Wing Commander 3: Cockpit or no cockpit?

Cockpits enabled or disabled?

  • Keep cockpits on! They're part of the 'flavor' of Wing Commander

    Votes: 25 92.6%
  • Who needs cockpits? They're a waste of valuable screen space.

    Votes: 2 7.4%

  • Total voters
    27

DaveO

Rear Admiral
For the upcoming Wing Commander 3 mission recordings, I'm expecting the preference to be cockpits but I thought I'd add a poll to let the fans vote.
 
Keep them on -- if there's one thing I absolutely can not understand it is Origin's removing the cockpits for WCIV/P2/WCP/WCSO.
 
slightly OT but it is wc3 cockpits... how were they made? was it hand drawn artwork? or did they model them in 3d, render them and use the renders in game?
 
I believe they were renders - remember that they had serious plans to include a Strike Commander-style 'virtual cockpit' in the game (the Privateer and Armada cockpits are also renders.)
 
Keep them on -- if there's one thing I absolutely can not understand it is Origin's removing the cockpits for WCIV/P2/WCP/WCSO.

I agree with you, but I always figured that they did some kind of focus group and found that a majority of people turned the cockpit off because it gives a slight edge when you dogfight (just being able to see more of the screen helps), even if it reduces the atmosphere and realism of the game. If most people eventually turn it off, then it makes sense to remove it since it frees up some computing power, especially if they're rendered. Am I giving them too much credit? Do you think it was just an arbitrary decision?

When given a choice in such games (WC3, if I recall correctly, and the X-Wing and TIE Fighter games) I generally kept the cockpit on, but I did turn it off for really hard missions (I needed every advantage I could get). I wonder if I am typical?
 
No, that's always the claim - that everyone they tested or talk to said they turned off the cockpits... but I've yet to meet these people myself (I also don't think they considered the impact regardless of whether or not people turned the cockpit off -- even if it was *annoying* and something that was turned off quickly, launching with it still gave you the feel that you weret here...)
 
As for me I also prefer cockpits. I was only happy to be able to turn them off while navigating though an asteriod field in Wing Commander (Kilrathi Saga version). I always hated it when I got hit or even destroyed by some rock which I just couldn't see because of the cockpit being turned on. I guess you know what I mean.

WC4Life
 
I like cockpits only if they fit in with the game graphics. My first Wing Commander experience was WCIII. I remember how annoyed I was with the cockpit being up; I turned it off as quick as I could. I recall something had a white tint to it (probably the pilot legs and stick) that didn't match the outside. It interfered greatly with my field of vision and got in the way of feeling immersion because it looked unrealistic.

After I played WC1, I learned to really like the cockpits. The look of them as well as the different types and locations of the gagues really made you feel like you were in a different fighter. The odd setup of the Scimtar's especially gave it character. The inside of the cockpit didn't clash much with the colors, resolutions, and graphics of the outside. The cockpit had the opposite effect of Wing Commander 3 since it increased that feeling of immersion.

I voted for keeping cockpits on this, but only if they are done well; more like WC1 than WC3 (WCP was ok I guess, but I definitely prefer WC1).
 
I recall something had a white tint to it (probably the pilot legs and stick) that didn't match the outside. It interfered greatly with my field of vision and got in the way of feeling immersion because it looked unrealistic.

Yeah, people having legs is totally unrealistic! And if they must put those damned legged people in they'd better make damned sure those legs are on the outside of the cockpit, too!
 
As for me I also prefer cockpits. I was only happy to be able to turn them off while navigating though an asteriod field in Wing Commander (Kilrathi Saga version). I always hated it when I got hit or even destroyed by some rock which I just couldn't see because of the cockpit being turned on. I guess you know what I mean.

WC4Life

I don't know if it's frowned upon, but I in asteroid fields I always press F5 for the chase view. without it there's always an asteroid you don't see and if I was really there I would be able to look about a lot more than you can from the standard view.
 
To be honest when I younger when these games first came out....I didn't like having the cockpits......then as a I got older I loved the Cockpits....I think when I first got WC3 I didn't know how to turn them off and it bugged me but I got used to it....Only certain cockpits I really liked.....I remember the Scimitar in WC1 I hated....I loved the Broadsword for some reason in WC2.....Actually I liked all the Cockpits in WC3...WC4...No I wish there was Cockpits in WC4 and Prophect and SO...I like how they (Kinda have Cockpits) but I wish they were much more detailed....Or I wish the gauges were part of the cockpit instead of just spots on the screen similar to WC2 how all the guages were incorporated into the cockpit....I couldn't imagine not having cockpits now tho...It bug me when I play WC4 but the gameplay in WC4 makes up for that tho
 
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