spreckair

I returned to flight sims about three years ago only because VR became viable. I took a very long (15 year) hiatus from flight sims because I found flying on displays to be too limiting. I love flying in my HP Reverb G2, and despite the ups and downs of the VR headset market, I hope that VR flying only gets better and stays affordable. Fingers crossed.

IL-2 GB--been flying concurrent careers for both a Russian and a German pilot on slow mode in BOM and just crossed into BOS. Also jumping into various scripted campaigns for variety.

What do We need in a WW2 combat sim of the 21th century It needs to make us totally forget that we are in the 21st Century.

I too am waiting to see how this headset shakes out, and hoping that my G2 keep going. And then there is the price...?

@Raptor82 I had the same impression when I got my G2. I hope it lasts for a long time, since upgrading to a better headset will be expensive and I am waiting to see how the overall VR universe shakes out. When someone produces a headset that has an image as clear and detailed as a 4K monitor and does not require lighthouses...

Speaking of life-like crew members, I would like to look down and see my own feet for a change. Nothing kills immersion in VR like seeing nobody in my own cockpit.

Ultimately, I think we all want flight sims that feel as close to the real thing. Now, if only our consumer equipment will allow for it to be possible?

...unless you are able to do it and have large formations. Recall that IL-2 GB's development started like over ten years ago, and things have changed quite a bit since then. What I like about the AI having the same flight models is that I am fighting against less phony AI (or at least I believe that I am).

Simulation vs. Game? I hope that this effort strives to be a simulator, and simulators strive to reflect reality. Fairness is no issue for me; if fighting against the A6M in an F4F was high risk, please let me feel what it was like.

I only fly in VR, and "reality" is what I seek in my flight simming experience. I realize that reality will probably always be a bridge too far, but I hope the developers keep it as a guiding principal. I would love to see the AI fly as "real" as possible, and as historically relevant as possible. On my side, I would like to see my flight actually follow my orders, and for my wingman to act as a wingman did. On the other side, I would like to see the enemy fly like they did during the real conflict. Otherwise it is a game more than a sim.

Nakajima KI-84.

So, the VKB STECS Standard just arrived yesterday and I used it on a couple of flights. I was using a Thrustmaster TWCS, and the STECS is many grades nicer in my opinion. (Actually, my wife walked into the room and said, "Wow, you got a real throttle?" Also, the TWCS (my second in two years) was starting to act up, with inputs jumping all over the place, so the timing was perfect. The throttles on the STECS are on a pivot axis, which takes some getting used to after years with a slide throttle. I haven't set up the detents yet, but I have fiddled with them a bit, and they are very fiddly. There is also a learning curve with the detents as they need to be adjusted in the VKB Config software, so this could take me some time to totally figure out. One of the nicest features is the ability to easily swap out buttons for hat switches, and vice versa. I purchased the Standard, which also has an additional large button module, because it also comes with the full set of detents and additional button/switches. However, I wonder if I will ever assign functions to the button module--it is just way too many buttons for what I need. Maybe I should have gotten the much cheaper STECS Mini and added the ala carte detent/button/switch set? Oh well...

But which one is right? I have only flown it in IL2 GB, and it is a real stinker. Unlike what you found in IL2 CloD/DW, history seems to show that it did not excel at nearly everything. If a P-40 is in the theater, I will be the one flying the A6M.

I seem to recall that Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 2 had the entire globe, albeit only developing detail in those areas that were actually used. But I think it had all of the land masses sans any human development.

Right, so the first phase of the VKB STECS features mechanical detents, which is a lot more capability than what I have now, and the detents have a quick-change feature that allows for up to five different pre-sets. I will probably go this route due to the reasonable price and big improvement over what I have now. In any event, if and when I get a new throttle, I will post my impressions. My understanding is that electronic detents might be included in the second phase, but VKB are keeping mum on this.