What do you like the most about combat flight sims?

[Cybermat47]

For me, it's either the sheer awesomeness of seeing planes pulling off some amazing aerobatics to get on each other's tails, or the experience of flying over Stalingrad or the Western Front and seeing the war happen from up high, with the artillery blasting away, tanks attacking each other in pitched battles, and (if you use PWCG like me) seeing infantry assaulting the enemy trenches, with the tracers, fire and artillery impacts making the battle visible from all around. But what I like the most is how intense it can get. If I'm playing another type of game, if I die I'll just reload a checkpoint, or respawn. In a combat flight sim (or submarine sim), if I die, my career will be lost, and I'll have to start over again. It makes me play more realistically (even though I don't use 100% realism), and when I'm in danger of being shot down, it's pretty harrowing for a video game. It's obviously nothing compared to what soldiers in real life go through every day they're on deployment, though.

 

So, what do you guys like the most about combat flight sims?

[JtD]

Tactics. It's hard to find other games where proper application of proper tactics pays as much as it does in flight sims. I love it when a plan comes together.

[jpem]

I'm pretty new to the genre, less than a year in. The tactics, difficulty and the feeling of almost flying some awesome planes keep me coming back, each kill is very satisfying unlike other games revolved around shooting people. That said the tactics part can also make it a really frustrating genre as I get spanked pretty hard in multiplayer still.

 

Also the variety. Each era and each plane is an entirely different beast despite the similar concepts and tactics throughout. 

Edited June 3, 2014 by jpem

[Pringliano]

I came to IL2 BoS for the flight modelling in the very first place, since I used to have absolutely no interest in Air Combat. Also owned DSC World, but I use it solely to fly circy«uits and perform aerobatics with the p51d, and the helicopters, not for combat - too complex for me...

 

IL2 changed my perspective, and I even ended up buying RoF too. Now I try to read about RW fighter Tactics, watch ww2 and ww1 documentaries, and of course, feel the thrill online in our 25' furbals :-)

 

I think I would not get the same feel from an arcade like combat simulator, but knowing that the devs are doing their best, and actually managing to, create the most plausible replicas of the real fighters in this sim ( as I believe I will be able to find in RoF too, when I find the time to start playing it ), I like to be able to learn RW techniques that actually help me "mastering" my airplane online in dogfight :-)

[Panzerlang]

Shooting the enemy plane in front of me to bits.

 

I'm not a particularly sophisticated simmer.

[Skoshi_Tiger]

Being able to work as a team and using historical tactics to overcome our opponents.

[Finkeren]

I've always been a huge fan of old planes, particularly WW2 warbirds, but what really got me into flight simming iin the early 1990s is the strange combination of claustrophobia and agoraphobia that comes from being trapped inside a small enclosed space with limited field of vision while floating in a big, mostly empty space thousands of feet above the ground, and having to fight for your life at the same time.

[Feathered_IV]

Single player campaigning.

Rising to lead a squadron. Doing the utmost to manage and progress the the AI squad members so they are best able to survive. Ultimately trying to field a unit of experts that can handily cope with any mission.

[DD_bongodriver]

No interest in Strategy/tactics whatsoever, moderate appeal in teamwork, mainly just love accurate representations of flying machines and using flying skills and systems knowledge to fly/fight/win/survive.

[BlitzPig_EL]

Flying the underdog aircraft and still coming out on top.

 

P 40 vs. 109 K4,  done it.

 

A6M2-N vs. F6F,  I love the tears of the Hellcat pilots.

 

etc...

 

 

Also actually reading the brief and going about my business to win the scenario, while the majority of players are doing their Hartmann impersonations and paying no attention to anything but

their stats.

 

And also the feeling of flight that a good sim can give you, even, and maybe especially, when not in combat.

[SCG_Neun]

I've played both class of online wars and single player campaign.  There is nothing like human opponents in a historical setting, flying in historically modeled aircraft, trying to stay alive and accomplish a particular mission....for me, it was the best.  Now...I have to fly offline because of my satellite connection pings...But whether it be offline or online....it's all about immersion for me, the history which plays out in a really good flight sim in a way that complements what the real pilots had to say about combat.  When the tactics really used in WWII, for any particular aircraft are captured in the FM,  and weapons systems, then for me....you've got a great sim. Throw in the eye candy...the graphics, sounds, unit history and accurate large maps.....and it's doesn't get any better than that....except maybe if I didn't have satellite....

Edited June 3, 2014 by JagdNeun

[ShamrockOneFive]

All of the above?

 

I love old planes, tactics, single player progression, multiplayer competition forcing me to improve, teamwork... it's all a lot of fun. It also says something when you can load up the game, setup a single aircraft for a sightseeing trip around the map and just enjoy the feeling of flight and speed. And you can do all of this while comfortably sitting at home.

[ST_ami7b5]

Flying and fighting in those WWI / WWII planes.

Not interested in post-war jets.

Formerly offliner, now I prefer playing online.

Nothing compares to human opponents IMHO and it gives you an opportunity to make friends with other 'pilots'.

But I fly also offline missions/careers from time to time, but much less (about 10:1).

Edited June 3, 2014 by ST_ami7b5

[=LD=Hethwill]

A good story to tell. History to replay. Credibility of the planes. Big scenarios with space for multiple full squadrons in MP.

Edited June 3, 2014 by =LD=Hethwill_Khan

[=AVG=Zombie]

That feeling when you mange to get off the ground under the nose of the base campers and shoot them down, then reading the chat with them crying and blaming everything under the sun of how you managed to get all of them, priceless...

[Trident_109]

For me flight sims are the fulfillment of childhood fantasy. From the first time I ran around with my arms spread, to the first model P40 I built, to seeing John Wayne fight Japanese Zeros, the fantasy of flight was in my head. There's no other way to measure that excitement or to fulfill it other than CFSs.

 

Learning of the exploits and tactics these men employed is gravy. Discovering the historical significance is enriching. Fighting in a team atmosphere or in an historical campaign is engrossing. But still, the primary achievement of CFSs for me is that that childhood excitement and gratification is lived again and again through the image and action on a computer screen.

[steppenwolf]

Well put Robert. I was hooked on flying after seeing the scale models at the drug store as a boy. I loved the box art, the bubble canopies and the machine guns. I just had to know what it was all about.

[smink1701]

All the above plus great AI.  I don't have a ton of time so I play SP mode for about 15 minutes at a time primarily on the weekend.  I load in a mission and see how many enemy I can get before they get me.  When I'm chasing a plane I want to see the AI behave like their is a real person trying to out maneuver me.  BOS is pretty good but I think there is room for improvement.  When I'm on someone's 6 I'm seeing some subtle fluttering of the wings that remind me I'm flying against a computer and not an enemy foe.  I hope this can be corrected.

[Sparrer]

S!

 

In a particular way:

Virtual Online War of il2 series

I NEVER experienced something that exciting in almost 20 years of combat flight simulators. I never experienced that kind of excitment in ANY game

►Follow and be part of the whole war strategy(web based map) for months and plan the mission with your mates: It's a whole independent game itself. The tatical possibilities is very rich and complex. You plan, and you play what you planned.

►Being part of a dynamic context with an uncertain path. You make the history, not programmers scripts. Here, you able of being a hero or an disaster

►You are obliged to fly what you have for months, against humans (majority).

Then you obliged to learn / develop / adapt tatics and explore the best of your resources (planes, tanks, weapons) to being sucessfull. You start to love planes that you hated and the opposit

►The flight itself is awesome. It's pressure and adrenaline all mission through.
You may be killed all way long, and ruin your team goal. You have fear to die, because if you die.....no refly!

►The ground crew it's relevant. Their results are determinant and you only support's it

►You feel an live what you read in war histories. Almost all humans x humans (even some AI's don't ruin this experience)

►An kill, it's the climax....just it. It's rare. So....when you get it.....whoa, its awesome!

and much more...and all of that with PLANES envolved...and aircraft flight itself

Flying just for kills and points, is valid. It's Fun....and some times we don't have time....it's good...ok

But man... is a wastage.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Sparrer

[66gezz2257]

Blowing the aircraft in front of me to pieces,learning different combat skills, i'm still a bit of a rookie,i find BOS much harder than COD but i like the challenge of trying to outwit your enemy,having been a Flight Simulator X user for a few years i find Combat Sims very addictive & much more immersing, sometimes i just like flying around & looking at the scenery,when you think that all this happened for real & it was life & death for all those Brave pilots it makes you think how much skill they had.

I'm hooked on BOS

[BlueHeron]

Playing hide and seek with the enemy in the clouds.  Trying to keep an eye on him and maintain situational awareness while turning and rolling every which way is a most incredible mental exercise, and very exciting!

 

Overall I simply love getting a perspective of what pilots saw and felt through ever phase of flight.  I let's you truely appreciate first hand accounts by wartime pilots like nothing else can.  It makes me feel like I'm part of the priviliged few who really get it.  

[senseispcc]

Flying!

[-TBC-AeroAce]

ALL OF THE ABOVE XD

Flying!

 BEST POST EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ScotsmanFlyingscotsman]

I am amazed that we can simulate the aircraft I read about growing up in the 50/60's the ones we see at 'warbird' airshows and we can get the feel for how difficult it was for the pilots to overcome the limitations of their aircraft.

 

In the movies it looks so effortless, but that only works after constant practice....and we don't get the time

 

I appreciate the 'look' of the aircraft, so well done the model makers and skinners

 

I know it's not real flying, because the seat does not bounce around like on the real thing,  but once in a while my brain gets tricked into it.... and its brilliant....

and I don't get court martialled for my landing's in BOS.

 

Not a tactics person, would like to get all the controls working and not blow the engine up, take from there

 

THANKS GUYS & GIRLS who made this possible

[VBF-12_Snake9]

Flying with a wingman or with wingmen.  Having the relationship that you know exactly what he's going to do and likewise the reverse.  Yea, a good wingman makes a combat sim come to life. 

 

Shout out to VBF-12 Roozter 

Edited June 3, 2014 by VBF-12Snake9

[pixelshader]

energy management, it's almost meditative

[Static]

I am still waiting. Six more years and WW2 flight simulators might be just about correct in regards to actual flight physics for historic fighters.

[Gambit21]

energy management, it's almost meditative

 

Yeah - well put.

One of my favorite aspects for sure.

[Stallion]

Combat sims reward intelligence and superior situational awareness over twitchy trigger-fingers and quick reaction times - two things that I lack

[Gambit21]

...although quick reaction is a plus.

Sometimes that enemy AC does something that requires an instinctive snap shot - no time to think.

Overall though, yeah I agree. Being smart, managing energy, being patient, knowing when not to engage - far more important.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Gambit21

[6high]

All of the above...with the sound of those magnificent engines of the time....just turn up your set of speakers and watch a fly-by....

[DakkaDakkaDakka]

The insane adrenalin rush of bouncing an enemy who hasn't seen you. So good.

 

I am only interested in online MP, I've never been impressed with AI.

[HippyDruid]

Cantankerous old men, dog fighting on flight sim forums!