Current Player Numbers ?
 

I was wondering what the current player numbers are? My friends and I live in California, are there people playing all the time?

Are players of this game leaving for the newer Wings of prey?

Thanks!!!:)

Online using the Hyperlobby

There's approx 700-750 pilots at the moment. 20:30 GMT

This goes up to over 1000 at the weekends

Hyperlobby Download / Donate
http://hyperfighter.sk/index.php

We'll give you the benefit of the doubt and just assume you were joking. :grin:

Aviar

basically... during the day, any given day, (till around 10PM) there's usually 300-500 people online, there's 64 player servers that are usually pretty full... at night (11PM-3AM) it dwindles down to around 100-150 people online any given night... then it starts picking back up as the aussies and asian community logs in... either way, there's always someone to shoot down.

and wings of prey is not a flight sim, its an arcade game, nobody who likes IL2 would leave for it, because tis a totally different genre of game.

I live in BC canada, so it'll be the same time zone.

So in all honesty, would a bunch a new fighter game players get our asses handed to us over and over and over in this community?

What exactly do we need to purchase to be completely up to speed with the multplayers aspect of this game?

basics are 1946 + 4.08m + 4.09m, we're not allowed to discuss mods here, so download hyperlobby at www.hyperfighter.sk and ask the community itself

yea ur gonna get ur ass handed to you by the pros, but don't get frustrated by it, cause it doesn't matter how good u are, there's always good and bad nights.... this game has a very shallow but long learning curve, u can get into it fairly quick, within a couple weeks, but to really get good at it can take years, and depending on ur in-born tallent, you might never get to be one of those guys that people say "gotta watch out for this guy" but practice will yield results, and you will get kills, no matter how bad you were when you started.

but... the main thing is u have fun doin it.

Are 4.08m and 4.09m patches or extra expansion games we need to buy?

just patches.

I would like to try MP at some point but at the moment quite happy to cut my teeth on SP before I do. I get the impression that MP will be pretty tough and 'realism' settings fully implemented so I am (slowly) learning to adapt to them in campaigns and SP missions with AI at ACE. Didn't know about Hyperlobby so thanks for the link and I will download it and read the relevant info. Hopefully, I will find a few sessions suitable for IL2 novices or with other newbies...:grin:

You can take a look in hyperlobby website, rightside
http://hyperfighter.sk/

I just downloaded HL and launched it to find lots of games going on. I have a lot to figure out but the difficulty levels/game options are clearly shown which is great. Tempted to join in but can you join a game thats already started? Wasn't sure so thought it best to ask on here first then get my ass smoked later.......:grin:

Anyway, will continue reading the HL manual and may try joining a game later......

SO we don't need Forgotten Battles for multiplayer?

Nope, Il-2 Sturmovik 1946 is the latest version, and the only one you'll find being used much on Hyperlobby. It includes everything in the earlier versions - Forgotten Battles, Pacific Fighters etc.

Hyperlobby used to show IL-2 as 'Forgotten Battles', but this has now been corrected, and shows '46, which is where you will find the action. You will need to patch to 4.08 and then 4.09m, and you will find some servers are using mods, though there are others that don't.

IL2 1946 and patch it from v4.07 to the current version.

IL2 1946

http://www.ubi.com/US/Games/Info.aspx?pId=5163


4.08 update

http://www.ubi.com/US/Downloads/Info.aspx?dlId=2176

or

http://patches.ubi.com/il2_1946/

4.09m update

http://www.flygflottilj16.se/fil/409m.exe
http://www.f16vs.se/download.php?list.2

409m Torrent link >

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IMGI7IIB

Depends on the server you go on. I always recommend spending a bit of time in the Quick Mission Builder flying around until you feel like you can shoot down the AI with some degree of success with a few different types of aircraft (there are so many to choose from!). And then start online.

Some servers are more difficult and have a greater degree of restrictions (locked cockpit, no icons, etc.) whereas others are more open (virtual cockpit allowed, team or full icons, external cameras allowed, etc.). The ones with more relaxed settings tend to have a greater mix of players with the inexperienced and the experienced mixed in together.

On servers like UK-Dedicated the regulars tend to be very helpful although if they find you in their sights you're still dead :)

Joined several games and really enjoyed it - only managed one kill but not put off! Some games are straightforward with colour coded icons making it easy to spot friendly from foe but can someone explain how you ID a foe in sessions that don't have icons? I navigated to an area that I was suppose to defend but upon entering the fray hadn't a clue who I was supposed to shoot....:confused:

Also, do you have to land for re-arming and to be awarded your kills?

If you are getting kills that early in your career, you are doing well.:grin:

The no-icon servers are definitely not a friendly place for beginners. Figuring out who is hostile before they start shooting (usually a good indication) is difficult, and not something I'd be able to give reliable advice on. I'd stick with servers that at least have icons enabled, for now - you have more than enough to learn without that added complication.

And yes, you are supposed to land to get awarded points, though to be honest, there are flaws/bugs in the points system anyway, so I'd avoid getting over-obsessed with them, and concentrate more on fulfilling your own objectives.

I may have seen you on Hyperlobby earlier, there was a 'SEEXXX' (where XXX was a number) online, and I wondered if it was you. I ended up not flying on HL anyway, but I'll keep an eye open for you next time.

Thanks AndyJW, I will avoid the no icon servers and it was me (SEE47) on HP that you probably saw. I was browing the various HL options and sussing how to use it but couldn't resist the temptation to join a server.....

The only clear way to be sure who is the enemy, is to check the markings. Using zoom in-game helps in this. Learn to identify the different markings in QMB.

The next best thing is to identify the plane type. If you're flying a BF-109 and see a Spitt... :) This is most often reliable enough way to identify the enemy. So learn to id the different types too.

Ofcourse there is servers where there are mixed/unrealistic plane sets where you cannot definitely say what planes the are the enemy (unless you check the enemy airfields and what they've got).


-LLv34_Untamo

First, go to Joint-Ops and follow a Basic Flight School, it's the fastest way to learn. www.joint-ops.com
Second, join an online squad, or at least ask to fly with one as a guest. The real fun starts there.

Cheers,
Insuber

That confusion about not knowing who the enemy is and who your friends are is called the "fog of war" and because this game is a simulation it is something that WWII pilots had to deal with as well.

There are zoom/wide angle keys that will help with identification but after that you just have to be good at identifying aircraft/aircraft markings quickly.

Personally I just stick with servers that have icons :)