P3 DFW 2-Seater experience, OvS in the back-seat.

O

ovs

Guest
I posted this write-up under Winder's "P3... Update" thread, but I figured I'd give it a little more viewing in it's own thread. I'm sure Terry (Makai) can pipe in as well with his own harrowing 2-Seater experiences later. When we brought in the 2-seaters to OFF, I never expected them to be more than targets, I was dead wrong. It's a ton of fun!!

Sorry no screenshots, my PC is simply not tough enough to show the best of Phase 3... it runs it really well, just not Polovski stratospheric quality is what I mean...

OK... I hop into my DFW and crank her up. First you'll notice the difference in sound. It's A LOT louder, but stronger. If you have 5.1 speakers, it sounds like an engine should, sitting right in front of you. The DFW is dressed in classic 1916 camo, with large white bordered crosses on brown/green camo. It looks fantastic. The weather is looming, dark skies, looks like rain, but none forecasted in our area. All is good, I check around and we're clear to roll-out.

Off we go! She feels heavy, like a 2-seater should. Responsive, yet slow. She side slips a little in the turns, as expected, so nose up and keep her full throttle. We're up high now, and I switch to the back-seat. I'm not interested in flying this run, I'll let the AI take control. Yes, in Phase 3, you can back-seat till the cows come home... or in this case, till the Babies bite back. ;) It's great. A clear view of open sky and rolling hills. The Somme has NEVER looked so good. Plenty of trees, lakes, and farms all around, everywhere. It's serene... for now. One thing you'll notice right away... it's even louder in the back-seat. WOW! I feel like I'm really exposed to the elements!

The AI does a pretty good job of getting to the target, some enemy troop emplacements dug in at the front. We're a little off target, but I expect this. This is WWI, there is no radio guidence, there are no VOR's, nothing, the auto-pilot is a first Generation Saurkraut Model 1, he just dead reckons and fights the stick. So we get to target, about 2 miles off, no problem, we can see it, the wind was pushing us off course. The sky is looking ever so dark now, but no rain in the forecast.

From above I see a squadron of Esc 12 N11's high, I don't think they saw us... wait... yes.. they did. I spin my gun around and get ready. They are charging hard!! WOW!! 7 of them, pass me, all around the DFW, like arrows falling from the sky. I take some pot shots, trying to get a bead on one of them as they pass by. One banks hard off my tail, and I lay into him... he's smoking... white smoke, must have been fuel. BOOM... he explodes. Down he goes.

I look around for my wingmen, they break off in two directions, it's total mayhem. The AI is tossing the crate all over the place... I'm actually getting sick!!!! As we roll, I take a shot at one, we level, I get at another. This is insane!!! I can't see anything but the horizon, the sky, the trees, the sky, the plane .. the sky.... when will it end. Noops are all over the plane, and I'll blasting away whenever I can get a shot in. Whew... this is actually hard work!!!

Finally, we head for home... but they give pursiut. Thankfully, the advantage is ours as the DFW was a fast plane, and we easily outrun the much slower N11's. However... it starts to rain. Stupid weather officer! I take over at pilot as I simply don't trust the AI with my life anymore... at least not in the rain. ;) Looks like I lost my squadron in the Mele... I hope they make it back OK.

WOW... forget the Recon photos, I'm lucky I stayed alive in this one. We get back in once piece, we lost the N11's over friendly territory. I log my 1st kill as a Gunner. It was kind-of a glorius moment... special even. :)

Anyhow... that's what a 2-seater encounter will bring you in OFF P3. So to add to your possibilities, you can simply be a gunner. And, it's a lot of fun I might add!

Phase 3 shipping to your door sooner than you think.... keep the faith in us. ;)

OvS
 
Hello von Stachel,
thanks a lot for this live experience ! And it is amazing to read:
" ...
We're up high now, and I switch to the back-seat. I'm not interested in flying this run, I'll let the AI take control. Yes, in Phase 3, you can back-seat till the cows come home... or in this case, till the Babies bite back. ;) It's great.
..."
So the plane keeps course when switching to the observer's seat in phase 3 ??!! :jump:

When, did you say, are you ready, can't wait, arrghh ... :icon_lol:

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish
 
So the plane keeps course when switching to the observer's seat in phase 3 ??!! :jump:


Yes, with a little room for error, which I thought was great. It adds to the confusion of trying to stay alive. The 2-Seater experience is something in itself. It's a whole new game just trying to stay alive.

OvS
 
Great write-up OvS :ernae: Perhaps it could be the first post in a P3 short story sticky ? By the sounds of it P3 will encourage some good written accounts of player experiences. I hope so.

Now are you telling us we'll be able to pop into the back seat (or front in the quirck/fee) without engaging auto pilot AND the pilot will fly evasively when attacked ? This is fantastic news. I'm overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect :applause:
 
I am glad you remebered to do your seat straps up!

If you had fallen out that would have made an ugly blot on the landscape:costumes:
 
Great write-up OvS :ernae: Perhaps it could be the first post in a P3 short story sticky ? By the sounds of it P3 will encourage some good written accounts of player experiences. I hope so.

Now are you telling us we'll be able to pop into the back seat (or front in the quirck/fee) without engaging auto pilot AND the pilot will fly evasively when attacked ? This is fantastic news. I'm overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect :applause:

Yes it will. Makai has written some great stories already while he's Beta testing. Stuff that will make you drool. We're testing heavily now, as the last of the skins updates are being sent to Winder to implement. As I test more, I'll be posting more stories... I'll ask Med to change those threads to stickies so Makai, Sandbagger, Arto and I can post in there as we go. I have not tested the Fe2b yet, so I'll have to let you know on that. I would imagine it works just the same.

I'm not 100% sure the AI will jink like that all the time. This is the first time I've seen him do it, and quite honestly, I almost needed a bucket for real. I can't imagine what it really must have been like, adding in the smell of exhaust, and getting whipped around all over the place.

Autopilot remains from the CFS3 commands as <crtl><alt><a>, and once engaged, you can pop into the back seat with <F9> (or F8, I forget). But the experience of being the gunner is something I never thought would be worth doing, but I was dead wrong. It was a lot of fun, and extremely challenging.

All the best,

OvS
 
Gosh, what a super write-up! Can't wait to get my hands on P3!
 
Back
Top