DiDFWP - or Dead is Dead For Working Parents

[Hellshade 110]

I love the whole Dead is Dead concept, but it's just not something I can reasonably do. Between my job, the wife and 3 girls (ages 5 - 15) I rarely if ever get 45 minutes to an hour to fly a mission without so many interruptions that I just can't keep my focus totally in the game. Apparently, I am the only self sufficient person in my house. So while I don't claim to have the skill or challenges of true "DiD Pilots", I came up with a "Dead is Dead for Working Parents" compromise. All settings are on realistic or hardest except I give myself auto-mixture and unlimited fuel. Why unlimited fuel? Because the only way to fly complete missions in a short time is to warp and that can quickly run a tank dry long before the mission is up...as I found out on my very first flight. I had to coast back down from 10k feet. Fortunately there were no bosche in the area at the time. Olham must have given them the day off.

 

Anyways, other than that, I fly using all DiD rules. I created a british pilot in the 92nd named David Ian Darks - aka "DiD" and off I went. He had an amazing second mission where he shot down 3 Alb DVas (waiting to be confirmed...probably won't since my wingman didn't return home with me) and was chased back across the front at 200 feet between Lille and Ypres with 3 more Albs in tow at a distance. My guns had run dry and my plane had sustained very minor damage. Fortunately none of it was to the engine and I was able to stay out of the range of the guns of my "friends" from the other side of the war. Two gave up once we crossed behind our lines and the last fell into a trap. I flew straight past an allied air ballon knowing how heavily defended they are. I didn't see the actual hit but moments later when I checked my six there was a thin trail of smoke that lead into the ground and no bosche in sight. I failed my mission to patrol behind enemy lines. I failed to bring my flight or even just my wingman home with me. I will probably fail to get any of my kills confirmed despite the white knuckle flying and "balls" it took to stay in a fight that had us out-numbered. But I made it home alive. In the end, that's the only glory and recognition I need. The chance to fight again tomorrow means more than any ribbon, because dead men can't see what color ribbons they wear. It's too dark in the grave and their eyes are forever closed anyway. I'll fight on for them as long as I can.

 

Hellshade

[Olham 164]

Hellshade, you can even fly with "limited fuel" on!

All you must remember is, to pull throttle back to 70 - 75 %, before you warp.

Also, before you start to a 60 mile roundtrip, make sure you have a tank filling

for 90 miles (that's plus 50%).

That way, the fuel will be allright. I did that now several flights, and it always

worked.

And we might have met - I was northeast of Arras and had a dogfight with 6 Nupes.

But you know, how far we can see each other - max. 4 miles, I'd say.

[Hellshade 110]

Olham,

 

I can assure you that we did not meet over the front, my Valiant Adversary. Had we met, you would have died. Not from my bullets but from laughter as you watched my meager flying skills in action.

 

None the less, I shall keep watch out for you. I've survived yet another mission despite the fact that my flight of three was pounced on from above by 7 (seven!) Alb DVas. David Ian Darks is making a name for himself at the front by gunning down 2 of them and flying a third into the dirt before limping home with a rattling engine and a few extra holes in his wings. Ha. I'll try out your fuel savings advice. It sounds interesting.

 

That not withstanding, I think using Warp isn't the worst compromise to make when time crunched. True it eliminates some of the suprise factor. But while Richtofen was cruising at 10,000 feet over the front, he never heard little girls screaming "She's touching me! Give me back my Barbie doll! Moooommmmm!!! Daaaadddd!!!!" If he had, he probably would have taken himself out long before the Allies ever got to him.

 

Hellshade

aka

David Ian Darks - British pilot of the 92nd.

[Olham 164]

Well, your flying skills can't be that "meager", when you downed 3 Albatros D Va in a single flight!

But it's funny - your Albatros opponents had advantage of height.

When I fly somewere, it's always the Allies, flying MUCH higher than us. Winder?!?!

[Hellshade 110]

Well, your flying skills can't be that "meager", when you downed 3 Albatros D Va in a single flight!

But it's funny - your Albatros opponents had advantage of height.

When I fly somewere, it's always the Allies, flying MUCH higher than us. Winder?!?!

 

True. Opposing flights always seem to be at significantly higher altitude than my flight is and I have Player Flight Altitude set at 18,000 feet in the Workshop, though I almost always end up cruising at around 10,000 when I use Warp. I'm not concerned personally but if Winder has an answer that would be cool too.

 

As far as surviving 7 to 3 odds, I look around to see which EA pulls off on it's own. There is usually at least one. I engage him and watch my six often to see if any of his friends come looking for him. I try not to waste bullets on deflection shots unless I'm reasonably close enough to score enough hits that he might change his flight path, preferably by climbing which makes for a much easier target. Often though they dive, which is fine too. Just make sure the skies around are relatively clear and follow them down. If I see anyone about to get on my six, I break off the attack and turn to put the new challenger on the defensive. Better to fight 2 - 3 planes that all have holes in them and are a little less manueverable than 1 - 2 EA that are 100% while my plane is a damaged.

 

Survival I find is mostly about the don'ts. Don't waste bullets on long shots, especially long deflection shots (unless you are really, really good at them, which I am not). Don't fire long bursts because they tend to jam the guns. Don't ever fly straight and level for more than 5 seconds during combat. Don't excessively climb while being chased unless your machine is far superior to his. Don't use manuevers during combat that put negative Gs on your plane while you are being actively hunted, because it stalls out your engine and leaves you vulnerable. Don't try to fire on a foe during a fast, furious, spinning dive earthward. Have patience and wait until he pulls up. At some point, he must or he is doomed anyways.

 

Ultimately, its about letting his eagerness put him in a disadvantageous position before going for the kill, while making sure target fixation for yourself doesn't set it because that's when his friends will take you down. Better to be patient than dead. We shall see how many flights these rules will help me live through. So far, 3. And it's going to be a long, long war my friend.

 

Hellshade

[+Polovski 460]

Workshop setting for "Player Flight altitude" - change it to higher.

 

The highest Allied flight flew 1-2k feet lower than the highest German flights in the war generally.

[Hellshade 110]

Workshop setting for "Player Flight altitude" - change it to higher.

 

The highest Allied flight flew 1-2k feet lower than the highest German flights in the war generally.

 

I have it set to 18,000 feet which is the highest setting. Not that I mind much. Though it would be nice to get the jump on the bosche one in awhile.

 

Hellshade

[griphos 0]

I think I've got mine set at 10,000, but I usually fly around 7000. I just get tired of climbing after a while and want to go faster.

 

Anyway, I've jumped German EA a number of times. It does seem that the majority of enemy flights I encounter are higher than me, but not all of them. And I DO SO love to swoop down on unsuspecting bosches.