Lacking of 'Soul' in IL2 'offline missions/campaigns?

[dflion]

Being an ‘offline’ mission/campaign builder I disagree with several recent threads that the current IL2 lacks the ‘soul’. Having just completed my ‘Long nose Focke-Wulf – Eastern Front Campaign’ I have really enjoyed working with the new maps (Slovakia and Bessarabia) which have some ‘mods’ introduced on the airfields – you can take-off and land two or three flights of aircraft at once in the same direction. Some of the airfields have the classic ‘crossover’ layout with circular connecting taxiways – similar to many British BOB airstrips.
You can see that Oleg is experimenting with getting more aircraft into the air at the same time and this helps at the interception point, especially when intercepting bomber formations. This ‘mod’ increases the historical accuracy and ‘Soul’ of the current game. You also do not need to ‘que-up’ for landing.

There certainly needs to be a lot more ‘trigger points’ in the new BOB SOW flight sim, which would increase the current ‘Soul’ of the game in both ‘online’ and ‘offline’ modes, for example:-
• When you lose a Flight leader, somebody else immediately takes over issuing orders with authority.
• If you are flying in No.2, No.3 or No.4 position, you have more interaction with your flight e.g. if your aircraft has run out of ammo or fuel, been severely damaged or you are wounded, you can report that you are returning to base, without copping a pasting from your Section leader.
• When you return to base you can taxi to an ‘interactive refuelling/rearming point’ and then take-off again and return to the same action to help your comrades. (you may be stopped from taking-off if you are wounded, or your plane is too badly damaged)
• You have a better ‘interactive map’ and access to original written orders within the cockpit e.g. If you are a flight commander you can change your map waypoints ‘in-flight’ as the air battle changes and refer to original written orders (you may have forgotten something?)
• While flying the weather may suddenly change, which means issuing new orders to your flight.
• There is ‘a moral factor’ built in. As a leader, are you leading your flight by making the right decisions and winning (are your pilots happy with your leadership?). If you are not leading effectively, you may be transferred or demoted.
• If you are a Wing Commander or equivalent, you have more ‘tactical influence’ in the outcome of the air battle – you can call on help from different Squadrons and their commands if the situation changes.( They may not be able to come and help you?)
• You need to complete a rigorous flight training course (including air navigation, operating in different weather situations, air to air and air to ground practice firing) before being accepted into an active Squadron.
• Lack of proper Squadron logistics (lost due to bomb damage) e.g. petrol, ammo, personnel, planes etc. can effect how many planes you can get into the air.
I am sure Oleg is working on a lot of the points I have mentioned above which will launch the flight sim to a new level both in ‘online’ and ‘offline’ modes, giving it even more ‘Soul’.
DFLion