Did a player review of CoD over at Gamespot...

[ICDP]

Originally Posted by Chivas

The low reviews are a total travesty and have accomplished nothing but drive people away from our already weak genre. I'm a huge fan and have alot of respect for what Maddox games has delivered over the last 10 years for our community. I have no respect for those people who have shown absolutely no foresight, with their rating. They will be proven wrong in spades, but much damage has already been done to our community and genre. Luckily a few of the professional reviewers have shown some intelligence and have delayed their reviews until the game is patched.

So to save the flightsim genre we should accept bug ridden feature lacking software that was 7 years in the making?

Lets review what was supposed to make in the final release according to Oleg's own information over the years.

Dynamic Campaign: Didn't make it and might never make it.
Dynamic Weather: Didn't make it, a WiP that may or may not make it someday.
Hundreds of planes in the air at once: Didn't make it.
AI that won't see through clouds: Didin't make it, AI can see through thick clouds as well as they can in clear weather.
SU26: Didn't make it, was removed at the last minute and people didn't find out until after purchase.
New sound system: Didn't make it, instead we have what is probably the very worst collection of sounds to ever grace a game.

Add to this the fact that Force Feedback stick are not supported. Only every sim released in the last 10m years has this feature. No mater though they didn't promise this feature and can't even be arsed to inform us if they ever will.

Now lets look at what made it in to the game.

Highly detailed tanks and vehicles that we can't even see while flying around. I remember seeing the screenshots in the weekly updates and thinking why do they think modelling every rivets and gear knob on these vehicles and guns is important in a flightsim.

Spitgirl (wow this one is a real head scrathcer, they don't have time to add FFB but they do have time to add a girl to your Spitfire cockpit).

Pleceholder sounds... oops sorry I remember repeatedly being told the sound we were hearing were only "placeholders". It reminds me of the time Oleg said IL2 sounds were great, you just don't have good speakers.

It sounds like I hate CoD but this is not the case, I am actually enjoying it and can see that Cliffs of Dover might be a great sim in 3 years. Right now it is mediocre at best, it should be reviewed and scored based on what we have now, not on what it might be or on what we hoped it would be.

[[RS]Boomer]

ICDP, I don't agree with you statement. I feel that this game is absolutely stunning. There is nothing that can compare the feeling when you are diving in on a formation of 88's and you get a good bead on the lead, kicking the rudder left and right and watching every bullet that hits make a hole in the exact spot that it hit... Too me, this is all that I could ever ask for in a combat sim. The flashes from the bullet impacts are pretty awesome. All in all, it really feels like we have our WW2 sim that we have always wanted.
As for the lag and stutters, I really haven't had them. I average around 50-70 FPS with a decent size battle going on. I know this will all be smoothed out over the coming months to make even more amazing. I say great job 1C and keep them coming! ~S~

[Chivas]

Originally Posted by ICDP

So to save the flightsim genre we should accept bug ridden feature lacking software that was 7 years in the making?

Lets review what was supposed to make in the final release according to Oleg's own information over the years.

Dynamic Campaign: Didn't make it and might never make it.
Dynamic Weather: Didn't make it, a WiP that may or may not make it someday.
Hundreds of planes in the air at once: Didn't make it.
AI that won't see through clouds: Didin't make it, AI can see through thick clouds as well as they can in clear weather.
SU26: Didn't make it, was removed at the last minute and people didn't find out until after purchase.
New sound system: Didn't make it, instead we have what is probably the very worst collection of sounds to ever grace a game.

Add to this the fact that Force Feedback stick are not supported. Only every sim released in the last 10m years has this feature. No mater though they didn't promise this feature and can't even be arsed to inform us if they ever will.

Now lets look at what made it in to the game.

Highly detailed tanks and vehicles that we can't even see while flying around. I remember seeing the screenshots in the weekly updates and thinking why do they think modelling every rivets and gear knob on these vehicles and guns is important in a flightsim.

Spitgirl (wow this one is a real head scrathcer, they don't have time to add FFB but they do have time to add a girl to your Spitfire cockpit).

Pleceholder sounds... oops sorry I remember repeatedly being told the sound we were hearing were only "placeholders". It reminds me of the time Oleg said IL2 sounds were great, you just don't have good speakers.

Cliffs of Dover might be a great sim in 3 years, right now it is mediocre at best. I do see the potential but It should be reviewd and scored based on what we have now, not on what it might be or on what we hoped it would be.

First off there were never any promises. Second most of those features will become part of the IL-2 series. If the reviewer posted all these faults and added that the developer has a history of fixing bugs, adding features, and supporting his products for years, there would be no problem. All these reviews have accomplished is drive away new people that may have bought the product if they new it would improve. The reviews are petty from people who should now better.

[mazex]

Originally Posted by GnigruH

LOL, I wouldn't call this thing you wrote 'a review'.

Well, since the Spectrum days I think I have played almost all the major flight sim titles on the market, with a few exceptions I have played the minor and the ones that should remain forgotten too. Thereby my crystal ball is rather hefty and I see good things in it regarding this title - IF it is not left in the gutter after a number of teenagers cut it down by screaming in all the forums and other channels they find.

Wandering off topic... I use to play Little Big Planet 2 with my kids on the PS3 (great game by the way - as far from serious flight sims as you can get). The hero called Sackboy has an arch enemy in the game that naturally gets dealt with in the final battle called "The Negativitron". He feeds on the negative thoughts people have and in the last cut scene he says "You can never truly defeat me, I am in all of you... You created me, if you destroy me - you destroy yourselves". A straight reference to Joseph Conrad - just like Apocalypse Now...

Anyway - I feel that Negativitron should have left Sackboy alone and popped over to this forum instead, living a nice life - fat and happy

[Lixma]

Originally Posted by mazex

Well, since the Spectrum days I think I have played almost all the major flight sim titles on the market, with a few exceptions I have played the minor and the ones that should remain forgotten too.

Me too. (Tomahawk FTW....LensLok FTL)

Thereby my crystal ball is rather hefty and I see good things in it regarding this title

Me too.

But don't call it a 'review'. Call it clairvoyance.

In Conrad's 'Lord Jim' the titular hero eloped to a life on the sea with romantic notions of adventure and bravery. He imagined himself as a '9.0' but when it came down to it he found himself a '3.5'. He then spent the rest of his life dealing with this ordinary fact.

Should an honest review of Jim's character be based on what we'd like him to be, what he could be, or what he is?

[ParaB]

Me too. (Tomahawk FTW....LensLok FTL)

I wonder how many users here get that reference.

^^

Hated that thing, half the time couldn't make out the codes at all...

[SacaSoh]

I don't regret buying this unfinished game, but for sure this "review" is the epitome of fanboyism.

[nearmiss]

Originally Posted by SacaSoh

I don't regret buying this unfinished game, but for sure this "review" is the epitome of fanboyism.

You have made less than 20 postings, and you call names.

There are many of us who have been with Il2 since 2001. We know Oleg, Luthier and what they will do for this community.

The game isn't unfinished, maybe it doesn't work well with your system. You need to spend time on this forums reading and you will find there are plenty of people who are already enjoying the BOB COD. You might read something that will apply to your situation.

Patches are coming as well. This is not some gamer gamey kind of application, if you are looking for an easy learn and burn you should stick with console gaming. BOB COD is a sophisticated, complex application that will take many hours to learn. If you are NOT interested to really apply yourself to learn... you are probably wasting your time.

[SacaSoh]

Originally Posted by nearmiss

You have made less than 20 postings, and you call names.

There are many of us who have been with Il2 since 2001. We know Oleg, Luthier and what they will do for this community.

The game isn't unfinished, maybe it doesn't work well with your system. You need to spend time on this forums reading and you will find there are plenty of people who are already enjoying the BOB COD. You might read something that will apply to your situation.

Patches are coming as well. This is not some gamer gamey kind of application, if you are looking for an easy learn and burn you should stick with console gaming. BOB COD is a sophisticated, complex application that will take many hours to learn. If you are NOT interested to really apply yourself to learn... you are probably wasting your time.

Yeah... every thread i see the "if you are looking for an easy learn and burn you should stick with console gaming. BOB COD is a sophisticated, complex application that will take many hours to learn."...

Maybe helps if i tell you that i play IL-2, ROF, OFF, FreeFalcon, DCS Black Shark and A-10... My rig is powerful enought to run all these games on max, 1920x1080 4xAA, and don't tell me of "under the hood calculations". If you think this game isn't unfinished, sorry, you are a unconscious fanboy.

The game will get better sure, like i said, i don't regret buying this unfinished game (i read the forums before buying it), but i will not judge it based on a possible future, i had to RMA my crystal ball...

[nearmiss]

Chivas

I have given away many copies of Il2 and Il2 1946. I have found our genre game "PC air combat simulation" just isn't for everyone.

I recently made a real effort to find a IL2 1946 at the urging of my friend.
My friend anxiously installed it and stayed with it all of two days. He immediately wanted more aircraft, etc. I referred him to the TD upgrades, but it was too much trouble for him to mess with "all that".

IMO, it is probably best to tell people where to find it and leave them alone. If they are interested to take the time to learn and enjoy it good for them.

It just isn't a gamer type game.

I remember when I was into scuba diving. I introduced my friends to it by simple snorkeling first. Not one of the lot ever went any further. Learning dive tables or using dive computers, and the basic techie things just wasn't something they wanted to do. Yet, there are still millions of people that love to scuba.

Oleg will sell alot of copies to people who never do a darn thing with it, but admire the "stuff" for a few days. Don't care how much you talk it up, if they aren't into it... it won't make any difference.

Oleg has made his bid to our genre of player, and done the best job he can do. Those of us who are into it... will love it, and appreciate all his efforts for a very long time.