Phase 3: Official Combat Reports from The Front

[ovs]

Gentlemen and our fairest of Ladies,

Makai has a great idea that we should keep you all updated, but not about how we're doing but how the game feels. How much more can you listen to how good the model of the Triple looks, or how well the AI flies the Spad as a B & Z scout? It's boring...

So we'll keep you all entertained by posting our official Combat Reports, which will tell stories of what we are seeing from Beta testing. From those stories you can see for yourselves how the game is doing, and what it's like to actually play it.

We respect the fact that many of you are pilots, enthusuasts, and fanatics of the like, and teasing you with shots of how good OFF looks is simply torture. We want you to know what the Campaign engine feels like, and what we meant by it being DYNAMIC. It's coming, very soon, you can tell because we have time to fly it now. So with that in mind, and you're interest in us at an all time high... we're ready to light the fire and show you what 3 years of waiting has brought you.

We hope you enjoy our idea, and enjoy our stories. If you would like to comment, please do so, but again, this thread is more for you to read and enjoy, rather than discuss subjects on. Please feel free to open a new thread to address any questions you might have in regards to the upcoming Phase 3.

All the best, and thinking of you first...

OvS

[Makai]

Thanks to Pol as well for suggesting we put together some of our test reports to share with everyone. Besides reports from the front I will be listing some survival advice as well that would have been useful for me.
I made the mistake of approaching this like a game. You have to approach it as an experience and really think about your course of action. You won't survive very long if you dive gung ho into a mission intent on banishing your foes without really thinking about how you are going to go about it.
The new AI changes everything. They remind me more of multiplayer action. The AI no longer split up and mill around aimlessly waiting for you to shoot them down. They are aggressive, they are in the fight, and they are out to get you.
It gets interesting from the time you take off on a mission. Sometimes you may be taking off with just a couple of squadron mates, but there are times you might be taking off with 10 other planes and if you are not paying attention and drift into one of your squad mates you will end up having a mid-air right over the airfield.
I was losing a lot of pilots to mid-air collisions in dogfights. You learn to work with your squadron mates instead of competing with them. If there are 3 planes going after one, circle around and watch the show. If you are chasing an enemy with one of your squadron mates hang back and watch him, when the EA pulls up and your partner overshoots you will be there to take over.
Like I mentioned before it is designed for immersion. It absorbs you into the era. Every mission has been a unique experience. be sure to learn the name of your wingman. If you claim a kill you will have to fill out a claim report. No witness no credit. It makes you approach the sim as more of an experience than a game.
I have been testing fighters and bombers on both sides of the line.
For general information, the screens I have posted are not on the highest settings. Graphic Detail 4, Aircraft 5, Terrain Detail 3, Scenery 4, effects 4, and clouds 2. I do not have the aircraft setting on ultra highresolution, but you can see they are still pretty sharp. Enough of a verbose introduction. The next posts will be reports from the front.

[shredward]

Screenie FrtRpt#4 introduces the prototype for the new Fokker monoplane!
Good stuff!!!

Cheers,
shredward

[Pips]

Excellent idea guys. Look forward to reading the reports.

[Makai]

You are going to love the 2 seaters. They are not lumbering flying targets that help get your kills up. They have a bite as they did, and to attack a tight formation will result in significant damage. You will quickly learn to respect them and only press an attack when you have a good advantage.
I came across 3 DFW's during a Camel mission that were scattered apart. I went for the center one and was dipping and dodging taking shots at him and the next thing I know the other 2 closed in and started hitting me with a wicked crossfire. I was well over on the wrong side of the line and turned my camel for home with a little more ventilation than I had before. If you go down on the wrong side of the line you are captured and your career is over. On occasion your pilot escapes, but not very often.

This mission was with an FFA 13 Roland to scramble 3 aircraft in the rain to meet incoming French Strutters. You quickly develop a team effort with your gunner. I made a long climb to the East to gain altitude away from the attacking planes and force them to chase us. The gunner is deadly if you can fly to give him a good shot. The Roland has great visibility (It's cool looking down out the windows) At one point I was firing at an EA in front of us while my gunner was firing over my right shoulder at another one off our starboard side. Once they take a few hits they would break off. One of them flamed and went down, credit to the gunner. No more flying flamers, and if you hit the gunner you will not see any more activity from the back seat. If you get some good concentrated hits in the engine now you will see trailing smoke. The distant smoke trails and swirling aircraft from a furball makes for some classic WWI images.
We survived the attack and downed Strutter and sent the rest packing some trailing leaving long smoke trails.
Flying the 2 seaters is a blast.

[Olham54]

Yeah, all this reads much like the real thing - maybe, we'll have to remember, that the average pilots front service time was only 17 flight hours. We all won't be heroic aces with more than 50 kills no more. I will study the books again, and do a lot of training, before I'll enter service. Must have been dead hard in some areas. But: this is what I always wanted to experience - no flying game between work and supper, but a real feel of being a fighter pilot. Yes, the pics and films made me unpatient. And these reports do so too. But: keep going that way - there ain't no other. Good luck!

[ovs]

Last night's slip into the past was with Jasta 15, early May 1917. We had our trusty Albatros D.III Early's ready to go. Aces present were Ernst Udet, dressed in a beautiful brick-red fuselage and black rudder (D.1941/16) and a young pre-ace Heinrich Gontermann. We were up high on a patrol over freindly territory (we Huns never like to admit to being 'on the defensive'). A bright-sunny day. From the south, I spotted 4 Esc 80 Nieuport 17's heading for us.

The mele breaks out, I assigned a target and sent the dogs. Up and down and all around us were Noops jinking, speeding by, taking shots. I am very suprised how agile the 17 is, as it's hard to keep the angle on my target. I finally down one with a huge burst, and a deep black trail of smoke. Down he goes, spiriling into the trees below.

Next kill was a luck shot. I caught one on the break from the tail of one of my wingies. It looked like he got too close and pulled out. I swooped in and laid a trail of fire into his engine, but I passed him so fast, I did't think I hit him. Well, looking back, he started to trail a thin line of mist from his underside, and began a wide, circular death spiral into the dirt.

That left 2 more to deal with. At this point, satisfied with my tally, I played cover for one of my wingmen and watched my pupil tear the Frenchie to shreads. A natural born killer... good man!!

We never even arrived at the first check-point of our route! Low on ammo and seeing that 1 of my wingies was smoking, we headed for home.

Another 2 kills logged. I think Ernst is getting jealous. I am just under him at 4 and moving up fast.

Point to make here is that I have played MMP for a few years and I am using all those little techniques I was taught. I was a student of the best, Rittm. Wolfgang Jager from J23b. Every one of those things he taught me I use in this game, with success. That's how real the combat feels to me. Stay high, engage to disenage, keep an escape route handy and in sight, and never overestimate the skill of the pilot you are facing.

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[Rooster89]

WOW. Thanks guys. Youve made my day.
:ernae:
-Rooster

[Legion]

Great Report, OVS, The Reports are an excellent idea, please keep em coming

[ovs]

Here are some more from a furball that erupted between Jasta 3 and Escadrille 313. It was totally nuts!

Note the scenery and how cast it feels. Like you can fly forever. Also not the amount of planes in the sky.

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[Makai]

The mission is with RFC 10 Biffs, and 3 of us are to attack an airfield just over the line. It must be important as we have an escour of about 7 SE5a's. It is early morning, mid Summer and it is beautiful flying weather. we are informed that there is a major offensive going on. The battle of Bucher in Flanders and we are right in the thick of it. We are high and about halfway to the target when several Fokker DVII's start coming our way. It is Franz Buchner and his whole gang of aces from Jasta 13. I think we are in for a rough ride. I switch to the gunners seat and get ready for a fight. The twin Lewis guns on the Biff can do significant damage and with 3 of us close together we should be able to hold our own, but the fight doesn't come. I sit in the gunners position and watch the swirling mele as our escorts have it out with the DVII's. What a sight, and what a relief. We distance ourselves from the fight and continue on towards the target.
As we get close I start my gradual dive and line up on the hangars. There is a row of aircraft in front of the hangars and no one aloft. We have caught them completely by suprise. A rarity. I drop my bombs and watch as a hangar and a fighter go up in flames. I peel off and get away from the machine gun fire and assess the damage then signal my two squad mates to hit the flight line again and watch from a distance as they come in drop their bombs. we all head out as quick as we can, and get high over no mans land where we can see a major bombardment going on at the front. The battle of Bucher is raging. Flashes from exploding shells are everywhere and there is a large dust and smoke cloud covering the battlefield. We don't see our escorts again but make it back without incident.
Also a rarity.
The fun with the bombing runs is that after you drop your load you are still not finished with the fire works and can watch your squad mates add to the destruction. Safety tip. If you have stirred up a hornets nest don't hang around to watch your squad mates bomb hits. You won't make it back home for tea.
This mission was another indicator of how unpredictable each mission is. It is not a canned fight. I expected to be shooting at attacking planes from the gunners seat and ended up having a front seat position watching the escorts having it out with the jasta 13 Fokkers. As they would have.

[CaptainScott]

Keep these coming. They are highly interesting!

[AROTH]

Me thinks I'm gonna need a better graphics card...........:isadizzy:

[Makai]

We will try to keep these coming as we can, keep in mind we are still testing to try to get this done so there will be some pauses in the reports as we try to manage our time, in the meantime here is another safety tip.

Do not linger around a vanquished foe doing victory rolls (Remember the scene in the Blue Max) If any of his squadron mates are around you are sure to end up a smouldering heap nearby.

[Makai]

This was one mission I have to share. It really demonstrates the complexity and quality of the game and was one heck of a mission. I have programmed my controls so I have a single button for screen shots and am always poised to grab one if a good image presents itself that demonstrates the action.
This mission was with a DR1 of Jasta 2 Boelcke.
A major battle is underway, Operation Michael. It looks like the whole squadron is going up. I look down the line and flight 1 looks like it is most of the squadron aces. We take off and my flight #2 forms up and heads for the front to patrol along the line of the offensive. We lose sight of flight #1. We arrive at the front and there is a massive barrage going on. Next we spot a flight of Camels out looking for trouble like us. The numbers are fairly evenly matched 6 DR1's and 7 Camels. The furball begins and the sky is full of swirling aircraft. I see one of my squadron mates with a Camel on his tail and I go after him. The first burst makes him break away and I am close on his tail but he is all over the sky. I don't like to fire unless I am assured a hit and I hold off. He is unable to shake me but is definitely not giving me any opportunities. I start to get that feeling that I am taking too long and can expect tracers from behind me any minute. I have lost too many pilots getting fixated on one target and finding someone on my tail sending my pilot down in flames. I push it a little longer then "Holy *%*&!! what was that? A DR1 flashes by so close it practically makes me jump out of my chair. It is Jasta 2 ace Karl Bolle. The aces have joined the fray and he jumps in on my oponent. I back off and let him have it. He is being more effective anyway and I feel a mid air collision coming on with all these planes swirling around. The fight has taken us from high up in the clouds to the ground and now I am right over the bombardment and a new attraction for the British troops on the ground. I swing wide to get clear off the gunfire and head back for my side of the line. I don't see any of my flight. At last glance the aces were making short work of the remaining Camels.
I head for home and when I am near the airfield I spot a lone RE8 heading back for the line. I can't outrun him but I am high and dive to get ahead of him. I have learned some hard lessons already trying to attack the 2 seaters from behind. I dive down and make a passing attack from his front left side focusing fire on the engine as I flash past from above down under and behind. I have made a lucky shot and see a fine trail of smoke streaming behind. I try to get under and pull up to get an underside shot into the engine, but the Triplane is too responsive and I shoot up above the tail firing into the Re right into the gunners line of fire and he lets me have it in the engine. My shots have been efective and a flame starts on the RE8 then he is engulfed in flames and going down. My engine is not doing well and I continue on towards my airfield trying to make it rather than setting it down in the nearest field. I can see the airfield but am crossing a heavily forested area with no where to land and just as I get to the field the engine gives out. No time for a down wind approach, I cut right across the field, touch down and roll up to the far hangar.
What a ride that was.

[Makai]

OOps, sorry about the double shot. With so many great shots to post it is too bad to waste a space.

[Olham54]

Sehr geehrter Herr Baron
Good shots - I cannot but admit, you make me jealous, flying ze new Phase 3 Albatrosses already; and I hope I will soon be able to join you in your great efforts to wipe ze enemy from ze skies. Vee vill give our best to get rid of ze crumpet menace !
Hochachtungsvoll - Baron von Mahlo (Der Weinrote Baron)

You should have a look at my thread "Flanders Fields Warmaps found", as the pic is especially for you.

[Polovski]

Would be good if some of these were also posted on the other forums or at least snippets ? I posted some copies of the text at simhq.

[CaptSopwith]

I'm still trying to get my heart to slow down from the sheer jolt I just received in OFF P2, and I'm a young man!

It was my first mission as Jean-Luc Rene, flying for the French in October 1916. We took off from our airfield and headed out over the lines - as I've done thousands of times before.

I was feeling pretty drowsy, to be honest with you. I had just flown a completely uneventful mission in IL2, fired up some OFF and after a good half an hour in the air, the droning of my engine and the lack of any contact was beginning to numb my senses and lull me to sleep.

We were about halfway over the lines. The faintest rumble of artillery began creeping out ahead of us, still several miles away. I began wondering why I hadn't seen any enemy flak thus far, as we were surly within visual range of Archie by now.

*BAM!*

A horrendous explosion booms out of my surround sound system - which was already cranked up pretty loudly. I hear nothing but wind, breaking parts, tearing canvas, and the slow coughing death of my engine. My pilot is screaming bloody murder. My screen has flashed bright red, then black, then showed my poor Neiuport 17, falling lifelessly from the sky. The upper wings still attached, but very little else.

Just like that, on my first mission, only twenty minutes in: Death. I was startled so badly that my body shot enough adrenaline through my system that my heart was pounding from the fright I received when that incredible flash of light and the BANG! that nearly put me on the ceiling.

I'm beginning to think Phase 3 will be bad for my health! :isadizzy:

[Olham54]

Capt. Sopwith wrote: ...I'm beginning to think, Phase 3 will be bad for my health!
Don't worry 'bout YOUR health, chap (as you've only just survived 26 winters).
Better worry about your mother, or your girlfriend or wife (however far you've got) - for the woman waiting for us to return from the screen - arr, mission!, it's sheer dispair sometimes. And for you, there's the pilot's health check every year (if you live long enough); or you may put the setting to "immortal pilot". But watch it: you might become an adrenalin junkie...:isadizzy: Cheers; Olham

[Makai]

Another tip from the front. Anti Aircraft during the Great War was almost totally inaffective as far as accuracy. To make up for this the Archie batteries threw up a lot of ordnance in the hopes of hitting something. It was considered a nervewracking inconvience by pilots and was considered the worst luck to be shot down by it as it was a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have been at the wrong place at the wrong time several times in Phase 3. Some pilots had such contempt for the Archie batteries that they would perform stunts over them just to taunt them. Archie was most effective to mark the presence of enemy aircraft to patrolling scouts. If you see a lot of Archie up on your side of the line you will know that there are enemy aircraft at thet spot. Here is a screen from phase 3 to demonstrate. Check out those beautiful clouds.

[Makai]

Jasta 6 has the word that there are incoming aircraft. 7 Fok DVII's scramble. I climb and cut to the right and see a Camel come down on a strafing run across the airfield, I know it is a risk to go after him before the as there are still more Camels coming down and I will be a handy target but I can't resist the opportunity as this Camel comes into my sights. My fire is effective and he goes down right onto the airfield. I have barely passed over him when I take some punishing hits that start a trail of heavy smoke. I pull up and right and the attacking Camel shoots past me, it is Capt Roy Brown of 209 Sqn. I barely make it down to the airfield and roll past the wreckage of the Camel I shot down trailing a thick plume of smoke. I quickly shut off the engine before it bursts into flames. Those 209 Sqn Camels really trashed the place.

[Olham54]

Great reports from the fields, Makai, and combined with useful hints. On my next flight, I'll watch for dense AA fire, to find the enemies. The second part teaches us: more haste - less speed. Pilots like Richthofen would have resisted that eagerness to attack immidiately just for one good shot, when it makes him the duck for another hunter. But honestly - I couldn't have resisted either; so my pilots never get very old. Keep sending these great combinations of short reports and action pics; they're "pouring more petrol into the flames". Cheers; Olham

[CaptSopwith]

Anti Aircraft during the Great War was almost totally inaffective as far as accuracy.

I don't know Makai, one burst from Archie was enough to blow my trusty Nieuport fighter into a cloud of wood chips and flaming debris... sometimes they get lucky... very lucky! :isadizzy:

[peterjh]

These reports are so making my mouth water. Amazingly immersive. Keep'em coming chaps. If I can't load P2, your diaries make fantastic reading in the meantime...