What;s the top flight sim out now or do they not make those anymore?

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zamardii

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I recently have been looking for and reinstalled my copy of Jane's F/A-18 which has always been my all-time favorite flight-sim. It had decent combat and simulation qualities and was just overall great. However, I want to try something new... Either combat or regular flight is fine... but F/A-18 has not aged well and I want something that looks better too but more importantly plays good and feels right.

So I was just looking for some suggestions for anything that anyone is aware of that's good. It doesn't necessarily have to be the latest game, but it could be a little older... I mean, I played F/A-18 maybe 10 years ago if not more... so I just want something newer... lol.

Thanks.
 
I've heard Wings of Prey is pretty good, it is a combat sim, not sure how "sim" like it is though. I know it has a few different settings from like arcade, simulation, and realistic.
 
Well, if you want to blow F/A-18 away in complexity, check out "DCS: Black Shark".

Beware - if you go 100% realism, you'll need to learn Cyrillic and be willing to sit through a 10-15 minute startup process (not game loading - literally, you flipping switches and gradually powering up the helicopter's systems over 10 minutes or so).

It's sold well enough they are doing a series of them, that have an option of interconnected play. Currently, they're putting out an update to let their older "Lock On: Modern Air Combat" game fly some aircraft in the "Black Shark" world (but it's a fairly limited port - the old aircraft aren't getting the full 'cockpit copied precisely from working models, every single switch and dial is functional' treatment).

The next aircraft full-on modeled as well as the Black Shark is intended to be either the Apache or A-10.
 
The wikipedia entry for Combat flight simulator lists a bunch of what you are probably interested in. Jane's FA/18 is mentioned in the "Study" section, with comments that Falcon 4.0 was the best of that genre for quite awhile, and the recently released DCS: Black Shark may be even better.
 
The only ones in the WWII genre that I know of with active members are IL2 Sturmovic 1946 and Aces High, both of which i've flown and put some time in the arenas.

Personally i'm a fan of Aces High. Just enough realism in the flight models and characteristics, along with a bit of arcadey furballing and arena combat. IL2 is a fair bit more realistic in how the planes react to inputs, but I didn't have as much fun with it as I did with Aces High.

AH2 is free to download at hitechcreations.com, 2 weeks of time free before you have to start paying 15 dollars a month (but the game itself is still free to install, you only pay the monthly subscription if you want to fly in the main arenas)
 
why mess with a good thing

checkout

www.freefalcon.com its a great updated version of falcon 4.0.. you'll be suprised just how good Falcon 4.0 still is and this update gives the graphics a boost.

also keep an eye out for Lock on Flaming Cliffs 2.0 coming out in the next month or so and while you wait for that try DCS Blackshark
 
Last one I played was Lock On: Modern Air Combat. I think they are updating it, Flaming Cliffs or something.
 
Black Shark, and IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 have already been mentioned. If you like sims another game worth considering is Dangerous Waters. It's a sub, ship, and aircraft simulator.
 
DW is old now and has poor graphics engine but still good so long as you are willing to put the "work" into learning it. It can get very complex.

Black Shark if you are looking for most current heli advanced modern sim and Rise of Flight if you want the most advanced WWI dogfighting sim. LOMAC+FC is good too and has A-10, F15, SU-25T etc. and I see FC2 was just released today!

http://lockon.co.uk/

LockOn: Flaming Cliffs 2 Release!
Thursday, 25 March 2010

LockOn: Flaming Cliffs 2 The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics proudly announces the Russian release of "LockOn: Flaming Cliffs 2" flight simulator. This new version follows the traditions of the famous LockOn series and includes 7 playable aircraft, more than 35 missions, 3 campaigns, improved graphics and flight dynamics, improved AI, a new mission editor and many more features. The inclusion of network compatibility with an updated version of DCS: BlackShark brings a new edge to the world of flight simulators.
 
Wings of Prey, Rise of Flight, and DCS: Black Shark are the latest ones worth playing, and if you like the DCS game, then you'll be happy to hear that they are making an A-10 game as well (either its already out or coming out really soon). If you enjoyed IL-2 then you will also be happy to hear that they also have a new game coming out, so the genre is not dead by any means.

There may not be many flight sims coming out, but the ones that do are usually very well made, and because of the fact that there are so few out there, if the game is good the community will keep it alive forever. Check out simhq for everything sim related (be it flight, tank, racing, etc).
 
That FC2 that was just released is just the Russian version so don't buy that unless you speak Russian. English version should be out very soon.
 
Rise of Flight is a pretty fun game, technical and all with a good realistic physics system. I also play IL-2 1946 still online, that game will honestly never get old to me...it's a classic. Free Falcon is always good, as is DCS Black Shark, but both will require actual training in the game since both are complex.

I try to like wings of prey, but it's too arcadish even on simulation. The graphics are absolutely beautiful, but the shared peer hosting and small server cap turns the game off to me.
 
I don't have WoP because I don't like arcade either. I read it uses the IL-2 flight models though so it can't be complete arcade. No way to mod the arcade features out of it?
 
Udo said:
I don't have WoP because I don't like arcade either. I read it uses the IL-2 flight models though so it can't be complete arcade. No way to mod the arcade features out of it?
Click to expand...

WoP is a great game, and yes you can turn off the arcade style and play it as hardcore sim. Not to mention its the best looking flight sim I have played so far. The ground detail alone is worth it.
 
Buxaroo said:
WoP is a great game, and yes you can turn off the arcade style and play it as hardcore sim. Not to mention its the best looking flight sim I have played so far. The ground detail alone is worth it.
Click to expand...

I dunno - someone was commenting that in playback on elements of the engine, they've found that only the tracers 'hit' targets. In IL2, as in Real Life, the tracers are fired only once every 'x' rounds, and the bullets between the tracers definitely hit and do damage. Not so, they claim, in WoP.
 
Udo said:
LockOn: Flaming Cliffs 2 Release!
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that. I gave up on LOMAC, but that new patch appears to fix all my gripes. :)

OP, LOMAC Flaming Cliffs is a must play sim!
 
Right now, there are really only two good flight sims: IL-2 Series and the Lock On series (which is based on the Flanker series).
 
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