Check Six

Mike, EVERYONE has experienced it. It accepts the command "8 x samples", but when you leave, and return it is blank, but the 8 x sample is active. A "glitch", but I have it on good authority it works. Have a look at Homeboy's settings and see if they work. Many people here have experienced great frame rate improvements using them. http://forum.combatace.com/index.php/topic/38949-my-game-settings/

Great work Hellshade. Keep it up, and the more you fly the better you'll get. Isn't the SE5a great to fly? I'm glad the profile helped. If you still have trouble, just ask and we'll try to help. Be very careful in padlock view as it's easy to get "target fixated" and plough into the ground or forget about your target's wingman. I know I do, so I don't use target padlock. With TAC and aircraft labels on, here's what I do... When a "blip" appears on my TAC or I drop out of warp with the message "you can't warp...there are enemies nearby", I pause the sim. I hit "Next target" to target the first enemy. Then hit "Player/target view" which gives you a close up of your target, and you can tell if he is pointing in your direction or apparently disinterested or busy with his mission. It also lets you know how to attack him if you wish to (ie if it's a two-seater, attack from underneath, or boom and zoom him from out of the sun) or to begin evasive manoeuvres now if you don't wish to tangle with him. Hit "next target"again. Now you will see your second target. Check that it is still the same "blip" on your TAC. If it is, they are in the same flight. "Next target" again, keep your eyes on your TAC to make sure that it's still the same "blip" (there may be several "blips" and therefore several flights of enemies nearby). Eventually, you will be presented with a rear view of your aircraft signifying there are no more targets to view. Did you count them? Good. So there's six Fokker D.VII's in that flight. If there are two or more blips on your TAC, follow the same procedure, keeping your eye on the TAC. Then you can find out that the blip at 12 o'clock is a flight of three Roland two-seaters a few thousand feet below you, the blip at 11 o'clock is an escorting flight of four Fokker D.VII's, and they are level with you, and at your 4 o'clock is a lone Halberstadt D.II a thousand feet higher. This makes the decision on who to attack, and HOW to attack, or whether to mind your own business and keep an eye on them, or to begin to climb or dive etc. If you wish to attack a flight of three, cycle through your "next target" and look AROUND the targetted aircraft. You might see another two aircraft slightly in front of him, cycle through until you find an enemy with no aircraft in front of him...he's the flight leader. You can choose to assign another aircraft to your wingmen, and take him on yourself, or vice versa. OK. So you just got a LOT of intelligence on your enemy merely by pausing and hitting "Next target" a few times. You might also hit "M" (Map) and see where they are headed. Are you over their side of the lines? If so, remember Boelcke's Dicta Rule No 7: "When over the enemy's lines, never forget your own line of retreat". (As a matter of fact, remember them ALL). Just before you enter combat (maybe as you approach close to your target, or he approaches close to you), pause once again and note the time, (Press "Z" - toggle info), lat and long, your wingmen's names, Map location. All this information will be very helpful if you down an opponent. You will be presented with a claim form, and the information you provide may see your claim accepted. If you just state "one enemy shot down" it may be rejected. Print out a copy of Homeboy's Key Command Guide too. It's invaluable for all OFF pilots. http://snomhf.exofire.net/data/OFFcommandkeys.jpg Read the stickies and uncleal's tips and hints, and you'll be an ace in no time at all. Good Luck.

Thanks Fates, Nice looking new skin.

Hellman, It's a pleasure to help out anyone if I can. Let's see... If some of the functions aren't recognized....are they "V" Virtual Cockpit and Player/Target View? Like I said, they have no key assignments in OFF. You need to tell OFF that you'd like to assign the key stroke "V" to "Virtual Cockpit" in your in-game menu (accessed by pressing ESCAPE when you're sitting on the airfield waiting to start up your engines). Press escape, the menu drops down on the right of the screen. Select "Controls" and click on that. A set of commands pops down and informs you what keystrokes are assigned to certain commands. Scroll that list down until you get to "Virtual Cockpit". You will see that there is no keystrokes assigned to this command by default. Highlight "Virtual Cockpit", and click on "Add Assignment". A menu pops up and basically asks you what keystroke you wish to use for that command. Type V in the box, then go to "Save as". Remember you must call your file "Mine" (Have a look at what the filename is before you change anything if you're unsure). If you change that and save it as "Mine" [can't remember the file extension], you will then be able to access Virtual Cockpit with the "V" key. As you have TrackIR, I suggest you also add the keystroke F12 to your virtual cockpit command. The sim will then automatically enter "V" and "F12" when you press the "up" switch on your top hat switch, which will put you in the virtual cockpit AND centre your TrackIR. If you are already in the virtual cockpit, hitting the up switch will centre TrackIR view, which will be like aligning your sights. Now you need to add that command to your joystick profile. Open your joystick profile by right clicking on the joystick icon in your task menu (or access it through your "Start" menu). Click on the "Up" arrow on your top hat switch, and the box will go blank, and show the Red "Record" button, a red cross (to delete your work on this command and exit), a green tick (which tells you you have successfully enetered the keystrokes to your satisfaction). See my first post for a view of this. Type in "V" and then "F12". Then you right click on the actual wording in the top of that box, and it allows you to change the description of your command. There you have it. Select another UNUSED keystroke command (for instance "G") for Player/Target View, add the assignment in the in-game menu, then edit your joystick profile. A macro function is normally a way to get around having to press several keys to achieve a required function. The software I use (though old as you suggested), allows this. A macro function can be as simple as [for example] Shift+W (two key strokes). Whan you enter Shift+W, do not enter three keystrokes - SHIFT key then the + key, then the W key. Shift+W is merely a necessary way of describing which keys to press. If I said "Ctrl Shift F6" that could be taken a different way. That's probably what's happening to you when you are trying to enter complex keystrokes. As I have described here, Shift+W is two keys...not three. Hope that solves that problem. I am using an old version of Saitek Software. Perhaps I'm not describing it adequately for that reason. I would imagine it would be "updated" as opposed to completely different. I did have a look late last night/early this morning for a file so that I could email that off to you, but all I could find was (possibly) a .dll file, and I wasn't too keen to open that up in case it screwed everything. So just persevere. I'll be here to help if you need it, and others may offer assistance if they can (very helpful bunch of guys here). Ok...let's get you to break your "Cherry". Enlist a Pilot. British. Fighter. Then scroll through squadrons down the bottom of the screen until you get to (I think) 92 Sqn. Check to see what aircraft is assigned to that Sqn. If they say "Wolsely Viper SE5a", you're there. This is a very forgiving aircraft, quite fast, turns well, not too easy to stall in, and really easy to regain speed if you DO stall. Call this guy Test Pilot or something similar, don't use your regular pilot to learn with. Go to "Quick Combat" and select "Turkey Shoot" from the top box. Choose to fly alone, no wingmen. Now turn your attention to your enemy. Select the weakest opponent you can see on the drop down list (maybe an Eindekker or early Albatros). Then select "Rookie" for his fighting ability. Select to start at 10,000 feet (or 15,000 feet if that choice is there - the higher the better). Select "None" for his wingmen. Last thing, tick the "Pilot never dies" box. Now you're set. Click "Go to Field". As soon as you start up, press Pause. You should turn your aircraft labels ON (makes it easier to spot him, and keep track of him). Have your TAC on (Shift+T). Then select 1 mile range by clicking "Left" on your Top Hat Switch until the bottow figure shows 1 NM. Click your Next Target ([TAB] or Toggle 1 on your joystick base to select that target...he will change from a red dot to a yellow one). Select "Down" on that hat switch, It will show you a rear "Chase view" of your aircraft (easier to tell if you're upside down, or not flying level etc). Pull your pinky trigger (Toggle Views [F4]) until you get "Spot View". Use your main hat switch to scan the skies to look for him. Select "I" (Target Cone) - this brings up a cone on top of your aircraft which will indicate where your opponent is at all times. If you lose him, you won't have to scan the skies or change your view to find him. The cone will tell you which direction to fly, and whether he is above or below you. Then "Down" on your top hat switch (back to Chase View). Unpause (remember you're airborne, and need to push your throttle all the way up) and try your guns. Quick bursts only, no more than one or two seconds (or else your guns will jam, then you're in trouble...no "unjam" key here like in Red Baron - but you CAN keep repeatedly trying your trigger, sometimes they begin working again). Watch where your tracers are going to work out your aiming point. Fly towards him, trying to gain an altitude advantage, but watch your speed to make sure you don't stall. Make slower, deliberate movements on your joystick. Don't jerk it around. If you have good speed up (fly level for a few seconds till you got good speed), and have an altitude advantage, time to attack. Hit "Up" on your top hat switch (Virtual cockpit "V" and Centre TrackIR "F12"). Keep your eyes on him, and manoueuvre around behind him if you can. Keep using rudder in the turns to keep your altitude advantage. Be patient. Eventually, you will end up on his tail. When you're close enough, give him a second or two worth of lead. Watch to see if you score hits (puffs of smoke, or debris flying off his craft...also up the top of your screen, you'll see "You hit Jasta 29 pilot Alb DII" or some such type of message in blue. If it seems as if you SHOULD be hitting him, and it doesn't indicate that, remember that a biplane is small, and large air gaps between the wings, a small fuselage, which bullets can pass through sometimes causing no little or no damage. Shift your rudder pedals left or right and see if that makes the minor adjustments in yaw to hit him. If you're close, you can't miss, but if you've hit his engine, or he backs off his throttle, be quick to back off your throttle or else you'll overshoot him, and end up in HIS sights. Good night, Gracie! Remember to watch your ammunition counter (HUD -F5 - by default it's blue text on the right of your screen - ammo counter in there). BTW, you can drag the dials and gauges and HUD anywhere you like with your mouse. Put them on the bottom of your screen out of the way for now. Then it's just practice practice practice. This is not easy, by any stretch of the imagination. You can go to your workshop settings, and mess about in there to make your guns more accurate, and your opponent's guns less accurate (theoreticallly, he won't even get a shot off). You can set an easier flight model if you wish, but then that starts to become an arcade game. When you've been "blooded" and have a vistory recorded, you can bump the realism up gradually until you are flying 130%, and then you can gradually remove your dials, gauges, Heads Up Display, Target cone, and TAC until it's as real as it gets. Good Luck Hellshade.

Surprisingly, despite all advice, I have made multiple passes on a ground target (railyards mostly) flying the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter. I select a target on my TAC at that railyard (vehicles, buildings etc). Like I mentioned earlier, I load up with 4 x Cooper Bombs. I wing over and line up on the rail line so I'm travelling along it, order my wingmen to attack, start strafing until I'm down to about 100 feet or less. When I pass over the last boxcar on the train, I release my bombs. I stay LOW until I'm a mile or so away, changing to spot view to see my wingmen's bombs fall (usually from a great height...they don't like to fly that low). Then I wing over, go in for a second strafing run. If there's another train on another parallel line, I'll switch to that one. If I'm satisfied I've done enough damage, I'll stay low for a mile or so, then climb our, calling my wingmen to join me. DO NOT WARP at this point. Frequently, your briefing will tell you that you should stay in the area for 17 minutes or some such ridiculous figure. Hit SHIFT+W to go to next waypoint, make certain it's pointing to your base, then you can warp. If you hit warp, and it sends you back over your target, I pity you. Hard to survive that. Using that method, I have 100% success rate with my bombs, and have survived several ground attacks in a 1 1/2 Strutter.

I don't know if there is a site to d/l an off profile for X52 joystick. I just profiled that myself. I suppose there is a file for this profile on my computer. I'll have a look when I get home (at work now). If there is a file, and you want it, private message me with your email address and I'll email it off to you.

SouthPaw, I can't say I've ever seen AI flight members strafe ground targets, but if I am selected to lead the flight and we are assigned a ground attack/railyard/troops type mission, I always select bombs or rockets if we are equipped to carry them. I have actually seen my wingmen's bombs drop on a railyard. I dived to about 100 or so feet, came in strafing, and simulataneously ordering my wingmen to attack. I'm pretty sure they erred on the side of caution and stayed up high, but dropped their ordnance.

tofu, Let me guess? UMM......Sopwith Triplane! Am I right?? There are trim controls for aircraft in OFF. Correctly mentioned here is that MOST if not all aircraft in WW1 were not able to be trimmed in flight. When you landed, you spoke to your aircraft mechanic, and he tightened this and loosened that, and voila! she flies straight and level. Over time, and after combat manoeuvring, the wires stretch, or are even shot away, and so have to be replaced and re-adjusted. Some think of it as "cheating" to trim your aircraft in flight for this very reason, but it has been mentioned in some threads that you assume you had spoken to your AM after your last flight, and he got it right. So sure...trim it up just after take-off if it makes you feel better or more comfortable. Why did I mention the tripe??? Oh. They climb like monkeys full of amphetamines, and I have the devil of a time trying to get one to fly straight and level. It's a choice of aircraft that has made it difficult. I think a lot of the other aircraft in OFF will fly straight and level after a little bit of trimming, but the tripes??? NAH!

Baldric, Please don't be offended if you approach us with "I have a very cunning plan!" and we laugh, ok? Welcome, Balders.

SvK, Just a word of warning...rudder pedals (usually) come equipped with "Toe Brakes" which are completely ineffective in this sim. But what WILL happen when you activate your toe brakes in flight (sometimes when you're adjusting your seating position you'll inadvertently push your toes down) is that it activates the elevators and aileron controls, as they're tied to those controls in OFF) I did a comprehensive step-by-step guide for how to remove them here but I can't find it. This thread will help you if you need it. http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=41614

I have an OFF Profile for the X52. Happy to share it with you and any others, but please remember, this is MY preference, and you may wish to alter it to better suit the way you fly. See the thread http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=45718 That lists most of them. What is missing is the hat swiches. The TOP hat switch on the Joystick I have set the following commands: Hat Switch UP: Virtual Cockpit and F12 (*See note below) Hat Switch DOWN: CHASE View Hat Switch LEFT: Alter TAC Range Hat Switch RIGHT: Player/Target View (#See note below) (*You need to first set "V" as the command for "Virtual Cockpit" on your "Controls" in the drop-down menu ("Escape" during OFF gameplay - go to controls, then scroll down until you reach Virtual Cockpit...it has no key assignment - click "Add assignment" then type in V, then save as "Mine"). The command has dual assignments, also activating F12 (Centre TrackIR)...so that when you transfer to Virtual Cockpit, it also centres TrackIR. (If you don't have TrackIR, just assign this hat switch to "V"). (#You MIGHT also need to set this command on "Controls" drop down menu as described above...I can't remember for certain that it is assigned. This toggles between a view of your target looking towards you, and a view of you looking towards your target). I recently TRIED to set "Trim" Controls onto the hat switch on your throttle control, but didn't have much luck with that. In the end I found it was just as easy to trim your aircraft out (if you can at all) using the keypad commands (because this is done as soon as you take-off, and consequently, in friendly territory, and there's no "rush" to get it done). Well, hope that helps. These are the keys I feel are necessary enough to occupy switches on your joystick and throttle. Like me, you are lucky in that you have so many to choose from, not just two or three buttons. The buttons I consider most useful IN COMBAT I have put on the most accessable buttons, and those less necessary on the joystick base toggles or on the throttle. One thing you have to be a bit careful about is activating the pinky trigger when if a hectic turning fight. Activating that will switch views, and that will annoy you when you're just about to pull the trigger. So get used to having no pressure on the stick with your pinky. You could just "hang it out there" like you were having high tea with the Queen, and wished to be polite and refined. If you read this thread, and the other one I linked to you, you shouldn't have any trouble. If you do strike trouble, get back to us.

Stratos, In "Quick Combat" you have the three choices... "free flight", "Dogfight", and "Turkey Shoot". You can choose the number in your flight, plus the number of the enemy's flight, and their AI level (rookie to veteran). You can always fly over the front in free flight, but I believe there will never be any enemy present, but I don't know if that happens in "dogfight" or "Turkey shoot". If I've selected three enemy in turkey shoot, and made them go to meet their maker, I have flown about for some time messing around with other stuff and not encountered any further enemies. I guess this means that the entire arena consists of the number of aircraft you have requested to fight against. Do you know that you can "warp" until an enemy is sighted? Or that you can "accelerate time" and "decelerate time"? This will be the ideal situation for you. You can fly to the front lines, and do it quickly, and when you get there, there MAY be enemies to fight, and then "warp" back home.

SvK, "Is there anyway to adjust the amount of rudder response from a Logitech Force 3D Pro joystick? I'm a rudder nut (or ruddy nut as my wife says) and would like just a little more response from the back end (let's not bring my wife into that one ). Can this be adjusted? Am I missing something obvious? Should I just suck it up and buy some pedals?" I can't answer the first two questions, but I can answer the third. You ADMIT to being a "rudder nut" and you have to ask if you should buy some pedals????? :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: Yup. I have a Saitek X52, and previously relied on the twist function for most flight sims for my rudder (though I have to admit to using less rudder input than I should - consquently, I'm a "sloppy" pilot). With all the "total immersion" of OFF, I decided it was time for me to "bite the bullet" and bought a set of Saitek Pro Flight rudder pedals. WOW! That made a huge difference to my flying. Now my joystick twist function is locked, and I'm the proud owner of a decent set of pedals. It will improve your skills, and make your immersion experience more complete. If you ARE a rudder nut, and apply just a little here and there to keep the nose up a bit more etc, you will LOVE pedals. DO IT!

outfctrl, You're obviously a flight sim fan judging by the sims you already have. You are unimpressed with RoF. It seems to me that you really have no choice at all. BUY OFF! You HAVE to! You will NOT be sorry. EVER. This sim will not sit on your shelf to be yanked out nostalgically in a decade's time. In a decade, you'll still be playing it.

My copy of OFF arrived in Australia 6 days (not working days) after ordering.

Ummm...what they said. Great service...AGAIN! Great Patch...AGAIN! Get your asses out of here and have a rest OBD guys. You deserve it. And PLEASE don't spend your time off worrying about what new stuff to put in Phase 4, and how would I make the AI do this or that, or what should I do to "fix" this or that...just relax guys. Go on your hols, come back, then start thinking about it. Enjoy!

F5 (HUD Toggle) will turn off your guages and dials as well as the Ammo counter, heath, altitude etc. Try messing about with Gauge 1, 2, 3 etc with Ctrl+Shift+1 etc, which cycles the types of guages you have showing on your HUD when you toggle it on or off. You know of course that you can use your mouse to grab and movre them around to suit your taste or style. There is another command on Homeboy's card "HUD Units [toggle]" U, Ctrl+F5...so maybe you can remove bits and pieces of the text. The "notice that you hit pilot x or y" is disabled or enabled in your graphics configuration Parameter Editor for Overrides, top right hand side "disable Chat" I think...or it may be the next one or two under that one..."disable advisor messages" or "disable Simulation warnings"...one of those three.

With all the discussion on AA fire and it's accuracy, some loving the new (1.32 Version) of AA fire, others saying it's too scaryily accurate, I was reminded of another dreaded enemy of the airman..."flaming onions". Reading a few pilot's descriptions of this weapon, many were astonished at how beautiful it was, and others of how it terrified them beyond belief. Is "flaming onions" modelled in OFF? Forgive my ignorance, but it may be there, just that I'm flying in the wrong theatre of operations, or too early or late in the war to have seen it so far. If it is not modelled, could the devs consider it for Phase 4 (after their hiatus of course).

In Australia, we don't pooh-pooh good table wines. A 1979 Cuvee Reservee Chateau Bottle de nuit san Wagga Wagga, which has a kick on it like a mule. This is a wine with a message, and the message is STAY AWAY! But seriously...

Perhaps your wingmen did perish during your ill-fated flight, and others joined you. I have lost my wingmen and fled to the nearby flight for protection in numbers.

I'd imagine that if OBD do not warn OFF users that flaming onions are now in this sim, there will be many people that will be heading off to change their undies. Great work SJ. Hope you get it to work to your satisfaction.

There is an excellent page (that is still a work in progress) from Homeboy. He is "jumping in" every one of the OFF aircraft and testing their maximum speed, altitude, turn rates etc. Keep your eye on this page, as you will learn what the best assets of your choice of aircraft is (be it speed, or turn rate, climb etc), then you will learn which aircraft are faster than you on the level, which cannot achieve the altitude you're at, which ones that you should NOT enter a turning fight in, should you try to out-climb that Albatros etc. Here is the link: http://snomhf.exofire.net/OFFaircraft.html

TrackIR Version 5.0 Beta testing is complete. Received this email today... "Version 5.0 of the TrackIR software is now available in final form. Version 5.0 supports TrackIR 5 and 4 and introduces an overhauled UI with improved profile management, light filtering, and preview capabilities." If you are using TrackIR 5.0, please visit Natural Point site to download the finalised software version. I haven't used the new version yet, but will tonight.

So, you think that everyone MIGHT benefit from a fresh uninstall/install then superpatch, then 1.32d mini patch? I have checked both of Homeboy's threads showing his settings for NVidia and OFF, and have followed them (to a large extent, leaving a few things that I find useful [at present such as the warnings]). I'm still struggling for frame rate, despite my computer being more than adequate. At the moment, I just have one pilot, Lt Test Pilot, so I got no problem with uninstall if it will help. I know you don't know my system BuB, and of course I wouldn't blame you if it doesn't improve my rate, but it seemed to me you are saying that you can't explain it, but a fresh install without the a, b, and c patches SEEMED to improve your rate. It also seemed that your graphics settings stayed intact...so it's not that a fresh install meant you were back to default graphics settings, and that is what caused an apparent improvement. Intriguing. I think Homeboy may have said something similar in another thread. Anyone have any ideas on this?

Thanks for the heads up MarkL. I'll check out all those leads. I saw a copy on Amazon but wasn't sure if it was DVD, so this is timely.