Todt Von Oben

You know I'm just getting started in OFF; but back when I was flying RB3D campaigns, I knew what you guys meant about "two styles" of flying. Sometimes, I'd start a campaign in an Eindekker, and tell myself to fly to survive. My goal was to make it to the end of the War. Accomplish the mission of course; knock down any airplane I could; but first, make it back to the aerodrome alive. And I made it to Armistace Day that way a few times. Then again, there were times when I'd just fly like a maniac and try to see how many kills I could score. Sometimes I'd be going along great guns, and then get nailed by something i didn't see coming. But all too frequently, my problem was: I'd start the flight clearheaded and telling myself I was just going to do the job and stay alive; but when I got up there and ran into targets, I threw caution to the wind and just wanted to down every plane in the sky. I rationalize all that by telling myself it's just a game. If this was reality, I would certainly be focused first on survival, and everything else would be secondary. Or would it? Think about guys like Werner Voss. In that last hack, he could have just climbed away from those SE5's and lived to fight another day. But he decided to stay and fight against overwhelming odds. And that was no game. That was for real. What makes a guy do that? It's like that scene from The D.I. starring Jack Webb: "You're out of ammo, outnumbered, and surrounded by the enemy. What do you do?" "KILL 'EM ALL, SIR!" I intend to fly OFF/BHAH for fun. I'll start off trying to live to a ripe old age; but I know when I get up there with hostiles in the area, I'm going to feel the overwhelming desire to flame each and every one of them. I might make it, or I might get killed. Either way, I know I'm gonna have a great time. Prost! TvO

Hey Bullethead! I've seen your posts, like where you pointed out the difference between the gun's published cyclic rate of fire and the reduced number of projected rounds imposed by the interrupter gear; so I figure you also know another factor effecting the number of rounds arriving on target is the fact that these guns were mounted on a vibrating airframe that spread the bullets around a bit. I think there's a setting in the Workshops that allows us to adjust the bullet spread? Concentrate or diffuse the cone of fire? I've gotta check that out. The problem I've addressed in this thread is that lately, it's looked to me like I'm on target; and the messages indicate I'm scoring hits; but they don't seem to be having the effect I'd expect. I've seen other guys make similar observations in the thread about the 1.26 patch, and after they got it working right, the problem went away. I've come to believe that I don't have the patch installed correctly yet. I'm hoping things will normalize when I do. Won't know till this weekend, though. (Work priorities.) Interesting correlation to your story: I was having the aforementioned problems in a Tros D-III. When I took someone's advice and tried a D-VII, it was different. I closed on his six and opened up at less than 100 feet, firing as I continued my approach. I know I hit the pilot because my spinner was about fifteen feet from his elevator when I heard him scream; after which his plane went out of control and crashed. Gotta make sure my patch is loaded right; do some tweaking in the Workshops; and I think once I get it dialed in it's all gonna be good. Prost! TvO

For sure, O-50. All good!

GREAT! Thank you!!! I think, first time out, I've GOT to shoot off my own vertical stab and rudder, just for general principles. Prost! TvO

Sorry Al, but you're wrong on all accounts. 1. Cartridge characteristics have everything to do with bullet performance; and there are huge differences in the performance of dissimilar cartridges. 2. I never said no advancements have been made since 1917; you implied that all by yourself. I only said that the cartridges used in an Mg-08 and an M-60 are similar enough to know that, when you're shooting from moderate to close distances through canvas towards a man, a fuel tank, or an engine, the results produced are generally comparable. And that's true. 3. Whether or not the development of arms is unfortunate is (again) your opinion; is off topic; and is a moot point in any event. Guns are a fact of life in a World where those of us who want to live in peace and freedom find ourselves defending against those who want to deny us that right. I own guns to protect myself and other decent, law-abiding, respectful people from those who would attack us. Accordingly, I don't think the development and improvement of firearms is a bad thing at all. In fact, I see technological advancements that improve my odds of surviving a gunfight as being very fortunate, indeed. 4. If you'll read through the other threads, you'll see that other people have experienced similar problems that were resolved by the 1.26 patch. And if you'll re-read my posts, you'll see that I've already accepted that I believe the problem I'm experiencing is due to my incorrect installation of the patch; not the game itself. Prost! TvO

I just got the game and am still working out the kinks so I've only flown a couple fighters so far. But I'm itching to get into a two-seater because I want to try my hand at being a tail gunner!!! Is there something that becomes available when you select the Bomber that makes it possible to serve as the gunner? Thanks! TvO

Hi Al, Well, first of all, we're not talking about extreme ranges here. In the game, I'm catching the opponent at ranges of 100 to 200 yards with my distant shots: usually head on or from the side in deflection. I know with the aircraft motion and the engine shaking the gun around, not all rounds will be on target. But I am getting the blue messages that say I've hit his plane. Then, he'll slow down a bit and I'll get on his six, and there I'm hitting him from anywhere between, say, fifty yards to darn near right on top of him. Again, I'm getting messages saying I'm hitting the target, so we know the bullets are finding their mark. About machinegun effectiveness: The Spandau fired a 7.92 X 57mm cartridge. The M-60 I carried in Viet Nam fired a 7.62 X 51mm cartridge. Not exactly the same, but pretty much in the same ball park, and certainly close enough for this comparison. From experience, I found the M-60 to be effective at close or distant range. It will shoot through medium cover (bushes, wood, etc.) at combat distances with no problem. At 400 meters, it will go through the sheet metal of a truck and bust a hole in the engine block. Even at ranges from 1300 to 1500 meters, it can still be effective. Generally, you'll be arcing your bullets and watching where your strikes kick up dirt, like when firing from one hill to another, for example. But if you hit a soldier out in the open under those conditions, you're going to spoil his day. I think a Spandau would be pretty close to about the same, more or less. So, I think we can rule out this type of bullet not having an effect when they are on target. Considering the construction of WWI aircraft, a dual brace of Spandau's should chew up a plane without much trouble. As for Red Baron shooting tricks: what is there besides deflection shooting (leading when engaging from the side), and firing straight on (as in from the rear or head on)? These are standards for air combat, and have been the same when I played RB, Luftwaffe Commander, or Heroes of the Pacific. Apparently the same for OFF, too. Regarding Red Baron bullets: I felt the number of rounds fired, versus the damage I inflicted, seemed to be fairly reasonable. I'd say the same for the other air combat games I've played, too. My reason for bringing up this thread is that I don't feel like that's what I'm experiencing with OFF; especially when I compare my game experiences with what I see other guys doing in Youtube videos. I think the OFF game itself is pretty good; that's what leads me to think there's something wrong about the way I have it set up. And after reading what Rabu, Polovski, and the other guys have said here, I think the problem is I don't have the 1.26 patch properly installed, for one thing. Will look into that and the other points mentioned, and get back to you guys with the results, but that will be a day or two from now, I think. Work priorities, you know! :yes: Thanks again, everyone, for all the help. It's nice to know that everyone is dedicated to seeing everyone else enjoy the experience of OFF/BHAH. Prost! TvO

I only had time to glance at the site...heading for the rain room and going to work in an hour...but it looks like you've got to have an infra red PC camera and some hardware to wear on your head. For my own purposes as this point, I think I'll buy the TrackIR. But i will go back and read more on the Free-track site tonight when I get home. Thanks for the heads up. (No pun intended. Okay, maybe a little one.) Prost! TvO

Oops! Heh! Very observant! It's a 24. Thought I had a pic of a 28 but that's all I could find last night. Good catch! Ya got me! Prost! TvO

Hi Guys! Before I bought OFF/BHAH I was watching a lot of videos on Youtube that I believe were from this game. I also see some of the latest screen grabs here. I've seen images of, like when you're looking down into your cockpit you can see your hands on the controls...and when there's a gunner standing in the back of a two seater, you can see him moving and firing the gun. Is that part of this game or another? I'm not seeing my own hands, for example. Haven't tried being a tailgunner yet but would like to. Don't see anything leading me to that job, though. Is it an option when you sign on to be part of a bomber squadron? Is there something else I need to download to make this happen, or is it part of the game I haven't found yet, maybe? How do you guys accomplish that effect? Thanks again in advance. TvO

Yes. Back in my RB3D days, I also liked the Nieuport 28 a great deal. I think they look quite beautiful...when they are on fire!! Prost! TvO

Okay! I got into a D-7 and Praise De Lord, I Gots HANDS and FEEEEEET! And now for something completely different... I think I remember someone on the old forum saying something about being able to get closer to or further back from the instrument panel, for a better view. And I sure could use a better view from the D-7. Is there a way to do that? Like: zoom in toward or out away from the instrument panel? As always, Thanks In Advance. TvO

Sorry to say I wouldn't know old from new CFS3. All I know is I bought a two disk set by a company called XPLOSIV that's in a red clamshell case and it's called Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3 "Battle for Europe". Sound like the one that has the bugaboos?

Uhhh, well...I'm not sure what i did...might have done something to get the 1.26 patch to kick in from the desktop position when I opened OFF this time...also changed planes to a D-VII as recommended when I asked "where's my hands and feet?" in another thread...and that's made quite a bit of difference. I just QC'd a couple Spad XIII's and managed to put them down. Still not blowing them apart and flaming them as I see in Polovski's movies, but maybe that's just me. On the last kill, after slowing him down a bit, I just closed in close enough to hear him scream when I blasted him, and down he went: exploding in a ball of flame. Muuhahahahahahaaaa! Very satisfying! (Yes, I know that's sick!) I'll try the suggestions you made. Next, a better joystick, a set of rudder pedals, and one of those TrackIR setups and this is really going to get HAIRY!!!! Thanks for all the help guys! Prost! TvO

Groovy! (Yes, I still use that word.) Thanks!

PS: ABOUT THE MESSAGES...Yes, I'm getting the blue ones when I hit him, and the red ones when he hits me. The messages i was talking about above are those that come through when you review the flight afterwards. It says I'm hitting the target, and sometimes I even see stuff flying off the plane; but it doesn't seem to be having the effect I'd expect from a burst of machinegun ammo.

Yes. The message indicates I fired, say, 30 rounds from a distance of (sometimes) anywhere between 100 to 600 feet (think it lists it as meters or yards, but I'm extrapolating) while traveling at a certain speed, at a certain altitude, etc. The next message will confirm my rounds struck the enemy aircraft, describe the type, give a serial number like 100F, etc. Again and again, until I'm out of ammo. Really not trying to brag, but I'm really not that bad of a shot. Not sure what an old exe. file might be. Brand new XPS Quad Core 2 computer with plenty of space and power, and a new CFS3 / OFF setup. (Probably not computer literate enough to know what an old exe file is, actually.) Latest patch is the one that just came about when I loaded my OFF/BHAH this past weekend: 1.26, right? Yes, I've loaded that, I think. It said save to desktop. I've got an icon there for it. Does that mean it's loaded to the game? I don't know what the latest hotfix is, so I probably haven't loaded it. Where's that? You guys are great! Thanks for the help! Prost! TvO

Hi guys! When I go to my internal cockpit view, I get the three "phantom" (translucent) guages showing RPM, Altitude, and Airspeed: but they are crammed together in the center of the cockpit and overlap each other about 50%. Any way to spread those out so they don't overlap and are easier to read at a glance? Prost! TvO

I just went up on Youtube and saw a video by the people who make TrackIR. Man! THAT IS TOO COOL! If it will do that with OFF/BHAH, I've got to have one. One important thing about air combat is acquiring the target quickly and then maintaining situational awareness. Through the keyboard or joystick controls, we have an "artificial" way of doing that. The AI seems to respond more naturally. To be able to move your head and body, and get the same visual input one would normally experience in the cockpit...well, that's just how it ought to be, IMOHO. Definitely going to look into what the best TrackIR is for my setup, and buy it as soon as possible. Thanks for the heads-up! Prost! TvO

Yes, the Pitts does roll quickly by any standard. IIRC: 360 degrees in 1.2 seconds or something like that. I used to dogfight my buddy Joe: I was in my 1946 Luscombe 8E and he was flying an Ercoupe. We'd get out over the farmlands in the central California valley and maneuver for the firing advantage, and make gun noises over the unicom frequency when we'd lock on. With a C-85 12-F and long wings, she rolled pretty slow. And loops were interesting. Hanging on the seatbelt...dust coming up from the floor...oh, THAT'S where I left the tie wire pliers! I never had the opportunity to fly a vintage WWI bird; but so far it seems to me that what I'm flying in OFF (Tros-3 and 5, mostly) should be more maneuverable than what I'm experiencing. Could be my set up. I want to get a better joystick and rudder pedals. Also, in campaigns, the AI seems like he's flying a P-51 sometimes! I flew a few QC's during 1917 in an early Albatros III, and was eating Spad VII and Nieuport 11's. Then I flew a campaign to attack an enemy aerodrome, and promptly got the schnit shot out of me by some famous British Ace who seemed to be outflying and outshooting me exponentially. It was over in a few seconds; all I could do to crash land and get captured. I've got the settings kicked up high because I like the challenge; but maybe it would be better if I slow the AI down a bit until I get my feet under me a little more. Or are they always that good? Prost! TvO

I think such things are allowable in the game because, in real life, a pilot's situational awareness in an open cockpit is much more than what we can easily see with our forward view, or by manipulating the hat switch. Please tell me; what is TRACKIR, and where do I buy it?

(The above post was sent in two halfs, and then combined. Please disregard this post.)

Vielen Danke, Herr Rickitycrate! But of course you realize, you are only helping me destroy more of your men, yah? Okay, reality check. Last night and today were my first opportunities to fly OFF/BHAH. In 1915 I shot up a balloon in an Eindekker, then got nailed twice by archie, forced down on the Front and captured, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. Took my D-III looking for trouble behind-the-lines in 1917, and got into a swirling dogfight with about seven Nieups from Esc 88, including a couple aces. It was very Voss-like. The whirling dirvish routine, if you know what I mean. Hit and split. Extremely steep turns with a lot of rudder / elevator interchange. Always flying it on the ragged edge of the envelope. Managed to get shots into more of them than they did me, but didn't put anyone down. Finally stalled and crashed at low altitude. Then I started a campaign in 1917 where I didn't even see an enemy plane for three missions. Thought I might be doing something wrong with the Warp function. The post flight briefing said there was some action going on, but I never saw it. That flight ended when I was trying to figure out where the enemy ground forces were that I was supposed to be attacking, and two groups of ground machinegunners shot my plane into an unflyable condition and I crashed, was captured, and (again) spent the remainder of the war as a POW. Tonight I've learned a little more about how the TAC works, so I've been a little better at getting where I want to go; and at finding other aircraft in flight. Doesn't seem to have helped the last two pilots, though. Last two flights I was in rain and haze. The TAC said there was enemy aircraft near by, and I was looking all over for them. Just couldn't find them at all. Head on a swivvel; steep rapid turns; sweeping the sky visually; etc. All of a sudden I'm getting lead termites tearing my plane apart. Maneuver for all I'm worth; getting some visual on the other guy, but no hits. I try to escape at low altitude over the front: if I'm going to crash land I want to be in friendly territory. Never made it that far before going in. So far, my pilot log list is a long string of mostly dead guys who bought it early in their career. I've got to improve my ability to visually acquire and maintain the target. Well, I wanted a game that was more challenging than RB3D. Looks like I've found it. Prost! TvO PS: I've heard some speak of "padlocking" the enemy, and I suppose that is like RB3D where you can maintain visual on him? How do I padlock the enemy plane?

Hi Guys! Where can I find info explaining how to interpret that little "radar looking" HUD? Prost! TvO

Roger / Wilco, thanks! Also, I just now discovered there's an explanation of the Tactical Display in the CFS3 info. (Never flew it before.) I'm good to go now! Prost! TvO