The Ultimate Question -- Ext Views vs Locked Cockpit

[MD_Titus]

Originally Posted by dduff442

This came up again in the weekly update thread and I thought I'd throw in an unfashionable point of view: external views are great. I've nothing against closed-cockpit servers -- they're certainly more realistic but this doesn't translate to more challenging or interesting.

External views + wonderwoman view allow for a (potentially) perfect dogfight where flight characteristics and technique are key. There's less randomness and the encounters actually look better. I'd never play an offline with external views active but a quick and easy 1 on 1 is great fun. Online with external views is great as well. 1-on-1 online has given me my greatest Il-2 memories.

dduff

Let the rage begin -->

tbh i go for cockpit on and externals on. middle of the road, fun and gives a sense of flying different aircraft, have to use the instruments etc etc. mainly use externals for looking around myself in flight, padlocking friendlies (a bit more realistic that f6 as it gives a simulation of being able to recognise friendlies as quick as an experienced pilot might) and finding those pesky ground targets.

and, as you say, no pit boils it down to dogfighting, in that there is no being surprised by, or surprising, the opposition.

Originally Posted by Dutch_851

No rage here mate!
As I said in the other thread; when online I prefer it, coz it's fun to do; and as you say, the view is grand.
This doesn't mean I'm a beginner, or a less than capable virtual 'pilot'.
I will have to try full cockpit online though, just to compare...........

crucial
you'll find the difference is that you spend a lot more time swerving around, clearing your six and scanning the sky. it does lead to an increase in tension, and elation at spotting someone, tracking them in their blind spot and blowing them to kingdom come without them having seen you.

Originally Posted by Chivas

Off-line use whatever view system you prefer. In on-line war servers I much prefer a closed cockpit. All the outside views provide to much information about enemy movements which totally kills immersion.

only if you use them as such. just because they are there doesn't mean you have to use the f2 then f6/ground unit lock thing to get a padlock on distant targets.

but then, doing so means that you aren't pratting around in a remote section of the map when the enemy is doing exactly the same in an entirely different portion of sky, on a half empty server... fumbling around for each other fruitlessly isn't that much fun. it becomes pretty much redundant if the server is busy or action is focussed around targets, and becomes a hindrance and fun-killer for bombers and jabos of course.