I’ve joystick and track ir. (so i would like to play COCKPIT)
Arcade mode is entirely unenjoyable, cause it’s simply a kaos.
Playing in Realistic Air Battle mode can be somewhat fun. However, since I prefer the cockpit view, it puts me at a disadvantage. ATM, it’s the game mode i prefeer.
Simulation mode is just too slow for my taste—way too slow. Moreover, there are only a few people online on the same server, so meeting someone takes about 15 minutes. It feels like you’re playing alone.
Sim is your only option for a fair simulator experience. Don’t worry about the servers just select them all unless your down here in Australasia then turn off Russia. You can pick the battle you want to join by viewing the rooms from the bottom of the window.
Sim is faster paced than RB though. You meet enemies at a similar frequency, but at least you have something to do in between.
Choose smaller Maps for Prop planes and you are golden.
In addition ground SB is great for flying. You don’t have to bomb tanks, just intercept the enemy CAS. And if you meet another fighter that wanted to intercept your CAS planes you actually get really good 1v1 dogfights. It’s great.
If you take a fighter that can carry a bomb you can also annoy the mouse aimers on the ground. But be careful SPAA is also allowed to cheat with mouse aim, so they are quite dangerous.
Cockpit view + full realistic controls puts you at a significant disadvantage in Air Arcade and Air Realistic modes. You can still use it, but to be honest, it likely won’t be fun and especially not fair.
On the other hand, simulator is purpose-built for this, every other player also uses full realistic controls in a locked cockpit view so your “disadvantage” is nullified and you can fight on even grounds.
If you feel like being matched-up in Air Simulator takes too long, you can click on the “Rooms list” button and manually choose a lobby to join. It is generally recommended to utilise this rather than the match-maker with simulator, as it lets you manually select what you feel is the best lobby for you while cutting down on the time it takes to find a lobby to begin with.