Scramble!?

[Wayfarer 5]

Ok, this might not mean so much to most of you, who fly in later periods.

I have had OFF for nearly a year now. I started my campaign in January 1915 and have dutifully carried out over 50 reconnaissance and artillery spotting missions. At 10:01 22nd September 1915 I go to the briefing room for another valuable intelligence gathering mission ... and get 'scramble inbound enemy aircraft approaching'! Wife and middle daughter are startled by loud exclamation, and possible expletive - have I been transported 25 years to BoB!? I had never seen this before and I was completely stunned.

5 minutes later my BE2 has ploughed its own airfield with its starboard wing and my pilot is hospitalised for 20 days. I know flying repeated reconnaissance flights isn't many people's ideal way of enjoying OFF, but it certainly makes things like this all the more dramatic when they do happen. You may be able to tell I'm still in Sim-Shock!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

hee, hee...Wayfarer, I generally don't fly the scrambles when serving in a B/R squadron as they would never have been sent out on such a mission. Truth be told, it was very rare for a fighter squadron to be given such as task as well. Just one of those little things we hope will be tended to in P4.

 

But they are exciting, and a great way to get a bit of time off, as you've now discoverd.

 

.

[Lewie 7]

I was always annoyed with the frequency of RB3D's Campaign Manager CM11's penchant for sending the entire Allied airfield I was a member of, off on repeated airfield attacks, which would decimate our flight group sometimes by two thirds. There was also the frequency of the German airfield strikes, which wasn't a historical norm for 1915-1916 at all for the Jasta's of the western front.

 

Does OFF send in the entire Jasta field's strength in their scramble attacks? Is there anything similar to the CAP that CFS3 has for their WWII campaigns?

 

SDOE FS-WWI has training missions with half decent scramble scenarios. My favorite is the Rumpler Tauben vs. my Eastbourne Monoplanes with handguns. You have to be really good at leading the target when you run the 'turret' of the handgun.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Lewie

[Wayfarer 5]

.

 

hee, hee...Wayfarer, I generally don't fly the scrambles when serving in a B/R squadron as they would never have been sent out on such a mission. Truth be told, it was very rare for a fighter squadron to be given such as task as well. Just one of those little things we hope will be tended to in P4.

 

But they are exciting, and a great way to get a bit of time off, as you've now discoverd.

 

.

 

In game time I fly roughly a mission a week so I am always advancing time, but I was so surprised that I just didn't think of advancing to another mission! An airfield attack didn't seem too unreasonable, especially as I had never experienced one before, but I probably would be more judicious about flying any future scrambles.

I don't know the answer to Lewie's question about whether an entire Jasta was involved in the attack but, for the first time, I actually tried ordering my wingmen to attack an enemy machine (I usually try to lead them away over our AA if I can). I ended up turning the TAC on for this - and there seemed an awful lot of red squares! Though it was probably about eight, really.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Wayfarer

[Lewie 7]

If that was 8 aircraft that was nearly half to 2/3rds of a normal squadron strength I'd wager. Do you get to optionally man machine gun pits in these missions?

[tranquillo 10]

By coincidence I had 2 scrambles one after the other today. Don't get one for 3 weeks then 2 come along at once - just like English buses.

[carrick58 23]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm shooting up English Buses

[Bullethead 12]

This is the best reason to have manual campaign time advance. Whenever I get a scramble mission, I just advance time instead of flying it. The mission type is unrealistic and the outcome is never pretty. Any sane pilot would stay in a slit trench until the attack was over.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

This is the best reason to have manual campaign time advance. Whenever I get a scramble mission, I just advance time instead of flying it. The mission type is unrealistic and the outcome is never pretty. Any sane pilot would stay in a slit trench until the attack was over.

 

hear hear...I've lost too many good pilots to go out on Scrambles!...I'll just hide under this chair 'til they've gone!

[Lewie 7]

Not me, I'd want to be outside with a Lewis on a pintle, shooting up Albies. Of course being a slit trench while doing this would be safer.

[CaptSopwith 18]

Ok, this might not mean so much to most of you, who fly in later periods.

I have had OFF for nearly a year now. I started my campaign in January 1915 and have dutifully carried out over 50 reconnaissance and artillery spotting missions. At 10:01 22nd September 1915 I go to the briefing room for another valuable intelligence gathering mission ... and get 'scramble inbound enemy aircraft approaching'! Wife and middle daughter are startled by loud exclamation, and possible expletive - have I been transported 25 years to BoB!? I had never seen this before and I was completely stunned.

5 minutes later my BE2 has ploughed its own airfield with its starboard wing and my pilot is hospitalised for 20 days. I know flying repeated reconnaissance flights isn't many people's ideal way of enjoying OFF, but it certainly makes things like this all the more dramatic when they do happen. You may be able to tell I'm still in Sim-Shock!

 

 

Scrambles are real pilot killers! I echo Lewie's thoughts on Red Baron's frequency of Airfield attacks - they were the pilot killer back then! In a way, you got off lucky to have a Quirk pilot only hospitalized and not being put in the dirt for a longterm nap. Even when you are a late-war SE5 jockey, scrambles are no guaranteed thing. Oftentimes my guy winds up getting horribly wounded or killed outright - within meters of his own barracks. Damn unsporting of those Germans, I tell ya!

 

 

This is the best reason to have manual campaign time advance. Whenever I get a scramble mission, I just advance time instead of flying it. The mission type is unrealistic and the outcome is never pretty. Any sane pilot would stay in a slit trench until the attack was over.

 

This, a thousand times! Everytime I think the OFF manager has spit out a bit off an oddball, I back out, advance time - pretend my engine couldn't start or my pilot had a sudden onset of upset stomach from the Castor Oil, and try it again. Especially if they are airfield attacks at any time earlier than say late 1917, as they were nearly unheard of.

 

Still, it's nice to even have a dynamic campaign - and I'm sure P4 will be an even better system.

Edited February 26, 2011 by _CaptSopwith

[DukeIronHand 8]

Isn't there a line in some .xml file somewhere that could be tweaked to massively reduce or even eliminate these "scramble" missions?

 

 

EDIT: Another double post...stupid Firefox

Edited February 26, 2011 by DukeIronHand

[Guest British_eh]

By coincidence I had 2 scrambles one after the other today. Don't get one for 3 weeks then 2 come along at once - just like English buses.

[/quo

LOL, that's just toooooo true. Thanks for that.

In the SIA - RSS the Scramble Mission is an Exception Mission and for the Realistic parameters you are advised to do as BH indicates, go back, advance time and there you go, unless....................... If you are in 1918, into March, and fly in Jagdgeschwader Nr I with MvR, then they did respond to the Airfield attack, thus making it an option. The Americans also disliked the Germans doing this sort of thing, and so during a German Offensive, when they undertook this mission, the Americans did respond. I have not seen any evidence that the French or British went up against Airfield attacks.

Cheers,

British_eh

[Wayfarer 5]

By coincidence I had 2 scrambles one after the other today. Don't get one for 3 weeks then 2 come along at once - just like English buses.

 

Sure enough, first day out of hospital - another scramble. after all your comments I had no qualms about time advancing.

[CaptSopwith 18]

Sure enough, first day out of hospital - another scramble. after all your comments I had no qualms about time advancing.

 

And rightly so IMHO. There is no way a squadron of BE2's would scramble against incoming fighters. The pilots would take cover or man the ground guns and try to fend them off that way. Dispatching a squadron of Quirks would only result in the destruction of a squadron of Quirks and the death and dismemberment of their pilots.

[DukeIronHand 8]

And rightly so IMHO. There is no way a squadron of BE2's would scramble against incoming fighters. The pilots would take cover or man the ground guns and try to fend them off that way. Dispatching a squadron of Quirks would only result in the destruction of a squadron of Quirks and the death and dismemberment of their pilots.

 

Since it seems that the bulk of the OFF variables are covered by .xml files I would guess there is a mission parameter files somewhere? It can't be in the CFS3.exe file so it "should be an easy fix."

 

Where are the OFF files gurus when you need them?

 

EDIT:

Well, that was easy.

In the ..../campaigns/campaigndata folder there are the mission types defined in files for fighters and bombers and by year. For example "BritainBomberMissionTypes1915.txt" and there's the "Scamble" mission listed there bold as brass.

 

Now to figure how to change it without crashing OFF.

 

Might be easier to "cut n paste" another mission from the list (that you like better or is more realistic) or maybe a deletion might be easier. Have to examine closer.

Edited February 26, 2011 by DukeIronHand

[jwrich 0]

How do you advance time while you are flying a campaign?

 

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Rich

 

 

[shredward 12]

Since it seems that the bulk of the OFF variables are covered by .xml files I would guess there is a mission parameter files somewhere? It can't be in the CFS3.exe file so it "should be an easy fix."

 

Where are the OFF files gurus when you need them?

 

EDIT:

Well, that was easy.

In the ..../campaigns/campaigndata folder there are the mission types defined in files for fighters and bombers and by year. For example "BritainBomberMissionTypes1915.txt" and there's the "Scamble" mission listed there bold as brass.

 

Now to figure how to change it without crashing OFF.

 

Might be easier to "cut n paste" another mission from the list (that you like better or is more realistic) or maybe a deletion might be easier. Have to examine closer.

 

We are, of course, well aware of all of this, and P4 will be very different. And we are working on P4, rather than go back and fix all the little niggles that we don't like in P3.

 

Cheers,

shredward

[CaptSopwith 18]

How do you advance time while you are flying a campaign?

 

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Rich

 

 

 

Hey Rich.

 

Make sure you've got Time Advance set to Auto/Manual in the Workshop settings.

 

If you get a mission in the briefing room you don't like - back out, click advance time (should be at the lower right part of your screen) and voila, a new mission will be generated.

[Hasse Wind 46]

Good to know this will be changed in P4. I never fly scramble missions, especially if I'm serving in a two-seater squadron.

 

Speaking of improvements, I really hope bomber/recon careers will be treated differently in P4. Now they are too much like being in a fighter squadron.

[shredward 12]

Good to know this will be changed in P4. I never fly scramble missions, especially if I'm serving in a two-seater squadron.

 

Speaking of improvements, I really hope bomber/recon careers will be treated differently in P4. Now they are too much like being in a fighter squadron.

 

Stay tuned!

[Lewie 7]

And rightly so IMHO. There is no way a squadron of BE2's would scramble against incoming fighters. The pilots would take cover or man the ground guns and try to fend them off that way. Dispatching a squadron of Quirks would only result in the destruction of a squadron of Quirks and the death and dismemberment of their pilots.

 

 

Yes, keep the crates on the ground and get whatever manpower you have at the field into defensive ground gun positions, and hope to hell the armorers haven't been slacking off and leaving the ammo belts and drums half empty. Grab every Lewis and Vickers available and get a man behind it's triggers, you've got a target rich environment that is at a disadvantage for the enemy, because they have to spend 2/3rds of their time climbing back up to altitude and getting reoriented on their targets.

[DukeIronHand 8]

We are, of course, well aware of all of this, and P4 will be very different. And we are working on P4, rather than go back and fix all the little niggles that we don't like in P3.

 

Cheers,

shredward

 

Well yes I figured.

 

I guess my comment was more for the current users of P3 who wish to make what would appear to be an easy change.

I am certainly going to give it a shot...probably the "cut n paste" method since I see extra numbers in there near the top of the file and are unsure of the overall relationship.

 

Keep focused on P4!

[Rickitycrate 10]

I love the unpredictability of OFF. But yes historical accuracy is formost in campaign.

[+Polovski 424]

That's one reason why manual advance is there too, if you don't like something advance. Voila.