I agree, mods did it for me. I don't enjoy the no-realism air-quake servers because to me it's contrary to what Il2 is supposed to be.
However many of the historical servers, coops, wars etc. have such a list of mods that I would need several different installs to play on more than one server, I remember back when I modded for RB3d (3d models on SWISSA), there was a mod switcher, is that what JGSME is? Mods have brought a lot of good stuff, but fragmentation was inevitable.

This.

The only time I go online these days is when I start my own server and friends join for some co-op goodness. I haven't bothered with hyperlobby for years...

Cheers,

Fafnir_6

Sadly mate I have to agree 100%

If I want to join a server, I search on H/L, click it and join, that's it. I don't want to see "wrong version" messages popping up, then go back to my folders, enable, disable, bugger up other server settings, then join again. Then later have to go through the same ritual.

My spare time is very spare and in the 'old days' when everyone had the same version and could join any server, the population was quite healthy. Now with myriad installs there is little chopping and changing of servers, many stick with their favourite as the irritation of enabling and disabling mods is a RPITA!

Sadly the Mods have improved the game offline immensely, but online the community is fractured, I fear, beyond repair :(

Cheers, MP

In the strugle for improvement i stop the fight. In war, it will mean death.
In peace, you just lose something you love.