So, with this on sale, how much should I expect to have to spend in addition to the base game to get a decent experience that I would call a full product? I have always been hesitant to buy BoS for numerous reasons--the leveling up to unlock stuff was a big one, but the cost was another. I have Cliffs of Dover, btw, but that game... is well, remains broken, even with the ATAG mods--which are wonderful, and those guys are awesome, but the AI remains badly broken and the campaign possibilities for single player are limited. I'd rather avoid another "dead" feeling game. I miss sims that feel alive, like Falcon 4.0 does (sorta... dynamic campaign helps a LOT), or EAW, or SWOTL, or Red Baron.
Depends on your definition of "full". Either BoS or BoM comes with all the maps and a set of 8 planes. Each offers 2 "premium" planes that were not central to those conflicts but are nice additions. You can still play without them.
The other difference is buying BoS gets you the BoS campaigns and single missions and likewise for BoM. So while you can fly the BoS planes on any map in MP or quick missions, if you don't own BoM you can't fly them in BoM campaigns.
By what I consider a reasonable definition, BoS and BoM (and the soon to come BoK) are all full sims. You get a set of planes, single and multiplayer, maps, and assets the player does not control to fight against or alongside.
Contrast this with ED's WWII plans, where any WWII plane you buy is only usable on a single map without era representative map assets and only a small number of appropriate planes to fly alongside or against, and WWII maps are extra and WWII assets are extra. For DCS, a WWII experience will run you roughly 2x what it costs for BoS or BoM at full price, and that will be flying just one plane not 8. With this sale you can get all the 20+ planes and all campaigns for Il-2 currently available for roughly the same amount.
That said, I do like ED's MP situation more at the moment as someone who enjoys flying coop.
The Jedi Master
