Flight Sims

[jomni]

I don't like ROF.  Flight environment is top notch but I just feel it is a soulless mulitplayer dog fighting game. 
What's worse is I actaully can't shoot anything down.

[Toonces]

Well that's certainly fair enough.  I have about 30 minutes of flight time in the game, so it's still very new to me.

The thing is, I really tried to like OFF.  I know that it's supposed to be really awesome and immersive.  However, I never really found myself thoroughly enjoying it.  I don't know enough about the Great Air War to really appreciate a lot of the historical nuances of the campaign.  OFF always felt (to me) like it was tacked onto another game (which it was).  I can't really describe it, but it was always a feeling that I wasn't playing a game that was designed from the ground up to do what it did.

I hope RoF scratches my WW1 itch.  OFF wasn't doing it, although I was (and still am) willing to keep trying.  I don't think OFF will run on my new computer anyway, though, which makes the comparison academic really.

[republic]

I'm a big fan of the Thirdwire sims.  The addon community is huge and the game is just sim enough for me.  As much as I try to play the DCS sims I own I eventually end up having to pause all the time to remember what button to press.

[Toonces]

One of the things I have noticed about my own simming is that I can't keep muscle memory of more than two sims at any one time.  For example, I can be heavy into Falcon and Strike Fighters, but then if you add something like DCS:Blackshark into the mix I start to get confused about what keys do what.  Building my own controller maps for the different games can mitigate this somewhat because I can assign keys as closely as possible such that the mapping is similar for both sims- this works well for Aces High and Il-2 for example.  But for more complex sims like Falcon and DCS it's not really feasible.

The nice thing about really investing yourself in a complex sim like DCS is that there is a great deal of personal reward from mastering something that is so hard, but it does come with a cost.  It's similar to WitP in that way, where it really requires a certain level of commitment. 

There is a time and place for filler games like Strike Fighters and Aces High where you can essentially plug in and go and I enjoy them for what they are.  But I also like to really immerse myself in a complex sim in a particular time frame and really try to learn how to employ the plane in the proper manner for that era.  I think that's why RoF is really appealing to me now that I've gotten a little taste of it; I think it will require and reward an investment of my time to learn how to play the game properly.

The first two games I installed on my computer are Skyrim and BMS Falcon, so that tells you where I put BMS Falcon on my priority list.

Currently, the sims I am regularly playing are:
BMS Falcon
Aces High 2
IL-2 (but I am about to shelve it again because try as I might, I just don't enjoy it)
and I suspect Rise of Flight will now take up some time.

I am really thinking hard on DCS:A-10.  I don't really see the point with BMS right now, though.  I don't like the A-10 and to get the most of A-10 really requires a commitment to a virtual squadron.  I'm already fishing for a VA for both BMS and RoF, so I think A-10 might just be too much right now.

[Toonces]

Ok, I found that FSX add-on I was talking about.  It's by A2A Simulations and it's called B377 Captain of the Ship.

I think it requires 3 separate downloads- the basic package, something else, and then the CotS add-on.  I remember that it was fairly pricey when I checked it before.

Anyway, I just read a great review of it on avsim and then found the video where I first saw it:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CNjC3Lz32U

I think I have to have this.  I can totally see myself bopping around the Caribbean in this thing.  Yes...I think I have to have this.

See ya,
Toonces

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I know - I'm on the fence about ToH.....I liked the demo and it looks like fun, but I'm worried about long-term playability. On the upside, what could be better than a HIND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D

Get ArmA II.  I've recently gotten back into it.  All I'm doing right now us trying to unlock all the goodies in the armory (86% complete thus far) and my favourite platform to complete the armory challenges in is the Hind (followed closely by the Blackshark and the Apache). Flying helis in ArmA is tonnes of fun and you get to blow stuff up real good!

[Gusington]

^Is there high difficulty in flying helicopters in ARMA II?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I find it pretty challenging.  You really learn to appreciate the gun mount on the Apache after trying to hit anything with the fixed forward firing cannon on the Hind or the Blackshark.

[jomni]

^Is there high difficulty in flying helicopters in ARMA II?

Flying and tactics are still quite difficult.  But weapons operation and targeting is of course simplified.

Take On Helicopters is a more realistic derivative of ARMA helicopter flight.

[Staggerwing]

I used to have D.I.'s Hind Simulator a while back. It's a bit more primitive than today's fare but IIRC you could
land actual troops who would preform missions or evac wounded as well as the usual stuff.

You could chase these guys around the Khyber Pass:

[bob48]

Oh yes - I had Hind and it was, despite the graphix, a great game. The night missions were very atmospheric, with loads of tracer rounds lighting up the sky.

It was a case of the game play being good enough that the relatively crude (by todays standards) visuals did not detract from the playablility.

[MIGMaster]

Oh yes - I had Hind and it was, despite the graphix, a great game. The night missions were very atmospheric, with loads of tracer rounds lighting up the sky.

It was a case of the game play being good enough that the relatively crude (by todays standards) visuals did not detract from the playablility.

+1 - I used to love those missions where you escorted the Hips to the LZ !

[Gusington]

That pic above frickin' rocks! And I had no idea some of you guys were Hind fans like me! I'm feeling the need to get my hands on a virtual one soon. I hope the Take on Helicopters Hind expansion is quality.

[Hartford688]

I know you originally mentioned fixed-wing but Take on Helicopters is releasing a Hind expansion soon. I haven't played a modern air sim in 20+ years but I may get that because I love Hind helicopters.

You should try the modded EECH/EEAH - some good Hind fun there.

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3420872/1_14_0_is_out.html#Post3420872
http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/13/1/EECH_EEAH.html

[Gusington]

^Oh no you DID ENT. Thanks! My main concern with this genre is learning curve and timesink. I like a certain level of depth but after a 6-8 hour investment I like to feel proficient.