old player returning, what pack to buy?

[Ryebacker]

As the title states, ive played before in IL-2 Cliffs of dover when it first came out on steam, guess that makes me a new player in consideration to everyone, due to experience lost.

Recently I've been wanting to come back to flight sims and after looking at the options available, i decided on IL-2 over the other well known option, and will be purchasing direct from il-2,  so to the main question, I'm unsure what pack to get, are the older packs still active for MP? any packs that really stand out both in campaign and MP,  should i start at BoS and gradually get the next in line from there? advantages of collector aircraft if any? on the premium vs standard versions.  what is minimum req for equipment?  ie would a standard joystick work well enough till i find a hotas? will i need pedals from the start?

Any help for a new/old player is greatly appreciated. anything i might of missed please feel free to comment on.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Welcome back!

 

All the Great Battles installments are fully supported and active in MP. I just wouldn't recommend Normandy or Flying Circus Volume II as the first purchases for a new player because their development is largely incomplete (Early Access and Pre-Order phases).

 

On sale for $7.49 or $11.99, Stalingrad is unbeatable in terms of value. For the later installments, you'll be paying much more for products that are roughly equal in size. However, they're all thoroughly enjoyable, so feel free to buy whatever aircraft set interests you most.

 

Collector Planes are distinct in that they can be purchased individually. The advantage of the Premium Editions is that each includes two Collector Planes that aren't included in the Standard Editions.

 

A simple joystick is sufficient as long as it has a twist axis for rudder control without pedals.

 

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Mitthrawnuruodo

[Panzerlang]

Premium: BoS, BoM, BoK and BoBP, £52, bargain.

[Pinguim]

I'm quite the new player. The most used module in MP in western (as in RL) servers is Bodenplatte, after that Stalingrad. About premium, it's all a question whether you are personally interested in having the extra planes because you think they are cool or some other reason, you could get them later after finding out what you like the most. I only have a stick with twist axis for rudder, it's very satisfactory.

[ShamrockOneFive]

12 hours ago, frakkedup said:

As the title states, ive played before in IL-2 Cliffs of dover when it first came out on steam, guess that makes me a new player in consideration to everyone, due to experience lost.

Recently I've been wanting to come back to flight sims and after looking at the options available, i decided on IL-2 over the other well known option, and will be purchasing direct from il-2,  so to the main question, I'm unsure what pack to get, are the older packs still active for MP? any packs that really stand out both in campaign and MP,  should i start at BoS and gradually get the next in line from there? advantages of collector aircraft if any? on the premium vs standard versions.  what is minimum req for equipment?  ie would a standard joystick work well enough till i find a hotas? will i need pedals from the start?

Any help for a new/old player is greatly appreciated. anything i might of missed please feel free to comment on.

 

Welcome back!

 

A bunch of questions in there so I'll try and answer each one:

 

I'm unsure what pack to get, are the older packs still active for MP?

Yes, they are. IL-2: Great Battle Series is all compatible with each other and so the whole multiplayer experience is integrated. You can fly in any scenario so long as you have one aircraft available - even over maps from battles that you don't yet own. Most servers try and offer a range of aircraft. Combat Box is focused on western front and so just about any western aircraft (from P-40E and Hurricane Mark II on up to P-51D and Tempest Mark V) is available in the list. Most of the time there's at least one from each title. The same is the case for Finnish Virtual Pilots, another popular server, that tries to cater to a wide variety of players although it has a more eastern front focus.

 

Over the last couple of days I was flying a Spitfire IX (Battle of Bodenplatte) and an A-20B (Battle of Kuban) on Combat Box and a Yak-1 S.69 (Battle of Stalingrad) and Yak-9 (Collector Plane) on Finnish Virtual pilots. So you'll see the range for sure.

 

Any packs that really stand out both in campaign and MP,  should i start at BoS and gradually get the next in line from there?

 

Bodenplatte if you like western aircraft. Kuban if you want the best looking map and an interesting mix of 1943 era aircraft and Stalingrad and Moscow if you want the earlier eastern front war. Battle of Stalingrad is 85% off right now on sale which makes it incredibly cheap and so for that reason alone it's easy to recommend in addition to whatever else you want. For some who are mostly interested in the western front, I say buy Bodenplatte and gets Stalingrad anyways so that you have a mix of aircraft to use in multiplayer scenarios.

 

Advantages of collector aircraft if any?

 

Collector Aircraft are not specifically higher performance types (although some of them are) but rather were produced outside of any one title and thus are extras that add to the experience. You don't need the Yak-1B Series 127 for example but it's a fan favourite and great to have. The Ju52/3m was produced as a Collector Plane. Not everyone wants to fly a transport aircraft but some do and its a cool aircraft to have in the hangar. I'd suggest asking what you're most interested in and then buying the ones that you want to fly. Or all of them if you're like me and never met a virtual airplane you didn't like  

 

What is minimum req for equipment?  ie would a standard joystick work well enough till i find a hotas? will i need pedals from the start?

 

A cheap $40 joystick will get you going. IL-2 is not quite as complex and so you can do a lot using a combination of stick and keyboard commands to start. Having a HOTAS, pedals and a fancy stick definitely improve the experience but it's not required and you can still get by just fine without. I do strongly recommend that whatever stick you buy that it has a twist/Z-axis so that you can have the equivalent control of rudder pedals. Rudders are important in WWII aircraft.

 

Hope that helps you get going!

[Ryebacker]

Thanks for the input guys/girls, looks like BOBP and BOS are going to be the purchase I make, heading out to grab a joystick today, wish me luck amongst the Christmas shopping hordes and covid lol

Shamrockonefive, thank you for the informative reply, I read your guides on stormbirds as well, which also helped in my decision, judging from the sales, I might just go all in and grab all 4 giving me a variety of aircraft to choose from and a wider array of MP options.

Hope to see you in the skies, either as a wingman or in my crosshairs soon.

 

[jollyjack]

Tip, don't buy via Steam, but direct from Il2, various reasons ...

[Ryebacker]

9 minutes ago, jollyjack said:

Tip, don't buy via Steam, but direct from Il2, various reasons ...

Yep as I stated I'll be buying direct so they get all the cash

[Chief_Mouser]

8 minutes ago, =13NVO=Eeafanas said:

I recommend to buy collectible anti-aircraft guns, Tank Crew, Flying circus 1 and 2, bos, bom, bok.

 

 

Don't buy the anti-aircraft guns or FC2 yet - they're not released and you'll have nothing to play with. And don't buy Tank Crew unless it really is your thing. It's very good but I haven't touched it for months - I prefer aircraft. If you want to go single-player then Kuban is the best map; if MP then get the module with whatever aircraft appeal to you most.

 

40 minutes ago, frakkedup said:

 

 

judging from the sales, I might just go all in and grab all 4 giving me a variety of aircraft to choose from and a wider array of MP options.

 

 

Getting all the released battles while the sale is on is the way I'd go. Have fun.

Edited December 24, 2020 by 216th_Cat

[Algy-Lacey]

Hi frakkedup and welcome to the IL-2 online community, possibly the friendliest and most helpful I have ever known!

 

If your looking for a good reliable joystick on a budget I highly recommend the Thrustmaster T.16000m, ShamrockOneFive reviewed it I believe, it has sensors that don't wear out like potentiometers do, has plenty of buttons on the base and the stick and has a twist function for rudder. I've had mine for about 5 years and it still works well.

 

For a throttle, you might just want 1 axis for throttle / boost and use buttons for propellor pitch and radiators. The T.16000m does have a slider for throttle, but if you have a standalone throttle then you can use that slider for elevator trim or flaps whatever you like. I bought the Saitek Throttle Quadrant which has 3 axes and 6 toggle switches. I have the left axis for throttle / boost, the middle one for propellor pitch / R.P.M and the right one for Radiators.

 

With regards to which IL-2 Battle to buy, Battle Of Kuban has a great map with mountainous terrain and an interesting planeset... if you get the Premium version ($20 right now) you get Spitfire Vb and Airacobra and Havoc, IL-2... Bf109G4 and FW190 A5 plus Bf110, HS129 and Heinkel 111 all flyable. Battle Of Bodenplatte ($27) has many classic western front aircraft, from Mustang to Dora.

 

When I get my new internet connection sorted out I will see you in the skies!

 

Algy-Lacey

[Ryebacker]

1 hour ago, 216th_Cat said:

Getting all the released battles while the sale is on is the way I'd go. Have fun.

 Yep I couldnt resist, i got all 4 premium editions

[BlitzPig_EL]

Do yourself a favor and set up a quick mission on the Kuban Springtime map.  No enemy aircraft or ground units, this is just a sight seeing flight.  Start at an airfield in the North East at Maikop.  then fly south over the mountains to Sochi, and then follow them along the coast towards Anapa.  Take 100% fuel, and enjoy the flight.

 

Be sure.

 

[Ryebacker]

2 hours ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

Do yourself a favor and set up a quick mission on the Kuban Springtime map.  No enemy aircraft or ground units, this is just a sight seeing flight.  Start at an airfield in the North East at Maikop.  then fly south over the mountains to Sochi, and then follow them along the coast towards Anapa.  Take 100% fuel, and enjoy the flight.

 

Be sure.

 

All I can say is wow, what a difference over clod. Just need to tweak the graphics a little to get best performance

[Noisemaker]

[Sarcasm]Don't buy anything, the 109 has an invincible tail, spotting aircraft is impossible, the wind noise is way too loud, where's my volkswagen airplane already?[/Sarcasm]

For the price honestly, buy it all.  The game has its warts and all, but the dev team work day and night to sort them out.  That said, it is by far the best simulation on the market, and worth more than the price of entry.

Now if only the devs could fix... 

[Tyberan]

why all of them of course

[Chief_Mouser]

8 hours ago, =13NVO=Eeafanas said:

Don't buy planes that said 216th_Cat yet - they're boring.  And don't buy bodenplatte.  It's very good, but I haven't touched it for several months - I prefer tanks.  If you want to play single player, Moscow is the best map;  if MP, then get a module with tanks that you like better)

 

He didn't want tanks. And we'll have to agree to disagree about which planes are boring - none of them apart from the later 109s (opening up a whole new can of worms! ?).

[Ryebacker]

 

Well having played Wot for 9 years I might have to get tanks ?

I tried the tanks on a mission yesterday and damn it's fun, takes a lot to take them down.

As for planes, the larger the selection the more I can learn to hate certain planes ?, I've already learnt how to recover from a bf109 stall and can still take off and land successfully, my skills from clod are still there, however combat is hit and miss, just like my rounds

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

3 hours ago, 216th_Cat said:

 

He didn't want tanks. And we'll have to agree to disagree about which planes are boring - none of them apart from the later 109s (opening up a whole new can of worms! ?).

Cans of worms for Christmas, oh lucky me

Edited December 25, 2020 by frakkedup
Because