The OFF DiD Standard.

The OFF DiD Standard.
This is intended for the added enjoyment of those vPilots who choose to make the OFF experience as realistic as it can be. "Realistic experience", in this case, will be my interpretation of it, as I apply that to the standard I created many years ago for RB2-3D, a number of other sims subsequently and a one-year+ online war...DiD (Dead is Dead).

Some of the settings are open to debate. Mostly ones I've had in my own mind. Others may have differing opinions on them, and I'm open to consideration of those, but they will most likely make no way. This is not an expression of contempt, just that experience has shown that 'Rule by Commitee' doesn't work for DiD.

DiD is also not intended to express contempt for those who play the sim by a 'lesser' standard. People play the game in whatever way they like, for whatever reasons they like. And their reasons are entirely valid for their own private purposes. But (BUT), if one wishes to express one's prowess in the public arena (for fun, ego, bragging-rights, light-hearted competitiveness etc) one should rightly be held to a common standard, otherwise the expression has no substantive meaning or value. DiD is intended to provide that standard, to put all those of a like mind on a level playing field as it were.

So...OFF DiD:

Workshop:

Auto Mixture: Users' choice. Not all a/c of this period had a manual control, it doesn't significantly affect the player's ability to kill and with that in mind not all players can or need to be arsed with it. If you choose to enable it you are DiD+, but it's a very tiny weeny little plus.

Auto Rudder: Users' choice. It should be OFF, but maybe you have no pedals and your stick doesn't twist. In fact, with it ON you suffer a disadvantage in combat.

Invincible: OFF.
Unlim Weapons: OFF.
Unlim Fuel: OFF.
Sun Glare: ON.
G-Effects: ON.
A/C Stress: ON.
Force-feedback: Users' choice.
Flight Model: Realistic.
Weapon Effectiveness: Realistic.
Claims: Normal.
Ground Fire: Normal.
Death: Hard (Dead is Dead).
Main Guns: Normal.

Rear Guns: Wide. The choice here is between ALL gunners having, potentially, preternatural abilities vs ALL gunners having generally average abilities. I've been very nicely plastered under wide, by one to three 2-seater gunners I tried to approach, so it does NOT make 2-seaters a turkey-shoot.

Wind effects: ON.
Weather Mode: Historical.
Weather Dynamics: Dynamic.
Campaign Mission Frequency: Historical.
A/C Spawn Control: OFF Campaign.

Parameter Editor Panel in CFS3 Config (via button in Workshop).

All settings in there are at users' choice EXCEPT:

Targetting Cone: Disabled.
HUD: Disabled.
Simulation Warnings: Disabled.
Time Compression: Disabled.
Advisor Messages: Disabled.
Chat: Disabled.

In-Game Functions:

TAC: Allowed. Rule: It must be switched OFF as soon as a/c spotted on it turn to red, irrespective of whether or not you have visually acquired them. It must not be turned on again until you are 100% sure combat has ceased and you are unlikely to be re-engaged by those same enemy a/c.

Labels: Not allowed.

MAP: Allowed. The game map, real maps and the landscape over which you fly are not sufficiently corrobative of one another to make real navigation more than an unrealistically difficult and hazardous chore.

Auto-Pilot: Allowed. It's a straight & level device, use of it will put you at a disadvantage in fact.

Visual Zoom: Allowed, it's binoculars.

Trim: Allowed. Rule. Only at the very beginning of a flight (on the runway) and not to be touched thereafter. It's use simulates a pilot and his fitters setting up his a/c on the ground to his liking. Fly your a/c in QC, find out how many clicks of each put your plane as you like it, then apply those same clicks to your a/c on the runway in campaign before each flight.

Real Time: All campaign missions must be flown in real time. To do otherwise gives a pilot an unrealistic advantage in terms of fatigue and attentiveness thereof. It also de-values the stock you invest in your character, which itself tends to lead to unrealistic behaviour in combat, which can skew combat-results.

External Views: Not allowed, except to take screenies while paused. All flying and fighting must take place while in the cockpit with cockpit visible.

NB: The sim's realism rating must be at least at 100% by whatever combination of settings available.

That's it. If I've missed anything please advise.

Oh yes...resurrecting your campaign character: Allowed, but only under the most STRINGENT of circumstances. If your character dies as a result of something OUTSIDE of the game's natural environment (major FPS lock-up/stutter/freeze, kids jumping into your lap, wife/GF clapping you upside of the head, you get the picture...) feel free to make things right. You'll know if you've done a dirty and your achievements will be tainted in your own mind as a result, so don't go there.

That's the DiD standard, open to modification for a very limited time subject to persuasive proposals. But please don't hold your breath (for anyone who gives a hoot). If you wish to be regarded by it you are on your honour to observe it faithfully and may indicate your desire to such end by the inclusion of the acronym "DiD" anywhere you bally well please.

I'll finish with the usual elitist bit..."DiD, sorts the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff, the real vAces from the arcade wannabes!" :applause:
 
Salute Siggi,

The DiD qualities you have outlined here are what I have wanted since I began flying RB3D all those years ago. I would set up a Real Front server and assign myself long range recons and such and then do my best to fly them using as few "modern" amenities as possible. Now, with BH&H and TIR, there is finally a sim and set-up that will allow the WW1 aerial combat immersion I have tried for since the get-go. I just completed my third campaign mission with the Lafayette Escadrille in the summer of 1916 and was able to turn in my first claims. Flying at the 100% realism level as put forth in your DiD requirements honestly does give you such a vested interest in your virtual character that you fly to survive first, and complete the mission second. After nearly an hour-and-a-half in the air this morning attempting a photo recce of an enemy airfield, battling four EIII's who were doing their best to stop us, nearly being knocked from the sky by an Archie burst under my port wing as I crossed back over the mud, and coming dangerously close to nosing over on a poor landing, I was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. My only issue is that with my work schedule and other commitments, the only time blocks I have that will allow a couple of hours to fly full DiD missions is early on the weekend mornings. But I can look at that as just another thing that will add to the immersion factor. :)

I do have one question. Earlier in this thread it was mentioned about trimming your plane before take-off, (i.e. having your riggers set it up as you like it). How is this done?

Thanks Siggi for putting together these DiD standards. It will be interesting and educational, (not to mention fun), to see how well we can do as we attempt to fly with the same or similar constraints as our Great War counterparts did.

Lou
 
Thanks Louvert. :)

The trimming commands are listed in the Controls, which you get to by hitting escape once in the game (drop-down list that appears at top-right of screen).
 
Siggi- If one doesn't have TiR..is cockpit only still part of the standard? I'm OK with the hat button, but it does get
"a bit close" in theses crates.

Regards,
Royce
 
Siggi- If one doesn't have TiR..is cockpit only still part of the standard? I'm OK with the hat button, but it does get
"a bit close" in theses crates.

Regards,
Royce

The cockpit has to be on at all times. :)
 
Wow. I never started reading this thread once I saw what it was about because I could see exactly where it was going and knew I wanted no part of it. Now we are talking about encrypting the files so that people who have made a good faith effort to support this project can't enjoy the game as they would if they are not interested in this particular aspect. It would seem a somewhat short-sighted approach for a project that seems
to have somewhat tenuous support in the larger gaming world. It would seem like you would want to include as many people as you could! I mean, if you can't trust people about their DiD settings, what is the point of it? It is just a game. I have too many things going on in my life to play without warp anyway, so I wouldn't be joining regardless of the other settings, but, seriously, changing the game file system?

I just think it's a bad idea.

RR
 
Wow. I never started reading this thread once I saw what it was about because I could see exactly where it was going and knew I wanted no part of it. Now we are talking about encrypting the files so that people who have made a good faith effort to support this project can't enjoy the game as they would if they are not interested in this particular aspect. It would seem a somewhat short-sighted approach for a project that seems
to have somewhat tenuous support in the larger gaming world. It would seem like you would want to include as many people as you could! I mean, if you can't trust people about their DiD settings, what is the point of it? It is just a game. I have too many things going on in my life to play without warp anyway, so I wouldn't be joining regardless of the other settings, but, seriously, changing the game file system?

I just think it's a bad idea.

RR

Which is exactly why I have suggested a voluntary lock-down button, so those who want a DiD character can have one and see the status reflected on the log-book, and those who don't can still modify their files. :)
 
Rick remember these are players discussing this not the OFF Team. Anything we do to support would likely be optional anyway not sure what the issue is. Even if we did do this with no options a tiny amount of players edit their pilots - (which is generally a bad idea anyway)? We have no intention of closing things down, we open things up by adding more and more options as you have seen in the recent patches??
 
Rick remember these are players discussing this not the OFF Team. Anything we do to support would likely be optional anyway not sure what the issue is. Even if we did do this with no options a tiny amount of players edit their pilots - (which is generally a bad idea anyway)? We have no intention of closing things down, we open things up by adding more and more options as you have seen in the recent patches??

Nobody made any requests Pol, Winder first stated he'd considered encrypting the pilot files originally, then said he would do it if enough people asked for it, then said he was going to do it regardless. I was against it at first (for the reasons mentioned above by Rick), then became ambivalent, then suggested making it a switchable option.

I think the switchable option would be perfect, but I don't think trust is an issue anyway so I can't say it's high on my list of wants. For me the sim is already nigh-on perfect. :)
 
Sigi- >> The cockpit has to be on at all times. :) <<

In all my sim flying, I have never just stuck to the cockpit for the entire mission. DiD ought to be a test of my "will power". However, if I post anything DiD, it will be so :ernae:

Regards,
Royce
 
Don't worry guys I am not going to encrypt the pilot dossier files although I fail to see how this would remove any 'fun' from OFF as you can make pilots with ease - its no different to having the CFS3.exe source code hidden away....as it is.

Thanks Siggi pleased you are enjoying OFF.

I have only one 'improvement' coming up - as it has been requested a few times now - from V1.26 onwards Gun Jams are selectable in workshops - and yes affects Realism R Rating.


Cheers

WM
 
Something in here sounds like **DiD**will be the only way, people get recognition of what they achieved in this great sim.
I think, I speak for the most members participating in this thread, that this is not given.
It is hard enough, to reach 17 h flight time, even with the easiest settings, except invulnerability.
**DiD** is just a rule, made by Siggi, and accepted by those, who want to play according to this rules.
E.g. A pen and paper roleplay and the rules, is set by a gamemaster. Lets expect Siggi to be the gamemaster. He set the rules,according to his style inside the OFF-universe.
Any other is able to play OFF according to his own rules. None of you will be jugded by the way you reached your goals in that game. Sorry for the expression, but I don´t know how to express it different.

Me, for myself, practice now to regognize enemy airplanes without labels, using the zoom function. **DiD** is only one way to improve yor expirience of OFF.

Please don`t soften it up. **DiD** will not fit every players style.
 
DiD and DiDn't

Hmm... why not just have an option to select 'DiD settings' when creating a new pilot. Then those who want a DiD pilot can have one, at one button push, and those who want a lite-pilot can have theirs as well? I personally would like both, DiD pilot for serious play, and a lite-pilot when I've come in after a rubbish day at work, and just want to take a plane up for a little trip round the block, nice and simple like..?

We can have our cake and eat it...

(Mmmm, cake.....:caked:)
 
Rick remember these are players discussing this not the OFF Team. Anything we do to support would likely be optional anyway not sure what the issue is. Even if we did do this with no options a tiny amount of players edit their pilots - (which is generally a bad idea anyway)? We have no intention of closing things down, we open things up by adding more and more options as you have seen in the recent patches??

Oh, well, in that case, in the immortal words of Gilda Radner:

"Nevermind."

:applause:

RR
 
DiD's not the standard, it's a standard. Hopefully the most realistic one, as it's intended to be, and for those who get particular fun from that particular challenge.

As for 'elitism', or 'bragging rights', it's human nature, but no harm in it so long as it's not taken too seriously. People like to excell, in different things, and some people choose not to even when they know they could. In important things and silly things too, as the mood takes them.

Absolutely anyone could play DiD if they wanted to, had the time or inclination. And be an Albert Ball or Manfred Von Richthofen, given enough lives. The law of probability. Who would have remembered MvR if the bullet that creased his skull had been one inch lower and blown his brains out? Luck plays a huge part in who rises to the top of the pile and who doesn't. I've already died twice and been captured once, so I wouldn't have been one of those at the top. So much for DiD then, and 'bragging rights'.

But for those of us who want to keep trying our hand, and aspire to be a 'true' virtual ace, DiD puts that endeavour into a discrete context. It puts our accomplishments into a formal framework, by which they can be measured and sensibly validated. By those who give a hoot.

And that's the operative term...by those who give a hoot. It doesn't have to matter to anyone else, because they've chosen not to give a hoot. Not because they can't but because they choose not to.

The 'elitism' exists only amongst those who choose to participate in DiD, and the bragging rights are exercised only within that group. I hope that makes sense. The game should be fully enjoyed by anyone, however they choose to play it, because that's how they choose to play it. :)

Right, that's enough seriousness over a computer game, I'm back to my work. :icon_lol:
 
all right...going DiD standard (sigh) the real time is KILLING ME!!!!!!!!!!!
 
the real time is KILLING ME!!!!!!!!!!!

If 'real time' is not fun for you then really should just use warp and not worry about it.

BTW, that's why I use realistic navigation...gives you something to do as you fly real time. Otherwise I would find real time a tad boring. But that's just me.
 
Being the best you can be, if it was easy it wouldn't be worth being. ;)
 
Before I used the TAC I flew twelve straight missions without seeing a single hun plane, and I DO have a hi-rez monitor. In general I believe it is far harder to spot planes at a distance in the sim than it is in real life. The TAC, while imperfect, does restore that balance somewhat.

I totally agree that using no visual aids can result in a lack of action. Not the height of fun.

However, I do think that no-TAC visibility is actually realistic (not just trying to make it 'hard', but honestly realistic).

Here are a couple of excerpts from James Hall's memoirs as a rookie pilot:

"I had been flying for two weeks before I saw a Boche. They are not scarce on this sector, don't worry. I simply couldn't see them. The others would have scraps. I spent most of my time trying to keep track of them."

"Honestly, you'll be almost helpless. You don't see anything, and you don't know what it is that you do see."

Another part of his book talks about his buddy recalling approaching an enemy plane head-on and not seeing it until very close:

He was approaching at exactly my altitude. You know how difficult it is to see a machine in that position. Suddenly he loomed up in front of me like an express train...and he was firing as he came.

So for tiny camoflauged planes like these I think they were very hard to see, and I find their visibilty on the unaided computer screen to be realistic, matching accounts I have read. Just my take on it.

For those with low res monitors, less than ideal eyesight, or just a desire for more action, then obviously visual aids are the ticket.
 
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