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[gmkump]

I own BOS and its extension BOM, with the extra purchased aircraft.  It has "wow" graphics, cool shadows, etc.  It has been improved over time to be actually worth playing.

However, it is like wearing a straight jacket.  It is so limited in scope, number of planes, places, etc.  Though I enjoy the flying, I feel entrapped into a very limited environment where I have to keep paying more and more to expand a little here, there, etc.  Great business model, even Combat Mission went that route, but its just so, well, disappointing.

When you get down to it, even though graphics and effects are worthy, it is the flying and combat that is the most important.  BAT has that and an immense variety.  It still delivers the realistic flight modeling I want, and it does 1,550+ times, all over the world, all through flight history.   After flying sessions with BAT, BOS just feels too restrictive. 

So even with the better plane and land graphics, better shadows, more 'wow' looks, (horrible campaign), I've had little time for BOS.  Even when I'm there, it doesn't take long for me to lose interest and be pulled back to the world of BAT.  Sorry BOS, BAT is where its at.

Thanks to all the modders, the old IL-2 just keeps trucking and constantly getting a new set of wheels.  It might look a bit old now, but its still flying, and due to the modding community, pretty damn well.
 

[Gattobuono]

I don't use BAT, but I find that even compared to stock IL2, BoS is just a pale shadow. The only thing that BoS has that is better than IL2 is the graphics. In every other way it falls short and I quickly tire of it.

Thanks all you great and dedicated IL2 modders for keeping the game alive! :-)

[sixstrings]

Been away from Il-2 '46 for a long time. Got into CFS3 and dropped most everything. Wanted a break from CFS3 and reloaded Il-2 '46 and did some research and was surprised so much has been done and is being done. Jumped in and haven't looked back. All around BAT has to be the most complete flight sim there is. VP modpack is great also as i'm mainly into WWII. So very grateful to all those who made this possible. Just because something is new doesn't mean it is better as this is the case here. Long live Il-2 '46 !!!  Regards,Scott

[PinkFloyd]

I have BOS and BOM and between what they are and what they are likely to become, it's pretty sweet. The planes are gorgeous inside and out, the lighting effects are top shelf, and the clouds and skies are nothing short of delicious. There is very little not to like about the flying. Much of it is FSX payware quality, and that's pretty damn good. As far as A2A combat goes, the AI dogfights are fun and the sound quality and weapons graphics are great.

BOS does have weaknesses though. The mission editor has to be accessed outside the sim and it's way too complicated. It's as much fun to use as doing algebra. There's a very good chance you will never use it simply because it's a PITA. The quick mission builder is weak, nothing at all like the quick mission builder in IL2 BAT which is fantastic!

I don't fly online or in campaigns, so I have no opinion. But from what I have seen on youtube, there are some pretty snazzy online dogfights going on. And though the sim is expensive, there is no denying that, there is some cutting edge quality going on in it. For the moment, the maps are just flat terrain, but pretty nice. But when the Battle of Kuban is released, there is going to be mountainous terrain and ships. That's going to be when this sim comes of age. For the moment BOS is a top quality refined flightsim. It's also a bit expensive, thin, and has yet to reach its potential.

Is it worth buying? I say yes. It's an A#1 super eye-candy representation of flying WWII aircraft. And it's only going to get better. 

As for IL2 BAT... it's the extra grand enchilada of flightsims and I have been flying IL2 since the demo came out in 2001 and I will fly it for years to come. It's awesome, the modders are even awesomer, and I haven't one bad thing to say about anything or anyone. 

[Mono27]

The same happened to me when I use Cliffs of Dover. It is a nice sim with great graphics (using the Team Fusion Mod).
But after a few missions I always switch back to il-2 1946 BAT. That is because to the big variety in BAT.
You can do a quick mission with a B-17, test fly the Gee Bee Racer, a campaign flying carrier based Panthers, single missions in the SCW, and more more more... You never get bored with this sim.
Thanks to all modders!

[Dogbert]

The same happened to me when I use Cliffs of Dover. It is a nice sim with great graphics (using the Team Fusion Mod).
But after a few missions I always switch back to il-2 1946 BAT. That is because to the big variety in BAT.
You can do a quick mission with a B-17, test fly the Gee Bee Racer, a campaign flying carrier based Panthers, single missions in the SCW, and more more more... You never get bored with this sim.
Thanks to all modders!

Exactly the same for me. 

Best wishes,
Mike.

[sixstrings]

Have read much about BOS/BOM and it just isn't worth the cost. Have WOFF-UE and the cost is about the same but WOFF is actually worth the cost. It's not the cost that bothers me it's the content. Eye candy isn't all there is. BAT and VP takes Il-2 '46 to a whole new level. Looks good enough for me and have no complaints . Not even my beloved CFS3 compares to what has been done to Il-2 '46. BAT and VP are my favorite sims to date. Hope there is a long future for them as they are the best in what they do. Will keep me busy for quite a while. Thanks to all who has made this all possible. Wish the developers would have just improved some things and not try the reinvent the whole sim. Just my two cents worth.

['MadDog']

I happily bought into BoS/BoM/BoK from the very beginning and apart from initial forays I have used it very little until recently. This change came about on their implementation of VR within the sim and it has been a complete volte-face.  DCS had been my go-to sim because it had the best VR enabled environment for warbirds but IGCS are doing  it better I think. I too have been using IL2 Sturmovik since the initial demo release back in 2001. The stock game comes across now as very antiquated and archaic whereas B.A.T. is still very playable and enjoyable. QMB is a great place indeed and I await Monty's campaigns with relish. Still, it barely compares to BoS/BoM with VR. Though B.A.T. has such great variety of aircraft and maps and such a huge timeframe encompassing innumerable possibilities I really find myself only flying a very limited number of different aircraft anyway. I use it as an encyclopaedia of military aviation. It will always be rough and ready with its flight physics and modelling but that's okay as it's the father in many ways of the sims being developed today.

I have a very strong machine with very large monitor but even with all that 2D goodness, it all pails in comparison with the much reduced resolution and difficulty in spotting/recognition of VR. Instead of looking through the pilot's eyes as he sits in the cockpit with non-VR, I am able to actually be the pilot now with BoS/BoM. For me, that is real immersion and is  also very addictive, much more so than with the very best of B.A.T. or any other non-VR game/sim.

One's preference depends on what one really enjoys in the flight sim world. For me  it really is the simulation aspect that trumps all and ICGS are 'smashing it' at this moment. Few planes, limited scope, intense small-scale air battles. Within VR I don't witness it, I can take part  in it.

Their scope will  grow in the coming years to the Pacific and beyond. Scope will come, the feeling is there now in VR. How would B.A.T. look in VR ? - though I doubt it will be enabled one  can only dream.

[352nd_Hoss]

I've been playing IL2 since it was first released, and it was by no means free for each of the upgrades, we did get free planes and patches but there were pay to play upgrades.  IL2 is the best thing to happen gto flight sims and Oleg and crew should be applauded for bringing it to us.  For those coming to IL2 in it's later stages think it got this way for free....................... it didn't believe me.  As for IL2 BoX, it is expensive to get started, but so is DCS which is also the premier jet, helo, sim with DCS Normandy soon to be released.  BoX will soon move to the Pacific once Battle of Kuban is released.  I'm really looking forward to Carrier ops again........... IL2 Pacific Fighters was the best release for the original version, as I'm sure Battle of Midway, and Battle of Okinawa will be for BoX, I hope North Africa will follow these since carrier ops will be used there as well. 

As for the scope of a game if you have not seen this BoX video then you don't know what the game offers.

   Watched in full screen on youtube is best

My group AG-51 used HSFX exclusively for the operations we did online.  BAT is awesome but my antivirus hates the Selector switch and deletes it constantly so I have abandoned even trying to use it anymore and have moved on to BoX and DCS with our group. 

Looking to upgrading the computer (it's been six years) to a nuclear powered kit that will run VR once the headset resolution is better than it currently is.  That means running BoX and DCS.

Cheers

Hoss

[SAS~Storebror]

I'm quite happy with BoS / BoM lately and fly it every other day.
It just doesn't compare to BAT, it's like comparing apples and oranges.

Best regards - Mike

[sixstrings]

BoX series may be for some but,to me,BAT is great and would be hard to beat by any other flight sim. Still use many CFS3 expansions and Falcon 4.0 BMS but find myself into BAT more often. For WWI it has to be WOFF-UE and just starting to explore DoF in BAT more and really starting to enjoy it. You are right Mike it's like apples and oranges.  Regards,Scott

[SAS~Storebror]

All in all, BAT is impossible to beat, if alone for the massive amount of maps / theatres you can play on, the large timespan covered, the completeness of plane sets, the fact that it comes for free, the community support - all of this you can search for elsewhere.

Other games score where BAT can't, simply because of IL-2 showing it's age compared to other games like BoS / BoM.
I think we're all aware that at a certain time IL-2 1946 will be dead and I hope that when this time has come, BoS / BoM will have an SDK that enables the community to move on.

Best regards - Mike