PWCG - A Variety of Questions

[L95]

Hi there, 

 

I'm interested in setting up PWCG but have a few questions if you don't mind me asking? 

 

1. Does PWCG only use aircraft owned by the player? I.e if I'm flying a Bf109, will come across the UV-2? I don't own the UV-2 but I can fly against them in Quick Mission for example. 

 

1.2 If I own an aircraft, will I come across it? If I own the P40, will I come across them as my career progresses? 

 

2. Ace crews. If I'm flying a H111, will my gunners gain experience or are they replaced every flight? I've never really flown a multi-crew aircraft in career mode so far. 

 

3. When claiming kills, do I need to know the exact type I've shot down? Such as a Bf109-F4 or just that I've shot down a Bf109? 

 

4. Can I fly a career in any aircraft I own? I recently picked up the Henschel so I want to fly a career with that ideally but I may pick up the Ju52 as well. 

 

Thank you for your time :) 

[Varibraun]

Welcome aboard!  Here is what I think are correct about your questions (someone here will correct me if I am wrong):

 

1.  PWCG will only let you fly a/c you own (you must select them in the setup screen), but you will see all a/c types in the theater.  So you could see a UV-2 if PWCG has that squadron present.

 

1.2.  You have to find a squadron with that a/c when you create the campaign.  So, you will need to review the squadrons in BoM or BoS to select the one flying a P-40.  However, a/c are replaced with newer a/c as time progresses, so you will eventually move into another a/c whenever PWCG determines that squadron was getting replacement a/c upgrades.  (Your pilot will thank the Kremlin when his P-40 is eventually declared obsolete).

 

2.  Not sure on this one...I think crew matches the pilot level for A/I, but I don't know how that translates to player crew.

 

3.  No...you won't be penalized if you select the wrong a/c in the dropdown.  Hey...a kill is a kill.

 

4.  I think Pat has created a playable squadron for all a/c in theater.  In creating the campaign you just need to find the squadron (which may also be date dependent).  The good news is that you can also transfer squadrons during the campaign or create multiple pilots in different squadrons along the way.  You can review the Intel Report screen to see what your allied squadrons are flying at any particular time.

 

Good luck!!

[PatrickAWlson]

To add to Varibraun's answer:

 

3. The game is limited to one AI setting for the plane.  So if the pilot is Ace level then so are the gunners.  Individual gunners are not modeled in PWCG.

 

4. You have to be sort of right.  If you shoot down a fighter and tell PWCG you shot down a bomber it may reject the claim.  If you shoot down an I16 and claim a LaGG then no problem.

 

5. There are playable units for every flyable plane.  The Henschel is available starting with Kuban and remains on the books for eastern front 1944 and (I think) eastern front 1945.  The Ju52 is always available in both east and west.

[L95]

5 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

There are playable units for every flyable plane.  The Henschel is available starting with Kuban and remains on the books for eastern front 1944 and (I think) eastern front 1945.  The Ju52 is always available in both east and west.

 So if I've purchases the Duck but not Kuban, I won't be able to fly it? 

 

Currently flying my first mission as an escort for H111s! First time escorting them in IL2. 

[PatrickAWlson]

1 hour ago, L95 said:

 So if I've purchases the Duck but not Kuban, I won't be able to fly it? 

 

Currently flying my first mission as an escort for H111s! First time escorting them in IL2. 

 

Normally the answer is yes as the duck is a Kuban collector plane and meant for use with that map.  However, with PWCG you can.  Fly the eastern front 1944 map.  It is the Stalingrad map standing in for a  real Bagration map.  If you fly that map you can get into a Duck squadron.  You have to own Stalingrad.  Similarly, the Bodenplatte map stands on for Prussia in 1945.  Not sure if I have the Duck on that map.  You have to own Bodenplatte to fly that one.

[Yogiflight]

9 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

Normally the answer is yes as the duck is a Kuban collector plane and meant for use with that map.  However, with PWCG you can.  Fly the eastern front 1944 map. 

Maybe you could add it to the Stalingrad campaign. The game's career mode uses it there, so I would guess it is historically correct.

[PatrickAWlson]

5 hours ago, Yogiflight said:

Maybe you could add it to the Stalingrad campaign. The game's career mode uses it there, so I would guess it is historically correct.

 

Didn't know that.  Thanks.

[L95]

On 10/31/2020 at 3:39 PM, PatrickAWlson said:

Didn't know that.  Thanks.

 

Just a quick one.

 

Is it possible to fly with 1 squadron for the duration of the war? If so, how would I go about setting that up in the Campaign mode? 

[PatrickAWlson]

2 hours ago, L95 said:

 

Just a quick one.

 

Is it possible to fly with 1 squadron for the duration of the war? If so, how would I go about setting that up in the Campaign mode? 

 

Don't transfer.

 

The Russian squadrons will change names on you but the personnel will remain the same.  Most German squadrons maintain their names and identities throughout.  =Western allied squadrons are only around from Sept 1944 so they don't change.