Please make a copy of your old version for backup.
 

For those that didn't instal the new official version, make a copy of your game folder just in case.
I didn't and now it looks like I'll be stuck on a game that I don't like anymore. :(

I did Jaws, fortunately, otherwise in its current form I would not touch it again....no exaggeration. Great advice. Do it.

Jaws, did you buy the DVD Rom? If so, it will only go up to a certain stage, maybe you can then quickly stop any attempt at upgrading it by steam, (possibly disable auto update quickly or abort it) then install a patch that worked for you? Worth a try I suppose.

you can have any of the betas back just by applying them on your game.

if you want an older official version, then you need a backup of it. I don't know if anyone kept a backup of the official versions.

I will make a backup of the latest official v1.02.14821 Release (which is also the NA release), and we should also have the original RU/EU release (I don't know which version number had that, if anyone else knows, please tell me).

What we don't have anymore (if no one kept them backed up) are the v1.01.14550 Retail and v1.00.13954 Release..

All the rest were beta's, and we have them as archives.

So.. anyone with the above two v1.01.14550 Retail and v1.00.13954 Release version backups, please?!!

Whats so bad with this patch?

From what I have heard so far its all good apart from the cockpit reflections.

The new "streamlined" lighting engine, that deals with the colors pretty much blows.
The game looks three years older now and it runs quite a bit worse than the last official version.
When I get clouds in view my fps drops down to single digits, with two planes in view, in the middle of the chanel.

I'll try a bit more, but honestly, I have no use for the game as it looks and runs now.

Decrease your graphics settings maybe.

A lot of folks forget what it was like when the original IL-2 was new, and the engine was so demanding that we couldn't fly over cities without getting severe frame rate hits.

lol.. yes, I remember.. I was so frustrated at the time then as well! :)

+1000. I'm uploading a small video with settings in "Very High" and with "custom" settings. The game visual is almost the same, but with MUCH BETTER performance!

I made no backup and WOW... the first impression:

109 Proppitch bug is history :)
and the reflections of the instruments are back... :)

That will be a nice testing session tonight...

Just remember the cache was deleted and has to be filled again.
That might lead to stutters and low fps when objects appear for the first time.

But its a childish overreaction imo anyway.