I'm only interested in flying. I don't really care for tank or infantry, and as such, I didn't try either of those aspects out over the weekend.
Flying seems to be a bit improved since the last re-evaluation. Engine overheating is in, and you can damage your engine if you run max RPM and full manifold pressure. Adding WEP on top of that makes the radiator heat up faster (obviously.) You need to pay attention to your gauges unless you want to be limping home. I would take off and climb a bit at max RPM and throttle, then back it off to economy/and enough throttle to gently climb or maintain whatever alt I was at. Kept the engine cool so I could go full power (and WEP when necessary) without getting overheated. I liked that added "immersion" or "difficulty." take your pick on the term. Flight models are slightly different. I'm not going to say which is right, but AH feels better to me, but WWIIOL is getting better.
The Axis seem to have better pilots, at least in the times I was on. I ran into a few 109s that came in with alt and didn't relinquish that advantage. The rest would get frustrated with my evasions and start to blow that advantage, and then they'd go home with a leak or ditch (I damaged quite a few without getting kills, so I guess you only get a "kill" if the pilot actually dies. Flaming the plane isn't good enough!) I had a couple of solid kills, the most memorable in the Hurri being my last sortie of the night. I followed a 109 around, but couldn't catch him, so I turned back. Nothing else was in the area, so I started to head to another contested area. I gave a quick look around, trimmed the plane to fly level and ran to the kitchen to put clothes in the dryer. I come back to check on the plane and see 20mm exploding in front of me! I break and realize how lucky I was. A 110c had found me, but he had started off too far below me and couldn't get up to my alt. I grinned knowing I held all the cards. I kept the advantage on him, and started to work him into the perfect shot. A 109 came around about this time, co-alt or a little lower. I pushed harder on the 110c and got in position. I aimed the pipper over his right engine and fired. A sustained burst flamed the right engine as I flew past him. I went up and back over and raked across his fuselage and wings, and he began to nose over and go down.
The 109 had more smash than I thought and was well over me at this point. He wasn't a good shot though, and got tired of the longer BnZ passes and turned flat after going under me, giving away much of his E advantage. Then he did the dumbest thing of looping. I think he had lost sight of me, as I ended up on his 6, and his head rest might have blocked the straight up view, and high 5 and 7 views. I tried some high G shots, but it wasn't happening so I just remained patient. He started turning a bit, trying to find me. He then went vertical again, but this time, I was able to close the distance on the loop. I hit the gunsight zoom, and at the top of the loop, his plane filled my sight. I fired and could sit the rounds strike their mark on BOTH wing roots simultaneously (he was a bit too close given the default convergence!) As I pulled more lead, I could see the hits walk up his wing roots and as he yawed bit my right MG fire raked across his canopy and engine cowlings. His 109 engine burst into flames and the plane nosed over with no attempt to try and pull out. I assume I hit his pilot as well. In the gunsight view, the hits on the 109 weren't as eye candy like as Il-2, but were much better than our big ol' hit sprites in AH.
I mainly flew the Hurri I, though I did hop over to Axis to try the 109. I died twice in the 109. Once was me being greedy and thinking I could BnZ 6 Hurris! I could, but as I was coming down, two were going up and got a lucky shot. Pilot hit, screen red, when I came to, the ground was right there! bam! Other one was pulling too many G's going after a Hawk 75. That time I hit the ground while greying out.
Overall, I enjoyed the 109, I think mainly because when you hit with those 20mm exploding shells you KNOW it!
I hurt two Spitfires near the Belgian coast. They both went down, but I guess they ditched as I only got 2 damaged, no kills. Another sortie I nailed a Hurricane (this was the one where they got the lucky pilot hit on me.) The sortie were I killed myself was really fun at first. I saw a Blenheim below and I split S'ed down on him. I aimed for the left wing, fired, and saw two explosions right on the engine as my 20mm found their mark. The engine immediately bellowed flames and trailed thick black smoke. The Blen spun out of control. It was sweet, because he couldn't have been more than 30 seconds from his drop target! I shot down a Hawk that sortie as well, but then hit the ground while chasing another Hawk. The 109E in WWIIOL handles much easier than the AH version. I dunno which is more correct.
I only had one plane disappear on me, but the icon never left, so I was able to keep tailing it. (I shoulda ran, I was the only Allied fighter in a mess of 6+ Axis planes, one of which is a good shot.) My framerate was very playable the whole time. Only for a brief second here and there did the game chug (when loading in lots of combatants.) The lack of integrated voice and Chk 6 calls was noticed. I couldn't really talk to anyone around me during the fight, especially at one point when I was flying near pilots from a different origin than my own. Range VOX would have been very helpful at times, as would a simple Chk 6 call.
Of course, I had no Mongrels to fly with in WWIIOL, so that's a huge minus for me. However, if given the choice between flying WWIIOL or AH main arena without my squaddies in either, I'd choose WWIIOL 75% of the time (the other 25% would be to fly planes other than what WWIIOL has.) I like immersion as well as a good fight. WWIIOL still doesn't come close to the fun I have in TODs with the Mongrels, or in a Snapshot or Scenario.
I'm not sure I'll subscribe to WWIIOL, but I'm getting closer. I do know that even if I do, I'll never leave AH, unless all my squaddies left!
There's room on my hard drive for both, and to me, enough reason to play both (assuming WWIIOL doesn't sour on me during the rest of the re-eval.) I don't care if the rest of you like WWIIOL or hate it, but I had fun playing it over the weekend. If I continue to have fun, I think it'd be worth the fee.
