What is UltraPack? (UP)UltraPack (UP) is one of the original "great Packs" of IL2. These are collections of many mods, packed together in a coherent and tested way, with the aim of providing a user with an instant addition of a large number of planes, maps, sounds, and other things, in one package. These packs are usually more geared towards the online player, but are usable by offline players too. In it's latest incarnation, UP3, it is very much geared towards a stable and secure online experience.
UltraPack is by far the most popular pack for both online and offline players, as it is aimed at the "general" player, and not at a specific group or community.
UP3 is also the pack that is required for offline players who want to use the Dark Blue World activator, which is geared 100% at the offline player. SAS and UP have a long history of cooperation and mutual support, and the UP3 pack was been developed by both UltraPack and SAS team members jointly.
UP is also the community responsible for many important innovations and additions to the game, especially the online game. Chief among these are MDS (Moving Dogfight Server). UP is also one of only 2 makers of packs for public use, that has access to the technology for packing mods in SFS files. These are the game's native format, ensuring fast load times, improved performance and better stability and security. In it's previous incarnation, UP2, for Il2 4.09, it "shared" SFS base files with HSFX, by mutual agreement. There were the files made by HSFX for HSFX4, because at that stage HSFX was the only community with SFS packing technology. However, in the recent UP3 for IL2 4.101, all contents are uniquely packed by UP itself.
UltraPack and SAS have also entered into an informal "stability" partnership, meaning that Big Packs like this, from now on, will not need to be replaced every time the stock game is updated, but rather just patched and expanded.
Who uses UltraPack?~Ultrapack is aimed towards the general online player. There is much support for UP, in players and servers, and it is the largest base of online modded installations at this time.
~UP3 is also the base installation that is a requirement for the "offline version" of UP, developed by UP & SAS, called "Dark Blue World"
~Ultrapack3 is very suitable for the offline or online gamer who wants to install one pack in one move, and never wants to install another mod or customization again. In this way, it is the most comprehensive, fastest and most secure pack there is, since it is the only pack that has the technology to replace the main "files.sfs" archive of the game, eliminating the need for any mod files in separate mod folders.
Who should NOT use UltraPack?~Players who only want to add a few small improvements to their stock game
~Players with serious, 3rd world level, internet access problems. It is a rather big pack, the download coming in at around 6GB.
~Dedicated Offline players, although, the only 100% dedicated offline players pack, Dark Blue World, is built "on top of" UP3. So you'd have to download and install UP3 anyway, to be able to install and play DBW.
What are the Advantages of UltraPack?~ It is the most comprehensive (in other words, has the most content) of any base ModPack available for 4.101.
~ It is 100% Packed in SFS format, unless you want to add mods to it yourself. In it's pure form, it is not really even a "ModPAck" at all, it is more like a serious expansion of stock.
~ Great online security
~ Since it is a cooperative SAS/UP affair, the support for it is very good and very available.
~ It has the largest use under general online players.
~ It can be installed alongside other systems, like SAS Modact, or HSFX, in the same installation, without interfering or being affected.
~ It is the base pack, required for use of the SAS offline "Dark Blue World" system.
~ It has the most recent version of MDS and associated content included.
~ It is part of the SAS/UP "stability" partnership, insulating users against complete installation and pack replacement due to stock updates in the future.
~ Very stable and proven high quality soundmod based on previous SFX soundmod, and provision for user-choices in soundmods, in SFS format, in future.
~ It is the pack that the SAS officially recommends for the general player (since it is half ours anyway!
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What are the Disadvantages of UltraPack?~ In co-existent systems (with other modacts and packs living together), the jsgme files.sfs switching requirement can be confusing.
~ In its raw form, UP3 is not 100% mod friendly towards the offline player. However, this is a deliberate concession to security, and is in any case addressed with Dark Blue World.
~ It is a large initial pack to download for the person with really bad and limited internet access. It is just over 6gb for the base pack. The update patches being much smaller (in the 100s'mb rages)