"Must Own" sims for sim fans

[Chris_F]

I just got IL2 in the mail and am very impressed.  There are lots of "classic" sim games out there and I think any simulation fan should own all of them.  The prices on most are very reasonable now and anyone who hasn't occupied some of their hard drive space with the classics is really missing out.

So, as a public service I'd like to start a list of my favorite modern classics (stuff that'll run on a modern windows machine without too much difficulty).  I don't want this to be a debate of "that one's good, but XXX is better".  Let's face it: they're all good.  So please add to the list as you see fit.  I'm sure other's recommendations will have me loading at least one or two more sims on my hard drive (don't worry, I have plenty of room.)  :)

Microsoft Flight Simulator (all revs)
Falcon 4.0
Lock On Modern Air Combat
IL2
Richard Burns Rally
Grand Prix Legends
all of the Simbin titles (GTR 1&2, Grand Touring Legends)

[Tequila Sunrise]

Might want to give the thridwire sims a look ie. Wings over Europe, Wings Ovr vietnam and Strike Fighters

[Fozzer]

"Gunship"

For the Sinclair Spectrum 48k... ...!

http://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spectrum/gunship

Paul....still play it on my original Spectrum 48k Computer... ...!

There's nothing like a bit of nostalgia...on a rainy day......!

[ATI_7500]

- Silent Hunter 3 or 4
- Orbiter
- Operation Flashpoint // Armed Assault
- B-17 II

[G74]

The original Enemy Engaged!

http://www.razorworks.com/enemyengaged/

And quite possibly , the sequel Enemy Engaged 2 if its even half as good as the original.

www.eech2.com

Its on my list anyway

[dcunning30]

If you can find it, Microprose European Air War.  It's about 10 years old, and to be so old, the graphics hold up well for today's standards.  It excells with immersion!  I've not found an air sim that beats it regarding immersion.

Say, you're sheppharding your flight of B17's back across the channel, and your radio crackles "We need help here".  What do you do, stay with your bombers or ask the controller a vector?  You get the vector!  And after a short time, you see a flight of Maraders being mauled by some FW190 long noses and ME410s!  And you join the mele!

Talk about immersion!

[Mushroom_Farmer]

"Gunship"

For the Sinclair Spectrum 48k... ...!

http://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spectrum/gunship

Paul....still play it on my original Spectrum 48k Computer... ...!

There's nothing like a bit of nostalgia...on a rainy day......!

Might as well mention all the Microprose flight sims; from Gunship up to European Air War. Basiacally, if it flies, I like it.

[Anark]

IL2 is a good game.
I just re-installed it and played it.
I was in a group with 2 other IL2s and we were attacking 5 He-111s.
We moved into attack positions but then about7 109s came behind us.
My two wingmen flanked off to deal with the 109s while I went on to attack the He-111's.
I took the first two down but then I ran out of ammo.
I tried to tip one of them over with my wing but as well as destroying it, my wing fell off.
I managed to bail out into the open country areas Russia. My rear gunner wasn't so lucky.

[ATI_7500]

IL-2s are the most annoying flying bricks ever built.

You could waste all your friggin' cannon ammo on them and they'd still fly. Especially painful in pre-G6 109s

[Ells_228]

For me it's:

LOMAC (and Flaming Cliff's)
http://www.lo-mac.com/

BF 2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Battlefield-Com ... 657&sr=1-1

BF Vietnam
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electronic-Arts ... 686&sr=1-1

Novalogic's F22 L3 (good get in the air and shoot them sim, and my first vitual squad on this one)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Novalogic-F22-L ... 713&sr=1-1

I couldn't get WOV to work on my pc for some reason so just shelved it. If anyone in the UK want's it, PM me.

[ATI_7500]

The Battlefield Series and F-22 are not sims. ;P

[Chris_F]

IL-2s are the most annoying flying bricks ever built.

You could waste all your friggin' cannon ammo on them and they'd still fly. Especially painful in pre-G6 109s

Do you mean IL2's in the IL2 game?  I don't have enough experience yet.

I would assume this is the same team that created LOMAC.  The two seem to share very similar (identical?) graphics engines and both focus on the Russian/Soviet side of conflicts.  Both games have a wonderful "feel" to their physics engines as well.

However LOMAC and IL2 both seem to weigh heavily in favor of the Russian/Soviet hardware.  Weapons are particularly effective, hardware is particularly durable, etc.  I wouldn't be suprised to find the IL2 in IL2 holds some unrealistic advantage over its fellow sim rivals.  I've never heard the IL2 lauded as the uber-plane of WWII (those claims are usually reserved for the P51 (for its range), Spitfire, and FW109) so if a 109 finds a IL2 to be a formitable enemy in the game then that indicates to me that they IL2 had a little too much of something dialed in to it.

[Chris_F]

The Battlefield Series and F-22 are not sims. ;P

I'm not so sure I'd include the Enemy Engaged series as a sim either, but to each his own.  The dividing line between a sim and a game is indeed hazy.  Heck, compared to Falcon 4.0 I find LOMAC to be a bit less of a "sim", but for me LOMAC is realistic enough to enjoy.  So what is a "sim"?  That one's hard to say.

[ATI_7500]

Do you mean IL2's in the IL2 game?

Yah.

I would assume this is the same team that created LOMAC.  The two seem to share very similar (identical?) graphics engines and both focus on the Russian/Soviet side of conflicts.  Both games have a wonderful "feel" to their physics engines as well.

Apart from the same publisher, both sims have nothing in common.

I've never heard the IL2 lauded as the uber-plane of WWII (those claims are usually reserved for the P51 (for its range), Spitfire, and FW109) so if a 109 finds a IL2 to be a formitable enemy in the game then that indicates to me that they IL2 had a little too much of something dialed in to it.

Brush up your knowledge about non-american aircraft of WW2.

The russians always exceeded in building durable, simple aircraft, that could be replaced easily along with its crew.
I was just saying that the IL-2 was very heavily armored. Judging from books I've read and from experiences made in IL-2, the only effective way to down one was shooting her oil cooler on fire with a few shots.
But if you tried your luck in perforating her wings and fuselage, you quickly ran out of ammo....except maybe you scored a lucky hit.

And there is no "

[Chris_F]

Apart from the same publisher, both sims have nothing in common.

Really?  They're very similar.  I'm suprised that two games with such similar feel are developed by two totally different groups.  Perhaps one was "inspired" by the other?