"Is AH a sim or another arcade game like FA3?"
Actually, it's both.
The software it's self is a very good WWII simulator.
It's the arena set up that decides how the software is used, and which sets the tone for the game you play. Currently there is:
Main Arena (MA); which is similar to how you describe FA.
Combat Theatre (CT); A less popular area, but with it's own very dedicated inhabitants who seem to want less "game" and more "sim".
Training arena (TA). A cess pit. Avoid it.
Dueling Arena (DA) Rarely used, except for competitions
Special Events Arena (SEA). An arena put aside for purpose designed events. These can be "very real and serious" or complete quake-a-thons, depending on the designer's aims. AH events have had a very slow and shakey start, but they do seem to be improving in both scope, breadth and aplomb. There's still not enough of them, but we're told there's more on the way in "two weeks".
Judging from the tone of your post, you may well find a home in the CT.
There are no "good" Jappanese squads in AH. There are a number of gang-banging, land grabbing horde warrior alt monkeys who write indecipherable gibberish at each other and usually have extremly high scores and kill me regularly, especialy if they're called "Mitsu" or "Flying Dutchman"; but I wouldn't call that "good"; would you?
Take the two weeks. It's free.
