That's highly doubtful ... the only reason why one may think online has greater numbers is because they're visible (and noisy in various message boards) - the mass of players staying offline isn't visible.

+1

-1

I believe that your knowledge about multiplayer is limited, indicated by the use of the word "circus".
If a pilot comes online in a situation where connection speed counts, he has made a error already, except herefrom are the so called "Air-Quake-Server" wich can only be used for stress release but not for flight-simming, imho.
On Mission-oriented server's you'll find such a variety of missions, situations and challenges that a silicon-chip without human input is not able to deliver.
A offline mission is historical correct, if good, and challenging! Once!
One can even fly it multiple times and be better with hindsight, but challenging that isn't anymore, imo.
Imo, offline is good for the first addiction, as it was for me with il2, and later maturing to be able to fight the real challenges online.
Offline has it part, but longevity it brings only to history-buffs, and there aren't so many of them.
All this refers to il2 46, of course, but there will be more servers for CoD as this sim matures.

even if the offline community was the greater numbers.

it is not them who make live a sim like il2 during 10 years. i know very few people who plays only offline il2 during ten years... most of them play at il2 since 1946.

the onlline community and virtual squadron are people who make a lot of things... (i don't speak about modding) but look SEOW. for me it is things like SEOW who can make live il2 during some years again

but to come back to the subject of the post. focus on offline will be a terrible mistake.

Words og wisdom there. This kind of sim will need both.

Except that in my experience the majority of the players don't want to be challenged - they want the same aircraft types for the same kind of missions with the same kind of people and woe betide you if you point out that their planeset is anything but historical. People want the classic fireplace-slippers-pipe kind of feeling, like I said on the QL board a long time ago.

I find this steady oooohing and aaaahing about online and how superior it is to offline extremely patronizing.

Sad though that we have to even have this thread?

IL2 (Original and onwards) was/is a great online multiplayer experience as it is really easy to find a server and join (although I use Hyperlobby does anyone remember the "AllSeeingEye" game browser?).

I find getting together with a group of pilots is really pot-luck at the moment, then you have to hope the settings are what you like, but they are not anywhere as intuitive as Hyperlobby is :(

I do really want both working but I sometimes think that this is going to be a very long fixing process, so currently it's a wait and see, but hope that the money doesn't run out before it's fixed :(

However I am already thinking how many variations can be released like the original Il2 did?

Cliffs of Dover: Forgotten Battles

Cliffs of Dover: Pacific Fighters

Cliffs of Dover: Complete Edition

Cliffs of Dover: Ultimate Edition

Cliffs of Dover: 1946

All of which are paid for upgrades but will I am sure add fixes at a premium price?

Time will tell but I do hope to see this product succeed as for the damage model and lighting alone it is incredible....makes me wonder why they just didn't make IL2:1946 HD which would have added the more detailed models and lighting...but kept the rest useable.

Cheers, MP

I love both aspects SP and MP, but one of the things I really miss is the cooperative play, Ive had some fantastic experience's with squad mates flying together in missions we have made in old IL2.

One of the biggest problems we have with MP at the moment other than that of the sound bug is steam dropping the servers, just as your getting into the fight all of a sudden your disconnected, its an absoloute nightmare. Hopefully sometime down the line Steam will be dropped and we will be able to use Hyperlobby.

I bought the game for multiplayer. Since online campaigns in IL2 I can never return to flying alone. Experiencing a 4 man squad commencing a supply/bomber hunting mission is something hard to express with words. And now, a full BoB online campaign seems to be few months away.

I see it simpler maybe, offline - training, online -advanced.