*1: Yes, IL2 1946 is the complete IL2 package (all included)
*2a+b: the default campaign doesn't do justice to the game, the game itself was more focused for online play then it is for it's default campaign.
however there's plenty of campaigns to download online and ofcourse you have online squadrons that play co-op online in a similar way as a campaign:
A example is II/JG53 squadron:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=129588
so as for campaigns you have 3 options:
1: Hand Made campaigns, which are mostly very good.
2: Only squadrons that play Co-op campaigns
3: DCG, its replaces the default campaign generator and has more customizing features and options.
site:
http://www.lowengrin.com/news.php
*3: IL2 has very nice grahpics, even for its age...also if you tweak the config file you can enable what's refered as the perfect mode which enables even more graphic options of the game.
*4: IL2 has a wide selection of realism options to enable/disable
*5: IL2 as far I'm aware works well with any joystick so far
I even have played it with a stick that was about aprox 15 years old (a old Logitech Wingmen)
the advice I can give you is that the joystick you purchase has a handle-twist (for rudder control)
*6: haven't played AoE, so can't tell but I can you I've been playing IL2 since it came out.
HunterICX