themightysrc

Sorry, Mr. Jedi, but I'm with 33Lima on this one. No one expects perfection (although it would be nice!), however the omissions in RoF are pertinent to the subject matter, and it is disingenuous of people seeking views to simply sweep criticisms of these under the carpet. The review of RoF:ICE on this very site was more akin to hagiography rather than a balanced piece, so I feel it is fair to raise omissions/criticisms accordingly, particularly when, as Lima's pointed out, views were actually actively sought!

"Also unless I've missed something, RoF has precisely two 2-seaters, both AI, a B14 and a DFW CV. Even OOB, FE and OFF Phase 2 provided a minimalist but adequate selection of 2-seaters, a situation now much better. Flying for or against the RFC/RAF without at least an RE8 or a BE2 in the air is just plain silly/bone/naff. " Really have to agree with this. A WWI air sim with precisely two 2-seaters? That is beyond absurd, and undermines any claim RoF might make for authenticity. I mean, for f***'s sake: how can you have a WWI sim that doesn't have the BE2/RE8/Brisfit/Alb C series/Avaitiks/Rolands, etc? It's a bit like pretending that WWII had no Lancs, HE111s, B17s, etc. It's just a joke. "RoF looks best for "flying WW1 planes" (scouts, anyway). But at the present, in my view it is for the above reason still a simply inadequate simulation of "flying in WW1", regardless of its other fine features. Each to their own of course but that's my position." Well, no wonder the MP capabilities are so touted: from everything I've seen and heard about RoF, it's great for whizzing about shooting up other owners in cyberspace: as a WWI game, it's sadly lacking. "I hope the 2-seater selection, and the SP campaign, improve in due course, tho I'm not at all impressed at the idea of having to pay extra for what should have been a basic planeset and part of the basic package or an early patch." This is one of my bugbears as well. If they were to offer the full planeset, a decent SP campaign and an acceptable number of 2-seaters, then the response would be that every WWI addict would buy the damn game, and the servers would be full of players. I might get RoF in the future, given the money to get a butch system. At the moment, it's out of the question on the basis of my rig, and until I see genuine movement, and what I'd consider value for money in the future, it remains a borderline consideration. Sorry Dagger.

Hi Olham, I can see you've been well captivated by No Parachute - I think that I remarked a while ago that it's probably one of the best books about the air war written by a combatant. Yes, a great way way to spend the afternoon! Just as a matter of interest, and given that Easter is on such a weird date this year: it's actually coincided with my birthday! Yep, all those years ago, I popped out unbidden into the world (early doors, just slid out, me mum thought I was dead because I didn't cry), and promptly went to sleep (I assume). Nearly five decades later, I suspect I've still not woken up! Cheers, Si

"For a long time we have been more than thrice denied. In our efforts came together all our dreams, our fathers’, our mothers’, And fell. Now we stand before our graves, sucking up Death, to bring our End. Our reason is thus: We are children of a race without resistance to its own breeding. Soulless. With eyes that probe mind-inward, extracting pain. Long time more than thrice denied... and more than one God must we sate. For us there is no blessed return, no ‘Amen’ for our lamentation In mouths that once were ripe with sweetness... Our mothers failed us, that bewailed us, Thus we mistrust their ‘motherhood’. And that shall never leave us. Maybe if we just acknowledge we are the children of a mistake And therefore unforgivable by these days, Maybe then... WHAT? ... Soulless ... A country fades away, And many fell, and we long for their pillow." An amazing lamentation regarding mortality, but so much more powerful if you know it relates to WWI. I take my hat off to the writer, and more so to the interpreter how did such a marvellous job.

"I get all the right menus but it looks like an OLD game I got the impression from the adverts it was sleek, this is not- it looks old. Thats fine - if thats how its supposed to look, I expected a more modern look- it looks chunky." Hi Crash, I'm no guru, or even particularly that knowledgeable about setting up OFF, but I would say from my experience that it's easy to load all the files, and then it's a right bastard to get set up so you get the best from it. You would do very well - if you haven't already done so - to go through, painstakingly, the OFF hints/tips on the graphics setup, particularly with regard to the type of video card you have. I didn't when I first got OFF, and I was absolutely appalled at the graphics: they looked completely s**te. And it was down to the fact that I'd neglected to read through and follow the accumulated wisdom available here and on OBD's website. If you have done all that, then I suggest you post up a few screenshots here so others can try to diagnose the issues. Also, what's the spec of your PC? I assume it's butch enough to run OFF OK? What video card are you using? Are you playing OFF on the highest resolution you can manage - I'm on 1440 x 900, which isn't great (but the best my system can manage), and OFF looks pretty reasonable when fired up (although I dearly wish I could get something that would really show off what the graphics can be like, as seen in various videos....). Good luck! Cheers Si

"they gave out a muffled 'boom boom boom". It was no stretch at all to imagine them the big guns firing at the Front. I felt like I was standing "somewhere in France" in the Great War, waiting for the last patrol of the day to return. I lingered there until it was nearly dark. It was marvelous and eerie and ethereal, all at the same time, and there was honesty a brief moment where I wasn't sure which century I stood in." I think you might just pass muster as a journalist, in the most positive way, that is. Dakota as North West France? You are, of course, bonkers. But it works, and that's what counts, so I'll keep rereading that post until I completely understand what's going on there. I suspect that if you haven't already done so, Lou, you need a trip to Europe to look at some of that damaged ground and see the monuments to the damaged and destroyed lives. On a happier note, it's my birthday this weekend, so I thought I'd whore myself out to the CA community in the most brazen way possible, on the basis that it might be possible nowadays to email pints of beer/cocktails to people. Ah well; worth a try!

I don't know why you lot are all sitting around talking about flying OFF with other people: why not actually go and do it? There was a very active MP presence here until of late, and I'm happy to sign up for it, but it needs a few of you to stop chatting about it and actually sign up to doing something!!! Doesn't have to be every day, every week or whatever. All it takes is for someone to host and other people to get involved. FFS, you're all heavily into WWI air warfare - just do it: what are you waiting for?

Glad they got him. That saved a few lives.

Hi Olham, I'm talking about your post of the 26th March, showing the takeoff of two seaters. I think that that was done with the effect 'on' so to speak. Either way, it was a gorgeous little shot. Go ahead and put Bloom et al on your new rig! I'm sure it will result in superb shots. As for B&W, I think that they might well end up looking like the genuine article. Off to experiment.... Cheers, Si

I'd like to ask a question that's sort of tangential to the thread but has popped up in more oblique forms here, and I suppose elsewhere. It's this. We are fairly relaxed (if you can call it that) about playing OFF, probably because of its historical distance and, I hope, because of our scholarly interest in the subject matter. Is there a difference if one plays a game like DCS A10? The reason I ask is because the historical - and almost physical - proximity of the conflicts involved is so much more reduced and might involve people that we actually know, or maybe in some cases, knew. It brings to mind a straw poll of people - and it may have been CA - who were asked about which sides they flew on in their chosen combat sims, and I was a little surprised at how parochial people tended to be. In the case of the Arab/Israeli conflicts, it was clear that almost no-one ever flew in Egyptian or Syrian aircraft, for example. And yet, when presented with the opportunity to fly Nazi úber jet fighters into late 1945 and 1946, few people batted an eyelid. Except me apparently. Do we, despite the fact that we probably all would like to see ourselves as scholastic (to some degree or other) and adherents to history (ditto) allow ourselves the true academic latitude that we pretend to? I suspect that in some cases we do not, and I further suspect that it has an awful lot to do with personal political motivation and the chronological proximity of conflicts as I've mentioned above. I'd be interested to read other people's views on this. Sorry if I've taken this OT, but it's something that's bugged me for a while. Cheers, Si

"Today I installed the "Bloom & HDR" enhancer from "Creaghorn's Homebrew." I made a test flight with it, and it was a "scramble"." Olham, I just love that first screenshot. Very lifelike. I really must start doing more screenshots and then posting them in B&W, complete with bloom etc. I bet they'd look fairly realistic.

Olham, Have you got any screenshots from the new rig? Assuming it's a better setup, particularly graphics wise, they should be very nice indeed...

My guess is sometime early 1918... I know that Olham likes games and quizzes - he's got one going now based on the P4 screenshots, for God's sake! Something on the lines of the above, where you have to guess the period, accurate to a month might be quite fun...

Hi Olham, So what's your impression of 'No Parachute'? I'll admit that Lee's humanity shines through, although his attitude to non-fliers (and particularly non-combatants) is clearly tinged with something other than an even handed judgement. Still; one of the most immediate reads of WWI that I've ever undertaken, and a firm favourite.

Buddy1998, I don't know, but seeing as the purpose of the game is to enjoy yourself, I'd say that the best course of action is to indulge your imagination. If you feel that come late April, early May - and assuming you're in the relevant sector - you wish to fly several times a day to reflect that the 2nd battle of Ypres was underway, then why not? My own personal rule of thumb is once a day and no more - unless I know that the combination of time and place means that I would (as a pilot or observer) been up more frequently. Given that my longest lasting pilot is in an RE8 and Operation Michael is in a few months, I'm tempted to bail out, but I won't. After all; what sort of game and genuflection to the men who actually fought, to distort the timeline for our own convenience?

"And I realize that the answers to all questions are out there already, its just a matter of digging. I am grateful for all the assistance." Hi, Just feel free to drop in and ask any questions you see fit. The denizens of CA are a nice bunch and you won't be wanting for advice! Whilst you're waiting for your copy of OFF, I would be tempted to ensure that your copy of CFS3 (assuming you have one) is loaded and up to date. If it's 3.0, it needs updating to 3.1, and there are sufficient instructions elsewhere on how to achieve this, should you need to. Another thing you'd be advised to do is to look at your kit. Do you have TrackIR? If not, get it! You certainly won't regret it when you're in a plane and being chased round by enemy aircraft intent on turning you into a ground dart. Do you have a FFB joystick? If not, then consider getting one, as it's priceless in terms of warning you when stalls are imminent (and stalls you will get, I assure you, in these antiquated crates). Finally, having read and devoured the installation procedures, and how to tune OFF/CFS3 to get the best performance, I'd recommend looking at the Survival in the Air threads. The primers on how to fly and fight in various aircraft have been written by people who've put in lots of hours in the aircraft they cover, and they enable you to get that flying start - so to speak - in the game. Welcome to the unfriendly skies above Flanders. Cheers, Si

Hi Lou, "It must be awfully slow these days in the old OFF skies. I was sure more folks would chime in on this topic. Ah well, c'est la guerre." I would beg to differ! The reason I've not been trumpeting Major Timm is because I've simply got little time to fly OFF, due to my current trajectory. Without looking, I'm guessing that he's amassed about 100 hours in the air and more than 100 missions, solely in the BE2c and RE8. I think that that's a pretty good show. I'll try and paste up a screenshot in support of this madness. Cheers, Si

"Guys there are too few WW1 sims out there, I can find loads of things neg. to say about any sim, if I try hard enough., but I won't. As far as mods and add-ons, it would be so easy for me to trash them, as I am sure it would be for anybody here, so lets choose not to. Sure there's fans of Red Baron, I am one of them, there's fans of ArgonV's work, again I am one of them, and there's fans of First eagles, I beta tested it, and OFF has a good following also." I applaud your views, however I will base my opinion on your postings elsewhere. I do feel that your profession of support for all WWI sims is compromised by your postings here and elsewhere which have not necessarily (IMHO) been entirely even handed. Having said that, I cannot let this bon mots pass: "This forum as has developed a reputation, and yes I know this to be a fact, to be a very unfriendly place, and starting NOW, this will change.Starting now this WILL change period." I think I would be rather more sanguine and receptive to this statement if it were supported by any factual or documentary evidence. I trust you will be kind enough to post this evidence up for the rest of to consider and debate? For my part, I've never been shown anything other the most welcoming and courteous greetings by CA posters, and I can assure you that I've had heated discussions on several occasions with various posters - but none have ever left me with the impression that I was unwanted, or that CA was 'unfriendly'. Your evidence will need to substantiate this point. Cheers, Si

"Oh yeah, you guys that are playing OFF, how did you avoid the extreme boredom of flying forever before you see an enemy and then having your wingmen wander off nowhere to be seen ??" If you hit X, you'll warp until you encounter planes. Never had wingmen wander off. Escorts, when I'm in a bloody BE2c, yes, and very annoying it is, but they're flyboys, aren't they? We're just the poor sods in two seaters. Don't get me started... "I've never played a mission where there was any action near my drome." Try a campaign: if you don't get a scramble to intercept incoming planes, I'll be very surprised indeed. Even we stalwarts flying BEs and RE8s have been called upon in such a manner! Madness, I tell you... " Maybe I should try it again, but I found it very dull, time compression may help I guess. And are the campaigns dynamic and random?" Yes, probably and yes. If you don't own OFF P3, you're doing yourself a disservice if you're into WWI flight/war sims.

"So you like wargames. Did you ever tried Panzer General? Here is a free download of one that looks and plays like the original. http://panzercentral...pic.php?t=45039" Thank you very much! Downloaded, and now exploring....

" How is the MP play?" I don't think this got covered. There aren't any servers kicking around a la ROF, as far as I'm aware, but if you pop over to the MP section here at CA, you'll find a few answers to your questions. I've done MP in OFF, and it's bloody good fun. All it takes is one person to host and a few more to turn up and fly! I think the maximum I've seen in one evening was just over a dozen people. I'm not sure how busy people are at the moment with MP - probably not a great deal given the time of year - but who knows: go and have a look, and you never know, you might even end up hosting! Cheers, Si

Hi Olham, wmp.dll is the Windows Media Player (or a subroutine of it, more like). I'm no expert, but it seems that perhaps you copy is either corrupted or incomplete? I don't know if you can load it from your W7 media (DVD?) or whether you can download it from Mickeysoft's own site. No doubt somebody more knowledgeable will be along presently (I run XP). Cheers, Si

"The BIOS update should offer some increased performance as well. I'm having a blast though and will start a British campaign today. Any suggestions on which squad and do they assign a plane I'll fly?" Hi Shiloh, Sounds like you're getting acclimatised! I see that two - eminently sensible - suggestions have already been made regarding a Briddish campaign (I'm assuming a 1916/1917 start). The SE5a and the Sopwith Triplane are both fabulous scouts. Possibly too good though, so I would recommend kicking off a campaign in a squadron that flies the Sopwith Pup, possibly the nicest aeroplane ever made, if pilot reports are to believed. I think 48 RFC have it in late 1916. Basically, it's light, manouvreable, quick enough and faced with opponents who you can overcome, given a bit of skill. The single gun makes you work hard - you learn to get up very close indeed before you start firing, which isn't the case with the Camel or SE. There, you can simply blaze away. Well, that'll do you no good in a Pup. What you do have though, is a priceless opportunity to mix it with Hun planes that are, in many ways, as good as you, and certainly more heavily armed. Thus you learn how to avoid trouble - you can't afford to be bracketed by an Alb DIII: it will wreck you. Instead you learn how to fly round them, as their weakness is the lack of fleetness compared to you. It was said that a Pup could perform two right turns before the Albatros could perform one. That's why it's such a brilliant scout for a British campaign. Consider it recommended. Cheers, Si

"I knew I was outclassed and outnumbered by those Fokkers so I was happy to survive that mission" Shiloh, as British football managers are wont to say - "the boy done good". I think I spent the first few weeks dying! WRT that fight with the Fokkers - well done for holding your own for so long, but you've already mentioned the way to avoid getting totaled by them: run away. The SE5a is an robust diver and, in any case, can outrun the Dr1 which I seem to recall is actually difficult to get to dive effectively (presumably those 3 wings buggered up the diving capabilities). Enjoy 1915/16. Try it in a Pup for fun, a BE2c for a challenge... Cheers, Si

I can almost understand selling planes individually - a constant revenue stream. But this seems absolutely bizarre. Why do I get the feeling that they're milking the business model to a ridiculous degree with pay-for add-ons like this?