I wonder why IL2 isn't more popular?
Probably because nowadays "immediately everything here now"-attitude. If there's no action in 10 seconds after TO, it's boring. Folks have pants in their ants, hurry hurry and no patience at all.
I'm mostly nowadays in Finnish server w/ tank. Full realism, big eastern front map. One needs patience and ability to orientate with map and compass. Not for "points to me immediately"-ADHD boys. Like yesterday, was on a way to enemy tank base, about 15 min drive, when after some 5 min drive found fortification by accident. Mangled that stronghold by destroying 8 T34s, 5 T70s, 8 Zil5 trucks and one heavy howitzer. Then had to drive back to take more ammo.
After that, drove to that tank base, someone had bombed it flat already. Saw w/ binoculars big enemy fortification on the distance. There was a river between us and big open steppe before railway bridge. While passing that steppe, saw T34 in ambush. Hit it several times from extreme distance but could not destroy it and then came IL-2 ground attack kite and I was killed.
All that took couple of hours and I really enjoyed it, except being killed but hey, no insults or anything in comms. It's war, crap happens. I was with
Pzkw IV G. Good gun, fast reload but armor could be better.
Despite being killed, I made good advance for our troops by destroying that first stronghold and made some good points. There, one fights mostly for his country, not so much for own ego to get name on spotlights.