Hellshade

Then a Miracle it was, for I saw no way to live through it, let alone walk away uninjured and without being captured. We shall see what happens if (when) I crash again, though I've no mind to test it willingly. Hellshade

Olham, I just got taken down by bosche groundfire myself. Seems I was too low over the german side of the front after my last scrap with your comrades when the machine gunners decided to have a go at me. Engine aflame I ditched into a line of trees pretty hard from 200 feet up without any control. Not only didn't I die. I wasn't injured or captured and I was allowed to fill out my claim forms. The Colonel didn't even have the courtesy to yell at me for ruining one of his planes. Methinks something may be amiss in the Dead is Dead crash outcome setting. I did get 4 more of your friends though (two were really just me assisting or finishing off what my squadron mates had already started) and had it not been for the ground machine gun fire I would have made it home again more or less in one peice. I need to add a new "Don't" to my list though. Don't drop down too low over the front for any reason! Even to finish off wounded prey. I'll have to test and see what altitude machine gun fire decides to have a go with aircraft at and stay above that. Hellshade aka Sgt. David Ian Darks Royal Air Force

I have it set to 18,000 feet which is the highest setting. Not that I mind much. Though it would be nice to get the jump on the bosche one in awhile. Hellshade

True. Opposing flights always seem to be at significantly higher altitude than my flight is and I have Player Flight Altitude set at 18,000 feet in the Workshop, though I almost always end up cruising at around 10,000 when I use Warp. I'm not concerned personally but if Winder has an answer that would be cool too. As far as surviving 7 to 3 odds, I look around to see which EA pulls off on it's own. There is usually at least one. I engage him and watch my six often to see if any of his friends come looking for him. I try not to waste bullets on deflection shots unless I'm reasonably close enough to score enough hits that he might change his flight path, preferably by climbing which makes for a much easier target. Often though they dive, which is fine too. Just make sure the skies around are relatively clear and follow them down. If I see anyone about to get on my six, I break off the attack and turn to put the new challenger on the defensive. Better to fight 2 - 3 planes that all have holes in them and are a little less manueverable than 1 - 2 EA that are 100% while my plane is a damaged. Survival I find is mostly about the don'ts. Don't waste bullets on long shots, especially long deflection shots (unless you are really, really good at them, which I am not). Don't fire long bursts because they tend to jam the guns. Don't ever fly straight and level for more than 5 seconds during combat. Don't excessively climb while being chased unless your machine is far superior to his. Don't use manuevers during combat that put negative Gs on your plane while you are being actively hunted, because it stalls out your engine and leaves you vulnerable. Don't try to fire on a foe during a fast, furious, spinning dive earthward. Have patience and wait until he pulls up. At some point, he must or he is doomed anyways. Ultimately, its about letting his eagerness put him in a disadvantageous position before going for the kill, while making sure target fixation for yourself doesn't set it because that's when his friends will take you down. Better to be patient than dead. We shall see how many flights these rules will help me live through. So far, 3. And it's going to be a long, long war my friend. Hellshade

Don't get too worried about the sliders. If you are spending any amount of time looking at the scenery, you'll likely end up a part of it in short order. As long as you can put the planes to 3 or 4 and terrain to at least 2, preferably 3, you'll have a fine experience in OFF BHaH. If you HAVE to, you could even turn Scenery off completely for a big jump in performance. Sure higher settings are nice, but you didn't really join the air war over france just to look at the roofs of farm houses, did you? Didn't think so. Order it up. Install patch 1.30 and prepare to swear at the bad guys. Don't be afriad to adjust some of the settings in the workshop to less than realistc when you first get it. Probably start with your TAC set to ON and set the range to 1 - 2 miles so you can see who's getting too close behind you and maybe even install the 1.30 Hardcore Damage Model. It means it takes more bullets to shoot down the Enemy Aircraft (EAs) but it also means you can take more damage as well. Theres a ton of options to make it just exactly the kind of experience you like, matched to your skill, but any way you set it, it's hell up there. Welcome to "the War to End all Wars". Hellshade

Olham, I can assure you that we did not meet over the front, my Valiant Adversary. Had we met, you would have died. Not from my bullets but from laughter as you watched my meager flying skills in action. None the less, I shall keep watch out for you. I've survived yet another mission despite the fact that my flight of three was pounced on from above by 7 (seven!) Alb DVas. David Ian Darks is making a name for himself at the front by gunning down 2 of them and flying a third into the dirt before limping home with a rattling engine and a few extra holes in his wings. Ha. I'll try out your fuel savings advice. It sounds interesting. That not withstanding, I think using Warp isn't the worst compromise to make when time crunched. True it eliminates some of the suprise factor. But while Richtofen was cruising at 10,000 feet over the front, he never heard little girls screaming "She's touching me! Give me back my Barbie doll! Moooommmmm!!! Daaaadddd!!!!" If he had, he probably would have taken himself out long before the Allies ever got to him. Hellshade aka David Ian Darks - British pilot of the 92nd.

I've often been so close to a plane when I shoot it down that I almost ram the craft with my own. This is the first time I ever almost rammed the enemy pilot! Makes you wonder how it would really effect you emotionally to see an actual human being falling from the sky right past your cockpit with no hope of survival. At that distance, you would have witnessed the sheer terror on his face. No wonder all the pilots nerves were completely shot. At any moment, that could have been them. Hellshade (make sure to click the HQ button!)

It wasnt the pilot that exploded. That was where his aircraft crashed. If you look up and to the right of the crash, you will see the pilot "hanging" in mid air as he descends slowly to the ground. It's hard to tell unless you watch it a few times, but I circled hard right to get a better view of the pilot flying past and that put me in range to see where the aircraft crashed. Yes, the pilot floating down is a hold over from CFS3. Hellshade

How brutal is this?!? Me in an SE5a dueling 1 v 1 against a Fokker DVII ace. Just when I thought I was about to get a kill... Man this Flight Sim brings the reality of war to life like no other. Hellshade

Siggi, My experiences tell me the same thing. These 1.30 pilots fight like they've been brought back from their death 90 years ago and have a second chance at life. And they don't intend to give life up again easily. I can't say for a second that it feels like they are "cheating" because they are scoring hits from too far away or performining manuvers with their aircraft that aren't possible. They are aggressive, skilled and working together just the way they should. Every time I get shot down I know it's because I was out-flown, out-gunned, out numbered or I made mistakes. When I climb into my crate and head up into the skies, I have a prfound respect for their abilities. The Red Baron was right. Never attack unless you have the advantage and know you can win. Anything less changes you from a pilot to a statistic in very short order. Yes, sometimes you can get away with risky moves. Sometimes you can get lucky. But you definately can't count on it and that is exactly how it should be. Super Kudos to the Devs for getting it exactly right. My only complaints are with my own skills. Hellshade

Not a big frame hit at all kamp, as long as I use 1/2 sized video. I might be able to turn on full frame video if I turned off all anti-aliasing. I don't have the registered version either. So 30 seconds is the most I can get. Still, it's perfect for moments just like those. Hellshade

I have captured some in game video using FRAPS, however when I upload it to youtube it says that it doesn't understand the format, despite the fact that it is in simple .avi. How do I convert the FRAPS video to something compatible with youtube? I have a few short videos I would love to share. Any help would be appreciated. Hellshade

Since 1.3 I am finding the dogfighting to be a bit more intense. The AI seems to engage more aggressively at ALL altitudes and not be afraid to work together to go for the kill. It freakin ROCKS!!! Not sure if this is my imagination or not, but Veteran skill pilots in QC used to be something I could handle fairly well. Suddenly they seem quite capable and even eager to perform advanced manuevers in order to get me lined up in their sites. I've had my ass handed to me several times tonight in QC matchups that used to end in my favor more often than not. Whatever OBD did to fix the low level AI, maybe it bumped up the combat skill of everything. Whatever the reason, I LOVE IT!!!! Has anyone else noticed the skies have gotten nastier? This is the best game I have ever purchased in my life, period. Hellshade

They definately seem to be working in pairs with a lead and a wingman more often. Not always, but certainly more frequently. They also are not afraid to engage at low altitude or to dive from great heights to prey upon you if you are down among the tree tops. I think it's fantastic because it adds to the realism significantly. I didn't see anything in the 1.30 patch notes about it, so is this somehow an unexpected benefit from patching the low level AI? Any offical word from the brilliants Devs who brought us this fine flight sim and all of these excellent updates? Hellshade

In my opinion, 1.3 has taken this flight sim to a new level. I would have to agree that the days of taking on 6 EA, picking them off one at a time, are over...and that is a great thing. The strategy now seems to be to shoot a few holes in one and then disengage to switch targets as quickly as possible and put a different one on the defensive for a bit unless you are absolutely certain that there is nobody else around backing him up. The challenge is, they seem to work in teams much more often now. It really does feel like two pilots are working together to take you down. Just like the way it must have been. My confidence in making the kills has gone through the floor. My excitement and determination to become a better pilot has never been higher or more rewarding. I'd love to hear other peoples experiences with the new AI. It's definately an eye opener. BEST. PATCH. EVER.

I have mixed feelings on the review. I thought it was all positive word press to be sure, but I think the videos they chose to use short-changed people on how intense the combat can really get. They didn't show any 5 v 5 furballs. No flak filled skies to fly through in pursuit of a foe. No flat spins, torn wings, smoking trails, screaming pilots or burning aircraft plunging earthwards. Come to think of it, they didn't mention the flawless TrackIR support for true flight enthusiasts the Devs added and how much immersion that lends to the game. Again, while the wording was definately all positive, the video footage they chose was, in my humble opinion, not the most exciting they could have shown, although it did display how beautiful the scenery and models all looked, of course. Perhaps they should have borrowed some of Pols preview movies. Those are what really sold me on the game. Still, the review was positive in every way and I hope it draws a lot of folks to the website so they can see the preview movies for themselves. That'll get the old "buy" button a workout. Gratz on another positive review OBD. You've earned all the positive media attention you can get and then some. Hellshade

Never would have imagined this happening, but I watched it with my own eyes. While flying in my trusty SE5a, I got into a tangle with an Alb IV. Spectacular white knuckle fight ranging all over the sky. The fellow wouldn't give up and even managed to damage my plane after I had shot a few holes in his. (normal damage model) No matter the outcome, he had my admiration. With a bit of skill and no small margin of luck I managed to get inside his turns and ripped into his machine with a bit of allied anger. He spun out of control and began to plummet straight down in a near flat spin from 3,200 feet. Less than 3 seconds after my burst shredded him, as I banked hard left and looked out the side of my cockpit to watch him spiral down, a flak burst made a direct hit on his already doomed craft and the plane shattered. I guess sometimes when God wants you, He takes out a little insurance. Brutal way to go. He was a valiant Bosche adversary and I salute his skill but apparently when your time is up...it is up. My compliments again to the devs on the improvements to the low level AI in 1.30. When they dive for the deck now, I know it's still going to be a hell of a fight. I really don't think there is anything left in the sim that takes me out of the immersion now. It's that damn good! Hellshade

In two brief QC rounds against Alb DIIs I noticed that the low level AI seems much improved indeed. They stay a little bit higher, don't do the endless struggling for altitude ad infinium and consequently are willing to engage more often. Excellent work Devs! Hellshade

Strange, I don't ever seem to recall having a problem flying through the clouds, but then I don't do it THAT often. Maybe it's totally unrelated, but do you have Clouds set on "1" in the detail setting? I hear having it set higher doesn't do anything but kill frame rates. Hellshade

Welcome, I'm not 100%sure, but I believe that I read somewhere that you fly with three magazines for the lewis and it is reloaded automatically. You just use the Ctrl C for a reload animation. It doesn't actually give you additional rounds. Hellshade

Wow, I'm not sure if ATI users have this option or not, but if you are running an Nvidia card, I found one simple setting to change that smoothed out my gameplay tremendously while improving the quality of the graphics at the same time. I was literally thinking about spending some serious cash to upgrade my system for better perfomance in the game and now I'm not even going to bother. It looks that much better and plays that much smoother, even when the sky is filled with planes and clouds and the ground has a ton of scenery like trees and buildings. No frame hiccups at all!! In Windows go to : Start > Settings > Control Panel > Nvidia Control Panel. Under 3D Settings (left side panel) select Manage 3D Settings in the right side window "Manage 3D settings" select Global Settings > Antialiasing Setting and change it to 8xQ Apply changes and load up OFF P3. Enjoy. I get a rock solid 30 FPS no matter what the scenery (because I have it capped at that) and everything looks beautiful. Even looking around in TrackIR quickly produces no lag and only extremely rarely a slight white artifacting on the edges. Far less white artifacting than before, to be sure. If I'm looking at the sky and my foe dives for the deck, I can follow him down and there will be no stutter as my view shifts from sky to ground scenery. It's as smooth as flight and really helps keep the immersion factor up 100%. Try it out and see what kind of results you get. My setting are all at 4 except clouds are 1. I might try higher soon just to see how far I can push it. Hellshade

A GTX280 1GB video card. What a lovely piece of equipment it is. However for considerably less you can get a GTX260 which is supposed to run most stuff at almost the same speed as long as you keep the resolution at or below 1680 x 1050. Hellshade

Try the Easy Player Flight Model mode? Maybe that will work. I know I will later tonight if I get the chance to fire up the sim. There's probably a better answer but it's worth a try. Hellshade

Hey Winder and Pol, The fact that you are looking into it is good enough for me. I understand it's not an easy thing to change and frankly, any lesser dedicated Devs would not have taken the time to ship out such a polished product to begin with and definately wouldn't have worked so hard to patch it up as quickly and as professionally as OBD has. In a way, I think you guys are a victim of your own success. The quality of OFF BHaH is so exceptional that anything that isn't "perfect" stands out. Who else has 3,500 historically accurate paint schemes? Who else has a campaign with 12 complete "states" of the front spaning from 1915 - 1918? A Dynamic Weather Front Generator? The ability to pick a squadron and a date, knowing that it will be located in the right place, staffed with the correct pilots (as far as it is possible to do so), flying the correct planes that are painted with the right colors? Fly historically accurate missions and meet other aircraft in the air who are also on real missions against real targets? A devious and effective high and mid level AI that engages and fires only when it is reasonably close enough to score hits instead of just firing from 1,000 yards away? A huge number of options to configure, allowing the game to be tailored directly to any players personal likes and dislikes, from arcade mode up right up to hard core "Dead is Dead" purists? Seriously, you have gotten so many things spot on, that the few things that aren't stick out a bit. To me, there are three important things that I keep in mind about stuff like this. 1st, is that you are AWARE there is a challenge. 2nd, is that you CARE enough to put it on the list of things you wish to improve and 3rd, that given your track record of shipping a polished product and supporting it actively, means that I know that you'll do your best within the limitations of the CFS3 engine and programming to make it better if at all possible. That's good enough for me. I've already got far more than my money's worth out of OFF BHaH, and I appreciate that. Hellshade

Pol : Nothing is spoiling my fun of OFF BHaH. I still find new ways to enjoy it. I watched Dogfights (history channel, I believe), season 2 where they went through three different WWI fights and re-create them using CGI. Then I grab the pilots and planes they show and try to see how well I can do in the same situtation. Try fighting a flight of 6 SE5as (all aces including flight leader James McCudden) who get the jump on you while you are all alone in a DR 1 as Werner Voss did. He downed 3 and scored hits on every one before he was killed. I have a long way to go to match that!! Anyways, whatever you fix, you fix. Even if low level AI is never improved, this is still the best flight sim I have ever played. period. With TrackIR it's just too immersive to let me play anything else...though I hope to get back to Oblivion eventually. Olham : I didn't mean you buddy. Just some of your AI wingman. :) Sigg : I'm with you. Better a silly report of running away at tree top level than a serious tombstone over your head. Even Richtofen admitted that he ran away from every fight he thought he couldn't win.