15.08.2011, 20:36
Gents,
Since I have now acquired C.O.D. (CLOD by any other name), I have had a chance to do some testing.
Bear in mind that many of you would have considered my rig as "UBER" before, but I have had to upgrade just to get CLOD working.
My first tests were with Nvidia 8800's in SLI with the same black screen issues that many of you are quoting. Although the game says that it will run on 8800's, I'm here to tell you that it will FLAT OUT NOT RUN with 8800's.
Even my old GTX 295's came up short. I have since upgraded to GTX 460's just to get CLOD working. After the upgrade I was pleasantly surprised to find I could run the game maxed out and still maintain 35+fps while flying in dogfights over London and 60+fps over the water.
My first impressions of the game scream out "ALPHA/BETA" version. If I would have purchased this game off the shelf at the asking price of $49.99 USD, I'd be screaming for my money back right about now.
All Oleg and crew have done is take IL-2, put it into a different engine, added some very nice eye candy and called it COD.
So, I will go into as complete a review as I'm currently able....
First the Good:
1. Very nice cockpit graphics
2. Excellent lighting/shadow effects
3. Much improved AI over IL-2
4. Very nice ballistic effects for projectiles
Now the BAD:
1. After 10+ yrs, they are still using the same lawnmower engine sounds for the planes even after WE, the modding community, have come up with and offered beautifully recreated, and sometimes actual, engine/weapon sounds.
2. Glaring issues with cockpits. ie. Hurricane and Spitfire both have a severe problem with the artificial horizon indicator. At times it will be as much as 45 to 50deg off. A major problem when flying by instruments alone at night or in clouds.
3. Flight models for AI and real life pilots are obviously different. AI are able to do wild maneuvers, that are totally un-achievable by real pilots, even when heavily damaged.
4. Mirrors for planes are useless as there is a major problem with the mirrors. Especially down low. (Looks like T.V. static when reflecting water).
5. Some gauges don't work at all (amp meter for instance).
6. NO REAL MANUAL! For $49.99, I expect to get some kind of PRINTED documentation that tells me how to operate the game and basic operation of the different aircraft, maps, etc.... Not something that is burried so deep within Steam(ing pile of dung) that it takes you 5min just to find it and another 30min to scroll through it to find incomplete information.
and last but surely not least.......
STEAM!
If I wanted some dam program to flash advertisements up at me when ever I go to start my games, I'd go and surf porn sites and let them infect my system.
The best thing I can say about this game is that it looks pretty......
But I can take a big ole pile of horse manure, put in a box, slap a real pretty bow on it and give it to you.
Know what you'd have then......
A real pretty box of ****.
Bottom line, no matter how nicely you dress it up, in it's current state, CLOD isn't worth the money.
Save your pennies for something really nice like DCS A10-C, Rise of Flight, or maybe even a backup copy of IL-2!!!!
S!
Since I have now acquired C.O.D. (CLOD by any other name), I have had a chance to do some testing.
Bear in mind that many of you would have considered my rig as "UBER" before, but I have had to upgrade just to get CLOD working.
My first tests were with Nvidia 8800's in SLI with the same black screen issues that many of you are quoting. Although the game says that it will run on 8800's, I'm here to tell you that it will FLAT OUT NOT RUN with 8800's.
Even my old GTX 295's came up short. I have since upgraded to GTX 460's just to get CLOD working. After the upgrade I was pleasantly surprised to find I could run the game maxed out and still maintain 35+fps while flying in dogfights over London and 60+fps over the water.
My first impressions of the game scream out "ALPHA/BETA" version. If I would have purchased this game off the shelf at the asking price of $49.99 USD, I'd be screaming for my money back right about now.
All Oleg and crew have done is take IL-2, put it into a different engine, added some very nice eye candy and called it COD.
So, I will go into as complete a review as I'm currently able....
First the Good:
1. Very nice cockpit graphics
2. Excellent lighting/shadow effects
3. Much improved AI over IL-2
4. Very nice ballistic effects for projectiles
Now the BAD:
1. After 10+ yrs, they are still using the same lawnmower engine sounds for the planes even after WE, the modding community, have come up with and offered beautifully recreated, and sometimes actual, engine/weapon sounds.
2. Glaring issues with cockpits. ie. Hurricane and Spitfire both have a severe problem with the artificial horizon indicator. At times it will be as much as 45 to 50deg off. A major problem when flying by instruments alone at night or in clouds.
3. Flight models for AI and real life pilots are obviously different. AI are able to do wild maneuvers, that are totally un-achievable by real pilots, even when heavily damaged.
4. Mirrors for planes are useless as there is a major problem with the mirrors. Especially down low. (Looks like T.V. static when reflecting water).
5. Some gauges don't work at all (amp meter for instance).
6. NO REAL MANUAL! For $49.99, I expect to get some kind of PRINTED documentation that tells me how to operate the game and basic operation of the different aircraft, maps, etc.... Not something that is burried so deep within Steam(ing pile of dung) that it takes you 5min just to find it and another 30min to scroll through it to find incomplete information.
and last but surely not least.......
STEAM!
If I wanted some dam program to flash advertisements up at me when ever I go to start my games, I'd go and surf porn sites and let them infect my system.
The best thing I can say about this game is that it looks pretty......
But I can take a big ole pile of horse manure, put in a box, slap a real pretty bow on it and give it to you.
Know what you'd have then......
A real pretty box of ****.
Bottom line, no matter how nicely you dress it up, in it's current state, CLOD isn't worth the money.
Save your pennies for something really nice like DCS A10-C, Rise of Flight, or maybe even a backup copy of IL-2!!!!
S!
) 
