The Original IL2 Sturmovik

[KMcWilliams]

Hello all,

While browsing through my HDDs, I found a folder with all of my old, original IL2 Sturmovik files. This is before PF, the AEP, etc .....

Feeling rather nostalgic, I decided to dig out my old CDs and install the original.

Now I am not asking for official support, I am not even asking for anyone to debug issues, I am just wondering if anyone else, might have used/ played the original on widescreen, in Win7 x64, with newer graphics cards, etc .... and that might remember some of the older tweaks in the conf.ini file (ie. 3dRenders settings), etc .....

Actually, I am just looking for some advice or suggestions that some IL2 old timers might be willing to share. Except for the inevitable "just install the new stuff " suggestions.

I am seriosly looking forward to playing some of the old missions and campaigns, like those from SnapOneOff. I hope I am spelling that right.

Someone might ask too, why would you want to ? Because I remember with GREAT fondness what it was like flying what was then the greatest flight sim ever, and having SO much fun for hours upon hours. Moving from CFS and Janes series, to IL2 was a great experience.

The younger whipper snappers probably have no idea what I am talking about, they have grown up with all the updated variants of IL2. They do not even know that some flight sims used to run in 256 colors. Don't get upset younger guys, not trying to be insulting, just having a little fun.

Thanks for any constructive help or suggestions.

[Notorious M.i.G.]

I reinstalled it recently for a bit of a trip down memory lane and it ran with no major issues on Win7 x64 straight out of the box. Having the following in conf.ini works fine to get it running widescreen:


[window]
width=1920
height=1080
ColourBits=32
DepthBits=24
StencilBits=8
ChangeScreenRes=1
FullScreen=1
DrawIfNotFocused=0
EnableResize=0
EnableClose=1
SaveAspect=0

TrackIR 5 doesn't seem to like working in it but I haven't really dabbled in getting it to work.

[KMcWilliams]

Thanks for the reply Notorious,

yeah, it seems to be working really well here too. I am considering trying the SweetFX, just for giggles. EDIT: Never mind, while possible, you have to use an DX to OpenGL emulator.

I am going through the knowlege base at M4T just to check it all out. I used to be able to do the tweaks by heart, but it has been a few years and some things have changed.

I am about to try putting the newer OpenGL drivers in the IL2 folder and edit conf.ini , to see if there is any visual improvements, but not really necessary, just want to see.

After a little more tweaking and experimentation, I am going to reinstall all of the missions and campaigns I have collected.

RE: TrackIR, I know there is no 6DOF, and if I remember correctly, IL2 always worked better with mouse emulation, I know I still have that software around somewhere.

[Janosch]

just install the new stuff

[KMcWilliams]

Originally Posted by Janosch

just install the new stuff

I already have 6 versions of IL2 installed.

4.11.1 stock
4.11.1 Modded
DBW
4.12.1 plus HSFX 7
IL2 CLOD

and now the original IL2, but thanks for your helpful suggestion.

And to Notorious M.i.G., I have it working great now. Nice to see someone around who remembers the old girl when she was just getting started, and was a real breakthrough in the sim community.

Now for some trips down memory lane.

EDIT: Thanks to the mod that cleaned this thread out.

[Jumoschwanz]

I always kept the old IL2 installed, patched to 1.2 I think was the last patch.

The thread starter sort of contradicts himself, wanting the thrill of nostalgia at first, then looking into ways to improve graphics etc..

Back when the game was current we were all playing it on amd athlon 900mhz with 19" crt monitors if we were lucky, and if you were really lucky you had the top of the line gforce2. Not to mention that for years we were mostly all on dial up.
If you want nostalgia and the real il2 experience then that is what you should be doing, not trying to make it better.

Last time I looked someone was still running a server for it on HL, not that you couldn't yourself if HL still allows it.

Back in the day I printed out all the web pages from Sturmovik technika on the fmb, still have them. Also I have a lot of other old xxxx on cd roms saved, skins, missions etc.. The biggest tragedy is that our rigs back then did not have the power to run some video capture software to capture some of what we did back then, we could barely run the sim at all let alone anything like that in the background.

I do have some video from 2003 up on my youtube channel though, the first year the sim allowed us to save tracks, after it was upgraded to FB.

To pan views I initially used the keypad, no up or down Just straight to the side. Padlock was also often used, and worked well. Everyone locked out padlock though because it could track through clouds and find ground targets too easy, so I went to the hat switch and am still using it today, track IR I still believe is a gimmick and a disadvantage to those who have been suckered into buying it.

A friend of mine still has my amd900 rig with the Gf2 in his home and it is working fine still, someday I hope to get it back as a keepsake. Many poor souls used to run the sim on Pentium II or III rigs, and with really bad cards for video. Steelandre out of Holland used to run it with a PII and a very poor card. I mailed him a newer processor, ram, card and MB I was done with over the Atlantic and when he put it together and played the game on it, his mind was blown at how much better it was.

S!

[Aviar]

Originally Posted by Jumoschwanz

Everyone locked out padlock though because it could track through clouds and find ground targets too easy, so I went to the hat switch and am still using it today...

Not on MY server.... I've always been a big proponent of Padlock.

Nice to see you're still around, Jumo. We flew together quite a bit a good 10 years ago. Amazing how quickly time marches on. S!

Aviar

[KMcWilliams]

I do not believe it is a contradiction at all to strive for the best graphics settings possible.

As I recall, and many others will attest, ( I do not know where you were,) but back then, everyone shared every possible tweak that they could find.

And even with the GeForce 2 TI that I had at the time, it could always use a little more loving, so attemping the get the most out of it, " is " a part of the nostalgia too.

[Jumoschwanz]

Originally Posted by Aviar

We flew together quite a bit a good 10 years ago. Amazing how quickly time marches on. S!Aviar

Yes, it has been a dozen years since we started flying IL2.

Aviar had a dogfight server for the early years of IL2, it was closed pit and no outside views and no icons if my memory serves me.

I learned a lot while chasing his La-5fn around in Bf-109s.

[MaxGunz]

IL2 original ran to v1.04. Summer of 2002 1.03 changed stick settings meaning (and some FM?) and Oleg released his stick settings then immediately the FW-can't-turn noise level at The Zoo went way down.
1.04 came out IIRC in Sept 2002 and then they started on what became FB.

Handling problems often look like FM problems. The strength-based stick approach takes some getting used to and needs stick sensitivity tuning per plane and stick hardware to get the best back out. That can make enough difference same as trim to who wins or loses, we learned as it went.

Remember "Russian Lazers"?