About to try CSF 2

[Uriah]

JUST for the kick of it I ordered cfs2. I mostly fly EAW online and some IL2 and BOBII off line. I have CFS3 ETO and have ran it about 10 times. So, any reason to fly CFS2 as opposed to CFS3 ETO ?

I am mostly interested in online play. Is there a group of online players that can be found any given evening (USA time, central)?

Graphics are less important to me than plane behavior. I do prefer rivers and railroads to be where they belong (not going up/down mountain sides), And I do like cities to look like cities but I don't care that much.

Uriah

[erufle]

Dude, did you ever come to the right place. I'll wait for the online players to answer most of your questions. As for plane behavior, that is why I could never get into CFS3. In CFS2, plane behavior is much better and you can easily tailor it to your liking through the aircraft.cfg file found in each aircraft's main folder. Unless of course you're good at manipulating airfiles already. Just open the aircraft.cfg file with notepad and locate the following section.

[flight_tuning]
cruise_lift_scalar = 1.0
parasite_drag_scalar = 1.0
induced_drag_scalar = 1.0
elevator_effectiveness = 1.0
aileron_effectiveness = 1.0
rudder_effectiveness = 1.0
pitch_stability = 1.0
roll_stability = 1.0
yaw_stability = 1.0
elevator_trim_effectiveness = 1.0
aileron_trim_effectiveness = 1.0
rudder_trim_effectiveness = 1.0

[piston_engine]
power_scalar = 1.0

[propeller]
thrust_scalar = 1.0

Increasing the number associated with each scalar increases the efficacy of the indicated flight characteristic, and decreasing it lessons the effect. You will have fun experimenting with this until you get what you want. However, I don't think they will let you get by with these modifications online. But, I could be wrong.

That's the main draw to CFS2. Its easily modified. :wavey:

[Hern07]

Variety, if you can't find it or convert it, it's probably not worth having. Also, I might add, you get this wonderful forum. Seriously, you have people here that will put up with a lot and will keep working with you until your problem is solved. Welcome aboard. :kilroy:

[Rami]

JUST for the kick of it I ordered cfs2. I mostly fly EAW online and some IL2 and BOBII off line. I have CFS3 ETO and have ran it about 10 times. So, any reason to fly CFS2 as opposed to CFS3 ETO ?

I am mostly interested in online play. Is there a group of online players that can be found any given evening (USA time, central)?

Graphics are less important to me than plane behavior. I do prefer rivers and railroads to be where they belong (not going up/down mountain sides), And I do like cities to look like cities but I don't care that much.

Uriah

Uriah,

To answer your questions about the online aspect, allow me to direct your attention to the following sites:

http://groups.msn.com/TheCFS2FlightDeck

http://www.thecfs2flightdeck.com/

As far as the European / Eastern Front / Mediterranean theaters of ops, I'm one of the resident nutjobs. :costumes: :costumes: :costumes:

[bearcat241]

...I mostly fly EAW online and some IL2 and BOBII off line....I am mostly interested in online play. Is there a group of online players that can be found any given evening (USA time, central)?

While EAW, IL2 and BOBII are all good combat sims, they all have a common drawback - inflexible, arcade-ish flight modeling. This makes them ideally suited to generic online play for average-skilled players. CFS2 flight modeling is far more complex and flexible, which makes the stock fighters harder to master in online play as a CFS2 rookie against seasoned opponents who've spent gobs of flight time in the stockers. Most groups tend to stick with "no-fun" rules online which restricts you, among other things, to flying stock only. So if you haven't learned and mastered the annoying nuances in the flight envelopes of the different stock models, you will easily and very often have your ass handed to you online.

I would recommend that you learn to master the stockers in extensive single-player Quick Combat against multiple ace AI opponents outnumbering you 8 to 1 before attempting to take your fight online. And fly the sim at 2x speed to make the AI super aggressive. Its the best training you can muster to give yourself a chance against the multiplay killers. :icon_lol:

[hellcat44]

If frequent online play is your top priority.. followed by graphics, then CFS3 is probably the best choice.
However, besides all it's pros and cons, CFS2 has an ambiance that I find totally seductive.

[Dirtman]

There is an alternative to flying on-line at the sim sites.

A few weeks ago, Simonu & I began exploring the possibilities of using CFS2's built-in Multiplayer. (I suggested it - then Simon did all the hard work cuz he's a real smart fella & I'm just a smart-ass :costumes: )

Yes it is possible but there are some problems which still need to be solved.

Due to CFS2's age; multiplayer was originally designed to work using the contemporary "dial-up" connection.

With the advent & wide use of DSL, this has presented us with some problems - basically a "static" IP addy is required (to host a game).
DSL employs a "dynamic" (variable or changing) IP addy which will not allow someone to "host" a game, but joining a running game is not much of a problem. See attached screenshot.

Some members of our test group have also suffered other odd troubles like declining frame-rates, the reason for which is still unresolved at this time.

On the plus side: we've found it's allot of fun to fly with or against your friends & shoot: the living crap out of them... :d

We also use an instant-messaging based confferece call to talk, laugh or swear at each other in real time - this was not possible back in the early days of CFS2 multiplayer & really adds to the fun.

Hopefully we will find the solutions & share this info with everyone in the not too distant future.
.
.

[miamieagle]

This is a post written by 202_Moo_IJN

It's just no fun flying alone



Do you want to fly online?? Many people still do even though MSN Gaming Zone no longer supports CFS2. The CFS-2 Flight Deck is home to many people who actively fly Combat Flight Simulator 2 online EVERY DAY. If you are interested in flying with us please visit,

http://groups.msn.com/thecfs2flightdeck (http://groups.msn.com/thecfs2flightdeck)
or
http://www.thecfs2flightdeck.com (http://www.thecfs2flightdeck.com/)



Why Fly Alone?


With a private Ventrilo server for voice communications, as-well-as a text based forum, you will surely be able to find what you need in order to be able to enjoy yourself while flying online.


Types of games include anything from your typical Free-for-All and Team games to Carrier Games, NOFUN RULES games, HOPs *WWII planes, jets, helicopters, and WWI. The possibilities are limitless. While your ALWAYS free to fly solo, the CFS2 Flight Deck is also home to a variety of squadrons, some of whom have been a fixture in the CFS2 community for a number of years and are highly respected among CFS2 Flyers.


If your not sure about whether you want to join up or not, we do have TWO Guest passes available for use on the ventrilo server. They can be located on the CFS2 Flight Deck's http://www.thecfs2flightdeck.com (http://www.thecfs2flightdeck.com/) website.


We at the CFS-2 Flight Deck look forward to flying with you ALL in the future.

[Talon]

We use team speak when we fly online.It's free and all you need is a mic,speakers or a head set.


Talon

[Uriah]

Just got CFS2 and am looking forward to trying it.

The thing I like so much about EAW online is that we have to gather in a chat room and then use TS while 'in the air'. Me, I like total mayhem or teams. Not so much on missions. But am happy to go along. So far, I found that it is difficult to find a group of IL2 players that fly nearly everynight that I can talk to. Groups either meet once a week or a few players know each other and it seems hard to make friends that way. And my fly times are so unpredictable that joining a group is hard too.

Dirtman, may have to join you, I understand the issues as EAW has the same. As far as flight models go EAW has been greatly moded and I very much enjoy our current fm. Just looking at different games to fly when the EAW group is not around.

Uriah

[miamieagle]

Nothing in the Sim Flight World matches the dynamics of EAW. But you will find CFS2 is a much more refine and diverse Sim than EAW. You actualy can fly all over the World and mimic any campaign you wish to fly in through its Mission Builder. I'm enjoying flying over China 1937 with missions I have built myself. I enjoy them both CFS2 and EAW equally.:ernae:

If you ever want to try something else other than online flying try to fly with CFS2 Dynamic Campaign Generatort here http://members.shaw.ca/dcgen/ and the get the updated engine here http://www.lowengrin.com/download.php?list.4 I recommend it.