Q: What is new in Combat Flight Simulator 3?
A: Combat Flight Simulator 3 returns to the European theater of operations pitting the United States Army Air Corps and the British Royal Air Force against the German Luftwaffe. Combat Flight Simulator 3 introduces these new features:

• 34 new player-flyable aircraft (18 base models plus variants)
• Completely new graphics engine for fast paced, down low action
• "Combat Auto-gen" scenery detail for the most realistic terrain and ground action ever
• Cooperative multiplayer missions so you can fly with your friends against human or AI enemies
• Tactical air-to-ground action for bombing and strafing missions
• Full 3D clouds providing both real-world appearance and a safe hiding place from the enemy
• Fully "Reactive World" triggering events and spawning enemy opposition to your every move
• Dynamic campaigns and missions that craft unlimited gameplay in response to your tactics
• Role-playing and character development give you the real feeling of being a pilot in battle

Q: What planes are featured in Combat Flight Simulator 3?
A: Combat Flight Simulator 3 players will be able to select from a core group of 18 different aircraft as flown by the United States, the British Royal Air Force, or the German Luftwaffe. In addition, Combat Flight Simulator 3 features different variations (referred to as "variants") of the base 18 aircraft that reflect the different engineering and field modifications that occurred during the time period.

US Player-Flyable Aircraft

• Curtiss P-55 Ascender
• Lockheed P-38J and P-38L Lightning
• Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star
• Martin B-26C (and F/G) Marauder
• North American P-51B and D Mustang
• Republic P-47D (early models) and P-47D-25 Thunderbolt

British Player-Flyable Aircraft

• de Havilland Mosquito B. IV, F.B VI, and F.B. XVIII
• de Havilland Vampire I
• Hawker Typhoon IB
• Hawker Tempest V
• North American Mitchell II (B-25C/D) and III (B-25J)
• Supermarine Spitfire L.F. IXc and L.F. IXe

German Player-Flyable Aircraft

• Dornier Do 335A-1 and Do 335B-2
• Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-5 and Fw 190A-8
• Gotha Go 229A-0
• Junkers Ju 88A-4, Ju 88C-6, and Ju88P-4
• Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 and Bf 109G-10
• Messerschmitt Me 262A-21a and M2 262A-2a

Q: How many aircraft will be player-flyable in the game?
A: All aircraft in Combat Flight Simulator 3 are player-flyable. This means that counting all the base models and their variants, players can fly 34 different aircraft in the game

Q: Can planes from previous versions of Combat Flight Simulator or Flight Simulator be imported into this game?
A: Unfortunately not. The new graphics engine prevents the use of imported planes from previous versions of Combat Flight Simulator. To better support our add-on aircraft developers, both Flight Simulator 2002 and Combat Flight Simulator 3 will work with the discreet® gmax 3-D modeling tool providing the highest quality industry standard environment for add-on aircraft development. Links to download discreet's gmax tool and the Combat Flight Simulator 3 game pack plug-ins will be provided free on the CFS Insider.com web site.

Q: When will Combat Flight Simulator include jets?
A: Combat Flight Simulator 3 introduces the first jet fighter aircraft to be featured in a Combat Flight Simulator product as well as the first jet fighter aircraft to ever see combat! Combat Flight Simulator 3 will feature "edgy" WWII state-of-the-art jet fighters such as the Me 262 that first saw action late in the war. In addition, gamers will be able to fly top-secret aircraft that might have seen action had the war continued for several more years.

Q: Why a new graphics engine for Combat Flight Simulator 3?
A: The new custom graphics engine is designed to show off very fast, low-altitude scenery. Ground attacks are now highly detailed and the scenery is improved with enhanced 3-D modeling and texturing.

Q: When can I buy Combat Flight Simulator 3?
A: Combat Flight Simulator 3 is on schedule for a fall, 2002 release! You can expect to see it available by the same retailers you purchase other Microsoft games and products from. Keep checking CFS Insider for announcements on the exact date the game will be available in stores.

Q: As this game is situated at the end of the war, will players' success affect the way history is portrayed?
A: The Combat Flight Simulator experience has always been about individual and squadron success and Combat Flight Simulator 3 is no different. Success is based upon missions flown within the context of the war, not necessarily upon one country's overall campaign. For example, players flying in the Luftwaffe can achieve success by meeting in mission objectives that move the war lines in a manner that extends Germany's borders.

Q: What kind of gameplay experiences will be in Combat Flight Simulator 3?
A: Players can choose from any of three different styles of gameplay: Quick Combat, Missions, or Campaigns.

With Quick Combat players can jump right into their favorite action including free flight mode, aerial dogfighting, intercepts, escorts, or ground attack.

Missions are broken down into three categories: historical, what-if, and training missions. Historical missions let you fly similar missions to those actually flown during the time period. With what-if missions players can experiment with different scenarios and see how things might have been. Training missions give players some practice on all elements of aerial combat from intercept tactics to bombing.

Campaigns present the player with the challenge to manage the big picture and devise the strategy to move the front line and push back the enemy. In campaigns, players are not presented with a linked series of missions. Instead, Combat Flight Simulator 3 dynamically creates the mission choices based upon the player's previous mission results and the results of supporting AI (Artificial Intelligence) action across other locations on the front line. The benefit to this design is that the game will always present the player with new and different missions and objectives—campaigns will never play the same way twice!

Q: What is the new role-playing element added to the game and how does it work?
A: Characters have qualities like "G-Tolerance," "vision" and "health." These can change throughout a player's campaign. For real pilots of the era, eyesight, G-tolerance, and health played a strong role in the success or failure for both new and experienced pilots. As you play Combat Flight Simulator 3, you, too, will get to experience the level of impact these items contribute to the aerial combat experience.

Q: What online components are available for Combat Flight Simulator 3?
A: Combat Flight Simulator 3 continues to enhance the multiplayer experience from previous versions of Combat Flight Simulator. Players will be able to play missions with friends either cooperatively or in opposition to each other. Combat Flight Simulator 3 includes "crew-able" bombers that allow you and your fellow team members to man individual stations (pilot, gunners, bombardier, etc.) of the aircraft as you fly off into battle on bombing missions. Microsoft will host a central match making service called CFS3Match, right within Combat Flight Simulator 3. When you host a game for public access, Combat Flight Simulator 3will automatically display your game in the list of available games. You can find games by scrolling through the list displayed right within the game as maintained by the Combat Flight Simulator 3 CFSMatch Server. Players may choose to host their own private games on their own server, which will not appear with the other games listed on the Combat Flight Simulator 3 CFSMatch Server.

Q: How historically accurate will Combat Flight Simulator 3 be?
A: Combat Flight Simulator 3 will be historically relevant. The game's physics engine is based upon the game engine used in previous versions of Combat Flight Simulator. Combat Flight Simulator 3 is still the benchmark in terms of accuracy for World War II simulators on the market.

Q: What are the system requirements to play Combat Flight Simulator 3?
A: The following system requirements are the MINIMUM system requirements for playing Combat Flight Simulator 3: