Il2 for kids

[Catch]

I remember as a kid reading books or playing WW1 board games like Dogfight during inclement weather and then playing outside with mates when the sun shone and only coming home when dinner was ready, meat and 3 veg, always home cooked. It was horrid. Thank goodness those days are over.

[GenMarkof007]

4 hours ago, Avimimus said:

Are they though? I'm not against starting at the beginning 🙂 But the lack of spin recoverability in many WWI aircraft, the vulnerability to crosswinds, the eccentric and peculiar handling characteristics that vary between types...

S! @Avimimus

I think WW1 planes each require their own specific skills and knowledge. However, since they fly much slower than WW2 aircraft, you usually have more time to react before engaging in combat.

Overall, I really enjoy flying WW1 planes, even if they sometimes look more like kites than aircraft!

Cheers, 
GenMarkof007 

[kraut1]

On 5/6/2026 at 6:03 PM, brickcommander said:

I am building my daughter a computer for her 8th birthday with a 5600x, 32gb ram and a 4070 super (spare parts I had lying around). I have let her do a few free flights on my PC, and she enjoyed it. I bought her a copy of Boddenplatte that I will install for her. Maybe, if she gets into it, we can even do some coop missions.

 

Has anyone had any experience playing IL 2 with their kids? What age? How was the experience?

Hi,

Maybe for children suitable:
IL-2 Civil Transport Pilot:
-Modification with many civil skins and all plane weapons deactivated.
-some colourful skins for the I16 for air races, acrobatic flying. When creating missions with 2 (nomally enemy) nations the smaller U2 biplanes, I16 will perform funny acrobatics. 
-Mission Pack
-Easy Mission Generator Modification for civil missions (without AAA, only civil car columns,....)

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/91778-il-2-gb-civil-transport-pilot-mod-easy-mission-generator-released-v02a/

Edited May 10 by kraut1

[AEthelraedUnraed]

On 5/6/2026 at 6:03 PM, brickcommander said:

Has anyone had any experience playing IL 2 with their kids? What age? How was the experience?

I've had experience playing it as a kid myself. I started playing flight sims when I was 12, then perhaps a year later I got a copy of IL2:FB. It hasn't traumatised me even the slightest; the level of gore was nowhere near the level I got exposed to in other games that were widely played at the time (e.g. CoD2), or that I'd see on TV. I wouldn't worry too much about that aspect.

 

On 5/8/2026 at 1:03 PM, brickcommander said:

I plan to install her a few different games and see what she likes, but I do think she will enjoy flying around. As far as I am concerned, combat in flight sims or strategy games is not the same as a shooter game- yes there is violence, but the games are also educational, with historical content and critical thinking- not to mention physics and aerodynamics. 

IL2 is certainly better than a shooter. But I think you overestimate its value for teaching physics and aerodynamics. At best, it teaches you some intuition. But it doesn't teach you a thing about how it actually works, let alone the equations behind the numbers. As someone with a strong engineering background, I can say that playing IL2 as a kid hasn't at all helped me with any of that. It did teach me some basic history, but so did CoD2, and it didn't teach me anything important that wasn't eventually covered in high school history classes. If you want to teach your daughter something, there are much better games. You already mentioned Kerbal Space Program, which is a really nice example.

 

On 5/7/2026 at 7:29 AM, brickcommander said:

I also think learning generally how to use a PC (she has never used one except to fly a couple missions on my rig) is an important life skill- the kind of thing that will allow her to have a chance to get into an elite intelligence unit and later a good career. Or, if she actually does get into flying, maybe a position in the air force.

First of all, being able to boot a PC game doesn't teach you how to use a PC. Secondly, being able to use a PC is a very, very far stretch from the skill set required to let her "get into an elite intelligence unit." Nowadays everyone and their mother knows how to use a PC; it's knowing how a PC works that really matters. If you want to help her in that, find a children's game tailored towards programming.

Your post worries me a bit in that it sounds like you want her to play IL2 because you've already half-planned out her career path. I think 8 years old is much too early to start thinking about careers. Even without discussing the ethics of parents deciding what career path their children should follow, what will you do if it turns out in high school that she's bad at mathematics and this whole "PC skills to get into intelligence" leads to nowhere? Or that she develops bad eyesight and a career in flying is out of the question? I recommend to let her find out for herself what she enjoys and where her skill sets are. "Good careers" are everywhere, be that in an "elite intelligence unit," in the air force, as an engineer, a surgeon, a businesswoman, a politician, a lawyer, or even selling flowers at the local market if that's what makes her happy. Of course, if she enjoys playing IL2, I don't see a reason why you should stop her. But be careful of pushing her too much.

[FeuerFliegen]

A huge reason I'm a big fan of WW2 flight sims today, is because my dad bought some combat flight sims for our home PC in the mid-90's, such as European Air War and Pacific Air War from Microprose.  I think it's great that you're exposing your daughter to this fascinating world and I fully support it.  I do not think this sim is overly violent when compared to many other things within the gaming/movie/TV world.