How to fly like they did.
If you want tips to fly as close to the original WWI environment, here are a few tips.
These are based on P2 and hopefully some won't be necessary in P3. These are also for campaign mode; the only way to enjoy OFF.
ALL IMHO
Mission Selection:
Don't hesitate to use the optional flight button. There are times when the mission generator produces missions that are out of the question. It was extremely unlikely that a squadron based in bruges would be sent to bomb Paris. They usually had assigned sectors or areas of operations, so feel free to select optional flight until one comes up that looks more realistic based on your sector. Also, they rarely flew in adverse weather such as rain or snow. You won't know the precipitation , though, until you start the mission, so you may have to abort if you choose not to fly in rain or snow or zero visibility.
Pre Flight:
Since you start already in the cockpit, you cant do a walk around, but you can do some checks as they did and we still do IRL. Look behind you and check the operation of your rudder and elevators. Look left and check aileron operation both directions and do the same for the right wing. Look in the cockpit and check the throttle movement, mixture as well if it's modelled. You may think that this is just fluff but it does have application in OFF. Like an airplane, we use equipment that might not work correctly such as joystick, throttle, rudder pedals and TrackIr. You may not know that these aren't working until you're in the cockpit, and, like a real airplane, you're usually forced to abort.
Engine Start:
I use the full procedure: Battery on (yes we know they didn't use a battery, but it's necessary in CFS). Mags (or mag) on, mixture full rich , if modelled, then hit the start key. Unfortunately, the mechanic doesn't come out to swing the prop, but it's nice to see the flames from the exhaust and/or smoke when they start.
Unfortunately, these procedures, leave you on the ground long after your wingmen have taken off and greatly increases the chance of them going stupid and flying circles around the base ad infinitum or crashing into the ground.
Climbing Out:
You can choose to circle the base a few times to gain altitude before you embark on your heading or you can go right out in a cruise climb. Assuming your wingmen haven't augured in, and you're plane is so equipped, you can throttle back a few hundred RPM's to help let your wingmen catch up.
Navigation:
The early aviators didn't have pop-upmaps or GPS do help guide them. They only had ded reckoning and landmarks to help. Most carried maps either folded up or on a scroll that they could use. Of course, after flying over an area long enough, they learned the landmarks and views so that they didn't need them so much. Fortunately, WM's scenery is so good, you can do the same.
To navigate, you need maps. Forget the in-game map. It's too vague and mis-guided. There are several posts about maps here. Plovski's site has the two maps that you can download. They are rather large, but clear and easy to read. Drawbacks: They're not very accurate and you don't get enough of the Vosge/ Alsace region if flying Lafayette Escadrille or some French or German squadrons.
I have downloaded others I've found around the internet but those are small in scope so not all areas of the front are covered.
The best I've found are screen captures from MS Encarta. You can focus in and zoom on any area that you fly over in WWI. I like these, because they are the most accurate to WM's scenery that are available. Over the entire front, I have found only 3 roads on the maps that are not in the game. The rivers, roads, railroads, and some exisiting airfields are spot on.
Drawbacks: Perhaps too accurate to replicate WWI navigation, features are hard to read at a distance and require going over with markers (I use green for rivers, orange or red for roads and black or RR's), at different levels of zoom the smaller towns names may or may not appear.
I mention the city names because I think it adds to the game when you can see the village or town, after which, your airfield is named and see where it is in relation to your field. To use MS Encarta, I max zoom over the area I want, take a screenshot (ALT + Print Screen) and use Irfanview to view (new blank image, go to edit and paste). I then print it our and go back to the web site, then move it to cover the area next to where I just printed. This gives me 8 1/2 X 11 sheets that I put in plastic page protectors where I can use a grease pencil to make notes and mark targets, such as ballons, army bases, camps, airfields, etc. This comes in handy on lone wolf missions. The sector you fly in rarely uses more than 4 pages so with two to a protector (back to back) you only have two maps to fumble with as you fly, and many times just the one. Again, though, after flying over the area, you will learn it by rote and just a quick review at mission briefing is enough consultation.
This can also be done with the other maps, printing them in sections, getting a commercial printer to print a large map and cutting it up or folding it. The question of accuracy comes into play, as, I believe and am open to correction), the maps in WWI were not very accurate. So, that is up to you. There was another map posted recently, and I wll try to find it that looks very good and might be just off enough to be more realistic. It covers part of the Vosges, but not enough as Luxeil is just off map.
Some flyers use warp or autopilot as they don't have the time to fly the whole mission manually. This is understandable as they rarely go under an hour. I never do, but that's a personal choice. If I don't have the time to fly a full mission, I fly quick flight. I won't denegrate anyone who uses those aids, because if they fly OFF , they can't be all bad
. There are a lot of interesting and stirring things to see flying across WM's scenery and you can miss a lot.
Be aware that in the mission briefing, when trying to locate the postion of your objective, the location on screen is usually about 4 or 5 miles to the southwest of it's position in the game. It's best, until you learn the area, to use the position relative to nearby airfields as they will be off on screen too, so you can better judge where it will be in the game.
Situational Awarenes:
I fly with no aids in this regard with very few exceptions. I fly with labels off and tac display off. I know I miss MANY dogfights this way, but I am forced to keep my head on a swivel and when other planes are spotted, it makes the chase quite exciting and sometimes disappointing when you dive on them from advantage and find them to be friendly. The only time I use the aids is when looking for the RR yard I'm supposed to attack. I will use the tac display (front 180 deg. and buildings only) and the labels to sopt the target. After I spot it, all goes back off. I don't do this for other targets. This way, I will sometimes fly a whole mission and never see an enemy AC. Not too often though. Sometimes, I get in so many dogfights, I pray for a boring milk run just as many pilots did in WWI ,I'm sure.
End Mission:
Whenever possible, I try to gather up my wingmen before heading back. Also, I strive to always return to my home base. Usually, there are nice landmarks such as a group of trees, river or rr track that make it easy to line up with the field to help with a good landing. After landing, I also taxi as close to the empty hangars a s possible. This usually means knowing when to judge shutting off the engine so you coast to the right spot as you have no brakes. Stick always full back to help the tail skid dig in. If you shut off the engine on final as many pilots did, then you can't do this. Shut off the engin on the ground with either mixture or mags and shutoff the battery. Then I sit for a bit and gather my wits and listen to the sounds of the airfield. Hit ESC and end the mission.
A note about pilot settings in workshop. I use death on die roll because the other two are too absolute. Dead is dead will leave your pilot dead at the least little thing. CFS doean't allow for much detail in pilot resolution. Never dies is not realistic either. Death on die roll seems better as you can survive small crashes but it seems a catastrophic event will almost always leave you dead as you might expect. There is no resolution for being captured, so whenever I go down behind enemy lines, I retire my pilot. It's a very rare circumstance that I let him get back but it has to be very close to the lines and in a less active area. I think I've only done this once.
Hope this helps everyone get the most out of OFF. Just be aware it takes a lot of dedication and discipline but the rewards in terms of immersion are unlimited. If you let it, OFF will draw you in and you will be scared, nervous, frustrated, angry, cocky, etc. You will be shocked and horrified when you see your wingman blown to bits by a well placed AA shell. You'll take it personally when you hear the bullets hitting your machine and know fear wondering if your fuel line was hit and you're miles behind the lines. You'll feel real relief when you shut your engind down at the base and hear the quiet, while you relaize that you're actually sweating. Your neck and shoulders get sore from constantly looking around you.:ernae:
