Wings Over Flanders Fields (WOFF) (Dec 2013)

[Nefaro]

Some various screenshots from the past week or two.  The last one I grabbed while cycling through objects with the "experimental" observation cam they added.  It's a Brit tank that got shelled to hell, along with a squad of dead infantry in front of it.  Someone posted better 'action' shots of such ground unit carnage on the SimHQ forum that are also worth a look.






You can see where the shelled-out husk of the front lines spring from the green farmland in this one.






In the following screenshot, my wingman had been hit on the other side of the lines and managed to turn tail and fly all the way back to a friendly base but he had three enemy Fokker DrIs follow him all the way home readying to pounce on him before he landed.  I was about a mile and a half behind them, trying to catch up and save him.  Unfortunately they shot him down before I arrived but I did manage to send two of the black DrIs into the dirt right next to our 'drome.  After I downed the first one, the other two ran for home - I caught up to one of them and forced him into a dogfight.  8) 






I had SweetFx running on the first three of these and Aris' Cloud Mod in everything.  I think the thing that it broke in the game was my screenshot key.  When I removed SweetFX, the stock screenshot hotkey doesn't work anymore.  Time for a re-install I suppose.

[Gusington]

Cool tank!

[Grim.Reaper]

Patch 1.13 released, seems mostly bug fixes.

[Grim.Reaper]

Patch 1.14 released.

23 Jan 2014
V1.14h 4206

1)  Improved Run Time Map implemented.
2)  Addon Packs Version Number now displayed in workshops.
3)  Claims 'aircraft possibles' list now includes a year either side of aircraft exit/entry dates for early usage in top squads and for poor squads using older craft types.
4)  Workshops layout neatened and categorised.
5)  New Feature: Run Time Map size setting in workshops implemented.
6)  New Feature: Labels Transition Distance settings in workshops implemented.
7)  New Feature: 'Dot Label' maximum render distance setting in workshops implemented - Long range (Ca 20km) or Limited to Current TAC range (whether TAC is visible or not).
       Note this a 'Dot Label' and not to be confused with the aircraft model lowest level 'dot' and thus aircraft spotting distances.
8)  Morane Top speed reduced.
9)  Camel Low Lod model improved.
10) New Feature: Urgent Messages - low fuel level warnings implemented (remember you can toggle messages Shift+D).
11) Nieuport24Bis was not allocated squadron default skin in some squads - fixed.
12) Mission Target circle of 'successful mission damage radius' increased - Balloons etc should now be correctly reported by the CO as destroyed if they were the target etc.

[Slick Wilhelm]

8)  Morane Top speed reduced.

Hooray, now we can actually have a real "Fokker Scourge"!

Gotta hand it to OBD, they are listening to their fans and making reasonable changes from our requests.

[Nefaro]

8)  Morane Top speed reduced.

Hooray, now we can actually have a real "Fokker Scourge"!

Gotta hand it to OBD, they are listening to their fans and making reasonable changes from our requests.

Indeed.  The patches are addressing even small requests I've had and then some. 

I just recently posted about my experiences flying the Albatross DV (Uprated).  I have serious concerns about it's rudder modelling because the plane will go into an uncontrolled spin even with a small amount of rudder while in a banking turn.  I tried making a tight coordinated turn in a mission the other night, just like I do with any other aircraft model in the game, and the thing would instantly roll over into a stalled spin as soon as I use rudder while using elevator.  After having that happen four times end-to-end, I figured it was time to report it.  The other Albatross scouts do this too, to some extent, but that was the worst. 

So be warned - if you're flying an Albatross, be very careful about using the rudder.  There have been a number of people bring up the subject, and I think something is amiss with it's flight model in that respect, so it will probably be addressed in short order.

[Nefaro]

Patch 1.15 was just released this afternoon.   8)


Some great additions and fixes.  I'm glad they addressed the Albatros FM so quick and limited the range of the "Dot only" labels to proper visual ranges.  So we can turn on those Dots that take the place of more distant aircraft (to better see them) but not be able to see everything within a 20nm radius.  :)

Just as I had been doing so well in my Escadrille 3 campaign flying a SPAD VII, I may have to start up a new Albatros campaign right in the middle of it to check out the adjustments.   I imagine AI Albatros pilots will be a bit better now that their planes aren't stalling so easily, too!  :-*

[Grim.Reaper]

and another patch....

3 Feb 2014
Ver 1.16a 4207

1) Logs and Debrief now reflect the 3rdParty/Extended mission type description.
2) New 3rd Party Mission selection area was "showing through" the key chart if displayed - fixed.
3) Bug introduced in 1.15 - player cannot die in campaign - fixed
4) RNAS10 database error - caused an error shown on joining RNAS10 as a pilot at earliest start date - fixed.
5) Se5 and all variants Exhaust Emitter locations revised. Engine starting smoke and fumes will show from correct location now.

[Nefaro]

Aaaaaand 1.17.  :)

I'm looking forward to them getting the extra shadow effects implemented at some point.   8)  Hopefully the hit isn't too noticeable.

[Toonces]

Man, this sim is fantastic.  Good call, guys.

[Nefaro]

Man, this sim is fantastic.  Good call, guys.

Well worth the entry price.

See!  ;)

[Swatter]

Those are some nice looking screenies. The question I have is this: Do the aircraft feel "right" like in RoF? I know it uses the ancient CFS engine, just wondering if they can create truly great flight models with such an old engine.

[Nefaro]

Those are some nice looking screenies. The question I have is this: Do the aircraft feel "right" like in RoF? I know it uses the ancient CFS engine, just wondering if they can create truly great flight models with such an old engine.

The flight models aren't as detailed as ROF's.  I don't think any other flight sim has such individually detailed FMs, to be fair. 

However, each aircraft still feels different.  Some of them are also more fragile when it comes to diving speeds and G-forces.  I'm scared to even do a quick Split-S in a Nieuport unless I start off slow and blip the whole way through.  Damn things rip wings off like nobody's business.  Gotta watch how much you pull on them in turns, too.  Once the wings start making creaking sounds, most airplanes are okay if you hold it there but you gotta let off in the Bebes or *snap*.  ROF's Nieups are a bit sturdier, for example.

So each aircraft still has it's own personality.  You don't wanna fly the same models like you do in ROF, though, or you can get dead.  Some of the planes with in-line engines also seem to be moodier in turns, in WOFF.  Oddly enough, it takes a little extra opposite rudder work to keep a SPAD VII from nosing over into a quick spin when turning to the right, although I believe this isn't as pronounced since a recent patch that updated their engine horsepower.

In short, you'll have to learn WOFF's flight model for each plane, and their limitations.  Don't go in thinking you can fly them just like you do in ROF.   ;)

[sandman2575]

Not meaning to turn this into a "WOFF vs. ROF" thread, but I am curious -- for those of you who have played both, is WOFF a ROF-killer, or is it more of a 'each has strengths and weaknesses' situation?

I've poured a fair bit of coin into ROF buying the different planes etc., and in fairness I have not put in enough time to form a solid opinion. But I have to say that ROF has not really drawn me in yet.  Is the SP / Career experience just that much better in WOFF, as I keep hearing?

[Nefaro]

  Is the SP / Career experience just that much better in WOFF, as I keep hearing?

Yes.

ROF is great because all the little details regarding the individual aircraft is modelled well.  But it's single-player campaign is lacking because it's just randomly generated missions with aircraft spawning and nothing going on outside your "bubble".  WOFF's campaign has AI units, both on the ground and in the air, fighting it out in a whole region while you're flying your missions through it.  The environment feels much more alive.