Questions about the campaign mode (BoS)

[Tonnystark]

Hello,

I am fairly new to this game and have a few questions. [Edited] I have been playing the german campaign (Stalingrad) and so far everything was going well doing simple ground attacks or 4v4 dogfights. Today, I was given a mission to destroy some bombers. As we flew towards the objective marker, suddenly, something like 10 bombers popped up, with an escort of fighters (~10 as well). Through sheer luck, an AI downed one bomber and I received a Critical Mission Success and was told to return to base. [Edited] I ended the mission through the menu (I had to get off the computer, and couldnt take the time to land). I then was told my pilot was captured, received an Iron Cross and blocked me from continuing. I was pissed. Thinking I had done something wrong, I restarted the campaign, and now the first mission has me facing a squadron of like 15 fighters, and my squad is only 4. [Edited] It doesnt help that the friendly AI just keeps flying straight while the enemy gangs up on me.

Is there something Im missing here? The game seems impossibly hard. Is there a way go get more friendly fighters with me (I only have 3+myself)? Is there also a way to get more ammo? I can add one extra gun but the 1000 rounds on the main guns and the 250 extra run out really quickly just to down one plane. Like its already quite difficult to take one fighter down, how am I ever expected to take down 15 all ganged up on me? Much less have enough ammo to take them out.

I should add im playing with a HOTAS on Normal difficulty (with aim assist).

Thanks.

 

This thread was edited for your links to movie sites. Do that again and you will not be posting here. 

Edited August 15, 2020 by Bearcat

[[DBS]Browning]

The career mode has an element of randomness to it. Sometimes you will find your self in easy fights, other times you will find you self against impossible odds. Sometimes the best course of action is to run away and fight again another day. You do not need the mission success text to continue to the next mission.

When you exit the mission, do so over friendly territory or the game may count you as captured.

[ShamrockOneFive]

The IL-2 series is much less game and much more a simulator and that means that scenarios like this aren't balanced for gameplay but for simulation realism. There were definitely times that small numbers of fighters encountered overwhelming numbers and that's just how it was. More specific to the IL-2 Career mode, you're going to find that they have plenty of random elements in missions so sometimes its going to definitely be challenging.

 

My suggestion is to do what German pilots did when facing those situations.

1) Be above the enemy and flying faster than them so you have the ability to dictate the situation. I assume you're in a Bf109 and that means you have the ability, if flown well, to dominate the vertical fight staying out of the horizontal and using sweeping attacks from high altitude (a 'boom and zoom' or a 'pendulum attack' if you prefer).

2) Go for the mission win rather than trying to defeat all enemies. The objective here is to target enemy bombers so use that speed an altitude to attack from above, rake an enemy bomber with 20mm fire, and then try and attack again if you have the advantage. If the enemy is now above you then its time to bug out, dive away, and live to fight another day.

 

Hope that helps! Good luck!

[sevenless]

7 hours ago, Tonnystark said:

I then was told my pilot was captured, received an Iron Cross and blocked me from continuing. I was pissed. Thinking I had done something wrong,

 

Bevore ending a mission, always make sure you are over friendly territory, or your pilot gets captured and your war is over.

[lmp1986]

On 1/19/2019 at 2:01 PM, ShamrockOneFive said:

Go for the mission win rather than trying to defeat all enemies.

That's true, I'd even say: survival first, mission second, kills third. Some of my most memorable flights ended with a crash landing just barely on the right side of the Volga, mission be damned. There is always more planes to shoot down and more objectives to complete as long as you live to fight another day :).

[LukeFF]

4 hours ago, TimJ147 said:

I have recently started playing the career mode. Is it ok to press escape and end mission instead of landing as long as its in friendly territory. Does this still complete the mission the same as landing at the starting air base ?

 

Yes

[PatrickAWlson]

@Tonnystark The enemy AI ganging up on you has been discussed frequently.  So has the opposite - the enemy AI ignoring the player  .  In the end the AI is coded to do neither.  it is coded to go after the best target.  Be the best target and it will gang up on you.  I have found that holding back a bit helps.  Then shoot the enemy off your AI mates tails.  

 

As others have stated, surviving the mission is #1.  Accomplishing the mission is #2.  Shooting down planes is #3.  It's a long war and there will be plenty of opportunities.

 

Don't get overly attached to your AI squadron mates.  If your scenario happened in real life (and it did on a regular basis) the German pilots would have made one pass at high speed and then got out of dodge, or more likely extended quite far away, reset, and looked for an opportunity to make another pass.  The AI stays and fights.  Always.  Therefore their days are always numbered.  This bugs me as I don't like losing AI squadron mates.  When I get shot down it is usually trying to rescue my AI mates.  In real life we all would be on the same page and do what i described above.  it's a limitation of the game at this point.

 

In a career you will fly a lot of missions.  You will probably have nearly as many combat opportunities as a real pilot - hundreds in a long career.  real pilots, the very best, got about one victory in every two combat opportunities.  That means that many times they did not score.  Accept that. You don't have to shoot down the whole VVS every mission.

 

Hope that helps.

[Yogiflight]

1 hour ago, PatrickAWlson said:

You don't have to shoot down the whole VVS every mission.

 

Hope that helps.

How can that help? When you tell him not to expect to shoot down the whole VVS each mission?