Herr Prop-Wasche

I forgot to mention that the above download for the DR1 FM is for both QC battles and the campaign and contain all the necessary files for both. Installation is with JSGME. Currently, there is no readme file, but there will be one in the combined FM mod I will release in a few days.

You can open the .xdp files with any text reader, such as Notepad or Wordpad. I'm not sure that Adobe reader will work with them. Personally, I use a shareware text reader called Textpad, which I highly recommend.

Thanks again, Olham! You are a treasure trove of information.

Hiya, Lima! Sorry I've been slacking on the combined AI weight and FM mod thing. I'll get it out as soon as I finish up on the FM mod--promise!

I think everyone will enjoy flying the DR1 with the new FM. Of course, the major change to the FM is the addition of the flat turn. Minor improvements to the climb rate and turning radius were also made, but not enough for them to be too noticeable. I also reduced the weight by about 20 pounds and changed the parasitic drag somewhat to make the DR1 slightly slower in the dive. The additon of the flat turn really makes the DR1 a more dangerous opponent--especially on defense. With this change, I think I can understand why Voss may have met his early demise: the flat turn allows you to keep inside the turn (as long as you turn right, the flat turn seems to work best only if turning to the right) of any other scout in the game. This allows you to quickly escape out of the bullet stream of any following aircraft. In the hands of an excellent pilot, like Voss, it may actually promote too much confidence. I did a test, and found that I could complete a 360 degree flat turn to the right in approximately 12 seconds. While this sounds slow, keep in mind that the flat turn doesn't require nearly as much forward momentum--you almost turn on a dime, as it were. As a result, you can easily get your opponent to overshoot, because while they are turning, they are also moving forward, away from you. You can then turn back on them, giving you the advantage. Unfortunately, the DR1 is still comparitively slow, so it is still hard to run away from a fight, but that is as it actually was during the Great War. I hope that a few of you will be willing to start a new campaign with the DR1 and will report your successes (or failures) in the "Reports from the Front" thread. I really look forward to hearing your thoughts about the "new" DR1 and its new-found flat turning ability. The rest of my FM mod will be released in a few days, I hope. All together, I have been able to modify approximately 20 of the 47 planes in OFF.

Yes, that information was contained in the part of my post that got eaten. I decided to release the DR1 now instead of with the other planes because I am still flight testing some of the other aircraft, which may take another couple of days or so. I also thought some people might like to have the DR1 as a seperate download. I will include it with the other planes when I am finished testing.

Here it is! The stupid internet ate my post and I have to go to class now, but here is my FM mod for the DR1. Enjoy! HPW Fokker DR1.7z

Red-- I am honestly puzzled by the problems you are encountering. I don't know of anyone else who has installed my DM who has not noticed a significant difference in damage effects--especially to the wings and ailerons. In fact, one of the main purposes behind my Ultimate damage mod was to significantly lower the chances of the AI hitting your aileron cables. If you look inside the .xdp file for the plane you are flying (I think you said you fly the Se5a Viper), you should notice that the probability of a hit to an aileron cable has been reduced from 100% in the stock DM to just 1% in my DM. Granted, the AI still seems to hit control cables more than they should, but my DM is supposed to lower it dramatically, and I can't go lower than 1%! Also, please note that I have dramatically increased the hit points to ALL aircraft components in my DM. For example, in the Se5a, engine hit points have gone from around 112 points to almost 800, and aileron hit points from 92 to around 368--a fourfold increase. Again, try looking in the .xdp file for the Se5a to see if you have installed the DM correctly. You might also try uninstalling my DM and try flying with the stock DM for several days instead of just a few test flights in order to get a better feel for the differences in DM's. One last suggestion: in Workshop, check your bullet strength settings to make sure it is set to normal instead of strong. Also check that your flight model is set to realistic. Finally, I just remembered something you said in a previous post that leads me to believe that you have not bought the Hat in the Ring Expansion for OFF3. The Ultimate Damage Model is only meant to be used with the Hat in the Ring Expansion. I can't gurantee that it will work appropriately if you don't install HitR. You should get HitR anyway because of all the extra goodies and options that are in it.

You might try experimenting with the AI gun range setting and setting that to easy so that the AI doesn't start firing at you from far away. I would also set the rear gun accuracy to easy--two seaters are hard enough already!

Loss of roll function can come from two possibilities: 1) Shot-up ailerons, or 2) snap of a control cable. My guess is that the AI hit your control cable in both cases. A single shot to an aileron should not result in an immediate loss of roll. You might try changing your AI gunnery from hard to normal or easy. Hard makes the AI absolute sharpshooters--and they all seem to shoot for the cables first. Normal or even easy make them more scatter-shot. I also have a front-gun mod that increases the bullet spread for both player and AI, making it harder to cripple an opposing plane with one shot, so I recognize your pain.

Can you describe more specifically what you mean by "out of commission?" Single shots should not render your aircraft inoperable, even under the standard damage model. Be sure to make sure that the DM mod has been installed correctly. I assume you are using JSGME to manage your mods? It's my understanding that low level flying behavior has been substantially revised for P4. The AI in P3 in some planes tend to go up and down like on a rollercoaster at low altitudes. Eventually, they run out of energy and can't climb without sliding back tail first into the ground. My FM mods help a little with this for some planes, but not the Camel yet, I'm afraid.

Congrats, Capt! So what did Emily get for her reward for such a fantastic birthday gift? I know, I know. Here I am in the gutter after reading about your great time in the heavens!

Fascinating discussion, gentlemen. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this incident.

My latest DM is here: http://combatace.com...hpw-ultimatedm/ Currently, I have a couple of FM mods. One is for German planes, the other is for Allied planes. I will be releasing a combined FM mod in a few days or so which will contain the following planes: all Albatross, Pfalz, Roland, E III, Dr1, Pup, Triplane, N28, Spad VII and 13, and the Re8.

A number of people seem to like my damage model mod for OFF, so you might give that a try for comparison purposes after trying the stock damage model. When you begin to feel more adventurous, you might try one of my FM mods. I also have a "news" mod that adds some news stories and corrects some of the existing news stories. Also, don't forget to try one of the many user added skins for OFF and Creaghorn's sound mods.

Can't wait to hear about your first experiences with OFF, redpiano. Make sure to follow the installation instructions exactly. If you have any trouble, just ask. Happy flying!

"Oh my God!"

Did the men in the column offer you any shnapps or sausages after your fright?

Mine!! Just kidding.

Igor-- Make sure you follow the install instructions here: http://www.overflandersfields.com/FAQ.htm#Installation_and_settings EXACTLY. If that doesn't work, you can email support at: mailto:support@overflandersfields.com

The History channel? We all know the graphics in OFF are good, but not that good!

I think I've done about all I can with the Dr1. It's a significant improvement in terms of the flat turn, but it's not perfect. I was also able to increase its climb a bit and made the turn a little tighter. The real challenge will be the Camel, without G.P. being modeled.

I have a little time this week, so I and going to buckle down and work hard on getting my FM update ready before P4 comes out. This update will not include the Camel, but will have the changes and updates from my first post in this thread, as well as the update to the Dr1--with a flat turn! After I release this update I will start working on the Camel. My major goal will be to make it more dangerous, especially on takeoff. If there are any other aircraft that you feel needs the "HPW treatment," please let me know and I will take a look at it immediately after I finish the Camel.

What smiley? That is a thumbnail picture of me from 2 years ago! Now, get off my lawn! Ah yes, the Dr1 flat turn. Yeah, you can flat turn for about 20 degrees, but then you hit a brick wall and the turn stops until you windmill back again and can start over. What if I told you I had solved (for the most part) that little problem?