Everyone has a breakpoint.

With respect to WW1 flight combat simulations: everyone has a point where (s)he feels: this is too hard for me.

Now there are at least 2 types of reactions to this. Mind you, this usually happens underneath, in the unconsciousness.

First, is to run away, go back to your familiar ex-flight-simulator. After all, it gives you enjoyment. Not so much as you'd want, but nevertheless it's there. You know somewhere inside that you'd want to improve, or that the flight model is just too easy and not realistic, but on the ego side you'd never admit it. You *are* that good.

Or, moving to the other sim is painfull, it's frustating, you have to learn it all over. Actually you'd want that, but you miss the enjoyment and you're too proud to practice again like a beginner to collect the fruits of your effort later.

You like to talk about how nice would be if the simulator would support this or that realistic feature. You complain about how the current sim you're playing misses this or that realistic features. But, when somehow this really happens, you discover you didn't really want that, that you somehow miss THE FACT THAT IT WAS MISSING, YOU MISS YOUR COMPLAINTS.

If this happens, don't worry, we are all like this. It's just that the 'break point' is different for everyone. Hence all discussions, and all of the zillions threads about Red Baron, IL2, OFF or RoF.

Ah, the second type of reaction. Well, it's obvious. You pretend first you're full of joy! Finally, my favourite complaint was taken into account! That hard, real life feature is really there! Now i can *really* play! Then you clench your teeth in frustration for some weeks, and after a few evening drinking without knowing why, and after some more weeks of practice, you *maybe* begin to like it, acknowledging somewhere inside you that, hmm, after all this isn't what you imagined about it.

Your royal buffon out,
regards dudes & dudettes!

Hmm, really good post.
There's not much to add, I immediately realised that I am usually in this situation, and not just only with sims.
Cried for Supreme commander, it delivered everything I asked for, but still playing Total Annihilation.
Sweating in Black Shark (and I enjoy it), but still spending hours to get Longbow2 to run on my new rig.
Having problems with running Red Baron, eager to try ROF but already afraid, however I will buy it anyway in weeks.
One thing you didn't mention, and is valid for me, that every year I have less and less time to spend with one game, job, wife, kids, you name it.
Its easier to go for a ride in an old well known sim, than to spend hours just learn and months to master a new one.
Thanks for this nice summary!

This is how i never really got into IL2, after Red Baron 3D.

Here is a 'deal', like Americans say - when you buy RoF, i will try to make your time spent with 'getting up to date' / familiar with it - smaller, of course according with what i know about RoF.

Cheers!

Well, I bought ROF last week. Although I spent days with tech things (I have the worst combo of dual core and win7), but I solved these issues and I like what i have so far.
It wasn't that bad at all to learn the basics, (I switched physics to realistic but let the AI do the engine management and also using some icons to improve SA for the time being).
I think this one is the easy to learn, hard to master type, which is good news (Due to the lack of FCR, FLIR, TAD, RWR, etc... ).
I wont put all my questions here, maybe I'll do it in the ROF thread, but first I need to read everything there.
Cheers

Nice, sometime we'll meet in the multiplayer skies i hope,

Salute

All too familiar for me Laser. This is/was exactly my motivation when ROF first-released.

I figured, the more folks I could help get into the game quicker - the more I would have to play with, later...

Selfish really....but with no victims.

Hehe, looks like I am happy to be a target for you.
I love this sim.
Managed to configure it to a point where it looks amasing, and fluid. (had hard times with it, intelcore2 duo and such).
I set everything to realistic, and doing free flights around. I was disturbed by the colorful icons.
It has a great immersion now, trying to figure out where I am with the map and looking at the scenery.
I still suck in engine management, but will improve later.
I already flown a couple of multiplayer flights, and I like it, even if I have no chance. Small steps.
I am looking forward to the new career mode, and already planning to buy some additional planes.
All in all, thanks for pushing me to the right direction!

Yes, i also didn't learn too well "to love the bomb" - i.e. i fly mostly rotaries (Camel, Nieuport , Dr.1, Fokker DVIII, Pup, Triplane) which have only the mixture control to adjust (and that is pretty easy, just place it around 80% - check where is max RPM - and leave it there till around 5000 feet) and in addition have also the very convenient and nice-engine-noise-maker blip switch. But i've flown also other planes of course and the idea is to start with closed radiator if engine is not warmed, to keep it mostly opened or 2/3 opened afterwards and close it when diving (together with the throttle). The idea anyway is that i know that if i want to fly seriously one plane, i begin by reading documentation about it, then flying that plane for a some time just for the engine management. So i don't worry and see it as a future task which keeps things interesting There is also the useful option of using icons at first which show how the engine temperature varies.

Yes, I hope the new career will rock and planes will roll