Some thoughts...

[von Baur 54]

...for non-campaign style fun.

 

Team dogfights:

These would feature classic match-ups...Camel/Dr1, N-17/Alb D-III, S-VII/Alb D-II or D-III, Fokker D-VII/SE5, FokkerD-VII/S-XIII, and any others that can be agreed upon. Airstarts in close enough proximity to prevent either side gaining a distinct altitude advantage for the initial engagement. Sides would be kept even and in the event of an odd number of players the odd man would pick a team and replace the last man on that team knocked down. I know, conventional thinking would be replacing the first man knocked down, but if it's the last it gives the rest added incentive to stay alive (you're not off the hook until you land safely) while giving the first person downed hope that he may yet fly the next round, thus keeping his interest up. These could be full-real with TAC and labels off or with them on, but the response might be better if they were left on. Points are awarded based on numbers of enemy destroyed or forced to retreat and numbers of the last team in the combat area to land safely. Any tactical withdrawal from the combat area of more than five minutes is officilally a retreat.

 

King of the Hill tournament:

Best of three one-on-one combat with winners taking on winners until one is declared the weekly winner (the defeated can arrange their own battles to have fun, too). Same-plane matchups with different planes each week (could probably even include two-seaters). Take off from the same field and climb to a pre-determined altitude, gentleman's pass from opposite directions (fly straight and level until past your opponent), and then go for it. Initial pairings can be in order of arrival onto Teamspeak or by challenge or both.

 

Protect/Intercept:

This would be close to campaign-style, but without AI. Start with one or two two-seaters (crewed by AI and players or entirely by players, if there are enough, but no entirely AI aircraft) then divide the rest as evenly as possible with any odd numbers going to the side of the interceptors. A target is chosen among three or four nearby potentials to prevent base-hugging by the interceptors and the two-seaters must bomb or photograph from above the target. If bombing, destruction of the target is the primary objective and landing safely is secondary. If it's photo recon at least one of the two-seaters must make it safely back to friendly territory. Points are awarded based first on mission completed and second on safe landings.

[sitting_duck 3]

big thumbs up to all three

[Winston DoRight 3]

What you have with human vs. human dogfights is the nastiest bug of all in OFF multiplayer; the "unusual attitude" of your opponent when he's turning hard. He flys backwards and sideways and shoots you when pointed away from you. When you look behind you and see an enemy at 800 ft, he most likely is much, much closer than that as you soon find out. I find myself marveling at these bugs so much that I forget what I'm doing.

 

Kills could be more attributed to a players lag time rather than skill, but also even the host experiences the bug. We've all hated this from the beginning, is there a fix that I'm unaware of? Or a new way to minimize the problem?

[GaryR 0]

What you have with human vs. human dogfights is the nastiest bug of all in OFF multiplayer; the "unusual attitude" of your opponent when he's turning hard. He flys backwards and sideways and shoots you when pointed away from you. When you look behind you and see an enemy at 800 ft, he most likely is much, much closer than that as you soon find out. I find myself marveling at these bugs so much that I forget what I'm doing.

 

Kills could be more attributed to a players lag time rather than skill, but also even the host experiences the bug. We've all hated this from the beginning, is there a fix that I'm unaware of? Or a new way to minimize the problem?

 

Yes. There is NO way, with the current MP code mess, that doing any sort of MP competition is feasible. Co-op missions are fun, but even then you get the "wobbly" AI planes and other glitches. Human dogfights? No way until the code is fixed and I highly doubt that will happen anytime soon..

[sitting_duck 3]

Cant say i agree.

 

Did some missions with ppl on both sides not too long ago for the purpose of seeing how the planes fly in this manner, and did not get the stuff you get in mp dogfights. Im not sayin the game played perfect ever time, but it was enjoyable.

[GaryR 0]

Problem is the connection needs to be "Aces High / IL2" solid to have a good, fair competition ladder. While you may get a good/fun dogfight in now and then it isn't something you can count on.. unless someone changed some code since the last time I tried? Even on a LAN it is twitchy for me.