Comptiplating Getting IL-2 But Do Not Know Which To Get?

[Aahz]

Hello all and yes I am a newbie to the forums.

I used to fly F22 Lighting 3 and Falcon 3.0 so that dates me.

Ran across IL-2 while viewing some You Tube video's and liked what I saw.

• Is their still a lot of people playing the game?
• Which version of the game should I get?
• How much does the game cost?
• Where do I go to get the game?
• Is there clans that are recruiting?

Feel free to share anything else you think I should know.

Edited March 22, 2020 by SE-KV

[cardboard_killer]

2 hours ago, SE-KV said:

Is their still a lot of people playing the game?

 

More than ever, but realistic flight sims are not as popular as they once were

2 hours ago, SE-KV said:

Which version of the game should I get?

 

All versions have the same "engine" so the question is which theater do you prefer. For example, do you want to fly P-51s in 1944 France/Belgium, or La-5s in 1943 Russia? There are also individual planes that can be purchased individually ("Collector" planes)

My Stock answer is this:

• Battle of Stalingrad -- most flyable plane set and most recognizable campaign (and I usually recommend it as the starting point)
• Battle of Moscow -- early war plane set
• Battle of Kuban -- most beautiful terrain and lend-lease plane set
• Battle of Bodenplatte -- late war power plane set, with the Western Allies
• Battle of Normandy -- not yet released

 

2 hours ago, SE-KV said:

How much does the game cost?

 

Each module costs $50 or $80 for the premium version, for which you get two extra planes. The standard versions come with eight flyable planes each. There are currently four modules, and one in pre-order stage.

 

However, sales are frequent. Currently, through the end of the month IIRC, if you order you will be given a code for 75% off the first three modules, and 50% off the BoBp (or the Flying Corps Vol 1 module, which is the WW1 version of the game) module..

 

2 hours ago, SE-KV said:

Where do I go to get the game?

 

https://il2sturmovik.com/

 

2 hours ago, SE-KV said:

Is there clans that are recruiting?

Always.

[Eisenfaustus]

I'd recommend:

create anaccount to get the promo codes, and than get battle of Kuban premium for 75% off. For 20$ you'll get a beautiful caucus map and a cool variety of allied and German planes. (Spit, aircobra, yak, a20, il2 vs 109, 190, 110, 111 and 129)

if you are a fighters only guy get bobp premium to get 10 awesome late war hotrods for 50% off (40$)

but of course Stalingrad and Moscow are great as well - you can't pick wrong ^^

[Guster]

The maps in Battle of Stalingrad and Battle of Moscow are, in my experience, the least demanding in terms of performance. The Kuban and Rheinland maps are quite large and tax your system a bit more. Cities and clouds generally require more horsepower, but can be avoided when you make your own missions. I'm running IL-2 on an older gaming laptop at 1600x900 with 4xAA and enjoy a steady 60 FPS if I avoid heavy clouds and big cities.

 

If you have a buff gaming rig, none of this should matter. The series is very well optimised, looks gorgeous and there are literally hours and hours of entertainment and challenge in each module.

 

The AI is half decent, and there's a very nice Quick Mission Builder where you can set up a skirmish in no time, which is a great way to get started and test how the planes perform relative to each other. 

[=FEW=fernando11]

A bit of extra info. 

No mater which BoX you get. You can play ANY map on Multyplayer, as long as you have at least one of the planes the map is currently using.

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

If you're playing multiplayer, get Flying Circus.

 

If you're playing single player get any of the other titles.

[ShamrockOneFive]

In addition to all of the advice you see here (and are about to get) I'll shamelessly self plug the review I wrote when IL-2: Battle of Bodenplatte game out. It covers the history of the series as well as the current state of IL-2: Great Battles and the latest content to arrive in the series.

 

 https://stormbirds.blog/2019/12/03/il-2-battle-of-bodenplatte-full-review/

 

As for which to choose, I'd primarily base your decision around the aircraft that you want to fly and experience. I have trouble choosing sometimes because I really do enjoy virtually every aircraft modeled in the series. There's fun and unique experiences to be had with each.

[PatrickAWlson]

If you are CPU bound Stalingrad and Moscow are your best choices.  IMHO you get more out of Stalingrad.

If you like early war then get Moscow.

Kuban has great scenery and some pretty cool mid war planes.  

If you are more interested in late war (including jets) or western front then get Bodenplatte

 

Be advised that even western front is tactical and not strategic.  Most of the action in this sim takes place at less that 5K meters.  

 

This sim is very much alive with work continuing.  MP is active.  SP has very good options.  

 

Price depends, with sales being very common.  Older modules are cheaper than newer ones.  Just check the store.  If you are on the fence and price issue then just buy Stalingrad and take it for a test run.  Spend the extra few bucks on the premium addition.  You will want the new planes and they will cost more if bought separately.

 

I would suggest buying directly from the store.  Note that once you buy it and download the first time you have the whole game.  Future purchases just unlock licenses and will not result in independent downloads.

12 hours ago, cardboard_killer said:

 

More than ever, but realistic flight sims are not as popular as they once were

 

 

I'm going to put a different twist on that.  Older slight sims were never all that realistic and therefore far more accessible.  They were great for the day, but sims like BoS are so much more complex and challenging, even on the easiest modes.  

Edited March 22, 2020 by PatrickAWlson

[Burdokva]

One more vote to support Battle of Stalingrad. Runs smoothest on my old FX-6500 CPU, although in all fairness, on my humble rig I can max out the game unless there are many objects.

 

Stalingrad comes with probably the largest plane set on its own, as a number of planes from other modules were integrated into it. Base plane set usable for a wide variety of roles and campaigns, collector planes are both great value, the campaign is the most engaging of all modules so far. Can be had very cheaply.

 

The planes are also relatively easy to get into and learn the basics of prop combat, which will be very different from the jet sims you're used to. Battle of Moscow planes are very fun but the Soviet ones and the Macchi MC202 are very peculiar and tricky to fly, while the E-7 is already starting to feel out of breath even in the East (and I love flying it).

 

Kuban and Bodenplatte planes are very high performance machines but generally they're not your average dogfighters and not so easy to get into. The Kuban map is gorgeous and most varied of all, while Bodenplatte probably has the popularity factor.

[Aahz]

WW1 planes I am not interested in at all, so Flying Circus is out for me.

When the new game is released will everyone move to it?

How does it work if you only buy Battle of Stalingrad? I do not want to buy one only to find out no one is flying it.

[Nolly]

they all overlap: multiplayer servers have planes from all modules together. Buying one module just means you have less planes to fly - you can still access all maps on MP.

Go on youtube - there are multiple videos about how to get started.

 

I recommend BO stalingrad or Kuban - The Yak is the ultimate learner plane. Dont start with axis planes with the automatic engine governers as its too easy, so makes allied stuff where you must manage the engine yourself scary (my opinion). 

 

Dont start with Bodenplatte - as they are a step more advanced and more difficult to fly. (not all, but some such as P47 and 262)

 

good luck!

Edited April 17, 2020 by -RS-Nolly
minor grammer

[=FEW=fernando11]

1 hour ago, SE-KV said:

WW1 planes I am not interested in at all, so Flying Circus is out for me.

When the new game is released will everyone move to it?

How does it work if you only buy Battle of Stalingrad? I do not want to buy one only to find out no one is flying it.

 

Luckly no. The game is only ONE GAME/install

 

What you get when you buy each one of the Battle of "something" is the access to it's content. As an example you might get BoKuban, but can see planes from BoStalingrad flying there if they historicaly did so. You just can't use them yourself

 

This is specialy true of MP, in there you might even fly on a map you dont own, as long as the mission designer put a plane you do own.

So there is no risk of buyng the "wrong" one.

 

 

 

[Aahz]

=FEW=fernando11:

 

Thank you for the quick reply and that helps me understand the game a lot better now.

Do you know when IL-2: Battle of Normandy Is planned to be released?

Currently I am playing World of Warships and do not like the pay to play and keep asking for money if you want more and more ships. They got many ways to suck money out of you. Plus you may buy a ship and them turn around later and nerf it so you no longer have the ship the way you bought it. There are many more reasons I am looking to leave the game.

[216th_Jordan]

Release of BoN is likely in the end of next year or early 2022, going by usual development time up until now.

[56RAF_Roblex]

If you are going fly online then I am afraid to say that BoM is not the best choice as you will get fewer chances to fly the early war aircraft.

The way it works is that the online servers are made by players and they decide what aircraft will be allowed to fly there in order to keep the sides balanced.  If someone puts up a Stalingrad map they might allow a couple of BoM aircraft as well as all the BoS ones and some early BoK ones but even if they do you will be mostly outclassed fighting against more advanced aircraft.   Maps featuring mostly BoM aircraft  are quite rare and tend to be rotated quicker than the others because fewer players fly there.   

If you own Battle Of Stalingrad you will find many more maps, both Stalingrad & Kuban,  that will let you fly your aircraft.  Currently there are always popular maps allowing you to fly Kuban and Battle Of Bodenplatte aircraft as well so you will always have somewhere to fly.  Owning only one set will always mean there are some servers you will not be able to fly on but with Battle Of Moscow there is a good chance that you could go weeks without being able to fly online at all.

If you will mostly fly offline then Battle Of Moscow is fine and has some aircraft that are great fun to fly like the I-16 & Mig-3 as well as two 109s and a 110.   It is really a shame that so few people appreciate them so causing few online servers to feature them.

[CanadaOne]

As a complete slut for maps, I say Kuban. Best map by far with every kind of terrain and a good plane set.

[BlitzPig_EL]

2 hours ago, SE-KV said:

=FEW=fernando11:

 

Thank you for the quick reply and that helps me understand the game a lot better now.

Do you know when IL-2: Battle of Normandy Is planned to be released?

Currently I am playing World of Warships and do not like the pay to play and keep asking for money if you want more and more ships. They got many ways to suck money out of you. Plus you may buy a ship and them turn around later and nerf it so you no longer have the ship the way you bought it. There are many more reasons I am looking to leave the game.

 

This is why I uninstalled the "bote game" as we called it, a few months ago.

 

Now, as to your dilemma, if you can stretch, get Stalingrad and Kuban if you can.  This will give you a really varied plane set.  If you are totally set on Western Allies aircraft, substitute Bodenplatte for Stalingrad.  But do try to pick up as many modules as you can, when you can, as they offer so much in terms of game play options, and fun, that they are entirely worth it in the long run, and "long run" is the key here.  My friends from the BlitzPigs and Pilot's Pubbers all have pretty much everything there is on offer from the Great Battles series, and almost every time we fly together one of us will make the comment that since the launch of the series, we have more than gotten our money's worth.  In fact the money is long forgotten, and the good times and camaraderie that this sim, and the original IL2 that came before it, are what lingers in the memory.

 

Good friends, and good times, all in the end for what amounts to a pittance spent.

 

I hope you have many years of the same with the series.

[ShamrockOneFive]

3 hours ago, SE-KV said:

=FEW=fernando11:

 

Thank you for the quick reply and that helps me understand the game a lot better now.

Do you know when IL-2: Battle of Normandy Is planned to be released?

Currently I am playing World of Warships and do not like the pay to play and keep asking for money if you want more and more ships. They got many ways to suck money out of you. Plus you may buy a ship and them turn around later and nerf it so you no longer have the ship the way you bought it. There are many more reasons I am looking to leave the game.

Developer time is typically about 2-years so I'd anticipate IL-2: Battle of Normandy to release at the end of 2021 or early 2022. We'll have a good chunk of the content before that but it will be a while certainly. If you're just getting started, I'd get something already released and then do the pre-order/early access if something comes out that you're interested in experiencing.