DiD pilots.

[Siggi 10]

I suspect I know the reason, because when I lose my current pilot (when, not if) I think I'll be needing a long leave of absence. Is this what's happened to everyone else? It's not just combat-fatigue, it also takes it out of one starting a new persona, building him up, generating a new style etc for his reports/diary/letters home etc.

 

Anyway, just wondering. The first flush of enthusiasm seems to have waned somewhat.

[Dej 17]

Maybe the claims confirmation changes have got in the way.

 

James "Jonty" Tepes, me latest incarnation, just bagged three Albatri on his second day over the Lines... soon as they're confirmed (or not) he'll be volunteering for DiD duty :yes:

[dixieflyer 0]

Siggi,

I was just getting the hang of it when my game/system crashed. I have to reinstall and start over. I need to get a replacement TrakIR clip and get that part up and running again too. When all that is done, well then maybe I will be ready to play with the big boys. :)

 

Warren

[griphos 0]

Ah, what you say makes sense. I think some part of me is showing respect for Stan. :blush2:

 

But mostly it's just that work has been a killer and I haven't even been home much, much less flown, in about a week. And when things slow down, I doubt I'll jump into my new DiD pilot right away (after what happened last time). It'll be some QC for me to get the ol' reflexes back in shape. But don't worry, his time will come and he'll be a new face up on the board before long.

[Rick Rawlings 138]

My pilots are DiD, but not Siggi DiD^TM. Do you mean just for the kill board, or in general?

 

RR

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Commander Nels Albertson and his gunner had to make a forced landing on the wrong side of the mud some time back, and Nels was captured. He set fire to his plane and created a diversion long enough for Sgt. Shewtum to slip back across the mud, but the Commander was not as lucky and was taken prisioner. However, we have learned that he managed to escape after four months of captivity and is currently on his was home from Switzerland. After a brief respite in England he will be back at the front.

 

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[catch 81]

There's a blasted war on old bean ! I'm too busy arseing about fighting for King and Country for these statistical shenanigans ! Too many jolly rules and reg's if you ask me. It's like being back at Eton. I joined up to get away from all that fagging about .... do this don't do that ... would you like a damn good thrashing with that. Oh yes please SIR ! I'm through with all that. I just want to kill huns for the greater good of the world ...... MUAHA MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Gous 0]

I recently made freetrack and since then, my aim has become worse, (but the game 1000 times for immersinve of course!), and finally, I only fly one mission per day, and if the pilot dies, I spend a day or two without playing OFF. (self-punishment for being stupid) .

So things are pretty slow with me. But my current pilot is going good, and when he becomes an Ace, I am going to put him on the killboard

Edited April 15, 2009 by Gous

[Olham 164]

Siggi, I'm doing more skinning than flying - could really do with that monitor.

 

But that's not the only reason.

I lost three pilots of my new pilot (there aren't any old) to cloud turbulences (even by flying through

a veil of haze); never had that before last patch; two got killed by ground fire; and three by breaking

up craft in mid air.

 

I must admit, that I'm fed up a bit at the moment, of constantly getting killed by all these incidents.

I just can't seem to get anywere...

[Interlocutor 0]

Hmmm.

 

Well, for my part, I now fly DiD only, for about 2 hours every day. I'm currently spreading my DiD flying over 5 different DiD pilots, one of which I report to Siggi's killboard.

 

Olham's post avove intrigues me. Since I started flying pure DiD (no TAC/labels/warp) 3+ weeks ago, I've created 5 DiD pilots. I fly them all: every day I fly at least one mission with the one I'm reporting to Siggi's killboard, and then spread the rest of my flying time out over the others in turn. So far I've lost only one pilot, the other 4 are all alive, with the "most experienced" guy up to 24 missions and 15 hours in the air.

 

But he has only 1 claim and 1 kill, flying the N17 for the Storks over the Somme in the summer of 1916. My other 3 current DiD pilots have about 10 missions between them, with only 2 claims and none confirmed so far.

 

So I'd be interested to hear of the experiences of other DiD pilots. Do thers "live fast & die quick" like Olham , or live longer but not see much action, like my guys. My 24 mission guys has only seen Germans in the air on 5 or 6 of his missions, but maybe that's because summer 1916 over the Somme doesn't have much German air activity?

 

My other 3 current DiD pilots fly British: 1 RNAS in the Tripe in April '17, 1 SE5a in summer '17, and 1 Camel in Sept '17. These guys have gotten into scraps in about half of their missions so far, a much higher percentage than my main (French) 1916 pilot.

 

I always lead my missions, and tend to fly at 8,000 to 10,000 feet when near or over the lines. I look up for Germans constantly, but probably miss targets by not looking down as much as I should?

Edited April 15, 2009 by Interlocutor

[Rickitycrate 10]

I will reporting back to the board soon I hope. Here are my excuses. All kinds of new gear to setup and set preferences for. Need to go back to flight school and relearn how to fly with new gear and confirm configurations. Looking for work. Been trying to sort out the skinning business and win the monitor. Spring has sprung so I've had a lot of outdoor work to do. But all is good and I hope to report a new pilot soon.

[Siggi 10]

Hmmm.

 

Well, for my part, I now fly DiD only, for about 2 hours every day. I'm currently spreading my DiD flying over 5 different DiD pilots, one of which I report to Siggi's killboard.

 

Olham's post avove intrigues me. Since I started flying pure DiD (no TAC/labels/warp) 3+ weeks ago, I've created 5 DiD pilots. I fly them all: every day I fly at least one mission with the one I'm reporting to Siggi's killboard, and then spread the rest of my flying time out over the others in turn. So far I've lost only one pilot, the other 4 are all alive, with the "most experienced" guy up to 24 missions and 15 hours in the air.

 

But he has only 1 claim and 1 kill, flying the N17 for the Storks over the Somme in the summer of 1916. My other 3 current DiD pilots have about 10 missions between them, with only 2 claims and none confirmed so far.

 

So I'd be interested to hear of the experiences of other DiD pilots. Do thers "live fast & die quick" like Olham , or live longer but not see much action, like my guys. My 24 mission guys has only seen Germans in the air on 5 or 6 of his missions, but maybe that's because summer 1916 over the Somme doesn't have much German air activity?

 

My other 3 current DiD pilots fly British: 1 RNAS in the Tripe in April '17, 1 SE5a in summer '17, and 1 Camel in Sept '17. These guys have gotten into scraps in about half of their missions so far, a much higher percentage than my main (French) 1916 pilot.

 

I always lead my missions, and tend to fly at 8,000 to 10,000 feet when near or over the lines. I look up for Germans constantly, but probably miss targets by not looking down as much as I should?

 

My policy now is to not look for combat, to avoid it unless I have a distinct advantage, and otherwise let it find me. Though going up on two scrambles (forced down on the first, three kills on the second) probably wasn't the brightest risk to take.

 

The name of my game is survival first and let the kills come when they may, which is about as realistic as it can be I think. The normal gaming mindset is to rack up kills like playing on a pinball machine. I don't think that's done deliberately, I just think that players lose the sense of time in a game. Kills came at a handful a month for most pilots in reality, if even that. In the game I think most players look for a kill or more a day, even if that means flying a week's worth of sorties in an afternoon.

 

I'm finding it very useful to have game time synched with real time, and I won't fly game time ahead of real time, and rarely play catch-up by flying late game time with current real time; if the game date is behind the real date I hit the advance time button and pretend I've had a couple of days off (in game time). Confused?

 

 

I'm finding the longer my pilot lives in real time the more 'real' he becomes (in an RPG stylee). Time = value = immersion. :yes:

[Rickitycrate 10]

Very good points Siggi. I will adapt that date routine that you described. Seems it may well help to see more claims confirmed too.

[Red-Dog 3]

Hi Siggi, I'am not lasting long enough at the moment, i think it's time to use TAC again ? as soon as i get past 3 hours i will send you the details.....

[Siggi 10]

Hi Siggi, I'am not lasting long enough at the moment, i think it's time to use TAC again ? as soon as i get past 3 hours i will send you the details.....

 

I getting the sense that having TAC off means far less huns are spotted which equates to what feels like a more real incidence of encounters. And from what I'm reading (currently 'On a Wing and a Prayer') it would appear that the enemy was encountered far less frequently than he was encountered (eg, go up ten times, see the enemy only once).

 

I'm quite happy to go up and see nothing, which is how I suspect it was for most real pilots.

[Interlocutor 0]

My policy now is to not look for combat, to avoid it unless I have a distinct advantage, and otherwise let it find me.

 

I agree completely. I focus on "completing my mission", though I'll admit that on airfield attack missions and railyard attack mission I do not linger to make multiple strafing runs on the targets, I just dive down from altitudue after passing "behind" the target airfield/railyard at height, make one strafing pass past the target, then head home.

 

I find it helps to fly with "elite" or "good" squads; my wingmen are more able to account for enemy a/c themselves. One of the squads I fly with, the LafEsc, can be only "average", and my wingmen with the LafEsc often get themselves into trouble, leading me, as a conscientious flight leader , to risk myself more than I might otherwise. My one dead DiD pilot (so far, knock on wood ) was my LafEsc guy...

 

If my flight sets out with only 2 or 3 of us, I'm even more cautious. But if I'm leading a flight of 4 or 5, I'll cross the lines more readily on patrol missions.

[Olham 164]

It amazes me, that just you, Siggi, approach BHaH this way. I had thought, you were rather the

opposite character. The way you do it, is very grown up and serious; and I wish for you, that at least one

of your pilots will make it really long; cause then he will have a real chance to make a good kill tally (like

Ernst Udet, who must have had roughly 1 kill on 15 sorties!)

I wish, I could be more like that; but each time, I'm up there, I feel a tremendous freedome, and almost

invincible. I don't fear any opponent. I never feel outnumbered; take on every fight, and often even search

them.

But when I wrote the above, earlier on, I was just in a depressed mood. I will carry on later today, and try

to survive a little longer this time...

[zoomzoom 2]

I have a couple of dandies. But I can't fly with clouds on cause my FPS bog down. So until I get some more RAM....which is not real soon, they aren't valid.

 

Thats ok cause I love flying Did even without reporting. My current pilot in a Pfalz has over 20 hours, 15-kills 22-claims, and was captured once and escaped after 20 days. He has finally been promoted to Vizefeldwebel, and has recieved 2 iron crosses, and the Order of the House of Hohenzollern. He's got a great story....and career so far. If he can only survive till better AC arrive.!!! : ) He's also been shot up and forced landed three times.

 

ZZ.

Edited April 15, 2009 by zoomzoom

[Olham 164]

What? 15 kills, 20 hours - in a Pfalz??? I must be a real looser... (Lol!)

[zoomzoom 2]

What? 15 kills, 20 hours - in a Pfalz??? I must be a real looser... (Lol!)

 

 

No....your no loser. The fact he was captured was a result of being shot down behind enemy lines. And I mean shot up bad by three camels. It was only by luck that they decided to "give him back to me." If not, he would've been done for right there.....over.

 

I play the Pfalz like Siggi mentioned.....i run if outnumbered and avoid ANY fight I don't have a real advantage in. You HAVE to in a Pfalz late in the war....or you will die.

 

ZZ.

[Dej 17]

I'm finding the longer my pilot lives in real time the more 'real' he becomes (in an RPG stylee). Time = value = immersion.

 

Hear! Hear!

 

DiD implies some element of RP - no instant resurrection in these parts, oh no. BHaH is the most immersive sim I've ever played and makes the RP so much better. I stated playing the way Siggi describes partly because I'd invested effort in creating and colouring the CHARACTER of Llewellyn Rhys. I haven't gone as far as synching the dates but would if they were coincidental. I did become focussed on survival and the SE5 was a grand machine to get out of trouble in.

 

Rhys only DiD'd because of pilot error, colliding with his wingman, through me playing when I should've gone to bed.

 

My present character, however, was a little more gung-ho, but only because the Sopwith Tripe is so manoeuvrable. Nevertheless, I ended up taking on six Albatri by myself last night when my wingmen were downed. I took out three and was lucky to crash and be made a POW for 20 days. Nice to get six kills in one day but I don't think I'll risk it again.

 

Let's see what Tepes can do with a Camel, but I'm suspecting he'll be a bit more cautious given the Widowmaker's reputation.

[zoomzoom 2]

Hehe, its so nice when they actually escape isn't it Dej? It's like you want to have a little celebration cause you thought they were loooooong gone! Doesn't happen too often though!!

 

ZZ.

 

(I think my wife thought I was gone off the deep end when it happened to my Pfalz pilot. I was thinking, well he's done for, time to start anew, and then WoooHoo....he made it!!!! I yelled. She was like, What!! who made what!!??? where?)

[griphos 0]

I want to fly with an Elite squad!

 

Which squads have you seen show better AI in the game, Interlocutor?

[Interlocutor 0]

I want to fly with an Elite squad!

 

Which squads have you seen show better AI in the game, Interlocutor?

 

Well, right now I'm flying one DiD pilot with 56 Squadron RFC (Elite) in the summer of '17, in SE5a's. Also another with 8 Squadron RNAS (Elite) in April '17, in the Tripe, and another with 70 Squadron RFC (Good) in Sept '17. My longest-living DiD pilot, Sous-Lieutenant Jacques LaRoy (24 missions/15 hours/1 kill) flies for Escadrille N3 (the "Storks", Elite) in N17's in the summer of '16.

 

Whenever possible I make sure my flight accompanies any other flight from my squadron on missions. Since I don't use labels anymore, I can't tell which of my squadmates is in which other N17, but when my flight (usually "Flight #2") accompanies Flight #1 of the Storks on a mission, I can be sure that guys like Guynemer, "Pere" Dorme, & Deullin have my six ...

[griphos 0]

Ahhh, I really like your strategy of flying with the other flight. I usually leave them at some point. I'm going to try that. I don't know why I haven't thought of that before.

 

I've flown mostly for 8 RNAS actually. That probably explains my high opinion of my AI wingmates. I've noticed that most of them handle themselves quite well. I wonder if the sim models different AI abilities for newer/lower rank wingmen. My impression is that they are more cautious and less skilled. This sim constantly impresses me.

 

I'm in 56 RFC now. So, I appear to have chosen well without knowing it!