No worries mate, was happy to help you.

You picked it up really quick and it was great playing the 2v2 with you, you played well in that match and kept me informed of where the enemy were at. Your playing with a great bunch of guys (with the exception of that mouthy american kid!! he drives me ******* mad!!), but on the whole... they will look out for you :D

Thanks FOZ, appreciate that!

In reply to the question about Game pads V controllers.

There are some very skilled peeps using a controller. If you prefer a controller then its a matter of getting used to the lack of HUD and enemy lables. The planes seem to handle better in SIM IMO so I doubt you will notice any difference to Realistic. Not sure what stick you have (or is available for PS3) but usually they have top hat buttons for panning which don't interfere with the flight control actions.

Simulation just "isn't" either...
 

I personally think realistic is the way to go...

How is looking at a map to see EXACTLY where your opponents are realistic?
How is clicking in the right joystick to move your head around while using your other thumb to move your plane realistic?
How is planes disappearing into the sky and not fading out gradually realistic?

Plus++

I find that being confined to the cockpit isn't exactly realistic either... since you cannot move your head around like in real life. Also, having only the landscape (which isn't that pretty) to look at is very bland (yea, I know, but I like the mix of cinematic 3rd person action with realistic flight and damage models)

PLUS+++

The only sim games that I can find are no more than 4 people, and there's always somebody in a La-7 whizzing around raping everybody in sight. Realistic may just be turn and burn, but simulation is turn and burn trying to find everybody, atleast in realistic you're turning and burning in order to shoot someone...

The bottom line is that I just don't enjoy it... yea, there are some things that I like, like the combat flaps and being able to hide, and how it's easier to damage your enemies. But in the end, it's usually a waste of time. Sorry guys, but simulations aren't always that fun..

I like how realistic mixes fun and realism, to where you ahve an accessible, historically close experience that you can jump right into.

Peace.

Can answer quite a few of these with 3 word :) - use a joystick

How is only being in cockpit view NOT realistic? its as close to real as alot of us will get, and with the joystick you use the HAT switch to freely look around, having to wonder if anyone can see you.

Each to their own though mate, if you like "realistic" mode then thats your porogotive i wont disagree with you. This is just my personnal opinion :D

All the modes hav etheir pro and cons.....

For instance it is totally impossible to pull any of the classic dogfight moves in simulator mode. Try pulling a "Retournment", "Immelmann Turn", "Slip-Turn", etc. without your aircraft freaking out.

Looking around for targets is a pain due to the simple fact that players are restricted to tunnel vison because we're limited to TV screens. Having to push the right stick down to gaze around (disabling use of the rudder and throttle) screws up any hope of pulling off some clever acrobatic maneuver whilst keeping an eye on another aircraft is impossible.

Another problem with simulator mode is that any hit on a control surface makes aircraft freak out, and as we all tend to end up right next to the deck in dogfights, we all tend to prang before we manage to regain control. The downside of this is that nobody is credited for the kill and some folk acuse other of crashing on purpose to deny a kill.

The lack of a target following ability (only if the target is in view from the cockpit) is what puts most folks of simulator mode, Flying iwith tunnel vison is a pain. The damage model and flying is better though.

In arcade everything is fly by wire but all the classic dogfight acrobatics can be performed. The combat s at a faster pace and players can focus on marksmanship, tactics and dogfighting skills. On the down side all aircraft are harder to shoot down than in realistic and simulator mode unless a hit on the pilot is achieved, which is kind of difficult on aircraft with rear armour on the pilot's seat.

Realistic combines some of the damage model and handling properties of simulator mode with the target following of arcade.

The same problems of players loosing control of aircraft and pranging when hit still exists though and this wouldn't be a problem if everybody flew at the historical altitudes that dogfights were fought at.

To sum up, arcade mode is there for those who like to try out all those dofight maneuvers from history channel historical airbattles and from books, realistic is there for those who want a more realistic damage model and simulator is there for those who want air combat to be a totally masochistical experience, only be able to fly in shaky circles (because anything else will freak the aircraft out) and enjoy crashing a lot, etc.

Actually shooting down another aircraft is quite an achievement in simulator though usually through luck than skill.

Simulator mode is still fun though, but not for serious dogfighting in.

Because of the confines of flying on a T.V. screen. If I were playing a flight sim on of those wrap around T.V. setups or a real simulator, THEN, I would prefer playing inside the cockpit.

Plus, most people don't eve use the cockpit view, they use the HUD only view, and you're at a disadvantage if you use the cockpit view. Also, with all the gripes about dead zones and all, I really don't want to spend upwards of 50 bucks on a flight stick.

I just don't want to see players switching over to simulation because, more and more people are downing realistic mode on this forum and it upsets me.

Panzer, have you been drinking? :P

i find most of the above to be pure crap. Sorry mate.

On the using the map to find the enemy and navigate, in the "Red Baron" PC flight simulators players have to use a reproduction WW1 paper map and try to navigate from circling over the ground and trying to figure out where they are in realation to the target they're supposed to be attacking.

Avoiding flying over enemy FlaK batteries, aierodromes, etc.

There is no "you are here" map button in Red Baron, players have to learn to navigate.

And of top of this players have to cope with the unstability / fragility of whatever aircraft they're flying, changing weather, cross winds, look out for enemy fighters, fuel and oil guages.... it makes realistic and simulator mode in BOP look tame.

Now if a WW2 sim had all of that Foz would be even happier.

Oh the joys of having a PC mate :D

but sadly as games get better the price of a good pc goes up to and its just getting ridiculous now, i'll just stick to the 360 for the near future. Games like the above though mate are superb!! makes it so much more of a challenge.

I just recently switched from realistic to sim. Its so much better besides the fact that I can't look all the way around the cockpit with my joystick.:mad: