To the Dev Team: I miss A-Flight

[Olham 164]

Only recently, I had understood, why I had been always totally outnumbered, and so most

often had lost my wingmen, and even my life.

Then, when I learnt to fly together with A-Flight, it began to be REALLY great, and I got much

further with lifspan and victories. Now it appeared to be right to me, and so good!

 

But then came the g-patch, and it was gone. Halfway through the early part of each flight,

A-Flight gets lost somewhere. I know, you want to get on with Phase 4, but here is a rather

important part, that did work before, now "broken" through a follow-up patch, and I want to

ask you devs, if you will have a look at that problem again?

[+Winder 32]

Only recently, I had understood, why I had been always totally outnumbered, and so most

often had lost my wingmen, and even my life.

Then, when I learnt to fly together with A-Flight, it began to be REALLY great, and I got much

further with lifspan and victories. Now it appeared to be right to me, and so good!

 

But then came the g-patch, and it was gone. Halfway through the early part of each flight,

A-Flight gets lost somewhere. I know, you want to get on with Phase 4, but here is a rather

important part, that did work before, now "broken" through a follow-up patch, and I want to

ask you devs, if you will have a look at that problem again?

 

 

Hello,

 

Its possible that they decide on a more opportune target as their targetting criteria was improved because before G patch they were not attacking targets correctly they would mull around a lot. Now they decide on the target that is most threatening in the target area and go for that - it might even be other aircraft in teh area which will always take priority over a ground target.

You should follow A- flight they are the leaders - and yes if you 'warp' you may arrive at your target and they have arrived at their chosen alternative target (possibly aircraft in region) - there is probably not much to be done about this as we prefer them to 'think' - it adds depth and variability to the game.

So as before best to follow them!

 

 

However I will look to make sure that the missions are being generated properly (again) and if you have such a mission wherein you are really 'losing' them as in they 'vanish into thin air' then please send me the mission and I will look.

 

HTH

 

WM

[Olham 164]

Well, if our A-Flight and B-Flight are sent to a balloon attack at point X,

and now A-Flight - even at warp - runs into an enemy flight - then I would run into them too,

cause I have the same route and am not far behind, right?

 

No, what they often do, is, they decide on a completely different target, like a ground attack,

and leave our path towards our 9 o'clock and far away. And since we don't have radio, how

can they possibly come to the conclusion, that that ground attack in some vicinity is of more

importance than our ballon?

[Hasse Wind 46]

Everything would be easier if I never had to use warp - then I could easily follow the A flight wherever they decide to fly. But things can become problematic when after warping the other flight is nowhere to be found and I see superior enemy forces approaching. Not using warp at all is clearly encouraged here, but I'm afraid I simply don't have the time to always fly every mission completely in real time - it can consume a considerable amount of time when I'm given a target somewhere far away and I have to fly there at the typically slow speeds of WW1 aircraft. I just can't do it most of the time with work and other real life issues that everybody has to deal with, except maybe rich pensioners.

 

That's why it would be great to have the A flight stay with me when I warp. This is not a game-breaking issue, but something that would be really nice to have.

[+Winder 32]

Well, if our A-Flight and B-Flight are sent to a balloon attack at point X,

and now A-Flight - even at warp - runs into an enemy flight - then I would run into them too,

cause I have the same route and am not far behind, right?

 

No, what they often do, is, they decide on a completely different target, like a ground attack,

and leave our path towards our 9 o'clock and far away. And since we don't have radio, how

can they possibly come to the conclusion, that that ground attack in some vicinity is of more

importance than our ballon?

 

Well that does 'sound wrong' so send me the mission where in this happens and I will take a look but no promises.

 

Hasse Wind unfortunately at the moment they have to be a different flight to have the Ace skins showing individually - but we are making progress on this and have already gotten to the stage where the player can have a unique skin in his flight.

But yes I too wish it was all one flight alas not possible now but should be in P4.

 

HTH

 

WM

[Olham 164]

Winder wrote: we are making progress on this and have already gotten to the stage where the player can have a unique skin in his flight.

 

That's definitely some very good news! Really looking forward to that!

And as for eventually "broken" missions, I'll send you the next one where I get that problem.

[Hasse Wind 46]

 

But yes I too wish it was all one flight alas not possible now but should be in P4.

 

 

Great! I have a feeling P4 is going to be something extraordinary when it some day emerges from your R&D facility. I really appreciate all your efforts to improve OFF.

[Creaghorn 10]

i must say, since the very last patch, the other flights behave well. at least in my case. i like the fact that all flights are smaller, but there are more different spread around. here some nieups, there some FE's...the chance different squadrons helping each other out is bigger. i also often see formations below me. sometimes without noticing our attack till the very last moment (i usually try to attack from the sun, not sure if AI is blind from the sun or just coincidence). my flight often outnumberes the enemy, but it happens also that we get outnumbered. flight 1 also joins my path even better then before.

sometimes it happens they chose another target. but not that often. but the same for me either. if i see some specks which flight 1 didn't see, i sometimes go check and attack them if enemy, so i decided to chose another target.

for me it works greatly.

[Olham 164]

Creaghorn, do you ever use "warp" and "air start" ?

[Baldric 42]

I just assumed the flights were given different targets/objectives most of the time... so I never bothered to follow the other flight as I was thinking I wouldn't get credit for my assigned mission. If both flights were headed in the same general direction I'd link up. I'll have to try that now, thanks for bringing that up, Olham.

[Dej 17]

I do not use warp or air start.

 

What I can report by way of illustration to this question is this:

 

I was flying an aerodrome defence patrol and, as Olham indicates, about halfway through the journey to the target A Flight 'disappeared'. I can't recall whether they instantly did so or just drifted 'out of range'. However, a bit further on, some enemy two-seaters passed my flight at a distance I decided wasn't 'worth it'. We flew on. Then, a couple of minutes later, A Flight came blasting through our flight, going after the two-seaters, So, they were there, but not visible somehow.

Edited October 14, 2009 by Dej

[+Polovski 458]

The twilight zone!

Likely you just didn't see them but maybe the cloaking device for P4 was in testing ;)

[Guest British_eh]

So, it would appear that WARP is out of the question, as it may take you out of "A" flights targets. I don't warp now, and before the WINDER report, I was hoping to meet up with them. So, it appears as though the best tactic will be to wait till they head out?

 

Case in point, off to a patrol of our own airfields. Arrive and find 4 SE5a's flying past the airbases at 5000'. In my Dr.1 we four were at 8000'. I waited a bit, hoping to see "A" flight, but then signal the attack. Drop about 2000' and then find myy wingmen were getting pasted. A quick look with "Labels" confirmed some "named" British pilots, and fears were confirmed. Now as I went to climb away, two more SE' appeared above me, and two more from ~ 1/2 mile away join the fray. My Dr.1 and my 3 years of piloting were put to the test. I lasted 18 minutes, and truly felt like Voss did, against overwhelming odds. It must have been the British Ace who kept climbing up to take shots at my crate. After 18 minutes, I had sustained too much damage to effectively manage the crate, and looked to dive down to the aerodrome below. In an effort to revive a CFS3 keyboard AI request, "H" or Help. No one paid attention, and I was on my own. Never saw "A" flight show up at any time, as I was at the "destination" for our patrol.

 

Q. Is it possible to adust the number of aircraft in "A" flights and "B" flights? I would be keen on having 6 in my flight, and 3 in theirs.

 

Q. If there are no Aces in "A" flight will they be more likely to follow a "B" flight Ace?

 

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

 

PS Luckily the Germans had parachutes. and it is the first time I have used it in P3. The Brits shot the wings off and after I bailed out, 3 of them continued to shoot at the plane, till it was literally in piecees. A bit greedy I would say.

[itifonhom 6]

The Germans had parachutes? You can bail out in this sim and live? Is it aircraft specific, Date specific or side specific?

 

 

itifonhom

[+Winder 32]

So, it would appear that WARP is out of the question, as it may take you out of "A" flights targets. I don't warp now, and before the WINDER report, I was hoping to meet up with them. So, it appears as though the best tactic will be to wait till they head out?

 

Case in point, off to a patrol of our own airfields. Arrive and find 4 SE5a's flying past the airbases at 5000'. In my Dr.1 we four were at 8000'. I waited a bit, hoping to see "A" flight, but then signal the attack. Drop about 2000' and then find myy wingmen were getting pasted. A quick look with "Labels" confirmed some "named" British pilots, and fears were confirmed. Now as I went to climb away, two more SE' appeared above me, and two more from ~ 1/2 mile away join the fray. My Dr.1 and my 3 years of piloting were put to the test. I lasted 18 minutes, and truly felt like Voss did, against overwhelming odds. It must have been the British Ace who kept climbing up to take shots at my crate. After 18 minutes, I had sustained too much damage to effectively manage the crate, and looked to dive down to the aerodrome below. In an effort to revive a CFS3 keyboard AI request, "H" or Help. No one paid attention, and I was on my own. Never saw "A" flight show up at any time, as I was at the "destination" for our patrol.

 

Q. Is it possible to adust the number of aircraft in "A" flights and "B" flights? I would be keen on having 6 in my flight, and 3 in theirs.

 

Q. If there are no Aces in "A" flight will they be more likely to follow a "B" flight Ace?

 

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

 

PS Luckily the Germans had parachutes. and it is the first time I have used it in P3. The Brits shot the wings off and after I bailed out, 3 of them continued to shoot at the plane, till it was literally in piecees. A bit greedy I would say.

 

 

Yes I am looking at bumping some of the regulars in A-Flight to B-Flight....

There are no Aces in B flight due to the CFS3 skins limitation of the Player Flight - but this will change in the future!

 

WM

[Olham 164]

In real life, the Germans had parachutes since mid 1918, I think, but I don't believe,

everyone got one.

But you could try it with a new pilot, just to test, if you will come down alive, Iti.

And if so, please report.

[itifonhom 6]

I wonder what happens if your aircraft is doomed and burning at 5000ft and you bail before the sim stops, do you survive? Well, that would expand the life of my pilots seriously! I will try it for sure! Thanks for bringing this up,

 

itifonhom

[Olham 164]

In that situation, it couldn't get any worse. Worth a try,

but don't expect too much.

[Creaghorn 10]

Creaghorn, do you ever use "warp" and "air start" ?

 

i warp, mainly because it regroups my wing again. especially when leaving the area because i'm outnumbered and because of the time nothing happens. i never use airstart. after warping flight 1 is often at the same height in fromt of me, sometimes behind me. sometimes at higher altitude somewhere. i can't say i have an issues with it, though it happens sometimes they disappear, but so do i occasionally when seeing specks

[Guest British_eh]

From what I have read, the Germans were issued parachutes in early 1918, and there is a picture of MvR wearing such before getting into his Dr.1, but offhand can't remember the book.

 

If you are still alive, and above 1000 feet, you can bail. To be fair and square about it, you should do a die roll, as they malfunctioned about 40% of the time. One lucky German survived two bailouts inside of a week.

 

 

Yes I am looking at bumping some of the regulars in A-Flight to B-Flight....

There are no Aces in B flight due to the CFS3 skins limitation of the Player Flight - but this will change in the future!

 

WM

Thanks Winder for this info. P4 will dramatically change the survivability then and the vaunted 17 hours just might be manageable :)

 

Cheers,

 

British_eh

[Duce Lewis 3]

Yes I am looking at bumping some of the regulars in A-Flight to B-Flight....

There are no Aces in B flight due to the CFS3 skins limitation of the Player Flight - but this will change in the future!

 

WM

That's a nice little tidbit

Might seem small but it'll be nice to have some Ace talent close at hand

Nice Eye Candy too