Italy folder campaign

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by IceFire

The history of the IL-2 Sturmovik product is what matters here.

That said, later third party work on Italian planes and campaigns has been quite good. Mission 4 Today is probably the best site for add-on skins and campaigns.

While it's frustrating that you can't fly a lot of the late war Italian fighters (without mods), and there are some gaps in the Italian order of battle (no Italian-designed ground attack or transports, for example, along with a serious lack of Italian ships), there is enough Italian equipment to create some decent campaigns.

The main problem is the lack of good maps for North Africa, Southern Italy and Greece.

[sniperton]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

... there is enough Italian equipment to create some decent campaigns.

The main problem is the lack of good maps for North Africa, Southern Italy and Greece.

I agree, but there's another problem here. The Il-2 game is made to recreate aerial battles fought by both parties with similarly advanced equipment, while the Italian OOB consisted of many types still belonging to the Spanish Civil War era. Many of them are not modelled in game (Ba.65, Ca.310, Ca.13X, Ro-37), and probably with good reason: they would be bare cannon-fodder even for 2nd line British fighters.

I experimented quite a lot with creating a proper Italian DCG campaign in the Med without the Germans in the first scenarios. A large Italian numerical advantage was needed to keep the play balance. Medium bombers and the Macchi fighter are adequate crates, but biplane Falcos and Freccias do lack the horse- and firepower to effectively intercept fast Blenheims and/or robust Beauforts. Any attempt at using Italian light bombers (represented by hack SBs) ended in a catastophe.

In RL, even 2nd line planes had their role, which they fulfilled with more or less success, but the compressed maps of present-day Il-2 do not make it easy to separate the paralel realms of air war. Il-2 is not a hide and seek game. We would need larger maps, reconnaissance features, triggers and/or a decision-making air control to widen the scope of the game in that direction.

[Baddington_VA]

I seem to recall something about the Mediterranean theatre of operations being
off limits to TD, in the same way the Channel and Battle of Britain has been due
to Cliffs of Dover.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Baddington_VA

I seem to recall something about the Mediterranean theatre of operations being off limits to TD, in the same way the Channel and Battle of Britain has been due to Cliffs of Dover.

I believe that 1C had plans for a follow-on game to CloD which would have been based in North Africa. Those went by the wayside when CloD flopped.

As far as I know, there are no longer any restrictions on North African or MTO content. Likewise, I think that restrictions on Battle of Britain/France content have been lifted.

TD would know for sure, but given that they've included material which was previously embargoed (e.g., Wellington Bomber, SM-79) we can hope.

[IceFire]

At this point there isn't much stopping Mediterranean operations except time and expertise. A lot of third party and TD effort has gone into adding some of the workhorse fighters, bombers and attack aircraft for Italy. Most of them flyable. A few still not (G.55 for example). We now even have Italian ground units.

So really. Just need some more maps. I'm trying to wrap my head around them but support is limited. A lot of people want stuff. Fewer will work to make it happen. I'm trying to make sure I can help make it happen... Maybe something Italy based even!

[Juri_JS]

Originally Posted by IceFire

At this point there isn't much stopping Mediterranean operations except time and expertise. A lot of third party and TD effort has gone into adding some of the workhorse fighters, bombers and attack aircraft for Italy. Most of them flyable. A few still not (G.55 for example). We now even have Italian ground units.

So really. Just need some more maps. I'm trying to wrap my head around them but support is limited. A lot of people want stuff. Fewer will work to make it happen. I'm trying to make sure I can help make it happen... Maybe something Italy based even!

Isn't Gitano working on a number of MTO maps?

[_1SMV_Gitano]

yep... SBD... Slow But Deadly...