[Kipper]

So, now that I have a sustainable non-choppy 15-30fps (will be more when the GPU and RAM arrive!) I've been looking at aircraft.

The Galaxy is a joy to fly when you know how it works, and it feels good. You don't feel like you can throw it around, but you have the freedom to try. I noticed that trying to escape locks/fighters by throwing it under a bridge or round a rocky peak didn't work so well. I just hit the terrain.

Now the Mosquito/ES fighter... This is another craft that flies well, although its weird with a mouse (for me, anyway), it handles pretty well and its nice to be able to really be able to use the full 3 dimensions.

My problem however is when you take the ESF into combat. I can't for the life of me keep track of anything I can't see - and I can't see much since I can only look out the front. The minimap is way too zoomed for an aircraft, and the lack of any sort of radar, target lock (even for guns) or free look means that once an aircraft leaves my sight - bearing in mind just how quick & manoeverable they are - Its as good as gone.

Ground attack is a pain too. Since the aircraft is so manoeverable, and I don't seem to have any reference other than the terrain (which I'm not 100% familiar with yet) - I get lost way too easily.

Again, mini map too zoomed and a lack of an overall continent map (even a small one) in the cockpit showing who owns what and where you are in relation to the continent.

Am I missing something or is it really just down to luck whether you see a target and get time to fire on it?

I love flying, but at the moment I can't transition flying into workable fighting... (I do seem to survive fairly well though unless something one/two hits me which happens occasionally).