For me since release. I've been a hardcore WWII combat sim junkie for years!
Was playing EAW, CFS2 and Rowans BOB prior to IL2 in 2001 and BOB II & CFS3 through the early/mid 2000s but I spent most of my time in IL2. Before that it was the wing commander, privateer and X-wing/star wars era. (Now just getting back into X universe and a new one called SOL Exodus which is a great indie space title thats even enjoyable with
"mouse"
.... anyway i digress...
BOB II wings of victory got me in for quite a while on the strategy side of things and the flying was "different" than IL2, having large formations and the like was completely different to IL2 and the BOB II WOV graphics was in some part better and others not... but I enjoyed all of them for the different nuances they brought to flying in a WWII sim.
Not that dissimilar to my enjoyment of COD for what it is now while still enjoying the odd 46 outing and time in WOP. They all offer differing nuances but it's COD that I still keep coming back to and have the greatest overall satisfaction in. Over time I believe COD will bring a lot of the best elements of all those early IL2 competitors, especially when the SDK is released and 3rd party development matures.
My current favourite SIM though is STO (star trek online), which I just couldnt get into on release but a couple years on its got a whole different feel and Im hoping just like STO, that COD will mature into something we all adore!
PS. An interesting tidbit of amusing information, SOL Exodus has a bunch of zealous religious extremists called The COD.... I kid you not!
