Roger that. Thanks for the confirmation Bleddyn.

I only get annoyed at that sort of thing when the option to get it right exists. In this case we have an Alb D.III but the wrong type. One does what one can with the tools at hand.

In my WFP patch I created the option for all aces to survive the war (unless killed in the game). Want to know what Boelcke's Fokker D.VII looks like .

I don't think it is an arcade game, but it certainly seems to be leaning way more towards a work of FICTION than Non-FICTION. I am beginning to wonder if Neocube is going to start calling ROF a "World War I movie simulator" or "A Flight simulation based on the drama by..." Geez go ahead and "choose your favorite movie character and fly a plane based on the replica flown by George Peppard!" Who do you want to be today? Waldo Pepper? Maybe Willie Von Klugermann or Bruno Stachel? Notice I said plane based on a replica? Maybe Neocube will soon have a Tiger Moth in the game or one of those generic two seater observation planes like were in the movie "The Blue Max"

The wrong type, how so? Some of the skins are incorrect for the model, that's all, AFAIK.

If we had an expert on Fokker D7's I'd be willing to bet that some of the skins are not entirely correct for the Mercedes 180Hp type we have as well. There were three distinct engine versions.

And an RFC N17 with Vickers? My guess is if that existed, it was quite rare.

I'm not being critical of RoF, nor am defending it, just pointing out all this is tricky, especially in the early stages of a product, and ALL WW1 flight sims I have played have similar issues, in one way or another.

Personally from a realism perspective, I'm more concerned about not needing to reload the Lewis .

Have you played many other WW1 sims flakwagon, and have detailed knowledge of WW1 planes, skins and performance? I think you'd find, as I have, that all the WW1 games make allowances, not based on whether they would necessarily like to veer towards fiction or non fiction, but due to game engine limitations, cost and time.

RoF is certainly currently constrained by the last two.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Hint:



Edit:

From the "Kitty in the Ring" squadron:

Dart, is that skin on the right Bf version?

If so, where do I get it?

The current OAW DIII is a contemporary to the existing DVa, although it seems to be 'sold' as something vaguely related to the other DIII from a year before.

This is like having cannon armed Spitfire V standing in for the BOB Spitfire I... or having Alison engined P51A flying escort for B17s over Germany in 1945 instead of the more appropriately engined P51B or P51D.

Whether this matters is a choice for each individual, but IMO it does undermine the neocube claims for accuracy and attention to detail (to join the list including no Aldis sights, no adjustable trim setting in SE5a - and an inappropriate default trim in the absence of pilot control etc.)

LOL, it's CannonUK's skin for the Emil, but fits okay on most of the 109's.

http://www.darts-page.com/files/Bf109E4_Girly.bmp

The Kitty in the Ring is my own creation.

[edit]

I think neoqb is in a bad spot: release the earlier model (in which the skins would be correct) and get knocked for not releasing the one we have (for a zillion reasons), or release the one we have without incorrect skins and have to explain a zillion times why they aren't included.

But my book says MvR flew in an Alby DIII! You guys are so wrong!"

There would not have been a great deal of difference between the two models in terms of performance. Slightly larger engine offset by increased weight. The difference probably was that it was more structurally sound, I don't believe any OAWs lost their lower wings as the earlier versions (could be wrong). It is not solely a 1918 plane, the OAW probably started appearing in July/August 1917, so not far off the 160hp version (Jan 1917).

The OAW fits in better with the other planes RoF have done. The N17 is an exception of course, like a sore thumb at this stage.

Bleddyn, you are right! Just saw the "award."

I agree, intramile, that the OAW is a better fit with the other ROF planes. Still, a bit midway barker to hook sales with Bloody April melodrama, IMO. That, and claiming Boelcke flew a D.III, as advertised over at the ROF site. He died two months before Jasta 2 received their first Johannisthal Alb D.III.

neoqb has their hands full! The Albatros D is an involved airplane: D.I, D.II, D.III, D.III (OAW), D.V, D.Va, D.Va (OAW). The D.I and D.II were concurrent, and some D.IIs had the ear radiators and some had the airfoil radiators. The D.III had 160 and 175 hp versions, as well as relocated radiators and footsteps changed from rounded to square. The D.V has 175 and 180 hp versions, with changes in exposed engine features (air pumps, rocker arms, etc). D.Va's eventually had the 200 hp Mercedes D-IIIaü. Some planes have the aux strut, some do not. Camouflage changed throughout the series, too, moving from olive green/venetian red/pale green (which had several different patterns and color arrangements) to removing the venetian to switching to dark green/mauve and then incorporating printed irregular polygon fabric, along with the brief silver versions within all that. Not to mention props made by Axial, Garuda, and Heine, at least. There's a lot going on with the Alb Ds! neoqb'll either do them right or half-ass them; time will tell.

So far, despite the weirdness of this release, generally I'm happy with the Albatros. It's mostly what I've flown. Took up the OAW earlier and really enjoyed flying it. Default skin, natch.

I agree JFM, selling is an element here. As Dart stated, anybody that sees a Alb d3 wants MvRs.

Like you, I'm looking forward to the Albatros series. People have mentioned Dh2s vs Fokker E3s, which is great, but even better IMO, is Alb D1s/D2s versus all the late 1916 allied stuff.

RoF have done some Italian skins, and it would be really interesting if they eventually deliver more on this, like the Alps and campaigns, and with more Austrian Hungarian versions of Albs too.

The Albatros D3 is a great FM, more gritty and nimble than the Dv. It and the Se5a are my favourites so far.

Hedgehog, I'd say the reason to get the DIII is to have a historical opponent for the Nieuport17

I think that's a great reason to get it then!

And even better when/if any missions are created (MP or SP) that actually try to match the appropriate planes against each other!

From what I've seen so far, there's been no attempt yet to do this. In the MP servers, it's mostly a mix of all planes made available. While I appreciate the challenge of picking the earlier planes in MP, it's pretty much a suicide gesture. You have to select the most capable plane you can jump into if you want to live past the first merge. (To be sure, it really doesn't matter in my case. I am always the first one shot down in MP no matter what plane I pick, so I am not a good measuring stick.)

I would really look forward to some historically accurate career missions where you only face enemy aircraft that are an appropriate match (in capability and in historical timeline) for what you're flying.

Sorry Sturm_Tiger, but id have to say the DIII would eat the N17 for breakfast. Even the original one, and not just the OAW we have.

With the execption of the N17 (which is a 1916 plane and practically obsolete given the time frame of the other aircraft) the other planes are a perfect match historically.

That doesnt mean they are matched in terms of fairness or performance. The Entente planes tend to dominate, and thats just how it should be.

I tend just to fly the german side, and whilst a challenge, I would say its much more about individual skill than what plane you are flying. Again just how it should be.

As time goes on an we get more aircraft availible, you will see the tide of dominance ebb and flow, and this is just how it was back then.

Its upto the mission designer to decide on what he wants to represent. I am a fan of historical accuracy, so Id like to see comtempary fighters together on missions.

The servers you see out there today include all the planes to allow all players to particpate regardless of what planes they have bought.

Haha, that beats my 109 I flew in IL2, but just barely. The main 109 I flew was red white and blue, stars and stripes with a big American flag on the bottom.

I had some other gaudy ones, but the stars and stripes was the brightest.

If you want to fly a historical single player campaign, then I could understand wanting everything correct. But soon as people can easily edit the skins, you will be seeing hello kitty Spads flying against Stars and Stripes Fokkers and so on.

The main stuff I care about is being able to fly online, with many online options, and a good flight/damage model. I can't wait until multiplayer is expanded and for editable skins. I want my stars and stripes Dr1!!!
Also lots of bright blue BlueRaven skins!

Oh, I forgot to mention, even my pilot in IL2 had a bright red white and blue jumpsuit.

I am not against non historic skins as long as they dont try to play the fallacies off as fact.

I cant wait to have custom skin in MP with a dogfighter server. That was one thing I LOVE about IL-2. You always ran into an interesting skin.

I think the problem is releasing incorrect skins attributed directly to a particular pilot, also releasing facts about the aircraft that are clearly wrong.

I don't class myself as a purist but that does grate a bit. With Neoqb's previous statements I think its fair for them to expect people to flag incorrect historical detail.

Geez! All this, over the fact that the airplane has it's radiator a little to the right, instead of centered!
Who cares! When it's sitting on my tail putting holes in my rudder, I'm not going to be looking at that. I'm going to be seeing the two little blinking lights that are pointing at my face!
(Notice the defeatist attitude, here. I didn't say that I'm not going to notice while I'm putting holes in HIS rudder.)
While I do understand about the whole "Neoqb"s historical policy", thing, I also realize that there are so many other things I'd rather have fixed.
Damn the torpedoes and critics, full speed ahead with the Richtofen skins.

I am with JFM here, though not with his vehemence, but heck, he wrote a BOOK about richthofens planes and paintschemes! They ought to have made both models and I hope the other one will come soon, and for no extra price for those who already bought the D.III.