Wayfarer

Polovski, if you'd only done half what you've done with OFF I'd still be impressed! I just wanted to confirm what I'd found by sticking with this early period, for people who might be considering trying it. It seems as though not that many people stick with it. For me, reconnaissance and spotting in a BE2 represents the real 'job' that so many people did (and died doing) during that war. I guess, however, that many people would like at least the chance of aerial combat and, for the moment, they would probably be best starting in June 1915. It wasn't disappointment that made me mention the Eindecker behaviour - more shock! (P.S. but please don't let that stop you adding an early Aviatik if you ever really wanted to.)

uncleal, you are right there. It already annoyed me with some of my 'test' pilots (the one's where you see just how long you have to vertically dive a BE2 before the wings come off). I saw your post about it some time ago and reckoned it must apply to HITR. Si, despite the lack of enemy aircraft so far, I also feel that the pilot has been lucky to survive being shot down by AA, piling up on landing (twice!), and doing a great vertical bank turn -to find himself heading directly for his three wingmen coming in the opposite direction! I am definitely sold on HITR - it will probably go on my letter to Santa. Wayfarer

I have waited a few times now for my wingmen after I land, speeding up time until I see them approach. A number of times, one has waved off at the last minute and gone round again (these are BE2s in 1915). They have crashed a number of times though, and I have wondered if it was possible they would crash into me whilst I was waiting, although I don't think I ever land straight enough to be in their way! I agree with vonOben that it is does seem a pity at the end of a mission with no losses, but I have found that when squadron losses are announced, as the time/date changes, my wingmen don't seem to be dying or being injured in these pile ups. I don't know whether anyone else has checked this.

Olham, For a question like this, you could try 'The Aerodrome' forum. They are very good with identifying photographs.

Since escaping death on a die roll from an AA hit, I have been fairly corkscrewing the B.E. around when caught by AA - Yossarian would be proud! Reading pilots memoirs, they seem to laconically refer to changing altitude to put the AA gunners off, and I'm sure I am being unrealistically frantic (I know that reconnaissance aircraft often had to keep flying straight to get the job done) . I was wondering what other people do when caught in AA, and how much difference it really makes in OFF as to whether you are hit or not? Wayfarer

Thanks uncleal. They are good points to bear in mind. Explains why I wasn't being bothered by the big stuff before. Though I have roused some machine gunners now and then.

I just read the RSS for 1915 - June 1916, where the realistic setting for Ground Gun Accuracy/ROF is 'Easy'. It was only after I changed from this to 'Normal' that I began to be seriously bothered by AA. Now I can have a few more 'Easy' months with a clear conscience! It's the first time I have really read the Realistic Survival Settings. They are very interesting. Thanks to the people who are putting them together. For anyone who hasn't picked up on them, they're posted in the 'Survival In the Air Series' sticky under General Discussion.

I was reading that one photo-reconnaissance pilot was compelled to change direction every fifteen or twenty seconds to avoid AA, but it was 'worth the risk' to get good photographs. So that seems to be quite well mirrored in OFF.

That is essentially what I was thinking. If it is modelled, I was wondering how/if adjustment by the AA crews would be factored in. I don't know if that is possible. Of course, Hellshade's method gets round the entire troublesome issue!

Thanks everyone. I am currently only in May 1915 - I think I'll surrender now!

Just curious. Is lightning modelled in OFF? I am sometimes seeing parts of cumulus-like clouds 'lighting up'. Wasn't sure if it was meant to happen or if my grpahics card settings need tweaking. Thing is, I dived beneath the clouds to avoid any harmful convection effects, got bracketed by AA and was hit. I fly 'Die Roll on Death' (I know - some people view it as cheating) and got away with a 'captured but escaped after 20 days'. As this is my first campaign pilot I was quite pleased. I'm thinking of climbing above the things next time! Wayfarer

Thanks everyone for your replies. The weird thing about the 'lightning' is that it really looks like cloud-flash lightning and I have only seen it with the right type of clouds. It's a good point about the maximum ceiling. I am flying early on and I'm sure those deep clouds reach higher than I guess! As for the settings, I certainly need to give myself a chance. My friends can confirm I've been notoriously bad at these things since the old Atari days! We recently stayed with a friend who has CFS3 ETO with a force feedback joystick. Couldn't take off in a Spitfire for love nor money. Ploughed the starboard wing into the deck every time. I couldn't get used to the stick having a life of its own and kept letting it have its own way! By the way, I only realised this week about personal conversations. I found I had notifications from a couple of people from a little while back. So apologies for not having responded, I wasn't deliberately ignoring anyone.

Thanks British_eh. Thought me or the computer had finally lost it! And thanks to everyone whose put these together. Wayfarer

I have just searched through this thread and can't find the actual links to any pilot primer except for the Pup. I can see the posts where I thought the links were. I have viewed them before without a problem. Have they been moved/removed? If not it seems I have a PC problem.

Thanks Olham. Appreciate the effort.

This may already be well known (although the publication date says 2010), and probably not that much use to those who already have an extensive library of WW1 aircraft information, but I just got a copy of 'The Essential Aircraft Identification Guide: Aircraft of World War 1 1914 to 1918' by Amber books. I got it for £13.30 from Amazon UK, and haven't seen it in any shops yet. As I gave away any WW1 aircraft books some years ago (fool - why didn't I foresee OFF!) and have been relying largely on my Dad's books from the 1960s and 70s, recently dug from his loft, this seems a good introduction (or reintroduction) to WW1 aircraft. It has many colour profiles by an artist who has done work for Cross and Cockade, amongst other things, and information on the Eastern and Italian fronts and Maritime aviation amongst other topics. It also has a number of tables on numbers/types of aircraft deployed, losses etc. I am not knowledgeable enough to make a well informed judgement on its worth, but the pictures certainly make it very browseable, although it does keep repeating the specifications box for different examples of the same type, which seems a little redundant. I imagine people with a long time interest will have all this information anyway but if you are looking for an introductory book, with a reasonably extensive amount of information, this seems very good.

Just running through my key commands list and wondered if, in OFF, any German pilots ever get parachutes in 1918.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I had read a little about early 'chutes but wasn't sure if OFF had them yet.

Olham, When you get a moment, please you could move me a little south, to where 'sqran' is. That is a more accurate placing of where I am. Thanks Wayfarer (I tried sending a PM but it wasn't accepted)

Just a few minor points that cropped up during missions, if anyone could please clarify: 1). I've read that F7 is for 'Maps in cockpit'. Would this be just a multiplayer thing? I don't get anything happening but I wondered if I was supposed to have some maps loaded somewhere. 2). I have tried the flares loadout but don't seem to be able to do anything with them. Do they only work in particular missions? 3). My current pilot completed 5 missions, which showed in his Flight Log. The In Service details stated he had completed 10. I think that the difference is those missions cut short to enable daughters'/wife's homework and such. I edited his xml file to read 5 and this worked. Having completed his 6th mission the In Service details now gives the total as 11. is there any way I can edit the file so the Flight Log and In Service missions tally? Thanks

Thanks UncleAl. My main concern with the flares not working was that it might have been indicative of OFF not having installed correctly. In addition to the 'M' map and the D/Ls I have some maps from the old 'Flying Corps' game. They're pretty good but limited in area and, of course, the front lines aren't always in the same place. And you can bet I only venture to edit files after much reading up on these forums!

Red-Dog. I think it was something to do with the time period. I'm usually flying a BE2 in February 1915. I tried with a 11/2 Strutter in 1917 and they worked fine. Definitely pretty! Thanks

Thanks Red Dog. How do you get the flares to do anything - even just look pretty - I can't seem to activate them.

'Italy throws a punch at Austria and misses, but Austria falls over anyway. Italy raises both fists in the air and runs round the room chanting.' Ok ... so now I have to explain to the office why I unsuccessfully tried to stifle a massive guffaw!

I am trying to manage the engine revs as explained in other posts by using Ctrl - to lean the mixture as I gain altitude, and ctrl + to enrich while descending. I am flying a BE2 and seem to keep the revs between 1100 and 1200 most of the time. My other flight members seem to climb and pull away from me with ease, often leaving me feeling uncomfortably alone (fortunately it is February 1915 and I haven't seen an enemy aircraft yet!). I am thinking perhaps I should be getting more power out of the engine. I usually hit Ctrl - three or four times every 1000ft or so, flying at no more than 6000ft. I once tried about ten times and the revs dropped below 1000. Should I be doing things differently?