~S~

Back in the day when I flew CFS1, we would use MultiSwap (available here: http://www.airwarfare.com/Sims/CFS1/essential%20files.htm) to create richer mission environments with flak, etc. However, all this really does is to make changes to the online environment you are flying in personally (which is a kind of mission, by the way) and does not really give you a shared online experience in the truest sense.

Multiswap swaps out the default online mission with another of your choosing, but each player in the online session effectively sees only their own mission, even if they have all swapped to the same one.

This means that if your Dad shoots up some ground targets and destroys them, they will only be destroyed in his version of the mission. You will still see them until you have destroyed them yourself in your own version of the mission. AI aircraft in swapped missions always seem to behave strangely as well and will typically shoot each other down before you even get close to them... And again, they're not shared in the truest sense.

That's it I'm afraid. You can't do what you want in CFS1 (or CFS2 - don't know about 3)

You might anyway consider using TG2 to enrich your online shenanigans. This will allow you to drop bombs, fire rockets and control the defensive guns in bomber aircraft in the multiplayer environment: http://helcatsquadron.tripod.com/ - I recommend the splash screen version, I found it less buggy.

Something closer to what you are seeking might be provided by BRunHost (http://www.multicfs.com/) - although if you use XP it may not work for you. This allows you to place genuinely shared targets, objects, etc. in online games that can be destroyed. This means you can have static  or moving ships, ground objects, even aircraft flying predetermined straight courses for you to track down and destroy.

To be honest, if you really want functional AI in an online environment, you need to get hold of the Forgotten Battles series of programs and fly what are referred to as 'coop' missions. That way you will get AI wing men and enemies for you both to interact with and, unlike CFS AI pilots, these guys know their business so you'd better watch out...

FB and its later brothers and sisters, Ace Expansion Pack and Pacific Fighters, are pretty greedy of computer resources, but if you can get hold of the original IL-2 you might be able to manage that. This will allow you to do the shared thing as well and should provide you both with hours of airborne mayhem and happiness...

The family that slays together, stays together, eh?

All the best,

Pads

~S~

You might like to try Bill Potvin's CFO if you don't have it, too. This will allow you both to warp to different/same airfields once you enter your online game. The install for CFS1 is a little fiddly - be sure to follow the instructions.

http://www.cfsops.com/Modules/cfo_weather/Cfo_Weather.htm

best of luck,

Pads

Guys, thank you so much.  I was looking into things because of all those pages and idea's you gave me.  I found out the CFS3 has coop missions.

My dad and I went out to buy it today.  It works great.  I'm still gonna try some of these things out though and I'm sure it will help others in the future.  Thanks again.