TaillyHo

Man, you will appreciate that joystick even more now! Worse case scenario is that you've wasted a bit of time downloading and installing the patch. BH&H should install over the CFS3 installation you now have, but if you have any problems, you might be able to uninstall CFS3; load BH&H and allow it to take what it needs directly from your CFS3 disc to creat the OFF:BH&H installation. I think it's safe to say once you have OFF up and running, you won't be wanting to go back to vanilla CFS3 at any time.

Yes, Rich, it needs to go into the "Profiles" folder. If you can't copy and paste, maybe grab Olham's file from this thread again, and simply tell Windows7 to 'save' straight to the Profiles folder? (sorry, but I'm still running XP)

Oh yes, Shiloh - I'm sure you have the right game - and yes, CFS3 is a WWII flight sim. It's the western European 'theatre' that OFF builds on, and that was common to both wars. After that it's a Cinderella-esque transformation that occurs. You may as well have a bit of a poke around in CFS3 as you've now installed and patched it. Somewhere in the front end menus ('Workshop' perhaps), there should be a version number displayed (given what you've done, it should be 3.1.0.0 or similar) - or if you just go to the CFS3 folder and hover the cursor over the .exe file, the pop-up should also show the version.

Presume you don't have the DVD (Ubisoft) version (?). That comes already patched and doesn't have to be installed prior to installing BH&H - you just have to have the disc handy for when BH&H asks for it.

Rich, as Pol says, check you camera is 'reading' your sensors clearly first. Then try selecting the 'Smooth' profile (rather than the 'Default') - and move the smoothness slider to the right until it's about 2/3 the way along. I found whilst the 'smooth' profile isn't as quick, it is (surprisingly!) smoother in its tracking and also makes it easier to see all the way behind you - at least at a glance. I found Olham's profile even better, and after a bit of discussion with him and further tweaking, I have a profile that I really like for OFF. Weird that the actual profile file is no longer available from that thread, perhaps Olham will add some advice here - or you could PM him and ask nicely - he's a very obliging fellow! If you're in the UK, the recent edition of 'PC Pilot' had a nice little article on setting up and tweaking TrackIR 5.

Good news, Adger - hope you're up and running now. I don't have HiTR yet, but I'll get it soon - and based on BH&H, no question it will be good value for money.

Gee Shiloh, you've made quite an impact - half the mess are falling over themselves to greet you (or is that just falling over the ones that have fallen down, drunk!). I'd order a virtual Laphroaig but I think they've closed the bar (and with good reason!) Pleased to hear you're not so-named after the Neil Diamond song! If folks are now advising on specific craft for you to tack your 'L" plates on - let me put in a plug for the Soppy Strutter: well mannered in all aspects of flight (from lift-off to landing and pretty much everything in between); handy rear gunner to watch your 6 if you're fully occupied concentrating on what's happening up ahead; get in early (ie with a RNAS squadron in April-June 1916) and you get a relatively quiet airfield with coastal views and fresh sea air - and a handy combat advantage over the Fokker Eindeckers you'll mostly encounter for the first few months - just treat the odd Roland with respect. They bite! There might be 'better' planes on offer in 1917, but there's also a whole lotta bad company you have to share the sky with by then . . . And as for immersion - if you're excited at the prospect of joystick control, just wait til you combine that with a TrackIR (or similar) headset. Man, you are in for a great time here!

There was a thread earlier this year about low-end systems and who was running what - might be worth a look. 'Low end' might not be bells & whilstles, but it should be quite playable. Like you say, Shiloh - see how you go. Reckon they'll be a few here planning their next hardware upgrade to coincide with OFF P4 (hopefully) later this year.

Welcome to OFF, Shiloh - hope you don't have to wait too long for your disc. As uncleal suggests - there's lots of good reading on these forums to keep you occupied in the meantime. If you are a flight sim virgin, it will be important to choose a plane that is going to help you 'learn to fly' . . . and give you half a chance in a combat situation (which, in a WWI simulation you'll only be able to avoid for so long!). Suggest you check out the 'survival in the air series' sub-forum and look up the pilot's guides provided for some of the craft available in OFF. Also do a bit of research on different timeframes in the war, (so you know literally what you'll be up against), and different locations (choosing somewhere a little quieter might be a good move initially). You'll get heaps of options once you intall the sim and go to 'enlist' your first pilot - specific dates and individual squadron morale (elite; good; average; poor) you can't see until you get OFF - but having narrowed some other choices in advance will help you ending up somewhere, in something, you regret. That said, expect to lose a lot of pilots in the early days/weeks. Your rig looks like it should run OFF just fine. Vista reportedly does a few funny things here and there, but nothing you won't find advice on here from those that have been there before you.

I'm keen to try these new Bletchley mods but I'll wait til I have a new pilot to start in this time of the war. Just reading through these posts it struck me that the emphasis on 'lone wolf' missions would be a great opportunity for anyone tempted to try flying off real maps.

Not a mod, but the next most essential thing if you don't already have it: TrackIR. And if you order soon, it might arrive about the same time as your BH&H disc!

Good explanation, Hellshade. Good response, Adger - oh, and welcome to OFF! Hope you're wait is not too long.

Ok, started downloading the files - so many, and so big! The post there talks about having CFS3 installed and updated to 3.1a. I have the Ubisoft DVD version fo CFS3 and OFF was happy to use that as is. Does that mean my DVD version of CFS3 is already patched to 1.3a? Anyone?

When you get home?!? Wow, what the hell time is it where you are, Javito? It's 8:20pm here in Oz.

Ok, I hear what you're saying - and I would've been using time acceleration before I first experienced probs too. Would installing TrackIR (and supporting software) change anything, because that is the only thing I changed in terms of running OFF that coincides with the timeframe for my first mission-end problem. And, no it's not a crash so much as instead of getting a mini-film clip and then the mission stats/congrats on your claim message, it just goes back to the pre-flight campaign menu showing the time and date as it was before you started the mission you thought you'd just flown.

Javito, for what it's worth I don't run any of those 4 mods/ add-ons you mention (or HiTR for that matter). I suspect the problem lies deeper in the base BH&H and only surfaces 'later'. I'd been running OFF trouble free for 2-3 months before I had my first 'game crash on exit' problem. I wonder - and don't know if you have or can 'test' this (?) - whether it may be related to fast-forwarding in missions. I notice you use warp. I never have, but I often use time-acceleration. Have people who have never used either of these (ie they run their whole missions in real time) experienced the mission end problems? ps. sorry, can't help with your mission count problem.

Yeah, I thought that too, Parky. It's one thing to post on this forum and brag about your prowess as a pilot, but going on about your "massive member" is a bit much!

Si - great to hear you're back! I'll be looking forward to an update on Major Timm's 'adventures' and any other advice you have for my 'rookie' 'Bee' pilot (first 'report' being drafted as we speak!) . . . and it's Lou's shout ! (capital fellow, that Lou)

It would be un-Australian of me not to be very interested in your work in this regard, Lou. Ideally, I'd like to be able to run this as a seperate 'game' (install) to the Western Front theatre - and at this point I don't have the MAW add-on files. But if it's all ok for you to share your work via email - well, as you say . . . cool! Presume - being the avid reader that you are - you know about "Fire in the Sky: The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War" by Michael Molkentin (?) It would be a good companion piece for your mod.

No, no - thank you, Sir. Another virtual 'shelf' from Lou's e-library - perhaps in time for a little Easter reading . . . great stuff!

Hey Javito, Presume you know about RAF_Louvert's wonderful collection of e-books in the OFF downloads (scenery & ground objects) section (?). The Rickenbacker title you mention is in there (free!), as is 'The Red Fighter Pilot' by MvR (also available very cheaply from Amazon). I have downloaded Eric Wood's 'Top British Fighter Pilots of World War One' from Amazon, but haven't read it yet - I think it was also very cheap. I have these e-books on my 'wish list' at Amazon: Winged Victory Immelmann: The Eagle of Lille Knight of Germany: Oswald Bolecke German Ace The First Air War 1914-1918

Indeed, Widow - and Javito's and Carrick's 'reports from the front' also tell of hard times at 56 Sqd. Good luck to your returning Ace!

So, back onto the horse that threw you, eh. Jolly good show. Best of British to young Rawtenstall then. Carry on! ps. yes I believe you can 'save' a pilot's file(s) and then re-apply after a re-install or whatever . . . but hopefully somone who's actually done that can confirm for you.

Ah, methinks perhaps this is just another piece of immersive brilliance from the OFF Devs . . . they sew a small seed of doubt in all pilots' minds, so they develop strange personal superstitions - like (Javito) jumping out of the kite just before it stops rolling; (TaillyHo) stopping, then staring at the floor of his cockpit before exiting; and (Mike) always landing west to east, and then waggling his control surfaces! hhmmm.