can I ask those in the know.. will WOFF mean the removal of the original OFF?
Can they run side by side, or as two seperate games?

They are two separate games.
WOFF is OFF's evolution, but you don't need OFF to install or play it.

But we will still need CFS 3 for the install, yes?

You'll ALWAYS need CFS3, let's just say it's matter of legalities, and leave it at that

You can't run them side by side as they both utilize the same ( 1 ) Registry, and they would quickly get confused

Thanks, that was my point, so I will only be able to install one or the other..

Actually, I'm not so sure of not being able to install both separately.
Only a dev can answer it.

WOFF is designed as a replacement. It's not recommended to try to run them side by side and we won't be testing that situation.

Roger.. then I'd better make the most out of the current OFF hadn't I, lol!

Yes, you still have two good weeks.
With WOFF installed, you won't want the previous OFF back.
We had questions like yours, when Phase 3 came out. But I heard of no one, who prefered to stay
with Phase 2 after he had seen OFF Phase 3.

I'm very much in favor of SPAWNS or Clones, as of now they're ONLY in QC. Because I enjoy enemy aircraft coming at me, 1 at a time all night long

I surmise the Spawns will be a thing of the past, when WOFF is released as the Developers have a poor opinion of them

So all Phase III patches are in my documents

As the ONLY source for them is the OFF Home Page

Once WOFF is released . . .POOF

Well we still will of course have the update/patch downloads available for those with P3 still who at that time have not yet moved to WOFF. They won't go "poof"

The OFFset settings manager included with OFFbase should make it easy to switch between separate registry profiles and alternate between separate installs of OFF and WOFF. I've already done it with vanilla P3 and HitR.

Whatever you've managed, you've managed. . Problem is that most can't manage it

Just as I can make my pilots change squadrons, it's a lot of work . . so I don't bother with it . . . But it can be done

I never uninstalled Phase I . . . Phase II went right on top and my controls from Phase I remained

then about a month later the whole mess went buggy and had to go

I should think you'd have to go without the installer which won't allow you to do it

Most Folks like the installer, that's why it's there

Lots of strange comments happening in this thread but I'll try to clarify:

WOFF is a big change for us hence its no longer OFF4 and as such will be standalone from all prev phases of OFF so:

1) WOFF will not us the same registry settings/locales as OFF1/2/3 but as Pol says we will not test side by side anyway, but should work.
2) Yes you will need CFS3 for WOFF.
3) OFF3 will not disappear overnight from our website when WOFF releases.
4) No we have not announced a date for WOFF.

As usual we reserve the right to change any of the above...


HTH

WM

Cheers WM!

I want WOFF so I can go POOf

Two weeks, isn't it?

We are still eight, count 'em, eight, preview videos away from the release of WOFF. This is, by my count. LOL.

Pol, you definately need to get cracking!!!

OlPaint

Ah but more work on vids means less work on WOFF aaaaarg but we'll what we can do to keep juggling

Actually, transferring squadrons just takes a couple of mouse clicks in OFFbase, easy peasy.

Fine. . wear it in good health. But I prefer to run OFF as OBD sees it

I survived quite nicely without OFFbase for a looong time, I see no reason to alter that condition

What many held a great hope for was to save their prize pilot OUTSIDE the game. So the Buttons in Workshop can be used as intended without loss of pilots. as is now the case

This also has been done, but unfortunately there are many needed steps needed to pull this off

The hassle isn't so much to move the pilot out, it becomes tricky to bring him back totally functional

I only did it twice, both times I must've made the GOD's of OFF angry

First: He had 31 Hours, lasted 2 missions

Last: He had 16 Hours, died first time out

Pol, please don't trade development time to make beautiful Preview Videos. What I meant to say was, OFF P3 was released after eleven Preview Videos. We wouldn't want you to go against established presedent.

OlPaint

Lol no worries Olpaint I'll try not to make it 12 this time for sure .

Heck this time round we even sleep for up to 2 hours a week and everything!

2 hours per week?!? Now you're just getting soft. You probably ate this month too, didn't you?

Hellshade

Lol Hellshade - best not shout that we wouldn't want to give anyone daft ideas like wasting time eating .

If OFF was fine as OBD sees it we wouldn't have WOFF in the works. And having features such as transfers and tracking of squadmates' actual air activity are some things WOFF and OFFbase have in common. With OFFbase you just don't have to wait "two weeks"! But to each his own.

Still, if you change your mind, version 0.7.8 with an easy installer and improvements to the Mod Manager should be posted soon. Wait for that to go live before giving it a try.


I've discovered to secret to restoring OFF pilots reliably, and could even script it to make a handy backup utility like OFFbase does for Workshop and CFS3Config settings. But you're right about jinxing it--and the easy ability to cheat is too tempting. What's the point if you can just restore your pilot after every crash?

Many of us, myself included fly OFF as an escape from reality. A mythical existence as a WW1 pilot. That's where we differ, in that I couldn't care less what my pilot does when he's on the ground.

Indeed if you paid more attention to the already in existence variables in workshop. You'd find that by simply checking PILOT CAN NEVER DIE You can fall from 8000 in a ball of flame, you know he died, as well as I know he died, but according to the manager after 27 Days in Hospital he'll be fit as a fiddle. That's where you step in, any hospital stay in excess of 24 Days means manditory retirement. No ifs, ands, or butts, that's a one way trip to the showers. Such behavior has benifits as well. Your pilot can never be interned as a POW, he'll always escape over the weekend to rejoin his squadron

Actually I'm surprized none ever included it in one of the many mods offered

With the use of such a method, your pilot can last quite awhile, or you can cheat and last forever. And who will ever know besides you.

Reminds me of a foolproof system too stop those "ACES" who delighted in showing off their pilots log books to prove their prowess as Real Life WW1 Pilots ( I think that was why )
Everytime you selected an EASY control in Workshop. Numerical Points were subtracted and appeared in RED on your PILOT's LOG

I used to enjoy having 6 beers, and playing at a -160

A few comments here to avoid confusion:


1) I fail to see how you can comment about what WOFF does when the product is a) not out yet and b) we have not released an official features list.

2) WOFF automatically accounts for everything that happens in the sim at run time and it is integrated into the game - OFFbase, as an external applet, or any mod, can not do this as the outcomes data via the standard CFS3 engine is not there in P3. (having a player manually enter 'some of this data as he recollects', post mission, in a seperate applet is not and never can be the same as integrated and automatic real time data tracking in the whole theatre)

3) All posters behave in this thread please I can see it going downhill ....


WM

aww. And we were so close to the first "My daddy can beat up your daddy" comment.

Hellshade

Seeing as this question doesn't merit a thread of it's own . . . . I'll stick it here

It would seem the boys of OBD have a great many ideas of what features should be included in their latest edition of OFF. Firstly can it be done, within the confines of CFS3. Next I would assume the Developers have a round table discussion. And most importantly does if conflict with other parts of OFF. I think it's safe to say that many OFF features wound up on the cutting room floor.

We as a new Phase is introduced, the features are so jaw-dropping, one normally forgets whatever was offered previously. Underline normally not always.

Whatever became of the animated pilot figures from Phase 1. As I remember it, upon landing having completed your mission and set her down possibly with battle damage. As soon as the aircraft came to a stop, the pilot climbed out of the cockpit sometimes he kissed the ground, other times he knelt and prayed, thanking GOD he was still alive, still others he had one leg badly shot up and he dragged himself away his plane blew up in a ball of flame

(( Modders take note }} That's as interested as I care to be, about the Life of my pilot on the ground

Uncleal take note : other people fly OFF besides you and they may have different interest. Despite the fact that they aren't YOUR interests, they are still valid. A crying shame, I know.

Hellshade

Until you actually make a flight sim of this size (WW1 especially) you will have little idea of how difficult it is. Umpteen 1000s of reasons that most people never need to consider. We have to remove things, or change, but most occasions improve dramatically. We have even sometimes had to remove something we spent long hours making and were quite pleased with .. that's my favourite. Stuff happens unfortunately.


On that note as the thread has wandered off and crawled under a rock I think it's time to close it