Ye Old Question

[Kevboy]

Having come in to this MS CFS3 world some time ago. I now have CFS2, as a short cut to finding out myself, what are the must have files?
Kevboy.

[JDTinballs]

Which theatre are you interested in? if more than one you need to make separate installs for each theatre.

For the European theatre aircraft, I recommend
anything by Paul Rebuffat (Spitfires&109) here http://myzone59.ath.cx/rebuffat/accueil.php,
The Groundcrew (He111 etc.) http://www.groundcrewdesign.com/,
The FDG P51s,
Anything by Krystoff Malinowski http://www.combatfs.com/index.php?loc=downloads&page=downloads&FileUploadName=Farmboy,
Thicko's stuff http://www.combatfs.com/index.php?loc=downloads&page=downloads&FileUploadName=thickosehaskel,
Jeff Marshs padbury planes http://www.pavaservices.com/cfs/

just to start with...


Jamie

PS and the 1% stuff at netwings http://www.netwings.org/

[Jagdflieger]

Kevboy,

First, welcome to CFS 2. I think that you'll find it quite addictive once you start modifying your installation to fit your idea of what it should be.

We've got a great selection of CFS 2 "stuff" in the library here. There might be some glitches until it all gets transferred over to the new server in the next few weeks, but patiance will prevail.

A couple of items that are very useful in CFS 2 are good mesh files to increase the terrain's complexity and accuracey as well as upgraded textures.

For mesh, I use a combination of different files, but anything by Kghhd is first class work.

Search for the mesh files at: avsim.com

Avsim has an extensive selection of mesh files. I like the pre SRTM files as they seem to have fewer holes and spikes than the radar produced SRTM stuff.

For textures I like either the converted FS 9 textures by Stiz or the PACTEX (version 1 or 2) to make the terrain more authentic looking.

You can get Stiz's textures here at the Outhouse in the CFS 2 library. The Pactex textures seem to bounce around to different host sites and I'm not sure where they are now. Search for: pactex2a.zip, pactex2b.zip; pactex2c.zip, and pactex2d.zip

Try here for the PACTEX:

http://public.planetmirror.com/pub/flight-sim/uploads02/sep/

Good luck.

[Corsair Freak]

Pactex(1) is available here (http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/brigstock/CFS.htm)

Pactex 2 is at www.flightsim.com (http://www.flightsim.com/) search for 'pactex2'


Good Hunting,
Brandon

[PSULLYKEYS]

As mentioned earlier - CFS2 is addictive!

Just check the download catagories and you realize that:
Scenery - you literally have the world!
Aircraft - Its hard to think of one that is not out there already - with such talented designers and repainters - Damage profiles, air files, waepons....WOW
Effects - the origial FX files are nothing like waht you can add
Sounds - Yes it IS a merlin, DB or whatever - and yes sometimes the sounds still make me jump
Ships, Vehicles, Buildings Trees, etc
Quickcom, URES (country config - yes you can fly for just about any country!

and more important - such talent in the community that share "secrets" of how to change something and provide sophisticated software to help you do everything.

All you need is time - because once you get started - you can't stop, and don't want to.

Starting point?? Its up to you - Good Luck!

[Jagdflieger]

Thanks for jogging my memory Psullykeys.

The following library objects should mostly be available here at the Outhouse CFS 2 library. If not, I've included an address for downloading them. For me they are "must have" additions to CFS 2 and make for a much more realistic and detailed sim.

1. The Virtual Navy fleet of ships. Get 'em all.
2. Wolfi's library objects (and planes too). Tanks, cars, buildings and dock installations. Can't do without 'em.
3. AF Coastal Defense packages and realism packages.
4. Jim Jacobson's (Rockster) Atlantic Wall bunkers (planes too).
5. LW's trees and airfield buildings. These are showing up in more and more add on airfields so if you don't have 'em, better get 'em.
6. Maskrider Pacific airfields. Makes the South Pacific a great place to visit.
7. Xavier's Asian airfields. Makes all of Asia usable. He's still working on more!
8. Jaxon's North European airfields and other CFS 2 modifications at:
http://www.michael-reimer.com/CFS2/CFS2.html
9. Silvia's vehicles at:
http://www.geocities.com/coreacfs/enlaces.htm?20058
10. Defense of Australia V2 at:
http://www.chapshq.com/
The DOA V2 will give you great airfields around Port Moresby, New Guinea as well as the must have update to the "Country File" for adding most of the combatants involved in WWII.
11. Ground Crew CFS 2 ships (and planes) at:
http://www.groundcrewdesign.com/cfs2ships.htm
12. Usio's CFS 2 ships at:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~HK3M-KNK/
13. Collin's CG Shipyard ships (mostly commonwealth tonnage) at:
http://www.simviation.com/lair/cfs2shipyard.htm

Short of aeroplanes these add ons should get you up and flying world wide. I'm sure I've missed a few items, so I hope others will post their favorites too.

Here are a few of the above objects used in missions or as they appear from their downloaded files.

[SdC]

This is my logfile of a standard CFS2 installation for me; ready for any Theatre.
I actually installed all these files into an empty "cfs2-patch" folder. The total of all these files fits onto a single CD. I can then copy this home-made patch over a fresh install of cfs2 on any PC and have all my favorite stuff ready!

-replace patched cfs2.exe (www.scenery.org (http://www.scenery.org))
-edit cfs2.cfg set movie=0, then remove the mpg movie to save 20mb
-NovaGold textures (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-Airport 2.60 textures (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-ASD textures (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-Move all files from \SCENEDB\world\texture to \TEXTURE
-World Texture sets, added as separate \scenery / \texture folders: each \scenery folder contains a copy of worldlc.bgl and worldwc.bgl
-Pactex (pacific)
-Pactex (european)
-Comtex
-Rhumbaflappy Spring
-Rhumbaflappy summer
-Rhumbaflappy Fall
-Rhumbaflappy High Winter
-Rhumbaflappy C2Water files (all sets, covering the world in \scenedb\world water\scenery)
-Bill Potvin's CFO Weather 2.9.1.1081 and CFO_Gauges
-Peter Dowson's FSUIPC version 2.9.7.4
-Martin Wright's Aircraft Manager
-JoneSoft CQEdit 2.20
-Elefant_0's replacement HUD v.3
-SC_ReplSun
-Blade's Effects v. 2.0, then:
-Nibbio's mzzle_flash effects (=bugfix!)
-Nello's multiswap 2 - placed in root and edited multiswap2.cfg
-Damian Clark's ActiveSky 2002 1.5 - Placed program files in \Tools folder
-Stock cfs1 aircraft added through MnWright's Aircraft Manager (sub-folder hangar)
-My own UIRES replacement user interface images
-Gunsight Swapper www.raf662.com (http://www.raf662.com) (just placed the installer file in the \Tools directory. Needs to be setup before use.
-ACS GPS.
-CFS2 map by Moparmike (M. Wagner), placed in Tools dir. (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-Replacement bullet damage texture by Tim Fennell (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-Replacement bullet/flak sound by Louis Gonzalez (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-Replacement 13gun, 303gun and 50gun sound by Eric J. Gion. (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-Dave Parson's MDL Repair utility in Tools folder (www.simviation.com (http://www.simviation.com))
-Country.cfg file from the DCG package
-Defense of Australia (DOA v.2)
-All nationality screens, edited the country.cfg file manually for germany, free french and canadian. Renamed scr_singlemission_bri_2.jpg to scr_singlemission_bri.jpg.
-Rhumbaflappy's Pacific Landclass, as \scenedb\Pacific Tropical
-Rhumbaflappy's Europe and Pacific coastal flattens, all placed into \scenedb\world water\scenery
-AI Flyable airfiles by Airbuddah and WW.
-Shiny models for all stock aircraft by Corrado La Posta
-Ghostpony JProp2 and GpPropUSbest, and Corsair sounds
-Hawkeye's/Snake's Val Rear Gunner Fix, SBD Dauntless and Bomber Dp fix for AI
-Jorge Alsina's Australian Nationality screens, added by installing DOA2 and extracting the files/country.cfg info.
-Cryingtoto's/Martin Wright's Spitpak (RAF pilot payload+British weapons)
-1% gauge set and RealityX.dll
-Groundcrew German and British radio sounds
-VB german weapons
-dbolt US weapons
-LW clouds, or FSD clouds manager
-LW libobj and trees (the new set containing dp's)
-1% weapons and gauges and realityx.dll
-Groundcrew weapons
-Dynamic campaign generator
-FS200x and CFS1 stock sound and panel files in AIRCRAFT container, so imported props/jets/heli's work properly without having to edit cfg's

[crashaz]

Must have is also the

The Big-E Fast CV Raids of 1942 Pak 1 + 2 by Pen32Win of the AF=Midway team.

[The B24 Guy]

Must have is also the

The Big-E Fast CV Raids of 1942 Pak 1 + 2 by Pen32Win of the AF=Midway team.


Gotta get ALL the AF=Midway Stuff

B24Guy

[Kevboy]

Thanks every one, phew! what a list:ernae:
Kevboy.