The Ultimate Question -- Ext Views vs Locked Cockpit

[dduff442]

I've no special preference for closed v open cockpit, but let's face it you don't hear open cockpit players declaring themselves superior to 'full switch' players.

Full switch more closely resembles reality (though some sort of stamina modelling would be a nice touch). It also places a premium on patience an guile.

External views allow beautiful, coherent and technically perfect energy fights. Executing a technically perfect scissors is next to impossible without ext views. You can't execute an energy efficient course reversal after a pursuit without ext views because you'll need to keep your speed up as you enter the turn to check your six. As well as adding new skills, closed cockpits introduce randomness due to restricted situational awareness.

Even though I've spent more serious game time with the cockpit locked, I have to say when I think of my favourite Il-2 memories they're nearly all associated with online fighting on open-cockpit servers: e.g. besting a pair of 190s, with one 'on the perch' and another attacking, in an La-5 using a fake defensive spiral (*). Various 1-on-1 grudge matches also spring to mind as well.

On one sortie when I didn't even make a kill, the teams were very unbalanced and I took off alone with 5 or 6 enemies straight overhead. Simply by F6ing through the enemies and manoeuvring defensively against the most dangerous opponent (or picking a compromise move if 2 or more were threatening), I made it to the top of the lot. Attacked, damaged 1 but then got frustrated by my own lack of success, sucked into a dogfight, lost energy and got shot down pointlessly. No kills, but still memorable.

OTOH, none of the things I described above (or below) would be possible without ext views. External views allow a purer game that's all about matching technique to the machine. I really don't understand why people don't get this or would seek to belittle the technique needed.

Now I enjoy 'full switch' campaigns offline -- I wouldn't play them any other way though I'm a bit perfectionist about them. They're more nerve-wracking but also messier. I feel bad when my little electronic wingmen get mashed while I fly pointless open curves checking my 6 every 2 seconds. Full switch has a special satisfaction but it's less fun.

dduff

(*Shhh! A trade secret. If approached head-on, fake a defensive spiral so that you're below your opponent as you pass. The idea is to time your spiral so that you're already climbing at that moment, keeping the turn nice and open and following up with a vertical climb & hammerhead; your opponent is sure to take the seemingly unopposed head-on shot, but this will drag him into a dive of increasing steepness as he tries vainly to track your approach. It's impossible for him to equalise energy after he's made this error.)