IL2 1946 contains all previous versions of the game all condensed into one.. The latest update is 4.09 (which I think is in final beta stages).. There are many mods that make this game look 10 times better than what it does out of the box.. I've been playing this one longer than AH.. My opinion is that the flight model feels mushy even on the most difficult settings, but it's definitely playable.. I would suggest TrackIR or setting up a FreeTrack rig as the viewing system is really not suitable for using a hat switch.. There's also quite a big community that plays online (which doesn't cost anything by the way)...
The flight model in CFS3 and IL2 feel pretty similar to me.. While there are also mods to make CF3 look, play, and sound better, it's still pretty dated IMHO.. Still, a decent game in it's own right..
The sounds are pretty good and many have ripped the sounds from CFS3(as well as other games) to include in their soundpacks..
There are several others you can check out.. Battle of Britain II for instance(released in 2005 I think). Or European Air War: It's an older title(dates to 99 I think but will play on XP!) but still pretty good in my opinion..
The eye candy is dated by today's standards, but still very playable! It's been a while since I've played this one so I don't exactly remember how the flight model was.. I don't remember anything bad, so it should've been decent.. I saw a copy of this one on eBay for 99cents plus shipping (which was 3 bucks or something)..
Another oldie but goodie was Mig Alley(readily available on eBay for SUPER cheap
).. You could fly pretty much all the major rides from the Korean Conflict era.. Again, the graphics are a bit dated even with some of the mods available, but it's still totally playable and quite fun!
Do some research and look up stuff like "WWII Combat sim" and what not.. Then look up some reviews on games you're interested in.. Then look them up on Youtube or what ever video sharing site you prefer and check out how the game looks.. Videos of all the games I've mentioned are readily available on YouTube..
If you have a Half-Priced Books in your area, they have a software section usually has a few diamonds in the rough.. This is where I found just about every version of IL2 before I finally got 1946..
It'll be uber cheap too.. Or check the budget software section.. Saw Mig Alley there for like $1.99..
It is my thinking that AH pretty much takes the cake and is definitely the best WWII type combat sim.. You will feel spoiled while playing any other flight sim.. In my years of being
an amateur flight sim enthusiast(I say amateur because I suck at all of them), I think HTC has all their pieces in the exact proper places as far as Aces High is concerned....
