IL-2 Sturmovik help

Balfa

Well, i guess it applies to most flight sims, really, but... I've just started playing this game, and I'm utterly pathetic. I can't even hit stationary targets on the ground. I haven't yet made it past the first campaign mission where you have to shoot up some captured german trucks.

I start at about 400m and put on full flaps, cut the throttle, and descend at about 180km/h, try to line my gunsight up with the target then when i get close start firing (either guns or cannon - neither works) and I just can't line up the target well, i think my joystick movements aren't gentle enough or something. So I miss and have to fly around building up speed and altitute so I can come back for another pass. I'll usually try this about 3 or 4 times without hitting anything, then on one pass, i'll pull out of my dive too late and hit the ground.

I've destroyed six or seven IL-2s and have only killed two trucks.

I don't want to give up on the game, but if I can't hit anything at all it's going to get really frustrating. Does anyone have any advice?

Sgtshaft

Change the difficultly settings and unclick realistic gunnary and it will be much easier to hit targets and when that gets boring switch it back on and press ctrl+F1 to take away the cockpit(u can see a lot more). Stick with it as its the finest flight sim ever made!!

Balfa

thanks for the help. Having no cockpit blocking my vision definitely helps, but i didn't bother changing the realism setting, cos i'm already into the campaign and can't find out how to change the settings for a pilot after he's already created.

I'm getting a bit better now. In the second mission where you just have to go and pummel some tanks and trucks while they're on their way to the front, i got eight kills. In the third I only got two kills. I hate the rain

I'm glad I don't have to do any dogfighting. I'm really useless at that

Azza

Well I spent months upon months playing this game. I use to be quite good at it but have not played in a while cause I found the single player pants. Its only when you go online that this game comes into its own.


Go to hyperfighter.sk and download hyper lobby client 3.8.95 and you will find about 500+ flyers on at almost any time.

I could give you a few pointers but the flight model changes so much from version to version (patch to patch) that various tricks go out the window and come back into fashion as quick as F1 pit stop.

If your playing old (orignial) IL2 then version 1.21 is what you should be on.

Since then there has been 1 very good sequel IL2 Sturmovik Fogotten Battles

Then there has been the Aces Expansion pack (western front update)

Finally there was Pacific Fighters (poor on its own)

All of the above (not the old IL2) can be combined so you can fly all the planes in one theatre. As well as that there is a patch 3.04 (pacific fighters) or 3.04m (merged installed) with more planes and a new flight model (beta version of the Battle of Britain)

Dogfighting tips.
Okay if you fly Russian, Japanese, British the emphasis is on Turn and Burning (tnb). Basically as British or Russian against German planes you can always outturn then. In a constant turn any german plane that follows will lose speed (energy or E) quicker than you. Effectively meaning they stall out or you end up behind them. Depending on your plane and the enemys you should have a better role rate (if your up against a FW 190 you don't normally). So you should be ale to follow any move a German pilot makes. Remember movement bleeds speed so he can roll, change direction and loop around all he looks but he will be just loosing more and more speed make him more likely to be shot down (a slower target is an easiar target). It take time to be able to turn fight well as you need to learn how not to over turn the plane and get exicted. You will know by sound first (vibration if you have a force feedback joystick) and finally you'll end with a Jedi like sense being able turn on the edge without stalling. It takes time though. Don't overact with sudden movements on stick be gentle.

Shooting tips.
First shots are important. In real life most pilots that where shot down never saw there attacker. If you have a better aim than a better pilot you have enough of advantage to win. You will need to spend time learning deflection shooting....i.e shooting at where the plane is going not where it is. To do this shooting directly behind when a plane is straight is difficult due to smallness of target. Get close. Try and get a good angle (from slightly on top or less effectively underneath or when he starts to turn). The more of a target he presents the better chance of hitting them. Try targeting them when there at low speeds (end of a steep climb) or stalling out. Fire in bursts for more accuracy. Find gun covergance thats suits you. Use your brain to beat real opponents (the AI in this game sucks and cheats) use clouds to loose enemy. Know your plane you flying. No point turning to shake an enemy when you plane is faster and you can simple straighten up (more or less with a small bit of movement in both horizontal and vertical planes but generally mainting one directiona and increasing speed) and run away perfectly legit tactics.
I would recommend using external mode for a while to practise deflection shooting. Alot of guess work involved when your shooting at a plane you can't see.

Luftwaffe flying. The pro's
Germans have better planes than the allies but its hard to used there potential. Use boom and zoom (BnZ) tactics. The germans have faster better climbing planes and diving planes with usally a better break up speed . First of all a faster plane is everything. With that you can accept or deny combat all you wish. Whatever side you fly on always look for the height advantage. With axis you don't stay on enemys six. You dive on them fire and climb away (not to steeply) so you maintain height advantage. You can't be shot at if your above them. Once your higher retrack you target and dive again. Rinse lather and repeat for best effect

This tactics require patience. The enemy could sharp turn and dive away at the same time. Don't be tempted to follow. You may loose sight of the enemy (possible permantly) but not to worry he is no treat to you. I can not stress how important this is. Most german pilots online fly in error do not make this mistake. Be patient. Always use the vertical (do not loop its like turning and in the 109 for example the position of the engine causes you to loose compared to enemy planes) Other german trick to ditch enemy is dive to near break up speed. The enemy usually can't follow (least up to 1943 planes) because there plane breaks apart first. Either they break off or they break up. American planes are a mix between BnZ and TnB. Mustang is an effective b and z. plane . Excellent high alt poor low alt like the German Ta 152.

Which brings me to my next point. Know your plane. German planes are better from 1939-1942, russians have parity in 1943, 1944-45 germans rule the skies once again. Japs have good planes to 1939-41....after that you need to get to 44 to 45 to have a chance. American and british planes suck mostly (need to get to 1942 planes at least). (many would argue otherwise but us luftwaffe boys know best. Italain planes are poor. The fins have a nice selection of everything. The russians have got some uber planes. The designer being russian biased the planes in favour of the VVS (red airforce) some are better than they should be and some planes have unrealistic quirks. Still German planes are superior.

Asides from which you need to know them off to know what you can do with them and what you should be doing with them. In general as a rule of thumb an average vvs (red airforce) beats an average luftwaffe pilot because the average german pilot does not fly his machine right.

You will need to know a planes strengths. If you do you can overcome a superior opponent. Take the me 109 and the fw 190. At first look seems better faster and its more nimble in a turn and climb also has better front view.

The fw 190 is the better plane. Its actually slightly faster (slower acceleration). Better in a dive. Has a better role rate.(changes direction faster) Better and more guns. Its more stable to fire. (less vibrations). Has a better rear view. bigger fuel tank (irrelevant to game though) Better armour harder to shoot down. Its smaller (harder to shoot). Has better E retention (when you dive you go faster than you can straight line, the 109 will loose this extra speed when it levels out quicker than the 190 when it levels out)
But above all the FW 190 is only less nimble at low to medium speed. When you turn at those speeds nearly any plane will out turn you. When you get to high speed the plane will actually be more nimble against nearly any plane for a breif peroid. So while the 109 would be very heavy and slow to turn at high speed a 190 could be lining up an enemy for lunch. However using the 190 in a turn like this eats it E (speed remember) so make sure you either shoot down the enemy quickly when he starts his turn or straighten up if you miss and keep you speed high and oh be carefull not to black out though.

I could go on and on. This game is complex with an insanely high learning curve and with a 100 planes flyable all in some way different you want to be playing a long while to become compatent. At the end of the tunnel is an extremely rewarding sim. It feels fun to decimate real life opponents online.

Good luck and if you need more advice. Post here I will reply.