Yup I'd say that in Instant Action, SP or MP, the map size limitations are virtually irrelevant. And if user missions could be built, with imagination one can work around that, in fact there's a silver (wish) lining because you just don't need to fly half the mission in time compression, and spend the other half climbing realistically but laboriuosly to 15,000 feet. If I could, I'd do in WoW the set of Biggles missions I was gonna do for FCG till I found out i could run RB3D with a glide wrapper. Those old stories captured the spirit of WW1 air was as well as many more adult tomes, IMHO.
What WoW gives you is a fantastic furball experience; as was often said of SDOE, it's a great dogfighter. The main limitation in this area is the FM. Planes are too agile and in particular can pull pretty wild & sustained negative G manoeurvres, bunting and rolling, rather more so than in vanilla EAW where this was also rather noticeable. However, WoW has such flair in doing what it was designed to do that, while I would prefer a more accurate FM, I can grin and bear it. Call me an optimist, but for me the WoW glass is (already more than)half full, not half empty. And I'm an IL2 fan so it's not that I'm adverse to harder (which may or may not mean more realistic) FMs.
Like some others here, I have nothing but admiration for the Czech team which has crafted this little gem, and I hope they are reading these threads. Even those who are less tolerant of the arcade elements, most of them can see the good stuff in there.
When you soar into the air in a Sopwith scout And you're scrapping with a Hun and your gun cuts out Well, you stuff down your nose till your plugs fall out 'Cos you haven't got a hope in the morning!
