VR related sales boost

[Ed1946]

 

That's a great opportunity of learning full real flying  Only thing you needed then is turning labels on for ID'ing targets. It works perfectly for me in VR...

 

Yeah icons work fine but i also need to get the chatter printouts since I cant hear them over the engine noise.  Also need map now and then and those seem to require turning the whole FPS eating HUD on.  Or is there a toggle I am missing?

[=EXPEND=Tripwire]

Press 'o' for map, then if your position is not displayed, press 'i'.

 

If you later bring up the HUD and turn it off again, you will need to press 'i' again as that would have been switched off once more.

[JG4_Sputnik]

When I nee to read voiceovers I quickly turn HUD on and then off again.

For map I use the big map opened with "o".

[Guest deleted@30725]

I will wait for the long game. If these same people are playing in six months or a year then that is the mark. It's new and shiny now so people are trying it out which is really cool, but I wonder why these people stopped playing in the first place.

 

It's either good or it's not. Il2 bos started off not that good, but has gotten better. If you stopped playing at the start and came back now you will find it better with or without VR.

 

I like Il2 bos (etc) without VR and I think I will still like it with VR. I think the game is good now regardless of the platform you experience it on.

 

If you play on the flat screen and like Il2 bos then VR should be making that experience better. If you left because you did not like the game on a flat screen and now you like it because of VR you either like the new changes since you last played and didn't like the game before or the wow factor has overtaken your cynical judgement and soon you will stop enjoying it once the novelty of VR fades.

 

I think there are other factors at play, such as the Il2 name, the initial bad press, the old problems with the fw 190 FM, the single player campaign, the older versions of the AI, the graphics options, the low online population, the difficulty of the game, the original implementation of unlocks after beta testing, the choice of theaters, the lesser known plane set and the history of the Il2 name such as the initial developer failings of Il2 clod that have tested the games potential customer base that gave it a less than stellar reception.

 

So if you have VR. Welcome back - you came back at a really good time.

[Magus]

@BFBunny, I'm not sure I 100% agree with your sentiment.  I kind of understand what you are saying but I think overlooking a very important factor where VR is concerned & that is heightened immersion & a by product of that, increased intuitiveness.

 

I've owned il-2-1946 & Cliffs of Dover and played them sparingly but still like the genre and era of the games. I found my real passion in simracing and over the years have built up a rig which had triple screens, wheel, pedals, shifter and  7 speakers attached for tactile feedback, all to increase immersion & to better the racing craft, through intuitiveness. 

 

When I tried racing in VR I was sold on the tech & even though my racing game/sim of choice does not have VR support (till 01/05/17) I sold my screens and played Assetto Corsa which had implemented VR fantastically.  Not only did the gameplay improve substantially from the immersion but so did my lap times (I got the OR mid-December).  

 

So personally I find VR not only heightens the immersion, but as a consequence of that, it also makes it more intuitive.  Both in flying & driving, which I think VR tech excels in, I find this to be true.

 

Yes I agree with you that the awe factor fades after a while, but if it is a genre you like to play, and there is technology that furthers your immersion into it (just the same was as flight sticks, steering wheels, etc do with the feeling of control, VR does with the sense of vision, & 5.1 speakers do with the sense of sound), then why not. 

 

I wrote this on another forum regarding my view on the predicament of VR;

 

"I think with the current state of VR it comes down to the old debate of looks vs gameplay. Some people will always be excited as much by the visual graphics of gameplay while others love the feel and immersion and wish for the the visual aspects to enhance gameplay.

I just recently picked up iL2-Sturmovich - Battle of Stalingrad (BOS) as the developers implemented native VR and for me it is a remarkable game. I own il2-1946 & iL2- Cliffs of Dover and I have not put as much hours in those 2 games than I have in BOS just because the gameplay has opened up to something quite astonishingly immersive due to VR technology. Old school dogfighting in VR can be a pain in the neck (literally) but damn is it fun and rewarding. I was so impressed with the game I purchased Battle of Moscow & will hopefully at some stage pre-order Battle of Kuban just to support the developers as they have done a magnificent job. But back to point, here you really do take a kick in the graphical department to run the game at 45/90fps, and for me with a 980ti, I need to drop the graphics down to Low. However, I would not want to experience this game in any other way, as I've proven with my previous purchases of 1946 & COD with limited game time on both titles pre-VR."

 

I guess my point being, if VR can heighten the immersion of the game over running a single or even triple screen, then that equates to a heightened level of intuitiveness in responding to the game.  In just the same way that it would take me a lot of unnatural adjustments to be able to race/fly with limited success using a keyboard & mouse.  Not saying it can't be done, but it takes you away from what is natural and expected form the situation, & therefore breaks the immersion. 

 

My only surprise is the lack of modern FFB flight sticks, especially coming from racing where FFB gives you so much detail about what the car is doing, it would be great to feel this whilst flying (wind/turbulence/gunfire/etc).  I have a FFB stick packed away somewhere (MS Sidewinder2) but it just lacks the buttons and switches required, especially in VR where you want minimal use of the keyboard. 

Edited April 22, 2017 by Magus

[HagarTheHorrible]

I can't argue that there might be a grain of truth in what you say. There are a couple of points though that you might not have considered.

 

The first is that, having tried VR, the level of immersion offered by playing using a monitor and TrackIR, regardless of how good the game is, pales by comparison, even for games that might have other, better qualities.

 

The second is not appreciating the transformative change that VR represents for flight sims. It might not be perfect yet but the impact for flight sims over the next few years will be profound.

 

That said VR or no VR can save a fundamentally weak or flawed game.

 

Maybe it's just the early excitement, that will wear off with familiarity, but I find the simple act of flying far more satisfying than I ever did on a monitor. Then it needed all the other tricks and trappings to maintain interest, now the immersion, the feeling of being there in the cockpit, is satisfaction enough with everything else being icing on the cake. I'm sure I won't be playing as much in six months as I am now but it'll still be a 100% more than than I did for the previous year since getting my Rift.

[OrLoK]

If i could id play everygame in VR. In fact since getting a rift i play "flat" games far less as they now feel like theyre missing something. VR wont fix a flawed game but can make it tolerable. war Thunder for example (until BoX VR came out)

 

Ymmv!

[dburne]

Well for me it is all about the VR.

 

I came back on board with BoS after the changes they made in direction , the announcement of the new SP Career that will be implemented down the road, etc. I purchased BoM Premium and pre-ordered BoK in Dec.

 

I was fully prepared to get back into flying BoS, then in mid January I purchased my Oculus Rift.  The wow factor hit me immediately after hooking it up, and has not left me since. And while I tried to fly BoS on my monitor at the time, after experiencing VR I just could not go back to it. So BoS remained on the sidelines anxiously awaiting VR implementation.

 

Grabbed 2.009 as soon as it was available, and then started flying BoS again finally. They did a fantastic job with it.

Since then, that is all the gaming I have done to date. Loving this sim again, and so looking forward to the upcoming new Career mode along with Kuban and hopefully the PTO next. I have logged probably around a dozen hours or so of flight time since the day VR was implemented, and I foresee many many more coming up.

[Vasher_In_VR]

New Pilot here. I would never have even purchased this game if it didn't have VR. Since actually buying my headset, I haven't even touched non vr games.

New Pilot here. I would never have even purchased this game if it didn't have VR. Since actually buying my headset, I haven't even touched non vr games.

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

Since I play mostly competitive multiplayer missions in fighter and despite all my teammates have VR devices none of one is using it. All it ended after few days now ours devices catching dust...

[OrLoK]

Whats your reasononh for not using vr and what make of headset?

Edited April 22, 2017 by OrLoK

[JG4_Sputnik]

Wow - you are the first Ive ever read from that says he (or someone he knows) tried VR in BoS and does play 2D again:) Never ever heard of that! Bit yes, online competitive players may deal differently wirh a VR device.

 

I have to correct my statement from earlier:

I came back because VR - but I'm staying because VR AND PWCG.

Otherwise I wouldnt know what to do now, since online without labels doesnt work in VR and the

SP "campaign" is just aweful. Maybe Ill get ten days of autumn and some user made missions.

VR was just the driving force for coming back.

That being said, things that arent that fun in 2D (simple flying around, plane familirization etc) is just good fun in VR. So you can enjoy a product that has 'not much meat' on it way vetter in VR than 2D just for the fact that sitting in a FW190 is an awesome feeling of itself, period;)

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

Wow - you are the first Ive ever read from that says he (or someone he knows) tried VR in BoS and does play 2D again:) Never ever heard of that! Bit yes, online competitive players may deal differently wirh a VR device.

 

I have to correct my statement from earlier:

I came back because VR - but I'm staying because VR AND PWCG.

Otherwise I wouldnt know what to do now, since online without labels doesnt work in VR and the

SP "campaign" is just aweful. Maybe Ill get ten days of autumn and some user made missions.

VR was just the driving force for coming back.

That being said, things that arent that fun in 2D (simple flying around, plane familirization etc) is just good fun in VR. So you can enjoy a product that has 'not much meat' on it way vetter in VR than 2D just for the fact that sitting in a FW190 is an awesome feeling of itself, period;)

Yes it's true three of 307th sq have VR devices but do not use it to play online and for offline we don't play it 2d or vr. So after some quickmission, that's it it ended.

[Cpt_Cool]

Oculus just got an "il-2 related sales bump" if you know what I mean. I am happy I took the plunge.

[Herne]

Just came here to thank the team for what I consider to be an awesome first pass at VR. My only criticism, is that I find it incredibly difficult to identify contacts. I can spot them well enough, but by the time I have identified them, I am too close to have any element of surprise.

 

Anyway I am absolutely loving it. Well done Devs.

 

out of interest is anyone else getting a kind of blue circle overlaid on the display while using an oculus rift ?

[Magus]

Just came here to thank the team for what I consider to be an awesome first pass at VR. My only criticism, is that I find it incredibly difficult to identify contacts. I can spot them well enough, but by the time I have identified them, I am too close to have any element of surprise.

 

Anyway I am absolutely loving it. Well done Devs.

 

out of interest is anyone else getting a kind of blue circle overlaid on the display while using an oculus rift ?

 

Do you me the SteamVR chaperone? If so, see HERE

Edited April 24, 2017 by Magus

[Herne]

Do you me the SteamVR chaperone? If so, see HERE

 

Awesome TY, I think it's the collision bounds setting I'm thinking of, so will try that tonight

[Quax]

Wow - you are the first Ive ever read from that says he (or someone he knows) tried VR in BoS and does play 2D again:) Never ever heard of that! Bit yes, online competitive players may deal differently wirh a VR device.

 

 

No, I was first       ... you can fly bombers, attack planes and JU52 in VR online. Fighters make no sense in VR.

[I./JG68_Sperber]

I fly fighters online in VR! The last days I have am many fun and have more Airkills with VR.

It actually works everything better in the VR. Only the approximately 500m to uniquely identify the aircraft is the only downside. This must be planned in his flight tactics.

Nerver fly in my live 2D!

Edited April 25, 2017 by I./JG68_Sperber

[A_radek]

I fly fighters online in VR! The last days I have am many fun and have more Airkills with VR.

It actually works everything better in the VR. Only the approximately 500m to uniquely identify the aircraft is the only downside. This must be planned in his flight tactics.

Nerver fly in my live 2D!

Have to agree there. 

 

I fly online almost exclusively. Suspected VR would be a cool offline experience but useless against human pilots online. 

 

Not so, spotting I find easier, identifying is harder. But not overly so if you know your aircraft, skinnies are easily identified whenever they bank.  The vvs green camo colors also differ alot from the grey axis. Checking six requires more effort but not that difficult as some seem to descibe it. 

 

The things you gain though.. situational awareness is multiplied. My Trackir works very well and I'm comfortable with it, but still it can't compare. You know exactly where you are or where the enemy is and is going. In a dogfight this is a huge advantage. 

[dburne]

I fly fighters online in VR! The last days I have am many fun and have more Airkills with VR.

It actually works everything better in the VR. Only the approximately 500m to uniquely identify the aircraft is the only downside. This must be planned in his flight tactics.

Nerver fly in my live 2D!

 

Agreed.

 

Whilst I have more to learn regarding spotting, I am sure I will get there - as with anything there is a curve in learning to adapt.

I certain find my spotting and shooting skills to be way improved in VR versus flying on a monitor. And I have little doubt as I continue to learn I will get better at identifying the aircraft I am spotting.

 

For now I am flying SP with labels on, and once I see them I flip my switch to turn labels off and try to learn what I am seeing and the aircraft they are.

[=EXPEND=Tripwire]

Fighters make no sense in VR

 

I disagree. Competitively, maybe - but I still get my fair share of kills online in expert servers flying fighters in VR. I must admit having an online wingman that is able to ID planes further out than me saves me wasting time chasing friendlies.

Prior to VR, it was all about the kills. That's where most of the excitement was. It still is now, but just getting from A to B the enjoyment level has increased significantly.

 

Another disadvantage - Not having tech tips. But then I always wanted them to be a server side option. I'm very much enjoying flying without even if I break an engine due to not watching the gauges. I have even now located where more of the levers and switches are in the cockpit for things that had tech tips making it simpler.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Tripwire

[OrLoK]

Agreed.

 

Whilst I have more to learn regarding spotting, I am sure I will get there - as with anything there is a curve in learning to adapt.

I certain find my spotting and shooting skills to be way improved in VR versus flying on a monitor. And I have little doubt as I continue to learn I will get better at identifying the aircraft I am spotting.

 

For now I am flying SP with labels on, and once I see them I flip my switch to turn labels off and try to learn what I am seeing and the aircraft they are.

 

Exactly what I do.

 

If I can ID a blob in EAW I can do it in VR

 

I disagree. Competitively, maybe - but I still get my fair share of kills online in expert servers flying fighters in VR. I must admit having an online wingman that is able to ID planes further out than me saves me wasting time chasing friendlies.

Prior to VR, it was all about the kills. That's where most of the excitement was. It still is now, but just getting from A to B the enjoyment level has increased significantly.

 

Another disadvantage - Not having tech tips. But then I always wanted them to be a server side option. I'm very much enjoying flying without even if I break an engine due to not watching the gauges. I have even now located where more of the levers and switches are in the cockpit for things that had tech tips making it simpler.

 Again, I generally turn off the HUD for the 90fps experience, this forces me to familiarise myself with the cockpit layout and gauges far more than before, Im really enjoying actually flying my plane rather than arcading it.

[dburne]

 

 Again, I generally turn off the HUD for the 90fps experience, this forces me to familiarise myself with the cockpit layout and gauges far more than before, Im really enjoying actually flying my plane rather than arcading it.

 

Exactly what I am doing as well, I always leave HUD off for VR performance reasons, and it is so easy now to see the instruments as well. Nice to be using those instead.

[Yogiflight]

I am anyway always laughing when guys tell about realistic flight experience, when flying with VR, but are flying with HUD. What has this to do with realistic, the RL pilots didn't have a HUD, so if you want a realistic flight experience, then learn to read your gauges, as RL pilots do.

[Herne]

I am anyway always laughing when guys tell about realistic flight experience, when flying with VR, but are flying with HUD. What has this to do with realistic, the RL pilots didn't have a HUD, so if you want a realistic flight experience, then learn to read your gauges, as RL pilots do.

 

I know this is is a really nooby thing to say but I don't even know what the HUD is in Il2 ? is it the thing where you can see chat, and how much radiator you are using ? when you make adjustments in % terms ?

 

When I first started playing, I didn't know about the icons toggle. Mine was set to off, probably through random pressing of buttons, so I found that I had to try and map read everywhere. I had played for many hours before someone told me that I could switch it on.

 

I made a video of a bombing mission last night on WoL. Could someone have a quick look and tell me if my HUD is on ?

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by herne6210

[=EXPEND=Tripwire]

Youtube link doesn't work correctly.

[dburne]

is it the thing where you can see chat, and how much radiator you are using ? when you make adjustments in % terms ?

 

 

Yes, that is the HUD.

[Herne]

Youtube link doesn't work correctly.

fixed I think

Yes, that is the HUD.

If that's the case then I don't seem to be noticing a problem with frame rates.

[9./JG27DavidRed]

I fly fighters online in VR! The last days I have am many fun and have more Airkills with VR.

It actually works everything better in the VR. Only the approximately 500m to uniquely identify the aircraft is the only downside. This must be planned in his flight tactics.

Nerver fly in my live 2D!

ich komm auf an spritzer vorbei, und propiers mal aus wennst nix dagegen hast

 

i dont yet have a vr set, but im continously listening and reading conversations about it, as in the end, im sure i will jump on that train, sooner or later...anyway, 2of my squadmates have the rift already...

they both state that its the best implementation of vr in a flight sim so far,...and what i find very interesting is, that one of them, after setting everything up for 2days, readjusting graphic settings several times, he now seems to be able to spot at least as good as us non-vr guys. identifying is a little harder for him, but he already called out contacts many times, while we screen users where looking in that direction and couldnt see them, and this repeatedly, especially over groundclutter and forests he seems to spot them better than us.

oh and he is in a fighter and doesnt seem to have any trouble with close knife fights at all....checking the six is more effort he says, but nothing that prevents you from being successfull online.

Edited April 26, 2017 by 9./JG27DavidRed

[I./JG68_Sperber]

Servus roter David kenn ich dich?

[9./JG27DavidRed]

nah ich glaub ned, aber wennst im weinviertel daheim bist, dann bist nicht allzu weit weg von mir aus wern.

[I./JG68_Sperber]

You have a pm

[9./JG27DavidRed]

[Herne]

ich komm auf an spritzer vorbei, und propiers mal aus wennst nix dagegen hast

 

i dont yet have a vr set, but im continously listening and reading conversations about it, as in the end, im sure i will jump on that train, sooner or later...anyway, 2of my squadmates have the rift already...

they both state that its the best implementation of vr in a flight sim so far,...and what i find very interesting is, that one of them, after setting everything up for 2days, readjusting graphic settings several times, he now seems to be able to spot at least as good as us non-vr guys. identifying is a little harder for him, but he already called out contacts many times, while we screen users where looking in that direction and couldnt see them, and this repeatedly, especially over groundclutter and forests he seems to spot them better than us.

oh and he is in a fighter and doesnt seem to have any trouble with close knife fights at all....checking the six is more effort he says, but nothing that prevents you from being successfull online.

I agree that checking six takes more effort, but I find in VR, my look out is so much better.I think its to do with the natural movement of the head. Also having the feeling of actually being inside these cockpits, seems to add an extra level of anxiety, I really do not want to be shot down, and my fight or flight instincts seem heightened.

 

I am really struggling to identify contacts, but I can spot them well enough

[schurem]

tl dr but i just blew 80 bucks on il2 because goddamn thats some awesome vr!

[scrapmetal]

...My only surprise is the lack of modern FFB flight sticks, especially coming from racing where FFB gives you so much detail about what the car is doing, it would be great to feel this whilst flying (wind/turbulence/gunfire/etc).  I have a FFB stick packed away somewhere (MS Sidewinder2) but it just lacks the buttons and switches required, especially in VR where you want minimal use of the keyboard. 

Wire up a cheap buttkicker and bass amplifier from Amazon and attached it to your seat. It's incredible for further immersion and makes you feel directly connected to the aircraft.

[metalnwood]

I was just looking at how to use my transducer setup for this.   I have a 4CH amp driving 4 of them on my racing system.  I was hoping to put one on my flying seat and plug it in to the amp when flying but I see that you have to use audio.

 

    There doesnt seem to be any telemetry exported from the game for other bits of software to drive the transducers which is unfortunate.   Given there is all sorts of other stuff happening on audio like teamspeak etc I am a bit worried that I will get lots of thumping from unwanted sources?

[OrLoK]

tl dr but i just blew 80 bucks on il2 because goddamn thats some awesome vr!

Its the correct thing to do!

[scrapmetal]

I was just looking at how to use my transducer setup for this.   I have a 4CH amp driving 4 of them on my racing system.  I was hoping to put one on my flying seat and plug it in to the amp when flying but I see that you have to use audio.

 

    There doesnt seem to be any telemetry exported from the game for other bits of software to drive the transducers which is unfortunate.   Given there is all sorts of other stuff happening on audio like teamspeak etc I am a bit worried that I will get lots of thumping from unwanted sources?

This will be a problem, unless you can direct the unwanted audio through another audio interface or channel, which may be feasible.