Wings of Prey vs. 1946?

[PCScipio42]

Which do people prefer? Are both these programs prduced by the same development team?

 

[HBPencil]

Hi there,

I must admit that I haven't played WoP but from what I've heard it is basically an arcade-y shoot 'em up, while '46 (which I do play) is a proper sim. I believe they were developed by the same team but there's a big age gap between the two so WoP has much better graphics and audio (unless one has a modded '46 install). As to which one people prefer, I guess it just comes down to whether you like sims or arcade style games.

HB

 

[PCScipio42]

Thanks for your response. '46 certainly is a challenge! I haven't messed around with WoP yet as I need to upgrade the graphics card as the graphics are a little choppy with the current card.

Strange thing with '46....the German fighters sights for the guns seem to come at an angle to the right of the cockpit. Is that the way they're supposed to be or can that be adjusted?

I am enjoying '46, although I still admit a bias towards boardgames.

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

If you haven't altered the "Controls" then using the Shift+F1 key combination should center it.
Mission4Today › Knowledge Base › Why isn't my gunsight centred in the German planes?

This is another common gunsight problem with an easy fix.
Mission4Today › Knowledge Base › How do you remove the lens cover from D3A1 or Ki-43 gunsight ?


Wheels

 

[PCScipio42]

Shift +F1 fixed it nicely. Still couldn't shoot anything down.

 

[zoomar]

I'd agree with HBPencil. Il-2 1946 is a combat flight simulator that can only be played on a PC while Wings of Prey is a console-based arcade-type game. 1946 has a pretty steep learning curve. Many of the same people, including the lead designer of Il-2 1946 (Russians, mostly) worked on both, but I'm not quite sure this amounts to the "same developer". I have played the Il-2 series since it first came out and there is no better WW2 combat flight sim on the market - and with all the new 3rd party mods it contains virtually every plane flown in WW2 and is graphically almost as good as WoP or is true sucessor, Cliffs of Dover. I toyed with WoP briefly and lost interest. Don't give up on 1946 no matter how many times you stall and crash - your efforts will be rewarded.

 

[PCScipio42]

I upgraded the graphics card and gave WoP a brief whirl. Graphically very good....bumped settings up from arcade to realistic. Seems easier than 1946 even at realistic settings (meaning I actually hit an enemy plane).
Still playing 1946... and enjoying it. It feels like I am getting a little better.

 

[PCScipio42]

What 3rd party mods are out there for 1946?

 

[zoomar]

Google "HSFX Il2", "SAS IL2". There are several Mod Packs that add oodles of new flyable and unflyable aircraft, lots of new maps, gameplay improvements, and improvements to sound and graphics that allows you to fly and fight aircraft from the mid-30's through the Korean War. I use the HSFX pack which is a single large download. You do have to have 1946 updated with all the official patches and addons first. Out of the box is a no go.

 

[PCScipio42]

I haven't bit the bullet on the mod packs yet. I've been having fun flying around in a FW 190 A-8. Can't turn for anything, but packs quite a punch. Game is rather addictive...cutting into modeling time.

 

[zoomar]

Yeah, as modeled in stock Il2, the FWs in general have horrible high-speed stall characteristics in turns. You can eventually get around this to an extent of by careful use of combat flaps and throttle, but in general you need to avoid any turning engagement in a FW. Some of the mods have lessened the stall issue (or improved recoverablity) so at least you don't go flat spinning several thousand feet unto the ground when trying to follow a La-5 or Spit in a tight turn.