This is my first taste of IL2, after hearing mucho hype for the past year or so. It seems that the hype is much deserved. While it's still just a demo and all, I'm pretty impressed with the flight model, damage model, and presentation (grpahics, sound, etc.).

There's a ground attack mission in the demo and this mission is where I've spent most of my time so far. You're tasked with attacking a neighboring airport. The AAA is vicious. I watched my IL2 take a beating, huge holes in the wings, tail wings completely blown off, parts of the superstructure exposed. Very nice. If you can manage to belly land a crippled plan, your pilot and co pilot jump out, race ~100 yards or so and throw themselves down face first as the plane blows up. Really nice touch the first time you see it.

Tomorrow night I try the Air to Air mission. I have high hopes.

My biggest criticism at this point is really just a nit. The sounds for machine gun fire in the IL2 is pretty weak. Even if it is realistic, I would ditch it and go for something that sounds better.

The demo only has the two missions available for play. I wish I could see the mission builder, etc., even if I couldn't save/build a mission.

I know there are some sim heads who hang out here, probably some writer type folks who have actually seen the beta builds of this game. What are your thoughts now that the demo is live?

I haven't even bothered with the demo yet. Sims are giving me hives right now.

I am curious about your impending air-to-air mission though. I found it damn hard shooting down enemy aircraft when I previewed the E3 build, which is probably is how it should be for those looking for the ultimate in realizm I guess.

Hi Tim/Gordon,

I downloaded and played the IL2 demo. After some frustrating attempts to get my aircraft in the air (still haven't successfully flown the P-39) I have to say this is an amazing demo.

The aircraft modelling is right up there with Rowan's Battle Of Britain and probably surpasses it.

Graphics are excellent. On my Celeron 850/TNT2U I was getting high detail with playable framerates.

The damage modelling is extremely detailed. I love how damage is modelled on the "skin" of the airframe.

Sounds are good too. Maybe you need to pump up your sound system Tim ! The MG fire on my system - Cambridge FPS2000 4.1 surround - was enough to rattle the windows.

I was only marginally interested in IL2 before but now I have become a true believer. Very good demo !

Gordon,

You haven't downloaded the IL-2 demo? Good lord man, I now have the ammo I need to get my sim column back. You heretic!

This game looks incredible. The damage detail, the flight models... The AI's a mixed bag. The planes can be tough dogfighters, but sometimes they fly straight and level while you shoot them. But the game's not shipping for a couple of months yet.

But the graphics engine, the environment, etc. are among the best I've ever seen from a WW2 game. After finding BOB almost unplayable, this is a welcome change.

By the way, the quick mission builder works. You can fly the IL-2, P-39, or Bf-109. Lots of interesting planes to fly against... Ju-88, Yak-1, the Russian version of the C-47 with a turret, etc.

I've had more fun with the demo over the past few days than any of the sims released in the last year or so...

Hi Denny!

Yeah, I love IL-2 so far. I haven't played the demo, but I was working with a build for a preview.

I have to agree with Sean, getting the IL-2 airborne is a tough job. That beast wants lots of runway...and maybe a couple JATO bottles.

I will have to hurry and upgrade my CPU before the final is out though. It acts like WWII Online when it's strafing time.

For some reason, I just never got excited about IL-2. Heresy for an old sim fanatic, I know.

But after trying out the demo - wow. This could be a benchmark title.

"Good lord man, I now have the ammo I need to get my sim column back. You heretic!"

I suspect you'll have to fight Lackey for it.

New to MTV: Celebrity "Flight Sim Columnist" Deathmatch!

Gordon, for shame!! No IL-2 demo? What the hell? :)

--- Alan

According to his preview in CGW, Gordon has the beta. Why would he need the demo then?

-Andrew

Yeah, what Bub said!

(well, I guess I should check out the demo to see if anything new was added after the beta since then, but I doubt it)


Thank you, Andrew. :)

Ahh.

You suck.

:)

--- Alan

Well, I got a little A2A in IL2 the last few days and I'm still pretty excited. The P-39 is a bear on takeoff and also kinda dodgy when it's going real slow. Part of the problem for me was that I needed to scale my joystick. For some reason, I wasn't having these problems in the IL2, but it was very noticable in the P-39. The German plane is much easier to take off and dogfight. That's probably realistic.

I can't figure out how to padlock anything. What's up with that, maybe the padlock key doesn't work in the demo? I think I'm going to enjoy bombing in the IL2 more than dogfighting.

What's going to make or break this one is the campaign. I don't even know off hand much about what the plan is for how the campaign should work. Is it supposed to be dynamic? I read there's supposed to be a story component, which I took to be a euphemism for canned campaign. Is that true? Not like that alone is going to sink it. If it's fun, who cares. I'm looking for a campaign that can keep me as involved as Red Baron 3D.

Sean wrote: "The MG fire on my system ... was enough to rattle the windows."

Sean, it's not the volume. It's the tone. It just sounds bland and weak to me. But it's really a nit pick, and if it's the worst that happens, it's OK.