DiD Thirdwire

[MaverickMike]

With the addition of the guys from OFF here at combatace I like reading some of their forum topics. One topic or phrase that I noticed was the DiD method of playing OFF. Basically DiD for those of you that didn't know means Dead is Dead i.e. any pilot you are flying with at that particular time, who gets shot down and is KIA, stays KIA. Meaning you usually have to start the campaign over. So I decided that was how I was going to play the thirdwire titles from now on, no reflies or restarting missions when things get hairy!

 

Im currently flying as a pilot during Operation Rolling Thunder for the VF-96 'Fighting Falcons' of the U.S. Navy (SF2:V.with the all in one mod installed) IMHO it makes the game that much more immersive. Knowing that your pilots life could end in the blink of an eye (which has happened to me 3 times as I play with all settings on hard) makes you much more careful and gives you a much better idea of what the guys who really done it must have gone through.

 

So the point im trying to get at I guess is the versatility of these (so called) 'lite-sims'. TK is no doubt a genius at work and I think that hes created a very solid fanbase simply because of the fact that you can fly exactly how YOU want to fly. I think you get ,out of the experience, what your prepared to put into it. In other words you can make these sims as immersive as you want them to be. DiD being just one of many ways to increase or decrease the immersion levels to your convenience.

 

As a final thought does anyone else play the games in a similair manner? Or have any other ways to make the game that bit more immersive?

 

Just my two pence worth

 

Mike

Edited September 7, 2009 by MaverickMike

[Gr.Viper]

I ran a few of campaigns in DiD mode. I simply change the first name to "Dead" after the pilot is killed, without reflying. Got a ton of dead pilots in profiles list. The only one who managed to complete a campaign and got a name "Retired" was a A-7 pilot who had only two mission before the war was over. I also had a lucky no-refly-retired Hunter pilot but that was before I started the log.

[Thog10]

I've tried a number of times. If you also add "I will not hit ESC before I land at a friendly airbase" things become quite dicey. I've had the most success flying in the Desert campaigns, but sometimes you find yourself low on fuel with 12 MiG-17s lobbing shells at you. In Europe I can make it a little while flying tree-top strike missions, but every so often I choose to fly right over an AAA site with rather rough consequences. In SF2:V, I get blotted out of the sky by a SAM way too early.

[FastCargo]

I know of at least one of our members who has played an F-105 campaign this way. He modified the campaign length to require 100 missions, flown every other day.

 

The farthest he got was 67.

 

FC

[Thog10]

I tried four First Eagles campaigns this way today - all settings "hard". The farthest my pilot got was six missions. I would say I averaged about three. So often it seems to be the stupid stuff that gets me. On that sixth mission I clipped the wing of a German two-seater as I made a slashing attack. I "made ace" and then slammed into the French countryside.

[Gr.Viper]

In FE the best way to survive in that manner is to make all-squadron flights.

Edited September 8, 2009 by Gr.Viper

[MigBuster]

I know of at least one of our members who has played an F-105 campaign this way. He modified the campaign length to require 100 missions, flown every other day.

 

The farthest he got was 67.

 

FC

 

Thats still very good - especially if it was the old WOV/WOE versions!

 

I play DiD for campaigns - gives a bit more of a challenge although have completed 5 out of the last 10 or so in SF2V - bit rusty on carrier ops it appears

[jomni]

I play DiD. Though I have one pilot who only flies single missions and he is never dead for testing and fun purposes.

I don't like having pilots that have tremendous amounts of kills and medals in my campaigns. I want him to start from scratch. A dead pilot gets deleted. If the pilot survives the campaign. He can start another campaign that has a later (but not earlier) starting date as the previous campaign.