Thinking about buying but...

[BurningDaylight 0]

should I wait for "Phase 4?" I have no idea what the different phases are. Are they simply updates? If I buy Phase 3, can I just download and install Phase 4 when it's available? Or will I have to buy it all over again? Naturally I'd like the most current version...

 

Thanks,

 

BD

[FenrisWlf 6]

http://combatace.com/topic/57551-off-phase4/

[Olham 164]

BurningDaylight,

since no release date for P4 is even vaguely announced, it may still take some time.

If you think about how easily you may spend 20 bucks on pizza, icecream, Cola and cinema or women

I say: buying Over Flanders Fields is money spent, you WON'T regret.

P3 is so damn good, that you will find it hard enough to develop a decent pilot quality, until P4 arrives,

which may be even harder to survive.

 

So, if you ask me (but I confess: I'm an ultimate fan!): BUY!

[Flyby PC 23]

Phase 4 might be some time away yet. But even regardless of that, I'd take the plunge now. There's quite a steep learning curve to staying alive in OFF, and it's just something you have to go through. That sounds bad, but it isn't.

 

Once you master the 'flying bit', each sortie is a white knuckle ride to stay alive. It is frustrating, but you improve as you learn and you get thoroughly engaged with what you're doing.

 

Once you get over the hump of being cannon fodder, the sim really opens up. I'd jump in with both feet and get the learning bit out of the way because you'll really enjoy P4 even more.

 

The OFF team has never let us down yet. P1 was mind blowing compared to CFS3. P2, was another big step up in realism and ambience, P3 brought in bandits that were actually scary to dog fight - they wanted to kill you!!! P4? Comes with real bullets I heard....

[Olham 164]

PS: before you start thinking, this sim was too difficult/hard:

there are of course plenty of options to cut down the realism for training.

So you can start it easy, and grow with it.

[BurningDaylight 0]

Hey guys, thanks for the advice.

 

It's not the realism and learning curve I'm worried about, it's the 40 bucks. Seems like an awful lot of money for what is essentially just an upgrade to an 8-year-old platform. A few years ago I bought X-plane version 7 about 2 weeks before version 8 came out and frankly that pissed me off. Especially since X-plane 7 pretty much sucked. (Not that all subsequent versions haven't had their serious drawbacks--what are we up to, version 9? With 10 on it's way? And the planes and cockpits still look like cartoons or those characters from the Money for Nothing video. Yikes.)

 

In fact, that 40 bucks is the reason I haven't gotten OFF before. I still enjoy CFS3 (especially since buying trackir--one of my major complaints with the game was the viewing mechanism--developing any kind of situational awareness was damn near impossible using just the hatswitch and I absolutely can't stand the target lock viewing thing and the ridiculous radar thing.) And as far as WW1 combat sims are concerned, I've been flying Rise of Flight, but after the last patch it's been stuttering so bad on my system that it's pretty much unplayable. Still, I've soldiered on with it, tinkering with this and that, wiping my computer, reinstalling windows, updating drivers and bios and all that and nothing helps. So I've given up. But...big but...I enjoy the hell out of WW1 combat. OFF looks like a pretty good alternative.

 

One other question though...I've noticed that some of the planes in the Hat in the Ring expansion have 3D pilots in them. Is there any way to turn it off? I know there's a whole contingent of virtual pilots out there who like that sort of thing, but I can't stand it. (I mean absolutely cannot stand it.) DCS: Black Shark's 3D pilot can be toggled. Is that the case with HITR? Please tell me that's the case!

 

 

BD

 

 

[Hasse Wind 46]

No, they cannot be toggled off, as far as I know. But don't let that prevent you from getting OFF. I know RoF is steadily being improved (I have it myself and fly occasionally), but if you're looking for a truly great single player experience, there's no better WW1 sim than OFF. The career mode is infinitely better than what RoF currently offers; the historical accuracy and immersion in OFF is really incredible, with all the historical units, ground operations, aces etc. etc. included. I've had OFF P3 for about 18 months now, and in addition to RB3D, I think it was probably the best money I ever invested in a flight sim. There are just so many different aircraft, squadrons, areas of operation and tactics to try that you won't run out of things to do anytime soon.

[perth 0]

I have already raised this matter in an earlier post and like you do not want to purchase phase 3 and find out phase 4 is being released a few months later. Until the developers can give a clear indication when phase 4 will be released , what it will contain in the way of improvements over phase 3 and whether or not it will be available as an expansion to phase 3 . I would suggest you wait until these questions can be answered .

 

I have already raised this matter in an earlier post and like you do not want to purchase phase 3 and find out phase 4 is being released a few months later. Until the developers can give a clear indication when phase 4 will be released , what it will contain in the way of improvements over phase 3 and whether or not it will be available as an expansion to phase 3 . I would suggest you wait until these questions can be answered .

[Olham 164]

BurningDaylight, you wont see your pilot figure, when you are in cockpit view mode, which would be

the most realistic way to fly a plane. That there are pilot figures in the other craft you see around you,

is rather the normal way it would look - that you see a pilot. Someone must fly the crate.

 

I dare to guess (and it's only a personal guess here, as the devs don't let anything out), that you could

still enjoy P3 for some time. And it doesn't suck at all. Promised.

[carrick58 23]

:good:I agree with my fellow forum members. OFF is a good investment. I am still finding things in OFF and use the simulation almost Daily. Now with that said, OFF is supported by the developers and the Forum members . They make sure no problem goes or no question goes unanswered. P-4 may be months or a year away besides you need time to survive in OFF Try taking the DID requirements use them in a different simulator and see how long you last.

[+Polovski 460]

Perth I am one of the dev team and have already directly answered your question in the other thread posted above, as best is possible right now. If you buy P3 you will plenty of time to enjoy it.

 

BD the pilot in the players cockpit is only in some aircraft and we have been adding to new craft, not sure it will be possible to have two versions of the aircraft one with one without but we can look at for P4.

[Hellshade 110]

I would direct anyone who is considering OFF: Between Heaven & Hell and the Hat in the Ring expansion to the Video sticky thread near the top of the forums. Then you can get a small taste of what you are missing. Nobody can say how you should spend your money, however given the support the Devs have offered for P3 since it's release, they have an awful lot of credibility around here. If they say P4 is a long ways off in the future, I believe them. P3 was 4 years in the making - I believe - and it is not yet 2 years old now. Plus they didn't start on P4 until after the release of the HitR expansion. Given the amount of quality they poured into previous versions of OFF, I'd be highly suprised if it showed up any sooner than Christmas. A better guess would be Christmas of next year. These guys work on OFF in their spare time after work. It''s not an 8 to 5 job. They can't say when it will be done because it's a labor of love that requires careful crafting, not an assembly line project due out on the day the stockholders and investors demand. That's why it takes so long to release new versions. It's also why it's so damn good.

 

Hellshade

[BurningDaylight 0]

To be clear I was in fact talking about the pilot parts (arms and legs and such) that you can see while in the virtual cockpit view. Not external shots. In external shots of COURSE I want to see someone flying the plane. I know a lot of computer pilots like to see somebody working the controls. My 10-year-old nephew always asks "Why can't I see my body?" But for me it detracts a bit from the emersion. After all, I can already see my legs if I look down, my feet on my rudder pedals, my hand on the throttle and working the stick (or the yoke if I'm in FSX and using my CH Products setup.) An additional set of arms and legs doesn't improve anything for me.

 

Aside from that, I went ahead and bought OFF, due in large part to the community and the commitment of the developers. It seems like a group that is very dedicated to historical accuracy and absolute realism and that is the kind of experience I am looking for. (Also the videos I've been watching on YouTube are just frickin' awesome!" :-D)

 

Cheers,

 

BD

[Flyby PC 23]

I'm a stonemason to trade, and I often say to customers that our best work in progress is our three apprentices. That's what I'm most proud of anyway.

 

Feel the same about the OFF team. What they produce with the resources they have is spellbinding, but I think the best work in progress is the OFF team itself. You just know that whatever they produce, it's going to be good, and tick all the right boxes. (No pressure guys )

 

 

Just to add a friendly dig BurningDaylight, browse round the cockpit on the ground. Do it once you're airborne, and you'll be taking your life in your hands. For P4, I'd like to see more body parts, - starting with a rubber neck and two eyes in the back of my head.

[sandbagger 1]

Hi BD,

Welcome to OFF. As others have said, the OFF team are not full time flight sim developers, but work on OFF in their spare time. I'm the junior team member, having joined the team back in October 2007. What I can tell you is you'll be hard pressed to find another team with more dedication and enthusiasm for historical accuracy and sim content. I'm obviously aware of the next release and what's in store and it's good, believe me. Until then get into OFF and hone your skills - I think you'll need it :-)

Edited July 25, 2010 by sandbagger

[themightysrc 5]

Hi BD,

 

And welcome.

 

"And as far as WW1 combat sims are concerned, I've been flying Rise of Flight, but after the last patch it's been stuttering so bad on my system that it's pretty much unplayable. Still, I've soldiered on with it, tinkering with this and that, wiping my computer, reinstalling windows, updating drivers and bios and all that and nothing helps. So I've given up."

 

Given that you've gone and bought OFF now, I'm hoping you've answered your own question regarding 'is it worth 40 bucks?', however, even if it turned out that you didn't like OFF - quite unlikely, trust me - then at least you'll be able to flog it to someone else! Given your travails with RoF, I suspect that that's not an option for you with recouping your costs.

 

Feel free to pick everyone's brains here about configuration, which is the hardest part in many ways. You'll find that everyone's very helpful and pretty knowledgeable having mostly been there, done that. Final point: don't bother with the Camel until you've mastered flying about 2-3 other types of plane. Oh, and get used to collecting a large heap of dead pilots in a pile behind your chair.

[+Winder 32]

Hi Guys,

 

P4 is a long way off yet and is still in deep development nevermind any testing phase and beta.

 

It will be a standalone product and will not be an expansion of P3.

 

HTH

 

WM

[Parky 8]

It doesn't get much clearer than that. Now if only Oleg could be anywhere NEAR that clear when it comes to the release date of SOW....lol.

 

Now I can comfortably get back to having my wings shot off without eager anticipation screwing up my concentration.

 

Thanks Winder,

 

 

"Sparky"

[Hellshade 110]

Aside from that, I went ahead and bought OFF, due in large part to the community and the commitment of the developers. It seems like a group that is very dedicated to historical accuracy and absolute realism and that is the kind of experience I am looking for. (Also the videos I've been watching on YouTube are just frickin' awesome!" :-D)

 

Cheers,

 

BD

 

Welcome aboard! You won't be dissappointed! New guy buys the drinks and I'll have a Root Beer.

 

Also, glad you enjoyed the videos. While you are waiting for OFF to show up, I just posted a new video on the video sticky thread that you might find useful. It's my first video about air to air combat tactics in Over Flanders Fields. Learn how to fly and fight like the crazy man in some of the videos you've watched. Check the Video sticky section for Hellshades Air to Air Tactics (9:15) - 1080 HD.

 

Hellshade

[Von Paulus 8]

It doesn't get much clearer than that. Now if only Oleg could be anywhere NEAR that clear when it comes to the release date of SOW....lol.

Financial pressure dictates that has to be release this year, even if it isn't 100%. So I wild guess November/December.

 

Welcome BurningDaylight!

[Olham 164]

SOW ?

[BurningDaylight 0]

Thanks for the welcomes and the advice. I'll certainly buy the drinks...but I hope authentic WW1 era prices have been applied for total emersion.

 

But with all the warnings about the difficulty of this thing you guys are making a tall order for it to fill. I have been flying combat sims since Janes WW2 Fighters. I've flown the entire CFS Series, Il-2 in all of it's incarnations (except that silly arcade console version they just released...but then I don't own a console anyway), the Lock On series, European Air War, Mig Alley, Battle of Britain and Battle of Britian II, etc. Most of these games, when it was available, I flew in multiplayer. And I have never flown any way except full real (that's not a bragging point, and definitely not a condemnation of others that may fly with the radar and the targeting cones and labels and target lock and all that, it's just the way I like to do it--to me, nothing says "immersion killer" as much as a label suspended over a plane. Shrug, to each their own.) So how hard can it really be for a guy like me? I can't wait to find out. Wish there'd been a downloadable version.

 

As for Storm of War...that's not even on my radar anymore. Every once in awhile I'll do a search online to see if there's been any progress...and the answer is almost always: not much. It seems like there's been some rumbling from Oleg lately (like a volcano about to erupt?). I've seen some nice screenshots. Some short (incredibly short) animation videos. But I've been seeing those for years.

 

But no, the sim I'm waiting impatiently for is DCS: A-10. Love those Thunderbolts. (And it's got some U.S. scenery in it.)

 

BD

[Olham 164]

BurningDaylight: So how hard can it really be for a guy like me?

 

Very hard. I dare to bet, that you will not make it alive through the war with one pilot.

With all aids switched off, you may have good times, when you receive a good fighter.

But then the other side also gets better.

You'd have to be an Ernst Udet or René Fonck to make it through the whole WW1.

So, you're waiting for your challenge here!

Edited July 25, 2010 by Olham

[Von Paulus 8]

SOW ?

Yes Olham, it's the new IL2, a WWII simulator.

[BurningDaylight 0]

BurningDaylight: So how hard can it really be for a guy like me?

 

Very hard. I dare to bet, that you will not make it alive through the war with one pilot.

With all aids switched off, you may have good times, when you receive a good fighter.

But then the other side also gets better.

You'd have to be an Ernst Udet or René Fonck to make it through the whole WW1.

So, you're waiting for your challenge here!

 

 

I certainly hope so, Olham. In a career in Rise of Flight, I shot down 16 planes, took out 9 artillery emplacements, and 7 trucks...in, get this (seriously), only 5 missions. Those numbers are just ridiculous. That career is ongoing, too, by the way. I just haven't been able to fly it since then with all the stuttering. But at that rate, Mannock, Fonck and von Richtofen won't have nothing on me.

 

I know that developers have to balance (sacrifice?) historical accuracy for mass entertainment, but jeeze.

 

(Incidentally, one of the things I will install as soon as OFF arrives is Creaghorn's realistic tracer mod--great stuff, that.)

 

Cheers,

 

BD