Beginner questions

[Brett Sinclair]

Hello fellow virtual fighter pilots,

I finally bought IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 on Steam.
I figured out all the settings and got my mouse yoke (via ppmouse) working just fine.
However, I have another questions:
Which patches should I install - and where from? Steam version is 4.12 something, I believe).
Additionally, which great mod packs are out there (content, gameplay, visuals, etc.)? There appears to be a plethora of them, but I cannot find my way around them myself.
Finally, what do I need to play multiplayer?
Thank you & see you in the skies.

Best,
Brett

[Marabekm]

I recommend patching the game up to 4.12.2. After that, if you want to use the Mods, stay there. HSFX and UP3 are common mods. Unfortunatly I don't know where to download them.

Alternatively, if you want, you can patch up to the current version 4.13.4. But remember anything above 4.12.2 doesn't work with the mods. So you may want to have to different copies of the game. 1 for mods and 1 for not.

Also I would look at downloading hyperlobby. Many of the remaining IL2 players can be found there, for playing online. And teamspeak wouldn't hurt either if you have a microphone.

[Brett Sinclair]

Thank you for your reply; I'll keep my game at 4.12.2m then and use Hyperlobby.

Best,
Brett

[wheelsup_cavu]

The UP3 RC4 mod does not work with v4.12.2. It requires v4.10.1m
This patching guide at M4T shows what patches you need for the stock and several mod versions of the sim.

IL-2 1946 Installation and Patching Guide: http://www.mission4today.com/index.p...p=show&kid=584


Wheels

[Brett Sinclair]

Thank you very much!

Best,
Brett

[Jumoschwanz]

IL2 is at it's best when flown as a flight-sim using the hardest most realistic settings it is capable of and using no "mods".

Those who fly it on easy settings tend to be either just "gamers" who are not interested in the history of WWII or aviation IL2 can offer, or they fall into a rut and never advance to flying realistic settings and get bored with it because on those settings it is basically just another crappy video-game.

It becomes art though when you learn to fly it on realistic settings on a good online server.

You will love your aircraft and that you are experiencing at least a slight glimpse into what a WWII pilot may have experienced. You will fly an hour-long mission for just a chance at taking one shot at an enemy aircraft or dropping one bomb onto a target and then making it back to land, and that will make it a success for you.

You will sit up high in the sky on a flight-plan you thought of after looking at the map you will be flying over, the location of enemy air-bases and ground targets. On the realistic settings you will have to keep looking all around for enemy aircraft that might be up in the sun or sneaking up on your low-six, the same things a real pilot in WWII had to do and worry about. If you are lucky you will spot an enemy fighter before or at the same time they see you, or maybe you will see an enemy bomber on it's way to a target. You will get nervous, your heart will pound but hopefully you will keep your head and remember what you practiced and tactics that will work. If you score hits on an enemy aircraft you will watch it trail smoke as it either crashes to earth or runs home crippled. You will be lucky because you were not bounced or shot down, but you can also feel good because being able to fly IL2 on hard settings well is something that not much of the population is capable of. It takes a rare combination of skills and talent that not many have.

If you are going to go for it then the first thing you have to do is realize that getting shot down over and over again is nothing to feel bad about. It is a good thing because it is a great teacher. Save tracks of your flights online to watch why you got shot down and also to watch what the aces do, you can follow their flights from the outside as well.

[idefix44]

Originally Posted by Jumoschwanz

IL2 is at it's best when flown as a flight-sim using the hardest most realistic settings it is capable of and using no "mods".

Those who fly it on easy settings tend to be either just "gamers" who are not interested in the history of WWII or aviation IL2 can offer, or they fall into a rut and never advance to flying realistic settings and get bored with it because on those settings it is basically just another crappy video-game.

It becomes art though when you learn to fly it on realistic settings on a good online server.

You will love your aircraft and that you are experiencing at least a slight glimpse into what a WWII pilot may have experienced. You will fly an hour-long mission for just a chance at taking one shot at an enemy aircraft or dropping one bomb onto a target and then making it back to land, and that will make it a success for you.

You will sit up high in the sky on a flight-plan you thought of after looking at the map you will be flying over, the location of enemy air-bases and ground targets. On the realistic settings you will have to keep looking all around for enemy aircraft that might be up in the sun or sneaking up on your low-six, the same things a real pilot in WWII had to do and worry about. If you are lucky you will spot an enemy fighter before or at the same time they see you, or maybe you will see an enemy bomber on it's way to a target. You will get nervous, your heart will pound but hopefully you will keep your head and remember what you practiced and tactics that will work. If you score hits on an enemy aircraft you will watch it trail smoke as it either crashes to earth or runs home crippled. You will be lucky because you were not bounced or shot down, but you can also feel good because being able to fly IL2 on hard settings well is something that not much of the population is capable of. It takes a rare combination of skills and talent that not many have.

If you are going to go for it then the first thing you have to do is realize that getting shot down over and over again is nothing to feel bad about. It is a good thing because it is a great teacher. Save tracks of your flights online to watch why you got shot down and also to watch what the aces do, you can follow their flights from the outside as well.

I'm very pleased to read your post Jumoschwanz. Thanks for it.

[dimlee]

Good post of Jumoschwanz.

But... I'd agree with the first sentence "IL2 is at it's best..." wholeheartedly... 10 years ago - when I was spending a lot (and I mean a lot) of time on "full real" servers.
Since then my sightseeing has changed so I don't try to compete in dogfights. Neither do I go for medium/high alt bomb runs with closed cockpit anymore. Strain on eyes is just too annoying. Today I prefer more "lighter" settings with own external views which allows to control my 6 and to "hear" aircrafts nearby thus compensating my visual difficulties.
There are so many ways to enjoy this Game. For everyone, in various settings and environment. Probably that's why it is still alive.

[BB-Rayner]

Brett,

As a beginner at IL-2 are you attached to a squad? If not I recommend that you check out our website

www.blackbirdssquadron.com

We welcome new pilots and offer training and a fully modded version of our game.

BB-Rayner

[Jumoschwanz]

I would stay away from Mods and hacks to IL2, they are what divided the community, confused new pilots and hastened the fall of the online community. Unofficial Mods and hacks never had any noble reason for existing.

When everyone flew the official patches there would be four or five-thousand virtual pilots online on weekend-nights. It was just common sense that the more versions of the sim there were the less people there would be flying each version, plus new IL2 pilots had a tough enough time just getting the official version of IL2 installed let alone deciding which hacked version of it to try and getting it installed with no bugs etc..

The best IL2 pilots in the golden-era besides flying hard-settings of IL2 never touched mods with a ten-foot pole and they still won't.