While I would HIGHLY doubt that any addon could re-invented the Microsoft Product, I have to admit I am curious to try it. And watch the videos to make that statement true for you too ;-) After being and, working with a few aircraft designers for the series I have to say that the degree of Physics modeling is limited by the code of the gaming engine, and no amount of tweaking will solve that. . but. . . maybe they did more than tweak. . .anyone who still has their CFS3 disk wanna find out?? The visuals and audio effects are impressive for sure. . but for me it all comes down to the flight physics.

http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/6/ubb.x?q=Y&a=tpc&s=400102&f=23110283&m=721100204&p=1


movies here:

http://www.shockwaveproductions.com/firepower/movies/

*********************************************************
ScottMG posted May 12, 04 10:55 PM  
Shockwave is a small company of WWII aviation enthusiasts, pilots, and hard-working people.

Editor's Choice awards are not handed out lightly. For those who intentionally choose to trash this product, you are doing a disservice to the entire air combat simulation community.

We have sat down and interviewed more than 40 WWII veterans, hours at a time and captured most of these interviews on videotape, or audio recordings. We don't take our job of accurately representing the aircraft these heroes flew lightly. We fly in these Warbirds ourselves as much as we can, and give proceeds to our local air museums, and all who took the time to work with us.

Realism is the only goal, and this realism was never compromised with our publisher – we had full control of what went in, and when it was released. Nothing is watered down. We wouldn’t have had it any other way.

 


IN-GAME MOVIES:
http://www.shockwaveproductions.net/firepower/movies


REVIEWS (all known independent reviews)

Game Vortex - 9 out of 10
http://www.gamevortex.com/gamevortex/rh_firepower.html
"FirePower offers some of the most authentic WWII flying experiences ever."
"Never has a sim of this nature seen such realistic ballistic effects like cannon fire and explosions in mid air. Planes will rip in half around you, and shrapnel and debris will flutter by in a way never experienced before."
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Loaded Inc. - 9 out of 10
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/launchreview.asp?reviewid=341285
"This may be among the best gaming investments you ever make."
"the damage modeling in FirePower is incredible."
"The graphics in FirePower are fantastic."
"I do not recall having played any flight simulation that seems to control as realistically as FirePower."
"The flight models, missions, graphics, sound and damage modeling dominate every nook and cranny."
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Worth Playing- 9 out of 10 - Editor's Choice
http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=17261
"Buy FirePower"
--------------------------------------------------------------------

GameSpot - 8.5 out of 10 "Great"
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/firepower/index.html
"Some add-ons bolt new features onto games, and others make good games better, but the rarest mod is one that transforms a decent title into something truly outstanding."
"Certified" planes fly the way they are described in pilot biographies instead of "by the book," and each has a distinct personality. This is most evident in their stall behavior, which is modeled much better than stalls in IL-2.
--------------------------------------------------------------------


PCGamer
Title: FirePower delivers the ‘Mother of all Sims’
http://www.pcgamer.com/columns/simcolumn/column_2004-02-17.html
“Some of the most spectacular-looking pyrotechnics the sim world has ever witnessed”
"some of the most authentic flight, weapons, and damage modeling I’ve ever seen in a sim."
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Computer Games Magazine
Editor's Choice
4.5 stars out of 5
"...even jaded IL-2 Sturmovik fans will want to take a second look..."
"Night missions in a Lancaster with exploding flak surrounding the plane are dazzling"
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Computer Pilot Magazine:
“It’s simply stunning!”
“FirePower makes great strides forward in the areas of both graphic as well as flight modeling “
"FirePower’s 'Fortress' is superior in both detail and quality”
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Pilot and Airplane Magazine (Hans Heerkens)
“The choice of aircraft is excellent…The stall characteristics are especially gratifying…Excellent flight modeling”
 


S!

TX-EcoDragon
Black 1
TX Squadron XO

I saw the clips. Holy Moly!  Is that what a 108 supposed to sound and do to it's target? And yes I want to see how the planes handle!I'm really curious to find out!S~TX-MonguseBlack 3War Room General

Yeah. . that one was pretty impressive. . . I like the one of the bomber flying at night. . from the cockpit. . with all teh nice ambient sounds. . . flak, engines etc.In the Firepower vid look at the DM of the P-47 though. . the wing gets blown off and you see the wing with the gear attatched go flying up then back down, but the only trouble is that the aircraft that it departed still has the wing and gear leg undamaged!;-)S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX Squadron XO

So maybe CFS3 sitting on my shelf is not such a bad thing anymore?!? Regards,TX-Rahman"WHITE 6"

WOW.......no mention of when it will be available.TX-ChukarNow as the new and improved White 5

I was wondering what to do with my CFS3 disc........

I will have my doubts until I play it. I was a CFSer in 1 and 2. Then the commercials made cfs3 it look better than IL2.  Hell even the original IL2 was better than CFS3 even though IL2 was OLD....... Eco no disrespect to you... hell if it wasn't for microsoft and microsoft training I wouln't not have had a job for the last 8 years. The only thing I really have a problem with is if they have a GUI system that has less than 600 bugs then it's a success. LOL....S~TX-FlightRisk Green 3

Certainly no dissrespect sent my way. . .  I am no advocate of CFS. . .  unless it earns it. S!TX-EcoDragonBlack 1TX Squadron XO