Favorite Flight Sim and Why?

[Seiyuuki]

Air/Space...whatever float your boat...

Mine are:
Starlancer - It is just so darn fun
Descent Freespace 2 - Babylon 5 & Macross mods, two of my favorite shows
Falcon 4.0 - It is as real as you can get
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 - For those day when you want to fly a Cessna among the friendly sky
Longbow Anthology - It is the only helicopter flight sim I have and ever play

I'm probably missing a few...

Suggestions are also welcome...

[Seoulstriker]

well, i always loved what graphsim threw out for me in the 'early days'.

Hellcats over the Pacific
F/A-18 Hornet 1.0
F/A-18 Hornet 2.0
F/A-18 Hornet 3.0
F/A-18 Hornet Korea
F/A-18 Hornet Operation Iraqi Freedom
Falcon 4.0 is ok.
IL2-Sturmovik is really nice.


then you have the civvies:

FS2004
X-Plane


space sims? i remember playing Microsoft Space Simulator. that was pretty cool.
descent is pretty nice.
i haven't bought Freelancer, but the demo seemed interesting.

I absolutely loved Tie Fighter. X-wing was also pretty good.
Privateer was incredible. so much fun.


nice list. ;)

[Herrmannek]

FlyingModelSimulator<=>FMS
Why I'ts small and I always wanted to have flying plane model.....

[Skaman]

Il2 Sturmovik

Great physics, campaign, realism, accuracy, enviroment. Simply amazing. Many aircraft to fly!

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/ss/10feb2.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/ss/10feb1.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/ss/15.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/ss/27.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/ss/3.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/ss/P-40_formation%20011.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/ss/P-40_formation%2002.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/21jan/Naval1.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/He-111%20Damaged%20Landing%2027.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/20dec/Bf-110%20vs%20I-153%2011.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/25nov/50.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/25nov/65.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/25nov/60.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/25nov/82.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/25nov/8.jpg

http://www.il2sturmovik.com/forgotten_battles/screenshots/Bf-109G-14_cockpit.jpg

[Haiw]

I thought you didn't like the idea of shooting someone on a computer screen... :P

[Skaman]

I thought you didn't like the idea of shooting someone on a computer screen... :P

I don’t. Seeing arms fly off, and blood spurt every which way sickens me. In il2, I get a chance to soar the skies as the German Luftwaffe or Russian air force. I don’t like the idea of unloading a magazine into some human being and seeing him squirm in agony. This game is based on actual historical encounters and campaigns. It is not a fictitious shoot em up exaggerated by immense explosions and gallons of gore.

[Haiw]

I don’t like the idea of unloading a magazine into some human being and seeing him squirm in agony. This game is based on actual historical encounters and campaigns. It is not a fictitious shoot em up exaggerated by immense explosions and gallons of gore.
Holy crap have you been listening to too much hippy senators? Not all shooter games are as cheap as Doom 1 you know...

[Ratamacue]

IL-2 Sturmovik
StarLancer
Wing Commander IV
Lock On: Modern Air Combat (still need to buy it)
Operation Flashpoint (sort-of a simulator)

[StarvingStudent47]

IL-2 Sturmovik (best real-life simulator I've ever played)

Starlancer (best space simulator I've ever played--its sequel, Freelancer, isn't nearly as cool). It's three years old and still an absolute blast to play. The graphics have aged well, too--it doesn't look shabby at all.

Red Baron, Aces of the Pacific (too old to run on modern machines, but they're what got me into flight sims)

[StarvingStudent47]

Ducimus--are those screenshots from Forgotten Battles? I have IL-2 but I don't recognize those environments at all.

By the way, how is dropping incindiary bombs on a troop transport convoy in IL-2 any better than putting a 7.62mm NATO round in a soldier's chest in Ghost Recon?

And the extreme gore you're describing doesn't show up in modern military shooters. There's a distinction between ARCADE shooters (Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem) and TACTICAL shooters (Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six). You're describing the former. Most people here probably play the latter. Ghost Recon and the Rainbow Six series are as realistic as IL-2 is. There are single-player demos of GR and R6: Raven Shield available at ThePlatoon (http://www.theplatoon.com). Try them before you dis them.

But anyway--Doom and Doom II weren't about killing human beings anyway. You were killing zombies and demons--many of the demons weren't even bipedal! Yeah, there's a lot of blood and gore when you blow up a 10-foot-wide chaingun-toting spider. Oh well.

[Skaman]

Violence and Video Games: An Ongoing Dilemma

With the rise of technology come many new popular forms of entertainment. In the past twenty years, video game popularity has skyrocketed, even surpassing the motion-picture industry in sales and revenue. In the past, technologies such as radio, motion picture, and television have been scrutinized for supposed violent side effects on the mind. The most recent victim of this scrutiny is the most increasingly popular form of entertainment - computer and video games. Much of the scrutiny the video games industry is receiving is due to simple ignorance about the industry, as well as some poorly run studies that receive a great deal of media attention. After evaluating many claims and upon close inspection of many studies, it can be concluded that there is currently no proven link between real-life violence and video game violence.

As an industry worth over 7 billion-dollars, video and computer games are becoming a prime form of entertainment in the home. The video game industry also mirrors radio and television with the amount of criticism it is receiving (Grapes 1-2). Video games are currently receiving a great deal of scrutiny from anti-violence groups, the media, and some studies. One study, run by psychologists Craig Anderson and Karen Dill, was conducted in order to find a link, if any, between real-life violence and video games. The study claims they have reached conclusions proving a relationship between violent video games and real-life violence. In the this study, the experimenters sat a number of people down, some playing the violent action “shooter” Wolfenstein 3D, and others playing the calm puzzle game Myst. The arousal was much higher in the people playing Wolfenstein 3D than in the people playing Myst, and the experimenters interpreted it as heightened aggression (Freedman 5). Many other studies have also come to similar conclusions using similar techniques.

The media clearly supports the negative claims about video game violence. National news broadcasters, newspapers, and magazines commonly run segments and articles highlighting new studies and their negative conclusions, as most recently seen with the events in Germany. In an article by Ken MacQueen that was clearly “one-sided”, MacQueen uses offensive phrases, such as “Nothing is more intimate than a knife; you can practically feel them die” to reinforce an attitude of neagativity towards video games in the reader (MacQueen 23). Elsewhere in the article, Stephen Kline, from Simon Fraser University, claims “…the industry is getting away with murder” (MacQueen 24). Throughout the article, Kline continues to point out the most violent aspects of the most violent video games, using propaganda to further his belief, rather than actual evidence. The article simply failed to recognize any other points-of-view.

With numerous studies and claims such as these, one would assume many statistical facts would be readily available to back them up. This is entirely untrue. In fact, juvenile crime has taken a steady decrease with each coming year since 1992 (Stossel 2). Overall, violent crimes among juveniles and adults dropped almost 20% from 1991 to 1997. This is despite the fact that video game popularity has increased a tremendous amount in the past decade.

In fact, many industry experts claim video games can actually benefit children. Some industry experts, such as Sega of America’s former president Tom Kalinske, claim that video games can help children develop new skills for the technological job market. Kalinske even goes as far as to say it helps many children in their education. He points out a true story of how video game technology helped a struggling special education class in Southern California. One student was even able to regain seven years of math, a study he had much trouble with before the new program (Grapes 31). Other experts claim that after playing video games, children have a better ability for following directions, improved hand-eye coordination, and are better at problem-solving and logical skills (Falcon 2). Problem-solving and logical skills are especially useful since they are believed to correlate with a person’s I.Q.

Criticism against video games is not entirely unwarranted, however. Even though the average American “gamer” in 2000 was of the age twenty-eight, there are still millions of children playing video games, both violent and non-violent (Gannet 3). Most people would agree that letting someone as young as eight years old play a video game with any amount of gore should be restricted. Video game developers have been very responsible in the use of these ratings. According to a report issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the industry has made progress in limiting inappropriate ads to children. The National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), an organization that evaluates media for adequate family-oriented content and responsible regulations, complimented the video game industry’s efforts to keep violent games out of the hands of children. In their “Sixth Annual Video and Computer Game Report Card,” released on December 13, 2001, NIMF gave the video game industry an “A-“ grade (Walsh 5). According to NIMF, the video game industry has been “more responsible than the other media industries” (Walsh 2).

Many studies about video games have been conducted. A good number of studies are conducted by splitting a certain number of people into two groups, one group playing violent games, and the other playing non-violent games. Shortly after the allotted time of play, the subjects’ aggressive thoughts are measured. Almost always, the people who played the violent games had a much larger amount of aggressive thoughts than the people who played non-violent games. These thoughts are interpreted by the experimenters as a higher aggression (Freedman 3-5). This is where one problem lies. Its not truly a measurement of how aggressive someone is, but simply that they are thinking about aggressiveness.

Jonathan L. Freedman, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, comments on these types of studies, saying “After watching a war movie, you probably have thoughts of war, but no one would suggest you are more likely to wage war” (Freedman 7). Other studies, such as the aforementioned Anderson and Dill (2000) study, go as far as to interpret higher arousal or excitement as a sign of higher aggression. They don’t even look for any other possible source of the excitement or arousal, but simply assume the violence caused it (Freedman 5). Authors of one study even admit that to come to negative conclusions would still be risky at best. Also, Marc Saltzman, from the Gannet News Service, points out how “the authors don’t control for the possibility that the subjects may have a predisposition to violence in the first place” (Gannet 2). Many of these problems can have major effects on the results of the study. The list of flaws simply goes on and on.

It seems the United States Surgeon General recognizes the lack of truly scientific and fairly conducted studies. In 1999, President Clinton called for a report on the effects of violent media on children. The study, conducted by the Surgeon General, concluded “there is no substantial evidence that supports the hypotheses that violent video games have any effect on a child’s psyche, let alone their behavior” (McDowell 1). The Surgeon General also found that video games can help children by giving them more “positive forward thinking” (McDowell 1). With the support of the Surgeon General, one would think that the media tendency to scrutinize video games would lessen, if only by a small amount. Sadly, this report did not make much news and is ignored quite a lot in the media. Instead, countless news reports still point out the outdated media violence study by the Surgeon General in 1972, named “Television and Growing Up: The Impact of Televised Violence”. This study claimed media violence, including the then-popular video game arcade, was demoralizing youth (Illinois 2). More people would likely support the media’s video game arguments if they would stick to studies on the current types of video games, rather than games from the 1970s.

Many courts have been graciously fair when cases against the video game industry are brought to court, however. One teacher’s family in the Columbine High School shooting filed a lawsuit against several video game makers and publishers, claiming they were responsible for the attacks. On March 4, 2002, the United States District Judge Lewis Babcock dismissed the case in favor of the video game industry (Wadhams 1). In Indianapolis, a case was brought to court that was fighting to keep any game, violent or not, out of the hands of children. The video game industry won this case, while being given $300,000 dollars to cover legal fees (Gibson 1). This case was simply an entire waste of money, and simply assists in proving how modern society can sometimes foolishly look anywhere for scapegoats.

However, as seen in the recent decision handed down by Judge Limbaugh, games in the United States have been ruled unprotected under the First Amendment! As, Tycho Brahe of www.penny-arcade.com recently stated “Jason X makes the cut, the legally recognized expression cut (as well as the "cut into my head and gouge my brain" cut), and somehow Xenogears doesn't.” Jason X, a movie which glorifies teenage violence is valued as free speech yet Xenogears, a game which questions the morality of life and raises questions about faith, God, and Christianity, is not? While violence can be present in many video games, just as films, books, and music, games have the equal amount of opportunity and potential to be works of philosophy, art, and beauty.

Video games, while one of the most popular forms of entertainment, are one of the most controversial topics in today’s society. After compiling and evaluating many different sources of information, including studies, media reports, industry experts’ comments, and court cases, it is clear that there is currently no substantial evidence or support concluding a link between violence and video games. Without fair and well-organized studies, and especially without support of the legal systems, those who claim violence in video games cause people to act violent currently have no solid support for their theories.

-Michael Boughton
-Revised and Edited by Keith "Anubis" Lee


I did a search of popular shooter games. These games came up:


http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/pc/reviews/soldieroffortune2/sof2_screen008.jpg

-The Soldier of Fortune

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2003/news/02/06/postal_screen001.jpg

-The Postal game.

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/screenshots/2/197142/doomii_screen002.jpg

The DOOM game

WARNING LIST ISSUED

The institute also listed newer titles that it felt parents should keep children away from. All the games are available on video game systems, and some are also available for personal computers:

BMX XXX (Rated Mature; sold by Acclaim). This game topped the institute’s list because it includes not graphics but actual video of topless strippers. The institute felt the game should have received an “Adult Only” label.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (M; Rockstar Games)
Dead to Rights (M; Namco Hometek)
Blood Rayne (M; Majesco)
Run Like Hell (M; Interplay)
Hunter the Reckoning (M; Interplay)
Hitman 2 (M; Eidos Interactive)
Resident Evil Zero (M; Capcom)
Time Splitters (Teen; Free Radical)
Whacked! (T; Microsoft)

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/playstation2/grandtheftautovicecity/1017/vc_screen003.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2003/reviews/917828_20031124_screen009.jpg


http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2003/pc/bloodrayne/1003/br_screen008.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/xbox/hunter/hunter_screen001.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/vgnews/081902/hitmanps_screen001.jpg


http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/news/11/08/re0_screen003.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/vgnews/081902/timeps_screen001.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/xbox/whacked/xwhacked_screen006.jpg

What good can some from this CRAP??? Its sick....

[Skaman]

Ducimus--are those screenshots from Forgotten Battles? I have IL-2 but I don't recognize those environments at all.

By the way, how is dropping incindiary bombs on a troop transport convoy in IL-2 any better than putting a 7.62mm NATO round in a soldier's chest in Ghost Recon?

And the extreme gore you're describing doesn't show up in modern military shooters. There's a distinction between ARCADE shooters (Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem) and TACTICAL shooters (Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six). You're describing the former. Most people here probably play the latter. Ghost Recon and the Rainbow Six series are as realistic as IL-2 is. There are single-player demos of GR and R6: Raven Shield available at ThePlatoon (http://www.theplatoon.com). Try them before you dis them.

But anyway--Doom and Doom II weren't about killing human beings anyway. You were killing zombies and demons--many of the demons weren't even bipedal! Yeah, there's a lot of blood and gore when you blow up a 10-foot-wide chaingun-toting spider. Oh well.

I have Il2 Sturmovik forgotten battles. FB is great. I reccomend checking it out.

I dont know much about the Ghost Recon vidogame and Rainbow six game so I cannot comment. I will do some research on it.

[Falco]

FS2002

http://server2.fs2002.com/uploaded/feb04/B744_ACA_1.jpg

http://server2.fs2002.com/uploaded/feb04/A343_ACA_6.jpg

http://server2.fs2002.com/uploaded/feb04/A333_ACA_2.JPG

http://server2.fs2002.com/uploaded/feb04/Hawk_1.JPG

http://server2.fs2002.com/uploaded/feb04/A322_ACA_1a.jpg

http://server2.fs2002.com/uploaded/feb04/CRJ200_ACA_3.jpg

[StarvingStudent47]

I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. Nobody here is talking about "The Postal Game" or "Soldier of Fortune."

I am talking about Ghost Recon.

I am talking about Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield.

THESE GAMES ARE NOTHING LIKE THE ONES YOU JUST SHOWED US. THESE GAMES ARE LESS GRAPHIC THAN MOST WAR MOVIES. Frankly, they're closer to Star Wars than Black Hawk Down. When you shoot someone, they crumple and drop their weapon. If they're running, they tumble to the ground, their weapon flying out of their hand. Shocking, ain't it?

Ghost Recon:

http://www.ghostrecon.com/ss/beach_down_01.jpg

http://www.ghostrecon.com/ss/Guard%20The%20Tank.jpg

http://www.ghostrecon.com/ss/The%20Peacekeeper.Ushio1.jpg

Raven Shield:

http://www.raven-shield.com/ss/Oil_04.jpg

http://www.raven-shield.com/ss/Alpines_Thermal_04.jpg

[Skaman]

Ducimus--are those screenshots from Forgotten Battles? I have IL-2 but I don't recognize those environments at all.

By the way, how is dropping incindiary bombs on a troop transport convoy in IL-2 any better than putting a 7.62mm NATO round in a soldier's chest in Ghost Recon?

And the extreme gore you're describing doesn't show up in modern military shooters. There's a distinction between ARCADE shooters (Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem) and TACTICAL shooters (Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six). You're describing the former. Most people here probably play the latter. Ghost Recon and the Rainbow Six series are as realistic as IL-2 is. There are single-player demos of GR and R6: Raven Shield available at ThePlatoon (http://www.theplatoon.com). Try them before you dis them.

But anyway--Doom and Doom II weren't about killing human beings anyway. You were killing zombies and demons--many of the demons weren't even bipedal! Yeah, there's a lot of blood and gore when you blow up a 10-foot-wide chaingun-toting spider. Oh well.

I have Il2 Sturmovik forgotten battles. FB is great. I reccomend checking it out.

I dont know much about the Ghost Recon vidogame and Rainbow six game so I cannot comment. I will do some research on it.


Seems like a realistic tactical squad videogame. Yet, it is based on fictional conflicts and I really could do without the:

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2003/pc/ravenshield/raven_screen005.jpg

At least you rescue hotages I guess. Hmm, not for me though.

[Haiw]

Well I'll just try to commend on the games of which you posted pictures that I actually played...


First one, Soldier of Fortune 2. Picture shows the effect of emptying half a clip in the guys face... Even though it's widely known as an extremely graphic game (extreme for the genre) it only really gets that bad when you intentionally waste ammo on mutilating bodies... All in all most of the gameplay as a regular shooter actually wasn't that bad.

Second one, Postal 2 game. Known for extreme violence and blood and all. Well, to be honest; let's just not take this game as an example of FPS games okay? It got extremely negative reviews because frankly it didn't really have anything more than dull boring violence and blood. 99% of the people thought it blew monkeys.

Doom 1. Classic. Not as gory and 'violent' as you'd make it to be.

GTA Vice City.... oh god PLEASE let the lawsuits stop. It's as violent as you want to make it, but not as bad as the politicians would like to deem it. Actually it's quite a fun game.

As for Bloodrayne; it's a zombie slaughtering game. Not much different from a zombie movie. It kind of sucked and wasn't really all that bloody and gory.

Hitman (1 & 2). Blood is rather scarse in these games, and they're just GREAT games, and not really extremely violent are anything. These games don't deserve to be on a 'bad game' list.

Apart from some console crap games; never played them. However, I think you should remember that some violence and blood doesn't necessarily make a game crap...

[StarvingStudent47]

If a small amount of blood pooling around a body is too much for you, Raven Shield allows you to turn it off. There's a blood adjustment in the options screen--what you see here is the MAXIMUM level. A small pool of blood forms around someone who has been shot. If you turn the option off, people crumple without ever spilling a drop. I think Ghost Recon has the same option, though I'd have to double-check.

There's certainly no "mutilation of bodies" in either game. Even when you hit a patrol with a well-aimed M203 round, they're *gasp* tossed backwards. No flying limbs or crushed faces or visible intestines or anything like that.

What's wrong with a hypothetical conflict in the near future? I don't understand how a hypothetical revolution in Georgia in 2008 is any more offensive than re-enacting the Battle of Stalingrad, the bloodiest battle in human history.

[Haiw]

Well I don't wanna piss on anyones parade or anything, but when you strive for realism you SHOULD have blood in it...

[Dalleer]

Descent Freespace 2 - Babylon 5 & Macross mods, two of my favorite shows

Damn, B5 was _the_ show I used to watch a few years ago, not to mention that a very good mod from it was created to Homeworld as well.

If Sierra would've just developed that B5 game, I would have probably sold my family to get it...

But, what comes to other flight simulators I really like the Microsoft flight simulators, especially the 2001 version. The first thing that I did when practising in it was the WTC-strike, luckily the towers were still in it...

EDIT: Oh, and the Wing commander-series used to rule in my books, and still does...

[Haiw]

But, what comes to other flight simulators I really like the Microsoft flight simulators, especially the 2001 version. The first thing that I did when practising in it was the WTC-strike, luckily the towers were still in it...
Same here in the old days with FS98 and 2000 before 9/11... Trying to hit skyscrapers with Boeings. Of course that child's game lost it's romance after those assholes did it for real... :|

[Seiyuuki]

IL-2 Sturmovik (best real-life simulator I've ever played)

Have you try Falcon 4.0...the realism and the learning curve on that game is simply amazing.


Starlancer (best space simulator I've ever played--its sequel, Freelancer, isn't nearly as cool). It's three years old and still an absolute blast to play. The graphics have aged well, too--it doesn't look shabby at all.

I thought Starlancer was the sequel to Freelancer...but if it is as you said, I will definitely get Freelancer.

[Skaman]

If a small amount of blood pooling around a body is too much for you, Raven Shield allows you to turn it off. There's a blood adjustment in the options screen--what you see here is the MAXIMUM level. A small pool of blood forms around someone who has been shot. If you turn the option off, people crumple without ever spilling a drop. I think Ghost Recon has the same option, though I'd have to double-check.

There's certainly no "mutilation of bodies" in either game. Even when you hit a patrol with a well-aimed M203 round, they're *gasp* tossed backwards. No flying limbs or crushed faces or visible intestines or anything like that.

What's wrong with a hypothetical conflict in the near future? I don't understand how a hypothetical revolution in Georgia in 2008 is any more offensive than re-enacting the Battle of Stalingrad, the bloodiest battle in human history.


Fair enoguh.

I’m not here to trash these computer games.

It’s the moral underbelly of videogames like Counter Strike and Grand Theft Auto.

Why would someone play a game where the object is to kill prostitutes, steal automobiles and manage a crime empire? Wow, thats great for the kiddies.

Whenever I hear of violence educed by videogames, it’s Counterstrike or this Grand theft auto game.

[Seoulstriker]

The same people who watch violent movies such as Pulp Fiction and whatever are the people who enjoy playing violent video games.

i tried the postal 2 demo. the game is idiotic. definitely not for me.

[Haiw]

Counter-Strike is just a game of counter-terrorists shooting up terrorists. Almost a computer equivalent of airsoft, except that it isn't as 'wannabee' as airsoft :lol:

The objective in GTA is indeed managing a crime empire, but not to kill prostitutes and steal automobiles. Anyway, it's all just a game...actually Vice City for a big part resembles a lot of the things in the old classic Scarface. Scarface was classed as a masterpiece. Of course when you make half of it in a game it's a horrible piece of trash. :roll:

And yes Seoulstriker, Postal 2 is idiotic indeed. Postal 2 is for FPS what a 9/11 simulation would be for flight sims.

[Seoulstriker]

and it's just like in the days when the ESRB ratings first came out. Night Trap? a game where you need to kill the bad guys in a house before they literally f*** the women? does that seem like that game is part of the mainstream and represents the gaming world?

no.

[Skaman]

Anyone ever played Janes WW2 Fighters?

[Merik]

Its the best WWII flight sim there ever was. I still play it.

And get off of GTA, those games are quite hilarious I think. The stupid and yet fun stuff you can do in them makes it worth the buy.

[Skaman]

Janes WW2 fighters

http://www.game-over.net/review/november/ww2fighters/Screen3.JPG

http://www.game-over.net/review/november/ww2fighters/Screen8.JPG

http://www.game-over.net/review/november/ww2fighters/Screen0.JPG

http://www.game-over.net/review/november/ww2fighters/ScreenTN7.JPG

http://www.game-over.net/review/november/ww2fighters/Screen6.JPG

[Fox2]

Back in the day I played all of the Jane's Combat Simulations titles like ATF, US Navy Fighters '97, Fighter's Anthology, Longbow 2, F-15, and IAF. After Jane's got sacked, I lost interest in the flight sims.

I have installed right now Il-2 (not Forgotten Battles. How's that working out for you, Ducimus19?) and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Both are very fun, and very pretty to look at.

Recently, I picked up Lock-On: Modern Air Combat and I am absolutely hooked. It is the Il-2 of modern jets. The gameplay is there, the physics are there, and the graphic are just too damned pretty for their own good.


http://www.lo-mac.com/ss/Hog-TI-4.jpg

http://www.lo-mac.com/ss/Ship_Attack-04.jpg

http://www.lo-mac.com/ss/Ship_Attack-01.jpg

http://www.lo-mac.com/ss/Battle-RU-3.jpg

http://www.lo-mac.com/ss/Hog-TI-2.jpg

http://www.lo-mac.com/ss/Battle-RU-41.jpg

http://www.lo-mac.com/ss/F-15-01.jpg

To Seiyyuuki:

I never got into Falcon 4.0. For sure, it's very realistic, but, who wants to press 20 some buttons just to get the engines spooled up? Or read a 200 page manual JUST for the radar? :P

I mean, if you really find that sort of thing fun, just join the AF! It doesn't cost you money! :D

[MVSpartan117]

I hae janes, I havent play it in sooooo long

[MVSpartan117]

lock-on looks soooo good! I doubt it would run well on my computer.

I heard it was pretty bad when it was first realesed, tons of bugs and stuff. Have they patched it yet?

hope a good chopper sim comes out sometime....

[DE_Six]

-Falcon 4.0 SP
-Lock-On (resource hog...)
-IL-2 FB
-All the Janes sims: I still play oldies but goodies, like Fighters Anthology, IAF, F/A-18 and 688(i)...
-Sub Command
-Fleet Command( you have to be into it with the last two, there not arcade eye-candy)
-M1 Tank Platoon 2 (old but few modern tank sims)

But my number one is Ghost Recon.

[Merik]

Yeah so do I Spartan. Can you fly choppers in Lock-On?


This looks like it'll be pretty good considering its the only game where you can fly a huey in.

Battlefield Vietnam (http://www.eagames.com/official/battlefield/vietnam/us/home.jsp)

Also watch the videos, pretty damn slick I say.

[Skaman]

I never got into modern-era flight sims. How difficult are they to pick up and play? I am more familiar with getting up close behind a bf109 g and taking it out with tracers from 20 meters, not a lock on a-a missile. LOMAC looks interesting though. Flying a Su-37 would be a thrill.

[Skaman]

Are there any U-Boat simulators?

[MVSpartan117]

I'm pretty sure there are, I remember seeing several sub sims in the past.....

[DE_Six]

Yeah, Silent Hunter I and II (there is a third one on the way).

[AFACadet]

That's an Su-33, not an Su-37.


There are no more Su-37s.

[StarvingStudent47]

IL-2 Sturmovik (best real-life simulator I've ever played)

Have you try Falcon 4.0...the realism and the learning curve on that game is simply amazing.

I haven't tried it. I think I misspoke. When I said best real-life simulator, I meant "best simulator reflecting real-life aircraft in a real-life war." I actually turn the realism levels way down when I play IL-2, because I'm a complete pussy. I enjoy flight sims, but I'm TERRIBLE at them. While I enjoy real-life aircraft, I don't enjoy an ultra-realistic engine, because it's too hard for me ;) Can you turn down the realism in Falcon 4.0 the way you can in IL-2?



Starlancer (best space simulator I've ever played--its sequel, Freelancer, isn't nearly as cool). It's three years old and still an absolute blast to play. The graphics have aged well, too--it doesn't look shabby at all.

I thought Starlancer was the sequel to Freelancer...but if it is as you said, I will definitely get Freelancer.

Don't get Freelancer. IMO it sucks. Starlancer came out in 2000. Freelancer came out in 2003. Freelancer is a great leap forward in graphics but a great leap BACKWARD in gameplay. The game's emphasis is on buying and equipping ships, not actually flying them. You can customize your ship far more in Freelancer, but the actual flight engine SUCKS. You can't even use a joystick! (you fly with your mouse--your ship flies toward your cursor and shoots at it). No more PowerBall balancing, no more sophisticated missile loadouts on hardpoints, etc. Just point and shoot. And while the graphics might be fancier, they look far less realistic. Space is no longer black and empty. There's always bright nebulas, glowing dust clouds, etc. The entire affair is too bright, too colorful, too clean. It doesn't look right. And the ship design is L-A-M-E compared to some of the righteously-cool ships in Starlancer.

Anyway, rant over. The point? Keep playing Starlancer. Don't waste your money on Freelancer.

[Red]

I play DID Total Air War F-22.That is the 2nd installment.It is a superb game especially if you are into flying Bombing missions where the odds are stacked high against you (SAMs,AAA,other aircraft,low fuel,no tanker in your area,low ammo,dead wingmen,shot up avionics,mechanical failures,JDAM malfunctioning,wingmen who turn tail)

[Ratamacue]

I have to agree with StarvingStudent. Freelancer was a total waste of money for me.

I don't know whether either of you guys knew it, but StarLancer was originally intended to be a trilogy following the course of the entire war. But after the lackluster sales of the game (it was released just as the space sim genre was dying), Digital Anvil scrapped the idea and went on to focus on Freelancer after being absorbed into Microsoft.

Damn shame too...something like that very well could have delivered the kind of a spark needed to keep space sims alive.

[Seiyuuki]

Can you turn down the realism in Falcon 4.0 the way you can in IL-2?

Oh, definitely...once in a while it is really fun to just set it with unlimited fuel and such and the level of realism to simple and go at it.

Speaking of space-sim...Any good game came out lately or is the genre still pretty much in the gutter?

[Kriz]

I play DID Total Air War F-22.That is the 2nd installment.It is a superb game especially if you are into flying Bombing missions where the odds are stacked high against you (SAMs,AAA,other aircraft,low fuel,no tanker in your area,low ammo,dead wingmen,shot up avionics,mechanical failures,JDAM malfunctioning,wingmen who turn tail)

Yeah I playedt hat one too, it's really neat :)

[MolliG]

Lock On :D

[2Sheds_Jackson]

IL-2 is a great game - have the Lock-On demo & will buy soon. I had all kinds of trouble with F4...endless patches etc. Now that it runs decently, the graphics are really outdated.

FS2002 is fun for flight planning, using navaids, etc. Fun to set up a flight, take off, set the autopilot, go to bed & see where the 777 has gone. If they'd integrate damage instead of just saying "crash" it would be complete.

I agree some games go too far. I'll defend any adults' right to gory games, as long as kids don't have access to it. To argue that kids are not influenced by what they see is rediculous. Companies spend billions every year on commercials - they know what we see influences us.

[Rilence]

ive been dreaming of this for a while now would it be cool if there was a 160th soar flight sim? think about it you could like choose what class yo want a pilot or a crew cheif while your flying somthing like that going deep into enemy teritory sending in a small special ops unit with a dune buggy inside your MH-47 chinook then you approch the LZ you have to lay down some cover fire for the ppl your delivering so you switch to crew chief (gunner) yeah that be cool for me anyways *drool*

[Haiw]

I agree some games go too far. I'll defend any adults' right to gory games, as long as kids don't have access to it. To argue that kids are not influenced by what they see is rediculous. Companies spend billions every year on commercials - they know what we see influences us.
The whole 'influence on kids' thing is rather bullocks. The only ones that changes their behaviour are the same kind of nutters like the ones that jumped off buildings with a cape after seeing Superman...

[StarvingStudent47]

Speaking of space-sim...Any good game came out lately or is the genre still pretty much in the gutter?

The last good one I played was Starlancer in 2000 (which is still fun, and can be obtained for $2 or $4 online). The genre seems to have died for reasons I don't understand.

[MVSpartan117]

Here's an excellent space sim, best thing of all it's FREE! There are tons of addons available for it too, it's quite fun!

http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/~martins/orbit/orbit.html

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I agree some games go too far. I'll defend any adults' right to gory games, as long as kids don't have access to it. To argue that kids are not influenced by what they see is rediculous. Companies spend billions every year on commercials - they know what we see influences us.
The whole 'influence on kids' thing is rather bullocks. The only ones that changes their behaviour are the same kind of nutters like the ones that jumped off buildings with a cape after seeing Superman...

Now, how can you argue that seeing something (in this case violence) doesn't influence a person? Now I'm not saying that they'll go out like robots & kill people...but it clearly has an effect. And humans being complicated (and sometimes totally screwed up) will all react differently.

As I said..look to the real world - advertising companies make billions a year - influencing people exactly the same way. Do you think this money would be spent if it didn't work? There's data collected to back it up (and justify advertising rates). Repetitious viewing is a proven commodity.

Some people become physically sick when seeing hard core violence. When I first got Quake, one of the monsters scared the living $hit outta one of my kids - so I didn't let them see it till they were much older.

Go spend a couple of hours showing a kid rotten.com & see if they're not slightly changed by the experience. Show it to them for 6 hours a day, every day for 4 years, and see what they'e like. I guarantee they're no longer wide-eyed innocent cherubs who believe in Santa. Sad to say, but some "parents" acutally do this.

Hey, I just have a problem exposing kids to this stuff. They're not emotionally equipped to deal with it. Kids aren't just small adults, and parent's aren't supposed to be their pals.

[wulfstan]

Do you guys play flight sims with a joystick for your PC? I am considering getting one of the Microsoft Combat Sim games or IL2 but haven't invested in a joystick yet, is it worth doing, or can they be played with the keyboard/mouse effectively?

Btw, did anyone here see the Spitfire Ace series on channel 4? Fantastic...

[Ratamacue]

Speaking of space-sim...Any good game came out lately or is the genre still pretty much in the gutter?

The last good one I played was Starlancer in 2000 (which is still fun, and can be obtained for $2 or $4 online). The genre seems to have died for reasons I don't understand.

The genre died out because FPS's and RPG's are becoming more-and-more popular and games are becoming more-and-more popular among kids/teens. Sims used to be the biggest genre because most (serious) computer game players were adults that have the patience to read through an entire manual to learn how to play a game. Today, most players are teens that just want to be able to pop in a CD, then run-and-gun down lots of bad guys.

Supposedly there were a few good space sims to come out in the past few years that were simply overlooked. I've heard that Independence War 2 had amazingly realistic space flight physics. Maybe Digital Anvil will one day decide to complete the StarLancer Trilogy.

[Seoulstriker]

Do you guys play flight sims with a joystick for your PC? I am considering getting one of the Microsoft Combat Sim games or IL2 but haven't invested in a joystick yet, is it worth doing, or can they be played with the keyboard/mouse effectively?

Btw, did anyone here see the Spitfire Ace series on channel 4? Fantastic...

investing in a joystick is a great idea. i bought a CH Combatstick USB 6 years ago and is still working great! i bought the CH pro pedals USB 5 years ago and they are also pretty great. :)

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Do you guys play flight sims with a joystick for your PC? I am considering getting one of the Microsoft Combat Sim games or IL2 but haven't invested in a joystick yet, is it worth doing, or can they be played with the keyboard/mouse effectively?

Btw, did anyone here see the Spitfire Ace series on channel 4? Fantastic...

investing in a joystick is a great idea. i bought a CH Combatstick USB 6 years ago and is still working great! i bought the CH pro pedals USB 5 years ago and they are also pretty great. :)

I agree - my storage bin is full of dead joysticks - Microsoft, Logitech, Siatek etc. The best ones I've ever had have been CH. My first CH F-16 stick lasted 3 years, and I've had my USB Fighterstick for 2 - works great, doesn't creak & groan with movement, you can order replacement pots & switches from the website (cheap) things are not glued in place etc. Good stuff.

[Gordon]

Speaking of space-sim...Any good game came out lately or is the genre still pretty much in the gutter?

The last good one I played was Starlancer in 2000 (which is still fun, and can be obtained for $2 or $4 online). The genre seems to have died for reasons I don't understand.

The genre died out because FPS's and RPG's are becoming more-and-more popular and games are becoming more-and-more popular among kids/teens. Sims used to be the biggest genre because most (serious) computer game players were adults that have the patience to read through an entire manual to learn how to play a game. Today, most players are teens that just want to be able to pop in a CD, then run-and-gun down lots of bad guys.

Supposedly there were a few good space sims to come out in the past few years that were simply overlooked. I've heard that Independence War 2 had amazingly realistic space flight physics. Maybe Digital Anvil will one day decide to complete the StarLancer Trilogy.

There's a few out at the moment.

Earth & Beyond is an online only space sim .. kinda a MMORPG.

X2:The Threat - is a singleplayer space sim that was released recently, had quite a few bugs to start with and i'm not sure if they've patched it yet but that's pretty good fun.

[Skaman]

Okay, I just picked up Lock On, and I am wondering if anyone can give me a hand as I am in over my head. So many commands to understand unlike IL2.


Just enough so I can fly, shoot, take-off, jump to way-points etc.


Ie.

Using radar, locking on, using cannons, rockets , bombs etc, targeting, padlock, eject, engine conttol and any other such useful information. Thanks in advance.

[Skaman]

ANy help at all?

Jane's F/A 18, one of the best Naval Flight Sims available...

[StarvingStudent47]

Okay, I just picked up Lock On, and I am wondering if anyone can give me a hand as I am in over my head. So many commands to understand unlike IL2.


Just enough so I can fly, shoot, take-off, jump to way-points etc.


Ie.

Using radar, locking on, using cannons, rockets , bombs etc, targeting, padlock, eject, engine conttol and any other such useful information. Thanks in advance.

Didn't it come with a manual?

If you just have the demo, I know there's a text file out there with basic commands to fly the two demo missions. May I suggest Google (http://www.google.com)?

[StarvingStudent47]

I agree some games go too far. I'll defend any adults' right to gory games, as long as kids don't have access to it. To argue that kids are not influenced by what they see is rediculous. Companies spend billions every year on commercials - they know what we see influences us.

This argument always reminded me of everyone who said that Elvis's gyrating hips would spread "lasciviousness, drug use, and even satan-worship" among the youth of the 1950s.

I grew up playing Doom. I listened to such intellectually-stimulating music as White Zombie. Did it turn me into a violent sadist? Hardly. I've never been in a real fight, and the worst moment of my life was when I accidenally hit and killed a dog when it ran into the road. Music and video games don't warp people so long as their parents don't use these media outlets as a *baby-sitter.* It's all about proper parenting and instilling values in children.

[Seiyuuki]

I got a Saitek X-45...the base move around a little bit, but I can live with it. It is one of the cheapest and best HOTAS around.

[Haiw]

This argument always reminded me of everyone who said that Elvis's gyrating hips would spread "lasciviousness, drug use, and even satan-worship" among the youth of the 1950s.

I grew up playing Doom. I listened to such intellectually-stimulating music as White Zombie. Did it turn me into a violent sadist? Hardly. I've never been in a real fight, and the worst moment of my life was when I accidenally hit and killed a dog when it ran into the road. Music and video games don't warp people so long as their parents don't use these media outlets as a *baby-sitter.* It's all about proper parenting and instilling values in children.
Exactely...I played those games since I was well...6 or so. Never changed me any. Because I knew it's a game...

[MolliG]

Okay, I just picked up Lock On, and I am wondering if anyone can give me a hand as I am in over my head. So many commands to understand unlike IL2.


Just enough so I can fly, shoot, take-off, jump to way-points etc.


Ie.

Using radar, locking on, using cannons, rockets , bombs etc, targeting, padlock, eject, engine conttol and any other such useful information. Thanks in advance.

I presume you have the full game. If not, if you want I'll scan the quick start key guide (like you get with Il2). :)

First piece of advice is to start flying the Su-25! Watch all it's training tracks before you even turn on the taxi lights for it, and just fly around using the Mission Editor. It may help if you turn Easy Flight and Unlimited Fuel on (leave Easy Radar off as it can confuse you when targeting (etc) in the Frogfoot). Then just move onto the Flankers, once you get a hang of those the change over to the MiGs is easy as piss.

Then have a go on the A-10. Again just prat around in Mission Editor to get to know the Hog... Then if you dare move on to the F-15. :D

Basically just get to known each jet individually in the Mission Editor, then plops some targets around to get a hang of the weapon systems.

You'll get there eventually; I've only just got a hang of the lovely Eagle!

:)

[SpetsnazAlfa]

For the fun- Ace Combat 04
Realism- Microsoft Flight Sim

Ace combat is completely unrealistic. You can store over 50 missiles in an F22. You can also take about two Sidewinders before you go down.

Theres another game that I have, called Sidewinder F. Its extremely realistic down to the blacking out when you pull those 9 g turns.

[Red]

For the fun- Ace Combat 04
Realism- Microsoft Flight Sim

Ace combat is completely unrealistic. You can store over 50 missiles in an F22. You can also take about two Sidewinders before you go down.

Theres another game that I have, called Sidewinder F. Its extremely realistic down to the blacking out when you pull those 9 g turns.
F22 Total Air war also has black-outs.you can also have blood rush to your head and then everything becomes red.IN F22 you have a plethora of aircraft which fly as your allies from an F-16 to the Eurofighter Typhoon to the F-117 Blackjet to KC-135's to Blackhawks and most all you can eject when it gets hot and heavy.

[Falco]

I got a Saitek X-45...the base move around a little bit, but I can live with it. It is one of the cheapest and best HOTAS around.

Nope thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar!! That's my baby. woot

[Ratamacue]

I have the Saitek X-45 and it's a great investment for flight sims. Joystick, throttle, rudder, tons of buttons and knobs...definitely worth every cent.

As for the HOTAS Cougar...yeah, nice, but not all of us have a spare $300 lying around. ;)

[Falco]

I have the Saitek X-45 and it's a great investment for flight sims. Joystick, throttle, rudder, tons of buttons and knobs...definitely worth every cent.

As for the HOTAS Cougar...yeah, nice, but not all of us have a spare $300 lying around. ;)

True but I see it as an investment. Gotta to love the that cold metal feeling.

[MVSpartan117]

Here's an excellent space sim, best thing of all it's FREE! There are tons of addons available for it too, it's quite fun!

http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/~martins/orbit/orbit.html

Did anyone try this out?

[Seoulstriker]

Here's an excellent space sim, best thing of all it's FREE! There are tons of addons available for it too, it's quite fun!

http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/~martins/orbit/orbit.html

Did anyone try this out?

there are a bunch of extra packages. it would take a while to figure it out, right?

[Seiyuuki]

Anyone try Tachyon: the Fringe? or something like that...

[One?]

Janes: Israeli Air Force.
Why? I like to bomb my own people :roll:

Flight Sim 2004.

I've been playing that game ever since it came out on floppies.

[Ratamacue]

Here's an excellent space sim, best thing of all it's FREE! There are tons of addons available for it too, it's quite fun!

http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/~martins/orbit/orbit.html

Did anyone try this out?

You're my hero...most amazing space sim ever, even if there's no combat in it. After 3 days I've finally gotten the hang of entering orbit and docking with the ISS. So damn realistic and, honestly, it's intense when trying to do maneuvers like docking.