How many made it trough a DiD Campaign?

[Helmut_AUT]

I'm curious - I assume a few here are playing "DiD" (meaning, if your pilot gets killed, you restart the campaign).

 

My best run until today was 5 missions, then I got sniped out of the cockpit by a Camel.

 

It is pretty brutal to think of the reality, how it must have been in a real war. Okay, they didn't get a guaranteed fight every time they took off, but they didn't have half our practice in aerial combat and had brutal physical conditions to deal with as well.

 

I'm playing everything on hard, TIR and no padlock. How far have you guys gotten in consecutive campaign missions without being killed?

[wretched]

1 Hour and 18 Minutes into Pilots career, Dead. Imagine the horror of actually being there.

[+whiteknight06604]

I'm about to try,I don't think I'll make it past the 10 minute mark.

[Dave63]

I think I made 6 once as a french nieuport driver.

[+Gr.Viper]

You can stay alive much longer if instead of going in small teams you take the whole squadron for the hunt. Swarm tactis seem to increase life expectancy both for the player and the AI wingmen.

[Helmut_AUT]

Might make sense, not sure how historical it was to simple have everyone in the air...

 

I got a recon mission yesterday just on the opposite side of the trenches where suddenly the sky was swarming with SE5a and Camels - we had two Fokker Triplanes, and no friendlies nearby either.

 

I swear sometimes it seems as if enemy AC spawn out of thin air, but as far as I know that is not the case? In this mission, our friendly Arty was not firing at anything, the entire sky was blank - and 30 seconds later, more than 10 enemy AC around.

 

So yeah, the game isn't always even handed in the numbers.

[+Tailspin]

From what I've read, IRL, WWI pilots had no qualms about getting out of harms way if the odds weren't favorable. In the game if you are outnumbered by more than 2-1 your odds of survival greatly decrease. IMHO, the main "problem" with campaigns in FE is the requirements for success are way too difficult and unrealistic.

 

BTW...using the F6 key you can look around and see whats in the air. Most flights will show up once they take off.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Tailspin

[Helmut_AUT]

Well, bugging out was what saved me on that recon mission. My Wingman didn't help me when the initial two Camels showed up, and was later shot down far away from where he should have been.

 

I would agree with you that it is more realistic to abort and get home alive than try for a mission success and die. Pilots weren't expected to die against the odds back then, either.

[+Tailspin]

Actually, the Comms menu does have an effect on your wingmen...most of the time. When your wingies go wandering off, try "Rejoin" or "Return to base" if its time to go home.

[Bandy]

I ran out of interesting pilot names long ago and gave up trying the DiD thing back in late December 2006 (inside joke), but those were still green days for me. Just my personal opinion and no judgement on anyone else, but I think it is kinda silly. You're gonna die in the sim skies sooner or later...

 

I know what you mean though, you want to be successful on every mission possible. Try to fly defensively to save your wingmates and build up their experience and scores, it is very interesting and a fun way to change the perspective on the sim. I absolutely HATE when I'm outside and look into a fur ball to see AI wingmates getting holed, or worse flamed, and know that if I help I am not making it back to finish the campaign. I almost always jump in though, seriously, there is something heroic about doing it and feeling good about it. Sometimes I get away and they are memorable flights, most times not.

 

If you're flying against Peter's AI then just enjoy when you can get away and/or make an emergency landing in a convenient field. With all the trees Jan has put on the ground now, I can't even pretend to do that anymore...