Why do we need the patch?

[Houndstone Hawk]

Originally Posted by danscirocco

No disrespect, but if people want to go and play a true simulator, you cant beat the PCs in that area. I dont think theres a need for devs/companys on consoles to compete in that area. I doubt you could even reproduce the pcs simulators on console anyhow. But you look at this and race pro (simbin makers of gtr fame) i have these both and they arent entirely the same as the pc, i would be the first person to say that i would love racepro to be the same as gtr on pcs. Handling and physics i think its compares okay, but in race formats and qualifying and a lot more customisation u just havent got on the consoles.

So yeah they are dumbed down but also cos they want to attract the more casual gamer. I wouldnt go near a flight sim on a pc , i think they are dull and boring cos maybe they are too hard and realistic. After all if i wanted to fly a plane i would go get a license. But i enjoy ww2 air combat games and im enjoying il2 it just seems more emmersive, playable and i can fly it ( i play realistic, sim too hard on a pad) I cant stand ace combat too arcadey, but i appreciate IL2 acting like a semi-sim and thats what keeps me playing it. Its feels authentic yet its pick up n play sort of. Just like race pro!
Okay if i wanted it any more sim like, i would buy a stick and play on sim, but i dont. Not to mention theres just to many good games out on the console to sit hours learning to just take off or press another hundred buttons. Its difficult for devs to not fully satisfy hardcore simmers, but i think its for the best in success for the game.

Suppose my bottomline is i would like Race pro to be a sim like the pc, but for il2 im happy for the sim like experience they have given and its not like the pc. You can obviously see where my interests lie, so devs need to please, or at least try to please both ends of the scale. Dont get me wrong im no arcade game lover, i just like the game to be as authentic as possible without boring the pants off me hence why i like: nba 2k10 over nba live / race pro over forza 3 / il2 over ace combat
Regards

Total disagreement to your views of BOP being 'immersive' & PC flight sims as being largely dull & boring but respect your points & the way you put them across.

IL-2 (proper IL-2), Lock On, Rise of Flight, Battle of Britain etc are titles you would have to include in your description & each one has immersion by the bucket load & as much customizeable playability to suit any aviation enthusiast or indeed gamer. Wanna just taxi around, take off, freefly then land again? you can do that with all the above mentioned PC sims. (Hell, BOP even takes away the landing OPTION by about a few missions in & landings in the single player game are as rare as easter eggs). Tailor each encounter with a simplistic quick mission builder, giving total longevity to the title & finish it all off with the option of a replay facility to view your action? it's all there in all the titles but completely non-present in BOP.
Then there's the gameplay of the above mentioned PC titles. They can all be tuned down to almost blatant arcade shoot em ups with auto this & auto that.
I think the stigma given off by PC flight titles being dull & boring is derived from the microsoft flight sim series (which you would have a good case but I personally find FSX, together with great addons, photoreal scenery of your area & your local airbase in 3D etc, one of the best virtual flight experiences going).
I'm afraid I have never been able to associate BOP with any form of immersion but it's finding a fan base & that's good news. The PC version Wings of Prey is where I'm at now with this series & that is finding it's own fanbase. Everyone's happy.
Before last October though, I was convinced that Birds of Prey was going to steal the title "most realistic & immersive console flight experience" from Over G Fighters but I was very wrong. It's sure pretty & the arcade fun of blasting endless Heinkel after Heinkel outta the sky in seconds flat finds a market but when you mention immersion, that's where we are in healthy disagreement.

I'm also a race fan & have been since the early colin mcrae titles & so GTR series was great fun with total immersive race experiences but IMO Race Pro was a graphical & gameplay disaster with horrendous ai damage detection issues (you could overtake THROUGH the sides of opponents etc). It had the atmosphere of a wake & I think it, along with FORZA 2 & 3, fell long short in realism & feel, of even the TOCA Race Driver series on the last gen machines.