Kweassa, 3 points:
1) I've played IL2. The landings and takeoffs are just as easy as Aces High. I've never had any problems landing or taking off in IL2, ever. In fact I have more problems landing in Aces High due to torque in some planes (like Ta152 or other craft that want to ground loop on landing). I've never EVER crashed on takeoff or landing in IL2, EVER. I've done it chitloads of times in AH.
The claim that IL2 requires more skill to land and takeoff doesn't hold water.
2) (2 points). You say "AH bypasses certain sets of physics upon need, as mentioned above" but this isn't true. The physics is all there. Your aircraft is still flying through the air on auto takeoff. It is computer controlled, and will fly as a preset, but the physics of it is no different than before. This is the same as IL2's annoying autopilot feature that will not only hold formation with you, but will fly faster than maximum speed while on auto pilot, to catch up to wingmen. How is that any different? It's NOT turning the game engine into an arcade game. It's simply taking over the controls for you. For one, there's no reason you can't take off by yourself, as long as you have a rudder axis. It's easy as hell in any aircraft to take off. And since AH doesn't have an "auto landing" you can't gripe about that.
The second point you say is "Pretty irrelevant matter at hand" when I talk about these "features". You say they're irrelevant, but you're the one claiming they make AH fly like an arcade game -- so they're pretty damn relevant! The point is that stall limiter is the only thing you can say is even close to "arcade like". Even so the cost of using stall limiter greatly hampers even the most basic manuvers (pulling up) and reduces your efficiency to the point of not being worth using. It limits the AoA you can pull, prevents you from stalling and thus spinning out. Most that know better avoid it like the plague. Most that don't know eventually LEARN and then avoid it like the plague. It's only a benefit to those that are still learning to fly, and every game has "training" levels before the "boss" levels. Those that use it only penalize themselves and most likely get shot down for it, so I don't see it as any major problem to this game's balance. If, for example, using SL were to increase your turn radius and all-around performance to the point of flying like a spixteen in a p40, then you'd have a valid complaint.
3) the personal accusations...
"Yes, because you're biased against other games."
Uh... wrong. I'm not biased. I went into each of the games mentioned with an open mind and a willingness to enjoy it. I can enjoy older less-sophisticated games. I'm not ignorant. I'm no fool. I like CivII despite it's age. I like Diablo II. I liked Tribes (1), and Counter-Strike (pre-CS:S), and many other genres and many other types of games. I am quite open to new gameplay styles, types, and enjoy a wide variety.
The reasons I have for disliking TW and IL2 series games I have already explained. These games have poor gameplay. The reason Counter-Strike was able to survive for 7+ years on an outdated game engine -- let's face it Half-Life was old as hell -- is because of gameplay. Aces High 1 survived because the gameplay was fun, despite lagging graphics. IL2 and Targetware lack decent gameplay in all areas, including the offline missions of IL2 (the only supposed advantage it has over Aces High in gameplay). Hell even TW's graphics aren't that great. The Beaufighter has a painted-on gunsight and is pushing 5+ years old, but won't ever be updated at this pace.
I am not "biased" as you claim. Bias implies an irrational aspect that defies logic. I'll return to this in a moment. My opinions on these other inferior games is based entirely on the experience the game provides. IL2 is not better than Aces High in any regard, least of all reality or physics. It has a more complex damage model, but it goes out of its way to make it nearly invulnerable to all weapons fire, requiring multiple 30mm hits to bring down compact fighters, unloading 1000 rounds from a 109F into a Lagg-3 and not bringing it down. More complex does not equate to "more realistic". Realistically, if you hit a craft enough it went down. In Aces High you hit a craft enough and it goes down. I've yet to see that in IL2. Unless you all fly with "simplified gunnery" checked -- which goes back to arcade play.
And, as a foot note, you speak of me being biased. What do you call yourself? You're on a crusade to say AH is the worst game there is. You claim we gloss over flaws. We don't. You claim we call these flaws features. You're probably talking (among other things) WEP implementation. They chose a way to do it. They're not going to change it unless they redo all engine controls. That's not a "feature" it's just the way they did it. Bomber drones follow you down and lower gear, flaps, line up and land all perfectly on their own. That's not a feature it's just the way they made it. Otherwise you'd have to switch to each drone and duplicate it all. You're on a crusade for minutae, with regards to this game. There's more important things to crusade for, so why quibble over the little stuff, when we still have big flaws to worry about.
Sorry if I ruffled your feathers during this post, but man you've been going on for a little while now about how bad AH is, and I think you're biased yourself.
