I wouldn't put it that way. Think about building a panel with the switches, then you'd be glad to be able to map the functions to keys. ;)

For most people even a generic panel is a huge investment, not to mention a complete cockpit mock up where every switch and lever sits on the right place.

And why should a clickable VC prevent anybody from mapping any function he desires to the keyboard or other externals? You can still play any flightsim just with the keyboard alone despite probably all simmers have at least a joystick.

I am not a computer nerd but I think a cockpit that is programmed as a graphical map or with funktions triggered by pressing a key is something complete different. So I don't see how one could map keys for a panel that is programmed as purely clickable.
I know the clickable panel from Battle of Britain Wings of Victory.

I didn't like it that much because the mouse is very imprecise and it takes some time to move it from A to B and back to C. While in reality you'll be much quicker with your hands (or with keys). Imagine doing this while in flight. You'll take your hand off the stick for quite a while whereas in reality is was much less time used to press a button.

And you have to make mouse movements rather slow because otherwise you would overstear with the mouse and you would spend even more times in regulating the mouse cursor position.

Furthermore you have to press a key to toggle the cockpit clicking function on because the mouse is needed in other modes to. It would be quite tedious to click on the in game map and to actuate a switch through it.

But above all it can be very difficult to click the right button if they are very close and the mapping wasn't that well done. This was the case sometimes in Battle of Britain Wings of Victory ...

No, I really think that key pressing is much more convenient and realistic. If you want to build a cockpit or not.

Btw I do believe that building a cockpit may be not that expensive as one might guess if you stick to simple solutions and not first class materials. Plywood can do btw. Why not detach the keys of an old keybord and wire it accordingly?

I think that Oleg does not realize, how many of us would enjoy a full start-up when we are off line...on-line too, for that matter:grin: It would also attract many of the FS croud, who would probably fly and enjoy non combat roles, with the FM, co-pilot, weather, SU-26 etc.:-P

Exactly!!! +1 :grin:

Still...the specific knowledge involved would exceed that of what MOST virtual pilots know. A few might really enjoy the complex startup procedure but that has to be weighed against an already lengthy development period for each plane. I know what you're getting at for sure but I think the benefit doesn't add up to nearly enough.

+1
I wonder how many people would want to wait around, while the ground crew of their 109 hand crank up the inertial starter, and then have to wait while the crew take their step ladder away, while they are being vulched?

Just starting up a WWII era fighter is a team effort, and this can't really be effectively simulated with the scope of a sim like these.

I enjoy the more or less simple start up procedure of a switching on the magneto, turning on the fuel cocks, pumping the fuel, and starting the engine. Especially if you have too pump the fuel a certain number of times for the engine to start. Its interesting how many times I fail to give it enough pumps when I'm in a hurry to get airborne. Hearing the engine cough a few times almost start and fail, pump a few more times, start button, more caughing and finally it bursts to life with a roar.

IMO complex engine start-up procedures is one of those "game-play" features that looks good on a box...and I'm sure that their are a few on-line servers and (or) a few off-line mission builders that will either insist on this procedure or will make it a required step for online participation...but I think that after the novelty wares off MOST people will basically skip this "immersion detail"...

I think that Olegs time (at this point) is best spent working on AI behavior and/or optimizing CPU usage...

I think that fully clip-able cockpits could (should) be a featured detail of a 3rd party aeroplane builder. Something like "Wings of Power" for the "SoW BoB" series...

Only one panel? You can not seriously fly a sim like this with a generic panel. Think of all the panels you could build this winter while waiting... They must naturally be hot pluggable if you switch plane during an online session. Think of it... "Hey kids - stop disturbing daddy and where the heck have you hidden my E4 panel? I'm going to start the mission and i will NOT do that with the E3 panel I have plugged in right now!" Sweet :)

If you find some chinese factory that can build your panels I would be mighty interested!

/Mazex