I mean as a beginner you feel uncomfortably close, then it is time to fire.

Trying hard to learn to fly... Problem is I don't get to get close. Getting bored I turn on my friends and shoot them down, they are friendly enough to just keep a straight course while I wobble and wobble and aim my cannons... The firing part is ok and intuitive, but the flight controls are damn difficult. I just sort of float and dance in the air, no control.

 

[Cheetah772]

Cool, then I'll definatley keep it up. Just have to learn not to crash all the time...Do you play it Dan?

No, I used to play IL-2 demo, and didn't really like it a lot.

Dan

 

[MonsterZero]

PDF Keyboard Guide Dispatched

I sent it to wee286@tninet.se

 

[MonsterZero]

Sorry Bertha, the email bounced back. Email address incorrect. Also, the PDF is 1.34MB, I wouldn't be surprised if your server rejected it.

 

[Dicke Bertha]

Arrghh
my mistake

address is
wee286y at tninet se

please observe ypsilon there.
sorry MonsterZ! Please resend.

 

[MonsterZero]

2nd Email had been sent and didn't bounce back so it should be OK. Meanwhile, check out one of my pics. I hit the Lavochkin with the last remaining rounds in the engine. His prop stopped and he went down (pilot probably died in that burst too). My airplane is the grey Yak-3; with German markings because I'm flying as the axis.

 

[Dicke Bertha]

Received!

 

[Dicke Bertha]

Cool...I have forgotten all about abandoning this game! Awesome.

 

[MonsterZero]

Bertha, I just realised this is the keyboard manual for Forgotten Battles, not the original IL-2. However, this is not a big deal since all the original keys for fligth and combat are the same. Forgotten Battles introduced some new (and not terribly useful) function for complex engine management, such as supercharger control for American P-47 or P-51.

 

[Dicke Bertha]

I am still drooling over the pic, don't disturb me