buttons to play

[striker]

Hi, I bought the game for my son. He is 12 years. Is it true he can't play it with keyboard and mouse only, but need a joystick? Because he can't find the buttons on the keyboard for starting, taking off and get the plane straight? Also it's flickering in the menu, not in the game itself. Maybe it's also to difficult for his age? Can someone help us with these questions?

[Rejsyg]

It is possible to play with mouse + keyboard, you can't aim at anything very well, but you can still fly things with ease. Aiming the gun sight, taking off, and landing will most difficult without a joystick. But with practice you can get within a degree of perfection by learning how quickly to tap the arrow keys (←↑→↓).



Basic default keyboard controls for flying are:

F1 = First Person view
Ctrl + F1 = Arcade First Person view
F2 = External view
Shift + F2 = External View next friendly aircraft
Ctrl + F2 - External View next enemy aircraft

I = Turn on/off engine

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 = Engine power 0-100%

Z = RudderLeft
X = RudderRight

Up ↑ = ElevatorUp
Down ↓ = ElevatorDown
Left ← = AileronLeft
Right → = AileronRight

F = Flaps Up
V = Flaps Down

G = Gear


Ctrl + E = Bail out

Enter = Weapon0 (Machine guns)
Backspace = Weapon1 (Cannon)
Space = Weapon2 (Rockets)
Alt + Space = Weapon3 (Bombs)

A = Autopilot


[ and ] = Time compressions keys

As for flickering on main menu, try the following:

Right mouse button click on il2fb.exe and choose properties menu -- open compatibility tab.
Check - Disable scaling on high DPI monitor.

I wouldn't say it is too difficult anyone, flying planes in IL-2 1946 is very easy. Just takes some practice to remember the controls and how to fly specific planes.

[Ushkyr]

it will be quite a challenge for a 12 y/o who's not really into it. I'd recommend starting with War Thunder and if it clicks - continue on with 1946.
IMHO Il2 requires very steep learning curve.

[Rejsyg]

Originally posted by Ushkyr:

it will be quite a challenge for a 12 y/o who's not really into it. I'd recommend starting with War Thunder and if it clicks - continue on with 1946.
IMHO Il2 requires very steep learning curve.

Is that what you seriously recommend?

OP already bought IL-2 1946.
And you're saying it has a STEEP learning curve? It is nowhere as steep as DCS or IL-2 Cliffs of Dover.


I'd say anything but WarThunder. The game where they promote endless grinding for better planes, hours upon end until you get incentivised to unlock the planes with your credit card. The addictive online environment of having to earn XP for your dopamine hits.

I can't fathom how people can enjoy a game like WarThunder, its all eyecandy graphics and unlocks.


Oleg Maddox was right about the future of flight sims:

So the future? I think there’s a fork in the road. There is a path towards more accessible, more massive, less realistic online – or towards less accessible, smaller, more realistic games.

Its either the Free To Play MMO like WarThunder, the smaller more realistic (more expensive) IL-2 Battle of Stalingrad/DCS World...

Or the classic older games like IL-2 1946.

[Sturisoma]

Dont listen Ushkyr. I play Il-2 from 2004 and I recomended this game for everybody who like planes. But buy any joystick, even cheap for first time. And settings in Il-2 can / any gameplay moment.

[BigFudge]

If you guys have an XBOX control by any chance you can save money, and still play the game like it's meant to be played. If you don't have either, I would look into a good beginner Joystick. It is difficult to fly without a proper control.

[Rejsyg]

Originally posted by BigFudge:

If you guys have an XBOX control by any chance you can save money, and still play the game like it's meant to be played. If you don't have either, I would look into a good beginner Joystick. It is difficult to fly without a proper control.

I can confirm, I have an Xbox 360 PC controller (with USB cord) and it does work. Although I prefer my joystick.

[striker]

Originally posted by Rejsyg:

It is possible to play with mouse + keyboard, you can't aim at anything very well, but you can still fly things with ease. Aiming the gun sight, taking off, and landing will most difficult without a joystick. But with practice you can get within a degree of perfection by learning how quickly to tap the arrow keys (←↑→↓).



Basic default keyboard controls for flying are:

F1 = First Person view
Ctrl + F1 = Arcade First Person view
F2 = External view
Shift + F2 = External View next friendly aircraft
Ctrl + F2 - External View next enemy aircraft

I = Turn on/off engine

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 = Engine power 0-100%

Z = RudderLeft
X = RudderRight

Up ↑ = ElevatorUp
Down ↓ = ElevatorDown
Left ← = AileronLeft
Right → = AileronRight

F = Flaps Up
V = Flaps Down

G = Gear


Ctrl + E = Bail out

Enter = Weapon0 (Machine guns)
Backspace = Weapon1 (Cannon)
Space = Weapon2 (Rockets)
Alt + Space = Weapon3 (Bombs)

A = Autopilot


[ and ] = Time compressions keys

As for flickering on main menu, try the following:

Right mouse button click on il2fb.exe and choose properties menu -- open compatibility tab.
Check - Disable scaling on high DPI monitor.

I wouldn't say it is too difficult anyone, flying planes in IL-2 1946 is very easy. Just takes some practice to remember the controls and how to fly specific planes.

[striker]

Thank you very much

[striker]

Originally posted by Rejsyg:

Originally posted by BigFudge:

If you guys have an XBOX control by any chance you can save money, and still play the game like it's meant to be played. If you don't have either, I would look into a good beginner Joystick. It is difficult to fly without a proper control.

I can confirm, I have an Xbox 360 PC controller (with USB cord) and it does work. Although I prefer my joystick.

[striker]

Thank you, we bought an Thrustmaster T.flyght Hotas 4, he can also use at his playstation 4 for Whartunder. We only need to find out why the throttle is not responding. The joystick and throttle are tested and work but in the game the throttle is not responding

[striker]

Originally posted by Rejsyg:

Originally posted by Ushkyr:

it will be quite a challenge for a 12 y/o who's not really into it. I'd recommend starting with War Thunder and if it clicks - continue on with 1946.
IMHO Il2 requires very steep learning curve.

Is that what you seriously recommend?

OP already bought IL-2 1946.
And you're saying it has a STEEP learning curve? It is nowhere as steep as DCS or IL-2 Cliffs of Dover.


I'd say anything but WarThunder. The game where they promote endless grinding for better planes, hours upon end until you get incentivised to unlock the planes with your credit card. The addictive online environment of having to earn XP for your dopamine hits.

I can't fathom how people can enjoy a game like WarThunder, its all eyecandy graphics and unlocks.


Oleg Maddox was right about the future of flight sims:

So the future? I think there’s a fork in the road. There is a path towards more accessible, more massive, less realistic online – or towards less accessible, smaller, more realistic games.

Its either the Free To Play MMO like WarThunder, the smaller more realistic (more expensive) IL-2 Battle of Stalingrad/DCS World...

Or the classic older games like IL-2 1946.

[striker]

My son has played Whartunder and world of planes. It's easy for him. Nice to start. He was at the avation days in the Netherlands where we live (his father works at the air force) and ther was a company called Flyght sims and then my son wanted to play that. He allready can get the planes into the air. But it was no easy to find all the buttons on keyboard and mouse. That's why I thought maybe you can't play well on keyboard and mouse.

[striker]

Originally posted by striker:

Originally posted by BigFudge:

If you guys have an XBOX control by any chance you can save money, and still play the game like it's meant to be played. If you don't have either, I would look into a good beginner Joystick. It is difficult to fly without a proper control.

We bought the Thrustmaster T.flyght Hotas 4. He also can use it for his playstation 4 at Warthunder. But on PC we have to find out why the throttle is nos responding. The joystick works good

[Warface]

I've used a PS2 joystick with an adapter and things went just well... you need to tweak the settings a little bit and requires some practice, but it's an enjoyable experience after all.

[olku]

Its possible that the throttle isnt mapped in the settings. I might be wrong though