Wanting more, asking for more.

[Siggi 10]

This is an observation and a recommendation.

 

Human gets new toy, has lots of features, plays with it and has a ball. Gets used to it, wants more features, gets them, plays some more (shorter time than first one), gets used to them, wants more. Toy finally ends up in cupboard.

 

Imagination vs physical reality. When I was a kid I used to pretend a matchbox was a tank. And I could smash it and actually set fire to it (in the garden of course, where I had my little wargames). My imagination kept me engrossed for hours.

 

Kids now get perfectly formed miniature replicas, with buttons and batteries, sound-effects and flashing lights. Soon as the batteries go dead or a light fails the tank gets kicked under the bed.

 

OFF is both a matchbox and a replica. Weird, huh?

 

We know it has a few missing planes. And there are a 101 more features it could possibly have (would the end of that list ever be reached?). But it is a perfect matchbox...and has sound-effects and flashing lights.

 

So, my recommendation is this...let's draw a line under it right now, as it is, consider it a done deal and get on with engaging our imaginations, assuming the role of pilots and just PLAY IT. For the next year at least.

 

That's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to think about anymore patches, planes, features...nada. I have my plane, my world, my infrastructure, it all works, the immersion is 100%, nothing jars so much that I'm kicked out of my suspension of disbelief...any time I have the time I can be my pilot and do my thing.

 

So fly, fly, fly. Rack up the missions, the hours, the claims and the kills and survive for as long as possible. And forget about anything else. You've been given (sold) the full enchilada. Play the game, not the drive for new stuff.

[+Polovski 460]

Thanks Siggi, I think for the moment barring the odd fix that's the stage we are at now!

[Cameljockey 3]

I'm with you Siggi. It saddens me at times that I have lost most of the imagination that I had as a child. I am fortunate that I have a son who is almost 3 and has helped me to regain some of that which I have lost. I closed the door on my first 50 years yesterday when I turned 51 but I still feel like that little boy of yesteryear when I'm in the yard playing with Mac. So if you don't see me here as much as usual, don't be concerned. OFF is a fantastic sim and gets better with every patch IMO, and I'll be flying it regularly, but it's Springtime here in South Carolina and I'll be spending a lot of thime in the yard playing with my Son.

 

Ya'll have a nice day,

 

CJ

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Siggi, I agree Sir. I myself am absolutely content with what we now have in the OFF sim. I can and will fully enjoy this outstanding "toy" for a good long while.

 

And Cameljockey, right on Sir! I turned 54 last November and have a 4-year old granddaughter who comes to visit and stay with us regularly and it is a true blessing. She and I have great fun playing and imagining anything her young mind and my old one can dream up. Kids keep us all young if we just let them lead us back to the joys of our own childhood.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[zoomzoom 2]

I apologize Siggi. I feel partly responsible for this as I was discussing hoping the Devs' would one day create a N-28. Don't take it as dissatisfaction though, its simply a case of when something is so great as this sim has become, people can't help but dream. :yes:

You are spot on with the imagination quotient being deficient in todays youth though, and it seems that as a kid you really did have more fun with the simple toys, and even the ones that weren't toys to start with, like your match-box. Funny story that relates, had a friend that bought his kid some latest greatest action figure (I think the adult wanted it more than the kid really), but once he gave it to him, the toy lay on the couch, and the kid was running around the house "Flying" the box!!! : ) Just goes to show you that despite our best efforts, kids know whats really fun!

 

 

 

ZZ.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Whilst I agree to a point with what you say, if things were always left as they are because people think they're perfect, we would all still be riding horses, going on Crusades, dying of Polio and using a 386SX!

 

There is nothing wrong (imho) with people talking about what they would /Wouldn't like to have..as long as it doesn't detract from the Sim itself, which as we all know is absolutely great.

 

Very little point in a forum, if all we discussed were our combat reports, and graphics settings all day long.

 

(I also would have to take issue on kids today having no imagination anymore. They have had their imagination stifled by very boring, lazy parenting!..but their imagination is fully intact, if adults would stop being such rubbish parents, and started taking responsibility!)

 

Rant over!

Edited March 11, 2009 by UK_Widowmaker

[Gous 0]

They need holidays indeed :yes:

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Sorry Siggi...your points are quite valid..I am just having a Rant day! (one of the symptoms of the over 40's perhaps!...lol)

[Womenfly2 0]

Hey, party booper .... Its always fun to dream, that's what its all about. The OFF team will do as they seem fit away, but, we can dream and have wants here on the forum too.

 

Keeps the excitement and hope going. It can just get better .... !

 

Cheers,

WF2

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Widowmaker wrote:

There is nothing wrong (imho) with people talking about what they would /Wouldn't like to have..as long as it doesn't detract from the Sim itself, which as we all know is absolutely great.

 

Very little point in a forum, if all we discussed were our combat reports, and graphics settings all day long.

 

My agreement with Siggi's comment might have been misunderstood, WM. I was only saying that for me, personally, the sim is excellent and I desire no improvements anytime soon. I will simply enjoy what we now have for the time being. But of course there is always room for change and improvement, and without the drive for change we would indeed still be living in the Dark Ages.

 

Now then, would someone please pass me the leeches. I have a bit of a headache and I think a good blood-letting should fix me right up.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[zoomzoom 2]

Hehe...I thought I was the only person who had those "moments" U.K.W.

 

ZZ.

[Creaghorn 10]

hey siggi,

i agree and disagree with you.

i agree with you when talking about toys and things we did when we were small children (ok, i'm still pretty young though, but i was still born before this power rangers, playstation, mtv, cellphone generation of today). when going out and being outside all day long, making bows and arrows by yourself and playing native indians, or playing stickball in the backyard or simply do everything openminded, careless children are doing and coming home at evening with open knees, being dirty from head to your toe. nowadays it's not like this anymore. children getting fat, sitting in front of the tv, beeing lazy, never reading a book, getting all sorts of allergies, not beeing satisfied with any toy wich has not as much electric stuff inside as my car has.

where i disagree

if the devs would stop their support today, that would be sad, but fine for me because this sim is one of the best games i have played so far. but imagine what would have been with the old mother of all sims RB3d if the people wouldn't continue to dream on and always trying to get the maximum out of it still to this day? it would be this cartoonish, limited game as it was when sierra quit supporting it. but it's not and it has still many many features which can be adapted in newer sims like BHAH and there are still lot of things not reached yet by BHAH. one thing is the mass of different aircraft available like in WFP2 or the directly consequences for the AI pilot. there will be a time when bhah is going to have the same number of aircraft available and all the same features. but is absolutely ok IMHO to make the first steps. dreaming on is no "you must" for the devs. it is what it is. some suggestions and dreams which might be some day realized or not. :-)

[Parky 8]

Well, my matchbox arrived in the mail some weeks ago. I've spent most of my available spare time out in the back yard, smashing it and setting fire to it ever since. Throw the Sennheiser350 noise/wife-cancelling headphones on, and nothing short of a 7.2 earthquake can snap me back to reality. Whatever further improvements (if any at all) are made to the matchbox from here on in, I'm sure they would be welcome regardless of the source of inspiration, wether they came about as a result of constructive input, feedback, or sheer developer based determination and creativity. In fact, even if they didn't come about at all would be fine with me. My matchbox is quite flammable and very smashable just the way it is.

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

Parky

[Dimus 0]

Whilst I agree to a point with what you say, if things were always left as they are because people think they're perfect, we would all still be riding horses, going on Crusades, dying of Polio and using a 386SX!

 

A 386SX running at a staggering 20Mhz (most of the others run at 16Mhz ) was my 1st PC in 1988. I used to run the first Sierra's Red Baron on it (in addition to Aces of the Pacific and A-10 Warthog) I sure had lots of fun, with lots of imagination needed.

[Olham 164]

Siggi: When I was a kid I used to pretend a matchbox was a tank. And I could smash it and actually set fire to it (in the garden of course, where I had my little wargames). My imagination kept me engrossed for hours.

 

How small the world, how similar we feel:I played in our garden for hours, digging little trenches amidst the grass, moving my little Airfix soldiers and plastic tank (still remember, one was a British "Conqueror")

 

Cameljockey: I turned 51 but I still feel like that little boy of yesteryear when I'm in the yard playing with Mac.

...Springtime here in South Carolina and I'll be spending a lot of thime in the yard playing with my Son.

 

Do so, Cameljockey, as much as possible! Otherwise, you'd have regrets later. Happy birthday, mate - 50 was a thoughtful step for me. Don't sink in midlife-crisis; the glass is not half empty - it is half full!

 

ZoomZoom, to dream of a Nieuport 28 is okay, I'd say. I'm sure, this dream is also in the heads of the devs. And some day, it will florish, as an addition, or as P4.

 

Hi, PARKY !

 

Hey, Widowmaker Your occasional ranting is just you. Fits the avatar face. I wouldn't want you to be any other way.

(If only you could replace that strange bloke with the little flags... On our farm, we had a cow with such a grin. I'm sure, she was mad.)

Edited March 11, 2009 by Olham

[Olham 164]

sorry - somehow I had posted twice. Erased.

Edited March 11, 2009 by Olham

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Hey, Widowmaker Your occasional ranting is just you. Fits the avatar face. I wouldn't want you to be any other way.

(If only you could replace that strange bloke with the little flags... On our farm, we had a cow with such a grin. I'm sure, she was mad.)

 

Oh dear Olham!...far be it for me (a mere Krumpet) to harp on about the alledged humour transplant that you Germans are occasionally accused of...may I point out, that the chap in my sig, is Borat (aka Sacha Baron Cohen) one of my favourite comics

 

here is a little clip from the film Borat (I recommend this film, provided you are not easily shocked!)...I nearly died laughing, but that's just me!!

this is a funny (non shock-like clip from the film...try a few more at your peril!

 

[Gous 0]

here is a little clip from the film Borat (I recommend this film, provided you are not easily shocked!)...I nearly died laughing, but that's just me!!

this is a funny (non shock-like clip from the film...try a few more at your peril!

Trust me...it wasnt only you dying from laughter while watching this movie....! :rapage:

Edited March 11, 2009 by Gous

[nio48 0]

Ladies and Gentlemen.

 

Should you be sated with all that OFFBHAH has to offer (and I would think this incredibly unlikely) may I, respectfully, suggest that you consider using your creative skills and try using the Mission Builder (included with the sim ) to create missions of your own.

 

Alternatively, you may care to consider moving beyond single player mode and trying multiplayer mode. Whilst OFFBHAH has been developed ,principally with a focus on the single player perspective ,the multiplay facility is there and works well. The vestiges of CFS3 multiplayer code which remain occasionally throw up minor irritations, as a result of lag or mismatches, but the sim is eminently playable online nevertheless and the good points predominantly outweigh the few shortcomings.

 

I am sure you are all aware of the multiplayer section on the forum. I recommend to those who may be interested that they browse there for further information. If you have not previously experienced online flying in this or any other sim, my experience is that it adds a whole new dimension to my enjoyment.

 

Stumpjumper already has an online group "Doves and Hawks" and posts in the multiplayer section. I flew a short mission or two with some of the group last night and it was great fun.He flies both a stock game and a modded version.

 

best

 

nio

 

[Olham 164]

Okay - before you think, we Germans don't know ANYTHING about humour:

off course I knew the face, and the name, Borat. Even saw some (sometimes shocking) scenes

from his film; not yet the whole movie though. But will get that from the VideoWorld now.

 

Here's one I just found and - okay - he IS funny somehow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvQScRuZj9s...=1&index=20

 

And here's a quickie, someone had posted before, that I found funny:

Edited March 11, 2009 by Olham

[Rickitycrate 10]

Yes, enjoy it to pieces. I feel I have just started and I have so much to do yet. For instance I long to fly with Rickenbacker and Luke. I have not really done so yet as I want to continue that anticipation. I am flying the early planes and the less "glorious" planes first. I have placed my faith in the developement team and have not been disappointed. When they make updates or addons I will be here and thankful. They have done the right thing all along IMHO and I know their love and interest will bring us more in the future. It's their world I just play in it and boy, do I use my imagination. Here is an example. I don't know if Be2c's did much low level dogfighting but I can and I did because I wanted to.

[Siggi 10]

I'm trying to think of a good analogy...

 

We've been served a glorious feast. Then, even as were were still stuffing it down, the waiters brought more tempting dishes to the table. We burped, maybe a little green around the gills..."More!" we cried, even though we had yet to fully digest what had already been served. And the chefs and waiters...tired, and thinking "greedy, ungrateful pigs..."

 

So what I'm trying to say is this...let the chefs go home, let the waiters go out back and have a glass of vino and a smoke, and let us continue to eat our meal and gently digest it.

 

For sure, let's chat and dream and wonder about next year's feast...or the one in six months time...whenever...but let's also fully enjoy what's on the table in front of us right now, with the kitchen closed for the night and the staff taking a break.

 

Draw a line under the sim as it is now, stop worrying about what is or isn't in it, and concentrate on being pilots for the forseeable. Meanwhile the devs can chill out, keep an eye on what we dream of and wonder about, but rest content that for now their job is done and the customers are one happy bunch enjoying the hell out of the product as it stands.

 

I wouldn't be so arrogant, and hope nobody thinks it, to assume my assessment of the sim is writ in stone. But I'm aware that I have a reputation for being way too hard on games and have often been accused of being a "glass half empty" kind of chap. To which my response, funnily enough (see Widowmaker's comments above), has always been along the lines of "If mankind wasn't, we'd still be living in bloody caves!" So when a game strikes me as pretty much nigh-on perfect I figure not many people would disagree with me. And so I make all my comments about the game etc in this thread on that basis.

 

If we don't play it, full-on, and concentrate instead on what's 'missing' and what might be to come, we'll lose a great deal of the pleasure that's to be had from it. Let's not make that mistake is all I'm saying. It's a superb sim, a masterpiece, so let's wring everything we can from it, right here and now. :yes:

[CaptSopwith 26]

Siggi,

 

Very nice post. While I didn't play with matchboxes (starting fires was frowned upon in Miami), I did create a lot of my own toys. I've realized that, as a child of the 1980's, this was a bit odd. I built WWII planes out of tongue depressors and frequently staged dogfights around the backyard. The German's always lost, and those fantastic P38s always won. It was a great time.

 

I get that same satisfaction playing OFF. It's a great sim to let your imagination run wild. I've created my lot of pilots and I take turns flying through campaigns. When I'm in the mood to test the new DM (which, btw is spectacular! You've made OFF damn near perfect with the 1.26 hotfix), I fire up my throw away pilot - a German I named Herr Stigg (which if you watch Top Gear, you'll appreciate). QC is a blast when you only have time for a short fix. Thankfully, I've been given a few months of complete and total free time - and I intend to use some of it to enjoy OFF before jumping into grad school for the next several years.

 

But you're completely right. While I do want the Dev team to keep hammering away (after taking a well deserved break) I think we should all sit back, relax, realize that we have a really amazing gift on our hard drives, and really enjoy it. We die hard simmers are such perfectionists (in a good way) that we sometimes lose sight of all of the good we have.

 

So I intend to fire up OFF this afternoon and get some more flight time over the front. Here's hoping my current crop of pilots last longer than their predecessors!

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Okay - before you think, we Germans don't know ANYTHING about humour:

off course I knew the face, and the name, Borat. Even saw some (sometimes shocking) scenes

from his film; not yet the whole movie though. But will get that from the VideoWorld now.

 

Here's one I just found and - okay - he IS funny somehow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvQScRuZj9s...=1&index=20

 

And here's a quickie, someone had posted before, that I found funny:

 

 

I am only teasing you my German friend!

[Mr_Dirt 1]

I agree there are so many toys in this sim to play with. I have mainly flown the SE5A as it was my favorite plane. It was my favorite because I had read so many good things about it. I have recently started using the Pup as I have read alot about it also. That is what makes this sim so great. I can never fly all the planes that are available. Like Rickitycrate I long to fly alongside Frank Luke but I have trouble mastering the Spad. Mr Luke is featured in my Avitar alongside his Spad. This sim is our chance to live history like we want. That is where our dreams and fun will lead us. Thanks John