We'll have to get back to you on the banner CK, we've been really busy with other projects. The one you're using now is fine until we get to it...
Considering this it amazes me there are still so many people from the early days around. Besides Trog and the Rogs I still see many of the original CFS Community members hanging out. Dynotech is still at the RAF662, others are over at CFSIP, some more at Netwings and a bunch of guys here at Com-Central. I see others in the larger Flight Simulator Community that are still active or just hang out many at SOH.
Yep, I agree and the flight sim community that started from CFS is still going strong as friendships from around the globe were made. The age of global communications is here and how cool is it to talk to someone around the world or around the corner on your computer? Squadron members are like family with the difference being you can pick or request your members...lol. The first and succeeding Aces Conventions were incredible! Not only did you get to meet the people you flew online with every day, but other people and squadron members who you did battle with night after night. That was perfect opportunity to meet the "IP" and "ZONE" players on common ground.
With the release of CFS3 and FS2004 a funny thing happened at SOH, most of the staff really liked FS2004 and really disliked CFS3. Tekworm a guy who once said he couldn't see using Flight Simulators you can't shoot things down with loved FS9.
LOL, I know what you mean! Flying 'civie' aircraft never really entered my mind. I picked up FS95 when it first came out and it was fun...kinda. CFS on the other hand had guns and fast planes! You could fly against other planes with guns too, so the excitement was born! It wasn't until the Multi-player part of FS that is became fun. Flying offline is ok, but the interaction with your friends is what makes these games great be it 'civie' or 'combat'. Com Central has a FS9 game every Sunday. It's a great way to relax and learn the basics of real flying at the same time. How many people at SO and CC really knew about VOR or IRF before these games were released? How many people would get to 'see' the cockpit of a 747, Howard 500 or Constellation? Granted these are sim planes, but close in detail non the less..:wink:
At the same time we were going through some crap with Microsoft because of our vocal dislike of CFS3 so we decided to change and become more of a Flight Simulator site. It didn't take long and FS took over and we had a new group of FS guys besides the CFS and IL-2 guys.
I think the move to include FS9 along with CFS, IL2 and at CC, Groundpounder games was dictated by the popularity of these games as well as the people who plays them. The staff here at CC is really just members of it's community and play all these games. We have a saying here. "If it's not fun, we're not doing it!"...lol
CFS3 was a whole new problem with a new set of problems. Lovers of the CFS series such as myself ordered that game before it's release and couldn't wait to try it! It didn't take long to realize MS 'dropped the ball'. While the fun factor was there while flying with your online friends, it was buggy and problematic. Crappy MP interface and the lack of a Zone room was it's biggest failure in my opinion. Combine that with the problems of not joining a game if you had some kind of add-on plane or file and it was a formula for disaster. I'm not saying CFS3 didn't have it's good points but they just couldn't overcome the problems.
It is interesting to see a renewed interest in CFS2 and CFS3 and a healthy Community here and at other sites. At SOH we are getting lots of new uploads for CFS2 and have members working on a major release for CFS3. Even though SOH now highlights Flight Simulator we are still are 100% committed to CFS and the Community.
I've seen some new releases coming out as add-on's for CFS3 and CFS2 has always been a great game. Like SOH, CC is watching these with great interest. BTW, how is WreckRman doing? I haven't talked to him in a few years..