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Not exactly like them, but Tiny Combat Arena recaptures some of the joy of flying these polygon-based, simplified flight model flightsims. It's still in alpha (so only one playable aircraft -- a Harrier -- and only one demo campaign), but fast approaching 1.0, and I recommend it.

If you want to fly a "modern" jet without needing to read a manual or learn very complex radar systems, this is the game for you.

https://www.microprose.com/games/tiny-combat-arena/



Tiny Combat Arena's sole developer Why485 is very active on twitter & previously on their blog.

Both profiles are well worth a scroll through if you have any interest in sim-lite games. Really like the breakdowns on old school simlite games and what really made them fun (since it wasn't strictly a matter of realism = better).


Agreed it's definitely not a matter of realism = better! DCS looks gorgeous and very realistic, and I know it's simply not for me, because I don't want to actually work as a combat pilot.

MicroProse's F-19 is the flightsim I played and enjoyed the most, and it wasn't realistic.


DCS has some very advanced sims but some of the cheaper modules (planes) are intentionally less realistic/labor intensive.

If you download DCS World directly from the site instead of getting it through steam, you can get a 2 week trial of each module every 6 months.

Flaming Cliffs 3 is the name of the less realistic module. It comes with several planes or you can buy them individually. As I said before, you can try them all for free for 2 weeks each and it resets every 6 months.


I always loved the GraphSim F/A-18 Hornet sims. They were simple but still decently realistic. I still have mine on an old PowerMac tower! I should play that again.

Actually they have an iOS version, which isn't bad, except the lack of joystick support.


F-18 Korea? Never played it, but it looks awesome. And I think it was on the "realistic" end back in its day.

If you used to love GraphSim's F-18, definitely do check out Tiny Combat Arena. It has the same vibe!


Fun fact some of the guys behind DCS also worked on Falcon 3.0 an Falcon 4.0 back at Microprose.


Falcon 3 and 4 are major milestones in "serious" flightsims, and I toyed with both of them (3 more than 4), but I cannot say I completed a single mission with either.

MicroProse F-19 hit that awesome spot of some realism (laughable today, but it wasn't meant to be an arcade game back then), with a really easy flight model and cool missions and scenarios you could really complete. And besides knowing the keyboard mappings, you really didn't need a manual. It was thrilling to play mission after mission, getting all those medals, and having your character be promoted in rank. I spent a lot of time with that game -- probably flew as many missions as an actual combat pilot!

The only other flightsim I found almost as engrossing was Gunship 2000, with its "dynamic" campaign system, but it was way more difficult.

I find Tiny Combat Arena captures some of this thrilling but simple gameplay, but it currently lacks content (more campaigns, more maps, more things to do).




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