Finally beat the odds!

[Canvas Wings 1]

Whoo-hoo – finally made it!

"Today" Jan 8/18, Lt. Kerry "Canuck" Jones flying, with 54 RFC out of Bertangles West in Flanders, passed the notorious 17-hour mark in his log book, returned to the airfield, jumped out of his Sopwith Pup and kissed the freakin' ground. With only one confirmed victory and five pending, he is not the darling of the press – but he's alive, by Gawd! -Not much of an accomplishment compared to some of the old aces here, I know- but I've been flying strictly campaign DiD L/T at 110% for more than 3 months since I first got BH&H, and it sure felt good to see that airfield come over the horizon.

 

Now here's a question. In this pilot's last three missions, he had barely avoided a collision on four occasions. In three cases a friendly or enemy A/C whipped past his nose just as he made a turn. In the fourth an enemy pilot came head on, without firing, in what seemed like a deliberate ramming attempt. In part, he survived these situations because I was half expecting someone to run into me. Why? Because the three previous pilots who got closest to the dreaded 17-hour barrier where all killed in mid-air collisions. Two flew camels, one flew a Tripe. They had logged 12, 13 and 15 hours respectively in different times/areas but all three were killed in collisions. …Now, in 3+ months flying DiD, as you can imagine, I buried a lot of pilots of all nationalities. A very, but very few died from running into someone else – yet all three, and nearly the fourth, of my longest surviving pilots did. So – is it possible that as a pilot nears his 17 hours, the missions get tougher and actually tend to favour a collision? Has anyone else noticed this? –Or am I just being paranoid? Bear in mind, as someone once said "Being paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."

 

Either way, if you have a pilot approaching the 17-hour wall, I'd suggest avoiding a developing furball and only engaging an enemy when there is no other A/C, friendly or otherwise, within say 800 meters. If a third plane comes any closer that than, break off and head for open space. I'm probably just imaging it – but four pilots out of four is a very high coincidence. In the meantime, I'm going to send Lt. Jones off to the nearest local village where he can buy a medallion of St. Thérèse, patron saint of pilots. No wonder so many of those guys were superstitious; another aspect of total immersion. Man, I love this sim.

CW

Edited June 1, 2009 by Canvas Wings

[Olham 164]

Congratulations first, CW,

and it IS something to achieve - victories can still be collected.

Yes, I think it's paranoid. And I had once asked a similar question about Albatros lower wings breaking

up in mid air - I had thought it was because I had too many kills in very short time. A dev reacted quite

upset and assured me, all was done "strictly by the book" (which I never read).

But it turned out, that I had just dived too steep. I was used to the Albatros DIII, which can bear more

stress on the wings. But now I flew a D Va, and that's a different craft.

I almost had two collisions today, and I'm not at all near that 17hour mark. I would rather guess, it has

something to do with aggressive enemy AI approaching you, and you making a sudden move.

Anyway - the only way to avoid it is, overall situational awareness, plus more careful moving around.

Something difficult to achieve, I know that.

[+Polovski 460]

Quite right as Oldham says, that's co-incidence, like those that happen in life all the time. We don't do anything at all to stop anyone getting to 17 hours, or to make it harder if you are getting good etc. It is what it is..these things happen at odd times.

 

Just like real life...sometimes you wait for a bus and none come, then 3 come at once.

[shredward 12]

And Whump

 

You're dead!

[Duce Lewis 3]

And Whump

 

You're dead!

I've noticed that AI have nerves of steel on those head-on attacks ...or maybe silicon

I just lost a 6 hr bloke when I zigged to avoid a head-on with 1 Spad, only to have another 1 kamikazi into me

 

Can you program some 17 hr desire into them too?

[+Polovski 460]

They do have 17 hour desire, but maybe the ones that stare at you as they crash into you are the 34 hour guys ;)

[Dej 17]

Maybe it's an AI thing.

 

I've lost two 18+ hour pilots to friendly collisions, one was a serious DiD/T campaign pilot, the other a non-DiD bit of fun (still dead is dead in workshop though)... and other people have posted similar.

 

It may not be programmed as a 17 hour limiter but is it possible the AI respond to your experience, i.e you ought to have enough SA to avoid friendly collisions by 17.5 hours, therefore they take more risks with you? Or am I being paranoid too?

[Canvas Wings 1]

See! It's probably not even the AI, just our imagination; -but as I said- after you've invested a lot of time and a little terror in an DiD pilot, you start to get downright paranoid and a little twitchy, ....like many of the r/l pilots did. That's immersion, baby! Beautiful.

CW