Originally Posted by
FightingSteel1
I would like to start a thread asking about some of the specific issues that Cliffs of Dover has towards making it a passable single player experience. I realize this is a multiplayer oriented group, but I don't know of any other place even slightly concerned with this game offline.
I would describe myself as someone that likes a good strike between realism and accessibility in a game like this. I have no interest in an arcade like setting with ridiculous kill counts or junk flight models, but also have no desire to learn how to operate one of these aircraft with every setting, lever and button. I tend towards a game like Jane's WW2 fighters.
That being said, with those games long in the past, IL-2 and Cliffs of Dover are the frontline games of the century. Right now I seem to have to balance between IL-2 being a quality game experience, while is Cliffs of Dover being much nicer to look at and operate. Will the single player side of Cliffs of Dover be upgraded in future patch releases?
At this point, the lack of everything from a quick mission generator to a detailed dynamic campaign are huge. But the quality of the AI and the command structure are deal breakers. I have flown a good chunk of the Redux campaigns, CFS1, etc. and the worst part is the lack of control in the sky. The game has an odd system of either ignoring your commands to wingman, accepting them without you having any idea just exactly what they are going to do, or "auto" commanding the flight for you when enemies are spotted. It's difficult to successfully escort a bomber group when your wingmen can't be ordered to specifically focus on the bomber destroying units, or they decide to chase after something and abandon you/the bombers altogether. Even more puzzling is when they just decide in the middle of it to announce they are returning to base. The whole experience reinforces that you are definitely flying by yourself and are on your own.
Also, at this current point, I can't figure out the bomber and AA defense. In past games, attacking bomber groups from certain directions/lower speed, etc. were bad ideas. In CLOD, attacking them at all means certain damage. I watch the enemy AI fighters take out some bombers, but all of them end up limping back to base or getting shot down themselves in the process. Ground AA is also murder as well. Are those elements of the game overdone now, or is that somehow more realistic? This says nothing of the AI also having no tactics against any kind of target, ground or air.
I know this is rambling, but I just wanted to gauge where the single player part of this game is, and whether it is worth continuing to play in the future waiting for fixes. At this point, regardless of new aircraft or maps, it is too frustrating to seriously stay with like the games of the past.
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