7 million people playing IL2 Sturmovic

[pilotpierre]

See the youtube clip of the restored flying IL2 the History section. At the end of the clip the Russian being interviewed states "there are 7 million people world wide playing the game IL2 sturmovic".

 

Seems a lot but great news if correct??????

[Pharoah]

hmm. 7m people? looks like 99% of them must be playing offline then.

[-=PHX=-SuperEtendard]

I think he meant the IL-2 saga in general. Jason said a while back that 1946 sold 1 million copies? and that if they had the same amount of sales they would have enough money to cover all of WW2.

Edited July 22, 2017 by -=PHX=-SuperEtendard

[=TBAS=Sshadow14]

yeah maybe across the entire series (all IL2 games under same umbrella)
also they probably including pirated copies of the games.

[Feathered_IV]

hmm. 7m people? looks like 99% of them must be playing offline then.

 

Offline players have always been the overwhelming majority.  The 300 or so guys using multiplayer are just a tiny drop in the bucket.

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

I am just sad that I can't write a steam review, since I bought from the website.

[71st_AH_Hooves]

When changing the mission to the Spitfire, none of the control surfaces work.

[19//Moach]

I am just sad that I can't write a steam review, since I bought from the website.

 

don't let that stop you - I bought if from steam, and have not yet thought of writing a review -- if you have something you really wish to write, I can gladly put it up there for you (with the magic of copy-paste), giving due credit to you as the author, of course

Edited July 22, 2017 by 19//Moach

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

don't let that stop you - I bought if from steam, and have not yet thought of writing a review -- if you have something you really wish to write, I can gladly put it up there for you (with the magic of copy-paste), giving due credit to you as the author, of course

Hell yeah. I'll write it up this week and message you with it.

[Livai]

Owners on Steam only are around 60000 and this number stands alone for BoS owners. Doesn't include the DLC sales on Steam! If I look how many played during 2 week that are around 10000 players / 14 = 715 players per day. I see more or less 150 player playing MP per day. Servers are full everytime means if more what to play at the same time on the same server well the server has a player limit of 84. What we learn from this that we have a  overwhelming majority of SP players that play more offline (SP) than online (MP)..............

[BlitzPig_EL]

It has always been the case that there are more offline than online players, going back to the original IL2.

 

That said, there should be more online players than there are now, and far more people serving, but the hangup is the difficulty level of the mission editor, coupled with the inability to host games on the fly from your own machine without having a dedicated server.

 

I used to make missions and host all the time in the old game, but I can't even begin to fathom the current editor, and I don't have nor want to maintain, a dedicated server, so there you go.

[Lusekofte]

Well I bought 4 CD of IL 2 before I got internet at home and got one steam copy and one GoG copy so sales say nothing about how many people flying 

[SCG_Space_Ghost]

If there were 7 million of us I suspect I'd be flying an F-86 over Korea.

[Cybermat47]

When changing the mission to the Spitfire, none of the control surfaces work.

I think you posted in the wrong thread...

[Gambit21]

It has always been the case that there are more offline than online players, going back to the original IL2.

 

That said, there should be more online players than there are now, and far more people serving, but the hangup is the difficulty level of the mission editor, coupled with the inability to host games on the fly from your own machine without having a dedicated server.

 

I used to make missions and host all the time in the old game, but I can't even begin to fathom the current editor, and I don't have nor want to maintain, a dedicated server, so there you go.

 

It's the current lack of Hyperlobby type functionality more than the editor.

I know Jason wants to fix this, lets hope he has the time and budget.

 

The editor is not as bad as many make it out to be.

I think they open it up, or spend 2 minutes reading a tutorial and see all those icons and links and throw their hands up and declare the futility of the endeavor.

No it's not a quick study like the old editor, but it does things that we used to wish the old editor could do as well.

 

Don't get me wrong, the editor can be the most obstinate foe when you encounter a bug that keeps something from working like it should (while you spend hours trying to figure out what YOU are doing wrong before 

figuring out it's not you at all) but this is happening less and less.

 

Once you have certain groups built, and borrow groups from others...building a mission is a matter of placing those groups where you want them and adjusting.

Before you know it you can get back to being creative (the most important ingredient) and think less about editor logic.

Edited July 23, 2017 by Gambit21

[ShamrockOneFive]

It's the current lack of Hyperlobby type functionality more than the editor.

I know Jason wants to fix this, lets hope he has the time and budget.

 

The editor is not as bad as many make it out to be.

I think they open it up, or spend 2 minutes reading a tutorial and see all those icons and links and throw their hands up and declare the futility of the endeavor.

No it's not a quick study like the old editor, but it does things that we used to wish the old editor could do as well.

 

Don't get me wrong, the editor can be the most obstinate foe when you encounter a bug that keeps something from working like it should (while you spend hours trying to figure out what YOU are doing wrong before 

figuring out it's not you at all) but this is happening less and less.

 

Once you have certain groups built, and borrow groups from others...building a mission is a matter of placing those groups where you want them and adjusting.

Before you know it you can get back to being creative (the most important ingredient) and think less about editor logic.

 

I keep thinking I need to dedicate some time in there and really dive deep into the support materials. It's certainly daunting!

[BlitzPig_EL]

I tried for the better part of a day to get a simple airbase up and running.

 

I know that you are good at it, I am not.   It's about as intuitive as designing a Saturn V booster rocket to me, and even some of our guys that work in IT and are quite good at the ArmA III editor just gave up on it.

 

A streamlined editor is badly needed, as is a Hyperlobby like functionality for hosting.

[Gambit21]

I tried for the better part of a day to get a simple airbase up and running.

 

I know that you are good at it, I am not.   It's about as intuitive as designing a Saturn V booster rocket to me, and even some of our guys that work in IT and are quite good at the ArmA III editor just gave up on it.

 

A streamlined editor is badly needed, as is a Hyperlobby like functionality for hosting.

 

Oh it's not intuitive no.

It's like eating an elephant...one bite at a time - but the bites get larger and larger and before you know it, it goes pretty fast.

 

I'm curious what you mean by getting an airbase up and running...you mean getting a flight to taxi and take off/land?

Edited July 23, 2017 by Gambit21

[gn728]

I've always had interest in the size of the combat FS market. I asked this question over at SimHQ a while ago - (looked it up 2014). Jason answered then that their research indicated between 200k and 500k "hardcore" combat simmers. Another guy pointed out you also have to take into account some fly only specific period jets/props/canvas etc. I also said I thought any real pilots commercial or recreational with tons of airports and scenery on their PC's would also want to shoot stuff down - Jason said sadly not the case. That was then - dunno what the numbers might be today.....

[BlitzPig_EL]

Gambit, I mean just getting an airfield that showed as friendly that I could spawn at.

 

I said I was not good at this editor, and i meant it.

 

 

 

 

 

[TXSailor_1]

 I also said I thought any real pilots commercial or recreational with tons of airports and scenery on their PC's would also want to shoot stuff down - Jason said sadly not the case. That was then - dunno what the numbers might be today.....

 

This is actually an interesting point: 

 

I fly for a living in real life, and I have actually never met another pilot at work who also enjoys flight games, whether they're combat or not. I've also noticed that when you DO stick the real life fliers into games, we're generally terrible at them (I'm nearly useless in anything but bombing) so that may be a small part of it, but it just doesn't seem to be popular among real world fliers. 

[BlitzPig_EL]

A good friend of mine flys for Net Jets, and when he is off the last thing he wants to see is a HOTAS setup.

 

I tried to get him to try BoS and he said "please don't make me work on my days off". 

[VeryOldMan]

7 million is AAA mainstream game  sale target. I highly doubt ANY flight sim   in  a single instance ever sold close to that ( probably Falcon 4 adn MS FS were the highest count ones).

 

Unless they are counting people  flying IL2s in WAR THUNDER!

This is actually an interesting point: 

 

I fly for a living in real life, and I have actually never met another pilot at work who also enjoys flight games, whether they're combat or not. I've also noticed that when you DO stick the real life fliers into games, we're generally terrible at them (I'm nearly useless in anything but bombing) so that may be a small part of it, but it just doesn't seem to be popular among real world fliers. 

That happens in all fields. When I worked at game development.. I played ZERO games at home because the last thing I wanted was to  keep at the same environment as work. 

 

Work is just a word to describe the magic of making something fun  into a stream of frustration and anger that hurts your health and  mind.

[neofightr2]

7 million is AAA mainstream game  sale target. I highly doubt ANY flight sim   in  a single instance ever sold close to that ( probably Falcon 4 adn MS FS were the highest count ones).

 

Unless they are counting people  flying IL2s in WAR THUNDER!

That happens in all fields. When I worked at game development.. I played ZERO games at home because the last thing I wanted was to  keep at the same environment as work. 

 

Work is just a word to describe the magic of making something fun  into a stream of frustration and anger that hurts your health and  mind.

 

As a retired military f18 pilot, I agree in general. During my flying days it was hard to get motivated in flying pc games with the exception if there was a sim that could make me a better flyer. After getting out the the flying business I now immensely enjoy the flight sims of today, especially historical vintage. I am a huge fan of 777 studios products. Their attention to detail is impeccable. I loved the WW1 game they made a few years ago and look foward to a sequel and of course the IL2 series is terrific.

 

I agree with the majority that the 7 million would have to be over the lifetime but I am so happy for them that they have had that much success. Bring on the pacific!!

 

PS the only exception to the rule for real world pilots using pc flight sims are the professional grade stuff like Prepar3d. When you can charge over a hundred dollars just for one aircraft (boeing 777) you know they mean business (as in real pilot business) and that's not even the underlying flight sim product.

[No601_Swallow]

For those daunted by the mission editor:

 

I know I've posted all of this before, but (for what it's worth), Bob Vanderstock's Rise of Flight ME tutorials did it for me.

 

Yes, it's an hour out of your life.

Yes, it's a bit plodding. And -

Yes, there seem to be so many steps just to get a couple of flights in the air following waypoints...

 

But!

 

It's not actually that complex and, when you see what's going on, it's really powerful. It's like scripting in a computer language, but visually - with instructions that you "place" on the map, and arrows that you use to link them all together!

 

And now there's a load of advice, help, tutorials, shortcuts, pre-made missions and mission elements, etc, etc. 

 

It's hard to jump in, but it's so easy to take something someone else has made and adapt it for whatever you want!

 

Go on! Give it a try! 

 

 

 

(Also, the dedicated server is annoying, but not a biggie. I run the dedicated server from my own machine while I'm using it to fly missions!)

Edited July 24, 2017 by No601_Swallow

[Rolling_Thunder]

7 million playing il2 and 699,990 of them fly just Axis aircraft

[TXSailor_1]

As a retired military f18 pilot,

 

 

Hooyah Navy! Flaring to land is like squatting to pee :D

[SCG_Space_Ghost]

7 million playing il2 and 699,990 of them fly just Axis aircraft

 

And if they spent their hard-earned money to do so, who are you to whine about it?

[Jason_Williams]

Jesus. We don't have 7 million people playing IL-2. If you add up all iteration you get some millions. If millions bought our IL-2 I'd be retired. Don't believe everything you hear guys. This is a useless thread. Speculate elsewhere please.

 

Jason