I'm as much of an AH fan as anyone, having been with HiTech, Pyro & the guys since LONG before there was an AH. That don't mean I can't enjoy another game though.
I see a LOT of IL-2 bashing going on in this thread by guys who've obviously never played the game, or at least, certainly not lately. Anyone who's a true combat flight sim fan owes it to themselves to give the game a try.
Cartoony graphics? That's just utter ridiculousness. Doesn't even deserve to be addressed further.
Lack of support? Really? I just reloaded IL-2 (and AH) after a bit of a layoff. I needed to go and download a major patch that'd been released not too long ago, 8+ years after the game debuted. And the next one is due out early this year. This official patch, for a game that you can get for like $15 these days, added multiple maps, several flyable aircraft, as well as other tweaks & additions. Sounds pretty well supported to me, particularly since this was just the latest in a long line of official patches. All released for a game that only earns its income once, unlike the constant funding of a MMO like AH where updates are not just expected but DEMANDED. And beyond that, there's a HUGE modding community. The HSFX mod that's been mentioned here is a one-stop mod that combines a bunch of graphical upgrades, AI tweaks, lets you fly some of the planes which were AI-only, adds catapults to the CV's that had them, and a TON of other stuff.
Flight modeling? There's always room for debate here. There's a LOT that comes under scrutiny regarding AH's flight model. Do they feel a little different? Sure. Is either perfect? Certainly not. Is one more "correct" than the other? There's no way to tell. Do all of the planes in IL-2 fly the same? Hardly. Is quite a bit of the complaining that people do about both games due to stick setup? Likely.
Views? I went with a Track IR
YEARS ago so they're all good to me. Seriously folks, if you have to not eat for a month in order to afford one, do so. You'll fit into all those jeans in the back of your closet and your simming experience will never be the same. ('Course you'll hafta download a 6DOF patch for IL-2.) You don't even hafta splurge for the new model 5. Get a used 4 from eBay or something. It's seriously the best simming purchase I've made, right after a joystick. As for the views realism, honestly, I think that AH is a little lenient. I donno about the rest of you, but I have been strapped into a cockpit while dogfighting (against HiTech, no less.) You simply aren't clambering around in your seat, twisting your head all akimbo in order to get that view behind you. Now maybe some guys left their straps loose for a little more maneuverability in the cockpit, but for my sake, when I'm hanging weightless at the top of a loop, I feel a lot more comfortable snug in the seat and not dangeling several inches outta it.
Plus, it's hard to stomp down on that rudder pedal to get your crate's nose around when you've got no solid perch to give you something to press against.
Offline play? While offline missions in AH (FINALLY!) are great, they don't compare to the offline play in IL-2.
This, IMO, is what IL-2 is for. Sometimes I just want to jump into a game and fly a P-40 at Pearl Harbor. Or a campaign as a Marine Major in the Pacific. Or blast away at Bf-110s in a P-80. I actually don't play IL-2 online at all. Finding a full-realism server with quality opponents is too much of a struggle.
There's room on at least THIS simmer's hard drive for both. I fly them for different reasons and enjoy them both equally, fully aware of the pros & cons of each. I'm
well past the juvenile "my choice is better than yours" stage that many people seem to never leave. My PS3 exists happily alongside my Xbox 360. I own both Ford & GM. (Of course
some choices don't fall into this. PC > Mac. And Atari computers were always better than Commodores. ;-) ) When I'm after one thing, I fly IL-2. When I'm after another, I fly AH.
