IL2 Birds of Prey: Hints, Tips, and FAQ's Thread

[Mk10Raven]

Originally Posted by King Jareth

You don't have to do all of the optional ones, just the last 2 called "Realistic" and "Simulator".

Love the game immensely. I'm having trouble with the simulator mission. I can follow the leader just fine, and I get that star, but following the instructor's orders I don't get. Probably because I can't seem to find the d@mn Heinkel I'm supposed to kill. It IS the orange downward-pointing triangle, isn't it?

So, I humble myself as a lowly spit-head in advance. I've done a few missions, but this is the only one that's really got me buffaloed. What's more aggravating (might be part of my problem), because I just want to unlock the darn sim mode. I realized I spent 83 minutes the last time I tried it before deciding that maybe the rising sun was telling me to go to bed.

Anyone got a good walk-through for me so I can move on in my life? I also have no audio for the instructor, just the 3pt. type on the lower right of screen I can't read.

Thanks in advance all.

Mk10

[Mk10Raven]

So it's like, follow the leader, shoot the bomber, bomb the trucks, and something else.

Got it. Finally. Now of course I have to re-do the missions on sim to get the pretty gold wings. <sigh>

So is it normal practice to use the full view initially in simulator to find targets and then switch to cockpit view to fight? Just want to make sure I'm not breaking flight-sim man-law here.

I wish you could have follow view in simulator mode, because once a WWII aviator has his eye on his "prey," he (or she in the case of the Russian Air service) was usually able to follow its flight path in the sky. Of course in sim mode, I guess you're not really locked onto anyone really.

Any hints or tips folks use to fly missions and online combat in sim mode would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mk10

[King Jareth]

I personally try to only use cockpit view but I know other people dont and I'm totally okay with that. The reasons why are I like the cockpit view and I get reaslly disorientated using freelook in virtual cockpit, I like looking at the dials and it feels more 'right' to me.
Downsides are it limits what planes I can allow myself to use due to the lack of modelled cockpits (roll on DLC) and the tiny field of view you get looking forward.
I found bombing the trucks to be the real PITA of that training mission, I think I did use virtual cockpit for that.

I wont offer online tips as I really really stink in dogfights but I have fun doing it and come back for more. Plus it makes any kills I do get all the sweeter.

[Mk10Raven]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I much prefer the cockpit view myself, but I'm having a hell of a time trying to find bandits and bombers inside of it, as everything is vewy, vewy, smawl.

The wide-open view I've been using to initially locate the little dots which might be bad. I too have to switch to cockpit or I get all disoriented like.

I find flying in this simulator mode, my kill totals have dropped in half.
Not so bad, as most WWII pilots didn't shoot down 20 aircraft in one sortie.

Any other tips or hints for flying in simulator mode would be appreciated from everyone.

I understand the principles of air combat maneuvers, mainly interested in tips on this particular game/sim whilst flying in simulator mode.

Thanks all,

Mk10