Warthunder gets best simulation award......

[Saxman]

Just out of morbid curiosity I took a quick peak.

First, as noted it's pretty. There must be something in how the graphics engine is handled that allows the level of visual detail without excessive system requirements. I should point out that my computer can NOT run AH under detailed graphics settings (bump mapping, detailed water, etc.). I eventually start getting Out Of Memory errors which causes system hangs until it reverts back to normal. By contrast, I was able to run WT on High graphics without any problems or notable slowdowns. Either it's because of small map size, (which TBH, overall map size shouldn't be a huge drain in terms of the graphics considering you only draw so much of it at a time and the rest of the details are being tracked server-side) short view distances, (was hard to tell how they compare to AH's) or just because the graphics engine is better optimized.

Second, the flight modeling as noted before is heavily influenced by Il-2. Which means it's also pretty much EVERYTHING I hated about Il-2.

Aircraft bounce and slide all over the place. Like I said a couple pages ago, imagine the dancing hippos from Fantasia on roller skates, and the rink is coated in WD40. If you have a HOTAS setup it's configured in the same way as Il-2, which means you have to set EVERYTHING manually. It appears that trim can only be adjusted via axis, or at the very least there was no incremental trim option I could find anywhere. Which means trying to trim the aircraft for anything approaching level flight would be virtually IMPOSSIBLE unless you've got a couple spare axes to assign to it. There's a generic "Trim Aircraft" toggle, but it's unclear what the heck it even does. You can set a button to minimum and maximum trim, but this sends you right to 100%, which is pretty useless. I don't know WHY they just didn't make those two options "Increase Trim" or "Decrease Trim" instead.

Oh yeah, my second flight I got shot at by a friendly who told me to "get off his screen" literally the instant I spawned.

Frankly, aside from the shiny graphics, I'm thoroughly unimpressed. There's no "Main Arena" type gameplay as in Aces High, at least that I had access to. Think the old free 8-player arenas on a mildly larger scale, with specific objectives (the couple sorties I flew were all "kill GV" missions). And well, I don't agree at all with the "Level up to get a decent airplane" system, ESPECIALLY the "Research" pathways (no joke: To get the F4Us, you have to unlock in order: F2A-1 -> F2A-3 -> F4F -> F6F -> F4U). I think Aces High has the perfect solution for balancing via ENY side balancing and perk points.

Flew a couple missions and that was all I could stand of it. So good riddance to that. The only other plus I can give it aside from the visuals is that I didn't waste any money on it.

[FLOOB]

Warthunder is designed to be played with a mouse. Warthunder is designed to be played in external view mode, that's why cockpit instruments are crap and there's lots of on screen display clutter that you can't turn off. It's a lot like that jet fighter game for iphone. It's not an MMOG, basically you have to wait for a server to have enough players before it will launch. There are servers where external view is disabled, it's called Full Real Battles (I think that's translated chinese for full realism battles). However I've never actually gotten to play on a full real battles server because there are so few players that actually have a joystick that the server never has enough players to launch. At about the 5 minute mark I usually give up waiting. Also, once the server does launch, the game is timed, it will only last about 5 minutes, maybe 10 minutes on a "historical battles" server. Warthunder is free, you get what you pay for.

[GScholz]

The trim button trims your aircraft to your current stick position. If you want to trim for level flight just hold the aircraft level with the stick and hit the trim button. You can then release the stick and the aircraft should be trimmed for level flight. Direct manual trim was bugged last time I tried it. Note that unlike in AH, planes in WT only get the trim controls they actually had, so for instance no rudder or aileron trim for the 109 and 190.

The MMO part of the game is not yet implemented (again, it's still beta). "World War Mode" will be WT's massively multiplayer component. How it will work is still being kept secret by the devs, but they have confirmed that "full real battle" mode will also get its "World War" arena.

[titanic3]

Hmm..being in beta and all, would I lose my progress when it releases? WoT's beta wiped everything afterwards, which bummed me out even though I knew it was coming. Is WT going to do the same? And is the grind as bad as WoT or better? I freaking hate grinding in any game.

[Saxman]

The trim button trims your aircraft to your current stick position. If you want to trim for level flight just hold the aircraft level with the stick and hit the trim button. You can then release the stick and the aircraft should be trimmed for level flight.

Screw that noise, I'd rather have incremental trim adjustments. ESPECIALLY because I may need to make slight trim adjustments in-flight and having to level out to do so is just a tremendous pain in the ass. Not to mention it would be REALLY nice to be able to trim rudder for takeoffs. I've found it virtually impossible to keep the nose straight on takeoff roll due to the godawfully twitchy rudder controls and the fact it feels like everything is trying to take off into a 500mph crosswind (seriously, even at 10-15% power the P-26 and Brewster want to start turning donuts and require constant rudder correction to keep straight).

Note that unlike in AH, planes in WT only get the trim controls they actually had, so for instance no rudder or aileron trim for the 109 and 190.

Let me go on record saying I DO like that they want to do things like this as it helps add to the character of the individual aircraft. I'd love to see details like this in Aces High along with more complex engine management (I know I'm not the only one who wants it, either). The problem is their implementation is shoddy if something as simple as trim controls are this bugged out.

I'm also HIGHLY suspicious of their research. The stall spoiler in the F4U-1A was NOT to correct for dive speed issues, (even the NAME of it should have been a clue!) and most used the exact same engine as the F4U-1D either out of the factory or retrofit in the field (not to mention the 1D had permanently-fixed wing pylons that reduced top speed). They have it at just over 350mph at altitude, while the actual data is 417mph TAS.   Who knows what else is either outright wrong, or deliberately altered (once again, the running accusations of Russian iron being heavily overmodeled)?

The MMO part of the game is not yet implemented (again, it's still beta). "World War Mode" will be WT's massively multiplayer component. How it will work is still being kept secret by the devs, but they have confirmed that "full real battle" mode will also get its "World War" arena.

And of course they're going to apply some sort of access control on it. You'll probably need to be Level 20 and have a million Lions or whatever they call it to get in.

Thanks, but no thanks. Keep your Leveling in WoW where it belongs

[Plazus]

I think a lot of you guys are still forgetting about the full real battles mode of the game. Sure, the flight models are still a work in progress, the but flight dynamics are the polar opposite of what you will find in arcade mode.

I've been flying in historical battles with the full realistic controls mode enabled on my joystick. I find the aircraft I'm flying more responsive to my control inputs and allows me to fly the aircraft to the fullest range allowable. I do hop into full real battles but because I lack a good view control system, I am waiting until I get TrackIR.

[Spikes]

I still don't understand why people compare that game with this...they're 150% different and cater to two completely separate crowds.

[Nath[BDP]]

I wouldn't say mad but I would say confused the arcade flight physics of warthunder are by no means simulation quality.

Brewster, Yak 3, and Ki 43 FM are Warthunderish

[ImADot]

You can use a normal button (I use a 4-way on my throttle) for rudder and elevator trim. You need to set them for relative input, and tweak the percentage (or speed or whatever) and it works just fine. I have no issues fine-tuning the trim to keep my plane stable.

I find WT a fun diversion, but don't see it replacing AH.

[GScholz]

If your controls are "twitchy" you need to adjust your control settings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI6scf-iX7s

[FLOOB]

I made the mistake of buying Cliffs of Dover, it's just made me want to play AH more.

[Saxman]

You can use a normal button (I use a 4-way on my throttle) for rudder and elevator trim. You need to set them for relative input, and tweak the percentage (or speed or whatever) and it works just fine. I have no issues fine-tuning the trim to keep my plane stable.

Two problems with that scenario:

1) No issues aside from tricking the game into doing something it should natively have a function for (it has increase/decrease mixture buttons, how could they miss doing the same for trim?
2) WT doesn't like the 8-way switch on my CH Pro Throttle and trying to set all three trim surfaces to it makes the game angry.

[zack1234]

This is why 777 ROF is involved

That set on youtube is "Wings of Prey" and I had abusive emails from asking about setting that up

[Slash27]

I still don't understand why people compare that game with this...they're 150% different and cater to two completely separate crowds.

For 10 page pissing contests?

[coombz]

played some full real custom battles with 7-8 of my old DayZ buddies last night

was actually pretty great  will be investigating further tonight

i don't think i could ever prefer it to AH (although the graphics *drool*), but at least there are lots of people playing so you can get some fights (unlike AH)