Started flying "Full DiD" again, with additional measures

[Olham 164]

Since Siggi's "Full DiD Campaign", I had flown with a kind of "semi-DiD" setup and handling:

 

- TAC fully unabled

- LABELS put on a joystick button - curiosity kills the victor: I sometimes want to know, if my opponent is an ace

- occasional outside views, when I couldn't find anyone

 

But only recently, I had the urge again to fly "Full DiD" - the whole immersion (white-knuckle-flying and ham-fisted reactions included) is just so much greater.

So now I fly like this:

 

- TAC fully unabled

- LABELS fully unabled

- NO outside views (except when paused for a screenshot)

- no use of WARP on short enough mission routes (except for getting past the circling of the field, or for longer mission paths; or to recollect my men, when I

..have left a fight - thanks Creaghorn for that idea; it's the only way to draw your men out of a fight)

- only my direct wingman as witness in Claims report (or, if around, a friendly ace, who's craft I can identify by his markings)

 

Now some may perhaps have one or more of the following questions:

 

Q: How do you identify your opponents now?

A: Only after the mission and claim is done. I make notes for all squadron emblems I encountered, so I can name them next time,

.....if I should meet them again. For squadrons I can't identify yet, I only mention their markings in my claims report.

.....Aces I only name, when I know their personal design (which is, of course, rare).

.....But for my own satisfaction I look for all special markings after the Claims report is done and I'm out of the sim.

.....(I use the free IRFANVIEW for browsing through the skins).

 

Q: Won't you get far less claims confirmed this way?

A: Yes, I hope so. The numbers of kills was still ridiculously high. I am beyond the crave for high victory numbers; I want to earn them a bit harder now

 

Q: How do you follow your waypoints without TAC?

A: I look at the inflight map, where a symbol of my craft and the course lines are shown. That's more like they had to do it.

....Often I may fly my own course, following real paper maps, and distinct landmarks (mostly lakes, rivers and railways).

Q: How do you advise your wingmen attacks without being able to mark targets on the TAC?

A: The TAC is not necessary for fighters. A bomber flight leader may need to assign the targets, but as a fighter wing leader, I only just press "A" for attack.

....For each "A", one wingman seems to peel off to attack the closest air target. If I have 5 wingmen, I press "A" four times. So my wingman will stay with me.

 

Q: How will you find camouflaged enemy aircraft flying lower than you?

A: Either I find them by looking around - or I don't find them. That's the reason for camouflage colours. Sometimes they help.

 

Q: What if you miss entire enemy flights, and come home without any fight nor claim?

A: Well, it happened so often for the real pilots. Flights may sometimes pass each other at distances, where you should be able to see them - but for some

....reason you don't. Well, why not? After such a mission, my own men, as well as all my opponents, will be having the next meal together without a man missing.

 

Q: What if you want your wingman to attack a specific enemy fighter, but can't assign him without the TAC?

A: That's never necessary. What I need him for most is, to keep my six clear. If an opponent is close behind me, I press "H" (Help!), and he will come to do so,

.....if he can. If I want him to help me with a specific enemy aircraft (for example, when I'm out of ammo), I fly close to that craft and stick with it; and press"H".

.....He will usually attack the craft then, if there are not other aircraft in the same close distance to us.

 

 

If you find it too easy to make lots of kills, or if you just want to feel free from any distractions (which is what TAC and LABELS also are),

then you should try this out.

You might be amazed, how relaxed it can be! Or also, if it gets tight: how thrilling it will be!

You will feel less superiour, and you will concentrate more on getting out of all the turmoil alive.

 

.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Olham

[carrick58 23]

:salute:mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm might try it.

[redpiano 6]

This is how I play Rise of flight so it'll be how I play OFF.

 

Can you disable the small radar, hit messages and all of the hud? I was playing around with CFS3 last night and couldn't figure out how.

[theultimat 5]

Olham, I'm thinking of giving full DiD a shot too, starting in the early war and (hopefully) progressing through it, learning all the way. The only thing holding me back at the moment is my lack of (working) head tracking software, because for the life of me I can't get freetrack to work. It makes tracking enemies a pain in a dogfight using the num-pad keys.

 

@redpiano: Check out this Command Key list by HomeBoy. It has all the functional keys that are used in OFF:

 

Edited February 14, 2012 by theultimat

[Olham 164]

redpiano, I guess you're helped with the chart, thanks to Ulti.

 

Ulti, here is my way of doing it before TrackIR:

I used a mix of "pan view" and "static view angles".

I had the toggle command between the two on my stick (thumb button).

So I could fly my patrols in the nicer "pan view", until a foight occured - then I pressed my button

and fought with "static angles view". Apart from the forward view, the other view you would want most

is checking your six. Also important: the looking up.

Looking up not only helps what's above you, but also, when curving hard banked with a foe - you can

possibly track him with "view up" angle.

 

But my advice: sell anything you don't need; save all money you would spend on Burgers and Pizza

(that's even healthy!), and try to find you a second hand TrackIR set.

It may even be a TrackIR 4 - the new software will work with it.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Good outline Olham, well done. My opinion on DiD, (as if it weren't already known), is that everyone should at least give it a go. Really changes the entire sim. However, I can't imagine trying to fly DiD without Track IR. That's just crazy talk.

 

.

[Baldric 42]

Excellent outline, Olham The immersion is just so 'there' (for lack of a better term) flying DiD. I will join you in the skies. Jasta 6 is calling me again (I wish I still had a copy of that marvelous skin you made for Rolf's DII...the one with the Bavarian coat of arms and blue checkerboard tail). And I have 2ndLt. Boisvert of the Escadrille du chasse No.3 who managed to escape a flaming death by the very whiskers of his mustache last evening....choices!

[Olham 164]

Baldric, I'll see, if I still have skin. Do you guys never back up your files???

[themightysrc 5]

Very good advice Olham, foranyone who finds OFF too easy!

 

I fly - for the record - with TAC, but with Von Baurs' 'white spot' and very faint label mod, which I feel is a good middle way given that I can't know every jasta and there's nobody around to update me. In flight, you can't tell who's a baddy until you F4 them or they fall on you.

 

And that's it. I've given up on all other instruments, although I use the rubbish map (to ponder my escape route) which is probably even less accurate than the ones issued in WWI. Oh, and I do warp (X) because I don't have all day/night to play silly games!

[Olham 164]

In flight, you can't tell who's a baddy until you F4 them or they fall on you.

Yeah, but why should you know, wether they are friend or foe?

In real life, they didn't know that either.

Your choice to fly on, or to turn away. But a TAC - they didn't have one.

 

.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Olham

[von Baur 54]

I haven't used labels in a long time, except to id my flight members (quick on, count noses, then back off), and then the modified nearly invisible ones and only to see who's missing if the count's not right. Haven't felt the need to know since multiplayer met its unfortunate end. The TAC is used strictly for navigation so I don't miss waypoints because I feel it's less unnatural than the GPS-style of the inflight map (not casting aspersions or passing judgements, it just feels that way for me). With the improved briefing map in P4 I should be able to mark my waypoints on a paper map and fly the mission using only that, at which point the TAC will be used no more.

 

 

Identifying airplane types, much less friend from foe, at a distance is less of a problem since my 37" 1080p TV found its way permanently to my computer desk (made possible by my son's 37" 720 with 1080 capability but not as a computer monitor became available for the bedroom following his departure for the Army). Once he returns from Afghanistan this summer he'll be taking his back, but by then I should have a 32" to use on the computer desk. Don't tell me that size doesn't matter!

 

As for your FAQ's, Herr Olham, I agree with every one (except, of course, the previously-mentioned inflight map thing).

[CaptSopwith 23]

.

 

However, I can't imagine trying to fly DiD without Track IR. That's just crazy talk.

 

.

 

Hi Lou!

 

If anyone wants to donate a lightly used TrackIR system to a poor PhD student, just let me know!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Well, I don't personally have an extra, slightly used Track IR system, but if you were to start a "Please Help Soppy Buy A Track IR" fund I'd be happy to contribute a five-spot.

 

.

[CaptSopwith 23]

.

 

Well, I don't personally have an extra, slightly used Track IR system, but if you were to start a "Please Help Soppy Buy A Track IR" fund I'd be happy to contribute a five-spot.

 

.

 

That certainly is kind of you, good sir. To be honest, I'm not sure I'd want to give up my old hat switch - I've gotten to be quite a beast with the thing over the years. I can follow aircraft in OFF without padlocking with it and never lose them...

[+Polovski 460]

Good post Olham, immersion is where we are at :)

 

Capt; if you have a webcam did you not try FacetrackNoIR? Don't want to veer the topic but just an idea if you are short of cash, get a cheap camera they recommend, then use that.

[theultimat 5]

Excellent news - I got FreeTrack to work this morning by some kind of miracle. It looks like when I was soldering it wasn't a very good connection, because when I rotated my head the lights would flick off. So I did a bit of altering and there we go! Just in time to start a new DiD career, I think?

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

SWEET!

 

.

[Baldric 42]

So much choice (I love it) ... Well after watching all my recent pilots add to the tally of enemy pilots I can start with a clean slate (and a reminder at how thrillingly tough Full DiD is!). I grabbed some basic reading material, and had a shufti through the contents of my venerable/ancient copy of the Avalon Hill board game 'Richtofen's War' and have decided on an early Fall 1916 start for my new pilot.

[MikeDixonUK 5]

One thing I would highly recommend if you play DiD but still find you get an unrealistic amount of kills, is to use Craeghorn's Realistic Tracers and Effects mod (Link), and diasble the machinegun tracers - as that way you have to get in a lot closer to down the enemy (as you can't see where your bullets are going) and will end up having to work harder for your kills.

 

Either that or you'll crash into them and die horribly.

[Olham 164]

Nice to see, that some got inspired to try something new in OFF.

 

Ultimat, if you have tips and tricks for building a free-track, you are welcome in my "TrackIR for poor Students" thread:

 

http://combatace.com...post__p__552797

 

.

Edited February 15, 2012 by Olham

[Hauksbee 103]

Baldric, I'll see, if I still have skin. Do you guys never back up your files???

If I might impose on your good nature, Olham, I'd love to have a copy of the Bavarian Albatros too. I already have the coolest Albatros in RoF, but to have the coolest Albatros in OFF would render me invincible.

[Baldric 42]

“It’s good to finally get a replacement, Herr Hauptman, ja?”

 

“Yes Kurt,now you will have extra work repairing your EIII’s...I imagine you are ready with new propeller blades, tyres and wheels, skids, cloth, dope, brushes, and the lot? Give me another cigarette,” replied the interim Kommandant of Jasta 6, his quiet voice sounding raspy after too many cigarettes and too many tips of the bottle of schnapps last night. He nodded his thanks to the crewchief as the burly man handed him another harsh Turkish cigarette.

 

They were both leaning against the dispersal hut wall relaxing in the morning sunlight. Waiting was beginning to become a dismal affair and Loerzer’s flight was already twenty minutes late coming back to Sivry. The crew chief ground his cigarette stub into the earth with the heel of his boot then shoved both his hands into the pockets of his grease, dope, and paint stained coveralls, “They’ll be back soon enough, Herr Hauptman. Loerzer always seems to come through the scraps unscathed. Who is the new fellow again, I’ve forgotten his name. From near Munich, ja?”

 

“Some interminably long name...hopefully not as long-winded. Unterreithmeier. From Landshut I think. Near Munich. Good to have another Bavarian, eh Kurt?”

 

“Ja, ist gut, mein Herr. I just hope he brings some homemade sausages, but my luck is he is probably a...”

 

“Don’t judge him just yet, Kurt. He may surprise you. He may even live,” he smiled, flicking the spent cigarette onto the dirt truck track, “Come, I hear engines from the west.”

 

[/quote]

Edited February 15, 2012 by Baldric

[Olham 164]

Okay, okay, Baldric, I got the hint! Bavarian homemade sausages, yeah? Good choice!

 

I must have erased the old Bavarian Albatros D.II parts; so I have made another.

I have uploaded the new skin for you and Hauksbee - it may need the admins' approval, but should be available tomorrow.

Enjoy!

[Baldric 42]

Okay, okay, Baldric, I got the hint! Bavarian homemade sausages, yeah? Good choice!

 

I must have erased the old Bavarian Albatros D.II parts; so I have made another.

I have uploaded the new skin for you and Hauksbee - it may need the admins' approval, but should be available tomorrow.

Enjoy!

 

Thanks a ton, Olham. I hadn't meant that as a hint, but I certainly appreciate you and your excellent works! I finally found the correct spelling of Unterreithmeier this past summer (which was changed to Meyer here in Canada). Virtual sausages and a stein of fine ale for you

[Olham 164]

So you met a Bavarian of that name, Baldric? He was clever - Meyer is much easier to get used to.

Although - I would have rather chosen the name Müller.

There was a certain very fat Reichsluftmarschall, who had to change his name to "Meyer" after the first

Allied bombers reached Berlin.

 

The skin is approved and ready for download, by the way.