I doubted AirWar C21 used Air War’s mechanics. Somewhere I heard it did. When we played Air War and Air Superiority we only handled a plane or two per player. Maybe you could do 4 in a pinch or in a friendly game but frankly we were almost role-playing as one player one person in the cockpit. I have also done missile kills with AS which with the early radar homing missiles required you to keep the very narrow beam of the guiding plane’s radar and the very narrow beam of the missile’s receiving system on the maneuvering target. Frankly I found that a lot of fun.

I too am an old time hex and counter player although I always had the urge to make as much miniature possible as could be. I have played games where all the info is on a, sometimes, very crowded counter to games where the counter only had a facing and identity and the unit’s characteristics were presented off table such as AS. Yes crowded counters bump up against older eyes and the limits of map and counter sizes. Conflict of Heroes uses larger counters and smaller geomorphic maps as its solution but there are much worse out there.

I guess what I find too old school are the various Combat Results Charts of the day. Many force levels or force ratios along one edge with the di(c)e roll and all the attendant modifiers along the other. Then introducing other weapons systems etc. each of which uses a modified or new CRT just adds to the load. I don’t know what the “ideal” solution is or I would be saying X is the only game system, rules, etc. to use and you are stupid to do elsewise. Just think how many friends I would generate!