I Never Thought I Would Say This

[pilotpierre]

But, I am actually enjoying the BoM campaign. I do prefer the PWCG, but for a change flying the different a/c in the BoM campaign has its merits.

 

I stopped playing the BoS campaign once I reached level 10 and got slaughtered just about every mission but in BoM at level 10 my survival rate is somewhere around 60% flying intercept and ground attack missions.

 

Also it (BoM campaign) appears to be vastly improved over the BoS one.

 

I envisage the longevity of this game will exceed that of the original IL2.

 

Bravo Devs, may all your underpants be crutch less. 

[Cybermat47]

I would prefer a career mode (which now I have with PWCG), but really, the campaign mode that the game comes with is still fun and interesting.

 

Plus, the cinematics that accompany each chapter are gorgeous.

[seafireliv]

I`m still in early days with this yet, not even seen Moscow, but a few things I do like over BOS.

 

1. Rain!

2. The AI actually returns to base when I tell it now.

 

However, both still don`t quite have that immersive atmosphere of a superior army attacking an inferior one and the whole feeling of a no holds barred war. I will expand on this issue later in another thread.

[Finkeren]

Agree Pierre, but also keep in mind, that we were playing the original BoS campaign with a feeling of disappointment of all that the campaign wasn't.

 

This time we knew what we were getting, and together with the slight overall improvements, new planes and awesome new map, this allows us to view the campaign for what it is, and that what is there is not half bad.

[Rjel]

Last night I flew two campaign missions, with the first being the most enjoyable I've yet flown in this series. I was flying escort in an Mc.202 to a half a dozen Bf-110s on a ground attack mission. Weaving over the Messerschmitts, in and out of the low cloud cover, was pretty exciting. Every so often I'd see tracer coming up but usually it was off in the distance a ways. The Bf-110s flew a nice formation, broke into two groups of three and wiped out their target. That impressed me.

 

After getting the mission accomplished signal, I headed home. After several minutes I jumped an IL-2. I got several good hits on him but with just the standard armament and the weak wing mounted machine guns, I only punched a few holes in him. As I turned with my target, I saw another IL-2 turning into me from less than a kilometer away. I eased my turn with my original target and hoped I'd get my guns on this new IL-2 in time. What I didn't see was a third Russian lining me up. In seconds I was dead.

 

 

There were a fairly sizable number of planes in the air and yet it was very smooth in flight. Not the massive slowdown I'd experienced in the past. I agree with Pierre. This was much better than I'd hoped for and I think it bodes well for the future.

 

 

Corrected for spelling.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Rjel

[pilotpierre]

Agree Pierre, but also keep in mind, that we were playing the original BoS campaign with a feeling of disappointment of all that the campaign wasn't.

This time we knew what we were getting, and together with the slight overall improvements, new planes and awesome new map, this allows us to view the campaign for what it is, and that what is there is not half bad.

Good points Finkeren, methinks you have hit the nail on the head.

[LLv24_Zami]

And what's best is that the campaign is getting further improvements in 2016. Han stated it in questions thread yesterday.

[Finkeren]

We still haven't even seen the cinematics or tried out the scripted missions. Good stuff still awaits us.

[Ace_Pilto]

What changed exactly? I don't have BoM. Obviously.

[Finkeren]

What changed exactly? I don't have BoM. Obviously.

 

Hard to say. It's a combination of small factors working together. I'd point out 5 things:

 

1. The missions seem generally well balanced (I'm well aware, that some players have had a very different experience than me in this regard. I'm not sure why)

 

2. The campaign uses some aircraft from BoS, where it makes sense. This gives greater variety. For instance, "attack planes" on the German side is now not just confined to Ju 87s, but can include Bf 109Es and Bf 110s as well.

 

3. The missions seem well populated with plenty of ground action and random encounters with other aircraft (friendly and/or enemy)

 

4. The plane set for BoM is overall more interesting than BoS. This is highly subjective of course, but I personally think the different aircraft have more well defined strengths and weaknesses than in BoS where some fighters (Bf 109F4, Yak-1) are overall better than others (LaGG-3)

 

5. The beautiful Moscow map itself is very interesting to fly over. On paper it may seem like just another heavily forested mesh of smaller settlements, water ways and roads, but it's actually very varied and quite stunning in its details. It has a much less generic feel that also makes it much easier to navigate.

[steppenwolf]

I thought they'd fixed the hit flashes rendering meters behind AC? Something so simple makes me question other things about the game.

[LLv24_Zami]

I thought they'd fixed the hit flashes rendering meters behind AC? Something so simple makes me question other things about the game.

You are absolutely right. That does it, there is nothing good in this game, none whatsoever.

 

I will uninstall it immediately and with my hand on the holy bible I swear to never touch it again even with a meter long stick.

 

Whoa, glad you mentioned this, otherwise I might have missed this horrible game ruining massive fault. Thanks man! 

Edited April 9, 2016 by Zami

[216th_Jordan]

I thought they'd fixed the hit flashes rendering meters behind AC? Something so simple makes me question other things about the game.

Are you a Game designer or a programmer or did you ever program something by yourself? If so: Go ahead and propose a simple solution for this issue. A lot of people would surely thank you.

[Rjel]

I thought they'd fixed the hit flashes rendering meters behind AC? Something so simple makes me question other things about the game.

If that is in reference to the picture I posted, the hits registered correctly. When I viewed the "guncam", I was passing the plane that hit me at nearly 90 degrees. Just as in real life guncam, the flash doesn't dissipate immediately so then the target plane moved beyond the point where it was hit. Simple really and hardly worth criticizing.

 

I can post the video for you if you'd like? I assume you have the sim and  maybe you no longer fly it? If you don't it's worth it. Beats squawking about something without really knowing.

 

After thinking about it, maybe these will give steppenwolf one less thing to question in the game. I make no pretense to being a movie maker so these aren't edited in anyway.

 

 

 

 

Edited to add videos

Edited April 9, 2016 by Rjel

[ShamrockOneFive]

Hard to say. It's a combination of small factors working together. I'd point out 5 things:

 

1. The missions seem generally well balanced (I'm well aware, that some players have had a very different experience than me in this regard. I'm not sure why)

 

2. The campaign uses some aircraft from BoS, where it makes sense. This gives greater variety. For instance, "attack planes" on the German side is now not just confined to Ju 87s, but can include Bf 109Es and Bf 110s as well.

 

3. The missions seem well populated with plenty of ground action and random encounters with other aircraft (friendly and/or enemy)

 

4. The plane set for BoM is overall more interesting than BoS. This is highly subjective of course, but I personally think the different aircraft have more well defined strengths and weaknesses than in BoS where some fighters (Bf 109F4, Yak-1) are overall better than others (LaGG-3)

 

5. The beautiful Moscow map itself is very interesting to fly over. On paper it may seem like just another heavily forested mesh of smaller settlements, water ways and roads, but it's actually very varied and quite stunning in its details. It has a much less generic feel that also makes it much easier to navigate.

 

If I may add.... In addition to aircraft variety the missions themselves, although sticking with the same basic structure, have some more interesting levels of randomness I don't remember seeing from before. BoS missions were quite boring and predictable in the beginning.

 

And... BoS campaign has also been improved since many folks have played it. It got better slowly as more of the BoM aircraft were added in terms of aircraft variety and the missions themselves took a step up across the board when the Summer/Autumn missions were added. If folks haven't played BoS campaign missions since release then people should check them out now as its considerably better. I think BoM is still a step above even those although the differences are subtle.

 

Dev work on BoM has really improved BoS too. Its really quite impressive how much better the whole package is now.

Edited April 9, 2016 by ShamrockOneFive

[steppenwolf]

You are absolutely right. That does it, there is nothing good in this game, none whatsoever.

 

I will uninstall it immediately and with my hand on the holy bible I swear to never touch it again even with a meter long stick.

 

Whoa, glad you mentioned this, otherwise I might have missed this horrible game ruining massive fault. Thanks man! 

 

Nice straw man, and sarcasm.

 

Are you a Game designer or a programmer or did you ever program something by yourself? If so: Go ahead and propose a simple solution for this issue. A lot of people would surely thank you.

 

I made a mod once using notepad. 

 

If that is in reference to the picture I posted, the hits registered correctly. When I viewed the "guncam", I was passing the plane that hit me at nearly 90 degrees. Just as in real life guncam, the flash doesn't dissipate immediately so then the target plane moved beyond the point where it was hit. Simple really and hardly worth criticizing.

 

I can post the video for you if you'd like? I assume you have the sim and  maybe you no longer fly it? If you don't it's worth it. Beats squawking about something without really knowing.

 

After thinking about it, maybe these will give steppenwolf one less thing to question in the game. I make no pretense to being a movie maker so these aren't edited in anyway.

 

Thanks for taking the time to upload Rjel, and they're fine videos, but I'm afraid you're mistaken. Let me explain. In real gun camera footage the 'hit flash' (the white part) doesn't leave the point of impact on the AC. In your videos the hit flash is clearly shown many meters behind the AC, out in space. This is unrealistic. 

 

Honestly, if it were a four bladed G2 or a Revi sight two inches too high you guys would be frothing at the mouth. Anyway, I had to give it one more shot. 

[LLv24_Zami]

Nice straw man, and sarcasm.

That it was but you have a point there and it should be fixed 

[Rjel]

Thanks for taking the time to upload Rjel, and they're fine videos, but I'm afraid you're mistaken. Let me explain. In real gun camera footage the 'hit flash' (the white part) doesn't leave the point of impact on the AC. In your videos the hit flash is clearly shown many meters behind the AC, out in space. This is unrealistic. 

 

Honestly, if it were a four bladed G2 or a Revi sight two inches too high you guys would be frothing at the mouth. Anyway, I had to give it one more shot. 

Correct me if I'm wrong but your point was "I thought they'd fixed the hit flashes rendering meters behind AC? Something so simple makes me question other things about the game." I take that to mean you feel the game registers hits "many meters behind the AC". If that's the case, then you are mistaken as my video clearly shows the rounds impacting on the A/C. I've watch as many hours of real guncam as anyone. While it might be better if the impacts were somehow made to appear as more puffs of smoke as in real life, the effect in game works for me and perhaps is currently the best it can be.

 

Love the "you guys" comment. I'd like you to find a single post I've made here (or any other forum, I've used Rjel since 1999) that suggests frothing over any perceived inaccuracies. And as you made the "you guys" comment, are you a you guy too? Do you have the sim or do you just drop in to rain on the parade when it suits the mood?

[seafireliv]

Cinematics are nice, but I would really prefer as much effort put into immersion (ground activity, AI) rather than pretty scenes that last 10 seconds.

[Gambit21]

Ground activity, parked planes and maintenance vehicles on bases...these things go a long ways toward immersion.

I used to spend between 3 and 8 hours designing each campaign mission, making sure that when the player returned to base there would still be vehicles driving

around, planes taking off or landing at the base, etc.

 

These kinds of things are why hand crafted missions will always be superior to generated missions - trouble is you need a user-friendly mission builder

to accomplish this, or at least have missions like this available in any quantity.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Gambit21