Demo is out?

WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED!

It's supposedly got both arcade and sim modes Aus, much like the PC version. My biggest worry is that the planes won't be any good to fly with a 360 controller.

Thanks for the heads up on the demo, I'm really looking forward to this one.

They did say they would support the flightstick combo. Not sure how many folks have the AC6 flightstick though.

I think there are a couple of usb flight stick options for the 360. The AC6 one was marketed that way, but I remember Saitek offers one (the aviator?). There may be others too, but you just have to google it a bit.

Cannot wait to get home and try this! Sounds fantastic, hope they've managed to keep it all together.

tried the demo - so far pretty good - i'm looking forward to hearing what people think of the saitek av8r stick and this game

lots of fun ahead

Yeah, realism mode felt more wonky than real. Arcade mode was more appealing, but I'm sad that there isn't a middle ground. Sim mode wasn't very fun at all, but i shouldn't be surprised. I'd like to hear from anyone with an AC6 joystick, to see how it feels to them. Beautiful game though, i think it's a rental for me.

Wow I suck at Realistic controls. The little bit I played of IL-2 on the PC seemed easier. Arcade was allot of fun though. This game could kick ass if it has co-op missions.

"Arcade" controls is a little misleading b/c the flight mechanics and most of the physics are still there. It doesn't turn the game into Ace combat or HAWX!

-You stall allot less, but still stall.
-Enemy planes go down with fewer hits.
-Significantly less vibration when firing.
-Less turbulence.
-An indicator on how much to lead your target (I hope you can disable this).

I turned the sensitivity down by about half and it made it much easier to play Realistic without constantly stalling.

Was it seriously that difficult to fly WWII era planes?

The only thing I've flown was a Marchetti, and it was damn near fool proof. The only thing you had to be wary of was a red out. Is was under the impression that the design of the craft in terms of aerodynamics was essentially the same as a dogfighter, but I guess that's not the case.

What's the difference that makes the il2 planes stalling death traps? How the f*ck did any pilots in training survive to the point of proficiency?

This.

Also by design many of the best WWII fighters were extremely unstable in order to get the roll rates and turning circles necessary before boom and zoom tactics prevailed. Mostly though it's that you have to train yourself to do very smooth inputs and let the fighters fly into your reticule, not the other way around.

I've given it a shot and while it's pretty good I feel so very constrained by the lack of situational awareness. If they let me plug my TrackIR in I'd be so much more interested.

Yeah, it's NOT easy in arcade. In fact, Arcade is tough.

Got a call today that my preorder will be in Thursday.

Gamestop started selling this yesterday here in Memphis. I dropped by one of my locals and grabbed the only copy they received (360). The other Gamestop I called said they only received two copies (1 PS3 and 1 360). Looks like distribution might be a bit anemic.

I've finished the tuts to unlock simulation mode. I then replayed the simulation tutorial with the Ace Edge, Saitek Av8r, and the standard controller. The Ace Edge played the best, but the dead zone for both sticks makes them frustrating to use. I'll probably just move forward using the controller. It's not quite as fun, but I can actually line up some shots in sim mode with it.

I've had a few uncontrolled spins (usually due to my impatience), but it hasn't been a huge issue and I can usually pull out of them if I'm high enough. It's just been a long time since I've played a simulation and I'm leaning on the stick and rudders way too much. That should work itself out as I play more.

I finished the first mission and enjoyed it. I had no problems with the primary mission, but botched my landing for the secondary objective. I'll need to practice landings in training to get that down.

Overall I'm very happy with the game given what time I've spent with it.

Yay, found a copy at Gamestop. Thanks for the tip.

We shoiuld form a GWJer squadron or something for some multiplayer.

Seems like a relatively limited release. My GS only had one for the 360, and now they have none.

I had trouble with the final Simulation training mission. Keeping up with the trainer was tough for me, but that might be because I havent played a flight sim in ages. I dont think I successfully did it but the mission moved on to the next stage.

I kept getting the radio message about a German Heinke bomber being spotted, but I could not find it. After 30 minutes it was driving me batty. I did find a plane doing patrol loops, but I'm pretty sure that was just my instructor or my wingman.

I went to the map (B) and saw a red bar, but after circling forever i couldnt spot the enemy. I saw a blue/yellow triangle, which should be a friendly, but without any other options, I ended up flying across the mainland. I still couldnt locate the bomber or the plane it was supposed to represent and was feeling a bit humbled.

Any tips on spotting enemies in Simulation mode are appreciated?

Recovering from spins was tough too. It's either L+R sticks both being pushed outward, or L+R both inward. The prompt seems to flash them, so I guess you keep clicking them inward or outward depending... on What? I cleared the Realistic training. It wasnt too hard, but I'm not convinced I got the spin recovery down pat at all.

Despite a few questions, I am really enjoying the game. It's beautiful and controls really well. I have a bad history of putting down flight games way to quick, but this one has its claws in me. I have a bit more to learn, that's all and its looking like this will be one more distraction from games I had intended to finish. Hope to check out multiplayer soon enough.

Maybe I better read the manual.