Help on "contextualizing" this great game

[stefnuts 0]

Hi all,

 

Well, I finally managed, after doing a registry sweep, to get BHH & HITR running.....yeah

 

Now on to the real reason for this post:

 

This is a massive game!

 

Is there any way that I or anyone for that matter can understand the "War in the Air" better as portrayed in this game?

 

What I'm getting at is: Is there a way to piece together the info given in this game and print it out to understand which planes, why certain planes, etc.

were used and did?

 

Books also would be a great plus, of course.

 

Thank you kindly,

Stefnuts

[Olham 164]

An hour ago, I would have told you to start with Wikipedia - but now I found totally wrong info on an AVIATIK C.I

and cannot encourage you. The OSPREY books, and the WINDSOCK datafiles are very good.

 

But you can also just enlist with squadrons and jump into the cold water - like many of the pilots in WW1 had to.

And learn by flying OFF. A wonderful way to educate yourself.

[Javito1986 14]

Wikipedia is good for fast information on many topics, but I found their section on World War 1 a bit lacking. You can go on there and in an hour become an absolute EXPERT on the Western Front 1944-45 but beyond that...

 

It's like the History Channel really. Wiki is written mostly by Americans and we have a very specific perspective of 20th century history: "Hitler, Hitler, Normandy invasion, and more Hitler"

Edited April 26, 2011 by Javito1986

[Lewie 7]

Become a member at The Aerodrome forum and read the archives. It's a bit of a hit or miss, until you get the search terms correct, but the assembled knowledge base there is the best in the whole of the Internetdom. I would also download all the books Lou has so graciously provided via Adobe .pdf format, and hit up your local library for old books on the subject.

 

This sim teaches me new things every time I take a kite up! The actual shape and building placement of some of the airfields aren't so accurate, but the front is well modeled and the cities, towns and general lay of the front and terrain are exceptional.

[Hellshade 110]

The average life expectancy for WW1 Pilot was 17 Hours

 

Fair warning:

The average life expectancy in OFF appears to be much shorter.

 

Hellshade

[Javito1986 14]

I'm sure Creaghorn's recent career has bumped the average hours of all of us up quite a ways though

[TaillyHo 2]

You might also find some juicy reading just a few clicks away at the OFF virtual library (courtesy of RAF_Louvert) - under the 'downloads' section!

[+Polovski 428]

It's such a large subject it's hard to condense it, I can highly recommend "The First Air War: 1914-1918" by Lee Kennet which gives a good overall view. It gives the build up and also discusses attitudes to aircraft usage early on and so on.

 

Probably best to research a couple of squadrons, or aircraft types, and then try them in the sim as a start.

[Lewie 7]

I'm sure Creaghorn's recent career has bumped the average hours of all of us up quite a ways though

 

I've been playing my RFC 71 pilot 2nd Lt. Taylor in the Dirk Gently mode. In other words, if you've read Douglas Adam's quircky detective stories, it's a little bit irresponsible,and runs a bit against the flow of the chain of command. I'm letting my whims and intuition run his campaign, so far he's been successful in shooting down 4 aircraft in 8 sorties, but he's also been shot down twice himself. Yesterday he was "sight seeing" along the front northeast of Albert, (after finishing his flight and dropping off his wingmen,) and didn't see a 5 plane Jasta 11 attack descend out of the sun. Fortunately, despite getting shot up badly, he managed to land deadstick and spent a couple of days in the infirmary.

 

This guy has about seven lives left I figure.

[Olham 164]

Douglas Adams wrote detective stories? Can you name them?

[Lewie 7]

Douglas Adams wrote detective stories? Can you name them?

 

You've not read the Dirk Gently detective series?..and you like English humor, er humour...

 

Get thee to a Kindlery.. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

[Olham 164]

Damn! I never wanted to get old, but the more I learn that there is still lurking in the dark of nescience, the older do I want to get. English humour, eyh? An endless field, it seems...

Found "Der elektrische Mönch" in German AMAZON. Odrered!

[Shiloh 12]

I'm very new to this also stefnuts so I can relate to where you're coming from. What I do when learning something new is I engross myself in it fully and learn as much as I can, wherever I can. I've been online reading about different squadrons, individuals and planes and have learned a great deal. My father always instilled in me the value of having an insatiable quest for knowledge and to me learning about new periods of history is about as good as it gets.

 

When I pick a plane I want to fly I find out information about that squadron online (wiki is great for this), then pick a person who actually flew in that squadron, and I name my pilot in honor of that person. My first 2 campaign pilots WC Heathcote and Karl Bolle were actual people. I've read the plane characteristics guides from a thread right here on these forums. I did however start by doing quick combat missions and learned a bunch after flying many different planes, and fighting against others.

 

I'm also reading a book on the subject "They Fought For the Sky" by Quentin Reynolds and I'm learning a great deal from that as well. It talks about the great Oswald Boelcke and his philosophies and I'm learning from Richtofen's experiences as well (haven't finished the book yet). And what else can I say about these forums other than these are a great bunch of people who just love this subject. They are more than willing to take some time out of their day to teach you a thing or two if you show an interest in learning. Awww you guys are the best...the next round is on me!

 

 

But most valuable of all, you just need to fly and gain some experience. I'm trying to fly one mission per day so it doesn't chew into my day too much and so I get my fill as well. And then I read, research all throughout the day as I firmly believer that an understanding of WWI aerial tactics will serve you well in your experience. Good luck to you stefnuts.

Edited April 27, 2011 by Shiloh

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Stefnuts, another excellent book that gives a very good historic overview in a more literary style is Aaron Norman's "The Great Air War". Published in 1968, you can usually find original hard cover copies at eBay or AbeBooks for under $10.

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

.

[themightysrc 5]

I'd also recommend to all A.G.Lee's "No Parachute" (as Olham is finding out!), which is a superb first hand account of life as a Pup pilot in 1917, and then Camels in 1918.

 

For an overview of the entire war, you can do a lot worse than to read Huw Strachan's single volume history of it. Utterly superb, from start to finish, with the sort of mastery that you expect of a historian who would have made a great novelist. Recommended.

[Javito1986 14]

I find it sad that I was able to find No Parachute! at my High School library in 2005 but nowhere since. Weak. I'll add it to my Ebay list, I've been itching to finish it for six years now.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Oh yes Si, AGL's "No Parachute" is one of the best of the personal WWI pilot writings. Javito, AbeBooks has a fair number of offerings on this one in the $40 to $50 price range. The work of Lee's that is nearly impossible to find at any price is "Open Cockpit: A Pilot of the Royal Flying Corps", which yours truly manged to finally snag an old ex-libris copy of, (and for a very low amount too). I have not read it for over 30 years, and am really looking forward to enjoying it again once more.

 

.

[Javito1986 14]

I find the way these books go out of print and become scarce very sad. Hopefully e-book technology will swoop in and allow them the light of day someday soon. I've been reading PDF files on my new kindle and have found it very convenient, I imagine on something like the IPad they play even better.

 

Never a replacement for the actual copy of course, but I hate hearing about great books being so hard to find and out of print. Inexcusable!

[Olham 164]

"No Parachute" is a top notch read; I would recommend it to all interested in a personal view on WW1 air combat flying;

and I recommend it especially to all Germans, who may find it hard to take the view from the other side.

This gentleman just takes you into his war time life as easily, as the Britsh fellers can often be, sympathic and open.

A book I will read more than one times.

 

Here is one for 30 $ at Ebay:

 

http://cgi.ebay.de/No-Parachute-by-Arthur-G-Lee-1991-Hardcover-/200566615837?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item2eb2b3af1d

[33LIMA 972]

If you're fairly new to the WW1 air war, and want a reasonably good, concise primer, this looks like a good bet, select 'click here to begin the journey' then use the drop-down list to work thru the different chapters.

 

http://www.wwiaviation.com/

 

Would also endorse Olham's recommendation of "No Parachute" - it's about the best pilot memoir of WW1.

 

Other recommended books:

 

'Full Circle" by RAF Spitfire ace JE Johnston - the WW1 chapters are a great intro to the WW1 air war, easy to read and written with a fighter pilot's insight and sense for what's important.

 

"Richthofen - the true story of the Red Baron" by William Burrows, brings von Richthofen and his times and battles to life in a way other books don't.

 

"The Friendless Sky" by Alexander McKee - a short but atmospheric history of combat in the air 1914-18, written as only McKee can.

 

And of course I must mention "Biggles of 266" or "Biggles - Pioneer Air Fighter" by WE Johns, short stories written for a young audience to be sure but by an RFC/RAF WW1 vet so there's a genuine portrait of what it was like to be on ops; his advice to Algy on his posting to the squadron would have stood any real WW1 pilot in good stead.

Edited April 29, 2011 by 33LIMA

[Dej 17]

Ah, Biggles. Rarely mentioned on these fora but what got me into WW1 aviation in the first place and they contain bloody good advice as well as being great stories.

 

My favourite 'being there' books:

 

1. No Parachute - Arthur Gould Lee

2. Sagittarius Rising - Cecil Lewis

3. Flying Fury - Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps - James McCudden

4. Ace of the Iron Cross - Ernst Udet

5. Winged Victory - Victor M. Yeates

 

All for different reasons. All offer a good glimpse of 'squadron life' in its varied aspects. I'd rate Lee, Udet and Lewis as the better. Yeates' 'fictional' account is an equal but but with a fictional intensity. Udet's fourth chapter 'Richthofen' has a description of an aerial duel that exactly matches some of my more intense encounters in OFF.

 

Also to be recommended are 'Wind in the Wires'; 'Der Rote Kampfflieger'; 'Fighting the Flying Circus' and 'The Blue Max'.

 

Plus:

 

Nothing in Lou's on-line library will fail you. Derek Robinson's WW1 trilogy - 'War Story'; 'Hornet's Sting'; 'Goshawk Squadron'

 

The fictional stuff is great for getting one 'in character' with one's pilot. The autobiographies... well, those guys were actually there - RESPECT!

[Shiloh 12]

"No Parachute" is a top notch read; I would recommend it to all interested in a personal view on WW1 air combat flying;

and I recommend it especially to all Germans, who may find it hard to take the view from the other side.

This gentleman just takes you into his war time life as easily, as the Britsh fellers can often be, sympathic and open.

A book I will read more than one times.

 

Here is one for 30 $ at Ebay:

 

http://cgi.ebay.de/N...=item2eb2b3af1d

 

They didn't have this at my library Olham but they were able to order it from another one and I should have it in a week. You plugged it a handful of times so I thought it must be good. I just finished "They Fought For the Sky" by Quentin Reynolds and it was a decent enough book. It provides more of an overview than anything else and doesn't stay on any subject (pilot) for long at all. Looking forward to the new book.

[Dej 17]

Yes everybody. I've said it before but it'll stand repeating. Don't neglect your local library. They can and will obtain the rarest of books, 'High in the Empty Blue'; 'No Parachute'; 'Open Cockpit'; Jefford's 'RAF Squadrons - A comprehensive Record'; 'Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire' (all the way from Louisiana, USA to Hampshire, UK that one was. For £9.)

 

It's a good way to 'try before you buy (or bid)'. That way you'll only ebay for books you know you want.

[Shiloh 12]

I used to have a fantastic collection of books on many subjects but it was a very expensive hobby and I rarely read books twice. So I sold almost all my books and get mine mostly through the library now. It has saved me so much money and I don't have the clutter as my wife has a lot of books as well and our place was getting out of hand.

[Olham 164]

My favourite (translated) German book beside Udet's is Julius Buckler's "Malaula! The Battlecry of Jasta 17".

Edited by Norman Franks. A good read.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Malaula-Battle-Cry-Jasta-17/dp/1904943802/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304461360&sr=1-1