How populated is multiplayer?

[lantern53]

I don't want to buy this if there is no one online to fly against.

[-Astra-iHellcat]

I purchased it during the sale but I refunded it, I've seen only two servers, one which had only two players and the second one with only one player.

It's sad because I had so much fun in the few minutes I got to try it, the map and planes are awesome but... There's no one to fly against :(.

[JGr2/J5_Baeumer]

There were 15 on Flugpark just a few hours ago.  Around 1900 GMT most days is the sweet spot with Thursday and Sundays busiest.  Saturdays there are often campaigns throughout the year.  Black September campaign begins in a few weeks.

 

FC is all about MP.   You can see alot of activity including the times/days its busiest on this parser. 

http://stats.jasta5.org:8000/en/

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by J5_Baeumer

[J2_Bidu]

The long answer:

 

Quote

 

Once there was a wise old man and a smart little boy.  The boy  was driven by a single desire – to expose the wise old man as a fool.  The smart boy had a plan.  He had captured a small and very fragile bird in the forest.  With the bird cupped in his hands, the boy’s scheme was to approach the old man and ask him, “Old man, what do I have in my hands?”  to which the wise old man would reply, “You have a bird, my son.”

Then the boy would ask, “Old man, is the bird alive or is it dead?”  If the old man replied that the bird was dead, the smart boy would open his hands and allow the bird to fly off back into the forest.  But if the old man replied that the bird was alive, the smart boy would crush the bird inside his cupped hands, and crush it, and crush it, until at last the bird dies.  Then the boy would open his hands and say, “See, old man, the bird is dead!”

And so as the story goes, the smart boy went to the old man and he said, as planned, “Old man, what do I have in my hands?”

The old man replied, “You have  a bird, my son.”

“Old man”, the boy than said, his voice dripping with disdain, “is the bird alive or is it dead?”

Whereupon the old man looked at the boy with his kindly old eyes and replied, “the answer is in your hands, my son.”

 

 

[76SQN-FatherTed]

It's a conundrum- when there's nobody on, there's nobody on, but when people are on, people join.

 

As Bidu,  alluded to, buy the game, get online and you start to solve your issue.

[NO.20_W_M_Thomson]

Its 27 bucks right now. You can't lose. Thursdays and Sundays are awesome fun so just those 2 days are worth every penny. the other days you fly iL2.  

[Zooropa_Fly]

Best bits start about 1h 20m.

 

Euro evening times there can be up to a dozen on this server if you're lucky. Good bunch of lads.

Never likely to be as populous as a flugpark type server, but the action's fast! 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Zooropa_Fly

[No.23_Gaylion]

Just depends really. 

 

https://youtu.be/lfT229VXxFs

 

Plenty more here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Sgb-R3hAMsigr6-Ik9cow

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by US93_Talbot

[ST_Catchov]

And there is the Snarling Trolls server .... just been revamped and waiting for you @lantern53

 

 

[BMA_Hellbender]

16 hours ago, J2_Bidu said:

“Old man”, the boy than said, his voice dripping with disdain, “is the bird alive or is it dead?”

Whereupon the old man looked at the boy with his kindly old eyes and replied, “the answer is in your hands, my son.”

 

Clearly the old man was not so wise as he claimed to be as he didn't know about the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics and the superposition of states, most famously illustrated with Shroedinger's cat thought experiment, in which a cat is both alive and dead until observed.

 

In the case of multiplayer, I can attest that it is exactly like observing a herd of cats killing each other.

[JGr2/J5_Baeumer]

That's the whole point of multiplayer isn't it?!

[HagarTheHorrible]

As mentioned above, it is a bit of a chicken and egg scenario.  The more people who populate a server the more people it will attract.  FC should however be doing far better than it currently is.  It is unfortunate that the developers, I’m sure, with the best of intentions, have introduced changes, in recent patches, that have made the multiplayer space far less enjoyable (unbalanced) driving some regular players away altogether, reducing the amount of time other dedicate to playing FC and generally fracturing the community.  It isn’t all doom and gloom and it’s certainly possible to find times when the couple of FC servers are reasonable well populated, it is however not what it should be, especially given sales and the new blood that they should draw in. It would seem, the developers, are either unwilling, or unable, to look into or address the concerns that some players have raised, that were it to happen in other parts of BoX, might have received more serious attention.

 

Below is an example of one of the issues that has divided  the community, the video is an extreme example, but not untypical or unusual, (It should be noted that not all aircraft are affected to this extent, but it still frustrating when some other aircraft appear to be built like tanks in comparison). Unfortunately this has the perverse outcome of encouraging players to AVOID combat, in a combat flight sim, unless conditions are perfect or heavily in their favour.

 

 

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

It depends almost entirely upon your time zone.  I spent many hours back in 2019 trying to seed the server, flying by myself for an hour at a time.  To no avail.

 

There is a little bit of a "chicken and egg" aspect to multiplayer numbers; but it isn't exactly a "build it and they will come" scenario either.

 

Most of the people responding to this thread in the positive, or telling you to seed the server, fly in time zones where the server is populated anyways.  If you're not in one of those, be prepared to wake up early, stay up late, or cut out from work early; if you want to fly on a server that isn't two players hopelessly trying to find eachother on a massive map.

 

I would suggest starting by trying to show up to the Thursday or Sunday events.  You'll have fun.  Just don't waste your time trying to seed at other times if you don't already know whether players are even likely to show up in your time zone to begin with.  You can check this throughout the day to get an idea:  https://il2.flying-barans.ru/

 

@HagarTheHorrible Dude, way too much information.  Not necessary in this thread.  People beating that horse in every thread is more harmful to the game than the horse itself at this point.

Edited August 19, 2020 by US63_SpadLivesMatter

[Bearcat]

19 hours ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

Best bits start about 1h 20m.

 

Euro evening times there can be up to a dozen on this server if you're lucky. Good bunch of lads.

Never likely to be as populous as a flugpark type server, but the action's fast! 

 What kind of VR is that that you are using

[Zooropa_Fly]

It's not my video, I'm just a Track IR pauper !

The excellent vids (actually a YT live stream) are done by a thoroughly decent chap called BH2-Yabadabadoo ! (Or something like that).

 

S!

[=IRFC=Gascan]

I'm having a blast in MP. Of course, I also fly with my brother and occasionally a friend or two,, and almost exclusively on Thursdays and Sundays (and hopefully on Saturdays during the Black September campaign). I also do a coop campaign using PWCG, which is fun, but doesn't even approach what MP can do.

Edited August 19, 2020 by gascan

[Feathered_IV]

I’m at GMT +10 and have not seen anybody on in the last three months.  It was doing quite well just prior to the damage model changes and had 10-14 people online during the waking hours but it dropped right off after that. 

[ST_Catchov]

2 hours ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

The excellent vids (actually a YT live stream) are done by a thoroughly decent chap called BH2-Yabadabadoo ! (Or something like that).

 

No it's abababooba ... um  dabbadadeda ... er dibbadabada  ... DAMMIT!  I can never get it right. But he's a stout fellow and a good chap.

 

17 minutes ago, Feathered_IV said:

I’m at GMT +10 and have not seen anybody on in the last three months.  It was doing quite well just prior to the damage model changes and had 10-14 people online during the waking hours but it dropped right off after that. 

 

Same time zone for me. Which server(s) and what time approx (Aussie time) did you fly?

[Feathered_IV]

Typically mid-morning, early afternoon and around 8pm in the evenings.  I don’t fly from mid afternoon to dusk as my home is very sunny and it plays hell with my trackir.   

[ST_Catchov]

8 hours ago, US63_SpadLivesMatter said:

@HagarTheHorrible Dude, way too much information.  Not necessary in this thread.  People beating that horse in every thread is more harmful to the game than the horse itself at this point.

 

I agree. It's done. It's over. Nothing more can be said about the DM. It's pointless  .... but 

 

9 hours ago, HagarTheHorrible said:

It would seem, the developers, are either unwilling, or unable, to look into or address the concerns that some players have raised, that were it to happen in other parts of BoX, might have received more serious attention.

 

Hagar makes a good point here imo. But what really grates is the cone of silence from the devs. This is what really disappoints me. I don't really give a fig about the DM.

 

29 minutes ago, Feathered_IV said:

Typically mid-morning, early afternoon and around 8pm in the evenings.  I don’t fly from mid afternoon to dusk as my home is very sunny and it plays hell with my trackir.   

 

Yeah I only fly at dusk/night because I also have a very sunny place that screws badly with trackir basically all day. And I'm not in a position to rectify that right now. I have wanted to fly the Flugpark events for some time but it's like 3am onwards my time and, strangely enough, I've never made it. 

Edited August 20, 2020 by ST_Catchov

[HagarTheHorrible]

Yes, I have an agenda.  I’m certainly not proud of the fact, indeed, I’m a little ashamed.  I met some really nice people playing FC and I wouldn’t want to do anything to take away from their fun.  FC multiplayer SHOULD be doing far better than it is, it is a great fit for combat flight sims and VR with it’s close in combat and limited number of controls.  If somebody wants to get into FC, mainly for the multiplayer aspect then they should be aware of the reasons why, of late, it has stalled.  I know there will be some here who are desperate to attract new blood, even if it means glossing over some of the “limitations” of the game in it’s present form, but in reality it isn’t a win, or helpful, if new players, unless they fly certain select aircraft, find the game less than captivating, or indeed frustrating,  People might well claim it’s realistic, but if aspects of the game actively encourage the avoidance of combat, unless under ideal circumstances, in a game primarily focused on combat, then new players just aren’t going to hang about, regardless of what is written in the forums. I know some are desperately hoping that, given enough sales, FC2 might happen, so anything negative should be brushed under the carpet, to not rock the boat, but if new players, who bought the game, end up leaving after an hour or two’s play, then it’s all a bit self defeating.

 

New players, for multiplayer, should know that, FC can be GREAT fun, and there are a great bunch of guy’s (and gals ?) who regularly play,  it’s just that it comes with a side order of self imposed frustration.

[SIA_Sp00k]

History is full of silenced voices from those pretending that everything is ok.  I cant think of one single instance where that worked out well.

[BMA_Hellbender]

7 hours ago, HagarTheHorrible said:

Yes, I have an agenda.  I’m certainly not proud of the fact, indeed, I’m a little ashamed.  I met some really nice people playing FC and I wouldn’t want to do anything to take away from their fun.  FC multiplayer SHOULD be doing far better than it is, it is a great fit for combat flight sims and VR with it’s close in combat and limited number of controls.  If somebody wants to get into FC, mainly for the multiplayer aspect then they should be aware of the reasons why, of late, it has stalled.  I know there will be some here who are desperate to attract new blood, even if it means glossing over some of the “limitations” of the game in it’s present form, but in reality it isn’t a win, or helpful, if new players, unless they fly certain select aircraft, find the game less than captivating, or indeed frustrating,  People might well claim it’s realistic, but if aspects of the game actively encourage the avoidance of combat, unless under ideal circumstances, in a game primarily focused on combat, then new players just aren’t going to hang about, regardless of what is written in the forums. I know some are desperately hoping that, given enough sales, FC2 might happen, so anything negative should be brushed under the carpet, to not rock the boat, but if new players, who bought the game, end up leaving after an hour or two’s play, then it’s all a bit self defeating.

 

New players, for multiplayer, should know that, FC can be GREAT fun, and there are a great bunch of guy’s (and gals ?) who regularly play,  it’s just that it comes with a side order of self imposed frustration.

 

The game is still fun, especially in multiplayer, in spite of the recent DM changes.

 

The main reason I don't play much these days is because of plane variety, or lack thereof. I find myself going back to RoF simply to enjoy flying different machines in single player (*cough* Hanriot *cough*). Wings shed just the same as they do in FC, after all. That said, I expect to return to "active service" when the weather cools down a bit and I come off my RoF / IL-2 1946 / Total War side hustle. Hopefully just in time to hear FC2 announced.

 

 

For VR: FC is without parallel. Words fail me to describe the sheer joy of flying and the exhilaration of a dogfight, even against AI. The plane you're flying in or against doesn't even matter all that much, nor does the outcome. It's all pure adrenaline and fun.

 

My main issue here is that it makes me sick as a dog after about an hour. There are some tricks to make it more bearable to people who suffer from motion sickness as I do, but in the end the solution will come in time with more powerful hardware and better headsets with higher refresh rates. VR is a technology that juuust isn't there yet for the average consumer. Thankfully many simmers aren't average consumers: the HP Reverb 2 and the new generation of Nvidia graphics cards to be released in September will likely tackle VR in IL-2 and FC just fine. Prepare your wallets!

Edited August 20, 2020 by J5_Hellbender

[Zooropa_Fly]

Funny, I don't ever remember seeing you fly a Hanriot in RoF.

 

?

[BMA_Hellbender]

I flew it once or twice, determined that its sheer waffle-powered awesomeness would leave Central without a fighting chance and then remained Darling’s Bristol driver for the next 4-5 years.

 

Since then I’ve become a bit more of a patriot due to @J2_Trupobaw’s bad influence.

 

?? ? ?? ? ?? ? ?? 
 

(also the country’s average IQ has gone up since I left)

Edited August 20, 2020 by J5_Hellbender

[Zooropa_Fly]

Oh NO !

 

You'll be a Dolphin fanatic next.

[US63_SpadLivesMatter]

I'm not saying to brush the shortcomings of the game under the carpet, or be 'silent' and pretend they don't exist.

 

But there's a big difference between those things, and bringing them up *in every single thread* like bratty children.  How many threads have been locked now?  The devs know about the problem.  Also, it is worth noting that even with its shortcomings, this game is still a lot of fun if you can stop bitching for a little bit and enjoy it for what it is.

 

All I am saying is why don't we let new players try the game for themselves and see if they like it?  Unless you're going to be buying the game for them, answer the questions they actually asked.  Keep your agenda out of it, and stop priming every potential customer who comes to the forum.  You know what priming is, right?

 

@J5_Hellbender @Zooropa_Fly How do you guys see anything in the Hanriot?  I find the visibility really difficult to work with in a dogfight.

Edited August 20, 2020 by US63_SpadLivesMatter

[Zooropa_Fly]

I never flew the bugger that much, largely for the blinkered visibility. Plus it's a cantacerous thing to fly, in a similar way the N11's and 17's are to me.

Think I flew it a few days in a row once and getting a bit better in it.

I suppose you have to approach it a bit like a Spad, in that it's probably best to tailor your combat to attacking more in straight lines / gentle curves - so you can keep the bandit in view.

If I remember the rear view either side of the seat is actually pretty good if you can get used to putting your head in the right position quickly.

But going round and around with anything makes it hard, for me at least, to keep tabs on where the hell everyone else is !

And that can be a small problem in a dogfight.

 

S!

[BMA_Hellbender]

47 minutes ago, Zooropa_Fly said:

Oh NO !

 

You'll be a Dolphin fanatic next.

 

I... uh... have my personal Flipper skin.

 

 

 

This was not actually meant for publication.

 

In case you're raising one or several eyebrows right about now, let me assure you that there is historical basis to this paint scheme.

 

 

 

 

45 minutes ago, US63_SpadLivesMatter said:

 

@J5_Hellbender @Zooropa_Fly How do you guys see anything in the Hanriot?  I find the visibility really difficult to work with in a dogfight.

 

 

Apart from the obvious advantage of flying a uniquely Belgian plane, the Hanriot is really not a bad fighting machine.

 

It's a Nieuport 17 with a Sopwith Camel engine (more or less: actually a Le Rhone 9Jby 120hp — in the Belgian Military Aviation they were used interchangeably with the Clerget 9B 130hp)

 

It's a consummate dogfighter insofar that it can outturn anything that it can't outrun/outclimb (Fokker D.VIIF and Pfalz D.XII) and outrun/outclimb anything that it can't outturn (Fokker Dr.I, Albatros D.Va, Pfalz D.IIIa). It's unsurprisingly about equal in overal performance as the Sopwith Dolphin and Fokker D.VIII. The main disadvantage compared to the Dolphin is forward visibility, which is just horrible, but it can be somewhat "hacked around" by hanging out the sides, at least in RoF. If it ever makes it to FC, views are quite a bit more restricted there.

 

Its armament is a mixed big: it has a single forward firing Vickers, which can be replaced by a French balloon gun. In reality the Belgians had it offset to the left in order to improve overall visibility. The real kicker is that you can mount an overwing Lewis gun, which can be angled upward. Definitely a nice surprise in a dogfight.

 

 

Overall it's just worse than an old RoF / FC Camel, but it's a great jack-of-all-trades if you can stand the waffle smell.

 

At least you can forget about the Dolphin.

Edited August 20, 2020 by J5_Hellbender

[BMA_West]

@J5_Hellbender

Immediately recognized that Dophin skin from our Camel BMA did n't even need the following pic )))
Pretty sure Mantel would have felt at home in Aalst on Voil Jeanetten day LOL

[76SQN-FatherTed]

14 hours ago, HagarTheHorrible said:

New players, for multiplayer, should know that, FC can be GREAT fun, and there are a great bunch of guy’s (and gals ?) who regularly play,  it’s just that it comes with a side order of self imposed frustration.

 

My problem with this is that new players won't understand that frustration - it only exists for those who knew the game pre DM-changes.   For me (and I fly almost exclusively Entente, almost exclusively in an SE) I still enjoy MP.  Don't get me wrong - I haven't got my in sand, which I'm brushing under the carpet - I think there are aspects of the DM that are borked.  However, if you park that knowledge or,  like a newcomer, don't have it at all, MP in this sim is as fun as it ever was. 

 

So for me, that's why we shouldn't warn people interested in buying the game about the DM

[BMA_Hellbender]

56 minutes ago, West said:

@J5_Hellbender

Immediately recognized that Dophin skin from our Camel BMA did n't even need the following pic )))
Pretty sure Mantel would have felt at home in Aalst on Voil Jeanetten day LOL

Oilsjt!

[ST_Catchov]

Regardless of MP or DM angst or sightseeing in a Cessna for that matter, you'd be crazy not to purchase FC at $27. It's criminal. It's a steal for a sim such as this. I would urge people to give it a go because there's nothing quite like it. Nothing!  RoF aside.

 

 

 

[Zooropa_Fly]

Spot on Catchy, For $27 almost everyone can afford to give it a bash.

So what are you waiting for ?

But you had to spoil it and mention RoF didn't you. ?

[BMA_Hellbender]

That is a steal indeed. I guess it's time for another gift copy.

 

First person in this thread to ask nicely and who at minimum already owns another BOS module (here, not on Steam) gets it.

[Zooropa_Fly]

I gifted a copy a couple of weeks ago - pure dead ragin' so I am.

[No.23_Gaylion]

Bender can I please get a gift copy?

[JGr2/J5_Baeumer]

Damn!   Beat me to it, Talbot!

[Redwo1f]

? don't you already have it ?

[JGr2/J5_Baeumer]

PS.anyone thinking of purchasing FC and feeling disappointed that Talbot beat them to the free copy, should post here their request for a free copy as Talbot has been disqualified from flight duty "for medical reasons".   So the free copy is still available.