External Views for Fighters in MA

[BnZs]

F3 has no place in the MA except for bombers. Don't care for it in the DA either.

I'm not sure it even has a place in bombers. The idea is that it simulates the eyes of all those crewmen in the bombers. The problem is the bombers in AHII AIN'T being manned by multiple crew, they are being manned by one guy, rarely two. Simulation compromises that allow one player to do the work of what was in reality 30 seems pretty unbalanced. It's not like you're given an AI wing-man or anything when you fly fighter. In any case,  the way you can fly and track bandits on your six using F3 in the more maneuverable bombers, it is nothing like having a guy back there shouting "Hey there's a bandit coming in!", it goes way beyond that.

[R 105]

Haven't caught all of this conversation, but with macros you don't need any extra time. You could program an f3 macro to a single key that checked six in f3 and goes right back to f1 when you release.

As for f3 being an advantage or not, it is! The reason most can't see/understand that is because of comparative pilot skill levels. I know of a couple of fairly talented F3 sticks that did/do fly the DA, When I have found them in the MA, their skill level is noticeably less.

F3 has no place in the MA except for bombers. Don't care for it in the DA either.

-1

[Volron]

No to F3 for fighters in the MA.  If I want to play WT, I'll go play WT.

[tunnelrat]

No to F3 for fighters in the MA.  If I want to play WT, I'll go play WT.

Agreed.

(Also, if you're playing WT in a mode where 3rd person is enabled, you're not really playing WT)

Simulator battles are like the AVA... very few fly it because very few can handle the work load.

[ARSNishi]

When I play single player WWII flight Sims I enjoy the external views while in transit.  I enjoy watching the formations, skins and scenery from all the different angles.  When fighting I never use external views as I would rather be in the cockpit and I can see no advantage to external views when fighting.  If I switch to them I am suddenly disoriented and I never use them even though I can.

With TrackIR and the 6k icon range in the MA I almost never sneak up on anyone nor does anyone sneak up on me.  Just wondering what the rational is for no external views for fighters in the MA.  Did someone master the external chase view to a huge advantage?  I would feel at a disadvantage trying to fight in an external view but would enjoy the scenery when in transit so just curious on the history of this.  Was it tried but didn't work out?

in my old game (Fighter Ace) while in transit I would leave my view in what would best be described as a "external fly by" mode....  Perhaps AH could come with something similar because it did give a pretty cool view of the plane and I don't see how anyone could gain any sort of advantage attempting to use it in a dogfight.  This view when you were flying straight would have you suspended out in front of your plane and would track it as it flew right by you, then reset again out in front of you....  Call me weird but that view never really got old to me.    

Nishizawa

[Lusche]

 This view when you were flying straight would have you suspended out in front of your plane and would track it as it flew right by you, then reset again out in front of you....  Call me weird but that view never really got old to me.    

I don't think it's weird, I think it would be rather cool to have 

[shoresroad]

A "fly by" view would be a great compromise.  You certainly couldn't fight from it, and the quick peak of an enemy con you might get once in a while would be a small trade-off for much better immersion IMO.

A fixed 3/4 angle external view from slightly above and behind your plane would also work well I would think.  With all this new eye candy terrain coming I don't want to have to fly bombers to enjoy it.

[FLS]

You are asking for views that pilots don't have.

External aircraft views are available flying in formation. 

[shoresroad]

You are asking for views that pilots don't have.

WWII pilots didn't see plane icons at 6k either or have radar maps to guide them with laser precision, but they are optional in game because they make the game more fun for some.  If external views are designed that offer no real advantage in dogfighting but more fun when not dogfighting then they might be a low effort/high return add to the game.  And being optional, a player wouldn't have to use them if they didn't like them.

[FLS]

Seeing your blind spots is an advantage in dogfighting. 

[Aspen]

I have no desire for F3 available during a fight, but would like to be able to enjoy the great skins folks create on the long climb-outs or when rtb.  I'm betting there's a way to have cake and eat it too.

[Zoney]

No.  You can see by looking around without F3.  You can see everywhere around your plane.  You will have to turn so you can see udner you or when an aircraft could be in your "straight and level blindspot".  If you are too lazy to look around like this then i want that to be your disadvantage.  By looking around like this you will lose some e as your aircraft slows while turning.  I don't want to lose that part of the gameplay and it will be gone with F3 view.
When I have worked to put myself in a position where you do not easily see me coming early because you aren't manuvering to look around, I don't want you in F3 mode because I wont be able to tell if you are looking in your non F3 blindspot.

[FLS]

I have no desire for F3 available during a fight, but would like to be able to enjoy the great skins folks create on the long climb-outs or when rtb.  I'm betting there's a way to have cake and eat it too.

You want to fly in F3 and then automatically pop into your cockpit when a bandit gets near you? You seeing any advantage there?

[shoresroad]

Dar-bar tells us when enemies are in our sector.  F3 could be enabled when no enemies are in our sector.  At the same moment dar-bar shows enemies in the sector where we are flying F3 is disabled.  Otherwise F3 is enabled.  Does that work?  The indication of enemy cons happens at the same instant: darbar and loss of F3.

[BnZs]

Dar-bar tells us when enemies are in our sector.  F3 could be enabled when no enemies are in our sector.  At the same moment dar-bar shows enemies in the sector where we are flying F3 is disabled.  Otherwise F3 is enabled.  Does that work?

So most of your flying time F3 would be unavailable...