Praise for continuing improvements

[Eisenfaustus]

I just wanted express that I love to how this great sim evolves!

I flew a combat air patrol in my D-9 career in pwcg. My flight bounced a flight of 4 spitfires at roughly 4000m, we shot down 3 (two by ai wingmen), 1 escaped. After that we continued our patrol and when my flight set course for our airfield I got impatient, broke Formation and flew ahead to land first. When I flew around the field to initiate my landing I saw 3 a/c heading for the field and thought my flight had finally catched up. But something about their shapes struck me as odd. Taking a closer look I saw a fourth. Couldn’t be my flight obviously. Being already low and slow I accelerated on combat power to take a look at these fellows - I had almost reached firing distance when I realised they were twoforked devils! Bunt to avoid the headon, Kick in boost and than manoeuvre combat. This was a very thrilling fight, lots of climbing, diving and scissoring - with me being the hunted. When I tried to pursue one I immediately received glancing hits on one wing. Long story short - I managed to shoot down three while receiving glancing hits a second time. But breakturning, recovering from dives and pulling lead had absolutely exhausted my pilot. When I couldn’t find the fourth enemy I really wanted to believe he turned tail because I was certain I could under no circumstances continue this fight. As we had been fighting over my airfield I immediately landed. Just to be strafed by the last remaining enemy. Glad to have been missed I ended the mission which felt like jumping out of the cockpit and hiding in a ditch. 
 

After this mission I realised the immense progress this sim has made since 2016 when I got BoS. 
Be it steady improvements like the AI that now gets better every patch - earlier it would have entered an endless max performance turn to the right instead of this thrilling 3 dimensional fight. 
Be it fundamental overhauls like pilot physiology - earlier I could have  continued this fight as long as I had ammo. 
Be it small tweaks like the EZ-42 that has been less twitchy. So while I still get better results with the standard Revi I now find it fun to try to master the use of the gyro sight. 
 

I‘ve recently been made aware that the German (middle european?) mindset of „Not complaining is enough of praise“ often leads to communication problems with non-Germans - thusly I took this opportunity to rectify.  

 

A big thank you to the developers for this constant dedication!

Edited March 11, 2021 by Eisenfaustus
Typos

[easterling77]

Fine words and absolutely true?

[Aurora_Stealth]

I really enjoyed reading this post, sounds like a very intense fight and one of those moments afterwards where you just sit back in the chair with a massive grin on your face and a real sense of satisfaction.

 

There are still very few games today that I feel get the depth, detail and immersion right like this sim does. Like you say, it really does get so many details right and the AI being quite dynamic now makes for challenging situations that were hard to imagine happening before. I'm very optimistic for the future of the game... amazing to think how far the game has come - especially over the last year or so.

 

Thanks for sharing! ?

[ITAF_Rani]

2 hours ago, Eisenfaustus said:

I just wanted express that I love to how this great sim evolves!

I flew a combat air patrol in my D-9 career in pwcg. My flight bounced a flight of 4 spitfires at roughly 4000m, we shot down 3 (two by ai wingmen), 1 escaped. After that we continued our patrol and when my flight set course for our airfield I got impatient, broke Formation and flew ahead to land first. When I flew around the field to initiate my landing I saw 3 a/c heading for the field and thought my flight had finally catched up. But something about their shapes struck me as odd. Taking a closer look I saw a fourth. Couldn’t be my flight obviously. Being already low and slow I accelerated on combat power to take a look at these fellows - I had almost reached firing distance when I realised they were twoforked devils! Bunt to avoid the headon, Kick in boost and than manoeuvre combat. This was a very thrilling fight, lots of climbing, diving and scissoring - with me being the hunted. When I tried to pursue one I immediately received glancing hits on one wing. Long story short - I managed to shoot down three while receiving glancing hits a second time. But breakturning, recovering from dives and pulling lead had absolutely exhausted my pilot. When I couldn’t find the fourth enemy I really wanted to believe he turned tail because I was certain I could under no circumstances continue this fight. As we had been fighting over my airfield I immediately landed. Just to be strafed by the last remaining enemy. Glad to have been missed I ended the mission which felt like jumping out of the cockpit and hiding in a ditch. 
 

After this mission I realised the immense progress this sim has made since 2016 when I got BoS. 
Be it steady improvements like the AI that now gets better every patch - earlier it would have entered an endless max performance turn to the right instead of this thrilling 3 dimensional fight. 
Be it fundamental overhauls like pilot physiology - earlier I could have  continued this fight as long as I had ammo. 
Be it small tweaks like the EZ-42 that has been less twitchy. So while I still get better results with the standard Revi I now find it fun to try to master the use of the gyro sight. 
 

I‘ve recently been made aware that the German (middle european?) mindset of „Not complaining is enough of praise“ often leads to communication problems with non-Germans - thusly I took this opportunity to rectify.  

 

A big thank you to the developers for this constant dedication!

 

this SIM is stunning...the Devs deserve to have a success in selling in great numbers

[JG27_Steini]

2 hours ago, Eisenfaustus said:

I just wanted express that I love to how this great sim evolves!

 

 

Interesting, would love to see that behaviour in my current career. Here it is still endlessly turning. 

[Eisenfaustus]

8 minutes ago, JG27_Steini said:

 

Interesting, would love to see that behaviour in my current career. Here it is still endlessly turning. 

In pwcg the differences are better seen because the height of flights vary more and the fights start with bigger energy differences and Patrick seems to use different AI settings which lead to more plausible decision making (like the spit that disengaged when it was outnumbered). 
But also in my ingame careers in Moscow and Stalingrad AI behaves much more believable then it used to. 
So no idea why it doesn’t in your careers. 
Maybe you should give pwcg a try as well?

 

[senseispcc]

By my personal experience I want to add that it is even more noticeable if like me one has played for a very long time before this series of games the original IL2 series.

Edited March 11, 2021 by senseispcc
corrections

[Cybermat47]

I’ve been playing this game from the beginning, when we only had the LaGG-3, winter Lapino, and no weapons. It’s been amazing to watch it grow into what it is today.

[JG27_Steini]

4 hours ago, Eisenfaustus said:

In pwcg the differences are better seen because the height of flights vary more and the fights start with bigger energy differences and Patrick seems to use different AI settings which lead to more plausible decision making (like the spit that disengaged when it was outnumbered). 
But also in my ingame careers in Moscow and Stalingrad AI behaves much more believable then it used to. 
So no idea why it doesn’t in your careers. 
Maybe you should give pwcg a try as well?

 

 

I gave PWCG several times a try, last time in december. I had problems with the performance and there were some bugs with the UI. I will try again and report those bugs.

[BMA_FlyingShark]

For me this is my "Realistic Plane Game" or sim of choice.

I have not regretted buying any of the theaters and extra planes (or vehicles).

I agree with the kind words of the OP.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by FlyingShark

[jg123410]

I am still very much a newbie to this great sim. I have a long history with the original Il2 series.

 

It's becoming obvious to me how great a sim this is and how the development work, support, communication, and continued improvements are top notch!!! Thanks everyone!!!

 

Cheers - jg1234

[Mac_Messer]

I fly all types of sp careers in GB and for the life of me I can`t finish one of them whole until some big improvement arrives. I flew Stalingrad sp few years ago, gonna fly it all over again sometime since the experience, both with new planes and features, I bet will be new and fresh.

[RyanR]

The sim is amazing. I was dazzled by the original IL-2 (1946/Pacific Fighters) years ago, but had to step away from simming for 15 years. I'm back, and I'm blown away by everything here. The nuances are so well done that I've gone back to the books to research what I'm seeing in the sim.

 

Of the many positive comments I could say, one thing I love is the history you can feel. You can see how aerial combat evolved throughout the war. You can feel how brutal and senseless the eastern front was. The "World News" in career mode is superbly well done.  

 

-Ryan

[sonnykims]

IL-2 is my down time "Go to." Jump in a cockpit and fly anything anywhere. Beats the hell out of sitting mindlessly in front of the box watching some violent movie or rubbish reality(not) show. Pit your wits against a flying foe, manage your plane and get home to a safe landing. Much more fun and challenging.

Thanks team.  

[Blitzen]

Amen brother!

[Varibraun]

On 3/11/2021 at 6:18 AM, JG27_Steini said:

Interesting, would love to see that behaviour in my current career. Here it is still endlessly turning. 

 

I haven't been in the stock career in a while, but it is not just PWCG where they have seemingly stopped doing this for me.  I was in the scripted Tempest campaign last night and my flight of 4 Tempests ran into 4 109K-4s at low altitude and those guys were certainly fighting vertically.  They took out 2 of my wingmen and left me with a shredded rudder and oil splatter for my return trip.  In exchange, we put 3 of them down in a rolling, climbing, diving, dodging, plus a little turning melee.

 

The AI is DEFINITELY reacting and shooting better in PWCG today than they were a few weeks ago.  Today flying with my P-40 squadron, 2 Macchis took an extreme dislike to me, and it took everything I could do to finally shake them off with my Jetseat & Buttkickers registering every hit they were scoring.  Plus, they were smart enough to breakoff as I approached my AF.

 

I agree with @Eisenfaustus that there is some truly great work going on here.  Salute to the team and especially the AI guy/gal for significantly increasing the SP "pucker factor", as well as all the other great current and incoming (looking at you DVD) improvements!