Wings Over Flanders Fields (WOFF) (Dec 2013)

[Staggerwing]

Can someone explain how the installation works?
I have the CDs and it is looking for patch 3.1.
I downloaded the EXE.  Does that mean I have to install CFS3 and patch it up first?
CD / DVD install not possible?

The install depends on the version of CFS3 you own.  If you have the DVD version, it is already patched to version 3.1 on the DVD.  So when you install WOFF, you just need to put your CFS3 DVD in the drive for a few seconds during the install routine and then your all done.  However, if you don't own the DVD version, then you must install the CD version of CFS (which is usually not the 3.1 version) and patch it to 3.1 before attempting to install WOFF.

Did the devs include the CFS3 patch as well? I have the CD version and have had no luck tracking down the patch- all the links I've found are dead, even the official M$ ones.

[Grim.Reaper]

Can someone explain how the installation works?
I have the CDs and it is looking for patch 3.1.
I downloaded the EXE.  Does that mean I have to install CFS3 and patch it up first?
CD / DVD install not possible?

The install depends on the version of CFS3 you own.  If you have the DVD version, it is already patched to version 3.1 on the DVD.  So when you install WOFF, you just need to put your CFS3 DVD in the drive for a few seconds during the install routine and then your all done.  However, if you don't own the DVD version, then you must install the CD version of CFS (which is usually not the 3.1 version) and patch it to 3.1 before attempting to install WOFF.

Did the devs include the CFS3 patch as well? I have the CD version and have had no luck tracking down the patch- all the links I've found are dead, even the official M$ ones.

Here is a link where you can get them...does not come with the game, but the devs posted this.

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3867947/CFS3_3_1_and_3_1a_Patches#Post3867947

[Gusington]

OK finally got my DVD of CFS3 today and this new one worked :)

I was going to patch WOFF up to v1.9 but my antivirus (Norton) detected a threat in the patch! Anyone else have that problem?

[Grim.Reaper]

Patch 1.10 is out, haven't any issues with any virus issues.

[Nefaro]

I was going to patch WOFF up to v1.9 but my antivirus (Norton) detected a threat in the patch! Anyone else have that problem?

I don't have that problem because I don't use overzealous Norton.  :P


There is no virus in the update.  It's Norton being a douche per usual.   When you gonna drop that zero and get with a hero?  :D

[Gusington]

HA well alrighty then. I thought I did drop the zero when I ditched McCaffee!

Will try 1.10...thanks Grim!

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Switch to Avast!  It's free, it doesn't conflict with games (it even has a game mode option so it uses minimal memory and won't pop up when you're playing), it's got an exclamation point in its name, and it's free.  Also, it's free.

[Staggerwing]

But... is it free?

[Gusington]

Patches aside, where do you all recommend to begin with WOFF? Quick missions?

[Nefaro]

Patches aside, where do you all recommend to begin with WOFF? Quick missions?

I never bothered starting a quick mission.  Went straight to campaign.

It also helps playing campaign missions so you have a reference on where to put your game settings.  Campaign missions are much more demanding on your computer. 

I'll reiterate some suggestions here:

Force your AA, AF, and Vsync settings in your video card's software for CFS3.exe.  You get better results than using the in-game settings.

Also enable FXAA in your vid card software if you have an Nvidia card as that will clear out some extra white jaggies on wing wires.  Otherwise you have to turn on Supersampling to do so and that is wayy more demanding.

Turn the Terrain setting level lower than the default 3 (I use 2) if you still get some stuttering when flying in a campaign mission.  Most of the time it will be fine but you may get some when over no man's land with battles raging on the ground and the air nearby. 

Select Easy Outcomes - No Pilot Death in the game settings (aka "the Workshop").  If nothing else, it will save you the time it takes to create new pilots all the time, because you will die regularly until you get some flying experience in WOFF.  I also keep it on due to the occasional wingmate colliding with me, but now I still play "dead is dead" when my pilots die in combat or legitimate crashes.

If you fly early war missions, you'll be doing more flying about with less combat.  It's the nature of the earlier air war - recon missions.  The later war years is when the dogfights start getting bigger and you end up running into enemies all the time.  Also, the first few missions you fly in a campaign are Orientation flights of sorts, so your flight leader isn't too keen on getting into a scrap while babysitting you nuggets.  So don't be surprised if he doesn't engage sighted enemies the first few patrols.

Turn on your Tactical Display (Shift+T) for better situational awareness.  There are also various label overlays for distant aircraft but I find that the Tac display does an excellent job without having to gunk up the rest of the screen.  It also has a text display below it with some helpful info.  You can also turn on extra HUD gauges with F5 and cycle through each one with some other keys.  Lots of UI options, including being able to drag any of these extra UI gadgets around by click & drag with the mouse.  Get familiar with the key commands if you want to turn a bunch of UI stuff on or off to your liking.

Keep in mind that each AI pilot has a personality and varying abilities.   Some will run away first chance they get while others will follow you all the way home in order to take some shots at you.  Likewise some flight leaders will bug out if they spot an enemy flight they don't like while others will dive on a group at 1v3 odds just because you have the altitude advantage. 

A definite positive point about WOFF's campaign is that you will learn how to better survive over time, just by flying and experiencing what's going on around you.  For quite awhile I would die approximately every four or five missions until I learned not only the limits of my airplane but especially how to decide when & where to engage , when to run and to try staying with my flight as much as possible so as not to get ganged upon all alone.  It just takes experience to get good, just like anything else.

[Nefaro]

Switch to Avast!  It's free, it doesn't conflict with games (it even has a game mode option so it uses minimal memory and won't pop up when you're playing), it's got an exclamation point in its name, and it's free.  Also, it's free.

This.


There was reportedly an Avast false positive with the vanilla installer on release but I never experienced it. *shrug*   Maybe Avast patched it so quickly I didn't have it downloaded before it was fixed.

Norton's heuristics are notorious baby killers.

[Gusington]

Thanks Nefaro, I saved your above list as a Notepad file for reference :)

[Nefaro]

Rick Rawlings left a great overview/review of the game and how it works, with pic references:

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3890065/User_Reviews_Thread#Post3890065

It gives more information than a simple feature list could.  ;)

[Gusington]

Wow he just posted that today? He must have read my mind :)

[Nefaro]

Patch v1.11 is out.


Some new stuff in it too!


9 Jan 2013
V1.11 4201

1)  New Content added: Addtional German Squads.
     •   8 New German Mixed fighter/2 Seater squads; FA(A) 226, FA(A) 241, FA(A) 257, FA(A) 258, FA(A) 266, FA(A) 272, FA(A) 273, FA(A) 277, FA(A) 281
    •  5 New German fighter squadrons; Jasta 58, Jasta 59, Jasta 69, Jasta 67, Jasta 68
2)  Fixed a Withdrawn Machines announcement bug
3)  New Feature: with HUD (F5) and TAC (Shift+T)   turned off there was no definitive visual indication of pilot status (aural clues aside)
    •   The sim can now display all the Urgent Messages (Shift+D Toggle On/Off)  top-centre when TAC Instructor is hidden/off
    •   New Instructor Urgent Message "Pilot health - xx%"
    •   Rendered continuously once pilot health less than 100%
    Note: The top-centre Shift + D display is used only when the TAC (Shift+T)  Instructor is hidden.
4)  AI was not firing fixed guns intermittently - fixed.
5)  Player can jam a gun and hand it to the AI - AI can now unjam guns under its control.
6)  Z key display now shows TAS and GS (ground speed). Formerly it showed only GS but called it TAS.
7)  New incoming Ace Craft are now announced to Player.
8 )  Transfer Missions: user can no longer airstart and a message is displayed telling player why
9)  Promotion rate slowed down.
10) New Feature: Implementation of Injury Visual effects and Over G Visual effects, and associated settings in workshops!
11) New Feature: Random Dossier Photo selection button added for when enlisting.
12) Fixed Albatros D.III, D.III OAW and D.III early, and Rumpler CIV aircraft issue that could affect some effects or sounds from playing when damaged.