IL-2 Birds of Prey Sequel Wishlist

[bobbysocks]

yeah, well i got my times/dates confused...but i am dyslectics so it is understandable. still...my request stands...

[pwnzjoo2]

1. More airplanes + cockpits
2. Freeflight multiplayer mode + coloured smoke trails
3. Joinable multiplayer games
4. Option to turn of annoying stall warning text
5. More realistic physics and weather effects, wind etc
6. Bombsight
8. Co-op multiplayer missions
9. Customize skins
10. Turn on or off engine
11. Carrier takeoff and landing
12. More camera views flyby + Replay
13. Smarter AI
14.A Pacific Campaign

[Blackout]

As someone who never really played a flight simulator before, I certainly enjoyed this game quite a bit, especially since I don't have a good gaming computer. That's what my Xbox is for, right? I bought this game second hand so I certainly feel as though I've gotten my money's worth out of it.

I really enjoyed the ground attack missions in this game, but it seemed like the only plane available for this purpose was the IL-2. I understand that it's the titular aircraft of the game, but I'd really like to see some more medium bombers and fighter bombers. Lots of people have probably already recommended the P-38, but I'd like to see the A-26, De Havilland Mosquito, Henschel Hs 129, ect. More tank killing missions please!

It would also be nice if you could play single player 'training' missions with ground targets, so you could play around with all the awesome aircraft in your hanger, get used to the different bomb sights, and practice dive bombing. Simply dropping bombs from the cockpit view was quite difficult, but dropping them with the magic crosshair bomb sight seemed way too easy. A cockpit mounted bomb sight view might balance this out.

I have yet to play multiplayer on this game, and I probably never will, since I own the Xbox 360 version and apparently there won't be a patch for it. I've tried to find a game, but have never had any luck. I love unlocking things in games, but it annoys me that some of the planes can only be unlocked through multiplayer mode. If you make planes and guns unlockable in the possible sequel, please make them rewards for completing single player missions!

I'd also like to see slightly more attention to detail in the weapons descriptions, although I tend to be quite picky about that. The Hurricane had twelve 7.7mm (.303) machine guns, not twelve 12.7mm (.50) machine guns.
Wikipedia and Jane's are your best friends when it comes to pointless little details like that. I know it doesn't seem like much but I love seeing games where people put in that little bit of extra time and effort.

Cheers and thanks for the enjoyable game.

[sandiego2003]

ParallaxView and I were discussing the problem with the online scoring system last night. We considered some alternatives and I posted a suggestion on the YuPlay forum.

Here's a copy of that post for those who might be interested. Maybe you can think of further ideas to make it better.

From YuPlay:
"Here's a suggestion to improve the scoring system for online dogfight play. There is a fair amount of complaining about people crashing, other pilots stealing kills, etc so that people are not properly credited for their kills. This might help.

First, each plane has a damage score assigned to it between 0 and 100. 0 means no damage, the plane is perfectly flyable. 100 means plane is shot down, unflyable. As a plane is shot up its damage score increases and the player who is shooting the plane has his score increase by the same amount. Two or more players who shoot at a plane increase their respective scores by the amount of individual damage each does to the plane. If the pilot crashes the remainder of his damage score is subtracted from his score for this match. If he bails out instead he still punished, but not as badly. Only one half his remaining damage score will be subtracted from his match score.

Best to understand this with some examples. So player Loser is being shot at by players Ace1 and Ace2. Ace1 shoots 50 points of damage into Loser's plane. Ace2 shoots 20 points of damage. Loser crashes. Ace1 gets 50 points added to his match score. Ace2 gets 20 points. Loser has 30 points (100 - 50 -20) subtracted from his match score because he crashed.

Another example. Same as above, but Loser bails instead of crashing. Everything the same except Loser has only 15 points deducted from his match score.

Another example. Newbie's plane is undamaged, but he crashes. 100 points are deducted from Newbie's match score.

So everyone is rewarded proportionally for the contribution to the kill. Crashing and bailing out are punished. More fairness and less complaining all around.

Negative scores will have to be implemented for individuals total match score. Some people will be happy when they finally achieve a positive score. Other times, during those drunken party matches, when nobody can keep their plane in the air, the person with the least negative score wins.

Sorry if something similar has been posted before, but it probably doesn't hurt to mention it again. If you feel this idea has merit, please feel free to add suggestions to help make it even better."

[Gilly]

Anychance of adding 'Volcanic Ash Cloud' to the weather options? That way we can all just sit grounded at manston and wait for a week for airspace to re-open.

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by Gilly

Anychance of adding 'Volcanic Ash Cloud' to the weather options? That way we can all just sit grounded at manston and wait for a week for airspace to re-open.

I think the closest thing you'll get is Mount Vesuvius in Italy, with Mount Vesuvius grumbling some ash out? lol

[mrtheox]

Free Flight Mode: Just Spawn in and practice maneuvers and behold the beauty that is IL 2

Selectable skins for aircraft: opportunity to make some extra cash selling Skin packs, or allow user created skins.


Capture The Flag Mode: One Person Randomly starts with the Flag. They are awarded points the longer they survive and for shooting down other players. The person who gets the Kill shot on the flag bearer, picks up the flag. Negative points are awarded for non flag bearers shooting down other non flag bearing pilots.

Improved Strike/Space Invaders: Each team is assigned a box/fort that they must hold. Both sides spawn a wave of armored vehicles that attempt to approach and then capture the opposing team's fort. After each wave of armored vehicles is destroyed, they become progressively more dangerous, faster and have more AA. This game could be made more strategic by having multiple forts, choke points for armor such has river crossings, and destructible bridges and varying armor spawn locations, ie pincer attacks.

Plane Wish List:
P-61
P-38
B-26
B-25
Typhoon
A-26
HE-219
Ju-88
ME 232

[sandiego2003]

Credit for this suggestion goes to W_Redmann who flys on the PS3. A while ago he threw this out while waiting in the lobby of an online match. Everyone thought it was a good idea. As far as I can see, he's never posted his idea to the forum, and I think it would be a shame if the developers never hear about it. I think it's a great idea for an online match. I've added a few ideas of my own to flesh it out a little more. Feel free to add your own ideas to make it even better.

The basic idea is an elimination match, no respawning, last pilot standing wins. To keep the downed pilots entertained for the rest of the match they would become spectators or "ghosts" when they are eliminated from the match. They could jump in any remaining plane and use their free look to watch the fight proceed (of course they couldn't fly it, or shoot the guns. Only watch). Maybe the developers can think of other ways they can view the remaining match as well. They will be able to voice chat, if they have it, with the other ghosts, but not with the remaining pilots still in the match (don't want to give any intel to the remaining players and bias the outcome through paranormal means! Also, no fair emailing tips to remaining players)

I hope this type of match will encourage the use of tactics other than what is currently employed in online matches today. Jumping into the furball won't be the best way to win the game. The pilot will have to choose more carefully who and when to attack.

The most obvious tactic for winning that I can think of is to let everyone else battle it out and then prey upon the last, hopefully damaged plane. However if everyone does this it will make for a long match, and ghost players will get frustrated and not stick around for the next game.

To discourage this, some type of timer should be implemented. It could be just a simple time limit, say 10 minutes, or whatever the host sets. Another option would be to give everyone 10 minutes of fuel at 55% power. I assume different planes consume fuel at different rates at different power settings. At WEP a bf109 might last only 5 minutes at its initial fuel allotment. A spitfire might last 7 minutes (this is a guess, just for example). But initially each plane has 10 minutes of fuel at 55% power. So this would be another factor a pilot would have to consider in his attack.

I can still see one problem remaining. The best tactic is still not to fight, conserve your fuel, and let everyone else battle it out. Besides public shaming by other players, one way of discouraging such cowardice is to change the endgame rules a little bit.

The last pilot standing wins for sure, as long as he shoots down the second to last pilot, or the second to last pilot crashes or bails (why would anyone bail?). But if the game ends because one of the two remaining planes runs out of fuel, then the winner is the pilot of the last two standing who has the higher match score as I described in a previous post. For this game pilots match scores will be hidden until the game ends. If you don't know the other pilot's match score, nor your own, you can't be sure yours is highest and therefore the only way to insure a win is to attack and shoot down the other plane. Running away is discouraged.

In addition to individual dogfights, this game would be great for team play. Imagine how the play dynamic will, hopefully, change when it's important to keep your fellow teammates in the air. In current team battles, I still get the sense that it's mostly every pilot for himself. Sometimes a coordinated attack or defense occurs, but it's not all that often. In this game it would be much more crucial, otherwise your team will quickly become outnumbered. When you have only one life, you want to make the most of it, and your fellow team members will value your life as well (if not, then you need to find different teammates).

I think this type of match will be fun for all. Players will have to plan attacks more carefully if they want to survive. Team matches will encourage more cooperation and coordination between team members. Eliminated players will get to see the rest of the match unfold, and voice chat with their fellow ghosts, encouraging them to stick around to the end. And pilots will feel quite a sense of accomplishment when they survive the entire match and win the game.

[rocketassistedllama]

Hey there. This must be a new post...anywho.
I've read most of this thread-but not all; so forgive me if I repeat someone else's idea;0) Just consider me seconding...ing it.
I've restrict my ideas to offline, as that's the only way I've played it [just on training now;] but it's still my favourite and most-played game, since...september or so last year, when I bought it. Great game.

Anywho, sequel eh? Firstly;

#1; any extra horsepower being squeezed out the i.e '360; I'd dedicate as priority no#1: to making a dangerous ground environment/lot's, lots, LOOOOotS of flack...that can hit you, too [yes...sneaky....you hid it from me for a while didn't you, mr developer.] Read 'Stuka Pilot' a few months ago;Hans Rudel....he destroyed 500+tanks e.t.c, shot down something like 30 times-but only twice by fighters. Flack as he saw it; would be visually stunning too...terrifying to dive into.
As a side-note, by doing what Rudel did; you can break this game...just fly as low and slow as you can-even dropping your undercarriage....even in an He-111, you can get many kills. Moving ahead...

#2; Nicer/more 3d clouds. More volumetric, I guess. But they're pretty good anyway.

#3; how about making one on jet planes?? Say...Korean war, up to and including Vietnam. Most of the same planes were used, anyway. Point being, the missiles were'nt very good-the AIM-9B sidewinder proved to be the best...but was still limited to the tail-chase aspect. There's dogfighting in there...trying to get a missile lock with, say; an AIM-4D Falcon [designed for dogfights, kind of]...what a challenge. Or trying to keep a radar gunsight on a MiG against the sky, in a valley-looking up; so you can use a Sparrow up close. In something heavy, but awesomely powerful, like a Phantom [or MiG-15/17/19/21/23S...) F-86/100/101/102/104/105/106/4. SAAB Draken, Mirage 3/Neshir. So many. Missiles were great, if they worked...they took skill to use too, as not all-aspect. But hell...throw in a MiG-29, and whathave you too. If you want an all-aspect missile...you have to work for it [radars would'nt work looking down, too.]

#4; what's wrong with the Italian fighter-the MC-202? in this. Does it have the same fuel-issue as the Mustang? The 'tang and I have an understanding now. It only kills me half the time...and I still love it;0)

#5; ability to use any plane, in any campaign [at least once finished,]...I think I'm beginning to just repeat stuff.

Ahh yes...I thought there was something else. Some people seem to have real difficulty learing how to shoot/fly e.t.c. I have a friend who's been trying for months-his plane control is a lot better [pretty good actually, he can pull out of stalls usually,] but still...

#6; a tutorial that can be played through entirely in realistic [as most people play it anyhow;] with combat moves;i.e scissors and intercept paths, 'drawn' in 3d in front of your plane-like in that Tom Clancy game. I can't remember what it's called. It's shit. Anyway, Training like that; would go a long way in IL-2.

regards

Z

[rocketassistedllama]

Oh yeah...regarding the jet-game; maybe have it so that your missiles regenerate only after you've shot your last one....that way forcing you to fight with your worst missiles, for a while.....they all come back anyway. Perhaps even give control of missile regeneration-rate to the player...?? That way no one can complain.
Also, being able to mix up plane types/more control in the skirmish-mode, proper landings/belly landings-stuff that shouldn't have been left out of IL-2 anyway, and I'm sure you'll put back in to any sequel;0)

cheers.

Z