Should I get back into Multiplayer?

[BlitzPig_EL]

In the old days in the original IL2, The Pigs and I were online almost every night.  I was never a great flyer, but I had my moments.  Then slowly the guys started drifting away, we got older with more responsibilities, etc...  But I miss the fun of it.  A few of us still fly together, but only in coops, or on my server against AIs, which is getting pretty tiring.

I've been thinking about trying it again, but, being away from multiplayer for so long, my skill set is diminished, as well as my eyesight.  Spotting for me is a trial.  I watch videos online by Scharffi and I cannot understand how she spots like that.  It's amazing.   Hence my personal trepidation.  Can spotting be learned?   I try, but even flying with my guys, they will call out a target and give me the location on comms, and I look right at it , and I don't see it.  I play flatscreen, and that is not going to change, on a 2K 27" monitor, my rig gives me consistent high frame rates in the 140s (capped at 145).   I don't expect to be an ace in a day, but being cannon fodder isn't any fun either.

Thoughts?

 

[Rjel]

Maybe someone could set up a server for the over 60 guys among us. There must be a bunch of us after 25 years of this series. 

[BraveSirRobin]

You absolutely should.  But don’t go alone. Flight of 2 is minimum.  I fly occasionally with a friend from RoF days.  We get killed a lot, but it’s fun.  Flight of 4 is better.

[Dash,Polder]

Your only seeing one side of the fence, those guys are a minority of what's going on online.  It's ground attack where a really big chunk of the action is taking place, you will rarely meet up with those cherry picking movie dog fighters.  The movie makers only fight under carefully selected play conditions, while most ground pounders are persistent and go in under nearly any condition.  Biggest part of the ground attack guys are mostly into flying fighters as attackers, so they are no easy or free lunch, and its a whole lot of fun doing it in company.  Those guys may make ace in a sortie, but fighter attack pilots win all the wars and move the maps.  Anyone who can shoot and drop bombs with basic accuracy and can contribute in defending your pack, they'll hold value for any group of guys and will be more than welcome aboard.

One thing you will never see is those mighty aces engaging an organized pack, they'd quickly get shredded even by old half blind guys unified in any sort of numbers.

[CaptHook]

1 hour ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

In the old days in the original IL2, The Pigs and I were online almost every night.  I was never a great flyer, but I had my moments.  Then slowly the guys started drifting away, we got older with more responsibilities, etc...  But I miss the fun of it.  A few of us still fly together, but only in coops, or on my server against AIs, which is getting pretty tiring.

I've been thinking about trying it again, but, being away from multiplayer for so long, my skill set is diminished, as well as my eyesight.  Spotting for me is a trial.  I watch videos online by Scharffi and I cannot understand how she spots like that.  It's amazing.   Hence my personal trepidation.  Can spotting be learned?   I try, but even flying with my guys, they will call out a target and give me the location on comms, and I look right at it , and I don't see it.  I play flatscreen, and that is not going to change, on a 2K 27" monitor, my rig gives me consistent high frame rates in the 140s (capped at 145).   I don't expect to be an ace in a day, but being cannon fodder isn't any fun either.

Thoughts?

 

I remember you from back in the day - Warclouds, Spits vs 109s, Greater Green - I haven't flown much MP in the new sim at all since the early days of Battle of Stalingrad, though.  I fly in VR so the struggle to spot and check 6 is way harder than using the TIR5, but the realism and immersion is worth the pain.  

[BlitzPig_EL]

I will give it a try again.  Just need to talk a couple of my guys into it.

[MiGCap]

I nearly exclusively fly MP, in IL-2 Korea, IL-2GB and FC as well as in DCS. Two to four guys every Friday and Saturday night.

I usually fly fighter-bombers like two of the others and one guy is a "circus flyer" (fighter) who provides us cover or at least try to. Usually on COMBAT BOX.

I can't spot very well in VR with my graphics settings as I want as much details as I can. Our fighter pilot has adjusted his settings in his favour, lower details but better spotting.

He usually get his sack of kills in every round, in F-86s and MiG-15s, but the high score in COMBAT BOX always goes to successful ground pounders. 

[Felipe_Czar]

Have to do it.

Have a good binding for a momentary max zoom ready to rock for the spotting.

[Hetstaine]

I fly solo groundpounding in either il2 or now Korea. If i'm taking a fighter, it has a bomb strapped to it. Get the odd (very) air kill but always a manage a ton of ground targets. SP gets boring fast but is good for setting up and getting everything dialled in.

Hopefully we get some better mp missions, it's all a bit dead and boring atm, especially with no strafing within a cartain range or bombing of enemy airfields. Yawn. Put a ton of AA so we can chance it, but survival rate is low. Taking off under fire is under rated 👌

[JG14_Jagr]

I've flown flight sims since the early 90's online and got away from it about 20 years ago.  Flying IL2 Korea was fun, but sterile.  I logged into the Combat Box discord and joined random flights with random players and had an absolute blast.  Comms makes all the difference.  

[ACE-OF-ACES]

13 hours ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

In the old days in the original IL2, The Pigs and I were online almost every night.  I was never a great flyer, but I had my moments.  Then slowly the guys started drifting away, we got older with more responsibilities, etc...  But I miss the fun of it.  A few of us still fly together, but only in coops, or on my server against AIs, which is getting pretty tiring.

I've been thinking about trying it again, but, being away from multiplayer for so long, my skill set is diminished, as well as my eyesight.  Spotting for me is a trial.  I watch videos online by Scharffi and I cannot understand how she spots like that.  It's amazing.   Hence my personal trepidation.  Can spotting be learned?   I try, but even flying with my guys, they will call out a target and give me the location on comms, and I look right at it , and I don't see it.  I play flatscreen, and that is not going to change, on a 2K 27" monitor, my rig gives me consistent high frame rates in the 140s (capped at 145).   I don't expect to be an ace in a day, but being cannon fodder isn't any fun either.

Thoughts?

 

Ah BlitzPig_EL!

I remember you from the old Hyperlobby days!

When Aviar would host those great missions!

The good old days!

I like you kind of fell out of online flight sims for all the same reason you noted!

It has been 10+ years since I went online to play a flight sim!

To be honest, I have been playing Warthunder off and on for the past 10 years!

But I don't fly in that fake arse game (not a simulator) what with all the external wonder woman 100ft under the nose shot kills!

And it is the that type of Warthunder flight sim mind set of most of the flight sims for the past 10 years that kept me from going online!

Granted there has been DCS and IL2 Forgotten battles..

But the online servers just did not have the same Hyperlobby game play..

Which is the same problem with IL2 KOREA!

That Hyperlobby ability to sit in the chat, talking to buds and talkin smack! ;) while waiting for the next mission to post, at which point you could decide to join or not

THAT IS WHAT IS MISSING FROM IL2 GB and KOREA 

The Hyperlobby aproach!

There was something special about sitting in a chat talking to like minded simmers that was special.. 

But back to the topic at hand!

I always thought KOREA was a cool time for all the reasons IL2 has noted about KOREA 

So when IL2 KOREA came out, I dusted off my old joystick and decided to give it a go! (as the girls in SoHo use to say)

Granted it is missing the old Hyperlobby atmosphere and has all the limitations of IL2 GB online interface!

But..

It is pretty good! You should try it!

Not sure how long it will last before the lack of a Hyperlobby atmosphere kills it for me..

But right now, I am having fun like we use to have back in the early 2000s of IL2/Hyperlobby!

PS I miss Mongoose! 

Take care bud!

 

[BlitzPig_EL]

Thanks Ace.  I too miss Mongoose, and the old online personalities from that time.

I do miss the sense of community we had back then.  Ah well.  I shall see about the discord comms, have only been using my Team Speak server for a long time now.

There are two or three old Pigs still flying, we hop on my server and fly against the AI, and mostly operate in the attack role.  I hope I can get them to come with me.

Cheers!.

EL

[LuftManu]

@BlitzPig_EL I wasn't even that much online yet when Hyperlobby was around, but the sense of community we had seems like it won't come back, sadly.

Discord is another animal, same as the community now. Things have changed and we have to adapt.

Playing with people is always fun! specially with a few friends trying to do a mission. 

[Uther]

Hyperlobby was a moment in time and those days were something special. So many coops and especially the online wars. We are all (a lot!) older now and those days ain't coming back. 
I've tried online a few times since then, but it's not the same for me unfortunately so I've left it in the past and fly offline now. 

Edited August 15 by Uther

[ACE-OF-ACES]

14 minutes ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

Ah well.  I shall see about the discord comms, have only been using my Team Speak server for a long time now.

As noted I have been out of the loop for well over 10 years.. maybe even 15?

So..

I am not too hip to what 'discord' is?

I have heard of 'Team Speak'!

I did come across a discussion of SRS!

I got that installed and working..

But never seems to be anyone online?

That and it seems to be specific to each server, which is fine, but lacks that Hyperlobby aspect where you could sit in the lobby and shoot the S with folks until a mission posted that you decided to join

So anyone that can explain or post a link to something that explains 'discord' and 'Team Speak' it would be much appreciated by this old flight simmer (read boomer)

[DD_Arthur]

30 minutes ago, ACE-OF-ACES said:

So anyone that can explain or post a link to something that explains 'discord' and 'Team Speak' it would be much appreciated by this old flight simmer (read boomer)

Good God! Ace of Aces, lol 😆 

Well here you go buddy;

https://discord.com/

It's very much gen z but good luck!

[Aapje]

15 hours ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

I watch videos online by Scharffi and I cannot understand how she spots like that.  It's amazing.   Hence my personal trepidation.

Keep in mind that the video quality is not actually the same as what the player actually sees, so it can just be that Scharffi has it much easier than you as a viewer.

[ACE-OF-ACES]

1 hour ago, DD_Arthur said:

Good God! Ace of Aces, lol 😆 

Well here you go buddy;

https://discord.com/

It's very much gen z but good luck!

DD! 

Thanks bud!

[Dash,Polder]

Maybe many don't know it, but you can set up your own private channel on discord just for you and your squad or flying buddies, don't cost a thing.  Also within your own discord channel you can set up multiple talk channels if you have a larger group, and it has the capability to pin DX controller buttons right on your HOTAS or button boxes to hot swap between channels.  That's a lot of power in comms capability for any group of flyers, you can split channels down to pairs for fine tactical communications when needed and still maintain contact with the main body of your group.  That way when it hits the fan no one is hogging the comms and rendering any pair engaged in combat ineffective.  You can have multiple groups doing different mission tasks in contact supporting each other on a mutual objective, but using separate channels, their flight leaders can instantly switch between channels and coordinate the mission at will.

This is similar capability to what the old Microsloth Sidewinder Game Voice hardware device allowed us to do way back with the old comms systems like roger wilco and such.   

3 hours ago, Aapje said:

Keep in mind that the video quality is not actually the same as what the player actually sees, so it can just be that Scharffi has it much easier than you as a viewer.

Also keep in mind she rarely is flying alone, and has spotters assisting.

I like Jaydog and his crew, they reflect more the reality and fun going on.

[Bulldog]

I miss the days of Hyperlobby and Casual Pilots Squadron.

Sob...

[Hetstaine]

Anyone remember Kali? EAW, we used to hook up, load mods so we all had the same planeset and theatre and do 4 v 4 or coops with massive He111 and 109 raids across England. I think 8 was the max on at a time. 

[Husar]

3 hours ago, Dash,Polder said:

Maybe many don't know it, but you can set up your own private channel on discord just for you and your squad or flying buddies, don't cost a thing.  Also within your own discord channel you can set up multiple talk channels if you have a larger group, and it has the capability to pin DX controller buttons right on your HOTAS or button boxes to hot swap between channels.  That's a lot of power in comms capability for any group of flyers, you can split channels down to pairs for fine tactical communications when needed and still maintain contact with the main body of your group.  That way when it hits the fan no one is hogging the comms and rendering any pair engaged in combat ineffective.  You can have multiple groups doing different mission tasks in contact supporting each other on a mutual objective, but using separate channels, their flight leaders can instantly switch between channels and coordinate the mission at will.

This is similar capability to what the old Microsloth Sidewinder Game Voice hardware device allowed us to do way back with the old comms systems like roger wilco and such.   

Also keep in mind she rarely is flying alone, and has spotters assisting.

I like Jaydog and his crew, they reflect more the reality and fun going on.

 

Does Discord have similar features to TeamSpeak, like whispers?

[Dash,Polder]

Never used teamspeak, so unfamiliar with it and it's features.

[ACE-OF-ACES]

2 hours ago, Hetstaine said:

Anyone remember Kali? EAW, we used to hook up, load mods so we all had the same planeset and theatre and do 4 v 4 or coops with massive He111 and 109 raids across England. I think 8 was the max on at a time. 

EAW..

Yeah loved that game!

How about Air Warrior?

I remember I use to have to pay $12/hr to play it online!

[Talisman]

22 hours ago, ACE-OF-ACES said:

As noted I have been out of the loop for well over 10 years.. maybe even 15?

So..

I am not too hip to what 'discord' is?

I have heard of 'Team Speak'!

I did come across a discussion of SRS!

I got that installed and working..

But never seems to be anyone online?

That and it seems to be specific to each server, which is fine, but lacks that Hyperlobby aspect where you could sit in the lobby and shoot the S with folks until a mission posted that you decided to join

So anyone that can explain or post a link to something that explains 'discord' and 'Team Speak' it would be much appreciated by this old flight simmer (read boomer)

IL-2 has its own official TS3 channel ready to go.  I use it and will be on it in 40 minutes or so.  Plan to fly Combat Box and also use their SRS server at the same time as TS3. Wish more folks used TS3.  It is great for squadrons as well as those wanting to link up.

New Official Teamspeak Server for Great Battles MP Now up! - Multiplayer Servers and Hosting - IL-2 Sturmovik Forum

This is what it says on the IL-2 forum:

Due to popular demand we have created a new Teamspeak server for all IL-2 users. We hope you find it useful. 

Server Address: 65.108.206.8

Server Password:  il2series

Please spread the word to you friends and squadron mates.

I have just logged in and taken some screen shots a few minutes ago which I have attached below (not many folks using it at the moment but you can see the potential):

Happy landings,

Talisman

Edited August 16 by Talisman