Got in a multi-player server tonight for the first time, just long enough to confirm that I hate it.

To be fair, it's no worse than any other flight sim 'giant on-going massive dogfight arcade' server (that I also hate).

So here's how it goes down. I've had the sim for 3 days, and more-or-less got my controls figured out at this point. Flown the Spad training missions, but still getting waxed by the AI Fokkers in training mission 6. Figured it might be 'fun' to try multi-player.

Yeah. Fun.

I get into the cockpit and discover I can't even start the engine because I haven't learned how to manage mixture yet. As everyone else is taking off, I'm trying to teach myself how to make the propeller go round and round. Finally it's all spinny and I can roll for take-off.

I get off the ground and learn rather quickly that there are people who live in the server. How do I know that? Because I am shot down instantly, and get to look at the ground, and interesting-looking Russian writing, until the round ends. On the stats screen, most pilots show 0 or 1 kills, and one pilot shows 23 kills. He's the guy who lives in the server.

I decide to give it one more shot. Results: the same. Got off the ground, shot down immediately.

Yeah. Fun.

I am reminded why I avoid dogfight servers like the plague. There are typically two distinct classes of people there. First, there are those who are new and naively want to try out the 'fun' of multiplayer. They are the "prey" or "victims"

Then, there are those who live in the servers, typically having been connected for days or weeks on end, with one singular goal in life, and that is to maximize kill count. If you listen closely, you can hear his call: "Don't leave! Stick around! You'll get the hang of it!" Translated, that means, "I need easy targets to shoot at to increase my kill count. I'm not interested in whether you're getting any 'fun' out of it, I just need you to get off the ground so I can blast you. Or I might strafe you on the ground. Doesn't matter, as long as I get the kill."

As I said, RoF isn't any worse in this regard than any other multi-player sim. It's just disappointing to feel like I'm getting in 'on the ground floor' with RoF, getting it as soon as it was released, and finding that the multi-player servers are already a 'vultures vs. noobs' environment.

Sounds a lot like IL2 to me....

Maybe it's just me but, you don't make yourself out to be much of a combat sim fan.

As patches are released annd the server amount increases, you will see servers that will kick/ban for vulching.

I wouldn't worry to much about it right now.

Some people have been playing MP in flight sims for years. It doesn't matter that you got in on the ground floor. It's not that much different from getting in on the ground floor of the next Quake...some dude named pimpslayer5000 is going to kill you in exactly 1.3 seconds. Welcome to online death match.

After flying IL2 coop online with the same group for the last few years, there's no chance I'm getting involved with any dogfighting servers.
Hopefully coop will become popular once things get rolling.

Cheers
Fawlty

Hello,
also happened in RedBaron Servers now and then. But wasn't it just this "Viks" (now with the RoF team) who was one of the worst cheaters in the IL2 servers back then ? Tweaked his plane to manoeuver a lot better. Way cooool, if not for the others lol.
I may be wrong though .. and if i'm sorry.
Greetings,
Catfish

I'm sure there will eventully be on-line servers with continous wars with objects for both sides. There you can fly in an inviroment more to your liking. Vultures over the base don't survive long or are soon chased away.

Another nice feature, if implemented (if not already in the game), would be alternate bases like what is available in IL-2.

I heard the accusations of Viks, but it could be the guy was just good. I've flown wing with a few very good flyers and marksmen who were often called cheaters. Generally the one making the accusations was just a poor pilot who thought he was better than he really was. I'm not saying there are no cheaters, but in most cases I doubt that was the case.