Maybe I'm over-estimating the extra complexity, but I think it'll be interesting to see how this all pans out, in tactical terms.
It almost sounds like, initially (and perhaps forever when dealing with inexperienced fliers), half the 'kills' people are going to be getting while flying 'full real' will be engine kills, forcing the other guy to bite bullets or blow his engines (or both
).
It could be though that as people become more proficient at recognizing and dealing with the extra level of variables, which is to say, as people learn how to fly with this more complex engine management, new ways of managing the combat aspects of the sim emerge too. It would make sense if there emerged new forms of commonly used tactics and 'game-play'. I'm not thinking of anything radically different to what can happen now using IL-2:1946, but just in terms of people operating within new sets of limits, and finding and taking advantage of new tactical exploits.
For example I can imagine cases of opponents just deciding not to engage in combat at all, knowing under the circumstances it just wouldn't be worth the risk or that they just wouldn't be able to get away with it like they once might have. What would have previously been an opportunity for a quick or easy kill might no longer be. Another example would be as I mentioned above, where you earn your victory by using tactics that force the other guy to wreck his engine, before disengaging, maybe without any shots being fired at all.
It could change people's willingness/reluctance to bail out too. You could conceivably fire a single short burst at someone and it could hit a critical component not previously modelled, and next thing you know your opponent's bailed for no apparent reason...
Anyway, in short, it could be a real game-changer in a lot of ways, predictable and not.
I personally welcome the extra complexity and would like to reach a level of proficiency where I'd be competitive online in a full-real server. But if it's all too much I'd also settle for just being able to take uneventful, scenic, full-real joy-flights off-line too. Am looking forward to trying at least.