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[Anvilfolk]

There seems to be a teeny weeny bit of interest in (combat) flight simulations - not arcade! - in this here fine forum, but no thread on any of the games. I offer thee a wee description!


IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946

It's a WW2 flight simulator. Within simulators, it is of moderate complexity. Engine modelling is fairly simplified, and I don't think prop pitch has ever been implemented correctly. Nevertheless, it is meant to be played as a simulator, not an arcade game. It still receives occasional official patches after 12 years of existence. Unfortunately, these patches make modpacks originating from a still active mod scene incompatible, and there's some friction there. Nonetheless, modpacks add more planes (upwards of 100, including variants), better graphics, more online features and are generally very much used.

Multiplayer-wise it is still very active. There are usually several hundred people online flying on servers ranging from hardcore, mission-based full-real to smaller maps in dogfight servers. We are talking 50+ on the same server. The average age of IL-2 players is said to be somewhere around 35-40, but as always there is the occasional immature behaviour.

You can get it for $10 or less from most online sites, as well as boxed copies from Amazon. They all come at version 4.09, so you'll need to manually patch up and possibly install modpacks to play on certain online servers.

You will also need a joystick to play the game. Gamepads are good for trying it out, but not sufficient to actually play it decently. I suggest starting with something cheap, but try to get something with a twist axis for the rudder.

Here are some videos:
Kamikaze pilot's perspective - if you are not moved by this video, you are a machine (possibly a Cylon).
Failure of the Epic Variety 2
Awesomeness by Allure Cisse
Cut Flowers
Crash - P-40 vs 109



IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover

As far as I am concerned, if it ever gets past all the technical problems it's had since release over a year ago, it'll be the future of the series. It is a lot more realistic and hardcore in modelling all the plane systems. It currently features only a handful of planes and variants, and people have been having performance problems.

Either way, it took me 3h to get the original Blenheim up from the ground, and another 3 to get him across the Channel and back. Nobody was shooting at me, it was just having to deal with the new engine management and the Blennie's poor radial engines...

If you can run it, it's a lot better graphics-wise, as you can see by Barfly's, Tinus le Roux's and Phobos' movies over here.



Rise of Flight

Same thing as IL-2, but for WWI! I don't know much about it, but the game is F2P with for some basic airplanes. Any other airplanes you have to buy as DLC. I don't feel it's pay to win, since airplanes simply have different characteristics. I hate DLC, but honestly if it's the only way to keep the company afloat, I'll buy it.

The damage modelling is absolutely amazing, as you can see by this absolutely awesome video: Flags and Lies



DCS Series

Blackshark is a helicopter simulation, A-10 is a ground attack plane simulation and more recently, P-51 is a prop plane simulation. These sims can be flown together, provided you buy all the addons. They are also a lot more in-depth than any of the other games since they focus on a single airplane.

Blackshark and A-10 involve tons of button mashing. With massive, many-hundred page manuals, they really model the real thing. In the A-10, you can fire most weapons systems without ever looking directly at the target, using only the MFD's (Multi-Function Displays), and so forth.

So - super complex, extremely realistic, and with modern planes. This means it's a lot less personal, more fire'n'forget. I feel it's more about knowing about all the systems than having tons of tactics, but I might totally be wrong!

Amazing A-10 video
P-51 video


Others

Obviously, there's bound to be other simulations. Mention them and put a description here and I'll update the original topic.

Let's fly together!

We should try to fly together for realsies. I would suggest just hoping on some server. I can play:

- IL-2 '46: runs well, still tons of people online, nice choice of more realistic or arcadey servers
- RoF: installed it the other day, runs OKish, but not too well. I can play it if that's what people want to fly.

DCS A-10 runs a tad too slow for me, and I don't remember a damned thing, so I probably can't do anything useful. IL2 CloD runs at around 10fps for me, so that's a no-go for now.

I'm GMT, and can usually do evenings. Possibly some weekends!

[sluissa]

I still semi-regularly play Microsoft Flight Simulator X.

[Anvilfolk]

Yeah, I'm focusing a lot more on the combat simulators because the non-combat ones never hold my attention for long. I mean... there's only so much you can do... take-off, engage auto-pilot, land. There's some "career mode" add-ons that were interesting, but ultimately they're about getting more money and better planes for taking off, going on auto-pilot, and landing. I get bored

[BigD145]

X Plane is considered to be one of the better ones.

[ukulele]

I havent played sims in a long time, lack of time, money and a joystick, but i would recomend adding to the list "Lock On: Modern Air Combat" aka LOMAC, Modern simulator with arround 20 playable aircaft if im not mistaken, same as you described A10, you will be mostly doing information warefare and shooting stuff out of your viewrange.

[BuriBuriZaemon]

Anvilmate, glad that you finally started this thread.

I am still waiting for my joystick, I expect it to arrive in 2 weeks time but I am interested in flying with Bay12ers. Which one do you think is more newbie friendly:

Rise of Flight or IL-2: 1946?

[Anvilfolk]

I'm not sure how the multiplayer scene is for Rise of Flight, but it can be fairly unforgiving for IL-2. WW2 planes are also less stable than WW1, so perhaps Rise of Flight is more newbie friendly!

I'll glad add LOMAC if someone comes up with a description for it I've never played it, so I need help

[BuriBuriZaemon]

If that's the case, I'd suggest to start with Rise of Flight first if we wanna get a play-together rolling, because:

1. We get two planes for free in the free-to-play version; and
2. WW1 aerial fight is not as face paced as WW2 one, so it's probably easier for newbies.

[Sordid]

This thread is of much interest to me.

Kamikaze pilot's perspective - if you are not moved by this video, you are a machine (possibly a Cylon).

Speaking of videos that move you: Requiem (excuse the poor quality, AFAIK there's no HD version due to the video being what, 10 years old?)

[warhammer651]

whats a good flight sim for newbies to the genre? most sophisticated thing I'v played in the ace combat games

[foil]

whats a good flight sim for newbies to the genre? most sophisticated thing I'v played in the ace combat games

Probably Lock on - Flaming cliffs 2, Has a few different aircraft and doesnt delve too much into clinical micro managing of the aircraft like in DCS A-10 or Black Shark.

  Theres also il2 Sturmovik 1946 with loads of big and small aircraft to fly, though they are mosty prop planes..  Still cool ripping wings/parts off by overspeeding them while trying to give the enemy an airshow through the flak..

[ukulele]

whats a good flight sim for newbies to the genre? most sophisticated thing I'v played in the ace combat games

Id say IL 1946 its a good place to start, it has a relative easy start as in you will be able to play it without investing too much time on it, it takes a LOT of time to be good at it. On contrast most modern simulators will take a LOT of time before you are able to squeeze a little of fun from them, as even the "simple" task of aiming and firing a missile can take you enought time to be killed 10 times in the process.

[Spaghetti7]

Good job on starting this thread.
I'm also GMT and would prefer evenings or weekends, and can play '46 or FSX.

[head]

I'd agree for IL2 being the best for starters.

[Anvilfolk]

I'm actually thinking Rise of Flight is probably best, actually. First of all, it's free, so there is no cost incurred in trying it  (except perhaps for getting a joystick). Second, those planes are super manoeuvrable, which means that you can really yank back on the stick without stalling. From trying to introduce a couple of friends to IL2 recently I found that to be a real big problem! They keep stalling and crashing.

If we were to fly, would you guys prefer joining a populated server or one of us hosting? We can also go on a server without people, but preferably with a TS associated with it.