IL-2 Sturmovik Series: Complete Edition

[EURO_Snoopy]

London, UK March 14, 2006

Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that the IL-2 series, the critically acclaimed combat flight simulator is now merged into one DVD including: Il-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles, the Ace Expansion Pack, Pacific FightersTM, and all the intermediary add-ons.

This epic collection of WWII air combat spans the entire globe, from the sands of Iwo Jima to the snow-covered steppes of Russia. Fly in more than 200 life-like aircrafts over the Ardennes, Guadalcanal, D-Day beaches, or over Stalingrad: the possibilities are endless!

Key Features:
Join any Air Force: British, Russian, American, German and more
A dynamic campaign system creating endless varieties of missions in dozens of campaign scenarios.
42 meticulously modelled maps: Fly over the Reichstag and the Hermitage, Midway and Crimea, Pearl Harbor and Murmansk.
Free servers all over the world offering exhilarating multiplayer experience: up to 128 players on 29 online maps.
IL-2 SturmovikTM Series: Complete Edition, rated "12+" for PEGI, is scheduled on PC on March 31st for a retail price of £19.99.

This item may be pre-ordered now for £14.99

[Luckyboy1]

Does this thing include anything we don't already have or will get without buying this? I actually hope it does.

And I hope they took decent steps to protect their copywrite this time. Quite frankly, I'm so sick of being one of the 50,000 people who purchased the game while 1,950,000 or more just plain stole it!

[Luckyboy1]

Here's a copy of an e-mail, minus the signature at the bottom, just as I sent it to the default address of...



1c@1c.ru

I urge you to take significant steps over what you have done in the past to copywrite protect this latest offering of Pacific Fighters game.

ß ïðèíóæäàþ, ÷òî âû ïðåäïðèíèìàåòå ìåðû çíà÷èòåëüíî íàä âû äåëàëè â ïðîøëîì ê copywrite çàùèùàåòå ýòîò ñàìûé ïîñëåäíèé ïðåäëàãàòü Òèõîé îêåàí èãðû ñàìîëåò-èñòðåáèòåëåé.
I have legally purchased this game since the day I first discovered it. However, I am sick and tired of being part of just a small minority who legally purchased the game.

ß çàêîííî çàêóïàþ ýòó èãðó ñ äíÿ, êîòîð ÿ ñïåðâà îòêðûë åãî. Îäíàêî, ÿ áîëüí è óòîìëåí áûòü ÷àñòüþ êàê ðàç ìàëîãî íåñîâåðøåííîëåòèÿ êîòîðîå çàêîííî çàêóïèëî èãðó.
I am tired of finding again and again my legal and preordered copy of the game is delayed in shipping while the illegal version is floating on the internet even before the release date!
ß óòîìëåí íàõîäèòü ñíîâà è ñíîâà ìîå çàêîííîå è preordered ýêçåìïëÿð èãðû çàäåðæàí â ïåðåâîçêå ãðóçà ïîêà ïðîòèâîçàêîííûé âàðèàíò ïëàâàåò íà èíòåðíåò äàæå ïåðåä îôèöèàëüíàÿà äàòà íà÷àëà ðàñïðåäåëåíèÿ ïðîäóêöèè!
I am tired of watching your good work go unrewarded!
ß óòîìëåí íàáëþäàòü âàøó õîðîøóþ ðàáîòó èäó unrewarded!
Your game has educated and helped me find even more respect for the great struggle the Russian people have been through.
Âàøà èãðà äàëà îáðàçîâàíèå è ïîìîãëà ìíå äëÿ òîãî ÷òîáû íàéòè even more óâàæåíèå äëÿ áîëüøîé ñõâàòêè ðóññêèå ëþäè äëÿ òîãî ÷òîáû áûòü äî êîíöà.
If you do not takes the steps needed, I will steal the game along with the rest of them this time
Åñëè âû íå äåëàåòå âçÿòèÿ, òî øàãè, ÿ óêðàäóò èãðó âìåñòå ñ îñòàëüíîÿìè èõ ýòî âðåìÿ.
If we must put up with some small thing to load the game or deal with it, so be it!
Åñëè ìû äîëæíû put up with íåêîòîðàÿ ìàëàÿ âåùü äëÿ òîãî ÷òîáû íàãðóçèòü èãðó èëè îáùàòüñÿ ñ åé, òî òàê be it!
If you do not, I will be forced to disrespect your considerable efforts and this I do not wish to do!
Åñëè âû íå äåëàåòå, òî ÿ ïðèíóæäóñü ê íåóâàæåíèþ âàøè çíà÷èòåëüíûå óñèëèÿ è ýòî, êîòîð ÿ íå æåëàþ ñäåëàòü!
I hope you will understand that what I say here supports you and does not disrespect you.
ß íàäåþñü âû ïîéìåò ÷òî ÿ ãîâîðþ çäåñü ïîääåðæèâàåò âàñ è íå äåëàåò íåóâàæåíèå âû.

[CrazySchmidt]

Does this thing include anything we don't already have or will get without buying this?

Even if it doesn't it is still the right decision I believe, even if it only takes out the confusion for updating patches etc.. which some users seem to have problems with from what I have read within these forums.

I have recently had major PC problems which resulted in me having to reinstall the IL-2 series many times over and even though "Luckyboys guide" made it easy as far as what patches go in what order (cheers buddy, damn fine work), it wouldn't be easy for new users not knowing the sim history. This new DVD would resolve this I believe. An easy and determined starting point for new users/updates at least.

Cheers, CrazySchmidt.

[MaXMhZ]

Now LB I don't like it when you say you'd steal it with the rest of the idiots that do... Naughty boy! You know you won't, so don't say you will. And even if it has nothing new, even as a backup it's great value for money You should not burn cd's for backup purposes - they have a lifespan of 2 to 5 years and are then nothing more than waste material only usefull as coasters. An original pressed cd will have a lifespan of several decades, and you can double that with an original pressed dvd.
The only reliable backup is a hard-drive or magnetic tape. I think it's a good idea to put the series on dvd and I will buy one as soon as I can. You just need one virus on your system and you'll need it I don't care how many people steal it. I won't - I want more of the same and buying is the only way to make sure it happens. I am pi$$ed the UBI owners get rich while Oleg seems to be limping way behind in the "food chain", but hey that's life, and I hope one day there will be a fool-proof registration so he'll get the money he so rightly deserves.
just my two cents

[Luckyboy1]

Yeah, you're right! I ave this nasty streak of morality... any ideas on how to become a sociopath like the rest of 'em?!

[MaXMhZ]

I got no idea how to become like them and don't want to either...
I know I wouldn't enjoy playing the game half as much if I played a pirated copy. All I know is I'm willingly paying, not alonefor the game, but for the future of it
There's currently a poll on UBI GD about starforce, and reading up on the links I found several publishers have decided to publish games without copy protection at all and let the product and their support speak for itself. I believe that's the way to go. People will realise it's the future of their game they're paying for, and buy instead of pirate it, leaving the pirats all by themselves in the desert with no-one to boast or talk to let alone play with
If they don't support will stop and then they'll wake up and buy anyway

[MudPuppy]

Can y'all help me clarify or answer a question about the pending release of this "IL2: Complete Edition DVD"? I've seen lots of supposition and guessing, but no official word from either 1C Maddox or UbiSoft that this update will NOT be sold in North or South American retail markets.

Actually, it seems this is the case from what I have read. I just don't want to believe it
Tell me I'm wrong here and I've misinterpreted the signs! Maybe there are yet to be announced release dates for N&S American markets? But, I would have thought if there were seperate release dates for other geographic markets that this would have been noted, even if specific dates were not announced.

I can always order from a European retailer (any favorites I should support ) Assuming there would not be any regional codes on DVD games like the DVD movies that may cause issues. Like others have stated before, I think it'll be great to have all the IL2 content and patches on disk. And support an excellent design team at 1C!!

MudPuppy

[MaXMhZ]

There's no official word from UBI about release in the Americas, so It's all guesswork. I woldn't worry about it though. They would be real morons if they didn't. Not even UBI is that stupid. When PF came out it was first released in Europe while you would think it would be of much more interest to the customers in the USA with the american planes and maps of Hawaii and Iwo Jima etc. For AEP it was the other way around. They allways took weird release decisions... I can't imagine what the reasons were Nowadays it's easy enough to order world-wide and have it delivered in a week. So if they don't want to make money - someone else will... As long as Oleg gets his part I don't care

[KenleyKid]

Got my e-mail from "Just-Play" to say my copy is on its way today! I'm chuffed because I missed out on AEP and all those updates!

[MaXMhZ]

Got my e-mail from "Just-Play" to say my copy is on its way today! I'm chuffed because I missed out on AEP and all those updates!

ooo - you're not playing 4.04m then ? You'll like the extra's !
AEP is very hard to get these days. I had to order from an e-bay online shop recently.

[EURO_Snoopy]

Got my e-mail from "Just-Play" to say my copy is on its way today! I'm chuffed because I missed out on AEP and all those updates!

Yep mine is on the way too, nice tidy backup disc that'll make

[KenleyKid]

Guess there will be a race to get it installed then, I don't have web access at weekends so my feedback will probably have to wait! Can't see me being disapointed though - its as good as a new game for me!

[arigram]

I am new in the IL2 world.
I bought Forgotten battles about a month ago but did not hesitate to buy the Complete Edition DVD that just came out. I was lucky enough to find it in a bookstore here in the greek island of Crete that also carries computer software.
The packaging includes just the DVD and an accordeon-style Quick Reference for keys.
The compilation includes the three major IL2 products, Forgotten Battles, Ace Expansion Pack and Pacific Fighters. I cannot verify if other expansions are included as I never played any of them. The loading screen shows the version to be the very latest merged, 4.04m.

The good news is that the package does NOT include Starforce.
I repeat, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE STARFORCE!

That last one makes it all worth it! I have two other games (LockOn, X3) from Ubisoft that I had to uninstall as my DVD drives were behaving strangely and Starforce scared the crap out of me. That was a great dissapointment as I am a flight simulator maniac and was really looking forward to play those games. Bastards.

[MaXMhZ]

Thanks for the info arigram. Starforce not being on it is a good thing I'd have passed on the DVD if it were... Having it start up with 4.04m means you have all the patches and the complete product (FB+AEP+PF +patches.
I have two questions.
1) Is there a way to install to an intermediate version, say 2.04 ?
If there is not people will still need their old CD's to play old version tracks, and they still will need to download the patches if they are not accessibke on the DVD (every patch is an .exe starting with the word "patch")

2) Do you have to play with the DVD in the drive?




Try a search on the DVD for "AdvancedManual.pdf" - this is located on the original CD2 of FB and is an extended manual in pdf format holding more info than the booklet that came with FB If they included all the CD's it's probably
on the DVD too
That's a computer store to be proud of there on Crete