Multiplayer tutorials or info?

[Chilli_40]

I am relatively new to IL-2, I have completed a couple single player campaigns Kuban, Stalingrad, Bodenplatte, and lots of offline flying. I would really like to get into the multiplayer side of this sim but have real info as to how that world works rather than just joining a server and flying round aimlessly looking for the enemy side of the map. Is there no knee board map to track where you are? I see messages about an enemy plane or attack in sector such & such and have no idea where I am, never mind where that sector is. lol Thank for any help

[Props]

I agree that there should be some good tutorials made available for new flyers in regards to navigation techniques. I thought maybe Requiem's Air Combat Tutorials might have some but all I saw was for radio nav. I personally am very comfortable with land and flight navigation, as I have had a lot of good instruction in my youth and I lived on farms growing up where I was pretty much left to myself exploring the woods and countryside till it was lunchtime (or supper!-) so have never needed a tutorial. 

 

There are some MP servers that offer navigation tips, waypoint markers, and course settings. I imagine there are probably a few good tutorials on Youtube, and even if they are for other flight sims the same basic navigation techniques will apply here. On full real servers like Combat Box you will need these skills or you will get very frustrated in a hurry. Using SRS on Combat Box can help as the Command channel can give you bearings, grid references, and mission targets when you use it properly. You can pull up the map for reference in game online, though in my case it's annoyingly full screen and there does not seem to be a way I can change that, I still use it for quick reference. 

 

Get a small dry erase board or notebook and make it a practice to lay out your course, noting landmarks, writing down grid references for the airfield and targets, jotting down your headings to and from targets, and take the time to go over your route looking carefully at the briefing map, while your sitting at the airfield waiting for your engine to start. It's a bit of learning curve, but it gets easier. 

[Chilli_40]

Thanks Props, I was just curious if maybe someone had done a tutorial on this. It would be nice if the maps at least had a compass legend printed on them.

[JimTM]

2 hours ago, MStewart40 said:

Thanks Props, I was just curious if maybe someone had done a tutorial on this. It would be nice if the maps at least had a compass legend printed on them.

 

@MStewart40, there are some navigation tutorials in the "Flying Guides and Utilities" section of the IL-2 Sturmovik Resources post.

[Chilli_40]

 

[Props]

MStewart40, these maps do not allow for differences in True north and magnetic north from what I can see. They all seem to generally use magnetic north and the cardinal directions are oriented to the sides of the map, ie; North is the top, East is the right side, etc. so you can make some pretty good guesstimates of headings to target by mentally imagining a compass rose over the the map and plan a heading from the airfield to target and the reciprocal for RTB. I don't want sound condescending here but this comes pretty naturally to me and I can make some pretty accurate heading choices fairly quickly this way. Since the maps seem to be based on a magnetic North I can count on the compass dials in my plane as being pretty accurate, (although the gyro compass delay after hard maneuvering in the British planes is a bit of a pita, I can get close to a correct course based on the position of the sun off my wing based on time of year and time of day until the gyro catches up).

 

Once I have a bearing to target I note the map features, towns, natural landmarks, etc. so during the flight I'll know if I am drifting off bearing as compared to these features as I fly over or past them. Thanx JimTM for noting the forum resources. 

 

I hope the Tutorial above and these comments help you out. 

[Chilli_40]

Thanks Props, that's not condescending at all! It's all making sense now, just a learning curve of landmarks and compass headings, and judging distance. thx