kendo353

cheers catch... bit of a nasty one, but i'm all good now. not much to report on the eye candy front (pixel shaders coming at end of month), but i've managed to sort out the camera views.. ....and the game now has fully working weapons attached to the planes... infinite terrain is also coming at the end of month, so i'm looking forward to getting stuck in with some proper mapmaking. found a good history site with detailed maps of all the fronts, so it's all systems go.. cheers, ken

Hi Gr. Viper, flu++, but all in all, not bad. the GUI is pretty robust, and campaigns are taking shape. the game calendar revolves around the julian date, which should make plumbing in historical data easy. (it gets converted back to the 'real' date for players to read). confident of getting there because it already looks nice (if not realistic). the engine does a good job of hiding scary quaternions and matrices, but there are still a lot of initially strange concepts to take in. I've been visiting Nasa/Wiki sites a lot to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. it has bombs, flak, spandaus, lewis, parabellum, chauchat (with historical velocity/ROF data and sounds). targets blow up and explode nicely, but the guns aren't attached to the right place on the planes yet. also still quite a way to go on the Damage Model (but the planes are made of 20+ pieces each, and ready to be pulled apart when needed). spawning "gib" animations with nuts, bolts, and bits of fabric at point of hit isn't a problem.. particle FX, smoke, oil, fires, etc.. too. no worries. AI is rudimentary at present (based around a 4 man ground squad), but targets will shoot at you, and your squadmates will shoot back. the engine developers have promised a 'more military AI' which will support formations, and more realistic behaviours. but it's not here yet. been holed up in bed for a couple of days.. but will do. thanks.. *waves and coughs*

Safety First!

that's great guys, thanks very much for the information. appreciated.

cheers, Catch. it was an error. and i'm grateful to you for pointing it out to me. i'll gladly change things when they're wrong. appreciated..

cheers.... i've found a few sites in Russian and Hungarian that are interesting. but any info you could pass on would be much appreciated.

Thanks for the pictures, Gabilaser. hadn't seen some of them before. much appreciated. Anyone have any obscure info on the Austro-Hungarian air force? I noticed in the RB3D Italian front pack, that their squadrons are called "FLIKs", but that (and the fact that they liked Red and White) is about the sum total of my knowledge. The Italian squadriglias are proving easier to research, so i'm up to speed on them. Hoping to have Naval floatplane bases (as well as dromes). thanks to dagger, for posting the interview, and for the forum space. s!

don't laugh... but when i was a kid, i always wondered "who is this Red Baron he keeps going on about?". which in turn, led to an interest in WW1 aviation. so comics *can* be educational, as well as entertainment. cheers for the kind words, chaps. feedback (+ OR -), critique, suggestions always welcomed. i have not met any coders interested in pitching in yet, but i've bumped into a lot of very nice people along the way. progress has slowed a little, while i boff up on the underlying maths, but the game as a whole, is going well. cheers..

yeah, no worries, Red. you were stating the obvious truth, and i was just explaining. it's all good. regards to you. :yes:

Hi everyone.. @ Dagger thanks for the category addition. much appreciated. @ Red yeah, i understand what you're saying. but there is no way i can compete with the "100 knobs in each cockpit" development teams. i chose openGL because i wanted to emulate the airbrushed aviation art, and colour WW1 postcards that i enjoy very much. nothing is finalised yet... texture quality can be bumped up, landscapes replaced... the BV engine itself is quite capable of producing AAA.. it's a matter of how thinly i spread myself between all of the tasks involved in getting it finished. i'm just one person, not a team... so it's a balancing act, ya know? i'm not making excuses... i know in some respects, the game does look "1996". but as i'm trying to emulate 1914, i feel thats tolerable, if (as Smosh says) the game has atmosphere and soul. i hope you'll enjoy it, anyway. cheers.. ken

cheers oxo... i'm having fun making it. by popular request (and some grumbling) the Italian Front is included. Campaign mode will allow you to fly as a Austro-Hungarian or Italian. please *don't* ask for the eastern front... remember i'm just one person.. lol... regards to all. kendo

Hi Smosh, Hi Viper.. just shooting from the cuff. it made me smile, because it fits in with some of the stupidly horrendous and life threatening things they get you to do in the army. "Right son.... sit in this basket, on top of all this lovely explosive... and if you see an enemy plane bearing down on you, light the blue touchpaper and jump out sharpish". from what i've gathered, balloon observers were issued with parachutes. so it's not the baling out that would be unrealistic, but the detonation. it would only ever occur on a small random chance... but you're right.... i'll consider it carefully. i will definitely be having dummy balloons though, and winching them up and down isn't hard to implement. from the pictures i've seen.. a lot of people *were* needed to march the balloons into place, (or hold them in winds?). but when they're in position, most of the groundcrew appear to be just admiring the spectacle. @ Viper RB3D had it? balloons would sink down to the ground pretty quickly if they spotted you. there wasn't a cable connecting them to the earth... but it did *look* good. added a sense of urgency to shooting them down. cheers for the info, guys. ken

it does indeed. thanks very much. it looks like i can have one or two unmanned balloons dotted about the landscape, but not festooned all over the place in an anti-aircraft role (ala WW2). nice discovery. much appreciated. I imagine the flimsy planes will be blasted about quite a bit by the shockwave too. thanks for the suggestion, and the lookup. Even manned balloons could be detonated, if one assumes that the observer sets the fuses before they bale out. the DIF observers already bale out randomly, if they feel threatened.... so this would another nice random touch. thankyou. ken

Hi Stryker7, oh yes, there will definitely be observation balloons, and it looks like the occasional unmanned "captive balloon" will also be ok. but i'm trying to find out when they were first used in the anti-aircraft role that you described. WW2 pictures are full of them. Rosebud's site has 3 or 4 unmanned versions... but they seem to be going up in fields... not exactly protecting factories or stuff on the ground. appreciate your thoughts on the matter, anyway.. cheers. it's still being written. but when its finished, yes, it'll be available for free download.

cheers Red... i found a couple of images on Rosebud's site, where they're called "captive balloons". but also some 'captive balloons' are shown as being manned (an observation balloon). which is a bit confusing. other than this, the earliest "blimp" photos i've found have been from the 40's. i also don't recall any pilot memoirs mentioning them. i think i'll take your advice, and keep them to one side, until i know for sure. thanks for the response.. cheers, ken

Historical advice, anybody? Were balloons used as blimps in WW1 ? I can't seem to find any photographs of unmanned inflatables, and i don't recall seeing them in a WW1 game... ever. It would be a shame to lose them, as they add a lot to the scenery and atmosphere. but if they're not historically accurate, they'll have to go. anyone know? regards kendo

Hi Agrippa, yes, i have..... but i hate snow, and i'm careful not to wander off of the plan too far. The way the game is constructed, if i do get any help, it should be easy enough to bolt on additional campaigns, once the core is fully functional. Before then, i risk bloating the project, and losing focus. I agree, it's an oft-neglected area of the conflict. Similarly, Palestine & Gallipoli. TBH, the Italian and Eastern campaigns are beyond my current learning, and i don't have any books on the subject. I consider it best to concentrate on what i do know, and make that as accurate as possible. If somebody with this knowledge wishes to join the project and help out, i'd be delighted to welcome them onboard. cheers.. ken

depends which version you have, but definitely more than you paid for it. i've seen *some* go for $200. here's one, for instance.. AoA on ebay if you can model and use PS, you would probably be right at home. at it's best it functions like an extension of the modelling program. which modeller do you use? BV can handle maya .MB, lightwave .LWO/.LWS, and 3ds .3DS natively. oh.. milkshape .ms3d, too. if you have the time/inclination, you could grab a free trial version and check it out. on the model tip... *whatever* you wish/care to provide would be gratefully recieved. i try to keep the plane list updated with the new models, but there are still a few gaps, especially with the earlier German variants. i have 'twenty odd' ground targets... but you can never have too many.. i have a few tanks knocking about, but haven't really thought about moving ground units yet. been concentrating on the flying and bombing. i also have a railway, but no trains to run on it.. lol.. any form of modelling help would be appreciated. that sounds extremely useful, and i appreciate the offer. thanks very much. it's a kind and generous offer. one thing my trawlings on the net have failed to turn up, is a good source of insignia for the Jastas and Esquadrilles. is there such a thing? i've seen the designs that come with the (excellent) RB3D modpacks, but have no idea if that is historically accurate or just good art. I found most of the RFC, on the RAF site. but not much luck with the other nations. cheers.. ken

Hi Viper... thanks for the info, but i don't enjoy WW2 fighter games much. The first WW1 game i played was "Ace of Aces". Before computers... lol. (so i can and do appreciate a good game mechanism). I gave my copy away, but it's good to see that it's still going, and has a collector following. I see from the author's website that he was originally going to make his DIF a WW1 game? but chose not to. fair enough, but it reminds me of Hermann Goerring's advice to the Luftwaffe... "make sure they go down in flames". ie: it's not really a name or tactic, appropriate for that period of history, imho. anyway..... happy new year, everyone.

Hi guys... thanks for the interesting discussion and points of view. thanks also to the artists and researchers who have offered to help. It might be niave, but after years in the recording business, i've no wish to "market" this game/sim. or deal with people in suits. or give away 50% of the profit. and generally stress myself out. i've seen my stuff on shelves, and had reviews in magazines. to be honest, it wasn't that thrilling. I started this project out of love, and i'll finish it with love. if it's just a free download from a website, i'm fine with that. at least it's honest. people who like WW1 aviation will want to check it out. which is also fine. RakNet (multiplayer) support has been promised, and a new improved AI, which will support formation flying. all is going well.

campaign selection screen.. (can play any game you've saved). single mission screen.. (picks a random nation and mission). also completed medals for all nations.. (arrrghhhh... 3 days). [ obligatory gratutitous shot of an in-game aeroplane.. thanks to everybody who's offered to help with the research. will be in touch in the new year. cheers.. kendo

Hi B Sandy, cheers.. the pre-camouflage linen period is my personal favourite. there are still a number in progress. downside of a one man band is that only one area can be pushed at. figured i had more than enough planes to test things out with, and am concentrating on other areas of the game for the moment. by what criteria? isn't a title that grabs people's attention? No disrespect, but I don't want to call it cheezy eagles, or canvas whatevers. I'd like to invoke the feel of the period, in a similar manner to the way Silent Hunter III manages to capture the essence of the U-Boat war. Isn't "Down in Flames" the most evocative title one could think of ? If my goal was to shift units from shelves, fund a yacht, or my socio-anarchic bohemian lifestyle... i could understand your concerns.. it would be wrong.... but my hope for this game is that it'll make people *remember*. and for that, i'll need a memorable title (as well as a game that doesnt suck). I had a ride with a taxi driver recently, who didn't know what a "Sopwith Camel" was. do you know how sad that makes me? My biggest aim in this venture, is that people think about those airmen more. I take onboard your concerns, and Chock's too... it's the first time it's been mentioned since i started the project, everybody else of my acquaintance thought it was a good idea. I will give it some serious thought. thankyou. smile... are you implying that those shots are posed or pre-rendered? no sir.... they are 100% genuine actual in-game, me-flying-the-plane screen shots. i would not waste people's time with anything less. i have a workable arcade flying model on the objects, but obviously still need to tweak it a great deal more. as mentioned, i'm working towards a prototype that people can play with and make suggestions on. regards ken

Hi Chock.. thanks for your polite and considered view on the subject. I chose the project's name, for the very reason you mentioned. That it was the flyer's greatest dread. The dilemma whether to bale out, or stay with their machines. To allay your concerns, I'm an ex-serviceman myself, and am trying to approach the subject with the utmost dignity and respect. There is shooting, blowing things up, and the usual "fun stuff", admittedly, but i would like the overriding message to be that people actually did this for real. They flew in rickety canvas planes @ around 100mph, with many of them dieing in training, before they'd even seen an "enemy". Thats the goal of this project, to recreate an oft-neglected portion of WW1. So, I put it to you that there is no other such suitable title which captures the drama and the history of those moments, so well. I say i'm working on a game called "Down in Flames" to my friends, and they instantly know what i'm talking about. If there's widespread objection to this title, of course, i'll change it. but it's not called this, so that i can shift more units from shelves. if you'd like to help out, any assistance at all would be appreciated. i'm hoping to sink some serious time into the project over xmas, and have some form of prototype ready in the new year. happy solstice. ken

please do ... feel free, any help or advice would be gratefully received. I asked over at SWW1SA, but they were all busy working on OFF(2). i'm new, without a proven track record in game/sim making. there's also three other WW1 sims out. it's understandable, really. thanks for the offer. will need stresstesters, bughunters, etc.. and suggestions from interested players... i'm willing to shape the game into what people want to play. biggest thing i've been reading in the forums, is that people want an immersive campaign which rivals RB3D's. if you can type data into a list, or look something up in a book, you probably *could* help out. I will, cheers for the kind words, Mc.Duff. experimental 30km EAW terrain comprised of 256m tiles.

I checked out the Dawn of Aces demo a while back. IIRC, the scope of the game was impressive. There was a lot of things to do, and missions to fly on. but everybody had a bounding box around them, and as you say, the impression was "sci-fi jet fighter", not string and wood. I don't like pay to play, but gotta s! the guys for producing a WW1 game. it's a great shame that the graphics weren't overhauled with the movie tie-in, though. potential newcomers to the genre will be put off by eyecandy of that quality, i think. oh, well.. (2 cents)