I've just never understood the external view fuss and I've been playing flights sims including Aces High from just about their beginning.
Nobody HAS to use external views but they are a great enhancement to the game spectacle.
The biggest advantage exterrnal views can give is better situational awareness en route to a fight. But once in the fight, it's harder to shoot from external view and much easier to get disoriented and prang.
I've used external views in IL-2 and Fighter Aces, for example, primarily for just the joy of the overall perspective. Adds considerable dimension to any flight sim, in my opinion.
MS Flight Sim 2004 has the best external views anywhere. Effortless and intuitive. Frankly the Aces High external views are not in the same league, but I would hope they could get there in some future version.
The Aces High view from inside the cockpit is world class, but really the Exorcist head needs to be restrained from 360-degree pivoting. IL-2 does more realistic internal viewing.
So, to see what the ultimate best would be like, check out MS FS 2004 viewing for its seamless switch from internal (including virtual cockpit) to external, and check out IL-2 for an excellent combination of external viewing combined with a more realistic restrained internal viewing arc.
I think Citabria's initial posting in this thread, if extended to all aircraft and vehicles AND prohibiting firing any guns or dropping any ordnance in external viewing, would finally resolve this endless controversy and enhance Aces High's status as the premier on-line combat flight sim.
Those who would want to savor the visual spectacle could buzz around in external viewing to their heart's content (and not be able to fire any weapons at all), those would want to stay in the cockpits could remain immersed without yielding any significant advantages, and those who would want to alternate between the two viewings would relish an even more magnificent game.
It's a game no matter what rules are invoked, and better use of its innate capabilities would make it a better game.
Aces High probably has enough resources to test a second Main Arena offering this compromise solution. Betcha that arena would eclipse in the present Main Arena within two months.
Oh, and when that second Main Arena comes, knock off the perk points. Do that and the new arena will eclipse the present Main Arena in ONE month.
After all, the dwindling participation in Combat Theater demonstrates that most Aces High subscribers are more interested in open play than restricted historically accurate scenarios.
Adding a second Main Arena with external viewing (with no weapons available while in external mode) and no perk hassles could boost Aces High subscribers by 30% while retaining the present dedicated clientele.
If I owned Aces High stock, that's the way I'd vote to get max return on investment and -- no kidding -- keep everyone happy with an arena somewhere that gives everyone exactly what they want.
It also would result in better simulation in all arenas because each arena would attract the people who like its mode best and thus result in better game play among those who choose the differences between Main Arena Perk and Internal Viewing, Main Arena No Perk and Internal/External Viewing (latter without weapons enabled), and Combat Theater.
Sorry for the windy post, but it's difficult to discuss these two most controversial aspects of Aces High without enough detail to preclude endless one-liner fragmentation and fragging.
