looking for: ultra realistic with guidance

[ashesofthewake]

Hey guys, first post here.

I'm a casual flight sim goer but i look for the most realistic sims available. Im looking for a combat flight sim which is as realistic as possible, but which also provides a tutorial or campaign. Right now im leaning towards falcon 4 BMS, but i understand the ridiculous learning curve that comes with it. Next up i found DCS A-10 Warthog which is very realistic and featuring a tutorial, but i would prefer an air to air fighter. Finally i found IL2, which i barely know anything about. I used to have the 1995 JANES F/A 18 Hornet simulator which i loved because of its interactive tutorials. Ideally im looking for a game similar to that. Im aware that there is a newer JANES sim but i havent read the best things. I also dont know anything about Lock On.

Oh and the era of the game doesnt matter (i.e. Modern, wwii etc) as long as it is primarily an air to air sim with air to ground thrown in here and there.

Thanks everyone!

[johnost]

In my dictionary an "ultra realistic" military flight sim would have to be a million-dollar commercial simulator - LOL - but looking at what is available for us ordinary mortals, I would say that the 3 sims available from DCS - Black Shark, A-10, and LockOn Flaming Cliffs 2 - like Falcon 4 BMS are the most realistic available today. I have BS and FC2, but have not gotten very far with them due to their study and memory (human) demands, especially on the many weapons systems and their use. Training and extensive manuals are available, but at my age the required patience and dedication is limited, so I tend to gravitate to the much simpler requirements of WW2 and WW1 fighting. Strike Fighters 2 from Thirdwire is a pretty good, but somewhat simplified jet combat sim compared to FC2, but suits my temperament better. I don't know how realistic my WW 1&2 sims are, but I enjoy CFS3 and Over Flanders Fields, as well as Wings of Prey, and I still have IL-2 1946 on the computer.


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[ED_4]

Be careful when you ask for ultra realistic. As those kinds will take down your time on learning them. Not everyone has that kind of patience to go through a thick manual to learn.

I would be biased on Falcon 4 BMS or any of the flavors of Falcon 4.0 as I know how they are but are something to have to give some time to learn.

But once you've learned how to use the aircraft as in Falcon, it's a blast to fly through the campaigns. For when you get in there. There are no two missions alike. You can run the same campaign again and again. But the resulting mission variances won't be exact. That's one of the beauties of the Falcon campaign engine that I don't think anyone has been able to copy as of yet.

For even to this day, as old as that simulator is, there's a lot of following fans that still use it.

[jomni]

That is the advantage of Falcon 4 and it's derivatives.
Lomac and DCS A-10 are scripted missions so the experience is quite limited.

[ashesofthewake]

Hey guys i ended up going with lock on flaming cliffs (because my laptop cant run fc2). I like the training missions, they have helped me greatly. Once i become more familiar with general aircraft systems and functions, i will be moving on to falcon. Thanks for the help!

[ED_4]

That is the advantage of Falcon 4 and it's derivatives.
Lomac and DCS A-10 are scripted missions so the experience is quite limited.

Exactly. I don't know why there aren't any geniuses that take that kind of game campaign engine into use on the newer simulators. Perhaps the copyright is still effective and thus no one can do the same in their simulators?

[magicofflight]

The best solution would be to try combat aircraft addons for FSX. "Ultra realism" won't be there. But it is decent. Only that you won't be able to fire any missiles.