Consider buying OFF

[+elephant 36]

Hi all,

I've been recently interested in WWI, I mostly fly-play Modded IL-2 and Strike Fighters 2 series, purely offline.

I've already got First Eagles 2 and Rise of Flight.

The former never hooked me, the latter is impressive in aspects of visuals and physics,

but lacks a full planeset and a decent Campaign mode, (one is in the works at the time speaking).

There is a 3rd party Campaign Generator that does the job but still the poor planeset makes the Campaign experience a bit repetitive.

I have seen all the OFF related videos by Hellshade and Povolski and found them extremely immersive.

OFF comparing to RoF graphically is a downgrade but what about it's Campaign mode?

I've been visiting this Forum lately and admired the reasonable and lively OFF Community.

Since I have an old CFS3 game, retired and put in a shelf for a long time now...do you recommend buying OFF?

I remind you I fly mostly offline, (not unnegotiably however) and I like immersive and historically correct Campaigns.

My favorite plane is the D series Albatros (the D.5 particularly for it's sleek and elegant lines).

 

Thanks

Edited November 16, 2010 by elephant

[Stratos 3,188]

I just entered the community and I'm really enjoying the game. I'm a pure offliner like you Elephant (BTW nice pilot skins mate) and the campaign is top notch! Encountering the enemies in the aproppiate planes and cammos is what make me decide to enter OFF, the single player campaign is great, making claims, trying to survive, defending wingmen...

100% recommended!!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Welcome to the OFF forums Elephant, you'll find us a friendly lot and relatively sane. To your question, I couldn't recommend buying OFF enough Sir. If you enjoy the campaign side of WWI combat flight along with a fully immersive sim environment you will find nothing to compare to this, I guarantee it. And be sure to get the Hat in the Ring update at the same time, you will then have it all.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

.

[Ratatat 0]

Hi Elephant,

 

I can heartily recommend buying OFF. If you're looking for a great campaign style game I can't think of a better one. You'll find that you'll really get attached to your pilot unlike other games. I think Hellshade said it perfectly in a recent post when discussing Wings of Prey and OFF. I've included it below for your convenience:

 

"Wings of Prey has a brand new flight sim engine to give it better visuals than OFF, however even there the screen shots of P4 look to close the distance in that gap too. OFF just has too much attention to detail and history where as WoP, while certainly difficult to master, is all about immediate gratification from exciting visual feedback. It works beautifully for what it is, but other than being a combat flight simulator, the similiarities between the two end very quickly. If you are looking to create a pilot to try and live through the war, WoP just doesn't have the depth to support the emotional attachment to a pilot that OFF does. In my opinion, its that personal attachment to our pilots in a historically accurate world that lends tremendously to the addictiveness of OFF.

 

Essentially, with Wings of Prey you are trying to finish a Mission.

In Over Flanders Fields you are trying to survive a War.

 

The difference emotionally can be quite significant, in my opinion.

Hellshade"

 

 

Best regards,

 

Ratatat

[Dej 17]

Hi Elephant,

 

I've flown First Eagles 1 & 2 with mods and I've flown RoF. Both have the eye candy and certainly the latter has a real edge over OFF P3 in the graphics and damage modelling department. But neither come even a smidgeon close to OFF for single player campaign play, period. The level of historical accuracy in OFF is astounding.

 

As you venture over The Front you will encounter the enemy and friendly squadrons and aces that were there at the time; doing what they were doing at the time; flying the aircraft they were flying at the time (for the most part); and sporting the paintjobs they were sporting at the time... 4000+ historic skins, no less. The Front moves according to the various historic battles that took place, and if needs be your squadron will move too, thus you transfer between bases (again historically accurate) in real time.

 

Add to all this dynamic, historically accurate, weather; the sheer difficulty of keeping yourself and your wingmen alive; a realistic claim system that demands you take note of the circumstances of each victory if you want it confirmed; AI that can be truly fiendish and you'll see why others have said that a key difference is that what happens to your virtual self matters in OFF - you care about it. There is no immersion can be had from a WW1 sim more than OFF offers.

 

Buy OFF, work your way up to Dead Is Dead, and kiss goodbye to 'playing'.

 

Of course... all the above is configurable too

Edited November 16, 2010 by Dej

[+elephant 36]

Thank you all guys!

It seems that OFF is what I'm dreaming of such a game-simulation.

The attachment to pilots, comradship and mimic real life situations in a historically plausible environment,

is what interests me the most.

That's why I keep making hardcore historically accurate pilot skins in the games I play...Stratos, (thanks for the comment}.

The only thing that bothers me is the mail delivery, (I don't have much respect to the Greek Mail Service),

I would prefer an electronic purchase option.

 

BTW here is a small sample of my mod work on pilots for IL-2 and RoF

 

IL-2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rise of Flight:

 

 

 

PS Is a feature like individual skins for pilots is supported by OFF engine?

And to introduce myself... I'm the US Navy and German Observer guy in the above pics...

Edited November 16, 2010 by elephant

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Very nice work Elephant, very nice indeed. And yes, OFF allows you to paint and fly in your own personal plane skins. There are many, many custom skins for download and viewing in the OFF Downloads section of these forums. Enjoy!

 

.

[Hellshade 110]

Elephant,

 

I would order Over Flanders Fields:Between Heaven & Hell and the Hat in the Ring expansion all over again at full price if for some reason I lost my copies. Of all of the many PC games I have ever played, OFF:BH&H with HitR definately ranks in the top 3 of games I have spent the most time playing. The top two would have to be World of Warcraft 1st and then Everquest (way back in the day) 2nd, which are both time sink MMOs. They are designed to have you spend months playing them just to get anything accomplished.

 

OFF keeps you playing because you never know what will happen next. What will the weather conditions be like on this flight? When do we get new planes? Recon, Bombing, Balloon busting & defense, Arty spotting, trench straffing, attack or defend airfields, patrols behind enemy and friendly lines, fighter sweeps, etc for mission types. Multiple, historically accurate enemy squadrons that can show up at any moment while you are on any part of a mission. Friendly squadrons that can show up to help you! Face off against genuine Aces of the Great War in historically accurate planes and paint schemes. Moving front lines! It's a real war out there. If you don't like your mission or if you just get lost from your flight, you can fly in any direction and the war will still be going on with bombers and two seaters crossing the lines regularly and fighters on patrol looking to stop them (and you if they spot you). Hundreds of historically accurate squadrons to choose from on hundreds of dates from 1915 to 1918 to fly with for the Germans, French, British or Americans. Theres just too much replayability without the novelty ever wearing off.

 

Hellshade

[Olham 164]

Elephant: I fly mostly offline, (not unnegotiably however) and I like immersive and historically correct Campaigns.

My favorite plane is the D series Albatros (the D.5 particularly for it's sleek and elegant lines).

 

A person who likes the Albatros for it's sleek and elegant lines, can't be bad, can he?

A gentleman of good taste has found his way to us! Wilkommen, Herr Leutnant!

 

If you like the overall feeling to really be in the Squadron, Jasta or Escadrille, to really live it (that's what they call immersion, I think),

then you won't find any better air combat sim. I liked IL-2 for WW2, it's aircraft looked great, but nothing ever was like OFF before.

I don't fly anything else since more than a year now. (If ever Oleg Maddox' Battle of Britain should get released, I'll make an exception).

[Javito1986 14]

Did you ever play Red Baron 3D? I was a huuuuuuuuuuuge RB3D guy back in the day. I was a little miniature WW1 historian at age 13 all thanks to that game. Best thing about it was the dynamic campaign. You just felt like a pilot in the Jastas or in the RFC trying your damnedest to survive the war in one piece.

 

That was some ten years ago. OFF is the spiritual successor to RB3D, it's the next step up. Lately I've even taking to role playing certain elements with dice just to increase my immersion (see the 'Survival In The Air' thread for details). I love it and can't recommend it enough!

Edited November 16, 2010 by Javito1986

[+elephant 36]

Thanks again all of you guys!

You were the most informative not to mention pationate which is really good...

I guess I'll be ordering first thing tommorow...

I hope it'll arrive soon enough and safely most of all. (I'm a little worried about that).

Is there a way for an electronic purchase, (via download?).

 

 

PS Never played RB3D Javito. I started with CFS2 went to CFS3 but dropped it in favor of IL-2, I've been playing exlusively since, with a small pass from Strike Fighters2 and recently Rise of Flight. (I interchange between the three according to my mood).

I have read about the reputation of RB3D though...

Thanks for the role play tip!

Edited November 17, 2010 by elephant

[Olham 164]

No, it isn't for OFF - only for the "Hat in the Ring" add-on.

But use the time to check the website, the install tips and the sticky threads above.

You need a late version for CFS3, or you need to update to that - it's all explained in the site:

 

www.overflandersfields.com

[Javito1986 14]

PS Never played RB3D Javito. I started with CFS2 went to CFS3 but dropped it in favor of IL-2, I've been playing exlusively since, with a small pass from Strike Fighters2 and recently Rise of Flight. (I interchange between the three according to my mood).

I have read about the reputation of RB3D though...

Thanks for the role play tip!

 

 

Yea I played all those. My first flight sim was CFS1 when I was in 7th grade, then moved on to RB3D. I was also really into CFS2 and enjoyed all those awesome comic book style cinematics it used.

 

You really missed out on RB3D though, the dynamic campaign in RB3D was like nothing else out there. I had some amazing pilot characters with their self-made stories. The German pilot in Jasta 11 who after the death of his best friend Manfred von Richtofen in late 1916 painted his Fokker Triplane red in his honor and became a new Red Baron who survived on the front unti January 1918. The American from 94th Aero who swore vengeance after his wingman was killed by Herman Goering (who flew a distinctively painted fighter... black if I remember right) and was finally killed by a shot to the head in an EPIC Werner Voss style dogfight between him alone against Goering's squadron of Fokkers in October 1918. Years later I still remember those campaigns

 

 

After a while RB3D didn't really work anymore. At that point I was really into Rowan's Battle of Britain, which also had a really great campaign (but of a much, much different style than RB3D and OFF). Still am into it actually, the sequel's an amazing sim. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut I always had a soft spot for RB3D and lamented the dearth of WW1 flight sims that gave me that old RB3D feeling.

 

'Til I upgraded my computer and got Over Flanders Fields that is. RB3D's spirit is alive and well again and I'm a happy camper!

 

 

 

 

 

[+elephant 36]

I forgot to mention that I passed from the BoB2 too.

I have designed some pilots for them...(never finished though) and for a while I was in the development team of BoB2.

The game has some strong points nonetheless but,the strategic style of the Campaign was not appealing to me and finally my enthousiasm faded away...

I now play Rise of Flight mostly with the addition of Pat Wilson's Campaign Generator. A 3rd party tool that allows

you to play a decent historically correct Campaign with many of the aspects, features of the OFF campaign, mentioned above, incorporated, (Aces, Squadrons, Aerodromes, Squadmates, Reports, Medals, Skins, Timeline),with many features fully customisable, but the rather poor RoF planeset is limiting a lot of it's potential resulting to a rather repetitive gameplay...

You end up playing the same mission over and over again.

I guess I have to try OFF Campaign to compare...(and never come back?)

[Von Paulus 8]

Welcome!

In terms of historical campaign accuracy, OFF is unbeatable. It might not have the eye candy of RoF but you'll find yourself immersed in WWI, in a way much deeper than any other WWI combat simulator.

I'm sure you'll not regret.

Cheers

[Ratatat 0]

Hey Javito1986,

 

Did you ever play RB3D with the Promised Lands "Full Canvas Jacket" patch? It was a great upgrade and kept me flying that game for a long, long time. Until I discovered Phase 2 of OFF. When I saw those P2 screen shots and read the high praise in the forum I knew it was time to move on. I still have the box and manual for RB3D on my shelf. Flipping through the manual here I just came across a neat section on the medals of WW1. Something to read tonight!

 

Elephant,

Some very nice work there! Mmmm... love that 109.

 

I tried the RoF demo recently. I had been waiting for a compatible Win 7 64 bit demo.The planes look great ( I loved starting up the Albatross on the field. Everything shook and rumbled - be great to have that in OFF! ), the water with all the reflections is amazing - yet I kept wishing I was playing OFF. There seemed to me to be a lack of feed back during combat. One minute the enemy plane was sailing along in front as I shot at it. Abruptly it fell apart in to a dozen pieces. While fascinating to watch, I found it unsatisfying. The combat to be had in OFF is more visceral and enjoyable to me. You can tell when your rounds are finding there mark, and if you hit the pilot you'll know it.

When P4 is released ( the next installment of OFF ) I think we will have the best of both worlds. The beauty and the brains!

[Javito1986 14]

Hey Javito1986,

 

Did you ever play RB3D with the Promised Lands "Full Canvas Jacket" patch? It was a great upgrade and kept me flying that game for a long, long time. Until I discovered Phase 2 of OFF. When I saw those P2 screen shots and read the high praise in the forum I knew it was time to move on. I still have the box and manual for RB3D on my shelf. Flipping through the manual here I just came across a neat section on the medals of WW1. Something to read tonight!

 

 

 

No, but man did I want to. I remember when FCJ came out, I read the SimHQ review and drooled for days. That was all a transitional period for me computer wise though, and I only had a laptop with no video card and hence could hardly run anything decent around then. Plus I was like 15 or 16, and didn't have the... what was it? $35? $40 for FCJ? Yea, not a happy time for my flight simming.

 

Funny thing, the way I discovered Over Flanders Fields years later was specifically because I bought an actual gaming computer and was like "Ok, time for Full Canvas Jacket". Went to search, couldn't find it, browsed SimHQ's RB3D forums, discovered OFF, rest is history...

 

 

[Slartibartfast 153]

Greetings Elephant,

 

Welcome to the madness that is OFF (in a great way)... I fly only offline in OFF and have been flying for a year and its an amazing flight sim very immersive and the support provided here is fantastic... Hope your OFF lands soon and that you enjoy your brief moments in the sky... Oh and as your the new guy I will settle for an Irish Coffee...

 

Also as to the campaign in OFF welcome to the War in High Def where you get to participate the only thing missing is the smell of the castor oil and the smell of cordite...

[Goodvibes 0]

G'day Elephant,

 

Have just read your post and would like to state that I reached somewhat similar conclusions to those that you outlined, particularly in regard to WWI flight sims. I also have OFF BH&H on order and am a little dissatisfied with ROF in terms of its campaigning field. I also have Pat Wilson's work on the career mod for ROF and totally agree with your assessment on this. It did however, spark my interest in looking further affield for something better developed on the subject of WWI. Something more than dogfighting is needed to hold my interest in the longterm scheme of things. Naturally, I've heard and seen your pilot skin work from Loewengrins DCG. Very nice. Campaigning in the WW2 environment is definitely not a dead issue. BOB2 Wings of Victory made a fair effort, but in IL2 this would have to be SEOW, http://www.seowhq.net/ and 242 Squadrons HSFX patches, http://www.242sqn.co...6d487be498156a1 for the most comprehensive approach to campaigning of WW2 air battles. I currently use the 4.09 4.2 B2 patch for my IL2 work and play and personally have not been on a Hyperlobby dogfight server for a number of years now. Apart from this, can expect that Team Daedelaus (Olegs licenced modders) will finally sort out the bugs in 4.10 and release it sometime soon. On this, I'll be curious to see whether the Channel and Mediteranean maps are included and how the Zuti mods stand in this with particular regard to the future Storm of War. Whether this comes up to the campaigning standard demanded for HSFX and SEOW is an entirely different matter altogether. But as it is, IL2 is still a very competitive product and suspect that OFF should be held in the same vein.

 

Welcome,

Vibes

[+elephant 36]

Just ordered OFF and the clock is ticking backwards to delivery...

Vibes, thanks for the kind comments. Expect some updates of my work hosted at Lowengrin's DCG site.

I had IL-2 uninstalled, for over a year, (due to a computer melt down I had to reformat) and only recently installed it again, modded with Ultrapack 2.01 with additional mods from SAS and it was like playing a new game...

Patch 4.10 will give further push to it.

But at the moment, I'm eager to to try OFF Campaign mode... from what I've read from you and the available reviews, excells in every aspect to what I have been playing so far.

[Stratos 3,188]

Hope you can paint the pilots for OFF too, will love to see real aces up there, close and personal. Welcome to the club!

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

The amazing thing about OFF, and where it scores against other WW1 sims, is it uncanny ability to make you believe you are in a real time campaign and airwar.

Yes, RoF has some funky visuals, but never achieves the Immersion that OFF does...it feels like a flying 'game'...and that wont change anytime soon (IMHO)

 

Having scratched the surface of P4...in the form of screenshots, proves to me yet again, that whatever the opposition does, it will merely be bettered at every turn!

[+elephant 36]

UK_Widowmaker: Having scratched the surface of P4...in the form of screenshots, proves to me yet again, that whatever the opposition does, it will merely be bettered at every turn!

 

I have the same impression too...

Exept from dynamic lighting the cockpits look very similar to the RoF ones, (considered to be state of the art).

Plus features like "live" infantry, (along with many others), that RoF lacks.

Edited November 17, 2010 by elephant

[Olham 164]

In a way, it's like with movies. You find it hard to tell, why one film will really drag you into it's world completely,

while another is merely looking very professional. Both are made with good actors and cameras etc., but one

fails, the other is great. Even directors and producers cannot predict this.

OFF is like "Casablanca" - there maybe films made with equipment a hundred times more expensive, the

latest visual effects and the most expensive actors - but it's "Casablance" you will never forget.

 

So, once you have been "Over Flanders Fields", you may find yourself murmuring to yourself:

"I think, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

Edited November 17, 2010 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

A great analogy Olham, and you've used one of my favorite films of all time to make it. Another apropos quote you could use in this instance from the iconic Rick Blaine would be, "If you don't get in that plane you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."

 

.