[jermin]

The most realistic and challenging FM is the one before 4.0, namely 3.04. In that version, you have to carefully manage your energy. Even a duel with the same planes could be much fun, because each pilot's energy management skill varies. Energy fighters like Bf-109 could be a deadly weapon in the hands of a veteran. Nobody used flaps to help turning at that time, since it did no good for keeping energy. But with the FM in later versions, you don't have to worry about energy management any more. Planes are much less prone to stall. You can even lower flaps to landing position to shorten your turning radius, which is of course ridiculous.

I didn't know whether this was a decision of Oleg (We were given the impression that the emphasis of the development had shifted to BoB around the time when PF was released. So Oleg might have already given up IL-2 before starting BoB development.) or the management of 1C. But what is certain is that arcade players has been gradually dominating the online community ever since the 4.0x FM came out. There were hardly any wonder-woman-view servers before the 4.0 series. Even playing in servers allowing external views were considered dishonourable.

It is funny to see those wonder-woman-view addicts gloating over their easy kills in their I-185s.

But they are not even the worst things. The worst thing is that most members of the current developer (TD) are these greeners who don't have a deep understanding of air combat.

Sadly Oleg's BoB dream came to nothing.

Oleg shouldn't have put all his promised features on the new game. He put IL-2 at a position that is way too low while put BoB at a position that is way to high. When people asked for improvements of IL2. Oleg's most frequent answer was "We will impletemen that in BoB". Actually BoB and Il-2 woud run abreast for a long time even all the promised features of BoB were enbodied.

One evidence supporting this assumption is that he didn't try to make an enhanced patch for IL-2 when they found 800m USD was still not enough for the development of BoB. I'm sure many players would empty their wallets for it if he did. Lock On is also an old title with more or less the same age of Fogotten Battles. But their developers are still polishing it and use it to make money to support their new projects. There will be a brand-new Su-27 cockpit in the incoming Flaming Cliffs 3. IL-2 is such a great game that it is really really sad for me to see it end up like this.

Anyway, I still want to thank Oleg for the fun IL-2 has broght me and my squad mates during the 9 years of online play.

Since 1C still keeps IL-2 in an abandoned status. It is more likely that the original decision was from 1C.