OFF BH&H Comments/Questions

[Barkhorn1x 14]

Just received and installed last night.

 

- Installation/patching = worked like a charm – no issues

 

- Setting graphics parameters = very easy via the workshop – I have the a/c slider on 5, effects on 4 and everything else on 2 – running at 1920x1200 32bit – and the sim looks great and is very smooth (getting over 40 FPS on average)

 

- Controllers = figured them out after some trial and error and assigned my keys to get comfortable. Yank and bank is no good in this sim. Smooth moves are the order of the day.

 

- I have only flown Quick Missions so far – and one practice Campaign Mission. VERY impressed with the level of detail and the a/c that I’ve flown (DVII, DVa) just feel right.

 

Questions/Help:

 

1. How does one use the target/padlock keys exactly to target a/c. I keep pressing “Target attacker” and “Padlock” and don’t get the typical flight sim tracking results. What am I missing here?

 

2. To end a mission you hit “Esc” and then “End Mission”, correct? Now, if you have not landed (hey, it’s Quick Mission and I am practicing!) you do not seem to get credit for any kills. Is this the way it works or am I again missing something?

 

The ONLY downer I see so far – and I won’t mention it again as I know it is a limitation of the CFS3 engine – is your custom skin selection is adopted by your whole squad. You fly as Udet – and everybody Udet. Oh for the IL-2 skin system, that would be heaven, as there are SOOOO many well done skins to choose from. Alas.

 

Bottom Line = This is a very deep sim with a ton of content. The amount of skins is simply staggering. I have no doubt that I will be busy flying for quite some time.

[Olham 164]

First advice: read the "Tips and cheats" sticky thread - it should be all in there.

 

2. In campaign, you can end a mission over own territory by pressing escape (at least I had

never any problems, when I did it, although I mostly prefer to land - just feels much better).

 

3. Yes, you will!

[sitting_duck 3]

at the beggining of the general discussion page, in the sticky section, there are several posts on key commands, tips, and what have you.

 

These should help answer those and alot more you may have to answer...

 

and this post is pretty close to what you are asking,,,http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=40769

[sitting_duck 3]

lol..wow...u guys are fast...

 

help me with my spinning planes....

[catch 81]

shft+t toggles the TAC. Cycle through the TAC using "T" until just aircraft are shown. TAB will highlight any EA or "unknowns" on the TAC .... then hit the padlock key.

 

Spinning planes ? Stick central, opposite rudder.

[Barkhorn1x 14]

Thanks all - good tips in the Tips and Cheats section - I may just ditch the whole padlock thing and stick to TAC until I see 'em and then labels. My eyes ain't all that great!

[BirdDogICT 3]

Thanks all - good tips in the Tips and Cheats section - I may just ditch the whole padlock thing and stick to TAC until I see 'em and then labels. My eyes ain't all that great!

 

Barkhorn1x,

 

I vote with uncleal: Ditch padlock...buy a TrackIR. I've been flying with TrackIR for a month, after struggling to dogfight with the padlock view and not auger into the ground. Once you get the hang of it, you'll want to fly completely without TAC or bales, either.

 

Have fun.

[Rick Rawlings 138]

Barkhorn1x,

 

I vote with uncleal: Ditch padlock...buy a TrackIR. I've been flying with TrackIR for a month, after struggling to dogfight with the padlock view and not auger into the ground. Once you get the hang of it, you'll want to fly completely without TAC or bales, either.

 

Have fun.

 

 

I actually work with the padlock and snap views and do just fine, even though track IR would be super cool, you can get quite far with just the normal views. I will padlock one enmy a/c before the fight using the TAC and then shut it down. I will then go for the closest plane and try to follow it using the snap views. I have button 2 set up on my joystick to toggle between padlock and snap views. Even if you are not fighting the a/c you have padlocked, snapping to padlock every now and again will help you keep some situational awareness. With some of the boom & zoom planes, esp. the SPAD XIII, you need to padlock as you will often be fighting BVR (at least for the resolutions of monitors that exist today!) One other problem is that Padlock has problems with enemy scouts that are very close to you; sometimes it won't switch to them using the TAB key. Momentarily turning on the TAC seems to cure that.

 

Hope this info is helpful!

 

RR

[catch 81]

Before trackir (back in the dark ages) I mapped all eye movements (up/down/in/out/left/right) to my four arrow and home/end keys and used that in conjunction with the hat switch on smooth scroll. I got by ok although Unc swore I resembled a one-armed paper hanger while doing so. He was probably right. And I also used padlock.

 

However, since I've had trackir, and become enlightened, I still use padlock because it's a great effect .... like a smooth panning camera shot. I like it. It's great.

[Olham 164]

My best target/view setup before TrackIR:

 

1. You can toggle between "fixed angles view" and "gliding view" (don't know how they're really called - check "controls").

Put that toggle command on a thumb button of your stick. Now use "glide view" for scanning the sky and environment in flight.

For fighting, use "fixed angles" view, cause you can check six or any other angle much quicker with that.

 

2. Use TAC on "aircraft", on 4 miles (change distance by pressing "strg+shift+T"), as that's a distance, you could really see.

Put "next target" key on a joystick button; mark the target; use yellow brackets (press "shift+I") and target cone (I think,

press just "I" - see "controls").

 

With all this, even with not so good eyes sight, you should get the best results.

 

A little cheat, as you're not a pilot of 20 summers anymore:

when you marked a white spec on TAC (a bogey), and you want to know, who's coming for tea, press "pause", and

then F4 two or three times. That switches you to the marked distant plane's outside view. Now you know who he is,

and you can switch back to your cockpit.

Enjoy!

[Barkhorn1x 14]

Barkhorn1x,

 

I vote with uncleal: Ditch padlock...buy a TrackIR. I've been flying with TrackIR for a month, after struggling to dogfight with the padlock view and not auger into the ground. Once you get the hang of it, you'll want to fly completely without TAC or bales, either.

 

Have fun.

 

After playing around a bit I am ditching padlock and going with the Uncleal method. Seems to work well for me. Track IR will have to wait a bit - Xmas ??

 

Other questions:

 

- Graphics = I have a GeForce 9800 GT - anyone have a list of specific Nvidia control panel settings that work well?

 

- Trim = what is the deal with trim? The references I find are rather vague.