Virtual Cockpit in CFS3

there is no 2d cockpit as was found in cfs2. Its either the virtual cockpit, HUD view, or extrernal views.

How do you do a manual start using the mouse on controls ?

It looks to me that MS is getting out of the CFS business. I think CFS3 is a come-down from previous versions. Maybe they decided not to do anymore work on it and just released it as it was.

Im just getting into the cfs series and I started with cfs1. I really liked it except for a few quirks (like nursing a plane back home and managing to land only to have your AI squadron mate land on top of you!!)

likewise cfs2 was really good (those zeros will get ya).

I couldnt wait to get my paws on cfs3 but after installing it it was like a completely different series of sim. The whole 'vibe" was different and those 3d cockpits just scream "hey this is fake" at you. I always used the 2d cockpits because it was the most realistic view and immersed one into the game. I dont like the view wirh no cockpit at all because in real life you couldnt see thru the whole front of the A/C.

Then I tried some quick combat dhooting down somw bombers and the dadgum things broke away in all directions and started dogfighting like crazy and shooting me down.

"As real as it gets" shouldnt allow a big 4 engine bomber to out turn and out shoot a fighter plane!! This ruins the experience for me and it becomes just a game instead of a sim. a b-17 just cant do a 90 degree bank without falling from the sky! no fair!
Also the bomber gunners never freaking miss!! The guncrews on the ground must have radar guided control systems because they are too good as well.

Its a shame because cfs3 could have been the king of the heap and a logical sucessor to the series. Its a huge game and they could have given everybody most of what they wanted so that you could set it up like an arcade or go for max realism.

Why dump the most realistic cockpit?? that does damage to the immersion factor of the game, and then they go and make the AI planes and crews have superpowers and special laws of physics just for them!

Microsoft chose to concentrate on the tactical air war in Eourope with lots of ground targets etc, and thats ok, but I see no excuse for the glaring flaws.

Dangit! they could of had the prettier A/C,the better scenery and effects and still kept what made cfs 1 and 2 so cool as well. If anything dump the fake looking 3-d cockpit! The game is huge with room for everyones favorite stuff.

in the first 2 versions if you got shot down,at least it was your fault because the AI pilots and airplanes couldnt do any magical things you couldnt do. their A/C had the same flight model and was based on the actual a/c of ww2. if the zero out turned you,it would do so in real life,not
just because the computer cheated for it.

Hitting an attacking a/c from a gun turrent of a b-17 is hard as hell and takes a bit of luck. but these computer crews just dont miss cuz the computer cuts them so much slack.

Microsoft really blew it by fixing what wasnt broke and losing sight of the "as real as it gets" mantra, IMO

Sorry for the rant, i feel better now! 😀