Two Things Holding Back Il2 Multiplayer

[Flight_Dojo]

After three years of flying competitively in Il2 servers such as Finnish or Combat Box, I think two issues should be the top priority regarding engine overhauls in the future. Hopefully, this take isn't too spicy, but I think these are justifiable gripes. Also, for fear this may sound too negatively tilted, I'd also like to say this is my favorite sim of all time and that's why I care enough to even make this post.

1. Spotting.

The fact is, after hours and hours of mixing and matching and trying to optimize my VR setup as well as a 49" ultrawide setup, there is no comparison to spotting ability (at range) between 1080p and just about any other configuration. Full stop.

 

Higher-res displays might be better at IDing a target once spotted, but you can see targets SECTORS away in 1080p. In VR, these targets aren't visible until you're within a few miles. It's a similar story for 2k or 4k displays. The higher you crank the fidelity, the worse your situational awareness. I know many of you are quite convinced you're spotting just fine in VR, but I'd like to respectfully say that you're not even in the same league as someone spotting on a 1080p pancake screen. With the current state of the engine, to be as competitive as possible, there is a heavy incentive to avoid VR and downres your display to a 1080p equivalent due to the graphics engine enlarging targets at a distance, which as a result increase their perceived contrast and "spotability."

In 2023, with the current gear most of us run, it would be nice to normalize spotting so that there is no advantage in "downresing." This game and VR are made for each other, so it just irks me that my overall situational awareness will inevitably suffer for using it compared to a monitor manufactured 15 years ago.

2. Sound directionality in flight.

I've been a pilot for 15 years in real life. I've flown formation extensively. The fact that you can hear the engine noise of an aircraft about to bounce you from behind, allowing you to avoid the attack due to a sound cue, is immersion-destroying and the single most unrealistic thing currently implemented in the sim. Screaming down on someone's six, within their blind spot, while they have no wingmen, only for them to suddenly hear you and break, is ludicrous. Sure, it isn't game-breaking, but if we want the most realistic simulation possible, this feature has to go. You can't hear someone beneath and behind you at 300 mph+ with a 1200-2000+ engine roaring in front of you. You can't hear it with your headset off, let alone under a flying helmet. You can't hear anything but your engine and the wind. 

Again, I hope this doesn't come off in bad taste. As I said, IL2 is an incredible sim, and the work that's been done to it is in a class of its own. With that said, however, fixing these issues would make it perfect.

 

[dgiatr]

4 hours ago, Flight_Dojo said:

After three years of flying competitively in Il2 servers such as Finnish or Combat Box, I think two issues should be the top priority regarding engine overhauls in the future. Hopefully, this take isn't too spicy, but I think these are justifiable gripes. Also, for fear this may sound too negatively tilted, I'd also like to say this is my favorite sim of all time and that's why I care enough to even make this post.

1. Spotting.

The fact is, after hours and hours of mixing and matching and trying to optimize my VR setup as well as a 49" ultrawide setup, there is no comparison to spotting ability (at range) between 1080p and just about any other configuration. Full stop.

 

Higher-res displays might be better at IDing a target once spotted, but you can see targets SECTORS away in 1080p. In VR, these targets aren't visible until you're within a few miles. It's a similar story for 2k or 4k displays. The higher you crank the fidelity, the worse your situational awareness. I know many of you are quite convinced you're spotting just fine in VR, but I'd like to respectfully say that you're not even in the same league as someone spotting on a 1080p pancake screen. With the current state of the engine, to be as competitive as possible, there is a heavy incentive to avoid VR and downres your display to a 1080p equivalent due to the graphics engine enlarging targets at a distance, which as a result increase their perceived contrast and "spotability."

In 2023, with the current gear most of us run, it would be nice to normalize spotting so that there is no advantage in "downresing." This game and VR are made for each other, so it just irks me that my overall situational awareness will inevitably suffer for using it compared to a monitor manufactured 15 years ago.

2. Sound directionality in flight.

I've been a pilot for 15 years in real life. I've flown formation extensively. The fact that you can hear the engine noise of an aircraft about to bounce you from behind, allowing you to avoid the attack due to a sound cue, is immersion-destroying and the single most unrealistic thing currently implemented in the sim. Screaming down on someone's six, within their blind spot, while they have no wingmen, only for them to suddenly hear you and break, is ludicrous. Sure, it isn't game-breaking, but if we want the most realistic simulation possible, this feature has to go. You can't hear someone beneath and behind you at 300 mph+ with a 1200-2000+ engine roaring in front of you. You can't hear it with your headset off, let alone under a flying helmet. You can't hear anything but your engine and the wind. 

Again, I hope this doesn't come off in bad taste. As I said, IL2 is an incredible sim, and the work that's been done to it is in a class of its own. With that said, however, fixing these issues would make it perfect.

 

Hello this is Jim,

 

I fly with HP G2 all the time, i am quite satisfied with my spotting ability but to be honest i didnt compair it with my screen so far because i cannot go back.

 

What resolution you have in your vr headset when you fly il2?

Whats your gamma setting in your headset?

Do you fly with steamvr or opencomposite?

Edited April 30, 2023 by dgiatr

[CountZero]

agree on both points, you have to make game look like crap to be competitive online, and sound radar you have in this game is making gampay like pure fantasy.

but i dont expect changes at this point.

 

another thing that would help is if they dedicated more time to make icons options more adjustable like previous Il-2s could have, most ppl who dont wont to play without any icons have no option exept total arcade full icons, no middle ground where you could have only frend icons or icons show up only at certen distances color and so on...

 

but maybe their new game make some changes to better

[[CPT]Crunch]

In VR I don't care if anyone see's me within 20 miles, but when I see them within five Km's, the odds are roughly 60/40 they're going to die.

[MAJ_Boatswain]

Very much agree with both of these points. 

Solve these two issues and the game is back.