Olham

DEJ wrote: four of their Albatri on and off my tail (fortunately none of them were Olham) Thank you for your compliment, DEJ, but believe me - this game is so realistic now, I really have to struggle hard. And I get my nose punched many times! But I say to myself: when you think of the many flight hours of Ernst Udet, then his kill tally doesn't say, that he had a kill on each sortie. He had collected kills from March 1916 until September 1918 (I think). So lets say: within some 900 days. Now, even if we take off 300 days for furlough and bad weather (which is far more than he really had a rest, I'm sure), we have roundly 600 flying days. They often made 2 or 3 flights a day, so let's add 300 again, and we have 900 sorties. That would make (round) 60 victories in 900 flights. And that makes 1 air combat victory in 15 sorties. What I'm trying to say, is, that we got a very realistic simulation here. And when we want to survive longer, and collect more kills, we may have to be far more careful. More defensive thinking. Leave situations, that develop too risky. We must decide, if we play for the "hunting/killing fun factor" (as I mostly did so far) - or for a longer lasting, kill collecting pilot. No easy choice, eyh?

BHaH is such a step forward in details, that I believe, the devs are quite aware of the incorrect bits yet in there. And that they will work on that, to get it more correct. I mean, they have a "research man" like Shredward, and that man knows his data, definitely. But as there is so much data and detail to get correctly placed, we could give them some time to do so. I don't know any other game, that could provide us with such a cornucopia of lovingly made details - visual and data. And if anyone should say, this was just friendly flattery - yes, it is. With all my honesty.

Well, what do you expect? If the ingame trucks and troops would all behave "real", and could be shot to pieces - the program/game might be 3 DVDs and a stuffed game drive. I assume, a programmer must make decisions, what is important. And at least the trucks do drive along. That already is a lot to happen, when it happens at several places at a time. For ground attack missions, they program them to be vulnerable; that they can explode, and that they count as kills. But I don't think, you could expect that to be possible all the time. Perhaps in 2 - 3 years, when all the systems have grown again; in Phase 4 so to say.

Hi, GREMLIN I read Bubi Hartmanns book, when I was 18. He was badly punished for his huge kill tally - I think he came home from Russian prison camp as one of the last returners. I was very impressed of a young man, who was so responsible for his wingmen. He must have known his 109 like his legs and feet - great pilot. Are you still working on the HOTAS profile? Cause, I've got it now. Cheers; Olham

QUEEG - you shouldn't play ANYTHING when driving! And for those at home - what else would we play but BHaH ? Although I wanted to tear down some walls today for being shot down again and again - but could I leave it? No way..

Thank you for test flying "my" bird, Bletchley. Yes, I think, there's quite some improvement on her climb. And Pol - you were right - she is a bit tail heavy. But that can be solved easy with elevator trim.

As I said, Siggi - the slightest danger to be attacked by any fighters from god knows were - and I'm off, and rather fight those. And if only to protect my wingmen (Lol!) Let those railyards for the bombers - they have the right tools, and they drop them from high above..

Thanks, BirdDog, for your ATI advice. I used it, and the most noticable result was, that my TrackIR looking-around was much faster now! I think, I can shape back the performance curves a bit now. Had chosen "combat view", and "aggressive", but since that was still too slow, I had shaped the curves high up at the ends, so the rear view comes faster. Now I can tune it back a bit. Thank you.

Just when I was about to give up, cursing... ...the "winding lord" had mercy on me and gave me three presents. My two flights before had ended with my Albatros D III getting totally damaged by enemy aces, falling onto us from high above, before I could even turn. (Next time I'll bring the pumpgun for clay pigeons and shoot the smirk out their clocks!!!) I was about to give up. All is unfair! Game is too hard now! Enemies are always more, higher, invincible! Etc. Man, was I upset! (My neighbours above and below must think, I'm mad - which was true in that moment). I'll give it a last try, I said to myself, and climbed into my Albatros D II, as my alter ego Juergen Freiherr von Mahlo, with Jasta 2. And the "winding lord" had mercy on a man, giving it a last try. On September 16th, 1916, he sent us from Bertincourt south-west of Albert, to attack a railyard. Now, I never attack them, when I feel threatened by any fighters within reach. I mean, I must care for my men! And so, attack the fighters first! Right? I spotted two specs moving over Albert, to the south. We climbed between the sun and them, and then approached them. They were two Bristol Scout D3 from RFC-1, and they didn't have much of a chance. I finished them off within 3 minutes. We then tried to get on, but somewere,not yet far from our lines, my engine coughed and went out. Flak splinter? I had petrol filled up for one-and-a-half of the total miles?! Anyway - I had to put her down near an enemy airfield, and was captured. But now came present No. 3 from the "winding lord" - I escaped after 20 days! And filled in the claim for 2 Bristols! Great - now I can sleep well! PS: The immersion was so great again. Weather was sunny, with large white cumuli clouds, and the landscape near Bertincourt looked much like my native homeland Ostfriesland (by the north sea). Then, south-west of Albert, it became more undulating. Must start an English campaign in the area near Amiens! Wonderful, the weather, clouds and landscapes - thank you,Winder, for putting so much time into that. It pays. Every flying minute!!

Again, the sentence comes to mind: On a long enough timeline, every pilots chance to survive the war, dropped down towards zero. A difference might be, whether you were a young, idealistic warrior, or a man who had a loving woman waiting for him, home. Ernst Udet comes to my mind - I'm pretty sure, that he survived through taking less risks. He had a loving woman home...

Yes, it is. I'll post it in your skins thread. if you like, but give me time. Winter's grey and work seem to have exhausted me; I hardly manage to do two flights a day. And getting used to this new forum still feels peculiar. I took a basic skin (natural wood) without markings, and with the "wizzard stick" in Photoshop, I chose all wooden parts of fuselage; then changed it's tint into kind of mahagony. For the nose tin plating, and the fuselage back, I chose black, against the glare of the sunlight. Last addition were the stripes in the national colours of the time. I still have to put my personal emblem on it, a red kite, with it's German name "Milan" underneath. Nice to be back with you! You'll see more skins soon. Cheers! Olham

Here's a link to a good Jasta/Squadron/aerodrome finder. Just click away the nationality you don't want to see, choose "search by..." selection, and you may find, what you wanted. http://patriot.net/~townsend/WW1AirMap2/

Hey, CAMELJOCKEY Yes, sometimes, there's so much to do workwise - I'm having a similar problem (both, with work, and system crash). Read my thread "Could have been my day,but...", and you'll see. Maybe, there are still some stones to be moved out the way for the devs? But until then, I think we both did some great flying. And I wouldn't have any other sim! Your little son looks cute in his "cockpit" - reminds me of Linus, or was it Schroeder, from the peanuts. Enjoy the time with him being so little - they grow over your head incredibly fast (Lol!) Cheers! Olham

Missouri? Is that the artist formerly known as "Crozbone"? (I know - another name I hadn't remembered - shame on my olde brain!) Hello, old chap!

Yes, Zoomzoom, I also do not dare to imagine... Hey, Widowmaker - look at my thread "This could have been my day" - I wiped out Maxwell and Ball from RFC56 (your colleagues?) But don't panic - if I had seen your name, I wouldn't have shot (Lol!)

attachment=22409:End_of_Albert_Ball.jpg] This could have been my day. Our two flights of Albatros D III (early) from Jasta 12 were 9 planes; we were to patrol friendly lines, weather was fine, and it was sheer fun flying. Arriving at the front, SW of Mont St.Martin airfield, we had gone down to 1.000 feet (Flight lead Paul Billik's decision). And then, I spotted some 8 or 9 planes high above, near the sun. They came down like hell on flight 1, whilst I curved away with flight 2. I counted 4 or 5 S.E.5a from RFC56, and 4 Nieuports. I marked the nearest enemy, and turned to get behind him. He did a helluvalot of moves; felt like dancing Tango, but I managed to stay behind him. When he had to pull out of a dive, he got the full treatment. I had to press "pause", to make a screenshot - he was Gerald Joseph Constable Maxwell. He was. He dug nosed into the mud. Coming out of my turn, I saw Albert Ball's plane passing above me! My god - more aces? I had taken up fighting with an elite squadron! Albert tried to do half a loop to dive through under my plane, but I had guessed that and manoeuvered my lady behind his. Lying on his side, very close above the ground, he got a full burst right into the cockpit. He crashed only two minutes after Maxwell. Now, don't think, I was the super-ace: I hadn't seen an S.E.5a creeping up from below rear right. When I noticed him, I paused and made this shot - he was the "Gadget King" - and he shot me down! But when my plane crashed onto the soil, my system crashed. I couldn't even get out with the "monkey-grip"! And that happened the second time! Does anyone else have this problem after the hotfix to Patch 1.26 ? Some info for the dev team: I was using TrackIR; system is Windows XP; both times it happened exactly in the moment I crashed on the ground. Any ideas?

As GEIER says. Often, it's like in Westerns - you must do the first shot (and better be precise!) But when they come from above and hunt you - oh boy!

So do I, Widowmaker, so do I !!!

Hey, SHREDWARD You made me feel like a rookie again, as I don't know, what a "Biff" and a "Bimmer" are... The precise type names would help. Cheers. Olham

Almost fair and equal seem to me: late 1916: Albatros D II against Nupe 16 late summer 1917: Dr.1 and Pfalz D IIIa against Camel and S.E.5a (before the D VII came) That's, fair by plane types - not by numbers. It's what I learnt in OFF - not founded by books or data. Rather my feeling, so to say.

Thank you, DEJ - good grief, he had 34 victories! My knees are getting weak! (Lol!) No, I was so caught up in it all, I haven't made a screen shot. I'll put that on a stick button and do one next time. What confuses me - I flew on 13. April 1917. And in your link, it says, he did his first victory end of 1917, his 2. early 1918. So I shot him far before his time (he must have resurrected later). But: this sim is superb! It is so immersive! Can't wait, till my next sortie later today.

Thank you all; and I know I have forgotten some of your names, but not you people (sorry, James and BLUE) Hey, Widowmaker How come, you're a "valued member" in such a short time? Bribed them? Yes, my restructured system is running well now, and I'm sheer excited! I had some very thrilling fights with French aces already, and helped a certain Monsieur Michel Josef Callixte Marie Coiffard, to kiss his home ground in with his SPAD VII. (Does anyone know, how good he was?) Now, I'll even go further. I have the chance to buy an almost new GAINWARD Golden Sample HD 4870 with 1 GB, plus 2x 2 GB Corsair Dominator DDR2, and a Core 2 8400. With all that, it should be running fine, I suppose?

A basic question about mixture control: Since I always realise, that the Albatros power reduces at higher altitude, I'd like to try the mix control myself. What must I press at HIGHER altitudes - "minus" or "plus"? Must it be fatter or less fat? (Now some may find me stupid - which I am, technically.) Hey, GAW Your problem sounds to me, as if your planes always fly with mix for high altitudes? Cause then, what Winder says, would make sense in your case?

(Patch 1.26 installed) Jasta 12, Epinoy, 13. April 1917 15:26 h We start to attack the enemy airfield at Etrun. (This is my first flight together with flight 1, and the feeling is great. My wings almost dance around my plane; von Marchlewitz a bit over the top - we almost collided once. But still though - a great feel. The plane's wings shimmering in the sun; weather really fine!) 15:53 h I spot two groups of planes, higher than us, and almost hidden in the sun. I count 3 and 4 specs. (I mark the planes and go through them paused, with F4. They're 2 SPAD VII and 5 Nieuports. Erich and his wings go down for attack; they don't seem to notice. I perform a full curve, to collect my wings, and get a bit away from the enemy planes. They all come down on the other flight now, and the tangling begins.) 15:59 h I begin a dogfight with a SPAD VII, and order attack at the other. I realise, I'm at highest altitude of all. Good! My SPAD VII missed me due to my sharp turn, and was now underneath. I felt, what he was going to do, and stuck at his tail. I realise, one Nupe is close behind me, and wave for help. But no one there. I get two, three hits, but still chase the SPAD. As he pulls up, he gets a full burst. Huge bits come off, and he turns headover and pulls down. But now I get the bill - hit severely, I try to dive away, but the SPAD's wing is still behind me, hits me again. My engine grumbling, my Albatros wants to roll right. It's hard to contoll her; stick pushed full left. 16:00 h The SPAD I had hit, crashes. (Paused, I had checked the labels. The ace was Michel Josef Callixte Marie Coiffard from Esc.154, and his name was longer than his fight. Huh!) My wing appears and handles the Nupe now, so I can look for a spot to touch down - the plane can't fly anymore. I'm still over enemy terrain. (To be honest, the plane crashed. Still though, game said, I was captured, but escaped after 20 days. I was off course happy for that; but it wasn't what really had happened. Hm...) What I liked, was the flying with the wings (never had it seen like this), and the fact, that the SPAD was really as badly damaged, as I had hit her. Great. Now I'd like to make another flight!

Thank you, chaps! How do I get my avatar picture in here?