I bought, received and played a few single combat missions in IL2 S-1946. It's okay. Considering the time since the release of Janes European Fighters, this game advances realism in the area of battle damage nicely. To my experience, the aircraft are much "heavier" on the controls and maneuvering, contrasting both games, giving IL2's aircraft a more truck-like feel rather than the sportscar feel of the Janes flying characteristics. This takes into consideration varying power differences above/below optimal combat altitudes. Overtaking and speed-matching a target is similar in both by virtue of jockeying throttle and flap inputs, including maneuverability relationships, in the straight-ahead linear simulation. Otherwise, I find IL2 tends to diminish aircraft performances. Stall and recovery is simply ridiculous, for example.
Another annoyance lies in either the controller I have or the programming in IL2 regarding the hat (view) switch. In Janes I can pan to where I want to look and let the switch go. My view remains where I panned to. In IL2 it pans and then snaps to forward view when I let off the switch. In other words, I can't keep an eye on where a target is but rather have to keep working the hat switch. If I'm trailing under an intended target at 12 o'clock, for example, I have to keep working the hat switch to make sure that target hasn't changed course while I'm climbing to engage. In Janes I just position that same target at the top of my view and can monitor its position. I'm using a Logitech Xtreme 3d Pro and haven't experienced this "view" frustration with any other game - Microsoft or Janes - before. Any suggestions here?
From an aircraft accuracy POV, even though Janes is the older game I still have to say their aircraft realism is on a par or better than this IL2 in both depiction and flying characteristics. I qualify the latter indirectly via my Pop who flew the P-51 in combat. He flew both the Microsoft and Janes games and commented that the Microsoft version had flying characteristics of a feather in the wind (overly sensitive), and commended Janes for a more accurate feel in overall stability and control/throttle input responses. He did make other remarks about missing characteristics of the airplane but he rated Janes as the better for overall flying and performance simulation. Using the Janes game as contrast along with his testimonial, the Janes game still has the edge in this area of simulation over IL2.
Another annoyance lies in either the controller I have or the programming in IL2 regarding the hat (view) switch. In Janes I can pan to where I want to look and let the switch go. My view remains where I panned to. In IL2 it pans and then snaps to forward view when I let off the switch. In other words, I can't keep an eye on where a target is but rather have to keep working the hat switch. If I'm trailing under an intended target at 12 o'clock, for example, I have to keep working the hat switch to make sure that target hasn't changed course while I'm climbing to engage. In Janes I just position that same target at the top of my view and can monitor its position. I'm using a Logitech Xtreme 3d Pro and haven't experienced this "view" frustration with any other game - Microsoft or Janes - before. Any suggestions here?
From an aircraft accuracy POV, even though Janes is the older game I still have to say their aircraft realism is on a par or better than this IL2 in both depiction and flying characteristics. I qualify the latter indirectly via my Pop who flew the P-51 in combat. He flew both the Microsoft and Janes games and commented that the Microsoft version had flying characteristics of a feather in the wind (overly sensitive), and commended Janes for a more accurate feel in overall stability and control/throttle input responses. He did make other remarks about missing characteristics of the airplane but he rated Janes as the better for overall flying and performance simulation. Using the Janes game as contrast along with his testimonial, the Janes game still has the edge in this area of simulation over IL2.
