Ok, so about to buy IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 and...

[IceFire]

That doesn't look very representative of IL-2 1946... it looks like there is no anti-aliasing, the landscape is bellow even the Excellent level, and the default skin would be back several versions. We should put better feet forward Especially with a config that the OP will be going with it'll be more than enough for the best possible settings. Luno is definitely right... make sure you get the right settings both video card control panel (for things like antialiasing for smoother edges of objects as well as for filtering so textures look crisp and sharp. In-game there are settings to ensure you have Perfect landscape settings which enable the highest level features including pixel and displacement mapped water... i.e. the waves move and they are in 3D.

As for images of IL-2 1946... Photobucket appears offline otherwise I would upload a better shot so the best I can offer are the screen shots attached to some of my campaigns. Here's a selection:

East Front: http://www.mission4today.com/index.p...ds&screen=4957

West Front: http://www.mission4today.com/index.p...ds&screen=4172

Haven't done any Pacific campaigns where I uploaded a lot of screens but those should help. They were done in the last year on 4.11 stock.

[Luno13]

Yeah, it's an old one from when my computer couldn't do the fancy shmancy perfect settings or AA. I just haven't taken any screens on the new hardware

Still, the color palette and general appearance is there.

[tarzan]

Wow, tons of info! I read every post, thanks guys.

I will be back once I get it up and running, downloading now, 4.37GB so it's taking a bit.

I'll post some screenshots of how it looks for me on my machine.

Very confusing series of titles, I settled on 1946 because it seems to have (obviously) the most passionate following!

[tarzan]

Re: TrackIr, wow, I didn't know such thing existed!

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by tarzan

Thanks for the info, just making sure I was on the right track. Yeah after reading this forum I knew there was a lot more content on the PC version, but a big difference in graphics? Even with settings maxed out? I've seen some PC screenshots that look really nice, nice enough for me to get hooked anyway.

I do realize that this is a sim and not arcade, that's the big draw for me here and yeah, I'm looking at joysticks and reading threads. I think my big reluctance is I like to be able to look around with the right stick and fly with the left, using triggers as rudders etc, just don't see how I can do that with joystick?

I will install all updates to 4.11 (thanks for link)

And thanks for the folder advice

First .. WELCOME ABOARD!!

Second.. You need to hit the Nugget's Guide in my sig. Now. It is a pretty up to date guide for Nuggets just coming to the sim. I guarantee you that if you take the time to read it .. and follow much of what is in there your experience with this sim will be much more rewarding.

AS for flyng and looking.. depending on the stick you get you can put your views on either a hat switch or a mouse. The X-52 has a little button on the throttle that you can either program as a mouse or a 8 way hat switch. Beforte I got TIR that was what I used on my old X-45 to look around. It is a little cumbersome at forst but after a while you get used to it and it becomes second nature. I now use that button as a 4 way hat switch at the 12,3,6 and 9 o'clock positions. At 3 & 6 I have it linked to the zoom in and out but as I said it works great for viewing. You can set the speed and have a complete viewing solution.

Forget everything you liked in the console game. Get a joystick. I don't know what your status is lke but if you can afford it get a HOTAS. See the Nugget's Guide for exactly what that is. Any questions you can always either pop back in here, or at SimHQ or M4T and someone will help you or you can just PM me at either of those sites and I will gladly offer up any advice or info you need.

You might also consider signing up for Joint Ops if you have the time.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Second.. You need to hit the Nugget's Guide in my sig.

Seconded, this a very good guide to the sim.

Originally Posted by Bearcat

AS for flyng and looking.. depending on the stick you get you can put your views on either a hat switch or a mouse.

Whichever way you go for "thing that lets you look around" get used to using it a lot.

One of the keys to winning dogfights - in any flight sim and in the real world - is "Situational Awareness". That is, the ability to know where your plane is relative to the enemy and to friendly planes and what they're all doing.

If you lose sight of your foes, you're potentially screwed and in any case you waste valuable time and energy trying to figure out where they are.

As a start, fly with cockpit off so that you get the red and blue directional arrows and get used to pausing the game and popping out to external views so that you can see where your plane is relative to the rest of the world. Gradually go to full cockpit, and then to no external views.

It's very tough, but you get better with practice.

[Janosch]

I recommend going full real asap, with the possible exceptions at first: player's own map icon (helps with navigation), external views for player (for eye candy) and speed bar (for certain Japanese planes).

As people have pointed out, having a decent joystick is the very minimum to enjoy this game. I can imagine the benefits of trackir and hotas, but it's possible to at least learn the basics of this game without them. Game is cheap, the rest isn't, so if you find that you like the game, then you can consider spending more money.
It's all about optimising what little resources you have, recognizing the tactical limitations of your setup - e.g. fast paced close quarter fights are harder - and adjusting your tactics.

At first, I tried using my joystick hat to look around in the cockpit. While it in theory freed my left hand to punch the keyboard, it wasn't a good option. My brain simply can't wrap itself around the concept that I should guide the plane accurately on all 3 axis and use thumb to look around at the same time, even if the hat was halfway decent. Partially for the same reason I avoid firing with the joystick buttons. I use the hat to adjust prop pitch, and you don't even need that with most German fighters!

Mouse is left for scrolling the map - I haven't tried to set it up for views. So, the next best thing is the keypad. Keys 1 to 9 look around, 5 looks up and 0 (keypad ins) is "Look front up". These buttons and their combinations provide a decent way of looking around.

This situational awareness thing is tough, btw. Luckily, flying the planes is easy, since all you need to know is not to yank the stick back or forward at very high or low speeds. Medium speeds are ok, but only if you know what you're doing.

[Doogerie]

Originally Posted by tarzan

Thanks for the info, just making sure I was on the r I think my big reluctance is I like to be able to look around with the right stick and fly with the left, using triggers as rudders etc, just don't see how I can do that with joystick?

I will install all updates to 4.11 (thanks for link)

And thanks for the folder advice

Ah well tarzan I can help you with that to look around we have this thing called a hat switch on most joysticks that's allot like the thumb sticks that you are so fond of. The other option is Ir tracker this is very popular in our world but it's really whatever you feel comforterbel with. as for rudders you have 2 options you can get a twist rudder on any good joystick this is where along with ford back left and right you have twist left and twist right and this works fine. The other option is to shell out for a par of flight pedals also a good option but again up to you. it would also be worth i to get a Mission 4 today account (it's free) so that you can down-lode a few cool offline missions . also if you f do fly online ever avoid smack talk it 's not usually taken well have fun and look out for BOS if you get in to this it is the new one coming out 2014.

[MaxGunz]

Once you have the basic game patched to the level where you will install a mod, copy the folder (or zip and copy) to a backup on your HD and then get a USB stick bigger than you need and copy into that. Then when you get any further step wrong, you don't start at square 1.

I have to ask the forum, is Joint-Ops still around?

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by MaxGunz

Once you have the basic game patched to the level where you will install a mod, copy the folder (or zip and copy) to a backup on your HD and then get a USB stick bigger than you need and copy into that. Then when you get any further step wrong, you don't start at square 1.

I have to ask the forum, is Joint-Ops still around?

I don't think so Max.. at least the old link doesn't work any more...