With something small you are I think better with the windows
Systems are more capable now
At one time you could not have transparencies
And since the inside would be seen as close up as you would be to an aircraft like this then certainly
On extra thing though is you will need some sort of interior so the at least something can be seen through the windows.
But when you get to large jets and other transports almost the opposite arguments comes in
You can't see into such a small aperture as you are much further away on the outside and usually the window is smaller in any case..there are a lot of them so that would indeed make the model over complex and poly high............for what?......nothing really.
Best save the polys for details that matter.......a large modern transport will have complex multi action flaps, use the polys on that
This is only my opinion but I think textured windows look better on large aircraft provided they are done correctly. Personally I find at the size and distance you view them they maintain a crispness and are better defined than a hole in the fuse.
One big advantage is that with textured windows all the various window arrangement can be done with a flick of the texture brush..
Simply copy and past to add and delete to remove........ easily moved if in a different position
On the Superfreighter there is going to be at least five models possibly more just to accomodate different window arrangements.
I have had to include missing windows in the structure and then fill them in so when they are opened out the internal liners ect will be in place as I have to modify the interior as well.......In real world they were there but deleted....except the fist Superfreighter that did not have the rear pax cabin windows cut at the time of it's first flight and was still standard 31 there.
There are several different cockpit window arrangements again needing a different model to accomodate properly.
OK so thought out in advance not hard but not as easy as texture and more models to sort out in the config etc.
At the end of the day it depends on many thing other than you personal prefence.
Time factors can be one...simply have you got time to do it and just how much detail you want to include. If a pet project you will want it A1.
For AI versions windows are something that perhaps can be deleted in favour of textures if the flying model is detailed, that is one of many things that can be stripped out for low poly.
So as with most things you will find it's horses for courses and the model itself will scream out the most suitable.
But always transparent cockpit windows as they are big enough to see through/into
I have little experience on model making, so I can't say how
much difference it might make on the FPS, but I have on texturing and of course I had to make the model without the windows first so I can vouch for it being more straightforward to just texture, but again, my opinion only, you would be better off windows in this case.
This is really just a generalised opinion based on my perception of FS.
If you did just want to texture they could be made to look OK..just photograph a real one in the correct lighting conditions and use those.
Garry