Low kill confirmation rate...

[33LIMA 972]

Probably by choice of 'less aggressive AI' and 'die on dice roll' (to compensate for the horrible forced landing ability) - and by flying an Albatros DIII in April 1917 - my main pilot is doing fairly well with 17 claims confirmed and 2 pending. However, 16 claims were rejected.

 

Is this ratio common?

 

I am quite sure I brought down all the planes claimed. In one case I spelt my witness's name wrong. In one or two others, the EA might have recovered and made it back, or a flight mate got the credit by putting the final rounds into him. But most I am sure went down, and were my own kills.

 

There must be another factor or two at work, which I could do something about to get fewer rejections. Any suggestions?

 

For example, does choice of witness help? Is it better to turn on labels and use the name of the closest flight mate rather than my number 2? I doubt the text you fill in on the Claim Form makes much difference; I rarely estimate a time but generally, as well as type, I give (eg) 'Shot down in flames from 2000 metres from formation of 4, between Cambrai and Douai, crew seen to jump out'.

 

Is it better or worse to use the single- and two-seater options if your drop-down list has similar variants, where chosing the wrong sub-type might get a rejection?

 

I have recently re-started using HPW's FM and DM mods, which makes it all the more important that I do not lose kills due to inadequate understanding of what's needed! Others will be in the same boat - sorry, plane.

 

PS UncleAl if you're watching, I did search for this but no joy.

Edited July 19, 2011 by 33LIMA

[TSmoke 2]

To me it seems the ratio is skewed against you. My ration is about 80% confirmed. I fill out my claim sheets with this info.

 

1. Write down all of your flight members names before flight.

 

2. When you fill out the witness box put all of your flight members names in there. DO NOT use Ranks!!, semi colons or any other fancy type stuff just plain old commas.

 

3. Make sure you know the plane type you shot down, at least use single seater if it was a fighter, but it is best to know type.

 

4. I always always mark down the time using a 24 hr clock that the plane was shot down or seen to crash, and the location ie. SW 3 miles from Bumville airfield if on friendly side of the line if over the line I give my best WAG as to where it was using the map width to figure mileage. I also give a brief description of what went on in the engagement.

 

That' s how I do it and most of my kills get confirmed, hope it helps.

[33LIMA 972]

Thanks for the advice, will see what I can do; if you're getting 80% confirmed you are definitely doing something I'm not! I'd thought of giving more than one witness name but I'm fairly sure I saw somewhere (OBD's OFF FAQ, where it mentions avoiding the semicolon?) that you should put one, so will certainly start using at least 2, and will start using time as well, estimated from takeoff time or a preset desk clock if necessary (dunno if there's a way to see mission time in-game).

 

I'd doubted OFF would be smart enough to interpret the text string in your kill claim; I had assumed that was mostly for your own post-mission edification. I'd expected 'Third crater on left. Sea of Tranquility' was as likely to get a confirmation as any other text string. OFF would have to be pretty smart to validate based on presence (let alone accuracy) of text even resembling a time, altitude, location etc in that text string but maybe it is that smart.

 

Perhaps I should also make sure all my 'kills' actually hit the deck and don't recover but from those I have watched all the way down, when he looks like he's bought it, he generally has.

 

Cheers!

Edited July 21, 2011 by 33LIMA

[TSmoke 2]

For the witness box I use all the flight members names. If it is a 2 flight mission you are always in flight #2. Plug in all the names from your #2 flight even if you don't see them around, put em in. I just hit the Z key for the time make a note of it and continue on.

 

How smart the game is I haven't a clue and I just used what seemed to work the best for me.

 

I take it you use no labels or TAC, so if you don't see your target plow into the ground there is quite a unknown factor and maybe the bugger did make it home.

 

Any ways hope things improve for you in the conformation department.

[+Polovski 460]

OFF DOES check your claim wording so don't dismiss that. You can still get claims confirmed with poor content but the better and more accurate data you enter the more likely. See the FAQ there are question/answers on it.