A Kill Claim Change I Have Implemented In My DiD Campaigns

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Good Morning All,

 

As I get deeper and deeper into the BHaH experience I continue to find ways to tweak it more to my liking for the historically correct. One of things that has bothered me about the claims process is that even if you were to down an EA on your own side of the mud, in front of God Almighty and the King himself, there is NO hope of confirmation unless one of your own flight members sees it. This is just not right. Soooooo. I have begun to write up my claim reports in these instances citing a "Ground Witness", afterwhich I go into my Control Panel and temporarily change to the "Easy - No Confirmation" setting for that one claim. In this situation I believe it is honestly in keeping with the DiD tradition and is far more historically accurate. Here is an excerpt from my Pilot Claims Log of the last such instance concerning this situation:

 

 

 

20/;4/;1916 ;15h;8 ;Flanders ;Abeele ;Patrol Friendly Front Lines ; Flying: Airco DH2. On this day claims: ;1 ;Roland CII . ;During afternoon patrol, flying at 7,200', I became separated from my flight in heavy cloud cover. Dove down under clouds to take a bearing and encountered two enemy B/R planes, (Roland type), slightly above and ahead of me at about 6,000' and just our side of the front lines. EA were heading northwest towards Ypres and were attempting to use the cloud base as cover. I turned after them and followed for approximately five minutes. I engaged both as they began an attack on Bailleul Town aerodrome. Put approximately 120 rounds into the trailing craft, which began smoking badly and shortly thereafter fell into a vrille and was seen to crash in the woods just south of the airfield, at 15:02. I managed to inflict some minor damage to the upper starboard wing of the second EA, but he flew away to the east and I had to break off the attack and land at Bailleul Town due to a punctured petrol line. Was greeted by Flt. Cmdr. Archibald Blevins, who congratulated me and noted he would personally provide confirmation of the kill. He was also kind enough to place a guard around the downed aircraft, and had his mechanician repair the petrol line on my Airco and check it over for my return flight. Phoned back to squadron and had a lorry despatched to cart the EA back to camp for inspection. Witnessed by: Ground Witness Archibald Blevins Status : Confirmed ;

 

 

 

Let me know what you think of this practice and if you agree or disagree with the logic. Thanks.

 

 

"THREE CHEERS FOR OFF! UP WITH THE KING, AND UP THE KAISER'S!"

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Dej 17]

This I like. It certainly overcomes the stupidity of 'scramble' victories being refused. I used to telephone Wing and scream down the line that they could come and count the bloody wrecks on the field if they didn't believe me! Hope Siggi picks up on this and changes the DiD rules offically.

 

BTW, did you catch the note in another thread that ALL documents, ranks and medal awards are having an historical immersion overhaul... that might include 'proper' claim forms á la the facsmilie you posted a long time back Louvert.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

That will be outstanding Dej! I look forward to seeing those new items, and I am glad that the claims form I offered might be put to good use for all. Thanks Sir.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Olham 164]

Lou, how can you possibly get to the workshop, when you are at the "claims form", without loosing that?

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Olham, you go to the workshop after you have filed the claim. If you change your claim settings they will take affect after your next mission and for that claim. And, if you happen to put in another claim in that next mission it will not be automatically awarded and you simply go back to the workshop and reset your claims to hard, (unless of course it was another kill on your side of the mud right in front of Kaiser Bill).

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Olham 164]

Okay, I see. (Another advice: write into the report all members of the other flight too.)

[Dej 17]

Okay, I see. (Another advice: write into the report all members of the other flight too.)

 

If you go into workshop and set the claims to Easy - for that one claim - you won't need to. As Louvert indicates, you can just make up a name. your only concern would be the immersive or RP quality of the claim text... it'll be confirmed anyhow.

Edited July 9, 2009 by Dej

[chrispdm1 1]

or just go into the game files and find that claim and give it a 100....

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Yuppers Chris, you can do it that way as well and it will work fine. But I did not want to go there as it involves re-writing the game files.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Siggi 10]

All I can say is Capt Roy Brown was credited with Richthofen's kill, when it was in fact an Aussie MG'er who got him. In the game you only know for sure a kill was yours because the omnipotent code tells you so, even though you might not be credited with it. In real life you might shoot down a hun right onto your own airfield, and be sure it was your kill, but what if an MG'er insisted it was his and had witnesses to back him up? Maybe you both hit him.

 

The game system abstracts all that very well, and by short-circuiting it you're detracting from the experience, in my opinion.

[Olham 164]

There's some truth in it, Siggi. All fights above my home field, I have witnessed lots of ground fire.

So an opponent might really be hit more by an Mgunner, than by myself.

Has anyone here had a case, where scramble victories where confirmed?

[SGCSG1 0]

I absolutely hate the whole 'claims' thing. I know it's supposed to 'increase immersion'. I just find it a PITA. I think if it was optional it would be better. This sim already has the hard-core grognards, if sales are to continue I think it has to be less 'hair-shirt'.

 

That you have to write up something this detailed is just NUTS:

 

"20/;4/;1916 ;15h;8 ;Flanders ;Abeele ;Patrol Friendly Front Lines ; Flying: Airco DH2. On this day claims: ;1 ;Roland CII . ;During afternoon patrol, flying at 7,200', I became separated from my flight in heavy cloud cover. Dove down under clouds to take a bearing and encountered two enemy B/R planes, (Roland type), slightly above and ahead of me at about 6,000' and just our side of the front lines. EA were heading northwest towards Ypres and were attempting to use the cloud base as cover. I turned after them and followed for approximately five minutes. I engaged both as they began an attack on Bailleul Town aerodrome. Put approximately 120 rounds into the trailing craft, which began smoking badly and shortly thereafter fell into a vrille and was seen to crash in the woods just south of the airfield, at 15:02. I managed to inflict some minor damage to the upper starboard wing of the second EA, but he flew away to the east and I had to break off the attack and land at Bailleul Town due to a punctured petrol line. Was greeted by Flt. Cmdr. Archibald Blevins, who congratulated me and noted he would personally provide confirmation of the kill. He was also kind enough to place a guard around the downed aircraft, and had his mechanician repair the petrol line on my Airco and check it over for my return flight. Phoned back to squadron and had a lorry despatched to cart the EA back to camp for inspection. Witnessed by: Ground Witness Archibald Blevins Status : Confirmed ;"

 

And if I were a potential customer, hanging around these forums, doing research trying to decide if I wanted to bother to buy this game (which requires buying ANOTHER game FIRST) I would just say, 'this is too much, forget it'.

Edited July 9, 2009 by SGCSG1

[RAF_Louvert 101]

Siggi, I agree about the ground fire completely and the very real possibility of the kill coming from an MG marksman down on terra firma. However, in the case I have noted, we were far too high for that possibility and there was in fact no ground fire of any kind, (just the odd AA burst well away from the dogfight). I was careful to consider this when I wrote my claim report. In any case, I would not submit this pilot to you for addition to the DiD list as he does not abide by your very concise and practical criteria. I only brought this up as yet another aspect that can be incorporated into this stellar combat flight sim.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[RAF_Louvert 101]

SGCSG1,

 

That's the beauty of this sim. You don't have to write up a claim at all if you don't care to. Just go into the workshop and check the "Easy" box in the claims section and you will have them automatically awarded to you.

 

Something here for everyone in OFF.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Olham 164]

SGCSG1, you can write them short, as far as I found out - it may be even unimportant, what you write,

except 1. how many of 2. which type do you claim. The where and when may be less important.

But it is fun for those, who want to feel like being there really, over Flanders.

 

And as Lou said, you may even bypass claims in workshop, and get them credited at once.

[Dej 17]

... you might shoot down a hun right onto your own airfield, and be sure it was your kill, but what if an MG'er insisted it was his and had witnesses to back him up? Maybe you both hit him.

 

Okay then, let's say one can only do Louvert's trick if one's a 2nd Lieutenant or above. No ranker's going to dispute the word of an officer and a gentleman, after all.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

 

 

[Dej 17]

Well, that's a bally Scotsman. Can't expect those fellows to play by the rules. At least not since that colonial chappie, Mel somebody or other, led them astray, what. <--- HUGE wink. No offence meant.

I'm a Welshman. REMEMBER 1182!!

 

[EDIT] And that accent's about as bad as Mel's too [/EDIT]

Edited July 9, 2009 by Dej

[Olham 164]

Nothing yet forgiven?

Hmm - it seems you Welsh, English and Scotch need war with other nations, to stick together, ey?

And even there, you try to steal the kills of each other? Shame, shame!

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Ah, Dej!

 

I have some English and Welsh blood flowing through my veins, as well, although my family immigrated to the rebellious colonies over 150 years ago. Sadly, I know little about my ancestor's countrymen except for their fondness for unpronounceable words!

[+Polovski 460]

I absolutely hate the whole 'claims' thing. I know it's supposed to 'increase immersion'. I just find it a PITA. I think if it was optional it would be better. This sim already has the hard-core grognards, if sales are to continue I think it has to be less 'hair-shirt'.

 

That you have to write up something this detailed is just NUTS:

......

 

[/b]And if I were a potential customer, hanging around these forums, doing research trying to decide if I wanted to bother to buy this game (which requires buying ANOTHER game FIRST) I would just say, 'this is too much, forget it'.

 

 

Um Workshop button

 

under "Difficulty"

Realism..

Select "Easiest; Bypass claims" = Job done! :) You can choose from THREE options too so very optional. We do try.

[SGCSG1 0]

Um Workshop button

 

under "Difficulty"

Realism..

Select "Easiest; Bypass claims" = Job done! :) You can choose from THREE options too so very optional. We do try.

 

THANK YOU FOR THAT TIP !!!!!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

See, we only need ask, (or sometimes complain), and the devs jump PDQ to help us poor sods out.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

[Canvas Wings 1]

I really like the claim system; one of my favourite aspects of the game, really - and like many people here, I think, I'm not concerned about my pilot's victories nearly so much as his survival. But do have a question.

 

I have no problem with claims being denied - ground fire, whatever. However, once and I while, I'm not even permitted to file a legitimate claim.

 

On a recent mission I managed to down 5 Pflaz -each kill duly noted by the on-screen alerts. On my way home I spotted three DFWs below- dove on them, downed one in the pass and kept on going for home. It too was indicated as a kill by the on screen message.

However - when I filled out my claim form it was continually rejected- for no reason I could see. I kept reducing the claims until it was accepted - for one Pflaz only. I ran the mission review, and sure enough it reported me shooting down all six E/A...

 

Usually if an E/A I have shot up goes down as a result of someone else's efforts, I know because the alert doesn't register a kill. And like I said, I'm not concerned about the numbers; I fully expected to have the DFW claim denied, since I was flying alone- and at least two of the Pflaz, for the same reason. But these weren't rejected after the usual investigation- I couldn't submit the claim at all, -sometimes I get that response when I have to guess how many E/A I actually downed... count backwards til you get it right - but these were noted by both the alerts and the mission review- and no one else hit that DFW.

 

Any idea why I couldn't even submit the claims? Is that a common occurance? It has happened a few times before and it seems (tho' I'm not certain) to occur when the total kills is 5 or more... though that could just be a coincidence.

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

I don't know the answer to your question, but maybe it's OFF's way of telling you that you have your realism settings set too low!