OT - Flight Simming

[Sakai007]

I have in the past. I don't fly a lot of online IL2 at the moment. I am on inactive status with 5./JG27 and was one of the founders of the squad. Being a 109 pilot gets in the way of my love of PacWar history, so you will find me in an F4U when I fly open servers more often then not, but I am not very good at it Currently, AE and CMBN: Commonwealth have garnered most of my attention, with some X-Plane 9 in there for good measure.

[Nikademus]

So my USB Atari joystick isn't going to cut it i gather.

Worked great for Combat! Biplanes or Jets.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: LoBaron


My problem with online play is exactly what pointed out as important. To be successful you need teamwork. You need to meet at a certain time, you need to be active on TS,
you start to feel obliged to your squad mates - which is only natural.
My job is very communication centered. I was IT Operations for a couple of years and now am IT Architecture. Both jobs require a high ammount of meetings, conference
calls, team jour fixes and so on, and from my personality I prefer to write instead of talk. Neccesarily I do talk, but if you spend the whole day like this it is often enough for my taste.

I had some time where I played an online MMO called EVE. I was quite successful playing lone wolf, but there is only so much you can achieve without joining
a corporation. And at the moment you join you have hundreds of new "friends" to whom you "feel obliged to", just get online to say high, have a bad feeling if
there is some corporation ops but you don´t want to join in, talk crap on TS (yes, most of em where adults, but even then...) and no more good old lone wolfing
anymore because everytime you log 100 people say "Hi".

LoL....I have the same problem and that's why i've mostly opted out of the Multi-player experience of the last decade or two. I also prefer "Lone-wolf" After a hard day at work I don't want to go online and have to "Chat" or "Talk" to a whole lotta people and or be obligated to do things at a certain time. Do it enough and the line between a hobby and 'work' becomes blurred.

I have dabbled myself though. Was briefly part of a online flight simm Ladder back in the 90's but the scheduling was a hassle and i dropped off. There was also the competitive factor. Some of those guys took it and themselves SO seriously. More recently i dabbled in MUD's. Last one was Achaea. That one wasn't bad because part of it's rule system (strictly enforced) is that they don't allow idle 'chat' about real world stuff. You have to be "in character" in all but designated places otherwise your deemed "insane" and are committed or something. However in the end...still same problem. I prefer to go online and do my own exploring and adventuring but the only way to "get ahead" in it is to join this Guild or that City-State or that Clan or that group of Nomadic Dish washers with a secret Ninja code. So your once more forced to deal with people who may or may not be helpful/friendly whatever. Biggest pain for that particular MUD was also the commitment level. Go more than 48 or 72 hours without logging in and they delete your account! Other MUDs are just as a friend of mine once sniffed derisively...glorified chat rooms. blech.

[Sardaukar]

Just re-installed my IL-2:1946 to have some flying vs. AI. Gotta love the changes after 4.08m patch.

[LoBaron]

Iain, thanks, good hints. I know the IL-2 option but I never really found the input curve that
suits me. Used low initial input and then a kinda x=y² curve, didn´t really work. I think it is the joystick.

gradenko_2000, I am thinking about the x52 tbh, but atm I don´t want to spend so much money although I agree it lasts for a long time
if you bought one. Don´t need a Z axis on the stick as I use saitek pedals.


Thanks for all the useful and beautiful posts here. [:)]

Nik, thats my current favourite. Just Tasmania and the drone of my Beechcraft Bonanza.

[Sardaukar]

LoBaron..this does not have guns! [:D]

[TheElf]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

ORIGINAL: LoBaron


My problem with online play is exactly what pointed out as important. To be successful you need teamwork. You need to meet at a certain time, you need to be active on TS,
you start to feel obliged to your squad mates - which is only natural.
My job is very communication centered. I was IT Operations for a couple of years and now am IT Architecture. Both jobs require a high ammount of meetings, conference
calls, team jour fixes and so on, and from my personality I prefer to write instead of talk. Neccesarily I do talk, but if you spend the whole day like this it is often enough for my taste.

I had some time where I played an online MMO called EVE. I was quite successful playing lone wolf, but there is only so much you can achieve without joining
a corporation. And at the moment you join you have hundreds of new "friends" to whom you "feel obliged to", just get online to say high, have a bad feeling if
there is some corporation ops but you don´t want to join in, talk crap on TS (yes, most of em where adults, but even then...) and no more good old lone wolfing
anymore because everytime you log 100 people say "Hi".

LoL....I have the same problem and that's why i've mostly opted out of the Multi-player experience of the last decade or two. I also prefer "Lone-wolf" After a hard day at work I don't want to go online and have to "Chat" or "Talk" to a whole lotta people and or be obligated to do things at a certain time. Do it enough and the line between a hobby and 'work' becomes blurred.

I have dabbled myself though. Was briefly part of a online flight simm Ladder back in the 90's but the scheduling was a hassle and i dropped off. There was also the competitive factor. Some of those guys took it and themselves SO seriously. More recently i dabbled in MUD's. Last one was Achaea. That one wasn't bad because part of it's rule system (strictly enforced) is that they don't allow idle 'chat' about real world stuff. You have to be "in character" in all but designated places otherwise your deemed "insane" and are committed or something. However in the end...still same problem. I prefer to go online and do my own exploring and adventuring but the only way to "get ahead" in it is to join this Guild or that City-State or that Clan or that group of Nomadic Dish washers with a secret Ninja code. So your once more forced to deal with people who may or may not be helpful/friendly whatever. Biggest pain for that particular MUD was also the commitment level. Go more than 48 or 72 hours without logging in and they delete your account! Other MUDs are just as a friend of mine once sniffed derisively...glorified chat rooms. blech.

The great thing about WBOP servers is it is a come as you are online community. You could very well show up and not be on comms and do your own thing. You could ALSO come up comms and without any commitments make a quick check in, have three or four regulars copy you and reply "loud and clear", "Lima Charlie", or "5 by 5" and then do your own thing. Furthermore, you could do all that and then yell for help when you found yourself in trouble and those who were on comms would form a posse and come to your aid. Trust me, this is how it works. Just monitoring comms is a huge advantage over someone who isn't.

You hear everyone else and what they are into and you can support them or at least have SA to the fights going on around you and know where you might be appreciated or not. The very same people who might come to YOUR aid in a pinch will eventually find themselves at YOUR mercy when they get into a pinch. That is how it works, and if you just chime in one day and say "Hi I am new here but willing to learn" most of the stalwarts will accept you as the community is always looking for new blood. WBOP has their own teamspeak channels and they are communal. You need not be a Squad member. Remember I have been a regular for over 2 years, and never committed to anything but when and where I wanted to play. I know most of the regulars by the sound of their voice, and they know me. Even after 5 months absence there are people on that server who would be happy to wing up with me and get some bandits. It isn't nearly as formal as you all seem to think. All you need to do is resolve to try it.

If anyone is interested I would be happy to take you under my wing and introduce you to it. There would be some trial and error getting you set up, but I promise the end result WILL be magical. I've got a gig on the Lincoln next week, and after that my family is visiting, but I might be able to get up to speed in the next few weeks and get some bandits. I've been meaning to...give me a shout.

If I can get you on line you won't be disappointed. I promise.

[LoBaron]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

LoBaron..this does not have guns! [:D]

Ah, but there are some molotow cocktails in the luggage compartement for ASW duty... [;)]

[LoBaron]

Iain thank you, this is very tempting.
Sadly I have doubts that my - currently very busy - RL can handle another favourite hobby where I´d love to spend time.

I will definitely keep it in mind, as I believe every word you say about how much fun it can be. I hope the offer does not run out. [:)]

[TheElf]

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

Iain thank you, this is very tempting.
Sadly I have doubts that my - currently very busy - RL can handle another favourite hobby where I´d love to spend time.

I will definitely keep it in mind, as I believe every word you say about how much fun it can be. I hope the offer does not run out. [:)]

of course not. It's something I do anyway. In fact I just ran a bunch of my gun camera tracks from the last few missions I flew...gets the blood pumping.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Mundy

I'm using a Saitek X52, which I've had for the last 5 years or so.  One issue I've had is the twist rudder getting a bit "twitchy" on the stick.  I've had to widen the dead space in the game to tone it down.  I got the stick/throttle combo for within $120 or so.  Overall, it's done well for me.  I would love the Thrustmaster Cougar, but I'm not ready to sink over $400 for that, though it's probably the best made combo out there.

I still have (I think about 15 years now) Thrustmaster F-16 FLCS and F-16 TQS! [:)]









I even got StickWorks Digital F-22 custom chip for it!


But, unfortunately and AFAIK, there are no Vista / Windows 7 drivers for it and I am stuck with Windows XP for it... [:(]


Leo "Apolo11"

[Grotius]

Wow, these sims look fun. For a WW2 sim, would you all recommend starting with IL2 1946? And what's the best choice for a modern flight sim (Cessnas and the like)? Which sim are you using in your most recent post, LoBaron?

Also, any joystick recommendations for a newb? Apollo's looks nice, but I have Win 7. I have a MS Sidewinder thing lying around; no idea how good it is.

[gradenko2k]

ORIGINAL: Grotius
Wow, these sims look fun. For a WW2 sim, would you all recommend starting with IL2 1946? And what's the best choice for a modern flight sim (Cessnas and the like)? Which sim are you using in your most recent post, LoBaron?

Also, any joystick recommendations for a newb? Apollo's looks nice, but I have Win 7. I have a MS Sidewinder thing lying around; no idea how good it is.

Yes, Il-2: 1946 is the best WW2 flight sim at the moment. I recommend getting it from gog.com or gamersgate so you're DRM-free, although it's also on Steam if you don't mind Steam. No sales right now, so they're all retailing for 9.99 USD

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/il_2_sturmovik_1946
http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-IL246/il-2-sturmovik-1946

The best civilian sim is Microsoft Flight Simulator X, although I'm not sure where to get the best deal on that.

[Grotius]

Thanks!

[Erkki]

They have a thing with me on the WOP servers... Me(and at least my 5 alter agos) and pretty much my whole squad is banned there. Never used the chat after the first ban either(explained someone the difference between Bf 109 F-4 and F-2 with 2 lines, banned for spam, squadmate banned for asking what I was kickbanned for). I asked for a reason on the forums twice only to get my posts deleted and forum accounts removed. [&:]

LoBaron: I dont know if X52 is a good idea. The HALs and magnets are rather badly positioned so that the distance between the sensor head and the magnets is very long at the extremes, and could be shorter in the middle area too. Luckily, this can be quickly fixed with a screwdriver and some glue: just remove the magnets, glue them on each other and then glue them just across where the HAL is when the stick is at upright position - theres a small area there that is as it was made for this. The magnets will end up only half a mm from the sensor head, making the stick considerably more accurate.

If you want to keep using rudders, the X52's rudder/yaw axis can be locked, but the lock is only loose and still twists a little. Before buying it, you(or anyone else considering it!) might want to test it out at the store for the very least.

[Treetop64]

Longtime user of the IL-2 series. The latest patch (v4.11) made significant improvements, among numerous other areas, to AI behavior and makes them much more "human", including the likelihood of piloting mistakes of junior AI pilots during combat. The default skins for many aircraft were also overhauled - huge improvements in this area.

The sim's strong suit is in it's Eastern Front plane list and theaters, and the relatively middle-to-low-altitude, predominantly front-line ground support types of actions relevant to this theater. This is, after all, the heart of the sim being that it was originally supposed to only take place on the Eastern Front, with the player flying just progressive variants of the IL-2 Sturmovik.

I'm currently building a new DGen campaign covering the areas of (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia), (Gulf of Finland, southern Finland, Estonia, and Leningrad), and (Murmansk). It will be similar in ways to the Ostfront payware addon that came out years ago, except it will be free, and it will include new aircraft and features that weren't available when Ostfront was released.

It's a lot of work, and despite the recent improvements to it, the sim's full mission builder isn't the most terribly intuitive interface I've ever used...

[LoBaron]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

Wow, these sims look fun. For a WW2 sim, would you all recommend starting with IL2 1946? And what's the best choice for a modern flight sim (Cessnas and the like)? Which sim are you using in your most recent post, LoBaron?

Also, any joystick recommendations for a newb? Apollo's looks nice, but I have Win 7. I have a MS Sidewinder thing lying around; no idea how good it is.

Grotius-san:

FSX is the ancient mother
with a guardian of elements named REX
Carenado creates eagles

[:)]



Stock FSX is old and outdated, but what has been achieved on the 3rd party market is astonishing.

The components used in the screenshots are:

FSX Gold (FSX + all service packs)

REX, or Real Enviroment Extreme is 3rd party software which provides a huge cloud DB (they are 2d but you won´t
notice except if you look straight down) categorized in different weather texture packs, a realtime weather engine
which is highly configurable and enables you to load current weather data from all over the globe, high res runway,
taxiway and parking position textures, and weather/wind dependent high res water textures.

The ground textures are the Tasmania freeware demo provided by Fullterrain, a 3rd party developer who seels payware
textures/meshes for large areas and hundreds of handmade airports and small airfields (sensational work).
They currently have complete Australia and NW United States.

And finally, Carenado established themselves as high quality 3rd party payware devs of general aviation aircraft.


www.realenvironmentxtreme.com
www.fullterrain.com
www.carenado.com


I can only second what the others said about IL-2 1946.
Until CoD gets the long time love and dedication that Maddox Games provided for IL-2 and its successors the latter will
remain the best WWII aircombat simulation currently on the market.

There are alternatives, but none of them is able to provide an as sophisticated air and damage model as IL-2.


Thanks for the additional joystick assessments guys, I think I will comply and test some before I make and final
decisions.

[LoBaron]

ORIGINAL: TheElf
In fact I just ran a bunch of my gun camera tracks from the last few missions I flew...gets the blood pumping.

Upload!

[TheElf]

ORIGINAL: LoBaron

ORIGINAL: TheElf
In fact I just ran a bunch of my gun camera tracks from the last few missions I flew...gets the blood pumping.

Upload!

lol, I'd like to, but I am not an AV geek. I have not idea how to make an MPEG of an IL-2 track, though I know I could probably find out very easily. Mostly it is a motivation defficiency...[;)]

[Erkki]

Umm.. Shameless self promotion, and I sent this to LoBaron already, but something like this? Some stuff recorded a week ago. Recorded ntrks, recorded from (most) different camera views using Fraps, edited with windows movie maker. [8D] Notice how the il2 now tracks the pilot head movements in all planes, and not just of the player's who recorded the ntrk!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sq_uOyqWKo