Aces High II
Soon, very soon, to be Aces High III
Folks, don't waste you time or money unless you're looking for a game long past it's prime. Hitechcreations advertises a "WW2 Combat Simulation". The only thing "simulation" about Aces High is the fact that the ongoing online war is based on cartoon objects that look like airfields that have cartoon objects modeled to look like WW2 aircraft you get to zip around in doing things not at all like World War II pilots did. There are vehicles as well, but the sadness grows exponentially playing that part of the game.
The "combat" is fun and addicting as hell, for awhile. Soon, you learn the in-game "monsters" at their craft are pulling ridiculously stupid maneuvers that would literally ~kill~ a real pilot. Not only would the G-forces leave them drooling blobs of unconscious skin and bone... the "bad guys" would (and do) tear them to shreds for failing to "fly smart".
By design, the strategic (and tactical) aspects of the game have, and always have had huge potential. Unfortunately, the company insists on rewarding players for doing things that kill them. Entire squads (most of which do not remain in game long) take off loaded with bombs with every intention of releasing said bombs and the last possible second to ensure hits (for destruction of towns/bases to capture) and follow said bombs directly to the impact point. It's Kamikazee --everything--, including YOU when in a dogfight.
A "Sim" enthusiast will work for years to learn Aerial Combat Maneuvering. Think this will help? Why sure it will, right up until you favorite local "gamer" hero shows up. What happens next never fails to amaze. IF the silly sudden full stops, or gravity defying climbs don't prevail for the hero, why... he's going to point his nose straight at you knowing FULL well he's going to either collide, or engage in a 50/50 chance of winning a Head-on firing solution... because, well, you can just die and come back for revenge later. This is and always has been a huge problem with a so called WW2 Combat Game (sim). Death, is not. Death costs NOTHING but the time it takes to return. So, you can do a LOT of strategic work... for naught.
Aces High has had a good run. There was a time when the game wasn't tailored to the modern day gamer. You couldn't jerk your joystick around (creating net-lag) to confound someone shooting at you. You couldn't throw your aircraft into a 15g turn without ripping the wings off. If you pulled TOO many g's, you blacked out, -g's and you suffered red-out. Not any more. Oh, you CAN still rip a wing off, you DO still suffer red/blackouts, but it's all been so dumbed down it's become rather arcadish.
HightechCreations is banking their future on a new graphics engine. Don't take this wrong, but this is truly a RED FLAG regarding Combat Flight Sim's. Those of us who through the decades have engaged in true Virtual Air Combat Simulation know one cold hard fact... it ain't about the graphix.
Aces High has filled a gap for a very long time, and done it fairly well. Unfortunately, they've sold out to the "Gamers".