A year or more ago i was literally b*tching for improved engine management, more in-depth modeling of aircraft subsystems and an optional clickable interface to control it all without having to remember a billion keyboard commands. In short, a way to feel that i'm operating a complex piece of machinery on top of flying and shooting at stuff.
Ok, i was not alone in that since other people chipped to help with the cause, but you get the idea...i was being annoying to a lot of people
Many members of the community felt it was useless for a combat sim or that it couldn't be done to an adequate standard while combining the combat elements at the same time and i'm not trying to be all "i told you so" on them, their concerns were based on valid assumptions.
So, despite all the other problems (that are fortunately getting patched away as we speak) with the sim, i'm very glad that
a) it is indeed possible to combine the combat aspects of a WWII flight sim with the modeling of systems management to an adequate standard of quality and
b) seeing people who are new to this try their hand at it and actually like it
I know exactly what you mean, just flying around in these aircraft is a joy because you actually have complex things to do that make you feel smart during all stages of flight
I'm not saying it's easy, it can be frustrating and daunting at times. It was for me too, even though i had some FSX experience on a friend's PC including a 10 hour flight in a Catalina add-on from the Bahamas to St.Marten, done in real time over the course of 2-3 evenings with actual weather downloaded from the internet.
I won't lie, it's not something i'm going to repeat soon, but the actual feeling of accomplishment is tremendous when you consider it's just a freakin' computer game
So, it might be frustrating initially but boy does it feel great to have all the little needles in the cockpit pointing the right way, from the temperatures to the course indicators, overcoming adversity along the way, planning for the problems ahead and seeing it have an effect on the final outcome.
As far as i'm concerned CoD has managed to capture that same feeling and combine it with the combat flying.
The first couple of sorties i flew, i just cruised back to base in real time being amazed of the sense of ambience and the "being there" feeling that the entire software package manages to convey. I actually felt like the friendly coast had a welcoming aura about it, as if i was being shot at for real just 20 minutes ago, was cold and tired in my heavy pilot clothes but i had a hot cup of coffee waiting for me in the mess hall after landing
