IL2: Forgotten Battles
Cockpit panning is smooth and effortless in IL2:FB. Oleg Maddox was one of the first developers to recognize the potential of the device and developed IL2:FB with TrackIR support. It certainly shows in the game as it is pretty easy following enemy aircraft with the TrackIR. Earlier versions of the software allowed for a ‘cheat’ where people could look directly back but this seems to have been corrected in the latest software. You get enhanced and regular mouse emulation with IL2:FB when using the TrackIR2.
IL2:FB seems to be made for the device. Of all the games that I have played using the TrackIR2 IL2:FB still has the best panning and control. Head movements in enhanced mode are smooth and easy, there rarely is a problem with head control and the speed of panning means you rarely blow by your target when looking. With the regular mouselook function, the ability to pan the cockpit is stopped when the map is brought up, something you don’t need to worry about in enhanced mode. The ability to pan the cockpit while still being able to click on map features will be appreciated the first time you do it.
If you are a bigtime IL2:FB flier like I am, then I highly — and I mean highly — recommend getting the TrackIR2. The advantage you have in dogfights against non-TrackIR fliers is almost unfair to be honest. Once you figure out how to fly well with the TrackIR, you will find yourself wondering how you ever got by without the thing.
