The F-15C - A Flaming Cliffs 3 Mini Preview

[+Dave 2,322]

 

I have been fortunate enough to receive a preview copy of Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 3 from Eagle Dynamics. (Thank you guys). During that time I have been taking the F-15C through the ringer. So I will highlight a few of its improvements that you will get to enjoy here really soon. I would say, in about 2 weeks.

 

External Aircraft Model:

The model has received a makeover. It is much more refined, smoother looking and has more detail. Careful attention was made to skins as well. They are a higher resolution with much more detail than the previous versions. This is filler text that needs to be replaced with something other than a bunch of image tags that don't do anything other than mess up the layout of the front page.

 

The Cockpit:

The pit has gotten the same treatment as the external model and dare I say even more than that. It is much sharper and clearer than its predecessors.

 

Also the updated lighting in the cockpit is where I think it shines the most. It is just stunning.

 

Flight Dynamics:

Well here is where I thought I would be able to talk intelligently. I was sorely mistaken. I was talking to a couple of the head dev/testers and I had a complaint that the Eagle didn't have the power I think it should. Then I proceeded to make my case, with statistics and data and......shut up Dave. It turns out I was actually flying it wrong. For someone who has great knowledge of the Albino I should of paid more attention how to fly it right then just knowing about it. Fortunately those dev/testers I mentioned earlier set me straight. Armed with my new found knowledge I am happy to report, yes the FM is very good and it does follow the -1 specs. Where the complaints of the past said it was underpowered and neutered (I was one of them) I think if you take the time to fly the F-15 right you will see it is quite capable of being a lethal weapon. Don't ham fist it, but she can be forgiving as well. Know your corner speed and use your powerful radar to strike first.

 

So in conclusion I think you're going to really like what the new F-15C has to offer. From the visuals to the under the hood I think Eagle Dynamics has really out did themselves here.

 

Click on any image to see a higher resolution screenshot.

[+SkateZilla 49]

that pit begs to be clickable!

[+Dave 2,322]

I can live with out it though. I have everything programmed into my Cougar MFD's. So there is no need for it to be for me.

[Cali 6]

Looking forward to seeing what other fixes are in FC3. FC3 will bring new life to this series, I'm looking forward to the amount of people flying FC2 when it first came out.

[Ruggbutt 45]

Eye candy is nice, but I hope some of the other show stoppers have been fixed. Like the severely broken AMRAAM. Like ED's "fix" for ECM macros (which would make you unable to be locked by radar to about 10 miles) which was to give it a 15 second warm up time. AWACS not STFU and repeating not only the contacts twice, but contacts anywhere in theatre even if they were 160 miles away. This one has been an issue for 8 (count 'em) years! Or using the EO exploit, where you go EO (Helmet mode) then switch on your radar. Enemy not only doesn't get a lock warning, but you can fire a radar guided missile. I'm playing devil's advocate here cuz I know the answer to the AMRAAM question, but the others were complete show stoppers for multiplayer.

 

Some of you say that m/p isn't your bag, but you're missing out. The AI is never as good as playing against another human being. My squadron has gone up against numbers twice and thrice ours and we more often than not wipe out all the enemy. There's something ultimately satisfying about being agressive and putting superior numbers on the defense. I have many tracks where a wingman and I have killed 3 out of 4 enemies and had to break off the chase of the 4th because of our fuel state. In several instances the enemies went down w/out firing a shot. My point with all this m/p talk is that is how most of the bugs have been found in ED's software. I know ED wants to give us as good of a product as possible and with FC3 being integrated into World I think that finally all the squadrons and the lone wolves that enjoy m/p will come back to ED. There was a mass exodus from the online community because FC2 was such a broken POS that the majority couldn't stand to fly it any longer. With the updater the future looks bright and I'm hoping that the promised fixes that never came are a thing of the past. I fly the Warthog almost every day. It's nice to see that ED so far has been vigilant in pushing the fixes to the clients. IMHO that's the only way that ED can succeed because for every fanboi on their forums there's a disgruntled customer who isn't happy with broken promises to fix the software that they paid for.

 

I'm planning some reviews for this site and while Dave has the preview copy I will be writing miy opinions as well. I've been flying ED's software since Flanker and seriously since Lock On was released. I've modded the hell out of the sim and flown more hours online than most will in s/p. Had this been last year or the year before I wouldn't be optimistic about anything ED was releasing. I've seen what I believe to be a turn around as of late and I think that maybe ED is starting to listen to it's customers. From what I'm getting from Dave there's a huge difference between FC2 and FC3. I can't wait to get my hands on it, and I'll be buying it the day it's released. It's been a long time since I've said that about an ED product. That being said I'm thrilled with DCS: Warthog.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Ruggbutt

[ace94cz 1]

nah they only upgrade eagle ,i want some more

[Ruggbutt 45]

ED purchased Ricardo's hi-res pits for the Su's and the Mig. They look awesome.

[Cali 6]

I quit flying FC2 in Jan 2012 when the idiot hacker ruined every server online that had people in it. I switched over to BMS and never looked back. Hopefully FC3 will be as good as we hope and bring the numbers back to flying. I have DCS A-10 and BS, but stopped flying BS for the reason I stopped flying FC2 and just got A-10C. However I was flying BMS too much and never got into the A-10. I will only be buying DCS or 3rd party products that I will actually fly. I'm not like some people on ed's site that will buy anything and everything just to support them or 3rd parties.....that's not me. I'm not going to waste my money on something I don't like. No Mig-21, P-51, Huey or a few other 3rd party models in the making........modern aircraft is what I like.