need good flight combat game

[franklinz]

i think im confused. i just bought Microsofts combat flight simulator 3, and personally even the earliest ace combat series (AWSOME!) look 20 thousand times better than microsofts offering, the feel of flying an old p-51 is not here, it feels more like flying a 200 ton boat through the air. the scale is horrible, the land is great!! that is if you like flatter than a peice of paper topography!! this game plain out reeeeeaaks!! this is another reason not to trust just a few peoples reviews.
hopefully wal-mart will accept this game back for it not working on my system properly.
as i said the graphics are super lack-luster for such a game, and there are tons of bugs to boot.
my question is are their any good pick-up flight games along the lines of ace combat?? ie.. no sim mode? besides crimson skies..
thanks,
franklinz

[Wombat]

You could try the earlier versions of MS CFS. Also if you are having some bug problems, it might be your sys and not the game. I run it on a AMD 2 gig sys with 512ddr ram and a ATI 7200 vid card and have no probs.

Paul

[Atomic Rooster]

One of the best I have heard of is IL-2 Sturmovik. The graphics and gameplay is awsome. They have a new version coming out soon called "LockOn" with modern jets such as the A-10 Warthog, F-15, MiG 29, etc.

[Dudster]

I got IL2 Sturmovik recently, first flight combat game I've played in a long time (though I've been playing MS FS 2002 for the past year). Amazing game and I love the graphics, especially the actual planes and the damage. Flight model is great with input from actual WWII fighter pilots and really difficult on full realism settings (I haven't tried it on lower realism). Multiplayer supports looks good too but I haven't tried it.

But...I can't stand the look around controls. There are 2 modes you can toggle between. One where moving the hat will quickly look in that direction, like a glance mode. This has large blind-spots above and to the side of you. The other is where you move the camera around more accurately but it is slow and awkward. To move the camera all the way back in either direction takes 3 hat movements, then if you want to look up some, add another 1 or 2 or 3. There is a center view button but it only improves things a little I find. I find it more difficult to look around than I do to fly the plane, very frustrating during dogfights. I'm not liking the padlock view mode either.

I also wish they hadn't made the speech in Russian and German, just the accent would've been great. It feels wrong having to read what people are saying and I sometimes miss things.

Haven't played it in a while but I think I'll have another go at some point - though as a bomber instead of a fighter.

There's an add-on due out for it soon - Forgotten Battles, which looks really good. If they've redone the look around control method properly then I'll definitely buy it.

I'm guessing you would not like this game, but maybe you would. There's a demo if you want to try it http://www.il2sturmovik.com/download/demo.php

[franklinz]

yeah this game is alot better than combat flight 3! my only gripe is how in the world do i configure my logitech freedom joystick for this game???
it works fine with others, but when i play this one and let my plane coast it goes straight into the ground, and it seems like i can only go up in the air about a few feet!! im thinking my pitch is goofed?
franklinz

[jrock]

IL2 is very good. Topo is better, though noth perfect. Very hard to get that all looking good. But the flight control and viewpoints that is referred to is trying to be realistic. Those plans HAD blind spots - so the game does also - its called realism. If you hate that, turn the cockpit off. This isn't LucasArts' Xwing, this is a historic flight sim, so don't complain when it isn't easy, or you cannot see everything.

Also - I thought the use of Russian and German language was a great touch. I'd really enjoy it if I understood the languages - but it totally adds to the feel....it would be weird as anything to have them speaking english!!!

Hope this helps - the demo is useful, I got it w/ my graphics card! But the setting will need to be high to get the most out of the engine!

[Dudster]

I wasn't talking about cockpit blindspots. Though blindspots or not, I hate the (unrealistic) look around controls. Obviously many people don't hate them though. If I had another arm I'd use the mouse to look around (which some people do - use the mouse I mean).

If I remember correctly, I didn't need to do any configuring with my joystick apart assigning some buttons. I'd ask about that on the forums at il2sturmovik.com

The only times I had the plane dive with the stick centered was with the autopilot, though it didn't always happen. Might've been something to do with elevator trim, I dunno.

[franklinz]

yep got my money back! im eagerly awaiting il2 forgotten battles.
i just wish namco would come to the dark side and start producing some ace combat games for the pc
franklinz

[kjg]

Falcon 4 is a great sim, but it is heavy on the sim aspect.
Also anything by Jane is great especially USAF and there are a number of good sims based on the F22.