Considering Aces High

[mach15]

 Hello pilots,
 I have a few questions as far as the flight model's of AH. Is it mostly arcade style or realistic/simulator and/or combination of all. Reason I'm asking is ive played WoWP for over 2 years with a joystick and it is sort of enjoyable because you can have good success with the stick, however the planes do things that real planes could never do so ya its heavy arcade. Ive been playing War Thunder now for about 6 mos and while I really like the flight characteristics and realism, the GAME COMPANY  just has put little effort to better aid the joystick users. While I can fly well with it, the reticle bounce is so bad, it makes it extremely difficult to stay on target, even with adjusting all the fine tuning controls. So I'm looking for a game that has a flight model similar to War Thunder yet allows the joystick user's some competitive success and feedback from you guys on Aces would be greatly appreciated.

[Masherbrum]

Uhh.   The flight physics smoke War Thunder and WoWP, without fail or exception.   It is actually not "arcadelike".   I played AH and AH2 from 2002-this January.  The flight model is superior to the former titles mentioned in every way.   There was an obscene and unnecessary amount of "flutter" in War Thunder, which had me deleting the game not many days after install.   It was too inaccurate and the "eye candy" was limited to the cockpit anyways.   This is not the case of the "it is the Indian, not the arrow".   I was garnering a fair amount of kills, so this is not the "well you had crappy planes, etc."   

AH2 is superior in flight model/physics to War Thunder and World of War Planes.   Without fail.

[captain1ma]

its more, if not very, realistic. right up to and including stalls! to me its more of a simulation then a game, but it does have its game qualities. try it for 2 weeks for free, you have nothing to lose and you can decide for yourself. mind you the new AH3 with will be coming out soon. it will be a whole new ballgame!! ive played for about 10 years. ive tried WoWP.... does nothing for me. this game is WAY BETTER!!!

[BowHTR]

its more, if not very, realistic. right up to and including stalls! to me its more of a simulation then a game, but it does have its game qualities. try it for 2 weeks for free, you have nothing to lose and you can decide for yourself. mind you the new AH3 with will be coming out soon. it will be a whole new ballgame!! ive played for about 10 years. ive tried WoWP.... does nothing for me. this game is WAY BETTER!!!

Adding to what Capt. said. Right now you can try out the Beta for free as well. However, im not sure if there is a trial limit to it. Iv'e been here since 2002 and haven't found a game with a better/more accurate flight model than this one. I will add that there is a learning curve, but its some of the most fun you can have for $15 a month.

[Tumor]

I think AH is just what you're looking for.  Some important points though.

AH is a GAME.  The "simulation" aspects OF the game are enough to justify most AH as the best there is out there.

Planes in AH also do things at times that are over the top regarding realism, but it's right on the edge, nothing ridiculous.  PILOTs on the other hand, do ridiculous stuff all the time.

[ROC]

One thing you will find about this particular "game" is that you may join for the flight model but you will stay for the people.
This isn't a typical game, it's a community, many of us have known each other through kids and grand kids.
Try the two week trial, that will give you a taste of the flight model, but pay attention to the people in the game and that's what is going to make it stick. 
Go in with no expectations, and you won't be disappointed, it's a completely different thing that just another flight sim.  And don't mind the crazy ones in the attic, all families have them, just smile at them and bless their little pointy heads.

[alpini13]

THIS GAME SEMS TO HAVE A DIMINISHING NUMBER OF PLAYERS IN IT.   THIS HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE PAST,BUT NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DECLINE.  I HOPE WE CAN TURN THINGS AROUND.

[SIK1]

And of course we have our share of whiners.

[Easyscor]

You will also find higher numbers of players in the arena then you are used to in those other games. The terrains are bigger so the players spread out more.

You can download and play off-line to get a feel for the rides before you join an arena and start using up your two weeks. Check the wiki so you know now to use the text and voice (vox) functions. When you first join the (Main) Arena, I believe the help channel is the default.

As was said, the Beta is free to play on-line until it goes live and the graphics will blow your socks off if you have the hardware to run full tilt.

Join a squadron to help with the steep learning curve. and don't fall for the press Alt-F4 CTD gag.

Oh, and bring your friends.

[Masherbrum]

And of course we have our share of whiners.

Yep.   

[Brooke]

Hello, Mach15.  I hope that you join us.

The flight model of Aces High is realistic enough that, if you are good in AH, you would be good in real airplanes in dogfights at, say, Air Combat USA, as I can attest from 1st-hand experience.  AH uses the actual flight-test data of the aircraft to model them in the game.

Also, Aces High has special events called "Scenarios" that are battles (about 50 per side) modeled after historical battles (like Battle of Britain, 8th AF vs. Luftwaffe over Germany, Eastern Front, etc.) where the mix of aircraft types and objectives are based on the historical battle.

Scenarios happen 3 times per year.  The next one is coming up in June -- so join AH now, get up to speed, and join us for a great event! 

More details are here:

http://ahevents.org/events/scenarios/current-or-next-scenario.html

And here is what a scenario is like:

http://electraforge.com/brooke/flightsims/scenarios/201102_battleOverGermany/aar_frame1.htm

[guncrasher]

what kind of joystick do you have?


semp

[Ack-Ack]

With the flight model being more advanced in here than you'll find in WoWP and WT, be prepared to be shot down a lot at first while you get used to the flight model's learning curve.  This isn't a game where you can expect to be good within a few hours.

[Bizman]

Despite the flight model being quite accurate, this isn't a simulator. You don't have to spin the inertia wheel for three minutes or go through a bunch of switches and buttons before takeoff, neither do you have to adjust the mixture during flight. The guns don't jam, the engine doesn't seize etc.

Shortly, this is a game. This is about the fun part of flying without the tedious routines and maintenance tasks. You need to know the physics of flying to get the most out of each plane type, but you won't become capable to fly a real warbird by playing AH.

Welcome. 

[BaldEagl]

Download the game and try the flight model offline.  You might even still be able to download some missions to fly offline (I haven't looked in a long time to see if they're still available in the missions forum).