Com-Central.net

CFS3 is only as good as we online players can make it. I agree that as it dwindles, it's a shame to see it go downhill to 40% rooms and seemingly magic planes. For me and the plane of my choice, it hasnt been a factor tho. The tighter a spit turns, the better target it is in a zoom and boom. Gives me a smaller chunk of sky to aim at as I go by firing!

And since it was brought up....Not to fan the flames of one of those CFS3 vs IL2/PF threads... but since we're all serious and adult simmers here its a good topic we can discuss more reasonably than at other places: I've been in the process of reinstalling and re-evaluating IL2/PF so I can give a full low-down report to the pigsty, not just an at-a-glance opinion.

This is premature given that I wanted to wait and have some screenies and more in-dpeth info, but I've installed with no problem (there ARE no tweaks for IL2/PF, and it runs just great out-of-the-box on most any system), set up HyperLobby with no problem, seen the hundreds of players, and have flown a few scenarios with the good folks at www.warbirdsofprey.org on one of their server rooms ("Zeke vs Wildcat"), attained a few statistics even and flown in a few online IL2/PF air races (actually made it into the top-25 roster for a short time at www.il2airracing.com ).

Bottom line is, once you spend a couple or three evenings familiarizing to the new sim and the new keyboard layout, it is very very open-ended as to the possibilities. It's just not the "jump in and start shooting" sim that CSF3 online is. I liken it more to a mix between FS9 and CFS3 (or CFS2 maybe).

The online play is quite challenging - choose your home base at the start menu, start on the deck of a carrier if ya like, fire up the engine, take off (not always easy!) and fly toward the target looking for bogies, hunt down and take out what you can as given in the mission objectives (which have occasional reminders in the chat window), and get outta Dodge, navigate back to the carrier in one piece (if ground fire or bogeys haven't had their way with you) and make a carrier trap. Lotta fun in the F6 Hellcat or SBD Dauntless!!!! And all this with much more control from the host - full real, no HUD mode, dynamic cockpit view, little to no aircraft labels, ID 'em yourself and do your best. Really very challenging and you feel like you've really accomplished something (several things) when you land.

The air racing setups are specactular fun and much better than trying to make a race in CFS3 or FS9 IMO. Custom courses, proper start finish lines, lap counters, automated countdown/start scripts, engine management and overheating, and some nice folks. Oh, and custom racing paint skins on other planes transfer to your PC automatically so you can see 'em without downloading the same thing everyone else has. Hmmm....

In reading this thread and knowing the JG300's acquired taste for more realism in FS9 and longer, challenging group flight, this is why I think of it as FS9 with guns and air combat when ya want it. Even though the aircraft choices aren't as open-ended as FS9, there are tons of planes to fly, some very unique and odd, there's something for everyone it seems.

Me, I'll keep CFS3 on my my hard drive tho too, as long as there's online play and Spit drivers that my FW190 can tear up.....I like doing that too, partly becuase it's a great challenge when flying against old friends with beacoup talent, and also to show the newbs or teach the treetop-turners that there ARE other planes and tactics to fly that can be competitive. And also because JG300 was on the scene early and will not make control of the skies easy for das englanders!!!

~S~
I find those IL2 Vs CFS3 threads annoying as they drag on and get bogged down, all I was saying was why I think IL2 should be tried out before it is put down by people.
I really like the scenery in CFS3, I like the fact that you have the entire theatre to fly in not just maps which are limited, though good. Co-op missions are definately more flyable on IL2 due to the lack of lag, plus the fact that the mission builder, which is part of the game, is extremely good and simple to use. I've been back on CFS3 again a few times today and I've really enjoyed flying it in single player, I thought I'd give multiplayer another go and it was the same so I just left. Maybe the MAW add on which has been talked about for so long, with plenty of pictures etc, will make a difference, new aircraft modeled at AvHistory, new theatre etc, should make it an interesting game again, but how many people are going to know about it, and how much difference will it make to online as the lag issues will still be there. It is the lag that killed CFS3 in my opinion. As I said in my last post I was dead against swapping over but I think it was the best thing we could have done. I think there is only one other person in our squad who has CFS3 still installed, and he doesn't play online. It's an excellent flight sim, IL2 is not a flight sim to he same extent, it is more of a combat simulator online though as people actually can fly a huge variety of aircraft making every flight different, rather than more Spitfires and Tempests turning in circle around each other constantly and unrealistically.
Anyway that is my opinion of the two sims, I don't want it to get into one of those out of hand discussions. CFS3 has its place, but so does IL2 and I don't think people should knock it until they have tried it.

OD.

S~ and, Agreed.

Of all those tiresome comparo conversations thats all I was trying to say, with the level of pilots here at Com-C I think it's actually a good thing to be able to at least have a rational and calm discussion about the two, we're all interested in the future of our pasttime. Few places where that can be pulled off, 'nuff said.

I have no problem at all with people that enjoy IL2 or CFS3 saying so and stating why. But I get a bit cross with those that think if you don't fly "THE" game you are some sort of idiot.
Personally I'll stick with 3 mainly because of the scenery and a few other items. I spent my $$ and got the entire FB AES and PF set and tried it for a while.
For me it just doesn't feel like flying, for a number of reasons. Now for many it does, and thats fine. The main reason I play at all is because of the illusion of flying. I'd do just FS9 I suppose except for the fact that I like pitting myself against a live opponent. As to the old tired spit thing, I think that was just an excuse that many used either because they weren't good enough, didn't take the time to get good enough, or to figure out how to combat a tight turning plane. That and there were an awful lot of the guys that have since left that went in with a notion that certain planes should have been the best, and that since their plane wasn't the best in the game the game must be wrong.
Anyway, I always felt fly what you like if the others can't deal with it heck with em. Well and of course there is the #1 weapon to use against ANY plane... think they call it a wingman ...
As to which game... do the one you like but don't be one of those #### that think just because they are there everyone should be. Just have fun and let others have theirs.

>steps off soap box<

Whoa...chill, Dude! Standing out here, watching this exchange, I'm impartially advising that it sure looks like you're over-reacting to Dakota's post. I don't have a dog in this fight, but reading...and re-reading Dakota's post...it seems to me he's not looking for one either. This is EXACTLY what I dislike about CFS3/ILwhatever threads....In fact, when I started this thread, I was merely making an observation about what I was finding online in 3 these days (as opposed to when I really enjoyed MP in this sim...oh...say about 1.5 years ago...I'm not combat simming at all now).

Everyone should fly what they like....period, and leave any emotional baggage at home or in PM's. That'd be the "grownup" thing to do....

Sorry I apologise. I think I have gone a bit overboard there, it wasn't my intention and when I was writing it I didn't think it would come accross that way.

OD.

All this booo chit made me go out and buy Pacific Fighters this morning! LOL

- _79_OD_

Sorry I apologise. I think I have gone a bit overboard there, it wasn't my intention and when I was writing it I didn't think it would come accross that way.

OD.

I'm sure we all appreciate it!

I can't get the engine started!!!!! LOL

I'm going fishing! Will try again later! lol

lol combat. Hey if you're in HL look for me. I'll try to get you set up with IL2. I'm on HL as Mrdc.

- Combat

I can't get the engine started!!!!! LOL

I'm going fishing! Will try again later! lol

You know, [92] Battlehawk was having the same problem with his tow truck recently. S'pose it's one of them solar flare/electromagnetic pulse thingys....?

- JG300-Ascout

- Combat

I can't get the engine started!!!!! LOL

I'm going fishing! Will try again later! lol

You know, [92] Battlehawk was having the same problem with his tow truck recently. S'pose it's one of them solar flare/electromagnetic pulse thingys....?

LOLOLOLLMAO!!!!!!!!1

OK I'M BACK! And we caught no fish either! LOL

What a day!

Grilling some dogs and chicken on the grill....will also thumb through the damn manual while I BBQ!

....hmmmmm...press E to start engine....nope! lol

Hey if you're in HL look for me. I'll try to get you set up with IL2. I'm on HL as Mrdc.

Will try to find you Mrdc ya little punk! Could use all the help I can get. One thing I did though was go with the direct PF install for now. IL2FB was uninstalled many moons ago and I didn't reinstall it. Also I don't have the AEP either so I am basically PF only at the moment.

S~ BAt

- Combat

...hmmmmm...press E to start engine....nope! lol

lol, try the I key for igintion...