Yeeee-haaaaa!!
Today I took the plunge and got CloD!
Wow, talk about an experience. In some ways it's really just a prettier version of IL-2 1946: a lot of the basic controls are the same; the various "handicapper" aids are quite similar (especially the no-cockpit modes); and the missions, the stock ones at least, seem to have the same flavor (aside from the RAF campaign, that is).
However, those vague similarities aside, this really is a radical departure from the last series. For starters, the detail in the engine management alone makes IL-2 seem like Blazing Angels; the control mapping alone had my head spinning in amazement. There's no kriffing way I'm going full-CEM unless the reward for having mastered it is a free Spitfire and pilots' license. The graphics make M$ Flight Simulator X look like Flight Simulator '98; the dynamic lighting and shadows and all the atmospherics are simply mind-blowing.
And there is one more thing to be said about this sim, which is a real bonus (in the masochistic sense), and that is the fact that CloD makes you bloody work for your kills! Seriously, you can empty half the ammo load from a Hurricane into an He 111 and it'll still stay up—though this also might be due to my piss-poor gunnery. This ain't at all like the old days, where you just had to score a few hits in the right spot, even with .303s, to get some nice crispy flames going on most aircraft.
Now to see about skinning for this bad boy, provided my writing schedule allows it.
The only issues I've had so far are fairly piddly, mostly stuff I'll have to either suss out myself or ask somebody if the answer eludes me completely. Though the menu interface does have a bad habit of not recognizing mouse clicks after a certain time in-game, and only in certain instances (such as when going to choose an aircraft for a quick mission or when clicking on dialog boxes).
And yes, I paid full price via the STEAM store. I'm not familiar with any other digital download shops and from just a small spate of reading, it seems that they all use STEAM anyway.
