Hasse Wind

The key to survival when flying the OFF Pfalz is to stay high and conserve energy. While the plane seems to work well as a turn fighter, you'll quickly run out of energy, and then you're dead, especially when at low altitude. The Pfalz has great visibility from the cockpit, it's a very stable gun platform and can dive like no other German aircraft in OFF. You must make the most of these advantages. Turn fighting should only be considered if you have enough altitude for gaining energy afterwards. I'm hoping to see some improvements to the Pfalz FM in OFF2. It was quite awful when P3 was released, but one of the patches improved it so that now you can actually fight and live to tell the tale in a Pfalz career. But it's definitely not a fighter that suits everybody.

I know that feeling. I think we made only one interesting trip during all the years I spent at school. But I had my revenge on the teachers by being an enfant terrible. Widowmaker, your son is indeed lucky.

Impossible when both great powers were determined that they should be the rightful owners of the area. When WW1 began, the area was a scene for some terribly bloody battles. The French were determined to take back what they considered their land, and the Germans were just as determined to defend the land they thought was theirs. After a few months, things calmed down and Elsass became a quiet sector for the rest of the war, or at least quiet compared to the levels of activity in other sectors. In OFF, you can enjoy the Sitzkrieg there among some really bad squadrons on both sides of the front.

I can definitely sympathize with the people of Alsace-Lorraine / Elsass-Lothringen. They were unhappily caught between two powerful nations that were arch-enemies for decades. One of the nastier sides of nationalism.

There's also the logistical side of things to consider. The Triplane was difficult to maintain in the field, and often had to be shipped to a depot for repairs.

The Dr.I was undoubtedly a great fighter in the hands of a skilled pilot, but it definitely wasn't the best choice for an inexperienced pilot. The Albatros and the Pfalz, which were used in the same time period, were much easier to fly and better suited to the skills of the average fighter pilot. The Dr.I was also too slow, and while it was great in a turn fight, it really couldn't get out of a fight against more powerful Entente fighters, such as the SPAD and the SE.5a. One of the most important reasons why the Fokker D.VII was so extremely successful was its benign flight characteristics. You didn't have to be a Voss to fly it really well in combat.

Jasta 8 had eight aces, according to The Aerodrome site. http://www.theaerodrome.com/services/germany/jasta/jasta8.php

Well that's an obscure fighter. Never heard of it.

What a fine example, Lou! Have you thought about another uniform project? I'm sure the French uniform is feeling lonely in your corner. Think about all the other nations and their uniforms that took part in the Great War: Britain, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Italy...

I think he just had bad luck. He had been through dangerous situations many times before, but had always survived them. All it takes is a single bullet to the right spot.

There were at least a couple of different versions of these badges, depending on the year of issue. Naval aviators and observers had their own badges. But the general shape of the badge was the same for all. I've heard that the rarest and most expensive of these badges are the ones that were given to Zeppelin pilots. I'm sure you'd have to pay a LOT of money for such an original!

I think it was still quite common in many WW1 armies that officers were expected to pay for at least some of their equipment. It was standard practice earlier in history that officers, who usually came from the upper classes of society, paid for their uniforms, boots, hats etc. Poor rank and file got their stuff from the state.

Blip switches for rotary engines is something I'd love to see in OFF2. The current system we have in P3 is not at all realistic.

The DH.2 really was useful until late 1916. By then, it was becoming obsolete, thanks to the rapid speed at which aviation technology was progressing. But at that point in the war, the British were slower than Germans in replacing their aging aircraft, for various reasons. The DH.2 was great against opponents like the Eindecker, but unfortunately there were no Eindeckers in service anymore in 1917.

Not so much as the use of the BE.2 in 1917. The DH.2 was replaced by the DH.5, which was definitely an improvement, but still nothing to write home about. It's also included in OFF, and modelled very nicely.

The DH.2 also had to face the Albatros D.II and D.III in large numbers. The British kept the fighter in service for too long. If you want a challenge, join the RFC in 1917 and fly the DH.2.

If you mean the Halberstadt D.II, it will eat the DH.2 for breakfast. It's a much better fighter.

I prefer the Fee. It's just as ugly, but has more firepower. Spins less often, too.

This seems to be a good mod for P3. But if a combined version for JSGME is coming, I think I'll wait for it.

There are quite a few crashed German and Soviet aircraft (or what's left of them) in the area close to the Barents Sea in Finland, Norway and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Not many people live in that wilderness, so many of the wrecks have been preserved in relatively good condition.

It would be great to have some improved flares in OFF2. But maybe they are already included? I wouldn't be surprised if they were!

I'll probably fly some quick combat missions to see how everything looks like and how the new AI, FMs and DMs feel compared to P3. Then I'll examine the campaign mode system and see which time periods, units, and aircraft are now available. Then I'll start a two-seater career from the very beginning (1915, I imagine) and see where it goes from there.

Impressive. It'll be a special day when OFF2 is released and I start playing it for the first time. So many new things to see and try!

Yep, those are cameras. The bigger, the better. That Caudron must have been an interesting aircraft to fly. I hope to see them in OFF one day!

Looking forward to flying Gothas in OFF2.