Hi there !

@fangface

I am a beginner myself just started playing online some days ago. Just to say: Practice makes perfect. Even in some days I learned some basic tactics of online dogfighting but just lacking the practice I think I will of course never reach the skill of some cracks here.

Just a bit confusing if a Russian/Brit plane is on your team even if you are playing the other side. In the heat of combat there was just no time checking the right colours...A Spit is a Spit is a Spit :-))

Sorry for firing on my own guys.....


Good night

Wireflyer

Fang let me tell you my 2 cents.
I've been playing Il-2 almost since it was out. I joined the online battles back in the end of september, and still I get owned most of the times. Why? The reason is simple, this game requires some practice and dedication. Usually I am never able to play more than a couple of days straight, then I have to quit for a week or so.
When I'm so lucky to play 3 or 4 nights straight I become a decent pilot, I see my enemy, I can stay on his six and my aim is not so bad. But everytime I have to quit for a while it's like being back to noob level, and I have to re-learn all the stuff - and I finish getting owned like tonight.
So I know it's frustrating, but if you can play a little constantly you'll become a good pilot in no time! Plus the guys here are fantastic, and are always ready to help and give you tips, so don't give up!

Ps. praise to you guys who are able to handle both PS3/Xbox and women. Mine was a suffered choice, but the presence of the "turn off" switch on the PS3 made it easier :D

Everyone gets destroyed when they first start sim, it's partly how you learn what to do and what not to do. Also, elevator settings are crucial.

id like to apologize for not turning up for the practice session, i know it wasn't essential but i still feel bad lol

How did it go anyway?

rhah: was going to join your game but joined the wrong one, then I had to go to work.

Dogfight and TB modes have almost nothing to do with how real air combat works.

It's not just that enemies respawn ready to rejoin the fray; it's the way the scoring system works. You get points 5 only for a full-credited Hollywood kill, not for intelligently disabling an opponent's plane then switching to attack the ones that aren't damaged yet. And you only lose 1 point for dying. So there is no incentive for using real-world air combat tactics; the winning formula is to concentrate in the middle in a slow, low-energy snail fight. Since everyone is after the big points, they all join the slow centipede of death, and they all stay low to avoid being targeted, and slow to keep a low turn radius.

The tournament is not in these modes. A death is the same as a kill. So if you see 4 enemies crawling around on the ground, you don't have to go down and crawl with them. Especially if they're using spitfires. There are better ways, as long as the whole team uses them.

That's why I think it's vitally important that all our team goes over the material on our site, one thing in particular, I will rewrite the post to emphasize its importance

right, the combat modes are kind of patronizing, like the designers figured we were all just a bunch of run and gun first-person-shooter fanatics. furballs are rare in real life, especially on the ground. If you lost 5 points for every death, everyone would scatter quick.

A subject I can relate to! I was off last week and got to play 3 straight days and nights of online sim. I practised my ass of. I flew LA7, Spit IX, 109F-4 all in dogfights. I played against top guys. The best was Dinoh82 if I remember right. That guy is fuckin awesome. He was #9 on the leaderbord as of last wednesday. I haven't played since then because of car repairs. So I've had a break of almost a week. Hauptmann Molders showed up a few times as well as Stinger. I can't remember who else but they were all in the top 20. Want to talk about demoralizing!!! I did pretty good, though, and was satisfied with my progress. Particularly in the art of not dying. 2 to 8 times in 20-30 minute matches. I actually killed some people and flew pretty damn good. I got down a few times and took extended breaks. There is no way I can get that good. No way. I'm simply not a game junky.

My big problems were: 1. Constantly dogfighting. I like strike and CAT. A little strategy and teamwork, some bombing and defending are great! But very few games going, even at night when European guys start coming on. Dogfight, dogfight, dogfight. 2. Those guys are 10 feet off the ground!!!! I'm sweating bullits turning with their asses! I have to use rudder. No other way to turn that sharp. I died 30-40% of the time augering in. And they are damn difficult to find that low. I know they are there but they blend so well with the damn ground and especially over the cities I can't see em. You gotta get down there too. Very, very difficult handling an aircraft that low, let alone trying to stay with someone! Diving on them usually ends up in a crash. 3. Staying with them/keeping site of them. Either they outturn me or the frickin blackouts are killin me. I don't like em. Somehow they sure aren't bothering the other guys, though. I lose the target, start searching, next thing I know tracers are flying by my screen. 4. Staying oriented. I'm looking one way, find the target, try to get my plane in that direction, then lose the target or completely fly off course. Damn hard to fly where you are looking as fast as they do it. That's their biggest advantage. Spotting their targets, getting there oh so fast, staying on the target, and spot on shooting. 5. Really and truly, you guys are just flat better than most everybody. I'm tellin ya, I flew my ass off, and not too badly either, and had no chance against these top boys. Edal, I haven't had the oppurtunity to see you in action yet, but you are #1. I sure would like to see you against Dinoh82. Man that guy is unbelievable. Unfuckin stoppable! Us part time players and rookies are going to die a lot. No way out of it. I play anyway cause it's fun as hell!!! And that one kill against your big dog asses is worth 2 or 3 hours of "practise".

One more thing. GO COWBOYS!!! I'll be at the game Saturday night in Jerry World!

Rather than start a new thread and create mayhem, I wanted to ask you guys if you're experiencing a similar issue to one I just noticed. Have any of you earned trophies after the patch? I just played escort on sim with zero additional attempts and limited f/a, yet I have not been awarded the Invulnerable Pilot trophy despite successfullu completing the mission. I'm also missing the Allied Aircraft Expert trophy, although I have the planes and have flown each online.

Strange things happening on my mind, otherwise I just need sleep. Can anyone confirm my sanity?

I got at least 8 after the patch, including the platinum. Not those ones though. You have NOT flown all the allied aircraft in a mission or you would have the trophy. You're missing one. It happened to me for the Axis mission trophy. One of the He111's. You can get it in practise. Practise missions count. Set it for 3 minutes and start flying the Allied aircraft. You'll get it. The next time you see me in a lobby, you owe me one kill for that top secret information!

Strange, I used the B-17 in a Strike match last night... but just used it in training and got the Allied trophy. I used every other allied plane in training last night because I used the B-17 online. Sanity denied.

LOL - I'll still give you your kill for being a good guy. ;)

edit: I did the same thing on the escort mission (both completed with zero attempts and limited f/a), but I took the game out and restarted it. Now I have the invulnerable pilot trophy. So strange.

Many thanks for your words of support, I wont quit, BUT it doesnt change the fact that it is highly demoralising getting your arse kicked every time you go online:(

As far as practice goes, I agree, but unfortunately there arent many sim games hosted online, and those that do exist are hosted by experianced players so once again I become a plaything. LOL

@ wireflyer, I agree with your sentiment about practice, but I am not a beginner, maybe this is why I am so frustrated, and I think you got a kill on me last night :), infact I think everyone did!:-P

@Zatoichi_Sanjuro
"Everyone gets destroyed when they first start sim, it's partly how you learn what to do and what not to do. Also, elevator settings are crucial."
I know what to do......act as a target drone..LOL and I have adjusted the elevator settings.

@lost cause,

I echo your frustrations exactly, maybe we should try and arrange a session between us, I feel we may be of equal skill :grin:

@ Kozz, dont worry, last night was just a knee jerk reaction to a frustrating situation, I am still going to play in the battle for europe, I might just have to change my expectations regarding my role in the battle....Like I said earlier, sacraficial lamb!