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I use this term "Embodiment" for lack of a better way to put it. In essence, my question is, will WOFF be an all encompassing creation, or something that is added on yet again to HITR. I was thinking it would be pretty neat if it was an all-in-one sort of deal where you simply get everything from start to finish in one cd or download. In other words, other than MCFS3, you just do one other install to arrive at WOFF completion, without a bunch of patches and complication in between. Does anybody know if that is how it might work? Makes no difference to me cause I will be thrilled to have it either way, but I was just curious. ZZ. PS. If this has been asked before......my apologies.

No, it has no wheels, but is quite simple to slide. I have it on carpet, but on a wood floor you might want to put something under it to keep from possibly scuffing your floor. It should stay wherever you put it though. ZZ.

Hey Olham, good to see you again too. Mudwasp, our den is already sort of a "gamer zone" between me and my sons stuff....(he has an Xbox 360 there too). But it looks nice because we have a tv stand that holds most of the game consoles and messy stuff in a rather neat fashion. So for me to play OFF and the like, all I have to do is slide the rocker out from the wall (where its kinda used as a room chair anyway) and out in front of the tv. Slide out the rudder pedals with it as well, and I'm all set. It's just as easy to put back when I'm done, so my wife doesn't mind. I attached an image of what the X-rocker looks like. It's the one with the base, but it isn't wireless. ZZ.

Well, there is a low rumble and you really feel it in the seat of your pants and in your gut when your idling on the runway. As you would expect though (as with all vibratory response) this changes as the pitch of the motor increases due to rpms. It really is astonishingly realistic. On landing for instance, the wheel noise is of a different frequency, so therefore registers differently. This was the first time in a sim I ever realized I had touched down by the feel alone, and not the sound. Very wierd, but very cool. As for your second statement, if there was a way to get the real feel of G's, and that rollercoaster "stomach in your throat" feel when pushing over into a dive after an enemy, you bet I'd use it. In fact for full realism qualifications I'd make it mandatory. Would totally change the way a lot of yank and bankers fly when their insides have to suffer for the maneuvers they are pulling. Ah well, guess we will have to wait fo the "Trakir-cerebral sensory manipulator helmet" to be developed. In the meantime, we'll muddle through. ZZ.

Estimated 1.5 weeks. So you see my anticipation dilemma...lol. My Trakir5 got here in 1.5 DAYS!....so yeah. I'm a little eager. Will be worth the wait though to actually be able to play without stutters even on lowest marginal settings. I've also commandeered the large screen HiDef TV screen in my den for a monitor, as well as my sons' X-Rocker gaming chair for this new incarnation of OFF, so this should be a very cool combo. The neat thing about the X-rocker is it has built in speakers that you patch the sound output from the game into. There are two speakers behind each ear for ambient sound, and a subwoofer at your lower back with which you can adjust the "rumble-response". You really feel everything....I was testing out the concept with my old crappo rig and IL-2 Sturmovik, and was amazed at the sensation it provides. When you fire up the motor....you feel it, when your wheels touch earth, you feel it....when bullets hit your crate....you really feel it. Can't wait to get back into an Albatros, and.....you guessed it.....feel it. ZZ. PS. Thanks again Mudwasp for your assistance in the component selection process. I need to give Lothar a shout out too, you guys were invaluable

Thanks CaptS, it's good to be back. You are so right about the vastness of content already contained by the current level of OFF development, and I'm looking forward to getting back into the OFF skies with the new rig that Lothar and MudWasp assisted me in designing. I'm a bit OFF deprived right now, as I haven't been able to really play it for a few years now, so you can imagine I'm chomping at the bit for this new rig to show up at my door. This coupled with the eminent (lets hope) release of WOFF in the near future, and there's a lot to look forward to. So I have to come here and talk to you guys to keep from counting days (and making it seem muuuuch longer) till everything arrives. Till then, here's to not watching the clock. ZZ.

There was no such deduction. Thanks. ZZ.

Awesome you could be there Shiloh. Sounds like it was a good turn out. I was in the 125th Anniversary Gettysburg Reenactment (I believe thats the correct #), and it was huge. I'm sure you guys had even more turn out, as people tend to gravitate towards large round numbers. Props to going full realism as well. Nothing gets you as close to experiencing the real thing. I recall one 4 day event I went to in Maryland where it wasn't an event for the spectators, but the reenactors only, and my unit was acting as a rear guard for a main body of Lee's Army Of Northern Virginia. So in essence, we set up ambushes for the pursuing bluecoats, waited till the last moment, attacked, and then withdrew at a full run into the forests woods and streams, only to keep ahead the enemy, regroup, and do it all again. This event covered roughly 25 square miles, and it just unfolded as it happened....no script. Was really interesting when the Yanks decided we had torn up thier pursuing infantry advance guard enough and called in some cavalry to deal with us instead. There's nothing quite like getting charged by cavalry....lets just say I know why Wellington's boys liked those prickly squares at Waterloo so much. All in all, after non stop running with over 30lbs of gear, including whatever you ate cause there is no stopping for cooking either, wading through streams and being soaked to the skin in semi-freezing rain for 3.5 days, I got home and went to bed sick, and have never been more worn out. And that's all without the stress of really potentially being killed involved. Frankly, I stand amazed at these individuals. I don't know how they did it, and they didn't get to go home after three days.....simply amazing. ZZ.

Well, the auspicious time is approaching when I slip off the surly bonds of my old wheezing and lethargic gaming rig, and pony up the cash for something truly worthy of playing Over Flanders Fields with. It has been a long time coming, but here we are. So, in that light, I must first thank all of you who have been so helpful in the past in keeping my enemic rig somewhat capable. Secondly, I would very much appreciate any of you who might do so, taking the time to look at the two options I've listed below and providing your qualified opinions on which you think is the best choice for a new gaming rig, and why. Option 1: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=851770 Option 2: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4990118&csid=_61&SRCCODE=WEBLETBP034 Many thanks, ZZ.

Ahhh, I see. Can this be added later if I do not opt for it presently? I guess I'll have to check to see if the MSI z87 G43 motherboard allows for Raid as you mentioned. ZZ.

Primary Hard Drive1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s-Single Drive Thanks Lothar....but isn't "TB" a Terabyte? If so I should be fine, if not.....1GB definately will not be adequate. lol ZZ.

Woops, Mudwasp I realize what the Motherboard Specs were. I'm choosing between two: MSI z87 G43 and the Gigabyte GA-z87-HD#. I', leaning towards the MSI. What do you guys think? As I currently watch the market in the hopes perhaps the graphics card prices will drop I ran across two other items that were curious to me. 1. What is "Internal USB Expansion" and do I need it? 2. What is a "Data hard drive" and do I need this? If the system will be happy without 1 and 2, it stands as follows, but I'm still looking for ways to reduce this price somewhat. Case1 x NZXT Source 210 Gaming Case-Blue Case Lighting0 x None- iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction0 x None- iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion0 x None- Processor1 x Intel® Core™ i5-4670K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/6MB L3 Cache)-Intel Core™ i5-4670K iBUYPOWER PowerDrive0 x None- Processor Cooling1 x Liquid CPU Cooling System [intel]-Standard 120mm Fan *FREE Upgrade to Corsair H55 Liquid Cooling* Memory1 x 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module-Corsair or Major Brand Video Card1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 - 2GB -FREE Upgrade to NVIDIA GTX650 Ti- Motherboard1 x MSI Z87 G43 -- 2x PCIe 3.0 x16, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI- Intel Smart Response Technology0 x None- Power Supply1 x 430 Watt - Corsair CX430 V2- Primary Hard Drive1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s-Single Drive Data Hard Drive0 x None- Optical Drive1 x 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive-Black 2nd Optical Drive0 x None- Flash Media Reader / Writer1 x 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer-Black Meter Display0 x None- Sound Card1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard- Network Card1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)- Operating System1Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) 64-Bit Monitor0 x None- 2nd Monitor0 x None- Speaker System0 x None- Video Camera0 x None- Case Engraving Service0 x None- Warranty1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service- Rush Service1 x Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee)-No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days Subtotal*$855.00 (plus tax & shipping)

It looks like the one listed in the specs I was reviewing at I-Buypower was a Intel Core i5-4670K (4x 3.40GHZ/6MB L3 Cache). It seems an i5 is a good choice with potentIal expandability. I am taking Lothar's advice to heart and biding my time a while to see if prices shift, and in the meantime, amassing all of the info needed to pounce whent the time presents itself. As far as the OS being Win 7 or 8, I'm still deciding. I'm familiar with 7, but unfortunately things don't reverse, and 8 and onward is the way things ae heading. So perhaps I just need suck it up and get used to it. I need to find a friend who has it though and check it out. ZZ.

No, I know nothing regarding this....that's why I'm asking you guys!! lol. So I take it you don't recommend Win-8. What alternatives would you advise? Also, what is your take on the following? http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Gamer_Paladin_D837 ....also regarding the above, I may be able to get the NVidia gtx650 upgraded to "ti" for free, and I can also opt for Windows 7 instead of 8 if you guys think that's better. Thanks! ZZ.

"But Option 5 Yes, that is exactly my concern, and I'm looking for something a little simpler this go round instead of having to fuss over getting components to "play nice" with each other. Lol, I figure I can do that later anyway when elements become so obsolete....(that takes about 3 months these days).....that I feel I need to change them out for something better. In my web travels I've seen a few i3 processors available in different machines offered. Are these not worth considering as well? Or just not worth it due to great inferiority to the i5? ZZ.

Thanks so much guys, this is really helpful. Appreciate the offer Mudwasp, but I'm still leaning to Lothar's Option 3 at this point. I do need an entirely new machine, as I don't even trust the rest of the antiquated components in my old rig to support anything new...lol. I think Nvidia will work fine, as you said Lothar with OFF or ROF, and really any of the options you showed me will leave my current machine in the dust, so I'm sure I will be pleased with the difference in processing power. You mentioned Mudwasp that with the GTX550-ti you could run everything on 5 except terrain and scenery. So, rule of thumb, (and I know this is something you guys really cant totally verify and thats fine...I'm just trying to find some gauge of reference) with the slightly better card in Option 3, would this be a significant enough difference to be able to for instance run all the sliders on max-(5)? Perhaps this is impossible to answer...(results may vary)...lol..I know. ZZ. PS. How late in the summer do you think the prices will change?

At the risk of starting a turf war....Lothar you say you prefer the Nvidia over the Raedon. Might I ask why, for instance is it more suited to OFF and similar titles, or are there other things that make it preferable to you? Just curious as I have no affinity either way. ZZ.

Thanks Lothar. I really like your Option 3. Now I'm going to have to do some reading on it, but I am leaning heavily in that direction. These are great suggestions. I'm still trying to have some $ left for the newest version of TrackIR, so keeping things in the 600 range is helpful. Also, some good news is I'm using a large (I believe plasma) Hi-def TV as my monitior, so I don't need to shell anything out for that element. Just need to be sure the machine has an HDMI output. ZZ.

I read a title that was supposed to be his personal memoirs. Perhaps it is the same one you are getting. Seems very much from what I read that Foncke was very misunderstood. Its very hard to tell really though unless you meet someone in person whether they come off as a jerk or not. I have a hunch though after reading his actual words, that he may have been mis-interpreted. Very focused, precise and disciplined people often are, especially when they try to teach others who want to attain their skill level. Many are those who desire it, but few who want to do the severe work it often requires to accomplish. After reading his work though, it seems his style is very similar to that of Erich Hartmann the top scoring ace of WWII. Hartmann's method was :SEE/DECIDE/ATTACK/and amusingly enough...Coffee Break. This last item could better be described as (withdraw and review). This seems very much like how Foncke described his methodology, and coupled with a zoom and boom type fighter like the SPAD, (the WWI equivalent of a velocity fighter such as Hatmann's ME109), I think you have a very stunning parallel. ZZ.

Wow, that's pretty impressive. You guys (you and the pooch) be careful though, I used to think the following was an urban myth regarding the little pesky tank-like rodents, but turns out it has some merit. http://www.nytimes.c...prosy.html?_r=0 ZZ. PS. Click the little "skip ad" in the upper right hand corner. Thats what I get for posting a link from the NY-Times...lol

Hi all, I'm getting back around to playing OFF again after a hiatus, and am having an odd loading issue. I get all the way to the black screen w Richtoffen and Ball right before the mission loads, but it never loads, and when I exit out I have this error window on the screen: End tag 'Unlimited pilots' does not match the start tag 'CFS3Pilot'. Error on line 673,position 3 in file:c; documents and settings etc etc all the way to cfsww1 over flanders fields/UnlimitedPilots.xml. Anybody got any idea what the heck this means? Oddly enough the game has worked fine the past two days I've used it. This is new, and I'd hate to have to delete all my old pilots to fix, but anyway. If anyone has some ideas I'd much appreciate it. Many thanks, ZZ.

Woops, sorry Lothar, here it is, since the last attempt didn't get to you. ZZ.

Lothar, I shot you a jpeg of my rebol screen from the second (modified) attempt. Let me know if there is any hope of repair.....if not it looks like time for a clean sweep and re-install this weekend. Sometimes ya just gotta do what you gotta do. Thanks, ZZ.

Oooooh those are nice. Thanks Olham. zz.

"I would say, that the S.E.5a was rather superiour to the Albatros - at least in speed and climb" buzzkill. Whew.....I watched this: and got it back.