Horses for courses...

ndicki

ndicki

Charter Member 2016
Well, as you've noticed, I'm back from Strike Fighters, and I've been doing my homework.

I've been looking to see what SF does or does not do which would be essential for a WW2 scenario, and I've found a couple more things which strike me as difficult to get round.

If the FM itself may be more accurate, the controls will not be; so far, nobody has found a way to control boost, pitch or mixture. These are automatically handled in SF - as befits a jet sim - but are not in CFS unless you set it up that way. Admittedly, most later British-built aircraft had automatic mixture control, but American ones did not. Boost, or WEP, can be simulated in making it kick in at say 99% throttle - but the duration cannot be simulated, nor can the ensuing engine damage. Pitch - don't even think about it.

The result is that you're not flying right. If you're trying to unstick a Spit from a tiny carrier on your way to Malta, and you get your prop pitch wrong, you're in the drink. That is a real-life experience that one or two pilots didn't walk, or swim, away from. You need to get the actions right, and if the sim can't simulate them, you're not simming.

So SF will not do for WW2.

Don't get me wrong, though - it wasn't designed to. It was designed as a post-1950s jet simulator, and that it does extremely well in ways that CFS3 cannot do. I've bought the entire modernised SF2 series, and I'll buy the next one to come out too - but not for WW2 or even Korea. But for 1970s air combat over Israel, I'm on the edge on my seat...!

Just thought you'd be interested.
 
Hi Nigel,

interesting points, and valid.

I wonder if we will see AvH coming back this way? as they left for the greener pastures of SF and WWII simming as they believed it to be better than CFS3.

I wouldnt have a clue as I dont own the game, but it will be interesting to see where they go with it.

thanks,

regards Rob.
 
Well unless the SF series come up with a ww2 sim, there won't be a new one along anytime soon, so we're stuck with whichever our favourite is from the CFS/IL2/BoB2 etc. releases and each of these have there own foibles. I'm interested to see Olegs new BoB sim, but I doubt if it will be moddable so it won't hold the interest for those of us who like to 'tinker' :)
 
I'd be surprised. Gregory's brought out a number of WW2 aircraft based on existing 3rd party visuals, but with his own FMs. They are currently in testing. Wait and see. Do not forget that each one has his own special interest, and in Gregory P's case, it is the exactitude of flight models. Other considerations are other considerations.

A further major problem is that no GMAX-based exporter exists. Models can be exported only through 3DS MAX. TK explained the reason for this and it is dimple; the licence to use GMAX is paid by the developer, but not by the customer. He does not have that kind of money to invest. Let's not forget that TK is doing this off his own bat, and doing it very, very well. But he doesn't have the resources MS does have.

That means that while models can still be imported from GMAX into 3DS MAX, there is a substantial amount of work involved in converting them. Oh. and a licence, even a student licence, for 3DS MAX is not cheap. I forget the figures, but I seem to remember the cheapest legal version was around US$800-900.
 
If you're a genuine student you can get Max for about £85 (13 month licence - 13 months later it dies) or a perpetual licence for about £180 in the UK.

If you're a genuine student. They check...
 
Still expensive. I suppose if you ask for a little donation from each downloader you'll cover it in the end if you offer a good quality add-on, but it puts an effective stop to people like me who haven't a clue but use it now and then for odds and ends.
 
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