Who enjoys career-orientated co-op play?

[Panzerlang]

I'm posting here to gauge interest. If there is enough (and it won't take a lot, 12 LW pilots in total) I'll post the main premise and invite in the special events forum.

Basically for those who would enjoy regular co-op sessions, DiD (ironman) in pursuit of glory (medals) within the PWCG. Three nights a week, to sign up for at least one attendance per week. Competent and western EU/UK only (for ping/lag) with a good connection.

A certain level of commitment and paperwork-handling required (very little), which alone will put off any tourists. Lol.

 

[FlyingNutcase]

18,000 k's too distant but it sounds really good. Best with it. ?

[Asgar]

Did you say paperwork? I might be familiar with that ? The idea sounds amazing, but I'm not sure i can reliably make the sorties every week

 

Spoiler

 

[PatrickAWlson]

3 minutes ago, Asgar said:

Did you say paperwork? I might be familiar with that ? The idea sounds amazing, but I'm not sure i can reliably make the sorties every week

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

It's obviously Hetzer's call, but with PWCG you don't have to.  The pilots flying the mission can be selected the night of the flight.

[Panzerlang]

56 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

It's obviously Hetzer's call, but with PWCG you don't have to.  The pilots flying the mission can be selected the night of the flight.

Indeed. Turn up and then get included in the generator's roster, takes a handful of minutes.

The 'paperwork' is handling the User file at the end of each session, and any graphics malarkey for medals and stuff (if desired). It's all atmos for the immersion/fun.

[FTC_Woop]

If you're interested in doing that in a player-vs-player environment, be sure to check out https://flyingtincans.com/

 

Edit: Paperwork is my middle name

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by FTC_Woop

[Panzerlang]

10 hours ago, FTC_Woop said:

If you're interested in doing that in a player-vs-player environment, be sure to check out https://flyingtincans.com/

 

Edit: Paperwork is my middle name

 

I registered there a few days ago. It doesn't do the whole 'career' thing though, so not for me I'm afraid.

[FTC_Woop]

26 minutes ago, Hetzer-JG51 said:

I registered there a few days ago. It doesn't do the whole 'career' thing though, so not for me I'm afraid.

Ah yes, I saw your name around!

 

Whereas it's not a 'career' in the traditional sense, pilots are given persistent characters from one mission to the next and are assigned to a historical unit, and they can claim victories and get medals like in an offline career. The difference is of course, everything is online.

 

But yeah, no worries! Just thought it was kind of similar to what you were doing in co-op mode (which honestly sounds like fun with PWCG).

Edited March 9, 2022 by FTC_Woop

[Panzerlang]

Feeling the need to muse on what's probably obvious to most but hey ho...

The number-one off-putter of things like this (my opinion) is how it turns an "I feel like some IL2" into a time-commitment 'job'. It's a stressor and the reason, I think, why many avoid them.

This co-op thing on the other hand is that the commitment level is very low. Me and my brother fire it up when we 'feel like a session' and the idea was to make it a more fixed-time thing where others could join in if they felt like it. If nobody turned up, no loss to us as we'd crack on in our usual way.

It would, of course, be more viable if the pool of human pilots could be bigger but the generator (and historical reality) can't handle more than 16 pilots. It really does need a relative handful of very enthusiastic virtual-career players and this thread was/is intended to see if such a handful exists.

Worth a punt. ?

Just now, FTC_Woop said:

Ah yes, I saw your name around!

 

Whereas it's not a 'career' in the traditional sense, pilots are given persistent characters from one mission to the next and are assigned to a historical unit, and they can claim victories and get medals like in an offline career. The difference is of course, everything is online.

 

But yeah, no worries! Just thought it was kind of similar to what you were doing in co-op mode (which honestly sounds like fun with PWCG).

Yours is a fine endeavour and will tick the boxes for many. 

Our boxes are simulating the full-war experience, which Pat's co-op generator provides to perfection. One day we'll have AI that can run a server 24/7 and provide all the background malarkey (mission generating and etcx100, lol). I'll most likely be dead before then but maybe next life I'll still have a passion for this shizzle.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Hetzer-JG51

[FTC_Woop]

Yeah, I get that and it's fair enough really.

 

The only turn-off for me to co-op is and probably always will be the AI in IL-2 GB. Otherwise I love PWCG, played the shit out of it in Rise of Flight. That was brilliant, career mode with no comms and the like. Fun times.

[Panzerlang]

1 hour ago, FTC_Woop said:

Yeah, I get that and it's fair enough really.

 

The only turn-off for me to co-op is and probably always will be the AI in IL-2 GB. Otherwise I love PWCG, played the shit out of it in Rise of Flight. That was brilliant, career mode with no comms and the like. Fun times.

I'm quite impressed by the AI myself, I find they fly more realistically than most humans. And the vets/aces can be quite dangerous if you don't pay attention. ?

[RedeyeStorm]

Well I am interested for sure. If it is indeed drop in and play. RL does interfere at times. 

[Panzerlang]

2 hours ago, RedeyeStorm said:

Well I am interested for sure. If it is indeed drop in and play. RL does interfere at times. 

If enough pilots sign up we'll go with it. 

[Asgar]

I'm certainly interested as well. I think some interdiction missions to celebrate the introduction of the Ju 88 C could be nice.  

[Panzerlang]

I've set up a new discord server and PM'd you guys an invite.

We'll start the campaign from the earliest possible date and go with I/JG51 as they get Fw190s eventually (they go through 109s to the G2 until the Fws come in). Hopefully the Normandy map will arrive in time for us to transfer for some western action in the future.

You'll need the lastest version of PWCG. At the end of a night's session I upload a copy of the PWCG user-file to the discord chat. You paste that into your PWCG folder and can then see all your gubbins (medals, journal etc). If you want custom graphics (better medal images etc) they will be provided, with instructions.

Knights Cross Urkunde will be awarded. I won't do lower ones than that, the amount of work for pilots who frequently snuff it isn't fun. Lol.

Sessions will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8pm GMT. This can be negotiable to give everyone a fair crack, discuss on discord.

Everyone starts at lowest rank, AI leads the squad. As (if) you get promoted by the PWCG you will take in-combat leader roles as the gen's code decides (the position on the roster). The leader leads, gives orders and must be obeyed (in combat), per reality.

If you're wounded you will be out of action in real time until you recover, the campaign won't be fast-forwarded (there's an incentive to keep it real and try to survive). If you die you start a new pilot.

Pilot names (you choose) must be German, with a nickname in the middle that remains constant (for obvious reasons). Eg, mine will be Hans 'Langer' Rudiger.

If you're into custom skins you get one when you reach ten kills (LW ace status). Talking of which, choosing skins. The easiest way to handle that is to back-up whatever skin folder you currently have and replace it with one that has only Pat's 16 skin folders. Custom skins, I can add things to current skins to personalise your plane of choice (the one you choose from Pat's folders). I then upload it to discord and everyone grabs it so everyone can see each others' skins. That then becomes your 'Ace Skin' for all subsequent personas.

Me and my brother have been doing this for a couple of years and it's a very slick operation now. Bottom line...bauble grubbing fun. ?

[Panzerlang]

Me and Mewt had a pukka session last night (including me getting port-forwarding sorted, new address and router, meh). Pablo got as far as routing his Cat-5 through the loft at his new gaff, then lost energy and went AWOL. There are now five of us on the discord so it's heating up. 

[Patricks]

If they made the AI blind in clouds (like we are) it would be exponentially better, but it sounds interesting to me, may I have a Discord link? Would like some more info like flight times, use of SRS, type of missions preferred, etc.. I'm in Spain so same Time Zone as Berlin... UK +1

[HBB*Hunger]

We did exactly what you do now for about 2 years at "Hunger's Bunte Bühne". 

We flew about 200 hand crafted COOP missions from 1942 to 1945. We also used our website to track each pilots missions, victories, storys and medals. Sadly, the website is down today. 

 

If I had the time, I would do it again emedeately. 

 

Wish you guys all the best! 

PS: The Logo of Hunger's Bunte Bühne was Fang den Hut, like your avatar

[Panzerlang]

Ah, thank gawd for Pat's PWCG. I ran a war for over a year back with the original IL2 and hand-built each night's mission (seven days a week). Total burn out but we had fun (around 200 of us). I would never go through that again.

[Mewt]

Heya. Bumping this for any more interest for any pilots interested in coop flights.

 

We go up regularly throughout the week with a relaxed 'who's available?' approach to sign ups.

 

We are still at the early stages of November '41 in Moscow.

[Charon]

I'm already in one co-op campaign, but I'd be interested in joining a second depending on timing.

[Panzerlang]

6 hours ago, Charon said:

I'm already in one co-op campaign, but I'd be interested in joining a second depending on timing.

Our formal sessions are 8pm GMT Tues, Thurs and Sat but we chat on discord (all or some of us) every day and often fly then as well (inc mornings and late night).

If you fancy a look at the discord set-up PM me and I'll send you an invite. 

[Strewth]

38 minutes ago, Hetzer-JG51 said:

Our formal sessions are 8pm GMT Tues, Thurs and Sat but we chat on discord (all or some of us) every day and often fly then as well (inc mornings and late night).

If you fancy a look at the discord set-up PM me and I'll send you an invite. 

That would equate to 6am Wed, Fri and Sun.
Wed and Fri = getting ready for work.
Sun. 6am = Usually sleeping off excessive Sat night.

I do not expect a change for an Aussie, but best of luck fellas.

Cheers