Flight Sims - what's the best right now?

[InfiniteLurker]

I used to enjoy flight/combat sims, I think the last one I played with was Falcon 4.0 (the first time around).

I'm wondering what would be the best one right now to jump back into the genre with. I enjoy the occasional arcady-quick-combat stuff as well as the intricate, close-to-the-real-thing stuff too. Is there anything out there right now that is worthy of a look?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Zap Brannigan]

Crimson Skies was fun and original. It's a shame there were no follow ups for the pc.

IL2 scored high in many reviews if you're into World War 2 combat.

 

[BSEagle1]

Crimson Skies was awesome It's probably one of my all time favorite games.

As for the realism side of the coin, I have Microsoft Flightsim `04 and it's pretty nice. One of the cool features of it is that people can make their own planes that you can import...so while the game might not come with a flyable Spruce Goose, you might find it on the net or if you want to you could make it yourself.

Aside from that, the game has very nice graphics and a 'Flight School' feature done by Rod Machado. It's so in-depth I was using it in preperation for real flight lessons. The world is also very detailed, the planes look great, and it has a TON of included airports right down to small backwoods airfields. My nearby general aviation airport is in Placerville, KPVF...and I can take off from it in Flight Sim `04 x)

 

[Rookie]

Probably still Microsoft Flight Sim...

 

[InfiniteLurker]

Originally posted by: Rookie
Probably still Microsoft Flight Sim...

Well, I guess I should have emphasized I prefer a combat flight simulator... Something like F-19 Stealth Fighter by Sid Meier with circa-2005 graphics would be ideal... anything like that available?

 

[dds14u]

Too many FPS and not enough flight simulators these days.

I haven't played one for ages.

 

[mooncancook]

Yeah there's a total lack of flight sims. Crimson Sky is great but it's also an old game. Falcon 4.0 is re-released with updated graphics and missions, but still looks outdated. Somebody needs to produce a jet fighter sim with the latest graphic engine. How about US Navy Fighter 2? where are the Jane's series figher sims?

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: dds14u
Too many FPS and not enough flight simulators these days.

I haven't played one for ages.

same I want another Janes USAF

 

[Deinonych]

Lock On: Modern Air Combat is a great modern-day sim if you're into hard-core military sims. It was developed by the same team that made SU-27 Flanker, for reference.

 

[luigi1]

There used to be some online ones. Aces high and others I dont remember the nsmes of.

 

[fishbits]

Something like F-19 Stealth Fighter by Sid Meier with circa-2005 graphics would be ideal

I keep thinkin of this game lately, remember it being really fun. Oh, and Chuck Yeager's Air Combat.

Anyhow, I don't know what you're (we're) going to do. Most everything recent seems to be the arcade type. If that sounds worth a try, you can get those cheap. I bought one a while back that was supposed to be serious I think, something in the Iraq theater of operation and the performance was horrid on a nice machine.

For WWII there's Warbirds at totalsims.com. Multiplayer with fee. I really wanted to like IL-2 and it did have its pluses, but everything is so clunky in the interface and getting things set up that it just turned me off. Thought they might have it all put together in Pacific Fighters so bought that... it either wouldn't install or wouldn't start right off the bat, took it straight back for credit and never looked back.

Sounds to me there's enough folks out there thirsty for a good flight sim but we're in a serious drought.

 

[talyn00]

Try working for a company that develops flight sims for the military, that'd be the ultimate experience.... a full motion simulator for a fighter

 

[sonoma1993]

yeah we do need a new modern combat flight sim with awesome multiplayer

 

[Jakebrake]

I would try Il-2, Falcon 4 - SP 4.1 mod, Janes F/A-18 v1.01f or LOMAC. Here is a link to a group that plays most of those games.

Seawolves.org check out the Airwolves section.

 

[Farmer]

Try IL-2 or Pacfic Fighters for IL2 if you're into gunfighting. Never tried LOMAC, but definitely try out Flanker 2.5.

I really love MSFS w/ add-ons (the default MSFS2004 just plain sucks); it is a GREAT game with add-on planes, scenery and other stuff. Of course, no combat; it's great if you just want to fly.

 

[Jakebrake]

Which game is best for learning flying fundamentals? I'm about to order a CH fighter stick, throttle and rudder set and want to put them to good use.

 

[Farmer]

I don't know about the CH fighterstick. If you bought the HOTAS model, and if it accurately emulates F-16 HOTAS, then its unlike any general aviation yoke or stick; the stick only moves from center very little, while input is computed force-wise through the FBW. Most other sticks compute the control input based on how far off center the stick is, not by how much force the pilot is applying to the stick.

I know MSFS has a bunch of tutorials on flight (in a Cessna 172), but basically any quality flight simulator can give you the basics (i.e., how a plane feels and what control inputs to use for which actions). Basic flight is really pretty simple. All you need is practice.

 

[fishbits]

Which game is best for learning flying fundamentals? I'm about to order a CH fighter stick, throttle and rudder set and want to put them to good use.

IL-2 and Warbirds are both supposed to have pretty darn good flight models, although WWII fighters are twitchy birds and can be somewhat frustrating to learn in. Can't remember if WB requires a credit card number before letting you download the game or not, but you could "free flight" around to your hearts content. IL-2 should be cheap. The MS sim is supposed to be really good, haven't messed with it in a long time though. I'm sure there's others, but sims/games with a more arcade flight model can false impressions about how a plane works.

Those CH controls are very nice Very solid, capable and accurate.

 

[jack1201]

F-22

 

[jack1201]

F-22

 

[PlasticJesus]

I'd recommend Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 3 to anyone. Although just a bit dated, it can still be found in some stores. This the WWII battles over Europe.

I also like Combat Flight Simulator 2 with the Pearl Harbor add-on, but that's pretty much limited to on-line purchase with the add-on costing more than the game.

I guess it's all just a matter of opinion. I did not at all like Pacific Fighters. I threw mine in the trash while IL-2 and the Ace Expansion Pack and Pacific Fighters sure does get some good reviews. Somebody must like it.

Is there a shortage of flight sims? Sure. How many times can you do the fight for the Pacific and for Europe? How many times can you do Iraq?

A CH fighter stick, throttle and rudder set? That's a lot of cash. No room for me to criticize, though. I gave my daughter a CH F-16 CombatStick for Christmas when she was about 9. Got to feeling bad about that last year and bought it from her. I guess that makes two different times that I paid about 80 bucks for the same stick.

Bought the FighterStick USB through Newegg just last month. The one with about 132 different functions. That is an absolutely fabulous stick.

If BF2 generates enough joystick and flight sim sales, maybe we'll see an increase in flight sim development. The learning curve will probably forever be the stick in the mud if there is such a stick in that mud. I don't expect to actually learn how to program my flightsick until about October when my work slows down.