DiD IV Campaign - Flight reports & Player instructions

[+epower 23]

DiD IV campaign - Player Instructions

 

Introduction

Back by popular demand! Welcome to the fourth iteration of the Wings over Flanders Fields DiD campaign.  As with the previous campaign, this will be an opportunity to follow your pilot day by day throughout the war and share his story with the rest of the WOFF community. We have been treated over the past few years to some ripping yarns from pilots of every nation, and we are looking forward to meeting your newest recruit.

There are some new rules in DiD IV. Our intent is to make it more difficult to rack up three-digit scores and to bring us back to a point where there is a genuine thrill from every confirmed victory. The name of the game in a DiD campaign is survival. Pure glory seeking is a surefire way to cut your campaign short. DiD stands for “dead is dead.” If your man is killed, you will have to start again with another pilot.  If you’re using Robert Wiggins’s splendid “User Files Backup Program, you may revive your pilot only if you lose him to an accident not related to flying in the sim (e.g. a home emergency pulls you from the sim without properly pausing, a power failure occurs when you are over enemy lines, the cat eats your joystick cable while you are flying, etc.)

 

The hand of fate

Raine and epower and will serve as campaign moderators (CMs). The CMs will play the role of Fate and will, in accordance with historical plausibility:

• Assign you to a squadron. You may find yourself spending some time in unfamiliar aircraft. As happened to pilots in real life, you may not always be assigned to the strongest available machine. There is a very good chance that your career will begin in two-seaters, especially as the campaign will feature a short spell in 1915. You're sure to have new experiences.  The campaign may see you fly in machines you’ve never spent much time in before, or in unfamiliar sectors of the front.
• Initiate transfers. If you have a particular request (for example, not to fly in Flanders in 1918 because your PC is not up to it), please email the CMs and we will consider it. Once approved by the CM, you will have to request the transfer in the game.
• Award medals, which will be conferred by RAF_Louvert (AKA “The Gong Fairy”) in the campaign thread.

In addition, the CMs may email you from time to time with instructions. For example, they may advise you to take leave, or may transfer a British pilot to home establishment.  The campaign moderators will do their best to be fair and will try to balance any bad luck with good, so that you won’t always be flying an inferior aircraft. 

 

Campaign start and the 1915 calendar:

DiD IV will get underway on 2 January 2022. For the first two months, we will play a compressed schedule of 1915 missions. During each calendar week from Sunday, 2 January 2022 until Saturday, 5 March 2022, each week of real life time will be one month of time in 1915. During each week, you may fly as often or as seldom as you wish, using the manual time advance button (T+) in the campaign screen to ensure that you space your flights out throughout the month of 1915. The following schedule will guide you through this process.

During the week of…	Fly missions in…
2-8 Jan 2022	Jun 1915
9-15 Jan 2022	Jul 1915
16-22 Jan 2022	Aug 1915
23-29 Jan 2022	Sep 1915
30 Jan - 5 Feb 2022	Oct 1915
6-12 Feb 2022	Nov 1915
13-19 Feb 2022	Dec 1915
20-26 Feb 2022	Jan 1916
27 Feb - 5 Mar 2022	Feb 1916

Starting on 6 March 2022, you will fly missions for that same day in 1916. Thus, on Sunday, 6 March 2022 you may fly missions for 6 March 1916.

 

Playing catch-up

Because you didn’t fly missions for 1-5 March 1916, you may fly extra missions if you wish to catch up until you are flying “today’s date” in 1916.

Don’t forget that we do this for fun, so if real life takes you away from the campaign for a little while, it is perfectly fine to fly a number of catch-up missions and/or advance the campaign date in-game.

 

Straight into combat

Unlike the previous campaign, we will not fly training missions in DiD IV.

 

Enlistment name

Each pilot is to be given a first, middle, and last name.  To avoid repeating the same old names as our previous campaigns, your first pilot’s MIDDLE name should begin with A, your second pilot’s MIDDLE name with B, and so forth.

You may fly one pilot at a time, and when he’s dead he stays dead.  You may begin a new career with a new pilot on the following day.  As an option, you may wish your new pilot to be the same nationality as the pilot who shot you down.

 

Enlistment ranks

Use manual enlistment and choose your pilot’s name, nationality, birth date, place of birth, and the assigned squadron for operational deployment. 

If you wish to start as an NCO pilot (common for Germany and France, less common for the UK,) start as:

• German Luftstreitkräfte:  Feldwebel
• German Kaiserliche Marine: Flugmeister
• France:  Sergeant
• RFC:  Sergeant
• RNAS:  N/A. (The RNAS did not have NCO pilots).

 

If you wish to start as an officer, choose the above NCO rank in-game, but in your accounts give yourself junior officer or senior warrant officer rank until promoted in-game, for example:

• German Luftstreitkräfte:  In game, start as a Feldwebel, but in your written accounts you will remain an Offizierstellvertreter until promoted Leutnant.
• German Kaiserliche Marine: In game, start as a Flugmeister, but in your written accounts you will remain Oberflugmeister until promoted Leutnant zur See.
• France:  In game, start as a Sergeant, but in your written accounts you will remain Sous Lieutenant until promoted Lieutenant.
• RFC:  In game, start as a Sergeant, but in your written accounts you will remain a 2/Lieutenant until promoted Lieutenant.
• RNAS:  In both game and accounts, start as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant.

For your written accounts, any subsequent promotion to higher ranks (e.g. Captain, OberLeutnant, Flight Commander) will come only from the CM.

 

American enlistment

Americans may enrol into the French Aviation Militaire or into the RFC or RNAS (enrolment in Canada – at risk of loss of citizenship due to taking a loyal oath to the Crown).  Enrolment in or transfer to the USAS will become an option in early 1918.

 

Your first posting

To start the campaign, send a PM to epower, preferably on or before 24 December 2021, with the name and nationality of your new pilot and a brief biographical sketch.  State whether you will begin your career as an NCO or junior officer.

The CM will send you by return PM details of you first posting, including, your first operational squadron, and confirmation of your starting rank.

The CM may assign your first pilot to fly two-seaters.  Because the campaign starts in June 1915, choice is limited. Expect that your first assignment will last a while, as quick transfers to single-seat units are not historical. 

Later pilots may find that their first squadron is a single-seat unit, especially later in the war, but that’s up to fate (i.e., the CM).

 

In-game aids

While flying “full real” is preferred, you may use the following three aids if you must.

1. TAC.  If used, TAC must be set for surface units only.  May not be set for balloons or aircraft or all,
2. F5, and
3. Cntl Z.

 

Workshop Settings

Read this section carefully, as some settings have changed since the last campaign.

• Campaign date advance: Manual
• Persistent weather: Off
• Weather: Historical
• Wind: On
• Wind Affects Player: On
• Rain / Snow: On
• Over G Visual Effects: On
• Regional Air Activity: Heavy (with Forced Encounters off) or Medium (with Forced Encounters at Medium).  Players may, however, select lighter air activity if required by their PC.
• Campaign Mission Frequency: Historical
• Campaign Date Advance: Manual
• Log: Campaign Only, unless otherwise directed by CM
• Transfer requests: Subject to Review, unless otherwise directed by CM
• Historical Mission Types: On
• AI Never Backs Down: Off
• AI Enhanced Skill Levels: Off
• AI Reduced Vision: On
• AI Damage Affects Skill: On
• Player Flight Position:  By Rank
• Player Flight Altitude: Historical
• Target Range: Historical
• Claims: Normal
• Promotions: Normal
• Outcomes: Normal
• Main Guns: Normal [Note – this is a change from the previous campaign]
• Rear Guns: Less Accurate
• Player Guns: Normal
• Gun Jams: On
• Ground Gun Accuracy / ROF: Hard 
• Invincible: Off
• Flight Model: Realistic
• Unlimited Fuel and Ammo: Off
• Auto Mixture: Off (except for aircraft which historically did not have manually adjusted mixture)
• Random Craft Failure: On
• Map Waypoints: Off is strongly recommended. Download RAF_Louvert’s maps set to navigate realistically. It is available from https://thatoneplease.co/WOFF.html

 

Labels and Dot Visibility

Read this section carefully, as some settings have changed since the last campaign

Fly with labels set to “dots only.”  You may briefly go to “Information” labels to check the name of a witness when you down an enemy machine, but must return to dots only afterwards.

In Workshop, set the distance at which dots are visible as follows.  This will simulate gradual gain of air vision:

• 3000 m @ New Pilot start
• 3400 m @ 30 hours flown in combat
• 4000 m @ 70 hours in combat <was 100 - epower edit 5 Feb 2024>
• 4600 m @ 100 hours in combat <was 200 - epower edit 5 Feb 2024>
• 5000 m @ 200 hours in combat <was 300 - epower edit 5 Feb 2024>

 

Views and Head tracking devices             

• Head tracking devices (TrackIR, etc) are allowed
• Gun sight view F6 is allowed.
• External view not allowed if you have a head tracking system.  Exception:  Screenshots of a clearly defeated enemy or scenic non-combat atmospheric shots.

 

Frequency of Missions

All pilots must be given one day’s rest per real-life calendar week commencing with the week starting Sunday, 13 March 2022. This day off can be cancelled during any week in which flying is cancelled due to bad weather. Furthermore, there will be no days off granted during an offensive in your pilot’s sector. An offensive is deemed to be underway when the campaign missions screen shows the frequency of operations to be “High.” This will appear near the top left corner of the screen and will be accompanied by the words “Local Battle Support.”

If your pilot is forced to land away from your home aerodrome in a field, or if his machine is heavily damaged and he lands at another aerodrome, you will fly no more missions that game day.

 

Balloon Busting

As in the previous Campaign, players may only claim an enemy balloon that is the assigned target in a balloon busting mission.

Players may, if they wish, skip a balloon attack mission if they have already flown such a mission earlier in the game month. This simulates the tendency of most squadron commanders to even out the assignment of these difficult missions. As you will see under the “Special Rules” section, we are using the Balloon Archie Mod to make these missions considerably more dangerous.  <epower edit 27 Feb 2024.  Recon Wars update increased balloon defensive Archie sufficiently>

 

Leading Flights

Player may not lead a flight until reaching 60 50 combat flight hours. <epower edit 9 Feb 2024> Should the game assign the player to flight lead before this time, the player will takeoff, form up, climb to altitude at waypoint U as normal then engage the SPLIT command.  At this point the AI will assume flight lead and player may manually rejoin the flight.

 

Restricted use of Auto-pilot

Because Autopilot can detect enemy aircraft which the player might not normally see, the use of AP may be used only for forming up, and climbout.  Once the flight turns for the lines, or designated patrol target, the player must disengage AP. 

 

Aerodrome Transfers

When your pilot receives a Transfer mission and flies to a new aerodrome, he will not fly combat missions for the next two days in game. Although the game will assign your pilot to missions, you should set all aircraft except your pilot’s to 5% fuel so you will fly alone.  <epower edit Jan 31, 2023>  With Recon Wars the 5% fuel trick may result in your two-seater squadmates fatally crashing.  Instead, use the following procedure:

1. In Workshop, set 'Player Flight Position' to 'Always Lead.'
2. Take Off, Form up then lead flight back over home aerodrome.
3. Type CTRL-L when over field.  Flight will acknowledge 'Land -OK'
4. Proceed with solo tour of the the lines.

You may fly familiarisation flights over the countryside around your new aerodrome. Of course, there is a small chance of running into enemy machines, but that’s war!

N.B. Remember to set Player Flight position back to "By Rank" when you've completed your familiarization flights.

 

Squadron transfers

After 35 hours of flying time with your initial squadron you may, but are not required to, request a transfer to another squadron.   Do this by sending a PM to the CM (Raine or epower), detailing your total hours and specifying the desired squadron.  The CM will either deny the request (in which case you must wait for 10 more hours of flight time), approve the request, or demand that you transfer to another squadron that you will be assigned. 

Once your request is approved, you may request the transfer in-game.  Because transfers are set to “Subject to Review” in the Workshop, the game may still refuse your request.  Sorry, but higher command sucks...

Once in a new squadron, you may ask for additional transfers, but the longer you wait, the more likely the CM will be to approve the request.

There may come a time (especially if you're playing the French) when your squadron becomes unplayable due to lack of usable aircraft. If that happens, you have three options:

1.  Emergency transfer: Your pilot sits for a week (7 days). After that, you may restart him in a new career with any squadron from his country. You'll need to manually track the pilot's combined record.

2.  Wait: If this is a problem that will eventually correct itself (such as a squadron switching to a different plane), you can choose to wait it out. Your pilot will simply be inactive until he can play again.

3.  Retire: You can retire the character and start a new one.

 

Long transfers

The CM may assign a pilot to a period away from the front for a period of time.  You can also request a break like this if you're going through a busy time in the real world.  As CMs, we'll simply assign an explanatory story, which you can work into your written accounts.  RFC pilots should expect a required period on Home Defense or instructors after a combat tour of about six months.  We'll PM any special instructions when this happens.  If you hate this idea, PM us and we'll work something out.

 

Special Rules for DiD IV

The following rules are put in place to increase the difficulty of amassing an unrealistically high score, and to make it a real thrill to receive confirmation of a claim.

Restriction on attacking disengaged enemy at low level:

The intent of this rule is to reduce the number of easy victories, and it focuses on one of the easiest of all – closing in on an enemy aircraft that has given up the fight and is heading home over the lines at lower altitudes. It forces the DiD pilot to disengage rather than get caught low over a near enemy lines. Put precisely, the rule is this:

A pilot may not claim a victory over an enemy aircraft that is –

1.    not flying in formation;

2.    below 1200 m / 4000 feet in altitude;

3.    over its own territory or over no man’s land (i.e. beyond the player’s own trench lines); AND

4.    is “clearly disengaged.”

For the purpose of this rule, an enemy aircraft is clearly disengaged when is heading toward its own territory in a straight line and has not been fired upon with effect for more than approximately 15 seconds.

An enemy aircraft is NOT clearly disengaged if it is still maneuvering, or if the player has been firing at it with effect continuously, i.e. without a pause exceeding approximately 15 seconds. Firing “with effect” means that the player has seen some evidence that his rounds are hitting the target. Because we are using the DID IV Guns mod, such fire will normally come from closer ranges. <epower overdue housekeeping edit 16 Jan 2024>

The following examples will illustrate this rule. After a couple of missions, it will become fairly intuitive when this rule applies and when it does not.  See examples below.

• Player engages an enemy aircraft (EA) in a dogfight. EA spirals downwards to evade. Player dives after EA, continuing to fire every 10 to 15 seconds. Player sees puffs of smoke as his rounds hit the EA. The EA, now under 4000 feet, heads straight towards its own lines. Both the player and the EA are over no man’s land.

Ruling:  The player may continue to engage the EA. Because the player was firing at the EA with effect continuously, the EA has not clearly disengaged.

 

• Player engages an enemy aircraft (EA) in a dogfight. EA spirals downwards to evade. Player dives after EA but loses sight of him against the background of no man’s land. After circling about a couple of times (about 20-30 seconds), the player sees the EA heading homewards in the distance. The EA is under 4000 feet and over no man’s land. The player believes he can follow the EA and catch up with him in a couple of minutes.

Ruling: The player should refrain from engaging EA (and even if he does engage the EA he may not claim a victory). Because of the time consumed circling about and looking for the EA, the EA has not been fired upon with effect for more than 15 seconds and is clearly disengaged.

 

• Player spots EA at 1500 feet. EA is heading homeward over no man’s land. Player dives on EA, and EA reacts by going into a climbing turn.

Ruling: The player may continue to engage the EA. By maneuvering to meet the players approach, the EA demonstrated that it had not clearly disengaged.

 

• Player spots a formation of enemy two-seaters at 2000 feet over enemy territory. The EA are heading toward and aerodrome that is still some distance away (i.e. They are not circling to land).

Ruling: The player may engage the EA. Even though they are heading home and low over enemy territory, they are still in formation and are therefore “fair game.”

 

Vulching prohibition

Players may not attack enemy aircraft on the ground or taking off at an aerodrome unless assigned to attack that specific aerodrome. Players may not attack enemy aircraft that are clearly circling to land at an aerodrome. The intent of these rules is to avoid cheap victories.

 

EA deep in their own territory

This practice has been a house rule of sorts for many DID participants.  Before claiming a kill in enemy territory player MUST be able to name his witness (i.e. a specific friendly AC in visual range) and how he came to see your kill.  No friendly AC in visual range = No Claim.

 

Required mods:  None as of Dec 2022 (epower edit 12/22)

Dec 2022 - Recon Wars addon significantly increased AAA fire in balloon defense thus rendering the Archie Mod unnecessary.   For the campaign, players should install and activate via JGSME, Old Hat's Balloon Archie Mod (click to activate link to Sandbagger's Mod site)

Remember to install the 1915-1916 folder not the 1917-1918 version.

This mod introduces a real gut-churning fear into balloon attack missions, especially when combined with the new requirement to set Ground Gun Accuracy and ROF to Hard.

** On hold as of Dec 2022 pending further tweaking.  Do not use until further notice.**Also, players should install and activate the DID IV Guns Mod (click to activate link)

(200m forward gun range, 300m rear gun range). This mod makes it difficult to snipe at a two-seater from long range and prevents players from firing at long range at a fleeing enemy to force him to turn back. 

 

Optional mods:

The idea of this campaign is to be as historically accurate as possible.  Mods that focus on adding historic details or ground textures, like the Consolidated Custom Facilities Mods or Buckeye Bob's cloud mods would be fine. So would JJJ's realistic tracer effects mod be okay, as long as you don't introduce tracer too early (From late 1915 on RNAS Home Defence, April 1916 in general RFC use, and mid 1916 in French and German use.   Mods that don't affect combat like user interface mods are also fine.  If in doubt contact the CMs.

VonS has created some excellent flight model (FM) mods, available HERE  (link edited to address in VonS post below)

It is permissible, in fact preferred, for players to use early versions of their assigned aircraft. For example, a downrated version of the Morane Parasol would be historically accurate and therefore preferred during 1915. It is not permissible, however, to use tweaked or operated versions of your assigned aircraft without special permission from the CM. Some of these versions were quite rare. The list below, compiled from a 2019 post by OvS, shows the clearly permissible FM tweaks. Note that any tweak will affect AI aircraft of the same type.

• Fokk. E.II(a) 100-105 hp - July/Aug. 1915 to Mar./Apr. 1916 (E.II was best but most difficult handling of Eindecker types)
• SPAD 7 150 hp - standard service dates (Aug. 1916 to Jan./Feb. 1917)
• SPAD 7 180 hp - standard service dates (Mar./Apr. 1917 to Feb./Mar. 1918)
• Nieup. 11 80 hp - Jan. to Apr./May 1916
• Pfalz A.I - standard service dates (of mid/late 1915; somewhat uncommon)
• Pfalz E.III 95hp - standard service dates (of second half of 1915, appeared before the E.I and E.II Pfalz variants, by the way, and is rare; use the stock 100hp E.III for first half of 1916, also rare)
• Morane Parasol L early - used from beginning of war to about the end of 1915 (common)

Flight reports

The essence of the campaign will be the flight reports.  Ideally, we’ll get to know your pilot and read the “ripping good yarns” you will write about him.  Please try to breathe life into your character and give us an idea of who he really is.  We’ll do our best to keep it historically accurate.

Don’t hesitate to write the CMs if you have any historical questions. We both love being sent down those historical rabbit holes.

 

Campaign Moderator and flight reports

From time to time, the CM may PM players with plot suggestions, interesting facts, or other ideas for your narratives.  You are free to ignore these or use them as you choose.  The intent is to add to the unpredictability of the campaign.

Because the game award system is not tremendously historic, the CM will PM players with announcements of awards at appropriate moments.

RAF_Louvert will play higher command.  The CM will send him a message recommending a decoration, and he will have to approve before it’s final.  At that point, RAF_Louvert will play “Gong Fairy” and will post his wonderful investiture photos and medal art and you may then mention the award in your written accounts. 

 

 

Best Practices (ed.- not a complete list and one we can add to in future.)

 

Rule Zero - (Optional but highly recommended.  Use at your own risk.)
Whenever possible, DID Pilots will fly with a partner (e.g. friend, spouse, creditor) positioned behind them holding both a button activated blowtorch and a pellet pistol.   When wounded in game or set on fire the partner will determine the enemy angle of attack then apply the aforementioned blowtorch to and/or fire the pellet gun at the appropriate body part for both the initial and any subsequent reductions in pilot health.
At their discretion the partner may discharge the pellet pistol past the player’s ear into an appropriate receptacle/target so as to simulate incoming enemy fire.  Shooting holes in the monitor/windscreen, while immersive, is not recommended.

Level flight and time interval for Lewis Gun reload – Current Lewis reload, especially for those early war aircraft lacking Foster mounts, is unrealistically quick given that the pilot had to stand up in the slipstream, swap out the Lewis drums, while still maintaining control of his aeroplane.   Until OBD hardcodes this requirement into the game, it is recommended that players fly straight and level and do a slow count of 20 seconds when reloading any fixed overwing Lewis gun.

Line Spacing tips and Tricks - The Line spacing here at CombatAce can be LARGE when hitting the RETURN Key.

Example.

However, using SHIFT+ENTER allows a normal line spacing...
Example.

Edited February 27 by epower
Aerodrome transfer edit. Line spacing tips and Tricks added

[+epower 23]

How to post pictures

It is imperative that we use the Gallery and Member Albums, NOT the Attachments function, for the simple reason that Gallery use is unlimited whereas Attachment storage is limited.   When the attachment space reaches capacity a member will need to delete older attachments to free up storage space.  Unfortunately, removal of old attachments breaks links or removes images in their original post where the image used to reside.  Few things on the internet are more dispiriting a broken picture link.   The DiD IV Campaign thread when complete in three years time will stand as a historical narrative and as such must remain intact for the future.  Please make the effort to protect and preserve the thread.

Listed below are detailed instructions for posting pics. 

<if there's a faster way to do this please PM me>

Create an Album

1. Click 'Gallery' on the upper left of page
2. Click the green "Add Images' button which will bring up the 'Select Category' drop down menu
3. Click 'Member's Albums' which will take you to the Create Album screen. 
4. Type a name for your album, then click the 'Create New Album' button.
5. Add images if you have them at the ready, otherwise click the 'X' upper right to close the window. 

Add Images to Album

1. Click on your name bar on upper right of page and select profile from the drop down menu
2. Select the blue 'Albums' tab at far right.
3. Choose your Album or create a new one and follow the prompts.
4. Create bookmark for said Album.

Add Pictures to your Post  (epower edit 28 Jan 2023)

1. Upload images to Album
2. In the desired location in your post, click "Insert other media" lower right
3. Select "Insert existing attachment" from the dropdown menu.
4. Click "Gallery Images" upper left, then select the appropriate image checkmark.
5. Click the green "Insert Selected" lower right and you're home.

 

A DiD thread can be incredibly pic heavy.  Even the mighty 400mb limit of an Elite Member (see below) won't be sufficient.  For reference, in 21 months of DiD3, I uploaded 930 pics, each of which averaged 900kb in size.  <maths------>   837MB. 

Handy Site Information

A site familiarization post can be found HERE

Erik the official Site Serf very kindly provided me with info below:

The gallery uses compression that images stored in the forum section do not, so we offer both options. The gallery is unlimited use per member.  The member attachment space is where images are stored that are attached directly in the forum post.  Each member dependent on member rank, based on post count, will have a maximum amount of storage available to them in the forum. When that space becomes full a member will need to manage their stored items in their area to delete older items to free up storage space they can reuse.

• NEW members can store up to 50MB and have 30 minutes to edit their own posts.
• JUNIOR members can store up to 75MB and have 60 minutes to edit their own posts.
• VALUED Members can store up to 100MB and have 120 minutes to edit their own posts.
• SENIOR members can store up to 200MB and can edit their own posts indefinitely.
• ELITE members can store up to 400MB and can edit their own posts indefinitely. 
• Purchasing a subscription plan lifts the storage limit while a subscription is active for any member regardless of rank.   <epower edit - This is a great way to support the site.  That said, please use a Gallery Album anyway to post pics so the thread stays clean for the future>

Edited January 29, 2023 by epower

[Mfair621 34]

A lot to digest for us slower types but I’ll get the hang of it! A tip of the hat to Raine, Epower and Lou for making this happen. Hope to see everyone back in the skies soon.

[+VonS 1,424]

Brief addendum to this stimulating thread - those looking for my FM packages for BH&H2 are best off checking over this link, since the link contained in the first post of this thread is to the main page for my WOFF UE/PE-only FM package. The link included in this particular post takes you to the support thread for all of my WOFF-related packages, where you may also find the WOFF UE/PE-era FM tweaks ready for download, as well as other WOFF/WOTR enhancement packages and GPU tuners, etc.

Cheers all & happy WOFFing,

Von S

[Hasse Wind 46]

Awesome to be back at CA! So much better in every way than the other site. 

I'll have to study the rules carefully and prepare for the exam Lou warned me about. 

[Maeran 20]

I showed my wife rule 0. She laughed. Should I be worried about her looking for pellet guns?

[Sebtoombs 63]

I'm really looking forward to this! I've DM'd my character and backstory ... Can't wait for the 2nd!  Thank you, Raine, epower and Lou for making this a reality again!

Meet Theo Andrews!

Happy Christmas ...

Seb

[Becker02 35]

Hallo @epower,

only a short query:

"Optional mods:

The idea of this campaign is to be as historically accurate as possible.  Mods that focus on adding historic details or ground textures, like the Consolidated Custom Facilities Mods or Buckeye Bob's cloud mods would be fine. So would JJJ's realistic tracer effects mod be okay, as long as you don't introduce tracer too early (From late 1915 on RNAS Home Defence, April 1916 in general RFC use, and mid 1916 in French and German use. "

Do you mean "tracer" or "trailersmoke?" (at this early timepoint of war it should be trailersmoke, or?)

Greetings! 

 

[trustworthykebab 19]

Oh. Lordy. It IS that time of the year! Couldn't ask for a better early Christmas present.

[+epower 23]

Becker,

I’m traveling and away from my main computer and the particulars of Jara’s tracer mod but scanning my old messages with Raine on this very subject I believe early RFC  tracer had a phosphorus base and left a white trail for about a hundred yards. The SPK mark VII-T tracer round (a.k.a. "Sparklet ammunition") was introduced in July 1916. It used a combination of magnesium and barium peroxide, creating a bright colourless light.

So I’d say trailer smoke only for RFC until July 1916.  I’ll need to check what the French were using. 

The Germans were late to the game. If I recall correctly, they began using tracer only at the end of 1916 or so. There's was phosphorus-based and left a white smoke trail rather than a glowing light. Pilots reported being able to smell near misses.

Effectsnotracer is likely the way to go for the early German AC but let me confirm when I get home early next week. 
 

Cheers

Edited December 19, 2021 by epower

[Janzen 5]

Ripping good stuff E-Power! Great timing for DID campaign! Most definitely I’d have thrown myself into the fray as this would be a “first time” for getting involved in DID.  Sad thing is I’ll have to pass joining as I will be in sunny Puerto Vallarta  Mexico from mid January to early March escaping winter for 2022.  I’ll keep tabs on the events of everyone’s pilots as posted in this thread while on holiday!  Speaking of which may everyone have a safe, healthy and relaxing Festive Holiday & New Year with family and friends! Cheers all! 
 

All the best,

Janzen

[Maeran 20]

Join when you get back from Mexico, Janzen. This is a long campaign.

 

I'm looking forward to it.

[Paroni1 73]

Will it " Old Hat’s Balloon Archie Mod " work with WOFF 2?

[Janzen 5]

Done deal! I thought I’d be to late Maeran missing the initial six weeks but the campaign is lengthy as you said so, in I go! I gather I just PM E-power my pilot’s bio etc when I get back from holiday? Looking forward to my first ever DID! Thanks for bringing that to my attention.  Cheers!

[Maeran 20]

2 hours ago, Janzen said:

I gather I just PM E-power my pilot’s bio etc when I get back from holiday? Looking forward to my first ever DID! Thanks for bringing that to my attention.  Cheers!

Yes, just send that PM when you are ready. Enjoy your holiday!

[+epower 23]

Link to Old Hat's Balloon Archie mod is fixed and now directs to the correct location - the effects page of Sandbagger's mod site. 

Previously, it just returned to the instructions page. 

[Becker02 35]

Hallo @epower,

I have an inquiry in relation to the use of tracer / trailer-smoke from your posting 19.12.21:

Is it possible for you to write the chronological use of these, maybe as a simple table like this:

                                     British                  French                 German

no Tracer                    1915?                   1915?                   1915?

Trailer-smoke            summer1916?         ?                            ?

Tracer                          ?                               ?                             ?

 

Thank you very much!!

Greetings!

[+epower 23]

Becker - You raise an excellent question and one which I'll need to research.

Hopefully the community may weigh in as well.

[carrick58 23]

A lot of information to take in ,but a lot make good sense.  Please count me in and will we be posting AAR's here or back at sim Hq ?

[trustworthykebab 19]

Carrick, to my knowledge all DID will be held here.

[+epower 23]

Carrick - DiD 3, and the upcoming conclusion of Oliver's Tale if you're interested, will remain at SimHQ.

DiD IV (We DiD it Again!) will live here at CombatAce.

Alistair Sim as Scrooge.  Classic stuff.  Great to have you with us once again.  Now I won't have to go scouring the net for pictures of Nurses.  Whew!

[Becker02 35]

"@epower,

Becker - You raise an excellent question and one which I'll need to research.

Hopefully the community may weigh in as well."

Hallo @epower,

no stress! 

Greetings!

[trustworthykebab 19]

I have a question regarding a mod which is not mentioned in the instructions.
I usually use the third party missions mod (which I can't recall the name of as of now :/) that offer a bit more realistic missions (such as introducing lone wolf recce missions as it usually was back then). Should I, for the sake of linearity, disable these and just limit myself to the base game ones?

[trustworthykebab 19]

First Post

This is the tale of a not-so-young  Bulgarian man, Lyuben Anastas Mladenov.  Born in the now far 1881 in Radomir, Bulgaria, he moved to Dresden at the age of 3. As the war was becomeing clearer and clearer, in 1914, he believed that he'd move back to the then neutral Bulgaria, to go back to his roots and the rest of his large family. Just a few months prior to his departure, though, something awakened in him. He had spent all of his life, until then, as a humble shoemaker. He wanted to give a twist to his life, he wanted adventure, adrenaline. Given his already mature age (33) he wasn't striving to join the army, so he opted to get his life onto the path of that new trend they called aviation: he was going to become a pilot. He enlisted in early 1914 and finished his training at the beginning of 1915. Enlisted with the rank of Feldwebel, he recieved a letter a couple of months later: he was to report at his nearest aerodrome. He was going to be deployed at the front, alongside Feldflieger-Abteilung 32. 

[+VonS 1,424]

And so it begins - nice to see more mature WWI pilots (such as the crew from The Blue Max) and some hailing from exotic regions, for DiD IV - will see if I can find enough free time perhaps to join once "1916" rolls in gents' - currently still busy with work and all that jazz. Be careful with those under-powered crates if flying some of the early war FMs for maximal enjoyment in 1915. Looking forward to reports of aircraft barely taking off and (very) long hauls to the front, particularly when the winds are in the opposite direction. And keeping my fingers crossed for a dogfight or two between the early Morane Parasol L and Pfalz A.I early war variants - congratulations to all, beforehand, if you manage to overtake and/or land hits on your opponent in such scenarios.

Happy DiDing all,

Von S