Beowolff's informal review (with pics & guncam)

:FI:Scott · Post by **:FI:Scott** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:50 am

My copy of CFS 3 arrived this morning and I was all set up for spending this evening installing/tweeking. Ive been through the OFF website and readmes etc and was itching to go then......

diary- 7.30pm. Guest at Estate Agents and Valuers Annual Dinner, York.

The only consolation is that booze seems to be the starter main course and dessert at that kind of do and I will get utterly mashed so in all likelyhood I will pull a sicky tomorrow due to a 'mystery virus'. A day on the PC awaits.

I'll let you know how it goes Beo

Cheers

R.

:FI:Nellip · Post by **:FI:Nellip** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 1:08 pm

Got my copy of CFS3 yesterday and downloaded OFF (90mins for nearly 600MB).

Only had time for one quick sight seeing flight last night in a Sopwith Camel, and the game crashed when I tried to land (just before I would have crashed anyway

)

Should have some time for a more extensive test at the weekend.

We will have to get together online with this one.

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:41 pm

sounds good, Scott, Nellip....

you guys are going to like this game! we'll for sure have to get online with it. coops are a blast! and i'm feverishly working on some additional coop/mp missions even now. which is a real chore as the modified CFS3 mission maker is a bit hokey!

Nellip, any idea what caused your game crash? any error messages or what?

i had a bit of trouble with that at first, because i had screwed up the installs. the main game has to be installed first...phase one, then the super patch, then the multiplayer patch. and i screwed it by being too impatient. on the install screen for the phase one main install, i clicked OKAY to install, and the installer said it was done... but ahhh, BEHIND the installer screen was the small windows box showing the install progress bars and they were still showing progress---ie it was not completely installed yet (its a HUGE file) even though the install window said it was so.

so being the dummy i am, and being impatient too, i went ahead and clicked install on the super patch---not knowing at the time that the main part of the game wasn't done installing yet. well, the super patch is a much smaller file than the first install and it actually installed BEFORE the main part of the game was done. chaos!!

OFF has to be installed just right and in the correct listed order. so i was having all sorts of problems until i finally figured out what i'd done. i had to take OFF completely off my drive and start over, paying more attention the second time around. and now its perfect.

just thought i'd mention the above. from what i understand, most problems with OFF have been an installation problem (from what everyone has told me) so if you continue to have problems, completely remove OFF and start over. you shouldn't have to remove CFS3 unless that also is giving you trouble. OFF merely uses the good copy of CFS3 to COPY the basic game engine and some other settings (including file structures) so if CFS3 is working correctly (no crashes) you can leave it on there, simply remove all OFF files and redo in correct order.

if you continue to have problems let me know and i'll try to help.

strap on those goggles, pull on those gloves... let's get cracking!

Beowolff

:FI:Noter · Post by **:FI:Noter** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:57 pm

Awwwhh hell, had CFS3 years ago, sold it used at a software store for $1...yes $1, but I'll probably go get it again. Just reinstalled LOMAC too, need more hours in the day, or a life with no job or responsibilities. They put a real crimp in my gaming!

Noter

:FI:Nellip · Post by **:FI:Nellip** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:16 pm

Beowolff wrote: Nellip, any idea what caused your game crash? any error messages or what?

Beowolff

Sorry no message - the screen went red and the computer locked up completely.

I haven't installed the super patch or multiplayer option yet so maybe that will sort things out. Not going to read too much into it yet, I have only played the game once for 10 minutes. When I have applied all the patches and given it a longer test I will have a better idea.

Skipper · Post by **Skipper** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:27 pm

Just got the game tonight folks.Managed to knock the price down from the original whopping price of £35(PC World is always overpriced) to £10.Not a bad nights work

Installing the patches now so hopefully off to hunt the Hun soon!

"Contact!"

Skipper

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:31 am

good going, Skipper... let me know how it turns out for you.

give 'em hell!

Beowolff

:FI:Scott · Post by **:FI:Scott** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 4:24 pm

I have installed and patched and played a couple of CFS3 missions and the first thing i thought was how good IL2 really is!. Dont get me wrong, it isn't as howlingly crap as I thought it was going to be but those cockpits are rank bloody awfull. The aircraft don't feel right (totally subjective I know) but I was flying a Tempest like it was some kind of space ship instead of the awkward bugger we have got , I mean I couldn't get the thing to stall and yes full realism settings were on.

Then OFF.

This thing is without doubt the best sim I have played since starting with IL2. It is a work of sheer enthusiasm and craftsmanship. those early aircraft can be buggers to fly and worse to fight in but once you get into it (and you will) its hard to put down. It is that good. My advice- get it.

Follw Beo's advice in this thread for installation and RTFM, if you don't you will end up scratching your head- I couldn't quit out of the thing without all my desktop icons being messed up and I don't know about everyone else but the placement of my icons is one of the cornerstones of my reality. Read the distructions and there's your fix !.

Thanks for putting us on to this Beo, really appreciate it

Oh yeah, how many hits on average is it taking you to down an enemy, its taking me 90ish and that seems way too high?.

Cheers

R.

Skipper · Post by **Skipper** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:54 pm

I have to say its very good!

The only problem I have with it is its a bit jerky even on lower settings but I think thats because I need to tweak it.Got my first couple of kill tonight:

Good stuff but it sure takes ages to get anywhere without time skipping

Skipper

PS-I think that the damage rate is about right.We've got to remember how these are pretty much pee shooters in comparison to the canons in Il2 and it seems your best chance of downing and A/C is to hit the pilot or hit the engine causing a fire...

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:23 am

well, as to kills or rather number of rounds taken to get one----the game makers say its all a matter or placement, timing and luck. claiming that on some aircraft, only a short burst will bring it down, then on others, you might have to empty your weapons into them to do it...if even that works.

which is lifelike.

i think that's about right...though at first i thought i was merely a really terrible shot. the more you play the game the more you realize that yes, a lot of times it does take a HUGE amount of bullets to down an enemy, but then after awhile, you notice that sometimes, a short, close-range, well-placed burst WILL bring them down. you just never know.

i think the thing to remember is that, yes, those old crates were flimsy beyond belief, but that very flimsy construction could also make them hard to down in a lot of instances. ie, if your shooting is not dead on on cockpit, wing structure, engine, etc... most of your rounds are merely passing through doped fabric... not a lot there to really damage.

but if you put several into the engine, cockpit or some more solid structure, you'll see that quite often the plane goes down rather quickly. as it should in real life.

also, i think, as the makers claim, there is a bit of luck (good or bad) that comes into play with every combat.

one thing to watch out for, HEAVY archie fire around heavily defended enemy installations...ie such as train depots and such... lol. if can make IL2's deadeye AI ground gunners look like weaklings and whimps. the good thing about it though is that is seems more realistic. not really ONE SHOT headshots like the IL2 AI gunners, but more a savage concentration of heavy ack ack fire that will pretty quickly ZERO in on your position and bracket you with concentrated fire. quite deadly if you are the one ZEROED in on. lol.

by the way... keep in mind that the Phase 1 two seaters are really still work in progress aircraft...ie not completely finished in Damage Models yet. (should be a new patch out soon to address some of that.) and it may take more to bring such unfinished planes down than it would the fighters that are pretty well finished (except for some fine tuning tweaks yet to come.)

glad you guys are enjoying it. i'm playing it constantly myself.

Beowolff

:FI:Scott · Post by **:FI:Scott** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:11 am

Having played a few missions the only things that have cropped up are that so often for no apparant reason the game goes really jerky but if I quit out and go back in again its fine. The other thing is that it is a bit of a pain that if you get killed you can re-fly the mission but even if you are sucessfull your pilot is still a gonner in the campaign. Having to start all over again is a bit frustrating. Is there a way around this Beo?.

Beowolff · Post by **Beowolff** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:49 pm

not to my knowledge, Scott. the reason for it is the makers' frantic attempt to be authentic. you see, the game really was made to (originally) be used only in the campaign mode only... and they wanted it to be completely authentic as to how you live or die. the regular missions and quick flight (and multiplayer too actually) was only left in there because it was simply too much trouble to try and take it out.

but, as they progressed on the work, they found that a lot of people only like to do the quicks and the regular missions---and of course multiplayer going over in a big way... but by now, its sorta too late to go back and change things.

it may be addressed in the future, but for now, to my knowledge, there is no way around it except----not to die. lol!

what you can do though, is make several pilots active...and use one of them that you DON'T care as much about, to do your quicks and missions. then if HE dies, so what? you move on to another one.

Beowolff

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:08 pm

The Dawn Patrol - with apologies to WE Johns

My batman came in to wake me at 5am. with a warm mug of tea. "Morning sir. Captain Howell is waiting for you in the briefing room"

I hurry out of bed and quickly pull on my flight suit. I only arrived in France 3 days ago but already Blightly seems like a lifetime ago. I think back to yesterdays familiarisation flight behind the lines with my new flight leader and remember the thrill of flying my Sopwith Camel in the area around the airfield and noting the landmarks. Mug of tea in hand I rush across to the briefing room. The sun is just coming up and I can see the flight crews wheeling out the aircraft ready for this mornings patrol.

Captain Howell glances in my direction as I walk in to the briefing room "Ah, Lieutenant Nellip. how good of you to join us, take a seat". I sit in a chair at the back of the room as Captain Howell continues his mission briefing. "We take off at 5.30 boys. I will lead and Nellip, you stick close to me. Mclaren and Boyd will be the second flight. Target for today is the Hun airfield at Boissoncourt. It is about 20 miles over their side of the lines so flight time should be around 35 minutes. There is quite a wind blowing from the north west which will be behind us on the way there, but in our teeth on the way back so bear that in mind. Aim is to strafe any parked aircraft we see but don't use up all your ammunition as there is a good chance we will run into their own dawn patrol on the way back. We will climb up to 7000 on our side of the line and cross no-mans land before we descend for the attack on the airfield. Now remember whatever you do, don't get seperated from the rest of the flight. Any questions? No. Well good luck everyone. See you back here for bacon and eggs chaps."

Fifteen minutes later and I am sat in my camel waiting for takeoff. Captain Howell pulls away next to me and bounces across the airfield and into the air. Now its my turn. "Contact" calls out the Corporal and spins the propellor. My engine whirrs into life and I open the throttle and roll across the field. Two or three bounces and I too am in the air. I look around for my flight leader and see him climbing to my right. I pull the nose of the Camel around and soon we are flying in formation towards the lines. As we reach 7000 feet I look forward and squint into the rising sun. I can see a scar across the landscape a few miles away and realise that this livid weal is no-mans land. As we cross the trenches I can see shell bursts in the mud below and hear the rumble of the guns. I think myself fortunate to be a pilot in the RFC and not an infantry officer down there in the trenches.

I have no more time for reflection as we are now over the German trenches and the ack ack guns have started up. Litttle black puffs of smoke start to appear around us. They look harmless enough but one then burst just above me and a piece of shrapnel tears a small hole in the fabric of my left upper wing and the deadly intent of the gunners below is brought home to me. After a couple of minutes we leave the lines behind and the ack ack fire dies away. I keep watching my flight leader and make gentle course corrections to stay with him.

After another 20 minutes we start to descend and I can see the target airfield in the distance. As we get closer and continue to descend I can see a line of Albatross Scouts lined up and I start to line up my gunsights. Now the anti aircraft guns have seen us and the air around me seems to be full of fire. At 200 yards I fire on the row of parked aircraft and I am please to see many of my rounds strike home. As we pass over the airfield I pull into a climb and weave from side to side to throw off the gunners aim. I look around for my light leader and form up along side him for the flight home.

We now have the sun at our backs and we head back for the lines, all the time scanning the sky for potential attacks. Suddenly Captain Howell waggles his wings and points down and to the left. I follow his gaze and see a flight of 6 Albatross DIII's heading for the airfield we have just attacked. Must be their dawn patrol on the way home I realise. There are 4 of us and 6 of them but we have the sun at our backs and altitude in our favour so Captain Howell decides to attack. He turns and dives in behind the flight of huns and I follow him down. Still the Germans don't see us. Captain Howell opens fire at 150 yds and suddenly the Albatross flight scatters and the sky seems to be full of aircraft. I try and follow my flight leader but suddenly an Albatross appears in front of me and seems to fill my gunsight. Instinctively I press the trigger and pour hot lead into the enemy machine. I cannot believe my luck when I see flame and smoke billowing from the enemy machine and it starts to spiral toward the ground.

I look around and see 3 Camels to the west heading for home. I look to the east and see 2 plumes of smoke from crashed enemy machines. The other 4 Germans, presumably low on fuel, are heading for their airfield. I put my nose down and follow my flight back towards home.

After 30 minutes of nervous flight I can see the home airfield ahead of me. I do a circuit and then put down for a reasonable landing. I pull up towards my flight crew, switch off the engine and leap out of the cockpit. "Had fun did we sir" says the corporal, eyeing the holes in my aircraft. "I'll say, shot one of the blighters down too!" I reply and rush over the briefing room to claim my kill.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To be continued....................

Well thats a bit of artistic (?) licence for my first proper OFF mission, and yes I did read Biggles as a child, but I can only endorse the views expressed by others. This is a fantastic mod for CFS3 and is a great WW1 flight sim. The aircraft models are excellent and the scenery better than FB. The cockpits leave a bit to be desired but are functional. Setup of the programme is a bit tricky but the FAQ's sorted me out fine.

I urge other mates to try this, you won't be disappointed it. I can imagine the Fighting Irish Flying Circus taking to the air in some very colourful green and gold skins - what does everyone think?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:11 pm

Sorry - guest above was me - not sure why I was not signed in, usually happens automatically

:FI:Nellip · Post by **:FI:Nellip** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:13 pm

Still not logged in - weird.

Oh well if it doesn't work this time, guest if Nellip