The day is here and IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Normandy has officially released. The latest entry in the Great Battles Series has reached release status and has been updated to version 5.001. Here are some of the key details to celebrate the occasion!
Released today!
Battle of Normandy is packed full of features. For regular readers and fans of the IL-2 series, almost none of these will be a surprise but its worth remembering the significant steps forward that the IL-2 series has taken over the course of Normandy’s development. New clouds and skybox rendering, the addition of the Advanced Quick Mission Builder, many tweaks to flight and damage models, and more.
Version 5.01 brings with it a huge list of core updates for all IL-2 Great Battles flyers as well as some key content for Battle of Normandy. Let’s start with Normandy.
New Normandy content
The new Normandy map is the centerpiece of this update. It includes substantial sections of southern England and northern France. There are two versions with one from before the invasion and another after the invasion.
Career mode for Normandy also releases together with the map. It includes a mid-1944 career with a listed 3 countries, 5 phases, 17 frontline states, 225 historical squadrons, and 103 squadrons joinable by the player. There are also new mission types including V-1 intercept missions which should be a blast. To answer your question: Yes the V-1 is in and yes you can tip the V-1. Or make it explode in a big way!
The QMB and AQMB get Normandy map specific scenarios too so you can jump right in and experience the map.
There are also new vehicles added. The PzKpfw IV Ausf.H. tank, Flakpanzer IV SPAA, and Gleaves-class destroyer have all been added. These are AI additions of course. The Normandy map also includes the famous Mulberry Harbour facilities.
Core updates
The rest of the series has seen some updates too. You’ll be happy to know that map loading times have been improved. There are over a dozen items listed under the damage model which has been updated. Adjustments to aircraft skin, armor penetration and bullet trajectory and stability, AP bullets cause more skin damage, small HE shells case less skin damage, and big HE rounds cause more skin damage. That’s just some of the items.
An error that causes pilot death during mild G loads during crash landings has been solved. I know a lot of people who wanted to see that fixed.
There are also fixes to the AI, P-47 engine idle RPM values, Me410 corrections, and corrections and updates for Tank Crew and Flying Circus. It’s a big patch! Read the full patch notes here.
On sale now
Similar to prior releases, Battle of Normandy is now listed with both Standard and Premium Editions on the official IL-2 website. Standard goes for $59.99 USD with the early access discount still being applied bringing the price down to $49.99 USD. Premium edition is $89.99 USD with a discount bringing it down to $79.99 USD. I don’t know how long those slightly discounted prices will last.
Collector Planes, the Spitfire XIV and Ar234, are now available for independent purchase as well. Standard pricing of $19.99 USD as is typical of Collector Planes in the series applies but there is a small discount bringing them to $15.99 USD available right now.
Meanwhile, 1CGS reports that the Steam store version will be coming in the coming weeks. Of course, if you bought it through the IL-2 website and have linked your account you’ll be taking advantage of the content right now. Even if you haven’t purchased it, all of those core updates still apply and you’ll likely be seeing Normandy on multiplayer servers in short order.
Stormbirds 
How long did it take for the past editions to be on sale for 25-33% sale? $80 is a tad expensive still. I know I get a lot for that $80 but still there is this psychological barrier of the game being over $100CDN.
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For $80USD it’s good value. I feel that exchange rate to CDN too. It hurt a bit but I’ve gotten so much enjoyment over the years that it was worth it.
I wouldn’t expect to see sales for the first 4ish months. After that maybe!
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Ah shucks, sold!
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Or you could take the normal edition if you don’t care about the 2 collector planes. It’s currently discounted at $50 (later $60).
I don’t think there’s another difference between both editions. Buying the 2 planes separately amounts to $32 at the moment ($40 later) so the difference not much. They’ll likely be on sale later.
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Fantastic – that’s one big map! I’ve only had time for a quick jaunt around and I’m quite impressed by the scale and some detailing that I noticed along the way.
That said, hopefully they’ll get some time to revise vegetation and the likes at some point as, at least for north France which I have seen in person, the lack of hedgerows is too characteristic to ignore easily even from altitude.
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Now that you mention it, it doesn’t look like there’s much of that and they were happy to put trees instead, same in UK. I haven’t had a close look yet.
Does the DCS map show more of those hedgerows in France, though? It also seems to have lots of trees along roads and on the border of fields and towns.
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DCS’s rendition is tree-oriented as well. Last combat sim I played that honored shrubberies was CLOD. Did ir pretty well too.
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Flew my Hurri from Manston to Tamgmere along the coast, weaving gently between cumulous. One thing that struck me is the difficulty I have in picking up railway lines. Roads stick out but the rails seen to vanish.
Also, in AQM my flight always seems to bugger off without warning and leave me by myself 🙁
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Normandy done, so the question is what’s comming next? Berlin, Mediterranean or Pacific?
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Man, I would kill for some Pacific theater love!
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I am impressed by the Normandy map. The waves breaking along the shoreline near the White Cliffs of Dover are a real treat. To have both pre and post D-Day maps opens up plenty of opportunities. The Devs have done a great job.
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I’m still trying to update. It’s a 40-GB download for me, and there is no max bandwidth control on their updater. In this period when several people are remotely working from home, it’s just not possible to occupy the whole bandwidth for so long, so I have to do it by small chunks at night. 😀
Anyway, I’m eager to test it.
Has the Mosquito been fixed? Last review I saw the model was pretty wrong, with a tendency to yaw right instead of left on the ground (normally, differential thrust is required to counter it), wrong speeds and unrealistic stall behaviour. I haven’t seen any report for that, which is surprising. DCS seems to have it right though, it will be an interesting comparison.
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It’s really taking a long time eh? It wouldn’t download in its entirety overnight?
So far as I know, no flight model updates have been made to the Mosquito. Nothing was mentioned in the patch notes. 1CGS are aware of the problems and they may do a second pass at some point.
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Oh thanks, good to know they’re already aware of this. 🙂 I was hesitating to report it, but I have to at least try it first. But no need then.
Bandwidth isn’t too bad but it’s nowhere near optic fiber speed. 😀 Yeah, I suppose I could leave my computer on all night, usually I’m waiting for a window of opportunity to download bigger things, when nobody else has a conf call or something critical.
I wonder how’d they do if they had to distribute that on media like 20 years ago. It would be quite the stack of DVDs.
Have fun in the new map!
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Install-less multi-disk distribution. You’d know something is about to happen when you get the “Please insert disk #46” prompt.
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Are you using the Website or the Steam version of IL-2?
PS:
I am using the Website version and one only change email address through support.
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Me? Direct from the il2 website.
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I’ve directly bought from 1C’s website since the beginning and it’s perfectly fine. They keep track of your purchases in case you need to check, and everything you buy is directly accessible from your login in the game.
I don’t like being tied to Steam for sims like IL-2 and DCS, and I think they earn a little more since they don’t have to pay the fee to Valve.
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What I did is to purchase Battle of Stalingrad in Steam, and then everything else I bought was through the website. With this method, you can access everything from Steam and still the devs will get all your money.
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Have any multiplayer servers running strictly Normandy popped up so far? Normandy would be my first entry into IL-2, definitely want to jump on multiplayer. Debating if I should grab it now, or wait until BoS or the others go on sale to get into it.
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Combat Box server is your best bet as it focuses on the Western Front.
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ugly water. bad textures … no thanks. still on CLOD TF, way better
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