FLIGHT UNLIMITED 3....AT LAST!

[Guest Forever Delayed]

Hiya everyone, having just registered with AVSIM, here is my first post. A loooong time ago when i was really into computer games, playing on my then top of the range pentium 200 MMX ;-) I played the demo of FU2 and was hooked. I never played simulators much before, but something about flying in the pinky sunset, with beautifully rendered scenery below just got to me. After a while i got a bit bored of FU2, and heard that FU3 was coming out! but alas my PC was far too slow to play it. A couple of years ago, I tried to look for FU3 for sale but couldnt find it so pretty much ended up forgetting flight unlimited and playing PC games altogether. PRESENT DAY: I now have a fairly decent PC, and hearing that FU3 was available on budget (at last!) i thought I would indulge myself and buy it (from eBay). I will also get FU2 for the scenery.Well thats my (very long) hello and introduction, here are my questions...My copies of FU3 and 2 haven't arrived in the post yet, but before they do; Just how much better than FU2 is FU3, what were the improvements??? I also would like to know what are the "Must Have" add-on downloads people have created??? Are they any Good??? Easy to Install??? how do they improve over the "out of the box" game???Secondly, where are all the sexy screenshots of FU3 in action??? harldy any in the screenshot forum. Why dont some of you post your fave shots in a 'sticky' Topic here in the FU Forum....gosh what a long post, sorrybyeeeeeeesimon.

[Guest juvat2]

Welcome Simon,I've gotta' get goin' to work, but you'll find the forum very helpful.Quickly:-Flt3 adds additional hi-res terrain of some of the Wa area. Can install generic outer terrain. If you have Flt2; Flt3 upon it's install will ask you if you have Flt2 cd's and would you like it installed to function with Flt3.-Vast improvements in a/c models by the talented folks past and present.-Excellent scenery package improvements by many past and present fans.-Much improved object models by many past and present fans.-Vastly improved AI modeling, Textures, and Scrifting by fans past and present.-Great additional challenges-GLIDing!... wonderful, sublime gliding, new a/c models and challenges!-Spectacular weather effect-Built in acenery editorI've gotta' really haul out of here Simon. Bye, JimB

[Guest glidernut]

Welcom abord simon.So youv jumpt in with both feet, or will do when thay arive.A word of worning, installing FU3 along with the FU2 scenery can be a littl bit confusing.No one els has ever menshiond this bifor, as if no one els has ever got confused.But it always confuses me a bit, Iv dun it meny meny times nouw, and althow I allways seemto mudl my way throw it ok, I always get that feeling Iv dun sumting rong.Hav all 5 CDs redy, 3 for FU3 & 2 for FU2. Start with the blak CD, theres only one blak one, so you cant go rong there.Folow the on skreen instructions.Sooner or later it will instruct you to insert (scenery disk 1), but (scenery disk 1) is also labled (Disk 2), so read the CD lables cairfuly!Also, I sumtimes get the FU2 insterlation skreen geting in the way, and I hav to cancel itor drag and drop it out of the way in order to continyou the insterlation I started with.Any way, it taks about 3 quorters of an houwer, thats if you get it right.Then cum back and ask for the patch, It will work beter with it patched.glidernut.

[Guest glidernut]

simon,In genaral the Seattl scenery is a bit darker than the Sanfran scenery.The Seattl scenery is a bit like an oil paintng as compaird with the Sanfran scenerywhitch is mor like a water couler paintng.But if the Seattl scenery is not too your taste, we can suply you with a diferant palet.I use a palet that makes the Seattl greens much brighter. Both snaps are from the Seattl scenery, but the second one is using my light green palet.There are other palets that peopl use, one makes it look like winter with snow every where.glidernut.

[Guest glidernut]

The add on aircraft are about the easyest to install, well most of them anyway, its just a case of puting them in the right folder.Every individual flyabl aircraft cums as one file, a sumthing.res file.You put the sumthing.res file an a folder named PLNPILE, and thats it. But for anything mor dificalt, just ask.glidernut.

[Guest juvat2]

I forgot to mention... -the many custom tools folks have made-custom flt3.cfg-custom weather files-additional hi-res regions:--Switzerland--United Kingdom-edited airports to control airspaceJimB

[Lars Peter 0]

Welcome to this forum Simon.I have like you been a fan of the flight unlimited series since 97-98.-, and I would suggest searching the links at the top of the forum made by Tom W./R.D. A lot of addons is made for FU3, hard work for many people, and everyone is a super addon for this sim.-.The main difference for FU3/fu2 is the limited for Looking glass to complete the sim.Sparse AI-planes and inaccurate airports.Do a seartch for "Ansgar"/Chris Low/John Lewis/ and you will find super addons for this sim.Also "jonathan point" has done a lot of new addon planes, and they are all the best I have seen so far for a simulator.Take a browse into the FU3 library and make your choise.Any questions and ideas are welcome.Best regards.Lars Peter.:-wave

[Christopher Low 5,332]

John,You might be interested to know that the three CDs that come with the SOLD OUT version of FU3 are all the same colour (green) ! Therefore, your instructions regarding "the black one" might be a touch confusing :-)Chris Low.

[Guest twsimfan]

Simon,Welcome to the forum. I'm sure by now you have seen and read the pinned threads at the top. They provide an excellent starting point. After that please feel free to ask for help. The folks here are always quick with an opinion. :)

[Guest fu3]

Simon,We do post screenshots but they disappear pretty fast, given the MSFS crew posting 50/day :-roll I always post previews of what I'm working on but again, once the thread is off the first page, they disappear :-(Here's a couple, though you may not recognise them, they are ALL FU3!http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/115747.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/115748.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/115749.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/115750.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/115751.jpgAs to disc colours, all my FU3 ones are black (the install disc has silver writing, the others have green), whilst my 2 FU2 CDs are blue! So, watch the colour-coding :-lol Suffice to say, when installing the Sanfran scenery, just leave the 'autoplay' screen there until you're finished. Sometimes it hangs trying to close it :-(BTW, welcome back to FU3 :-wave

[Christopher Low 5,332]

Jon,What really annoys me about the FU3 install procedure is when I have to swap CDs. When I open the DVD drive tray, Windows comes up with a dumb message about there being "no disk in the drive".REALLY ?!! That's SHOCKING !!! :-eek;-)Chris Low.