>>319671058
OP here - i guess i should point out the MP games were primarily ground based so the fliers were all secondary after-thoughts and handled as such.

>>319671058
>>319671328

DCS World nigga.

It's gonna take some getting used to. But that shit is awesome.

Especially since it's had a graphical overhaul in version 1.5 and 2.0 ( Need Nevada map for 2.0, and it's like 50$ dollars. Fuck that shit )

The Ace Combat on PC is the worst one, although the flight-stick controls are well integrated, so may as well give it a pirate.

>>319671058

For more arcadey stuff, if you don't mind older graphics Crimson Skies is good fun.
The IL2 Sturmovik series is a good WW2 air combat game, it can tend towards sim but it's highly configurable regards to realism and difficulty.
There's not much in the way of games like Ace Combat for PC that are recent, that I can think of.
DCS games are uber sim, try if you want to spend time learning how to turn the plane on properly, let alone fly it. Not that sims are bad but it's nowhere near Ace Combat.

I have the exact same HOTAS as you, and I'll admit that the game I had most fun with on it was Mechwarrior 4.

>>319671536
For real? I was redownloading DCS hoping to hop on and fly around Nevada. Don't want to be a baka and not support the game but can you pirate it and still use it with your modules?

>>319672183

I've no clue, I've seen no high seed torrents on Kickass or any of the other sites I use.

But DCS World 1.5 you can use with all your modules, and enjoy the graphical overhaul.

It's 2.0 that you need Nevada in order to play.

>>319671058

Oh shit, I almost forgot! If you want a pretty decent helicopter combat game that's not too simmy check out Apache Air Assault! That's only a few years old, looks decent, has a nice variety of control/difficulty types, and has an alright single player as well.

>>319672086
OP here - I did Crimson Skies and loved it. Glad to see it's still being recommended.

>everyone recommending DCS as an equivalent to Ace Combat

You want a good air combat game? Go and find yourself a little game called F-22 Lightning 3.

>>319671058
I've been flying ELITE with that same hotas. It's quite awesome for space combat and also offers you some other activities to do.

It can really be confusing as fuck to get started since there's no fucking handholding at all and the game doesn't explain much so you'd better either read up on shit or have a friend show you the ropes if you decide to get it.