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#2685253 - 03/05/09 04:19 AM Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell  
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citizen guod Offline
Lifer
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Jens "McGonigle" Lindblad reviews the latest version of the highly popular WWI flight sim. How much has the sim grown since Phase 2? Read on!

http://www.simhq.com/_air12/air_401a.html


Wisdom is knowing what's enough
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#2685289 - 03/05/09 06:58 AM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: citizen guod]  
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Dart Offline
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Lifer

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Alabaster, AL USA
Excellent write up. I always appreciate candid reports that capture the feel of a sim.


The opinions of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

More dumb stuff at http://www.darts-page.com

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#2685319 - 03/05/09 08:49 AM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: Dart]  
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VonBarb. Offline
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Good review, although sometimes it's obvious Jens is more of a racing simmer ( the 'engine note' lulling you to sleep betrayed you biggrin )

I would have like some comparison between P2 and P3 though. I have P2 installed - which is freeware and already a most excellent sim - and would have liked to know more about what justifies the 50 bucks pricetag on P3.

Cheers

Nico


"Et s'il ne pleure personne, que Dieu nous le pardonne "

ArmA2/OA - RoF - FSX

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#2685363 - 03/05/09 12:15 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: VonBarb.]  
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McGonigle Offline
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Thanks!

Nico, you're right I probably should have come out and said it unequivocally that Phase 3 surpasses P2 hands down.

What you get for 50 bucks that wasn't in P2 is much more userfriendly installation, a product which is much more polished in all areas, better graphics, higher reliability, better flight dynamics, better environment, better AI, the ability to warp at speeds above 60 mhp, dynamic historical weather, more aircraft, more ground traffic and, and and,... read in more detail about all the new features over at the OFF web-site . smile

Btw, I just learned that the next patch or update will include further refinements to the flight models; improved roll rates and other tweaks so the aircraft will seem more "lively".


Jens C. Lindblad


Sent from my Desktop
#2685522 - 03/05/09 04:13 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: McGonigle]  
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Well done Jens.


Pat Tillman (1976-2004):
4 years Arizona State University, graduated with high honors.
5 seasons National Football League player, Arizona Cardinals.
Forever United States Army Ranger.
#2685538 - 03/05/09 04:37 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: 20mm]  
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Lifer
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Well done Jens. Shame i can't seem to get OFF2 working, i'd like to see what all the hubbub is about.

#2685685 - 03/05/09 08:48 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: McGonigle]  
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ricnunes Offline
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Originally Posted By: McGonigle
What you get for 50 bucks that wasn't in P2 is much more userfriendly installation, a product which is much more polished in all areas, better graphics, higher reliability, better flight dynamics, better environment, better AI, the ability to warp at speeds above 60 mhp, dynamic historical weather, more aircraft, more ground traffic and, and and,... read in more detail about all the new features over at the OFF web-site . smile


As a OFF-P3 owner, I can confirm all of that! I want specially to point out that one of the improvements that surprised me the most was the AI improvements which are simply HUGE! For example I've found the AI in CFS3 and therefore in other OFF phases (Phase 1 and 2) to be rather weak (specially in terms of agressiveness and combat manouvers) but somehow (even more suprising since the OFF team don't have access to the CFS3 source code - at least as far as I know) the AI in OFF-P3 is vastly improved in comparison to CFS3 and OFF-P1 and OFF-P2. And this is only ONE of the MANY improvements that OFF-P3 have over the previous phases!

#2685716 - 03/05/09 09:28 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: ricnunes]  
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PFunk Offline
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It looks absolutely freakin' amazing.

pfunk


"A little luck & a little government is necessary to get by, but only a fool places his complete trust in either one." - PJ O'Rourke

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#2685852 - 03/06/09 12:24 AM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: PFunk]  
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theKhan Offline
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How does the campaign UI feel? Does it give you a strong sense of being there? Like being part of a squadron with killboards and pilot assignments?


I used to work for a living, but then I took an arrow to the knee.
#2685996 - 03/06/09 05:26 AM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: theKhan]  
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TheHammer Offline
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how do the clouds look? i have P2, and in CFS3, P1, and P2 the clouds always seem to suddenly pop into existance. nothing else in the game seems to do that, but it bugs the heck outa me that the clouds do so. i might be able to ignore it, but it is an immersion killer for me.


Helmut Fritz
Wings of Fury, XO
http://www.rlgaming.com
#2686081 - 03/06/09 11:37 AM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: TheHammer]  
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RSColonel_131st Offline
Lifer
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Vienna, 2nd rock left.
What I haven't understood yet: To install OFF-P3, you only need to insert the CFS3 disk for a short moment. Okay. When you then want to run OFF, do you insert the OFF CD, or the CFS3 CD, or none at all?

I like to run my (legal bought) games disk-free, is that possible?

#2686082 - 03/06/09 11:44 AM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: TheHammer]  
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McGonigle Offline
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Copenhagen, Denmark
It is amazing PFunk!

vonKhan: every time you enter the campaing there's some video footage from airfields or from battle areas. You have intell sections, a briefing room and scoreboards containing the names of your fellow pilots in the squadron and their kills tally. I'd say this ranks up there with RB3 which is the sim that I understand a lot of us think very hightly of in terms of immersion. I feel very much like actually being there.

TheHammer: The clouds look aboslutely freakin' amazing and they don't suddenly pop into existance. I took off on a mission in sleet and rain and gradually I flew out of the front, into first broken clouds, drying conditions, and then the sun broke through! Absolutely beautiful!


Jens C. Lindblad


Sent from my Desktop
#2686709 - 03/07/09 03:50 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: TheHammer]  
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Probably best to ask questions in the OFF forum here guys. Campaign is very immersive and I think most players would say so, much improved over the older versions.

Yeah sometimes happens TheHammer seems to be the way it works. If P3 does well and we can carry on maybe we can look at how we can influence it.


Regards,

Polovski,
OBD Software, developers of immersive flight sims;
Wings Over Flanders Fields and Wings Over The Reich
http://www.overflandersfields.com
http://www.wingsoverthereich.com
#2686815 - 03/07/09 08:10 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: RSColonel_131st]  
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ricnunes Offline
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Originally Posted By: RSColonel_131st
What I haven't understood yet: To install OFF-P3, you only need to insert the CFS3 disk for a short moment. Okay. When you then want to run OFF, do you insert the OFF CD, or the CFS3 CD, or none at all?

I like to run my (legal bought) games disk-free, is that possible?


You need the CFS3 disk inserted in order to play OFF (doesn't need the OFF DVD to play the game).

I hope I'm not going against any rule here: In order to run OFF without inserting the CFS3 CD you need a No-CD "patch" (which is exactly the same one as used in CFS3 v1.1).

#2686860 - 03/07/09 10:17 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: ricnunes]  
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citizen guod Offline
Lifer
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Lifer

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ricnunes,

No link, no problem. wink


Wisdom is knowing what's enough
#2687073 - 03/08/09 02:29 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: citizen guod]  
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RSColonel_131st Offline
Lifer
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Lifer

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Vienna, 2nd rock left.
Thanks, so basically OFF remains a mod running squarely in the CFS3 engine.

#2687128 - 03/08/09 03:50 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: citizen guod]  
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ricnunes Offline
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ricnunes  Offline
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Originally Posted By: guod
ricnunes,

No link, no problem. wink


Roger that smile

#2687135 - 03/08/09 04:01 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: ricnunes]  
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ricnunes Offline
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ricnunes  Offline
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Portugal
Originally Posted By: RSColonel_131st
Thanks, so basically OFF remains a mod running squarely in the CFS3 engine.


Of course OFF is a CFS3 mod. No one ever said the otherwise. But it's definitly and without any doubt the most extensive mod ever made for any game. For example:
- You only use the CFS3 engine when flying. When not, OFF doesn't even remotly "touches" the CFS3 engine.
- Basically everything in the CFS3 engine, such as terrain/scenario, weather system, aircraft, etc... is made new from scratch and the other features are extensivelly modified (like the AI for example).
- The missions (specially the campaign ones) are generated externally to the CFS3 engine (by the OFF manager program)
But in the end OFF is more than a mod, it's a total covertion of CFS3. Again the CFS3 engine is only used when flying. Everything else is managed by the OFF manager program.

#2696436 - 03/23/09 05:44 PM Re: Review: Over Flanders Fields Phase 3: Between Heaven and Hell [Re: citizen guod]  
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jlan5031 Offline
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It took me awhile to discover the review. I thought it was very good and helpful. Like the reviewer, I don't often survive.


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