Hey all,

It seems very dead in here, especially regarding the CFS3 topics. I know there is a large thread interaction on the IL-2 series on SimHQ, and I have visited there.

I am looking to do some casual simming, and although I like playing online games, I thought I would see if I could get some campaign action going. Looking around on the 'net, I have found the IL-2 and CFS3 have had some decent add-ons and mods made, so hopefully I can utilise these to the max. I decided on the ETO add on for CFS3 and with the Dark Blue World for IL-2...but I have some questions, and need some help.

First let me start with the CFS3, as I have alread been through the process of install, IL-2 is still in its box, and I will get to that once I have the mods downloaded.

I have installed CFS3 Recently, and upgraded it to the ETO 1.40. I recall playing the missions in the vanilla version of CFS3 and I distinctly remember getting the same missions over and over again, and no matter what I did, I never seemed to make any impact on the outcome of the campaign. Bombing ships, bombing ships, and then bombing a factory ad infinitum. I got bored of it, and I suspect I will again, so I might just go through some of the single missions, and then go home and land....if I make it. :-)
One thing I noted when I was trying to program my stick, and this has put a dampener on the whole affair before even starting a mission, I cannot link the slider on my X52Pro throttle slider....and I WANT my flaps on this slider. I tried converting the slider to 'bands' and then set each band to a flap location, but this failed. In the joystick config screen, the game does not recognise the slider, nor does it recognise the rotary dials on the throttle.....is there any way to remedy this?

With regards to IL-2, I have patched all the way to the latest, and I previously installed DBW, but I still dont seem to get the graphics capabilities that some people have. I know that you have to select the game in the Config setup EXE, and I have done that, it seems to make no difference to the game apart from splash screens and things...I am missing something, but dont know what.
I have to admit, that although there are many threads on what DBW adds to the game, but nobody really comes up with a suitable, laymans terms discussion on what DBW can do. Sure, there are lots of additional planes, but I am not seeing any difference in any campaign or missions. And I am simply to emabarrased to ask on some of the forums....
I am leaning to mostly IL-2 because the controls seem to be better, and I can use the 6DOF on the trackIR
Any help would be most appreciated.

I know exactly what you mean Edge, it's hard to find a no "BS" assessment of what DBW is but the general gist is that it vastly improves single player gaming for Il-2.

To get the full effect though you really need to find campaigns that are created especially for DBW. DBW on it's own only really just gives you the tools, not the content. This is a long standing frustration for me with the Il-2 title, there's always been plethora of content content released but it's never set in a meaningful context.

I'd strongly recommend downloading Paul Lowengrins DCG for DBW, you'll still have to fiddle around a bit but it simplifies things a lot and makes some great campaigns.

As far as CFS 3 is concerned, I wouldn't bother with it, it's rubbish. (OFF, which is based on the CFS 3 engine looks good though)

Also, if WW1 grabs you but you want a prettier, more modern game then try Rise of Flight. It's WW1 so the planes are very simple to fly in terms of the amount of things you have to know about them. The FM's are very challenging and it has two very good campaign platforms. It's also free to play (You get two planes and access to the official career mode) so you can't go wrong really.

DBW doesn't "do" anything, per say. What it does is take a lot of different mods (AI, FM, aircraft, some ships, ground stuff, skins, TIR support, wide screen, etc.) and incorporates them into the game. Is there anything particular that you are curious about?

I would agree with JB about CFS3 ... whatever it does IL2 even stock can do better.. You would be better off with two installations of IL2 (One UP/DBW which stops at 4.10 I think it is.. and one with HSFX which stays current with the stock versions as released by TD) .. in my opinion anyway.. I haven't flown DBW in a while but there are decent campaigns for all versions of IL2 if you prefer offline that are better than anything else out there that I know of. Some other sims may do some things better but overall IL2 is a pretty well rounded pacage that is just hard to beat ... for the moment anyway.

As I said I prefer HSFX because for me it is the best of both worlds.... you get the most current incarnation of the stock sim and 4.11 is very different from 4.10.. better I think. Go to M4T and see what kind of campaigns you can DL and try them out..

No idea about programming your stick for flaps in CFS3 but from what I have seen of the ETO expansion, its main improvements are the much-improved planeset, effects and terrain/airfields. I believe the campaign is still much as it was in CFS3. Personally I would have preferred it to proceed hsitorically (eg as it did in EAW - European Air War, IIRC) with the player's actions having little or no impact. The ability for the player to re-write WW2 was not a plus in CFS3, in my books. Nor was gaining 'points'. Again EAW got it right, by providing you with the ability to review your logbook and see what sorties you'd flown and with what result, in between changing the records on the gramophone in your nissen hut and listining to creaking bedsprings and your mate with the cough. Anyway I suspect the ETO campaigns will get repetitive as quickly or as slowly as the stock CFS3 ones, relying on the bigger planeset, and the mission sets you can get for ETO, to keep it fresher.

For me, DBW looks (and sounds) a lot better than stock IL2. For example, 'decal' markings seem to stand out less, and in the Far East, there's no more of the horrible mid-distance forest textures. Plus there are a good few new planes. Losing the horrible stock external engine drone is another plus. Air gunners seem better with DBW (ie slightly less lethal). Ground AA is still a bit too lethal for me (realsitic or not) so CFS3 is still somewhat better for ground-pounding, even if the bomber formations are poorly executed (two wide and finger four not vics); not a bad fighter-bomber sim (as intended), which ETO improves, whereas IL2 is probably the better all-rounder, especially with DBW, even if the IL2 AI still has its niggles. DBW improves and adds to the overall experience (greatly for me) but apart from adding some new maps (which mostly don't show up in Quick Combat as usual, tho there may be a way to make that happen) but with DBW, you still have to go over to (eg) Mission for Today to get new missions and campaigns. that's not what DBW does, from what I've seen playing it.

Re WW1, I find OFF tho much improved in some ways still suffers from some of CFS3's limitations and is somewhat better for flying 2-seaters than scouts/fighters, with air-to-air not being its strong point. RoF having a strong MP element is IMHO not so good for SP; having played all three extensively I find First Eagles 2 the best current WW1 sim. If only Third Wire would make 'EAW2', with that sim's depth, breadth and immersive SP campaign features, but with updated graphics, FMs & DMs, we'd have a WW2 sim to beat them all!