I'm an old retired pilot and was born before the end of WWii. Later flew Army helicopters and fixed wing before becoming a commercial airline pilot. Had a chance in the reserve in the 60s and early 70s to fly with guys that in WWII had flown B-17s (he also had been a POW) , B-25s and a former Marine Corsair pilot. Started out with CLOD as my first flight sim. I was hooked. I now have MSFS, DCS and most of the IL2 Battle series. IL2 is my favorite by a wide margin. Yes, I would like to see something new with better performance but I am more than happy with what I've got. The current geopolitical situation has not decreased my enthusiasm nor my appreciation for the game. About two or three years ago I began using a VR headset . Started out with an Occulus Rift. Not enough computer power or headset for the game. Followed by a Reverb g2 plus an upgrade to a RTX 2080 ti followed by a 3080 ti. Right now I'm running a Varjo Aero with a 4090 and love the experience.
To ME at least, but to a lot of people I know as well, the main problem of the game is not that there is no new content. The problem is that A LOT of fixes are needed, a lot of promised and necessary features are missing, and the mechanics are limited. Hell, even performance suffers, on a game that runs so well, when you span a lot of units, so no big operations. Changes take a lot, just like in DCS, and the devs are not so hot into admitting they were wrong. Some plane's engines are nerfed, some planes are fucking UFOs. Ground pounding has a lot of issues. From the fucking trees to the ammo. And that is only stuff we see in MP. For SP, the AI straight up sucks. This game could be so much more enjoyable if those small changes were implemented, YEARS ago. People got tired of seeing these crucial things never got touched. We still dont have API ammo for allied planes. After all those years. And it all its a shame. War Thunder sucks tremendously for me, and I don't want to touch it ever again. DCS is not there yet for WW2. Combat Pilot ( I dare not make an acronym for this one ) is going to take years. I'll be playing IL2 for a friend of mine just got into it. But when he's not online, I'll be on DCS, where, although slow, change happens more often, and I have a lot of stuff to learn since I started a few months ago. tldr; The multiplayer is not dead, but the development is, the communication is, and that is frustrating to a lot of people that don't wanna do the same old thing over and over again, knowing every time of the issues that will never be fixed. I hope the next installment comes not only with a new engine, but also with a new attitude from the devs. Cheers Sherrif and sorry for the long comment.
Hmmm, I'm watching this video because I have an interest in IL-2 as I've heard the VR implementation is miles above DCS, and I'd like a good VR flight sim to take a break from the very technical flying style and poor VR optimization of DCS. Should I wait for the new version of IL-2?
@@faelwolf1177 If you have money, IL2 gets discounted a lot thought the year and its a great game! It's a delight in VR as some people say and if you have friends/squad to fly with, an absolute banger. New IL2 is going to take years for a beta so I would totally recommend hopping on the current one :)
@@faelwolf1177 also worth mentioning is the fact that you get so much more for the money, if you compare IL-2 to DCS. Where in DCS you get one single plane (yes it has clickable cockpit IL-2 does not), in IL-2 you get entire scenario with its map and couple of airplanes for about same money. And you can even play all maps in MP, just to with the limitation for planes you own. I also think that while DCS is great for modern planes, the weapons and damage modelling for WWII warbirds in DCS is very subpar to IL-2.
@@madigorfkgoogle9349 Actually the non-clickable cockpit was a part of my interest. DCS is not only not very well optimized for VR (my computer runs very hot even with things turned down) but the myriad of buttons, switches and knobs makes it a pain to fly in VR since I can't use a control panel or Helios. I am looking for something with better graphics and a bit more challenging than Aces High, but not the complexity of DCS. The sub fee for AH is also something I'd like to avoid, $15/mo for a 25 year old game is a bit much. I'm planning to pick up the P-38, as it's one of my favorite Warbirds, is there a preferred map/module to pick up? As I understand it, once I pick up the P-38 I can fly it on any map that I have. So which would make a good bundle to pair it with?
I JUST found out about the game 3-4 months ago and got it. I feel like I missed out on a golden era of WWII flight sims. I'm still in multiplayer every week, but I can't imagine what it was like a couple years ago.
@@mesomebody774you say that as of there's anything to check out about Combat Pilot apart from a couple model pictures. We're probably at least 1.5 years out before we get anything even remotely playable, and then it'll probably just be 1-4 planes on a proof of concept map. Hopefully it'll be great but it's way away. (and it's not like it'll do much for people who like to fly 109s/190s)
Well, at least you arrive at the dawn of Apollo dynamic campaign which is one of the most interesting multiplayer content available and is in its final beta stage I believe.
Thank you for keeping us updated, despite your heavy schedules! I too have a kid aged 5 and 2 as well - as a result of which my multiplayer gaming life has basically ground to 0 and even single player gets perhaps a few hours spread across a few days every week. So I totally can empathise. In fact, I'm amazed that you are able to juggle so well that you can still play and produce such excellent vids :) Ever since I stumbled on your channel I've been watching your vids again and again, sometimes because they're great quality and hence good entertainment for relaxation, and sometimes because I can imagine myself back in the pilot's seat again :P So please keep them coming at whatever pace as long as you continue to have fun making them! Wish list? Hmm how about one of your educational comparison vids - this time Me109 K-4 vs the others? :)
I’ve just returned to the IL2 series after 15 years. Still trying to get my setup right and all the games. But found your channel. Some of us come back, even after a decade plus.
I'm so surprised your "how to.." videos get so little views! When I start a plane I'm unfamiliar with or haven't flown in awhile "Sheriff how to 'plane type' il2" is always the FIRST thing I would search for! Not just for the Engine Management stuff (like the small differences in how some controls work from plane to plane), I also go to your videos because you're so detailed about the individual flight characteristics of each plane and what fighting styles are best suited for it. I particularly love the videos where you compare certain fighters to all the possible opposing fighters it may come up against and the best tactics for each. At least in the end I'm fairly certain whatever types of videos you end up making in the future I will find them equally entertaining. Good luck to you!
For me WWII seems dead until Combat Pilot comes. Despite what people want, DCS WWII will never get fleshed out to the point to even be close to IL-2 1946 let alone IL-2 Great Battles. DCS WWII feels like a really awesome tech demo. There are very clearly some great things about it but it isn't fleshed out enough and the time to do that is measured in decades not years.
And it breaks my heart. I just got into dcs dumped a ton of money into it and love it but they really need to step it up in this department. I do not enjoy flying as much in il-2 but I really enjoy the atmosphere if that makes any sense.
If DCS WW2 feels like a tech demo you aren't doing it right. We've flown entire campaigns in DCS WW2 that were totally flushed out. Combat pilot has a LONG way to go before it will even touch what DCS or IL2 has accomplished. There is also little evidence to suggest they have the capabilities to accomplish the results of these other two sims. They had to buy a premade B-17 asset for God's sake.
This is a real shame. I love this sim and I came in from Rise of Flight, loving the previous work from these devs. I was also really hoping to see a flyable B-26 Marauder in-game, as it’s modeled in IL2 GB already. My grandfather flew the Marauder in 43 combat missions in the European Theater of Operations and it would have been wonderful to fly the same rare, fantastic aircraft. Excellent content as always, Sheriff.
Your how too videos really helped me to get the most out of the different aircraft, stop messing up on engine issues and increased my enjoyment of the game overall. The how too Bf109f4 video was especially helpful. Thanks for all your hard work and please keep them coming.
Personally been out of the game for quite some time, but the computer component upgrades needed are in hand. I always find your videos entertaining and hope they continue. “How to” videos are a great resource. I have a profound (and obscure) learning disability which causes my IQ to drop by about half when I hit the “battleship” button (or equivalent) in any game. That means I have to come back to them again and again, but you can only hit the “like” button once. . .
I have played this game on a potato for many years. Even before IL-46. I only do solo stuff due to time constraints but do not think the sky is falling. Always enjoyed your content. Hope to upgrade my computer and get a better head tracker next year. Do not care if this is the new shiny thing or not as, like my other favorite game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R Anomaly, it feels timeless and the experience and feel rather than the technical bells and whistles, is what impresses.
For IL-2, I have been in a holding pattern for the last couple of years. My free time has gotten much more tight, and flight simulation is a massive time sink. I want to go back, but I am mostly contented with working on what little I have time for now that new job duties have taken most of my time and energy. I can only really do shorter, single-player games now because of work hours and travel (often on a Switch). I am really glad for these videos as I can vicariously keep a toe in the game while not necessarily being able to get back in. I will say that the current world events, social media mismanagement, and the general lack of any real movement on development of IL-2 have definitely contributed to t being pushed further down on the priority list. DCS is looking more like the sim I will be going to when I finally get time again, even though I absolutely loved the focus on WW2 in IL-2. DCS's sims and (most importantly) performance in VR look like they might have finally reached an enjoyable state for me.
I've found the how-to videos to be enormously valuable as I get back into flight sims. I'd love to see more, both for IL-2 and DCS if/when you pivot over to that. Thank you for all your work!
Great Video Sheriff. First of all, thanks for mentioning me. If you come over to DCS, run the Normand 2 map. There are quite a few decent WW2 servers, I"m usually on Wolf Pack Normandy server. I would be up for a collaboration either 1v1 or team flying there, or whatever. Beyond that I would like to make a few points: cont. 1. I think IL-2 is dying. The number of planes is great, but the overall immersion just doesn't match DCS. For example in the IL-2 single player campaigns, I never felt much. When I finish a mission in Reflected's Fw190 Anton campaign for DCS, I feel like I really accomplished something. 2. While both may have some Russian bias, it's much greater in IL-2. Without going into specifics, because that would take too long, in real life an La5FN was about equal or slightly better in a dogfight than an FW-190A5. In game they are not even close. It's very hard to win that fight in the A5, not impossible, but very very hard. I normally flew German in IL-2 and did pretty well in multiplayer (on Berloga I typically had a 5:1 kill ratio, sometimes 10:1 on really good days). I switched to the Russian side for one day and with ZERO practice in the airplanes did better than I ever did in the German planes, and that was against good pilots. I could make a list of all the little things they did that give an edge to the Russian stuff, but it would take too long. The Russian bias is there and it takes away from the simulation aspect. 3. I don't know if more people are playing DCS online. I do think more are playing it offline but I'm not sure. Growling's views are huge, but his typical viewer is not from the flight sim crowd, which is really the secret to his channel's success. His viewers are people wanting to see the fight and he gets right into it, within about 30 seconds of the start of the video. 4. IL-2 treats its supporters poorly, and I know that you know something about that. DCS seems better in that regard. For example, Enigma's channel started small, but he got interviews with developers from very early. 5. In DCS, you get the whole airplane, in IL-2 you just don't. This a whole topic on its own, but in DCS if you have mastered a 109K4, you have really learned the plane, that's not true in IL-2. In IL-2 you have only mastered a simplified watered down video game version of the plane. This is part of the reason the lack of WW2 aircraft types isn't that big of a deal in DCS. It's hard to stay super proficient in more than 2 or 3 at a time anyway, much like it was in reality. 6. DCS has a downside, which I think you alluded to. That's cost. Say you want to get into in flying the P-51. Well you can download the sim with the unarmed trainer TF-51 and Caucuses map, which is a modern day map and practice. However when ready for action, you will need to buy at least the plane, the P-51, and the Normandy map with the assets pack. You will probably need the channel map as well as some multi-player servers are on that one, and so are some of the Campaigns. The better campaigns cost some money too, although surprisingly little. Honestly I'm amazed at what Reflected simulations does for so little money, but it does all add up. At the time of this post all this stuff is on sale right now and still adds up to about 100usd. For that much you could get a lot of IL-2 stuff, but for me it's worth it. I'll get a lot more enjoyment per dollar on DCS. 7. Transitioning from IL-2 to DCS isn't seemless. It take time to get used to the views and the shooting, at least it did for me, but once I got it down I never looked back.
Thanks for the honest opinions. I always enjoyed your videos and TBH my enthusiasm for the game is still fairly consistent despite all the issues surrounding the game. However, my video-making activity is also low because I've covered pretty much everything I wanted to cover. Nothing lasts forever; man. I am hoping J. Williams comes up with a winner for the Pacific theater eventually. If he's successful, that could (fingers crossed) blossom into a multi-theater replacement. We shall see...
I hope the game keeps going, however I am getting to a similar point here as Sherriff. I haven’t bought anything new from them in years. I can see this particular style of game mode being very well adapted to the pacific theater.
Thanks Sherriff, been Awol in World of Warcraft classic for a couple of years, but I think my Nostalgia trip is nearly done, and popped in here to see what was coming to IL2 next. I will keep my ear to the ground for the announcement early next year
Zu erst, vielen Dank für all deinen Content und alle die ganzen how-to's. Und allein da liegt schon ein riesen Problem in IL-2. Für mich, als Neuling, der erst jetzt eingestiegen ist, ist es ein absolutes Grausen die ganzen Mechaniken unter einen Hut zu kriegen, da das Spiel keine nennenswerten Hilfestellungen bietet. Wenn ich jetzt höre, das die Zukunft ehr finster aussieht, bin ich mir bereits sicher nie ein Fliegerass zu werden, bis die Party vorbei ist. Aber selbst mir als Neuling, fällt auf, an wie vielen Punkten das Spiel ungepflegt ist. Übersetzungen in Funksprüchen sind da ja nur der Anfang. Ich denke, wenn man noch wollte, dann könnten die Entwickler dieses Spiel sehr schnell in einen zweiten Frühling bringen. Schade nur, daß man notwendige und hilfreiche Infos dann auf TH-cam erfährt, anstatt aus einem ordentlichen Game Support. Nichts destotrotz, habe ich das selbe feeling wie damals vor 15Jahren wenn man mit einer IL-2 in den Sturzflug geht.
Sheriff, I have been a subscriber of your channel for years. In fact, years before I had a PC to play IL-2. I've been in the Apple ECo-System for decades as I am well above the top tier age of your demographics. As a father of 4, all young adults now. I urge you to not sacrafice 1 second towards producing videos over spending time with your children. Although they are 5 and 2 I believe you stated....I promise you, you will wake up one day and they will be in their early 20s and you will yearn to have time with them again when they were little ones and their entire world was their father. That time is not replaceable and while we all need some "me-time"...at least from my perspective, If I could rewind the hands of time to have just an hour or a day with my kids I would. You asked about the type of video to produce. As I mentioned, I am older than those within your main demographics but I also have been a general aviation pilot for more than 30 years. I almost died after suffering a devastating heart attack a few years ago. Since that time, I refuse to attempt to pass a flight physical or to fly in the real world not knowing if I would be placing the lives of innocent people in harms way. Therefore, I began purchasing nearly all I could from IL-2 and DCS. Once I purchased a PC to run both games, purchased a HOTAS, pedals, head tracking, etc I thought I could jump straight into these games without any delay. During the years prior to having the PC I watched your videos, read gides and took notes to prepare. Even so, I find the greatest obstacle for me is properly setting up the game itself...including where to place the folders, what sequence to open things and of course the keybinding challenge. Anycase, I will continue to view your videos and most more than once. I appreciate the time and dedication you have shared and hopefully will be able to get past the barriers that are hindering me currently. I for one, as long as I am able will rely on IL-2 to scratch my "itch" for my need to fly and can do so knowing I will not place anyone in harms way....(for certain literally and likely virtually)... Thanks again for sharing with us your knowledge....We will view what you post.... but remember, there is no greater joy than your children when they are young...exhausting, frustrating but wow worth every second. Thanks again and Happy New Year.
Hi Sheriff - I've been enjoying your videos since the pandemic. Thanks for the "State of Game" analysis. I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I'm an avid WWII flight simmer. I used to fly Air Warrior/Aces High when it was a decent multiplayer sim. I was part of a squad that flew together every Friday or Saturday from 10 pm - 1 am for years, and to this day some of my squad-mates are my friends. At the game's peak, player count was about 600 on a good night. In the mid-2000s, the player count plateaued, I think because of the reasons you stated - competition of other sims, real life, etc. I think another key reason caused the player plateau, which IL-2 might encounter: the first wave of people attracted to PVP flight sims tend to "hard core" fans of the aircraft, tactics, hardware, etc. We enjoy learning as much as we can about dogfighting, what gear to own, best settings, etc. and become dedicated players. But the subsequent rounds of players aren't as motivated as we are, and they find the barrier to entry too great. In the Aces High sim, this led to veteran players routinely shooting down new players. This practice was called "clubbing baby seals" and not only did it cause the new players to quit, some old players grew bored and quit as well. There was much discussion about setting up training sessions, tutorials, servers with bots, etc. but nothing was developed to bring on new players. Aces High died off for other reasons, and I'm not predicting this will happen to IL-2, but I thought this "plateauing" of the player base with no easy way to bring in new players worth mentioning. I haven't joined IL-2's servers because I don't know how to configure VOX, what the best settings are, etc. I know this info is available, but I'm not quite motivated enough to figure all that out. Instead I live vicariously through your videos! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks sheriff. I don’t do a lot of MP anymore, and that’s just a personal preference. I like both il2 and DCS and pay more attention to one over the other in different intervals. Very similar thoughts are being shared by content creators over there as well. I think it’s just that we are living in a very different world than we were a few years ago. Longer hours at the job. Maybe cutting out some entertainment in order to stretch the budget some. A lot of anxiety amongst people. I think there’s just a lot of real-world distraction today that maybe wasn’t there, or at least as intense a while ago. I think people are just trying to sort out a lot of stuff within, and the commitment to the games isn’t as fun as it is frustration anymore. Maybe it’ll all settle down soon, and things will get a good bounce back. I’m cautiously hopeful for a great landing of combat pilot. There was a pretty good lull between CFS, IL2 and Great Battles too. CFS the zone was crowded day and night….until it wasn’t all of a sudden. IL2 hyper lobby was crowded day and night too….until it wasn’t all of a sudden. We find ourselves invested into a niche genre that can only go so far in its historic boundaries, and it’s not abnormal for us humans to just drop the stick we were hitting the rock with one day and pick up the rock to go hit something with it!
Your videos have helped me immensely. I'm new to the scene and still learning. You have helped me learn aircraft that I would have struggled with. Thank you!
Your how-to videos were extremely helpful. I really struggled with using a lot of the aircraft, and your videos helped me relate to them. I'd love a K4 and D9 video.
I am one of those that drifted away from il2. I don't have time play regularly to be competitive online. When I do have time I have started looking for more of a technical challenge looking at a couple of dcs jets and looking at navigation charts and procedures to see if I can master those. On the ww2 side the Dcs p51 is the most convincing flight sim I have ever tried but ww2 online in the last felt stale very quickly. Clickable buttons don't make much of a difference once you are up in the air fighting so for ww2 il2 is much more complete I used to really enjoy air combat group campaigns. Something that makes me laugh is that people play dcs because it's more realistic but then the battles are like air quake and at 500 feet, I do get it though and defeating someone is a real accomplishment in both il2 and dcs
Spot on. I stopped my channel for similar reasons. Simming partly appeals to an older crowd because we can afford the kit to do it well. Gaming PC + stick + TrackIR = proper job or rich parents. I’m also not sure devs really get what ppl want. The fact Falcon still has a strong following tells you something about the power of well crafted dynamic campaigns and strong AI. Hell, Wings Over Flanders Fields uses MSFS2000 and is the best SP WW1 game out there. As for the Russian point, everyone loses. So sad
I've been playing Il-2 GB from the start, but since the war began, I left Russia as antiwar protester, leaving almost all my things there. Now I simply don't have nor PC neither peripherals or VR, as well as money to rebuild them from scratch. All I have with me are my laptop and Steam Deck. I don't even know where I'll be settling in next couple of years, and I suspect I am not the only one who has same problems as me. That's life, guys...
I start and spend loads of time sorting controls which then seem to not work next time I start game up and around I go again. So never get beyond basic take off and landing . Not only that but I have an immensely hard time spotting enemy aircraft and marvel on how you do it. That is the state I have been in for about 5 years,
DCS is quite good; open beta is more or less best played, due to the fact it’s easier to keep up with in testing, module release, and latest updates. More servers run in open beta.
I love DCS but it lacks content. It's a make-your-own fun type of game, hence mainly multi-player. Also the impossibility of having full fidelity Russian stuff kind of kills it for me lately..
I'm a private pilot. I haven't flight sim'd in forever but I really enjoy your sim vids. The video and audio quality are top notch and the running commentary with the boys adds just the right atmosphere to the game. I always marveled at how smooth 'looking around' is on your vids. I assumed that you used a VR headset but you mentioned in a comment that you use TrackIR. What size monitor do you use and at what resolution? Thanks. PS...any reasonable person knows that gaming must always take a second (or third) place in a person's life and a person's taste will evolve. It is gratifying to know that you will still make time for your sim vids. They are worth waiting for and even tho they might not be the most viewed, your How To vids are very useful. They definitely shorten the learning curve, which greatly increases the chances that a user will continue with a game rather than giving up during the frustrating learning phase.
thx. All the clips in this one were recorded with TIR. My two most recent ones were recorded in VR. With TIR I played with a 27" screen and in 1440x2560
IL2 is my number 1 game, however after my Reverb G2 broke down a few months ago, I have stepped away from IL2. I just couldn't see playing it on a flat screen again. That's just me. My current finances have not allowed me to fix or replace my VR system. And on top of that, my 2 year old grandson, loves to pull on the VR cords and push every button on my keyboard. I'm going to get him a job working in a nuclear power plant. I hope to return to IL2 in the near future.
I bought the Quest 3. A very nice replacement for my G2. Much better lenses and the screens are comparable. I even started playing non PC VR games. Can recommend!
Imma a ten year plus il2 driver as well. I am surprised because just awhile back i kinda made the same decisions. Expand to some other games, like msfs and others. Work out more and generally shake things up. Just thpught it was a bit ironic. I still fly once in a while but learning DCS and the higher fidelity of the P51 and other planes seemed fun. You have provided hours of entertainment for all of us and we salute you!
IL2 is the game I always dreamed of. I am in my late 60s and first got involved with computer games in the 70s. Been playing IL2 since it came out. I only play two games, Combat Mission being the other. If I get tired of one, I switch to the other. Long live IL2 !
if you like Combat Mission, give a try to Graviteam tactics, start with Mius front. Best realtime strategy in my eyes, no micro control, just command level.
I tend to have phases with flight sims where I play and watch videos for a few months and then I lose interest and don't play for a few months or maybe years but I just want to say that I have enjoyed your videos for a long time and and find them very helpful and entertaining. Will you be picking up IL2:Korea?
I have watched your channel for years Sheriff. You helped me to understand iL-2 and flight in general. Which has helped me in applying that knowledge to other flying games and even real life flight quite easily. So let me be the first to say that your content and style is honestly great. Always has been. Your discord mods may have chased me out of your discord. But you were kind enough to step in for a middle ground a few years back. As for the game, popularity, and content. Honestly I blame the devs. Rather than making war thunder realism game 2.0 with combined warfare to make their decade old project interesting. They are going the lazy route now by just changing titles. I have spent much time in their censor forums and I can firmly say they do not listen to the community unless there is extensive backlash affecting their money. They block and censor anyone who highlights flaws or why the game is uninteresting. I use to post very detailed and historic things there. While also maintaining the biggest reshade thread to make the game look realistic without all the black/grey scale. Of course, many of my threads (and others) were locked by censor mods, as the threads dont align to "Russian version of history" that the Russian devs feel inclined to overlook despite data sheets, personal accounts from ww2 vets, and even footage. Plus they blocked reshade because VR users of one single server complained daily over fantasy issues. While ignoring the much larger crowd who simply wanted the game to look good without advantage. The info censorship and reshade block has largely destroyed the game to what is today chasing off people from staying or playing. Instead of listening to the community they decided to listen to this game's echo chamber group which has destroyed the game's replayability. I say all this because I want to point out its not your fault. Your content is some of the best on youtube for flying. Flying both in games and in real life. Sadly the devs didnt listen to those that tried to keep the game going or following ideas that would expand the game's scope for a larger audience interest. There is much ww2 content still out there and places to see. But they rather drop it for chasing new release money. I wont buy another one of their products myself nor will I suggest others. This game has shown they dont listen to data outside of echo chambers. Thus their future works are off my table. I tried very adamantly to have the devs switch to a combined arms similiar to war thunder using realism instead. The idea was pretty popular for the most part and its something the game could support as servers could do such in a basic form already. But that large scale WW2 experience is gone. So after years of fun and headache. I have dropped iL-2 as well. My friends finally roped me into war thunder despite avoiding it the past decade. Has many vehicles "mostly" historically accurate in arcade. Its popular and for your channel with history interests I think it could be best to focus there as well. I do recall your old video years ago saying WT is arcade even while flying simulation. That is definitely true to this day. However the game has content and iL-2 does not. Maybe you could be like the youtuber "Bismarck" who started in iL-2 then transitioned to visiting ww2 history tactics and real world locations/museums. His channel greatly grew quickly from the switch as it already had a following with interest in the topic. Perhaps you could go WW2 metal detecting or battlefield exploring with your kids like "WW2HistoryHunter" You have some options with examples to follow out there and your content/effort deserves to thrive. Very long winded for a video almost a year old now. But I wanted to share some history on iL-2 and that its decline is not your fault. You and we all get to see it fall away to history for things outside our control.
When I saw the title of your video I thought 'oh no he is going to stop making videos' .... so pleased to hear that is not the case. Your videos good to watch - especially the missions you fly with your friends... the banter between you and the other pilots adds to the experience. There was a string of very gloomy dark grey sky videos that I found a bit hard to follow (I know that's just the weather and not in your control) but the blue sky winter videos are really fantastic and much easier to follow for old blokes like me. Sadly I don't fly much any more since my wingman gave up the game (life got in the way for him - something you know all about) but I still like watching your videos. Thank you for what you have made and published over all the years - I hope to keep watching them and hope you continue to enjoy playing and making them a a pace your happy operate.
Regarding your question: I am (still?) very much a proponent of the more technical and analytic videos compared to the videos of (random FTC) sorties. Please understand me well: videos relating to sorties can be very satisfying, but ideally when there is a particular interest, not necessarily innovative, just not random and/or uminteresting for lack of better description. Exciting sorties do exist after all. Personally, I don't recognise myself in this declining interest in IL-2, even though I have been playing for multiple years. I do not question the sincerity of people mentioning the possibility of such a trend, however I do think that at least partially, there is an effect of (some) people repeating statements of others, leading to a self fulfilling prophecy to some degree. For me, I still have so much to learn, so much to perfect given the depth of the gameplay IL-2 offers, and playing with friends is (still?) incredibly satisfying when you succeed to make things work. Whatever the case may be, people should spend their free time that seems to be the most satisfying to them personally and without being too dramatic, this requires sincere introspection about one's preferences above all.
Tbh the squadrons that fill servers and discords are actively killing the fun for anyone who wants to play. Joining into a server with 50 people that is 16 v 34 with 2 squads of 6 on one side. It's unplayable unless you have a group of people that also can sit in a discord and tell you everything that's happening while you all shoot at a solo pilot. Truly the community is killing any opportunity for people to jump back into mp or to ever get started.
I generally disagree. Air Combat is inherently Teamplay. Historically and in IL-2. Look for groups. Join them our create them yourself. You can fly alone, but you must that it is tough. Its tough but not impossible.
I feel you about the time getting away for playing. After moving two years ago and taking on additional tasks at work, just trying to get around to set my flight controllers back up has been a task I've yet to complete. I just haven't felt motivated to do it. The group I game with fell off of it rather quickly, only occasionally joining to gun on a ME-110, JU-88 (my first plane thanks to your video on it), IL-2 or A-20, and I just fell into flying the same mission profiles I was comfortable with solo. That, unfortunately, got tedious over time with nothing put the engines and ocassional explosions and gunfire to keep me occupied. Same with DCS, though that was a much bigger time sink and I only ever bothered to learn one jet (AJS-37 Viggen.) That really limited me in what I could do, though it was something I really enjoyed doing. I must say, I am glad I don't follow the goings on of the community from what you and the comments are saying. I would not have reacted well to the community manager's comments...
As of right now there’s a few dogfight servers that stay within 10-50 people throughout the day, sometimes reaching 80 players in one server. I personally play a ton of combat box and there’s on average about 20-30 people when I’m on. The lack of new content sucks but honestly considering it’s one of the best and still populated ww2 flight sims, it’s worth putting up with.
For MP DCS Warbirds as others have said you're definitely going to want to install the beta. You mentioned having the Normandy map, idk if that means Normandy 2, but I'd highly recommend that as well in case you only have the old Normandy.
It would be nice if the devs could update the game so that it would allow modding. Not sure if possible. Might live on for quite a while. Also, thanks for all the excellent content Sheriff. ❤
Well technically they allow mods. But you can't select in MP which ones you want to activate ans which ones aren't allowed. At least to my knowledge. This of course a show stopper for fair mulitiplayer games.
Hi Sheriff, your hard work producing such high quality content is very much appreciated, but of course, your young family must come first. Those who complain about not seeing new videos coming out at a click of the fingers really have no idea of the amount of work that is required to produce the quality of content you excel in. I've been watching your channel for a number of years, and I have regularly plugged your Tutorials to other players I watch because I feel you explain everything in a clear organised way and that is always helpful to less experienced players. I don't play the game myself because I just don't have the rig required to run it. I just enjoy watching you and your friends playing it and I really feel your exploits pay great homage to the brave pilots of both sides who flew in service of their country for real all those years ago.
I've been enjoying DCS a lot. Like others say, go for open beta! What I like about it is the immersion. Navigation, engine management, learning how to start up the planes, the weight of my P47D, Etc. When I switch over to IL-2 (it's been a while) it feels very arcade-like to me. Not necessarily a bad thing at all, just preference. Also: it's taking ages, but there's a visual update and VR coming for IL-2 Cliffs of Dover. I'm not on the edge of my seat while waiting, but nothing feels quite like CoD. Side-note: there's really nice campaigns for DCS, if you like having to cross the channel before trying to return home on a last puff of fuel :).
hey hey hey. how do you use head/eye tracking in IL2? I have Tobii but it ain't supported anymore. I switched to a combination of free software (one of them is opentrack) and a webcam, but these interfere with MS FlightSim and Tobii (game won't find any headtracking device). do you use something different? or opentrack, too? thanks in advance!
Haven't been on il2 for ages....lockdown burnt me out. I'm a dcs man now, I like the complex systems etc which il2 can't give me. Look forward to seeing you in dcs....beta version, Normandy 2....modern Syria sinai and whatever jet takes your fancy
As for DCS, yes you will want the open beta, there are a handful of WW2 servers that are usually pretty well populated. Hope to see some DCS content from you 😊
This couldnt be farther from truth. Theres basicaly one ww2 server alive in dcs and its only half full at best during peak hours (15-30 players average).
@@BlueSkiesVinnyNot really. In il2 you have atleast 3 almost full servers at most times with other servers having population aswell while in dcs its 15 desperate souls on single server.
They need to try update engine even more. Maybe implement B17s, B24s, Lancasters AI version and build more maps. With big bombers p47s and P51 would have more role to play as high alt escort. Lets say with new maps Italy, balkans, Belarus, Berlin area, Hungary, Finland, Leningrad sector and some africa maps. That way they could be focused mainly on european theatre of war. So this game is long from dead.
IL2 is in a decent state in terms of game play, what needs work is the control mapping experience which is abysmal, especially since the pits are not clickable! It runs so much nicer than DCS, but having to take an hour to figure out the mapping on my HOTAS is a pain in the ass. Also, when going from plane to plane its almost impossible to figure out what is mapped for the control action i need.
Have you tried to play Elite Dangerous? I left IL-2 and moved to space simulator Elite Dangerous in early 2022 as I can play it on any device with GFN with any control input (mouse + keyboard, controller, HOTAS). I can either multi-play or solo-play at my own pace. I can basically log out any time without any upfront commitment for time as I am a father, husband and have a full time demanding job.
Great video Sheriff. I for one always catch your videos, I always find them interesting and full of good, impartially delivered stuff. More 'how to's', for sure!1 If you try DCS then go for the Open Beta as you get all the new additions prior to the stable version. The new maps (WW2 ones, that is) are absolutely brilliant and get better with each update. You take vare and stay in touch with us for sure... 👍👍👍👌
I got burned out on IL2 also and I'm in that age range also. I'm still around and enjoyed flying with and against you in IL2. I haven't flown IL2 in years I am getting the itch to try Apollo out. I also fly more DCS now but Philstyles and the SOW crew shut down their WW2 server so that was a big bummer to me. Enigma's server is great for cold war though!
The developers have willingly let the game atrophy. The anit-Ukraine Twitter post was the final nail for a lot of us. What a shame. Combat Pilot is a long way out and can't come soon enough.
Removing the dipshit in question as 'community manager' might've alleviated some of the heat and restored a measure of goodwill, but instead they chose to double down on the 'We were hacked! Honest!' excuse. A cowardly response that's alienated players they can't afford to lose.
I have been looking at the sim for a while now but what holds me back is the price. I haven't played a combat flight sim in a long time but years ago I was into all the Jane's sims, Microsoft Combat Flight sims etc....On another note it looks like Microprose is back in the game and working on a remake of their B17 The Mighty Eighth sim which I absolutely loved the original and still have the disk.
Hey man, sorry to see you tone down your il2 content. I wish you would do a how to p51b, or p47 series tbh. And the internet lacks proper ground attack videos. Either way, i love your content, and i'm glad you are not stopping completely from creating il2 videos. Take care!
p51b:)) Like you have different videos for bf109s or fw190. Anyway man, we enjoy your content. Do what you like and want to do, at the pace you want to do it. I am struggling to make videos while i got a family and a full time job, so i know how tough it is to try staying on a yt schedule. Just do whatever you are comfortable with. I wouldn't say no to a DCS series to be honest.. I keep getting dcs modules during sales, but i rarely fly them. :)@@SheriffsSimShack
Hey, I'm 42, having two kids 14 and 12. I'm now start to have some free time for simulators 😁 Flying CloD, BMS and some old DOS title from my childhood.
Still 1000% prefer IL-2 for WW2, much better selection of aircraft, actual functional AI if singleplayer is your thing, spotting is better, etc. However DCS for coldwar absolute *chefs kiss* perfect, glorious. I don't have much interest in the modern fox 3 BVR fights, but screaming around in a MiG-21 is a absolute blast. I love both games, even when both have issues. DCS for jets, IL-2 for the WW2 stuff.
Thank you for the update. I enjoy the content a whole lot, but feeling a bit guilty have not played IL-2 the last year, but that is lack of time, not want;) Keep it up.
I have IL2 (all of them) since CFS3 went under, and still play every single one of them - but mainly Il2 GB. DCS purchasing model --- Nope, nope, nopity nope-even though I do own it. It is also not as much fun for some reason. I check your "How to" vids all the time - great resource. S!
Hi Sheriff, I played il2 and followed your channel for the past 5+ years. I have fell out of love of il2. Not for anyone’s fault, but simply I feel like I’ve played the game to death. My flying buddies don’t play any more. I have just got married. New job etc. Sometimes life gets in the way, and that’s absolutely fine. One thing I understand about gaming is that it comes in waves. Meaning, a new game will come along and reignite the passion I once had with il2. I think this new game at the moment for me is Squad Before il2, I had Arma3. Before arma3 there was OFP. Before OFP there was CS1.6. These games coincided with different “checkpoints” in my life. It’s a shame il2 is a dying game (imo) but it’s just the natural cycle of any fantastic game. I had so much good fun especially in the 2018-2020 years.
Hallo Sheriff! DCS hat viel mehr zu bieten, als nur WWII. Cold War zum Beispiel und tatsächlich ist der beliebteste Server auch in dieser Zeit angesiedelt. Oder vielleicht probierst du mal Hubschrauber, einfach um mal was anderes zu machen. Du kannst ja fast jedes Modul 14 Tage testen.
Your videos have always been amazing. I found myself not able to keep up with the hours needed at a given time to go and fly…life tends to take precedence. But yeah I say doing what you find interesting and get into, tends to really come out in your videos 😎👍
We bought a game 10 years ago,we still get constant free updates, fixes and graphical improvements like Clouds, plus new Plane- & Campaign-DLCs constantly. The only downsides to IL-2 is that there are no alternatives, just different versions of IL-2, that´s why players get burned oout more quick, also hardware and peripherals got expensive, which may contribute to lower playernumbers overall, but that does not make it bad all of a sudden. And that the community-manager is shady, does not affect the game in any way. I really don´t get the Drama.
DCS open beta is what my squad uses. Stable has fewer servers it seems. It is more detailed than IL2 though the plane set is less coherent and more limited than IL2. Grab the p-47 as well. It is good in DCS. IL2 messed the 47 up. Spend plenty of time with set up and optimization in DCS. It's more work than IL2. DCS has improved a lot in the past 3 years, but both DCS and IL2 are showing their ages. Looking forward to Combat Pilot Pacific.
I dont really play anymore. The game has lost its draw. And nobody is making the game I think we would all want...a combined arms full scale war game. Like 500 v 500 people. I dont even know if the technology for this exists...but I know I want it and I have been dreaming about it for years now.
Servus, Ich wollte mal fragen was für nen PC du hast da ich auf meinem Laptop spiele mit 8GB ram und ich kann das Spiel nicht spielen. Ich hatte vor auf einen 48 GB PC upgrade für diesen winter zu sparen. Btw: Ich schaue dich zwar nur ab und an aber bin ein großer fan. Schade dass es langsam mit der lust hier ausgeht aber ich schätze du hast mehr als genug Videos auf deinem Kanal xD
great video. very happy to see you're not one of the bootlickers / white knights defending the current state of il2. totally agree with all of your observations (obviously). one additional factor i feel has hurt the multiplayer community was the decision to make some servers "official" and artificially pin them to the top of server browser. this further divides an already small gaming community and feels like a self-inflicted wound.
Don't panic, you'll come back one day if you quit this game. I started playing in 2001 or so and for 10 years I played online almost every day... and look, I've been playing about a year now and I'm now 48 years old and together with my son we regularly play online. When I started playing IL2 my son wasn't born yet.
I am 36 years old and have been playing this sim since 2018 or so. However, right now I am just trying to change my professional career and the path I chose needs tons of study time so I just don't have the time right now. I am looking forward to come back it though. I don't care much about new content and I am happy with what the sim is right now. As long as the community is alive and server admins keep pushing out more content, then I am set. Nevertheless, I would lie if I tell I'm not excited for Combat Pilot. During this time, I am also rediscovering the joy of good single player experiences. Currently I'm playing Death Stranding and Nier and having a complete blast.
I think DCS and Il2 are very different even if both flight sims. I like both for very different reasons. I love the WW1 stuff but I do think IL2 has been limited in some important areas. It certainly got better but there is still somewhat limited content. No heavies which were really important for Euro operations.
An interesting commentary. The problem with _any_ game is the number of hours traded for it. After spending years with IL2 and a fair bit with DCS and MSFS I've moved on to spending my free time developing our little business, helped somewhat by a dead PC, haha. I do wonder how many people are going to regret the multiple thousands of hours spent gaming when they realise that life has caught up with them with nothing much to show for it. Anyway, just a passing thought. Thanks for channel content especially the instructive side. I'll be back flying when the nVidia 50 series lands in 2025 and VR has matured a bit more.
DCS is great. If you interested in SP campaigns, then stable is nice choice to start, however I fly SP in Open Beta to have all the new features with some bugs ))) For SP I recommend campaign made by Reflected (the newer the better). But if multiplayer is priority Open Beta is the only way.
the game is time-consuming, expensive, and difficult..and regarding the producers being RU, I feel the same. I felt guilty when, this year, I bought Operation Bodenplatte and sent money indirectly to the Russian state.
I love IL-2, it's still the best, most complete, 'recently' released combat flight sim. However... for the most part I have stopped playing not because of lack of content, but because long-standing issues have still not been addressed. Spotting is still an inconsistent prospect, with certain graphical and/or hardware configurations providing a bit of an advantage. Right now, the easiest spotting can be had by playing in a low resolution. It will make the game look like a jaggy mess, but the way the spotting system works makes it easier to see distant aircraft. The AI issues, especially with the WW1 fighters in particular, are damning... and it really kills the fun factor when they provide no challenge in a turn fight. Then there is the inconsistent damage modeling with the WW1 aircraft (Thankfully WW2 DM seems pretty good now). Then there are flight model issues across the board, especially with the P-47... but the worst being the WW1 fighters that are essentially using unchanged and not necessarily accurate flight models from Rise of Flight. A little "housekeeping" for these issues is in order, but I suspect it will never happen. DCS... I uninstalled years ago, and will most likely not reinstall. It's a good "Virtual Museum," but when it comes to their business model and priorities... no thanks. It also doesn't help that there still is no dynamic campaign/simulated war system in place... despite years of promises that it is coming. Again, that's lack of priority. Especially when you consider the most amazing dynamic campaign system to this day was developed over the course of a summer, with extremely limited hardware and software capabilities of the time, by an intern, for Falcon 4.0. Combat flight simming, especially for WW2, is unfortunately in a pretty poor state due to lack of competition as well as modern players being a younger generation that lacks the patience or interest for slower-paced, more technical gameplay.
Mate, it's good to hear from you. Been watching you for years, feel much the same way with IL-2. I guess I just feel like I'm waiting for DCS to iron out the kinks or for something new to come along. That said, you seem to have a little more time than me so give DCS a shot - the beta is where it's at and last I checked WW2 had enough players for european servers.
Well Sheriff, personally I will not get tired of warbirds, especially in combat. I watch whenever I can. I’m just here for the ride, you do exactly what you need to do. Thank you for your past dedication to the game, already. You showed me just how much of a butcher that the Dora could be.
I'm an old retired pilot and was born before the end of WWii. Later flew Army helicopters and fixed wing before becoming a commercial airline pilot. Had a chance in the reserve in the 60s and early 70s to fly with guys that in WWII had flown B-17s (he also had been a POW) , B-25s and a former Marine Corsair pilot. Started out with CLOD as my first flight sim. I was hooked. I now have MSFS, DCS and most of the IL2 Battle series. IL2 is my favorite by a wide margin. Yes, I would like to see something new with better performance but I am more than happy with what I've got. The current geopolitical situation has not decreased my enthusiasm nor my appreciation for the game. About two or three years ago I began using a VR headset . Started out with an Occulus Rift. Not enough computer power or headset for the game. Followed by a Reverb g2 plus an upgrade to a RTX 2080 ti followed by a 3080 ti. Right now I'm running a Varjo Aero with a 4090 and love the experience.
To ME at least, but to a lot of people I know as well, the main problem of the game is not that there is no new content. The problem is that A LOT of fixes are needed, a lot of promised and necessary features are missing, and the mechanics are limited. Hell, even performance suffers, on a game that runs so well, when you span a lot of units, so no big operations. Changes take a lot, just like in DCS, and the devs are not so hot into admitting they were wrong. Some plane's engines are nerfed, some planes are fucking UFOs. Ground pounding has a lot of issues. From the fucking trees to the ammo. And that is only stuff we see in MP. For SP, the AI straight up sucks. This game could be so much more enjoyable if those small changes were implemented, YEARS ago. People got tired of seeing these crucial things never got touched. We still dont have API ammo for allied planes. After all those years.
And it all its a shame. War Thunder sucks tremendously for me, and I don't want to touch it ever again. DCS is not there yet for WW2. Combat Pilot ( I dare not make an acronym for this one ) is going to take years. I'll be playing IL2 for a friend of mine just got into it. But when he's not online, I'll be on DCS, where, although slow, change happens more often, and I have a lot of stuff to learn since I started a few months ago.
tldr; The multiplayer is not dead, but the development is, the communication is, and that is frustrating to a lot of people that don't wanna do the same old thing over and over again, knowing every time of the issues that will never be fixed. I hope the next installment comes not only with a new engine, but also with a new attitude from the devs. Cheers Sherrif and sorry for the long comment.
Hmmm, I'm watching this video because I have an interest in IL-2 as I've heard the VR implementation is miles above DCS, and I'd like a good VR flight sim to take a break from the very technical flying style and poor VR optimization of DCS. Should I wait for the new version of IL-2?
@@faelwolf1177 If you have money, IL2 gets discounted a lot thought the year and its a great game! It's a delight in VR as some people say and if you have friends/squad to fly with, an absolute banger. New IL2 is going to take years for a beta so I would totally recommend hopping on the current one :)
@@madrigo I'll check it out then, thanks!
@@faelwolf1177 also worth mentioning is the fact that you get so much more for the money, if you compare IL-2 to DCS. Where in DCS you get one single plane (yes it has clickable cockpit IL-2 does not), in IL-2 you get entire scenario with its map and couple of airplanes for about same money. And you can even play all maps in MP, just to with the limitation for planes you own. I also think that while DCS is great for modern planes, the weapons and damage modelling for WWII warbirds in DCS is very subpar to IL-2.
@@madigorfkgoogle9349 Actually the non-clickable cockpit was a part of my interest. DCS is not only not very well optimized for VR (my computer runs very hot even with things turned down) but the myriad of buttons, switches and knobs makes it a pain to fly in VR since I can't use a control panel or Helios. I am looking for something with better graphics and a bit more challenging than Aces High, but not the complexity of DCS. The sub fee for AH is also something I'd like to avoid, $15/mo for a 25 year old game is a bit much.
I'm planning to pick up the P-38, as it's one of my favorite Warbirds, is there a preferred map/module to pick up? As I understand it, once I pick up the P-38 I can fly it on any map that I have. So which would make a good bundle to pair it with?
I JUST found out about the game 3-4 months ago and got it. I feel like I missed out on a golden era of WWII flight sims. I'm still in multiplayer every week, but I can't imagine what it was like a couple years ago.
Its not over yet. There are still many players. Not everything was golden when we had many players. The game was acutally worse.
You're probably in the setting sun era, this is the best the game probably has ever been but it will probably be setting in the near future.
check out combat pilot, we may be in the beginning of the next ww2 sim era
@@mesomebody774you say that as of there's anything to check out about Combat Pilot apart from a couple model pictures. We're probably at least 1.5 years out before we get anything even remotely playable, and then it'll probably just be 1-4 planes on a proof of concept map.
Hopefully it'll be great but it's way away. (and it's not like it'll do much for people who like to fly 109s/190s)
Well, at least you arrive at the dawn of Apollo dynamic campaign which is one of the most interesting multiplayer content available and is in its final beta stage I believe.
Thank you for keeping us updated, despite your heavy schedules! I too have a kid aged 5 and 2 as well - as a result of which my multiplayer gaming life has basically ground to 0 and even single player gets perhaps a few hours spread across a few days every week. So I totally can empathise. In fact, I'm amazed that you are able to juggle so well that you can still play and produce such excellent vids :)
Ever since I stumbled on your channel I've been watching your vids again and again, sometimes because they're great quality and hence good entertainment for relaxation, and sometimes because I can imagine myself back in the pilot's seat again :P So please keep them coming at whatever pace as long as you continue to have fun making them!
Wish list? Hmm how about one of your educational comparison vids - this time Me109 K-4 vs the others? :)
I’ve just returned to the IL2 series after 15 years. Still trying to get my setup right and all the games. But found your channel. Some of us come back, even after a decade plus.
I’m in the same boat.
But it’s more for nostalgic reasons really.
I still love to play DCS.
I'm so surprised your "how to.." videos get so little views! When I start a plane I'm unfamiliar with or haven't flown in awhile "Sheriff how to 'plane type' il2" is always the FIRST thing I would search for! Not just for the Engine Management stuff (like the small differences in how some controls work from plane to plane), I also go to your videos because you're so detailed about the individual flight characteristics of each plane and what fighting styles are best suited for it. I particularly love the videos where you compare certain fighters to all the possible opposing fighters it may come up against and the best tactics for each. At least in the end I'm fairly certain whatever types of videos you end up making in the future I will find them equally entertaining. Good luck to you!
For me WWII seems dead until Combat Pilot comes. Despite what people want, DCS WWII will never get fleshed out to the point to even be close to IL-2 1946 let alone IL-2 Great Battles. DCS WWII feels like a really awesome tech demo. There are very clearly some great things about it but it isn't fleshed out enough and the time to do that is measured in decades not years.
This man speaks truth.
And it breaks my heart. I just got into dcs dumped a ton of money into it and love it but they really need to step it up in this department. I do not enjoy flying as much in il-2 but I really enjoy the atmosphere if that makes any sense.
If DCS WW2 feels like a tech demo you aren't doing it right. We've flown entire campaigns in DCS WW2 that were totally flushed out.
Combat pilot has a LONG way to go before it will even touch what DCS or IL2 has accomplished. There is also little evidence to suggest they have the capabilities to accomplish the results of these other two sims. They had to buy a premade B-17 asset for God's sake.
This is a real shame. I love this sim and I came in from Rise of Flight, loving the previous work from these devs. I was also really hoping to see a flyable B-26 Marauder in-game, as it’s modeled in IL2 GB already. My grandfather flew the Marauder in 43 combat missions in the European Theater of Operations and it would have been wonderful to fly the same rare, fantastic aircraft. Excellent content as always, Sheriff.
Your how too videos really helped me to get the most out of the different aircraft, stop messing up on engine issues and increased my enjoyment of the game overall. The how too Bf109f4 video was especially helpful. Thanks for all your hard work and please keep them coming.
I stumbled across your 'how to' on the 109 G and really liked it. Please do more.
Personally been out of the game for quite some time, but the computer component upgrades needed are in hand. I always find your videos entertaining and hope they continue.
“How to” videos are a great resource. I have a profound (and obscure) learning disability which causes my IQ to drop by about half when I hit the “battleship” button (or equivalent) in any game. That means I have to come back to them again and again, but you can only hit the “like” button once. . .
I have played this game on a potato for many years. Even before IL-46. I only do solo stuff due to time constraints but do not think the sky is falling. Always enjoyed your content. Hope to upgrade my computer and get a better head tracker next year. Do not care if this is the new shiny thing or not as, like my other favorite game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R Anomaly, it feels timeless and the experience and feel rather than the technical bells and whistles, is what impresses.
For IL-2, I have been in a holding pattern for the last couple of years. My free time has gotten much more tight, and flight simulation is a massive time sink. I want to go back, but I am mostly contented with working on what little I have time for now that new job duties have taken most of my time and energy. I can only really do shorter, single-player games now because of work hours and travel (often on a Switch). I am really glad for these videos as I can vicariously keep a toe in the game while not necessarily being able to get back in.
I will say that the current world events, social media mismanagement, and the general lack of any real movement on development of IL-2 have definitely contributed to t being pushed further down on the priority list. DCS is looking more like the sim I will be going to when I finally get time again, even though I absolutely loved the focus on WW2 in IL-2. DCS's sims and (most importantly) performance in VR look like they might have finally reached an enjoyable state for me.
I've found the how-to videos to be enormously valuable as I get back into flight sims. I'd love to see more, both for IL-2 and DCS if/when you pivot over to that. Thank you for all your work!
Great Video Sheriff. First of all, thanks for mentioning me. If you come over to DCS, run the Normand 2 map. There are quite a few decent WW2 servers, I"m usually on Wolf Pack Normandy server. I would be up for a collaboration either 1v1 or team flying there, or whatever. Beyond that I would like to make a few points: cont.
1. I think IL-2 is dying. The number of planes is great, but the overall immersion just doesn't match DCS. For example in the IL-2 single player campaigns, I never felt much. When I finish a mission in Reflected's Fw190 Anton campaign for DCS, I feel like I really accomplished something.
2. While both may have some Russian bias, it's much greater in IL-2. Without going into specifics, because that would take too long, in real life an La5FN was about equal or slightly better in a dogfight than an FW-190A5. In game they are not even close. It's very hard to win that fight in the A5, not impossible, but very very hard. I normally flew German in IL-2 and did pretty well in multiplayer (on Berloga I typically had a 5:1 kill ratio, sometimes 10:1 on really good days). I switched to the Russian side for one day and with ZERO practice in the airplanes did better than I ever did in the German planes, and that was against good pilots. I could make a list of all the little things they did that give an edge to the Russian stuff, but it would take too long. The Russian bias is there and it takes away from the simulation aspect.
3. I don't know if more people are playing DCS online. I do think more are playing it offline but I'm not sure. Growling's views are huge, but his typical viewer is not from the flight sim crowd, which is really the secret to his channel's success. His viewers are people wanting to see the fight and he gets right into it, within about 30 seconds of the start of the video.
4. IL-2 treats its supporters poorly, and I know that you know something about that. DCS seems better in that regard. For example, Enigma's channel started small, but he got interviews with developers from very early.
5. In DCS, you get the whole airplane, in IL-2 you just don't. This a whole topic on its own, but in DCS if you have mastered a 109K4, you have really learned the plane, that's not true in IL-2. In IL-2 you have only mastered a simplified watered down video game version of the plane. This is part of the reason the lack of WW2 aircraft types isn't that big of a deal in DCS. It's hard to stay super proficient in more than 2 or 3 at a time anyway, much like it was in reality.
6. DCS has a downside, which I think you alluded to. That's cost. Say you want to get into in flying the P-51. Well you can download the sim with the unarmed trainer TF-51 and Caucuses map, which is a modern day map and practice. However when ready for action, you will need to buy at least the plane, the P-51, and the Normandy map with the assets pack. You will probably need the channel map as well as some multi-player servers are on that one, and so are some of the Campaigns. The better campaigns cost some money too, although surprisingly little. Honestly I'm amazed at what Reflected simulations does for so little money, but it does all add up. At the time of this post all this stuff is on sale right now and still adds up to about 100usd. For that much you could get a lot of IL-2 stuff, but for me it's worth it. I'll get a lot more enjoyment per dollar on DCS.
7. Transitioning from IL-2 to DCS isn't seemless. It take time to get used to the views and the shooting, at least it did for me, but once I got it down I never looked back.
Thanks for the honest opinions. I always enjoyed your videos and TBH my enthusiasm for the game is still fairly consistent despite all the issues surrounding the game. However, my video-making activity is also low because I've covered pretty much everything I wanted to cover. Nothing lasts forever; man. I am hoping J. Williams comes up with a winner for the Pacific theater eventually. If he's successful, that could (fingers crossed) blossom into a multi-theater replacement. We shall see...
I hope the game keeps going, however I am getting to a similar point here as Sherriff. I haven’t bought anything new from them in years. I can see this particular style of game mode being very well adapted to the pacific theater.
Thanks Sherriff, been Awol in World of Warcraft classic for a couple of years, but I think my Nostalgia trip is nearly done, and popped in here to see what was coming to IL2 next. I will keep my ear to the ground for the announcement early next year
Just bought the game and a bunch of dlc on sale, super excited to play
Zu erst, vielen Dank für all deinen Content und alle die ganzen how-to's.
Und allein da liegt schon ein riesen Problem in IL-2. Für mich, als Neuling, der erst jetzt eingestiegen ist, ist es ein absolutes Grausen die ganzen Mechaniken unter einen Hut zu kriegen, da das Spiel keine nennenswerten Hilfestellungen bietet. Wenn ich jetzt höre, das die Zukunft ehr finster aussieht, bin ich mir bereits sicher nie ein Fliegerass zu werden, bis die Party vorbei ist.
Aber selbst mir als Neuling, fällt auf, an wie vielen Punkten das Spiel ungepflegt ist. Übersetzungen in Funksprüchen sind da ja nur der Anfang.
Ich denke, wenn man noch wollte, dann könnten die Entwickler dieses Spiel sehr schnell in einen zweiten Frühling bringen.
Schade nur, daß man notwendige und hilfreiche Infos dann auf TH-cam erfährt, anstatt aus einem ordentlichen Game Support.
Nichts destotrotz, habe ich das selbe feeling wie damals vor 15Jahren wenn man mit einer IL-2 in den Sturzflug geht.
Sheriff, I have been a subscriber of your channel for years. In fact, years before I had a PC to play IL-2. I've been in the Apple ECo-System for decades as I am well above the top tier age of your demographics. As a father of 4, all young adults now. I urge you to not sacrafice 1 second towards producing videos over spending time with your children. Although they are 5 and 2 I believe you stated....I promise you, you will wake up one day and they will be in their early 20s and you will yearn to have time with them again when they were little ones and their entire world was their father. That time is not replaceable and while we all need some "me-time"...at least from my perspective, If I could rewind the hands of time to have just an hour or a day with my kids I would.
You asked about the type of video to produce. As I mentioned, I am older than those within your main demographics but I also have been a general aviation pilot for more than 30 years. I almost died after suffering a devastating heart attack a few years ago. Since that time, I refuse to attempt to pass a flight physical or to fly in the real world not knowing if I would be placing the lives of innocent people in harms way. Therefore, I began purchasing nearly all I could from IL-2 and DCS. Once I purchased a PC to run both games, purchased a HOTAS, pedals, head tracking, etc I thought I could jump straight into these games without any delay. During the years prior to having the PC I watched your videos, read gides and took notes to prepare. Even so, I find the greatest obstacle for me is properly setting up the game itself...including where to place the folders, what sequence to open things and of course the keybinding challenge. Anycase, I will continue to view your videos and most more than once. I appreciate the time and dedication you have shared and hopefully will be able to get past the barriers that are hindering me currently. I for one, as long as I am able will rely on IL-2 to scratch my "itch" for my need to fly and can do so knowing I will not place anyone in harms way....(for certain literally and likely virtually)... Thanks again for sharing with us your knowledge....We will view what you post.... but remember, there is no greater joy than your children when they are young...exhausting, frustrating but wow worth every second. Thanks again and Happy New Year.
Hi Sheriff - I've been enjoying your videos since the pandemic. Thanks for the "State of Game" analysis. I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I'm an avid WWII flight simmer. I used to fly Air Warrior/Aces High when it was a decent multiplayer sim. I was part of a squad that flew together every Friday or Saturday from 10 pm - 1 am for years, and to this day some of my squad-mates are my friends. At the game's peak, player count was about 600 on a good night. In the mid-2000s, the player count plateaued, I think because of the reasons you stated - competition of other sims, real life, etc.
I think another key reason caused the player plateau, which IL-2 might encounter: the first wave of people attracted to PVP flight sims tend to "hard core" fans of the aircraft, tactics, hardware, etc. We enjoy learning as much as we can about dogfighting, what gear to own, best settings, etc. and become dedicated players. But the subsequent rounds of players aren't as motivated as we are, and they find the barrier to entry too great. In the Aces High sim, this led to veteran players routinely shooting down new players. This practice was called "clubbing baby seals" and not only did it cause the new players to quit, some old players grew bored and quit as well. There was much discussion about setting up training sessions, tutorials, servers with bots, etc. but nothing was developed to bring on new players. Aces High died off for other reasons, and I'm not predicting this will happen to IL-2, but I thought this "plateauing" of the player base with no easy way to bring in new players worth mentioning.
I haven't joined IL-2's servers because I don't know how to configure VOX, what the best settings are, etc. I know this info is available, but I'm not quite motivated enough to figure all that out. Instead I live vicariously through your videos! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks sheriff. I don’t do a lot of MP anymore, and that’s just a personal preference. I like both il2 and DCS and pay more attention to one over the other in different intervals. Very similar thoughts are being shared by content creators over there as well. I think it’s just that we are living in a very different world than we were a few years ago. Longer hours at the job. Maybe cutting out some entertainment in order to stretch the budget some. A lot of anxiety amongst people. I think there’s just a lot of real-world distraction today that maybe wasn’t there, or at least as intense a while ago. I think people are just trying to sort out a lot of stuff within, and the commitment to the games isn’t as fun as it is frustration anymore. Maybe it’ll all settle down soon, and things will get a good bounce back.
I’m cautiously hopeful for a great landing of combat pilot.
There was a pretty good lull between CFS, IL2 and Great Battles too. CFS the zone was crowded day and night….until it wasn’t all of a sudden. IL2 hyper lobby was crowded day and night too….until it wasn’t all of a sudden. We find ourselves invested into a niche genre that can only go so far in its historic boundaries, and it’s not abnormal for us humans to just drop the stick we were hitting the rock with one day and pick up the rock to go hit something with it!
Your videos have helped me immensely. I'm new to the scene and still learning. You have helped me learn aircraft that I would have struggled with. Thank you!
Your how-to videos were extremely helpful. I really struggled with using a lot of the aircraft, and your videos helped me relate to them. I'd love a K4 and D9 video.
For DCS you'll want the open beta. Once you install it check out the servers on the multiplayer screen to see what map(s) you want.
I am one of those that drifted away from il2. I don't have time play regularly to be competitive online. When I do have time I have started looking for more of a technical challenge looking at a couple of dcs jets and looking at navigation charts and procedures to see if I can master those. On the ww2 side the Dcs p51 is the most convincing flight sim I have ever tried but ww2 online in the last felt stale very quickly. Clickable buttons don't make much of a difference once you are up in the air fighting so for ww2 il2 is much more complete I used to really enjoy air combat group campaigns. Something that makes me laugh is that people play dcs because it's more realistic but then the battles are like air quake and at 500 feet, I do get it though and defeating someone is a real accomplishment in both il2 and dcs
Spot on. I stopped my channel for similar reasons. Simming partly appeals to an older crowd because we can afford the kit to do it well. Gaming PC + stick + TrackIR = proper job or rich parents. I’m also not sure devs really get what ppl want. The fact Falcon still has a strong following tells you something about the power of well crafted dynamic campaigns and strong AI. Hell, Wings Over Flanders Fields uses MSFS2000 and is the best SP WW1 game out there. As for the Russian point, everyone loses. So sad
I've been playing Il-2 GB from the start, but since the war began, I left Russia as antiwar protester, leaving almost all my things there. Now I simply don't have nor PC neither peripherals or VR, as well as money to rebuild them from scratch. All I have with me are my laptop and Steam Deck. I don't even know where I'll be settling in next couple of years, and I suspect I am not the only one who has same problems as me. That's life, guys...
Unfortunately I was unable to play from 2017 to today (only now was able to get a new HOTAS, perks of 3rd word) Pity I lost most of game life.
Glad to hear you're gonna keep making vids for Il2. Maybe a "How to" on the Bf109 F2 one day? Have a nice day.
I start and spend loads of time sorting controls which then seem to not work next time I start game up and around I go again. So never get beyond basic take off and landing . Not only that but I have an immensely hard time spotting enemy aircraft and marvel on how you do it. That is the state I have been in for about 5 years,
I learned a lot from your instructional videos and would like to see more of course. However I completely understand the importance of family time.
DCS is quite good; open beta is more or less best played, due to the fact it’s easier to keep up with in testing, module release, and latest updates. More servers run in open beta.
I love DCS but it lacks content. It's a make-your-own fun type of game, hence mainly multi-player. Also the impossibility of having full fidelity Russian stuff kind of kills it for me lately..
I'm a private pilot. I haven't flight sim'd in forever but I really enjoy your sim vids. The video and audio quality are top notch and the running commentary with the boys adds just the right atmosphere to the game. I always marveled at how smooth 'looking around' is on your vids. I assumed that you used a VR headset but you mentioned in a comment that you use TrackIR. What size monitor do you use and at what resolution? Thanks.
PS...any reasonable person knows that gaming must always take a second (or third) place in a person's life and a person's taste will evolve. It is gratifying to know that you will still make time for your sim vids. They are worth waiting for and even tho they might not be the most viewed, your How To vids are very useful. They definitely shorten the learning curve, which greatly increases the chances that a user will continue with a game rather than giving up during the frustrating learning phase.
thx. All the clips in this one were recorded with TIR. My two most recent ones were recorded in VR.
With TIR I played with a 27" screen and in 1440x2560
IL2 is my number 1 game, however after my Reverb G2 broke down a few months ago, I have stepped away from IL2. I just couldn't see playing it on a flat screen again. That's just me. My current finances have not allowed me to fix or replace my VR system. And on top of that, my 2 year old grandson, loves to pull on the VR cords and push every button on my keyboard. I'm going to get him a job working in a nuclear power plant. I hope to return to IL2 in the near future.
I bought the Quest 3. A very nice replacement for my G2. Much better lenses and the screens are comparable. I even started playing non PC VR games. Can recommend!
Imma a ten year plus il2 driver as well. I am surprised because just awhile back i kinda made the same decisions. Expand to some other games, like msfs and others. Work out more and generally shake things up. Just thpught it was a bit ironic. I still fly once in a while but learning DCS and the higher fidelity of the P51 and other planes seemed fun. You have provided hours of entertainment for all of us and we salute you!
IL2 is the game I always dreamed of. I am in my late 60s and first got involved with computer games in the 70s. Been playing IL2 since it came out. I only play two games, Combat Mission being the other. If I get tired of one, I switch to the other. Long live IL2 !
if you like Combat Mission, give a try to Graviteam tactics, start with Mius front. Best realtime strategy in my eyes, no micro control, just command level.
Really appreciate you bring up the moral deficiencies in playing/purchasing this game. It needs to be known.
Yes we should condemn an entire nation due to the will of a tyrant.
I’ve appreciated your videos and enjoyed playing IL2 during the pandemic times.
I tend to have phases with flight sims where I play and watch videos for a few months and then I lose interest and don't play for a few months or maybe years but I just want to say that I have enjoyed your videos for a long time and and find them very helpful and entertaining. Will you be picking up IL2:Korea?
I have watched your channel for years Sheriff. You helped me to understand iL-2 and flight in general. Which has helped me in applying that knowledge to other flying games and even real life flight quite easily. So let me be the first to say that your content and style is honestly great. Always has been. Your discord mods may have chased me out of your discord. But you were kind enough to step in for a middle ground a few years back.
As for the game, popularity, and content. Honestly I blame the devs. Rather than making war thunder realism game 2.0 with combined warfare to make their decade old project interesting. They are going the lazy route now by just changing titles. I have spent much time in their censor forums and I can firmly say they do not listen to the community unless there is extensive backlash affecting their money. They block and censor anyone who highlights flaws or why the game is uninteresting. I use to post very detailed and historic things there. While also maintaining the biggest reshade thread to make the game look realistic without all the black/grey scale. Of course, many of my threads (and others) were locked by censor mods, as the threads dont align to "Russian version of history" that the Russian devs feel inclined to overlook despite data sheets, personal accounts from ww2 vets, and even footage. Plus they blocked reshade because VR users of one single server complained daily over fantasy issues. While ignoring the much larger crowd who simply wanted the game to look good without advantage. The info censorship and reshade block has largely destroyed the game to what is today chasing off people from staying or playing. Instead of listening to the community they decided to listen to this game's echo chamber group which has destroyed the game's replayability.
I say all this because I want to point out its not your fault. Your content is some of the best on youtube for flying. Flying both in games and in real life. Sadly the devs didnt listen to those that tried to keep the game going or following ideas that would expand the game's scope for a larger audience interest. There is much ww2 content still out there and places to see. But they rather drop it for chasing new release money. I wont buy another one of their products myself nor will I suggest others. This game has shown they dont listen to data outside of echo chambers. Thus their future works are off my table. I tried very adamantly to have the devs switch to a combined arms similiar to war thunder using realism instead. The idea was pretty popular for the most part and its something the game could support as servers could do such in a basic form already. But that large scale WW2 experience is gone.
So after years of fun and headache. I have dropped iL-2 as well. My friends finally roped me into war thunder despite avoiding it the past decade. Has many vehicles "mostly" historically accurate in arcade. Its popular and for your channel with history interests I think it could be best to focus there as well. I do recall your old video years ago saying WT is arcade even while flying simulation. That is definitely true to this day. However the game has content and iL-2 does not. Maybe you could be like the youtuber "Bismarck" who started in iL-2 then transitioned to visiting ww2 history tactics and real world locations/museums. His channel greatly grew quickly from the switch as it already had a following with interest in the topic. Perhaps you could go WW2 metal detecting or battlefield exploring with your kids like "WW2HistoryHunter" You have some options with examples to follow out there and your content/effort deserves to thrive.
Very long winded for a video almost a year old now. But I wanted to share some history on iL-2 and that its decline is not your fault. You and we all get to see it fall away to history for things outside our control.
I would love to see a 190 tutorial series personally. D-9 sounds great, but an A-8 tutorial would be fantastic. Maybe just an Anton tutorial series?
When I saw the title of your video I thought 'oh no he is going to stop making videos' .... so pleased to hear that is not the case.
Your videos good to watch - especially the missions you fly with your friends... the banter between you and the other pilots adds to the experience.
There was a string of very gloomy dark grey sky videos that I found a bit hard to follow (I know that's just the weather and not in your control) but the blue sky winter videos are really fantastic and much easier to follow for old blokes like me.
Sadly I don't fly much any more since my wingman gave up the game (life got in the way for him - something you know all about) but I still like watching your videos.
Thank you for what you have made and published over all the years - I hope to keep watching them and hope you continue to enjoy playing and making them a a pace your happy operate.
Regarding your question: I am (still?) very much a proponent of the more technical and analytic videos compared to the videos of (random FTC) sorties. Please understand me well: videos relating to sorties can be very satisfying, but ideally when there is a particular interest, not necessarily innovative, just not random and/or uminteresting for lack of better description. Exciting sorties do exist after all.
Personally, I don't recognise myself in this declining interest in IL-2, even though I have been playing for multiple years. I do not question the sincerity of people mentioning the possibility of such a trend, however I do think that at least partially, there is an effect of (some) people repeating statements of others, leading to a self fulfilling prophecy to some degree. For me, I still have so much to learn, so much to perfect given the depth of the gameplay IL-2 offers, and playing with friends is (still?) incredibly satisfying when you succeed to make things work.
Whatever the case may be, people should spend their free time that seems to be the most satisfying to them personally and without being too dramatic, this requires sincere introspection about one's preferences above all.
Tbh the squadrons that fill servers and discords are actively killing the fun for anyone who wants to play. Joining into a server with 50 people that is 16 v 34 with 2 squads of 6 on one side. It's unplayable unless you have a group of people that also can sit in a discord and tell you everything that's happening while you all shoot at a solo pilot. Truly the community is killing any opportunity for people to jump back into mp or to ever get started.
I generally disagree. Air Combat is inherently Teamplay. Historically and in IL-2. Look for groups. Join them our create them yourself.
You can fly alone, but you must that it is tough. Its tough but not impossible.
I feel you about the time getting away for playing. After moving two years ago and taking on additional tasks at work, just trying to get around to set my flight controllers back up has been a task I've yet to complete. I just haven't felt motivated to do it. The group I game with fell off of it rather quickly, only occasionally joining to gun on a ME-110, JU-88 (my first plane thanks to your video on it), IL-2 or A-20, and I just fell into flying the same mission profiles I was comfortable with solo. That, unfortunately, got tedious over time with nothing put the engines and ocassional explosions and gunfire to keep me occupied. Same with DCS, though that was a much bigger time sink and I only ever bothered to learn one jet (AJS-37 Viggen.) That really limited me in what I could do, though it was something I really enjoyed doing.
I must say, I am glad I don't follow the goings on of the community from what you and the comments are saying. I would not have reacted well to the community manager's comments...
As of right now there’s a few dogfight servers that stay within 10-50 people throughout the day, sometimes reaching 80 players in one server. I personally play a ton of combat box and there’s on average about 20-30 people when I’m on. The lack of new content sucks but honestly considering it’s one of the best and still populated ww2 flight sims, it’s worth putting up with.
I am also happy how it's going currently
Super Video … with a windows 11 which of the il2 products should I buy … I have some old ones . But did not play for years.
For MP DCS Warbirds as others have said you're definitely going to want to install the beta. You mentioned having the Normandy map, idk if that means Normandy 2, but I'd highly recommend that as well in case you only have the old Normandy.
It would be nice if the devs could update the game so that it would allow modding. Not sure if possible. Might live on for quite a while.
Also, thanks for all the excellent content Sheriff. ❤
Well technically they allow mods. But you can't select in MP which ones you want to activate ans which ones aren't allowed. At least to my knowledge. This of course a show stopper for fair mulitiplayer games.
Hi Sheriff, your hard work producing such high quality content is very much appreciated, but of course, your young family must come first. Those who complain about not seeing new videos coming out at a click of the fingers really have no idea of the amount of work that is required to produce the quality of content you excel in. I've been watching your channel for a number of years, and I have regularly plugged your Tutorials to other players I watch because I feel you explain everything in a clear organised way and that is always helpful to less experienced players. I don't play the game myself because I just don't have the rig required to run it. I just enjoy watching you and your friends playing it and I really feel your exploits pay great homage to the brave pilots of both sides who flew in service of their country for real all those years ago.
I've been enjoying DCS a lot. Like others say, go for open beta! What I like about it is the immersion. Navigation, engine management, learning how to start up the planes, the weight of my P47D, Etc. When I switch over to IL-2 (it's been a while) it feels very arcade-like to me. Not necessarily a bad thing at all, just preference. Also: it's taking ages, but there's a visual update and VR coming for IL-2 Cliffs of Dover. I'm not on the edge of my seat while waiting, but nothing feels quite like CoD. Side-note: there's really nice campaigns for DCS, if you like having to cross the channel before trying to return home on a last puff of fuel :).
hey hey hey. how do you use head/eye tracking in IL2?
I have Tobii but it ain't supported anymore. I switched to a combination of free software (one of them is opentrack) and a webcam,
but these interfere with MS FlightSim and Tobii (game won't find any headtracking device).
do you use something different? or opentrack, too? thanks in advance!
Track IR
@@SheriffsSimShack okay. thank you! =)
What headtracker do you use? Yours looks so smooth compared to mine.
Haven't been on il2 for ages....lockdown burnt me out.
I'm a dcs man now, I like the complex systems etc which il2 can't give me.
Look forward to seeing you in dcs....beta version, Normandy 2....modern Syria sinai and whatever jet takes your fancy
I didn't expect that you have the balls to say everything at loud what other knows but rather choose to be silence. Respect.
As for DCS, yes you will want the open beta, there are a handful of WW2 servers that are usually pretty well populated. Hope to see some DCS content from you 😊
This couldnt be farther from truth.
Theres basicaly one ww2 server alive in dcs and its only half full at best during peak hours (15-30 players average).
@marduk87 Okay so about the same as IL-2 multiplayer these days
@@BlueSkiesVinnyNot really. In il2 you have atleast 3 almost full servers at most times with other servers having population aswell while in dcs its 15 desperate souls on single server.
@@marduk87 I see! I miss the IL-2 Co-op servers. :(
@@marduk87 In DCS if you see 1 player in a server it's almost always a bot doing admit duties, not some single people flying in an empty server.
They need to try update engine even more. Maybe implement B17s, B24s, Lancasters AI version and build more maps. With big bombers p47s and P51 would have more role to play as high alt escort. Lets say with new maps Italy, balkans, Belarus, Berlin area, Hungary, Finland, Leningrad sector and some africa maps. That way they could be focused mainly on european theatre of war. So this game is long from dead.
IL2 is in a decent state in terms of game play, what needs work is the control mapping experience which is abysmal, especially since the pits are not clickable!
It runs so much nicer than DCS, but having to take an hour to figure out the mapping on my HOTAS is a pain in the ass. Also, when going from plane to plane its almost impossible to figure out what is mapped for the control action i need.
Have you tried to play Elite Dangerous? I left IL-2 and moved to space simulator Elite Dangerous in early 2022 as I can play it on any device with GFN with any control input (mouse + keyboard, controller, HOTAS). I can either multi-play or solo-play at my own pace. I can basically log out any time without any upfront commitment for time as I am a father, husband and have a full time demanding job.
Great video Sheriff. I for one always catch your videos, I always find them interesting and full of good, impartially delivered stuff. More 'how to's', for sure!1
If you try DCS then go for the Open Beta as you get all the new additions prior to the stable version. The new maps (WW2 ones, that is) are absolutely brilliant and get better with each update.
You take vare and stay in touch with us for sure... 👍👍👍👌
I got burned out on IL2 also and I'm in that age range also. I'm still around and enjoyed flying with and against you in IL2. I haven't flown IL2 in years I am getting the itch to try Apollo out. I also fly more DCS now but Philstyles and the SOW crew shut down their WW2 server so that was a big bummer to me. Enigma's server is great for cold war though!
The developers have willingly let the game atrophy. The anit-Ukraine Twitter post was the final nail for a lot of us. What a shame. Combat Pilot is a long way out and can't come soon enough.
Removing the dipshit in question as 'community manager' might've alleviated some of the heat and restored a measure of goodwill, but instead they chose to double down on the 'We were hacked! Honest!' excuse. A cowardly response that's alienated players they can't afford to lose.
Oh man really what have they said on which twitter account?
Who cares dude. Dont make a video game about politics
I dont see a video about politics. I just mentioned politics affecting the game and involved people.
You guys should donate your money to Ukraine :)
I have been looking at the sim for a while now but what holds me back is the price. I haven't played a combat flight sim in a long time but years ago I was into all the Jane's sims, Microsoft Combat Flight sims etc....On another note it looks like Microprose is back in the game and working on a remake of their B17 The Mighty Eighth sim which I absolutely loved the original and still have the disk.
As a seasonal and casual player, as well as part of the demographic (40 years) I appreciate your tutorial videos.
Hey man, sorry to see you tone down your il2 content. I wish you would do a how to p51b, or p47 series tbh. And the internet lacks proper ground attack videos. Either way, i love your content, and i'm glad you are not stopping completely from creating il2 videos. Take care!
How to P51 already exists
p51b:)) Like you have different videos for bf109s or fw190. Anyway man, we enjoy your content. Do what you like and want to do, at the pace you want to do it. I am struggling to make videos while i got a family and a full time job, so i know how tough it is to try staying on a yt schedule. Just do whatever you are comfortable with. I wouldn't say no to a DCS series to be honest.. I keep getting dcs modules during sales, but i rarely fly them. :)@@SheriffsSimShack
Hey, I'm 42, having two kids 14 and 12. I'm now start to have some free time for simulators 😁 Flying CloD, BMS and some old DOS title from my childhood.
I went to DCS for WWII, and stayed for the Cold War gameplay. Never figured I’d like it, but here we are.
Still 1000% prefer IL-2 for WW2, much better selection of aircraft, actual functional AI if singleplayer is your thing, spotting is better, etc. However DCS for coldwar absolute *chefs kiss* perfect, glorious. I don't have much interest in the modern fox 3 BVR fights, but screaming around in a MiG-21 is a absolute blast. I love both games, even when both have issues. DCS for jets, IL-2 for the WW2 stuff.
Ma alla fine , è compatibile con windows 10?
I bought the game on sale today, I’m really excited and hope it was a good move
Informative and streight from the heart. You and Requiem are the only 2 il2 content creators i bother my ass with tbh.
Thank you for the update. I enjoy the content a whole lot, but feeling a bit guilty have not played IL-2 the last year, but that is lack of time, not want;) Keep it up.
I wish to be able to play more often. And i really wish that they add the pacific theater before changing titles
I have IL2 (all of them) since CFS3 went under, and still play every single one of them - but mainly Il2 GB.
DCS purchasing model --- Nope, nope, nopity nope-even though I do own it. It is also not as much fun for some reason.
I check your "How to" vids all the time - great resource.
S!
We are waiting for you in DCS Cold War servers.
Hi Sheriff, I played il2 and followed your channel for the past 5+ years.
I have fell out of love of il2. Not for anyone’s fault, but simply I feel like I’ve played the game to death. My flying buddies don’t play any more. I have just got married. New job etc.
Sometimes life gets in the way, and that’s absolutely fine. One thing I understand about gaming is that it comes in waves. Meaning, a new game will come along and reignite the passion I once had with il2. I think this new game at the moment for me is Squad
Before il2, I had Arma3. Before arma3 there was OFP. Before OFP there was CS1.6. These games coincided with different “checkpoints” in my life.
It’s a shame il2 is a dying game (imo) but it’s just the natural cycle of any fantastic game. I had so much good fun especially in the 2018-2020 years.
Hallo Sheriff! DCS hat viel mehr zu bieten, als nur WWII. Cold War zum Beispiel und tatsächlich ist der beliebteste Server auch in dieser Zeit angesiedelt. Oder vielleicht probierst du mal Hubschrauber, einfach um mal was anderes zu machen. Du kannst ja fast jedes Modul 14 Tage testen.
Your videos have always been amazing. I found myself not able to keep up with the hours needed at a given time to go and fly…life tends to take precedence. But yeah I say doing what you find interesting and get into, tends to really come out in your videos 😎👍
Me and my friends are playing this less cuz we "hope" and wait for Pacific if it comes.
I love your vids,your flying is superb.
We bought a game 10 years ago,we still get constant free updates, fixes and graphical improvements like Clouds, plus new Plane- & Campaign-DLCs constantly.
The only downsides to IL-2 is that there are no alternatives, just different versions of IL-2, that´s why players get burned oout more quick, also hardware and peripherals got expensive, which may contribute to lower playernumbers overall, but that does not make it bad all of a sudden.
And that the community-manager is shady, does not affect the game in any way.
I really don´t get the Drama.
DCS open beta is what my squad uses. Stable has fewer servers it seems.
It is more detailed than IL2 though the plane set is less coherent and more limited than IL2.
Grab the p-47 as well. It is good in DCS. IL2 messed the 47 up.
Spend plenty of time with set up and optimization in DCS. It's more work than IL2.
DCS has improved a lot in the past 3 years, but both DCS and IL2 are showing their ages. Looking forward to Combat Pilot Pacific.
I dont really play anymore. The game has lost its draw. And nobody is making the game I think we would all want...a combined arms full scale war game. Like 500 v 500 people. I dont even know if the technology for this exists...but I know I want it and I have been dreaming about it for years now.
Dcs with Greg, yes please!
Servus,
Ich wollte mal fragen was für nen PC du hast da ich auf meinem Laptop spiele mit 8GB ram und ich kann das Spiel nicht spielen. Ich hatte vor auf einen 48 GB PC upgrade für diesen winter zu sparen.
Btw: Ich schaue dich zwar nur ab und an aber bin ein großer fan. Schade dass es langsam mit der lust hier ausgeht aber ich schätze du hast mehr als genug Videos auf deinem Kanal xD
War bis vor zwei Wochen auf dem hier:
sheriffssimshack.com/index.php/my-hardware/
Was ein "48GB PC" ist mir allerdings ein Rätsel. ;)
great video. very happy to see you're not one of the bootlickers / white knights defending the current state of il2. totally agree with all of your observations (obviously). one additional factor i feel has hurt the multiplayer community was the decision to make some servers "official" and artificially pin them to the top of server browser. this further divides an already small gaming community and feels like a self-inflicted wound.
Would love to see some DCS from you man!
Don't panic, you'll come back one day if you quit this game. I started playing in 2001 or so and for 10 years I played online almost every day... and look, I've been playing about a year now and I'm now 48 years old and together with my son we regularly play online.
When I started playing IL2 my son wasn't born yet.
Thanks Sheriff, I appreciate the work you put in for us and the genre.
I am 36 years old and have been playing this sim since 2018 or so. However, right now I am just trying to change my professional career and the path I chose needs tons of study time so I just don't have the time right now. I am looking forward to come back it though. I don't care much about new content and I am happy with what the sim is right now.
As long as the community is alive and server admins keep pushing out more content, then I am set. Nevertheless, I would lie if I tell I'm not excited for Combat Pilot.
During this time, I am also rediscovering the joy of good single player experiences. Currently I'm playing Death Stranding and Nier and having a complete blast.
I think DCS and Il2 are very different even if both flight sims. I like both for very different reasons. I love the WW1 stuff but I do think IL2 has been limited in some important areas. It certainly got better but there is still somewhat limited content. No heavies which were really important for Euro operations.
Ty for the how to p51 videos
An interesting commentary. The problem with _any_ game is the number of hours traded for it. After spending years with IL2 and a fair bit with DCS and MSFS I've moved on to spending my free time developing our little business, helped somewhat by a dead PC, haha. I do wonder how many people are going to regret the multiple thousands of hours spent gaming when they realise that life has caught up with them with nothing much to show for it. Anyway, just a passing thought.
Thanks for channel content especially the instructive side. I'll be back flying when the nVidia 50 series lands in 2025 and VR has matured a bit more.
DCS is great. If you interested in SP campaigns, then stable is nice choice to start, however I fly SP in Open Beta to have all the new features with some bugs ))) For SP I recommend campaign made by Reflected (the newer the better). But if multiplayer is priority Open Beta is the only way.
the game is time-consuming, expensive, and difficult..and regarding the producers being RU, I feel the same. I felt guilty when, this year, I bought Operation Bodenplatte and sent money indirectly to the Russian state.
if you want to do DCS multiplayer you have to upgrade to Normandy 2
I love IL-2, it's still the best, most complete, 'recently' released combat flight sim. However... for the most part I have stopped playing not because of lack of content, but because long-standing issues have still not been addressed. Spotting is still an inconsistent prospect, with certain graphical and/or hardware configurations providing a bit of an advantage. Right now, the easiest spotting can be had by playing in a low resolution. It will make the game look like a jaggy mess, but the way the spotting system works makes it easier to see distant aircraft. The AI issues, especially with the WW1 fighters in particular, are damning... and it really kills the fun factor when they provide no challenge in a turn fight. Then there is the inconsistent damage modeling with the WW1 aircraft (Thankfully WW2 DM seems pretty good now). Then there are flight model issues across the board, especially with the P-47... but the worst being the WW1 fighters that are essentially using unchanged and not necessarily accurate flight models from Rise of Flight. A little "housekeeping" for these issues is in order, but I suspect it will never happen.
DCS... I uninstalled years ago, and will most likely not reinstall. It's a good "Virtual Museum," but when it comes to their business model and priorities... no thanks. It also doesn't help that there still is no dynamic campaign/simulated war system in place... despite years of promises that it is coming. Again, that's lack of priority. Especially when you consider the most amazing dynamic campaign system to this day was developed over the course of a summer, with extremely limited hardware and software capabilities of the time, by an intern, for Falcon 4.0.
Combat flight simming, especially for WW2, is unfortunately in a pretty poor state due to lack of competition as well as modern players being a younger generation that lacks the patience or interest for slower-paced, more technical gameplay.
Oh please make a video of your DCS adventure !
Mate, it's good to hear from you.
Been watching you for years, feel much the same way with IL-2.
I guess I just feel like I'm waiting for DCS to iron out the kinks or for something new to come along.
That said, you seem to have a little more time than me so give DCS a shot - the beta is where it's at and last I checked WW2 had enough players for european servers.
Well Sheriff, personally I will not get tired of warbirds, especially in combat. I watch whenever I can. I’m just here for the ride, you do exactly what you need to do. Thank you for your past dedication to the game, already. You showed me just how much of a butcher that the Dora could be.