Com-Central.net

Well folks,

It's been a while since CFS3 came to us in 2002. I remember recieving it at Christmas..my first flight sim. Oh, those were the days. Times have changed though. When I came to CC in summer 2004, this place was a thriving with CFS3 squads. But IL-2 had some recent additions, and just like that...it became deserted. I too left CFS3...but it's time to wipe that dust off that old CD.


A Mossie over Switzerland (compliments 46th-Design Team)

Now let's remember CFS3 is no IL-2. IL-2 has the latest state of the art flight physics models...while CFS3 does the traditional table model (not like their not complex...I'm thinking 1% spreadsheet) Graphics wise..IL-2 has better water and environments with OpenGl and DirectX options. Multiplayer..on a daily basis IL-2 has about 800-1000 members online at any single moment. But it always seemed to me that CFS3 had something that IL-2 never had.

The CFS3 community is small now. The most games up I saw at one time were about 15-20. Actually, not bad...Squads are rare, mostly MOG, IMS, MPI, FF, AARP..and maybe a lone {92} in the mix xD. Development is still very active in the community. We know about the current WWI mod called OFF (www.off.oldbrowndog.net) and the upcoming release of Mediteranean Air War (www.medairwar.com)





Single player is where CFS3 still lives. I prefer it over IL-2, basically because the extensibility of Quick Combat, and the great dynamic campaign. Just imagine yourself:

You're surrounded by flak...one engine of your B-17 is gone...you try desperately to keep the plane lined up for the target...P-51s are trying to fight off the 109 buzzards while your tailgunners are blasting away...all of this at 19000 ft...the fate of the ground offensive depends on you..will you make it?

With the addition of 3rd-party scenery and aircraft CFS3 single player lives up to a lot of my needs. Just go to Avhistory...and don't worry that place isn't dead even though it hasn't been updated in months...all the developers are busy with MAW...go look and see for yourself. And cross your fingers for that breakthrough 4.0 physics models they are going to release with MAW.


The Avhistory 1% RAF Mustang Mk III

Multiplayer is still fun, even with our absence of major squads. Finding a realistic room can be a hassle though, but every once in a while you will find one with at least 75% realism. I miss the days of No Guts No Glory, quite possibly the funnest flight combat experience I ever had. Man, I miss those days.


A view of Interlaken over my Fw-190's wing,(somehow CFS3 will download extra scenery without the airfields or facilities, just the terrain, even if you do not have it installed. Example above)

Perhaps the biggest nostalgia I ever had was...the airshow. "No shooting..allied planes only". We had the best of times in my opinion in those airshows. And what makes me really happy...they still LIVE ON!!!

Yep, a airshow was up..and I was the first to be there. I met with the host and we base hopped. Pretty soon the room filled up with members and we practiced landings, taxiing, formation takeoffs.etc...unbelievable memories came back.


A Kodak moment....note my enthusiasm in the chat..lol.

We still have our bad boys though...everyonce in a while...that lone b-25 you kept your eye...yeh...it will drop ordinance on your position. Haha...nothing changes.


Who did it?


A modern day CFS3 Room

But people still have their arguments...well "CFS3 was an unfinished pile of poop" or "CFS3 was the worst game ever made", but I have concluded that flight sims are fun to different individuals. IL-2 is great, but honestly it cannot recreate the fun I once had in CFS3. For me, CFS3 is anything but dead.

Maybe more comments later!!!

Cheers Moser

WOW!!!! Really enjoyed that, Moser!

Me to

Looks like I missed the heyday but I think this sim still has a lot of life left. Great piece, thanks.

You made me look where I did leave that cfs3 disc

Nice post to read post Moser, and indeed every sim has it's own pro's and con's.


fled

Excellent post Moser, I too may re-install and have another look at CFS3.

Hey, a HUGE ~S~ for the comments everyone.

To really get CFS3 running to my satisfaction was through the excellent help of the Com-Central Tweak 'n Tune guide. That really sorted out the stutters and improved quality with increased performance. Thank you so much Stoopy.

I'm waiting for MAW, which developers are aiming for a spring release. This addon will give you a complete new theatre, with the addition of about 100 planes, all up to the 4.0 standards (still a mystery how this will behave). Should be a blast.

And the very great 46th-Design team website was lost in a crash, but its great downloads are available at Netwings. I heard news about a possible 4.0 scenery to be release as most of us know of the incredible extended scenery package they produced.

And there is a dambuster project coming soon, if not released. I saw a video and the skipping bomb looks great.

Give CFS3 another go. If your a huge IL-2 fan, don't instantly uninstall it if you doesn't give the great impression. The community is excellent, even if small, and there is no patch whining either They work hard to create free individual addons, fixes, alternatives, and FUN we all enjoy.

Moser that was an outstanding post! Brought back many great memories of those times. Thank you!



....and who could forget Cheap Shot! Oh! Those were the days!

I am sorry I wish I could say the same about cfs 3. I only played it for about 2 -3 months. Then I quit flight sims.... However cfs 1-2 was the games too play I about had the most fun ever well "online" playing for SOS in cfs 1 and 2 it was a blast those was the good ole days. Wish it could be liek that but ti will never be. Only thing that we can count on int his world is change.

~S!~ Moser!

I am an active participant in CFS3. Granted, I haven't played IL2 or even FS2004/FS9. CFS3 has always met my expectations and provided me a great time either on my own in a campaign, or slinging my one o' nine around on the tail of one of those pesky spits online. I have been talking to my sty-mates about how I wish I had been around for the heydays as well when squads ruled the skies and WEC was alive and well for CFS3. It would be great to see a re-birth.

I think MAW will be the start of that. If nothing else, people will want to see what it is all about, that alone my spark enough interest to get folks back online, if nothing more than for a little while. I still see Squads out there, again mainly the ones you had mentioned, to include the FF! I have been a few rounds with Rufus and Canuck.

Well, enough of my rambling. If there is enough interest, who needs WEC? I've been aching to try my hand at a cheapshot game, or the river race I have heard so much about. Next time your on, I host airshows often, stop in for a flight!

Again, ~S~ Moser!

Well written Moser.
My lack of enthusiasm is due to the lack of high percentage games as you mentioned. Occasionally when I am on late night for me, I will find the Mules in the mountains, or some other hardcore game in the 90% range. But, for the most part it is 30-50% turn and burn with 30 ft spawns. Click START, pull the trigger, and fly til you drop.
Oh, for the days of NGNG again!

I wouldn't mind a few of those myself. unfortunatly I don't think the planes are available anywhere for new-comers

What were the NGNG Planes?

Hunt the NGNG planes were painted florescent colours so that they could be seen when playing with no tags.Many people liked to play at 100% realism but it was just too hard on the eyes trying to spot the planes or to figure out if the were friendly or not.NGNG stands for no guts no glory.twas fun.