How active/populated are the multiplayer servers?

[Noxos]

Can you find 60+ servers like you could with Sturmovik in its heyday?

[Demon_]

http://online.il2forever.com/

[Noxos]

Wow that's kinda disappointing... even less than CLOD and the most populated server's in Russia?   I would think Saturday would be prime time too.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Noxos

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Peak times for most servers are actually weekday evenings in the European time zones. That translates to 10-2 PST. Weekends are generally light except for SNBF. People shop, travel and party on the weekends. So depending on when you look at that stats page it may not necessarily be representative. The three Expert servers are regularly full or nearly so during peak. The Normal server generally has 12-30 guys on it during the same peak times. As the game expands to the Pacific I would expect the American contingent to start filling the ranks more. We are seriously under represented ATM.

[Custard]

Just checked online, that link doesn't include the large servers for some reason?

[-=PHX=-SuperEtendard]

Just checked online, that link doesn't include the large servers for some reason?

 

Yeah, seems Random Expert (46 players currently) and the official 1CGS server (17 players currently) aren't listed.

[216th_Jordan]

Yeah, seems Random Expert (46 players currently) and the official 1CGS server (17 players currently) aren't listed.

 

Exactly, seconds biggest server is missing. On peak times (7 gmt - 10 gmt) there are up to 250 people playing online over like 5 different servers. Generally 3 bigger ones and 2 smaller ones.

Edited November 20, 2016 by 216th_Jordan

[DD_Arthur]

Yesterday - Friday evening - at around 20.30 GMT I counted 238 people online.

[Gambit21]

Some of us are not enthused enough about the Eastern Front to bother making time for online flying, especially with no CoOps.

When CoOps get there + Kuban you'll a few more of us more often...when CoOps get here with the Pacific, you'll see many more of us back with

some regularity I think.

[MarcoRossolini]

The situation is a damn sight better than Rise of Flight. I can get interesting flights every day of the week at any time. That's pretty good for a flight sim.

[Noxos]

So what's the max population on these unlisted servers? Are any of the main servers set to max realism settings? (i.e. no HUD, icon on map etc.) 

[=SqSq=Sulaco]

Noxos, player count is 82 (could be 84, can't remember) but it's not uncommon to see 80 players in one of the popular servers. The game modes online are excellent too with some servers even offering full blown campaigns where the front shifts depending on what happened in the previous match. Some very cool stuff being kept alive by a small but very active community.

 

As long as you're ok with playing on expert settings you shouldn't have any issues finding a solid server to call home.

[DD_Arthur]

Sunday evening, 20.11 GMT and 248 people on line.  Server max is 84 and Wings of Liberty and Random Expert are full.  Oh well.  Lets see....Berluga server.  Hmmm.....24 people in there.....yeah, why not?

[Feathered_IV]

Il2forever.com seems very out of date and only shows the servers that were common a couple of years ago.  It would be good to see the more successful and current ones added to the list. 

[Noxos]

Thanks guys I really appreciate the feedback, and yes expert settings are exactly what I want! 

 

Buying the game now while it's on sale .

[Pharoah]

have a look at the TAW server - expert settings and all part of an ongoing 'war'. 

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

Il2forever.com seems very out of date and only shows the servers that were common a couple of years ago.  It would be good to see the more successful and current ones added to the list. 

Indeed.. We need to promote this service to admins... they need to register. Its a fantastic tool

[Noxos]

Well top server has 60 people on it right now in the middle of the week, suffice to say my fears have been allayed. I can't remember the last time I saw that many people in 1946 on the main realism server at *any time* during the week (been at least 3+ years I'd say). And it can only get better from here on out I assume with the additional releases and bigger list of flyables.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Noxos

[ACG_pezman]

Well top server has 60 people on it right now in the middle of the week, suffice to say my fears have been allayed. I can't remember the last time I saw that many people in 1946 on the main realism server at *any time* during the week (been at least 3+ years I'd say). And it can only get better from here on out I assume with the additional releases and bigger list of flyables.

He gets it.

[Quax]

Most important, the numbers are still going up. Dx11 can give a boost as well. Hopefully they can get it out before x-mas hollidays.

Will be hard to get a spot in TAW though.

[Pharoah]

Is it me or are there a lot more servers than say 6 months ago? 

[216th_Jordan]

Is it me or are there a lot more servers than say 6 months ago?

There are. MP numbers have risen dramatically. It think that is mostly due to the dynamic campaign servers.

[ACG_daffy_]

Compared to Sturmovik, on HL, a decade ago....Not close.  At that time, there were more people in a room than there are on the entire list of servers for BOS/BOM.  (figuratively)  I agree that the Pacific will bring along a few more onliners, but I'm betting that the majority of BOS/BOM owners play offline, or don't play much at all.  They say that their sales are through the roof, but we don't see that evidence online.  Means nothing really, but online just isn't as popular with it today than it was in 2001/2/3 etc.  

DCS servers are not much different.  

I think it's just the way things are today.  It isn't a genre that's popular enough to compete, in numbers at least, with the explosion of console games and MP franchises.  BF, CoD, WoT, GTA, sports...etc.  

I once started to wonder if it was the game, or its mechanics, or just burn out, but having four teenagers in the home, some unscientific investigation and stupid study have led me to believe that we are in an age where....if it ehnt on the PS4 or Xbox, then it's not getting used.  Most of my kids' peers see the PC as a reference compared to their consoles rather than the go to gaming setup.  

[SYN_Mike77]

Yes numbers are up nicely. Or not. Sometimes it's hard to get in to the full real servers with dynamic ongoing campaigns!

 

Ah the good old days when no one played this game!

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

They say that their sales are through the roof, but we don't see that evidence online

They never said this - to contrary Jason is worried about il-2 survival - preorder the Kuban

[ShamrockOneFive]

Guys, remember, IL-2s online scene took a while to grow as well. I think the height may have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 2005-2010. That's when a long list of servers were constantly populated. After that things started to decline somewhat but only slowly until maybe the last two years where things have gotten quiet on HyperLobby.

 

With this new product, we have had several periods of slow growth along with some initial mistrust and difficulty with adoption. I think the price discouraged a few and I only say that because taking a risk on IL-2 1946 was easy with a price under $10. Less-so when its around $60-80 (I actually paid about $100 because of the poor exchange rate to the US dollar). But I think the conversation is changing and with the stuff that Jason outlined in September along with some really good sales recently I'm seeing and hearing more people jumping into the game.

 

If readership on my IL-2: Battle of Moscow review is any indication.... interest is up. It spiked in September and its spiked again just now and it didn't let off so much in October either whereas it was quiet in June and July.

[Pharoah]

TBH it is pricey. For us that had BOS/BOM, moving to BOK was an additional $70US approx. Imagine coming from nothing and having to buy all three (even with the discount)! The problem is, for what you pay for say BOK, you can get a fully fledged game like BF1 or COD or whatever. The other big competitor is DCS and the a/c have clickable buttons, etc but with very little immersion and priced lower.

 

Add to all of this is the eastern front. There is very little interest in the EF other than say from Russia/Germany/etc - most old IL2 players (that I've been trying to get into BOS) have quoted all the above but especially the EF...they just have zero interest. Thats why Cliffs of Dover is still quite popular, and has split an already small community. 

 

So think back to the IL2 1946 heyday...where have all the players gone? 

- Cliffs of Dover

- DCS

- a little bit to BOS

- not playing sims anymore

 

Thats why the servers aren't very populated. This is all my opinion of course. 

[ShamrockOneFive]

TBH it is pricey. For us that had BOS/BOM, moving to BOK was an additional $70US approx. Imagine coming from nothing and having to buy all three (even with the discount)! The problem is, for what you pay for say BOK, you can get a fully fledged game like BF1 or COD or whatever. The other big competitor is DCS and the a/c have clickable buttons, etc but with very little immersion and priced lower.

 

Add to all of this is the eastern front. There is very little interest in the EF other than say from Russia/Germany/etc - most old IL2 players (that I've been trying to get into BOS) have quoted all the above but especially the EF...they just have zero interest. Thats why Cliffs of Dover is still quite popular, and has split an already small community. 

 

So think back to the IL2 1946 heyday...where have all the players gone? 

- Cliffs of Dover

- DCS

- a little bit to BOS

- not playing sims anymore

 

Thats why the servers aren't very populated. This is all my opinion of course. 

 

You keep saying that no-one has any interest in the Eastern Front and yet that is precisely why I signed up in the first place. I'm VERY interested in the whole theater. Possibly because I grew up reading about the Pacific and the Western Front with very little awareness of anything happening in the east - so this is a whole new area that I've still got a lot to learn from even after 10 years. I know for a fact that many other folks jumped onboard the original IL-2 for similar reasons (once they got over their initial skepticism). It may not be true for you and that's ok too... but plenty are interested.

 

It is pricey but not that pricey. Compared to DCS it's fairly inexpensive... if you want to fly just the F-5E then you have to buy that module at $60 on its own. A Bf109K-4 will set you back $50. And it doesn't even come with a map you can really fly it on right now. I realize its a little apples to oranges but I see the value, even at $50 or $80 for 10 aircraft simulated at a really solid level of detail, detailed FM, and those aircraft have a map/scenario/theatre that suits them well. My original point spoke to fact that by the time IL-2 1946 was most popular online it was also selling at $10 and its REALLY easy to make a snap purchase at $10. Its much harder when its $80.

 

Eventually I think some of the Cliffs guys will come over here. I think some of them are waiting for bigger multiplayer matches (it was a thing that came up in the Q&A) and they may be attracted by the new Air Marshal system coming next year. That will help.

[Pharoah]

If there was a lot of interest in the EF, we'd have quite populated servers but we don't compared to IL2 1946 in its hey day. I listed in my little blurb where the old IL2 players have potentially gone. You obviously are very interested in the EF...thats cool. My point is, I'm based in Aust and fly in the Aussie evenings...on a server with maybe 2 players on it..or WOL with maybe 20 players on it. 'Back in the day' I had to wait for a spot to free up. Meanwhile, there's still quite a bit of interest in CloD. So tell me, why aren't the CLoD players (who are playing with an inferior game in terms of visuals, etc imho) rushing to BOS in droves? because they don't like the EF. How do I know? I've done my best to 'push' players I used to play 1946 with towards BOS and all the responses I get are 'I'm not interested in the EF'. 

 

We can argue as much as we want however the facts are the facts...there are so few players playing BOS online vs 1946 online. Why? 

 

I know I"m doing my best to promote BOS to fellow aussie players (I'm in an online squad that has a flight sim squad...and they all play CloD ie. 10+ members - when I asked them to move, the responses are as above. The problem is they don't know how awesome BOS really is. 

[ElPerk]

If there was a lot of interest in the EF, we'd have quite populated servers but we don't compared to IL2 1946 in its hey day.

[...]

We can argue as much as we want however the facts are the facts...there are so few players playing BOS online vs 1946 online. Why? 

 

I agree. Why did a final all-DLC-inclusive sales package of a then 5-year old product that had it's development stopped in favour of a soon-to-be-published sequel, Cliffs of Dover, show higher player counts than Il-2 BoS in its current form?

It's a complete mystery.

Edited December 1, 2016 by ElPerk

[deWaardt]

There are definitely enough players online.

Sometimes I'm even queueing up because there aren't any more slots left.

 

The online experience in this game is awesome, I only play online.

 

 

 

I've even thought about settings up a server myself, I mean I have the hardware.

But for now there are enough servers.

[ShamrockOneFive]

We can argue as much as we want however the facts are the facts...there are so few players playing BOS online vs 1946 online. Why? 

 

 

 

I'm saying its price. You're saying its the eastern front. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle.

 

Neither of us have enough information to say definitively that its one or the either so its not really factually based.

 

We'd need a 1,000 person sample group with a questionnaire in different markets to prove it. That would be factual.

[wtornado]

TBH it is pricey. For us that had BOS/BOM, moving to BOK was an additional $70US approx. Imagine coming from nothing and having to buy all three (even with the discount)! The problem is, for what you pay for say BOK, you can get a fully fledged game like BF1 or COD or whatever. The other big competitor is DCS and the a/c have clickable buttons, etc but with very little immersion and priced lower.

 

Add to all of this is the eastern front. There is very little interest in the EF other than say from Russia/Germany/etc - most old IL2 players (that I've been trying to get into BOS) have quoted all the above but especially the EF...they just have zero interest. Thats why Cliffs of Dover is still quite popular, and has split an already small community. 

 

So think back to the IL2 1946 heyday...where have all the players gone? 

- Cliffs of Dover

- DCS

- a little bit to BOS

- not playing sims anymore

 

Thats why the servers aren't very populated. This is all my opinion of course. 

There is some truth to what you say on the Eastern Front.

 

I always liked the EF and love the IL-2 Sturmovik that came out in 2001 and love the IL-2 plane.

 

When IL-2 Sturmovik in 2001 and IL-2 Forgotten battles came out in 2003 and it caught many of us flying CFS1 and Jane's WWII fighters and EAW's attention.

 

The game was starting to be known but not that popular.

 

When IL-2 Pacific Fighters was released with the Pacific Theatre but most importantly online play for dogfight and co-ops with the Hyperlobby that changed why U.S.

pilots came on in droves.The Pacific theatre brought them in.

 

Then you would have to wait for someone to leave to be able to get it to the hyperlobby because the server was at max capacity of 999.EVERY NIGHT!

 

And worse on weekends.

 

 

Of all the missions I have put up in M4T it is Midway that has been downloaded the most and the Russian front missions have been downloaded the least

just higher than Khalkhin Gol.

 

 

Hints are their numbers are there who is truly listening?

 

 

When you talk about IL-2 1946 the game was way past its peak by then and was on its end phase.

 

 

IL-2 1946 to me is like a band's greatest hits album on a store shelf that is never truly sold in

great numbers because the real fans have the originals and the new clients pick it up for dirt

cheap so they have nothing to lose .

 

I have waited for years and have lost interest now with new games.

 

It is not as if this company does not know the winning formula to get the U.S.players to get on board.

 

First off it is a Russian company that boasts its Air Force and aircraft of that era it is 100% normal.

 

Why do you think the most popular servers are Russian?

 

When some say we have to buy and support and by I am sorry but I do not agree.

 

They know what people wanted they chose their game plan and they have to deal with it.

Edited December 1, 2016 by WTornado

[sinned]

"When some say we have to buy and support and by I am sorry but I do not agree.

 

They know what people wanted they chose their game plan and they have to deal with it"

 

BOS team is developing technology to get to the Pacific. Their resource is limited and the team would need to get there while releasing titles to help with the income and resource.

 

If I am not mistaken, BOS team is into this flight sim genre not only for economics but also driven by their passion. They are professional game developers. They are experienced in the industry more than most (if not all) of us here. Their approach to Pacific by developing titles that can help with technology and reduce their RD cost makes sense.

Can the most experienced professionals make mistakes? Yes. That said, how would a small developer without generous funding allocation be able to launch a title that require more RD time and cost?

Haste deveopment titles without sufficient RD often leads to titles that dont sell.

In my view, considering Jason's latest comment, if 1CGS BOS team makes just one game, just one title that doesnt sell, we wont be seeing anymore hardcore CFS.

 

If they just decide to go with what people want and a title to soley make money, I would assume they would be making Clash of Clans 2 or some flight mobile games where we can control planes with a touch screen.

 

It is of course, up to individual's discretion to support less interested theatres in hope for future release of their theatre of choice.

It is also up to individual's discretion not to support this very dying genre and wonder why nobody is making a great flight sim like 1946 anymore in the future.

 

I chose former.

 

You may be ready to deal with the likely consequence of your decision not to support the vey last survivor of CFS genre who is very capable and competent.

 

I am not.

[wtornado]

Instead of  ''economics but also driven by their passion'' they let their passion drive their economics until the money pit when dry..

 

Pacific Fighters,dogfights and co-ops in the hyperlobby put IL-2 on the map.

 

If it would not of been for PF IL-2 never would of taken off,

 

They knew and have the results that anyone that has been playing for 15+ years would expect.

 

 

 

Can the most experienced professionals make mistakes?

 

Absolutely and its costing them. 

 

 

 

I am not

 

You might have no choice. 

[LLv34_Camouflage]

So think back to the IL2 1946 heyday...where have all the players gone? 

- Cliffs of Dover

- DCS

- a little bit to BOS

- not playing sims anymore

 

Thats why the servers aren't very populated. This is all my opinion of course. 

 

 

There's also War Thunder, World of Warplanes, then of course the old MMOG's which are still alive and kicking: WW2 Online and Aces High.  Warbirds is still around, but I have a hunch they don't have many players left...  And then the modern jet sims which attract some of the community.

 

Simply looking at the player numbers, I would guess WT and WoWP have managed to attract a major part of the non-hardcore flight sim community. Obviously they are so popular, that there must be a lot of players with no previous flight sim experience. We've been discussing this among the Finnish Virtualpilots' and have been thinking how to attract WT and WoWP players to "upgrade" into more serious flight sims. Such at the IL2-series. So far we have not made any progress, but at least that would be one way to get more numbers here...

 

Camo

[Sokol1]

Guys, remember, IL-2s online scene took a while to grow as well. I think the height may have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 2005-2010. That's when a long list of servers were constantly populated. After that things started to decline somewhat but only slowly until maybe the last two years where things have gotten quiet on HyperLobby.

 

 il-2:46 online peak happen between 2004-7.

After ~2006 many people start give up and decide await SoW...

Later the il-2 "Sound MOD" - what extend il-2:46 life cycle but make many people give up due their myriad of mods and "flavors", mess downloads... more than half of the guys I fly together leave the part due the "mods", and then came RoF, Warthunder, their better graphics win some "heart and minds".

 

But now are other times, people are different, too many games... this CFS "happy days" will not came back, many "old timers" give up definitively and "new guys" don't came, no matter Bo'X', Normandy, etc. 

Edited December 1, 2016 by Sokol1

[=EXPEND=Tripwire]

After ~2006 many people start give up and decide await SoW...

 

Yeah, that's when I packed it in. Gave up waiting for SOW to arrive as well, and didn't even bother buying it when it did arrive especially after its initial reviews. Never bothered with the Mods for 1946.

Edited December 1, 2016 by Tripwire

[wtornado]

 il-2:46 online peak happen between 2004-7.

After ~2006 many people start give up and decide await SoW...

Later the il-2 "Sound MOD" - what extend il-2:46 life cycle but make many people give up due their myriad of mods and "flavors", mess downloads... more than half of the guys I fly together leave the part due the "mods", and then came RoF, Warthunder, their better graphics win some "heart and minds".

 

But now are other times, people are different, too many games... this CFS "happy days" will not came back, many "old timers" give up definitively and "new guys" don't came, no matter Bo'X', Normandy, etc. 

''When IL-2 Pacific Fighters was released with the Pacific Theatre but most importantly online play for dogfight and co-ops with the Hyperlobby that changed why U.S.

pilots came on in droves.The Pacific theatre brought them in.''

 

 

Yeah 2004 when Pacific fighters came out with the Hyperlobby in full bloom the game

exploded it was crazy best flight sim years I have ever had .

 

I never have or probably never will see that again.

Edited December 2, 2016 by WTornado

[Mmaruda]

I rarely play online mostly only when I can get someone from my squad to fly with me, however as long as we have servers in different regions to accommodate for  pings and timezone, player population is not an issue, provided the community will get together and organize some events. Let's say we agree that on certain server we have a 109 vs Ishak event on Tuesday evening and Friday is bombers night and so on. Of course this would need support from the server owners and administrators, but this can work. With a thin player-base it work wonders for online to schedule some events. I used to play Myth The Fallen Lords back in the day (game is active after 18 years lol) and there were various mods and gametypes, but a few days of the week there were scheduled events when someone was hosting a specific event, so while almost nobody ever played Myth 3, Friday was the day when everyone could get a game. 

 

You might want to watch this guy to as he explains it a lot better. I am not talking about having scheduled MP in BOS, but I think with a little effort from the community we could potentially alleviate the unpolluted serves a bit.

Edited December 2, 2016 by Mmaruda