newby just checking things out..

[w0odi]

Hello My name is Larry an old retired guy who is bored and looking for something to inject some fun into my life.. LOL

I haven't downloaded the game yet and am looking for some info on what I need to download.. I have an old Microsoft Sidewinder stick that I am gonna try to use.. at first and see how that goes..
Any help will be appreciated... I know I want to get into IL-2 but just not sure which one I need to buy...

Thanks
Larry
aka w0odi

[Perfesser]

I'm sure Lewis will be by shortly with a list of patches.
I think the base game is about $10 on Steam.
This is a great time to get in to flight simms. The head tracking and soon to be Virtual Reality setups make simulated flight incredibly immersive although the learning curve can be as steep as if it was real.

[ATAG_Lolsav]

Hi Woody (Larry). Just like Perfesser there said, grab the game from STEAM (its required to have STEAM installed) and buy IL2 Cliffs of Dover. After that you can install the patches in order, just like explained in the beginners thread

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.co...t=5058&p=52711

[ATAG_Highseas]

Hello My name is Larry an old retired guy who is bored and looking for something to inject some fun into my life.. LOL

I haven't downloaded the game yet and am looking for some info on what I need to download.. I have an old Microsoft Sidewinder stick that I am gonna try to use.. at first and see how that goes..
Any help will be appreciated... I know I want to get into IL-2 but just not sure which one I need to buy...

Thanks
Larry
aka w0odi

Sidewinders are popular here so no problem there at all.

If you post your PC specs we can tell you what you can expect !

And Welcome !

[Hurricane]

Hi w0odi,

welcome to the forum, i hope you enjoy your stay buddy.

I have a 2nd hand Sidewinder 2, recommended to me by ATAG_Lewis.

First and only joystick i have ever owned and i love it.

Best wishes,
Mike.

[ATAG_Marlow]

Hello My name is Larry an old retired guy who is bored and looking for something to inject some fun into my life.. LOL

I haven't downloaded the game yet and am looking for some info on what I need to download.. I have an old Microsoft Sidewinder stick that I am gonna try to use.. at first and see how that goes..
Any help will be appreciated... I know I want to get into IL-2 but just not sure which one I need to buy...

Thanks
Larry
aka w0odi

Hey, Larry....and another huge 'welcome' to the ATAG Forum and Servers...and, hopefully, Cliffs of Dover very soon. We are delighted you have found us because if you are interested in WWII aviation this is the place to be. I started learning CLoD about a year ago and I fly with a whole bunch of friends who started around the same time as me. We are still learning together and have had such fun sharing facts and figures about the sim. We are still 'having a ball' today and I am sure you will be no different.
Many of us are old enough to know better (I am 60 and semi-retired teacher) which means we approach the sim in much the same way. The sim has a steep learning curve and many levels of challenge. There is literally years of work and study on the different aircraft and the strategies used to fly and fight them. It is all incredibly realistic...totally immersive and hopelessly addictive. And there are big and exciting improvements to look forward to, thanks to the incredible work of our clever friends at Team Fusion.

I still find it unbelievable that such a cheap sim can provide such an awesome dimension to one's life. Watch out for Lewis' fantastic welcome post below. Make it your bible because it contains all you need to make a great start. Everybody will advise you to download Team Speak. (it's free!) This will enable you to talk to us and ask questions. It also means other pilots can help you out far more easily. This Forum is jam packed with all the info you need to get into the world that is Cliffs of Dover, so read and enjoy!

I hope you have as much fun as I've had over the year. Good luck! Don't forget: any questions just 'fire away' and somebody will soon come to your aid. Salute!

[ATAG_Lewis]

Hi Larry...

First things first...Let us know your system specs....Pointless to buy any game if its gonna cost you for a new PC to play it...Here are the recommended specs for CLOD...

Intel Core I5 4570 3.2 ghz (if you can find a equivalent in AMD cheaper, then by all means, just be sure it matches up with the Intel)
Motherboard and power supply to fit
8 gb DDR3 RAM
NVidia GTX 660/750ti/760 2 gb VRAAM (again, equivalent AMD is ok, but there are visual anomalies in some situations with this manufacturer)

Now second thing...Your Sidewinder joystick I suspect could be an early version...Some of these did not have the Z-axis (twist stick rudder)...This is significant in that you do need an axis rudder for this sim...If this is the case your options are to either buy rudder pedals which will be expensive...or buy a cheap joystick with Z-axis (twist rudder)...My advice would be to stay with Microsoft and source the 'Microsoft Sidewinder Precision 2'....Often refered to as just the 'Sidewinder 2'...IMPORTANT its the '2' version...There are two versions of this model both almost exactly the same other than one has forcefeedback and is therefor a lot more expensive (but not any more competitive in terms of flying combat)...You can pick the basic non-feedback version from eBay for around $40 or less...

Microsoft Sidewinder Precision 2....Should look like this...



Microsoft SideWinder Precision Pro...NOT this one



Make sure you checkout the 'Age Poll' to see the maturity of this community...here..

ATAG Forum Age Poll Results

And don't forget US aircraft flyable in the near future too!

Any questions then we are here to help sir....~S~


...Lew...

Welcome to the Community and Forums w0odi ...~S~

Checkout the 'Beginners Guide'...for info and tips...It will save you a heap of time in getting up to scratch.....and its a really fun learning curve too...

Beginners Guide

Windows Management Guide

Also try youtube for startup procedures on all the aircraft...

I recommend getting in the online server as soon as you can take off if that's ultimately where you'd like to fly...I flew single player for 30 minutes before I took the plunge...The ATAG online server is a great environment to learn and there's not really any damage you can do in there as a new player.....It is also mission based just with real players trying to foil your objectives...If you are concerned then pick an airstrip furthest from the front line (there always is one or two on every map) and get some alt before you go hunting...You'll get tagged a lot but there are tricks you learn out of pure desperation in those first few weeks that you'll be able to use later...I know cos I still use the same tricks I learned then too because they work...and never underestimate the stall to get you out of a tight fix...That sometimes works too...

TeamSpeak is optional but you'll learn a whole lot faster with it even if you say very little once you are on the server...You are quite welcome to just listen if you feel more comfortable with that....so you don't actually need a mic either...Try it and see!


Here are a few fun, helpful and interesting links amongst these forums you might want to bag for future reference...

Most Watched CLOD Videos

ATAG Forum Age Poll Results

Easy Allied CEM for New Players

Joystick and Hardware Thread

Nvidea Control Panel Settings

Downloads

Contact spotting is massively important in any flight sim...Seeing that enemy before he sees you is a race you don't want to be second in...Check this link to see if you can tweak your rig any better...

Contact Spotting Test

Don't forget to keep up with the latest on the TeamFusion new aircraft and patch news...You could well be AMAZED!

TeamFusion Facebook Updates

A must read for all CLOD enthusiasts is the recent news that has the whole community buzzing very heavily...

TeamFusion News

And finally...Please take the time to have a read of some of the stories of military family adventures by a few of the members of this forum...and maybe share yours with us...~S~

A Tribute to Those Who Served

Any questions then you've come to the right place....

Good to have you with us buddy...and remember its all about the Fun!!!



...Lew...

===================================

[w0odi]

Hi Larry...

First things first...Let us know your system specs....Pointless to buy any game if its gonna cost you for a new PC to play it...Here are the recommended specs for CLOD...

Intel Core I5 4570 3.2 ghz (if you can find a equivalent in AMD cheaper, then by all means, just be sure it matches up with the Intel)
Motherboard and power supply to fit
8 gb DDR3 RAM
NVidia GTX 660/750ti/760 2 gb VRAAM (again, equivalent AMD is ok, but there are visual anomalies in some situations with this manufacturer)

Now second thing...Your Sidewinder joystick I suspect could be an early version...Some of these did not have the Z-axis (twist stick rudder)...This is significant in that you do need an axis rudder for this sim...If this is the case your options are to either buy rudder pedals which will be expensive...or buy a cheap joystick with Z-axis (twist rudder)...My advice would be to stay with Microsoft and source the 'Microsoft Sidewinder Precision 2'....Often refered to as just the 'Sidewinder 2'...IMPORTANT its the '2' version...There are two versions of this model both almost exactly the same other than one has forcefeedback and is therefor a lot more expensive (but not any more competitive in terms of flying combat)...You can pick the basic non-feedback version from eBay for around $40 or less...

Microsoft Sidewinder Precision 2....Should look like this...



Microsoft SideWinder Precision Pro...NOT this one



Make sure you checkout the 'Age Poll' to see the maturity of this community...here..

ATAG Forum Age Poll Results

And don't forget US aircraft flyable in the near future too!

Any questions then we are here to help sir....~S~


...Lew...

Welcome to the Community and Forums w0odi ...~S~

Checkout the 'Beginners Guide'...for info and tips...It will save you a heap of time in getting up to scratch.....and its a really fun learning curve too...

Beginners Guide

Windows Management Guide

Also try youtube for startup procedures on all the aircraft...

I recommend getting in the online server as soon as you can take off if that's ultimately where you'd like to fly...I flew single player for 30 minutes before I took the plunge...The ATAG online server is a great environment to learn and there's not really any damage you can do in there as a new player.....It is also mission based just with real players trying to foil your objectives...If you are concerned then pick an airstrip furthest from the front line (there always is one or two on every map) and get some alt before you go hunting...You'll get tagged a lot but there are tricks you learn out of pure desperation in those first few weeks that you'll be able to use later...I know cos I still use the same tricks I learned then too because they work...and never underestimate the stall to get you out of a tight fix...That sometimes works too...

TeamSpeak is optional but you'll learn a whole lot faster with it even if you say very little once you are on the server...You are quite welcome to just listen if you feel more comfortable with that....so you don't actually need a mic either...Try it and see!


Here are a few fun, helpful and interesting links amongst these forums you might want to bag for future reference...

Most Watched CLOD Videos

ATAG Forum Age Poll Results

Easy Allied CEM for New Players

Joystick and Hardware Thread

Nvidea Control Panel Settings

Downloads

Contact spotting is massively important in any flight sim...Seeing that enemy before he sees you is a race you don't want to be second in...Check this link to see if you can tweak your rig any better...

Contact Spotting Test

Don't forget to keep up with the latest on the TeamFusion new aircraft and patch news...You could well be AMAZED!

TeamFusion Facebook Updates

A must read for all CLOD enthusiasts is the recent news that has the whole community buzzing very heavily...

TeamFusion News

And finally...Please take the time to have a read of some of the stories of military family adventures by a few of the members of this forum...and maybe share yours with us...~S~

A Tribute to Those Who Served

Any questions then you've come to the right place....

Good to have you with us buddy...and remember its all about the Fun!!!



...Lew...

===================================

Lewis I have a Sidewinder 2 it looks like the top picture and as far as computer you may laugh but I bought a alienware alpha sometime over a year ago.. it is jus the i3 with 8GB or ram all else is standard oh and it has windows 8.1..
I am not sure how it will work but it runs the car racing sims just fine.. like project cars and raceroom.. so I am guessing it will run the CLoD fine... or at least I am hoping it does... I am actually pretty impressed with this little alpha so far..


Thanks to all those whom have welcomed me.. I really am pleased with the response... I will wait to see what you guys say about compatibility before I take the plunge and purchase anything else..

w0odi

[ATAG_Lewis]

Rgrt Woodi...wise move

I'm really pleased you have the Sidewinder 2....Its my go to stick...Bulletproof and as competitive as any of the top sticks...I won't fly with anything else...and I am constantly recommending them to new players...

As for your system...I am no techy...so we'll have to wait for one of our boffins to comment on your specs first...


As you can see Larry we have a wonderful community spirit here...eager to help and advise...Comms is a blast too...No reason you can't jump on there and just listen to the banter...even without the game\sim...

I also have a USAAF skin for the US players here....Check it out...


USA Spitfire Skin "Buckeye Don"

[ATAG_Lewis]

Right....I just found a couple quotes by Buzzsaw...I'd still wait for one of the guys to comment on here before biting the bullet...

Recommended minimum for a high quality experience in CoD:

Intel Core I5 4570 3.2 ghz (if you can find a equivalent in AMD cheaper, then by all means, just be sure it matches up with the Intel)
Motherboard and power supply to fit
8 gb DDR3 RAM
NVidia GTX 660/750ti/760 2 gb VRAAM (again, equivalent AMD is ok, but there are visual anomalies in some situations with this manufacturer)

BUZZSAW....:Our current minimum recommended system which will run the game fine at normal resolutions on a single monitor.

Core I5 3.2 ghz
NVidia GTX 960 2gb
8 gb DDR3 RAM
250 gb Solid State Hard Drive for game and system, backup 3tb SATA drive for storage

An optimum system would use a Core I7 Quad core 4.0 ghz, a GTX 980 6gb, and 16 gb DDR3 RAM. CoD cannot use more than 4 cores.

[ATAG_Lewis]

I think flight sims are a bit more system intensive than racing sims as they have a more 3 dimensional world to replicate at speed..and individual shell trajectories to figure too...From what I am told...

[w0odi]

Rgrt Woodi...wise move

I'm really pleased you have the Sidewinder 2....Its my go to stick...Bulletproof and as competitive as any of the top sticks...I won't fly with anything else...and I am constantly recommending them to new players...

As for your system...I am no techy...so we'll have to wait for one of our boffins to comment on your specs first...


As you can see Larry we have a wonderful community spirit here...eager to help and advise...Comms is a blast too...No reason you can't jump on there and just listen to the banter...even without the game\sim...

I also have a USAAF skin for the US players here....Check it out...


USA Spitfire Skin "Buckeye Don"

Yes Lewis I am really surprised by the amount of enthusiasm by all... I was thinking that I would be lucky to get much of a response but very pleased with all of the responses and the eagerness to help... I was really looking to have to buy the more expensive Stalingrad and Sturmovik but was pleased to find out that I might be able to use the $10 version... I hope my little machine will handle CLoD
w0odi

[ATAG_Lewis]

Checkout the videos on this sim...

[ATAG_Lolsav]

it is jus the i3 with 8GB or ram all else is standard oh and it has windows 8.1..


w0odi

W0odi we need to know more about your system to be able to honestly answer you.

We need to know CPU processor speed, what graphic card you have and if that Windows 8 is a 64 bit version (it matters because the ammount of memory it can handle).

[♣_Spiritus_♣]

Do you know your exact specs? I googled Alienware Alpha and got this:

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/produ...ha/dkcwa05hbts

If that is the case or something similar, CloD at all low setting might work out but you could probably run Il-2 1946. Your CPU and GPU will be the issue since flight sims in general push the CPU and you'd want the eye candy of CloD so your GPU is an issue for that.

In the end though CloD as of right now is cheap on steam so not really an issue if you buy it and find out that you can't really run it how you want. If that is the case, you may fall down the rabbit hole a lot of people do and start building a PC specifically for CloD.

[ATAG_Lewis]

Thanks for response fellas....~S~

[w0odi]

Yes thanks for all the responses... I appreciate all the help.. I have flown some sims in the past but it has been years.. I am retired now and have more time for this stuff and I am planning on building a computer eventually but wanted to see if I can limp by with what I am using for now...

I am retired and used to work with computers and Windows left a bad taste and I have been using an iMac since retiring... but I guess 6 years is long enough now I will dive back into windows.... HA!!
Thanks for your help to all and any future help I am sure that I will have more questions as I go along... but will try to be easy on you all..... :
I have already been reading and watching videos so I am trying to get myself ready for what comes my way.

w0odi

[ATAG_Pattle]

Welcome mate.

We have a most outstanding community here. I sincerely hope your rig is good enough. I have no idea whether your specs are good enough. I can fly and pull the trigger. The tech stuff, quite dreadful really! But plenty of people here do know.

Fingers crossed for you mate!

Pattle

[FightingSteel1]

If your system is an i3, a 2GB NVIDIA card (which would most likely be a 750/950) and 8gb RAM, then yes the game will run and play ok enough. I would consider it more than playable with those specs, predominately on "medium."

I played this game a couple of years ago on a 2012 vintage AMD FX CPU and a GTX 560. I got good frames at reasonable settings.

[ATAG_Highseas]

Well given the above.... sounds like you may be OK. Still be good to know what cpu and gpu you have.

Either way.... on low end rigs... it's the buildings amount / buildings detail / forest detail settings that will hit you most.

Good luck!

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Welcome woodi

Your specs are a little low.... in particular the cpu... but you can probably play the game.

I would recommend you turn down buildings, trees, grass to off, etc. etc. Resolution should probably be low, perhaps 1240 X 720 ?

[Jas107]

Hi Mate & welcome!

Those specs are a little under but a little tweaking of the graphics settings in game could get you to run the game well enough to play. I am an IT engineer in life so if you need any help at any point give me a message

[ATAG_Laser]

Hi there W0odi, and welcome to the community buddy,

CLiffs of Dover is still regarded as one of the best, if not THE best combat flight sim around at the moment, despite it's age and cheap purchase price, thanks to the guys at Team Fusion Simulations who have done an awesome job of transforming it from the dead duck that it was into what it is today.

I have been playing this for just over a year now, and regularly fly with a few guys that started at about the same time as me, including Marlow and Highseas who have posted above, (and Pattle too when the time difference between the UK and Australia allows)

Like you I have a lower end rig, in fact mine is a quad core laptop which I connect to a larger monitor to play. It copes pretty well with CLoD, but I have to reduce my graphics settings somewhat to get the best out of it, and you will probably have to do the same.

Generally speaking I can play pretty well with this set up, but I do struggle to spot contacts that are way down below me, and this puts me at a massive disadvantage in a combat situation, so just bear that in mind. Ultimately, to be competitive in online play you will probably eventually have to upgrade, as I am hoping to do soon, but there is no reason why you cannot buy the game and install the patches on your current rig, install TS and start to have fun.

I too am using a sidewinder 2 joystick, which I purchased on Lewis' recommendation, and I have to say that I have found it to be a good stick to use with this sim.

Good luck, and I hope to see you in the virtual skies soon

[BOO]

Rgrt Woodi...wise move

I'm really pleased you have the Sidewinder 2....Its my go to stick...Bulletproof and as competitive as any of the top sticks...I won't fly with anything else...and I am constantly recommending them to new players...

As for your system...I am no techy...so we'll have to wait for one of our boffins to comment on your specs first...


As you can see Larry we have a wonderful community spirit here...eager to help and advise...Comms is a blast too...No reason you can't jump on there and just listen to the banter...even without the game\sim...

I also have a USAAF skin for the US players here....Check it out...


USA Spitfire Skin "Buckeye Don"

One of the first skins I downloaded - its the dogs!

[w0odi]

Here is the specs on the machine..

Intel Dual-Core i3-4130T (2.90GHz) Processor,Memory- 2x4 GB DDR3L 1600 for 8 total, Hard Drive-500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
Windows 8.1
Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI-in and HDMI-out
4 USB Ports Total - 2 in Back, 2 in Front
Graphics-NVIDIA Maxwell GTX GPU 2 GB GDDR5

that is about all I know about it.. I have downloaded CLoD but so far haven't gotten it to run.. I am verifying the cache now and will see if that helps.. I have no antivirus or spyware running...

But I am not giving up.. if i have to run it with lower settings for now I can cope with that until I upgrade...

[FightingSteel1]

that is about all I know about it.. I have downloaded CLoD but so far haven't gotten it to run.. I am verifying the cache now and will see if that helps.. I have no antivirus or spyware running...

But I am not giving up.. if i have to run it with lower settings for now I can cope with that until I upgrade...

There are plenty of us here that can help you get it all set up and working. Have you downloaded the Team Fusion patches yet? Make sure to post here whatever issues you have getting the game going.

[ATAG_Lewis]

The patches will help it run better with lower GPUs...Also there are numerous bugs that are dealt with in the patches too so its best to try to run CLOD with patches installed...

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

w0odi:

The original game will not run with Windows 10... unless you install their optional patch... which will prevent you from installing TF's patches, so don't do that.

You need to follow the instructions in the Beginner's thread which Lewis linked.

Here is the specs on the machine..

Intel Dual-Core i3-4130T (2.90GHz) Processor,Memory- 2x4 GB DDR3L 1600 for 8 total, Hard Drive-500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
Windows 8.1
Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI-in and HDMI-out
4 USB Ports Total - 2 in Back, 2 in Front
Graphics-NVIDIA Maxwell GTX GPU 2 GB GDDR5

that is about all I know about it.. I have downloaded CLoD but so far haven't gotten it to run.. I am verifying the cache now and will see if that helps.. I have no antivirus or spyware running...

But I am not giving up.. if i have to run it with lower settings for now I can cope with that until I upgrade...

[w0odi]

w0odi:

The original game will not run with Windows 10... unless you install their optional patch... which will prevent you from installing TF's patches, so don't do that.

You need to follow the instructions in the Beginner's thread which Lewis linked.

Buzz,

I have windows 8.1 64bit and I have only downloaded the game no updates and I have downloaded the TF patches but have not loaded them yet.. I will try the update to the patches next to see if it will run.. I also had DCS downloaded and it runs acceptable on here so I am hopeful that CLoD will run.... so far I have downloaded CLoD and installed and tried to launch it from steam and it didn't do anything so I went directly to the Launch.exe file and run as admin and still nothing... so I uninstalled it and downloaded it again and have not tried it again yet.. but hope that it runs this time....will see if I can get the updates done also... I will let you know how this goes...

[ATAG_Lolsav]

Woodi it is a know thing that without the MOD installed most will fail to launch the first time. Just install them even without starting the game and then try out again. If you need my assistance i will be by TeamSpeak.