Best Semi-Serious Combat Flight Sim ?

[J-Tuner]

Hi All

I fancy getting another flight sim having just read though the top 10 game list and fondly remember flying my first F14 through some waypoints and taking out a couple of migs with sidewinders on a 486 - i think the title was US Navy Fighters. This was ideally pitched in terms of difficulty and even had someone talking you down onto the carrier and to 'call the ball'

I want something half serious in the fact that if i fancy landing i have to mess with flaps and air speed and a proper approach etc..landing on a carrier would be awesome but not so gritty that you really have to sit and study the manual on avionics etc...

Would be cool to be able to fly a range of current and past fighter aircraft, a naval theme would be great (due to wanting carrier landings) but anything is game really.

Does such a game exist? Any info is welcome !

Thanks

Steve

Edited by J-Tuner on Thursday 16th April 12:23

[FourWheelDrift]

Doesn't have any modern planes but IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 is probably the one. includes European and Pacific theatres carrier landings with WWII aircraft. You can buy it for £4.50 these days from Amazon. It inlcudes the Pacific War planes (Zero's, Hellcats, Seafires, Corsairs and the rest).

Then if you go to this forum and download this (free) - http://allaircraftarcade.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t...

It will allow you to fly any plane in the Sim, that's about 351.

The graphic detail is very good but if you want to boost the games settings further and have the PC to do it and you have an nVidia Gfx card get hold of nHancer (free) - http://www.nhancer.com/

Then if you spend the money Microsofts Combat Air Simulator is probably the next one, has quite a few retail add-ons.

[J-Tuner]

FourWheelDrift said:

Doesn't have any modern planes but IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 is probably the one. includes European and Pacific theatres carrier landings with WWII aircraft. You can buy it for £4.50 these days from Amazon. It inlcudes the Pacific War planes (Zero's, Hellcats, Seafires, Corsairs and the rest).

Then if you go to this forum and download this (free) - http://allaircraftarcade.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t...

It will allow you to fly any plane in the Sim, that's about 351.

The graphic detail is very good but if you want to boost the games settings further and have the PC to do it and you have an nVidia Gfx card get hold of nHancer (free) - http://www.nhancer.com/

Then if you spend the money Microsofts Combat Air Simulator is probably the next one, has quite a few retail add-ons.

Hi 4WD - cheers for that!

I was looking at the MS one and also read some reasonable reviews on Lock On: Air Combat Simulation, and liked the fact you can fly the A10 and SU Classes.. I like the WWII stuff also to be honest - is IL2 quite polished or does it feel like a homemade program? I tend to like the more polished/easy to use games....

I have a quad core clocked to 3ghz, 4gb ram and a overclocked 8800GT so should be able to handle most things i would have thought - especially as it looks like there hasn't been any decent flight sims released for a while!

Edited by J-Tuner on Thursday 16th April 15:30

[FourWheelDrift]

IL-2 is very polished. Still the benchmark for combat sims.

This is a nice video made from an IL-2 mission - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJWBrlHLXTM

There are loads of new maps, missions, planes being added via the forum I posted earlier as well, along with further game tweaks for extra options not activated in the game.

Plus Korea is being worked on (early jets, Sea Fury) and also WWI

[FourWheelDrift]

Battle of Britain video clip in 2 parts to see it in a lot of action.

1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMAahDaRh2s
2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVUR_Q1VbAQ

[J-Tuner]

Going to order the original IL2 and Lock on from amazon. £2.75 for IL2 and £3.96 for lock on - can't believe how cheap they are !!!

Do you fly 4WD or is there even a PH squadron on either of the above ?

[FourWheelDrift]

Original IL-2 doesn't come with any of the expansion packs or Pacific fighters. Best to get IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 edition that inlcudes all of them.

This one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/IL-2-Sturmovik-1946-PC-DVD...

[J-Tuner]

Got it - i ordered the plain IL2 by mistaken in my haste - for the sake of a couple of quid though i'll leave it in the draw

[SlipStream77]

I totally agree about IL2, it's a great sim.

If you feel the need to fly modern jets sometime, have a look at Falcon 4.0 Allied Force.

It is a very detailed and complex sim but it has scaleable realism so you can have easy avionics if you want.

HTH

ETA

For some reason the link doesn't work, have a look on Wikipedia for info.

Edited by SlipStream77 on Thursday 16th April 16:58

Edited by SlipStream77 on Thursday 16th April 17:01

[J-Tuner]

SlipStream77 said:

I totally agree about IL2, it's a great sim.

If you feel the need to fly modern jets sometime, have a look at Falcon 4.0 Allied Force.

It is a very detailed and complex sim but it has scaleable realism so you can have easy avionics if you want.

HTH

ETA

For some reason the link doesn't work, have a look on Wikipedia for info.

Edited by SlipStream77 on Thursday 16th April 16:58

Edited by SlipStream77 on Thursday 16th April 17:01

Yeah i read about Falcon 4.0 being a dynamic theatre which appeals to me - i was gonna head onto that if these dont hit the spot...

[Mister V]

J-Tuner said:

Going to order the original IL2 and Lock on from amazon. £2.75 for IL2 and £3.96 for lock on - can't believe how cheap they are !!!

Do you fly 4WD or is there even a PH squadron on either of the above ?

In order to have any joy with IL2 online you need 1946 and the 4.08 patch, as well as a small lobby program called Hyperlobby. the game still has a large and very dedicated bunch of people playing it online. TOP FUN. (no pun intended)

[J-Tuner]

Mister V said:

J-Tuner said:

Going to order the original IL2 and Lock on from amazon. £2.75 for IL2 and £3.96 for lock on - can't believe how cheap they are !!!

Do you fly 4WD or is there even a PH squadron on either of the above ?

In order to have any joy with IL2 online you need 1946 and the 4.08 patch, as well as a small lobby program called Hyperlobby. the game still has a large and very dedicated bunch of people playing it online. TOP FUN. (no pun intended)

Noted. Will look forward to taking to the skys !