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Dicta Boelcke for WOFF

Italicized text is Boelcke’s original analyses, regular text is the WOFF exegeses.


Eins
Make sure you attain a position of advantage when in air combat (speed, altitude, numerical superiority, position), before you attack. Fly from out of the sun.

Make sure you attain a position of advantage when in air combat (speed, altitude, numerical superiority, position), before you attack. You can use the clouds as cover: if you can’t see the AI they can’t “see” you, with the caveat being that the AI’s virtual eyesight is better than your real world eyesight.


Zwei
When you start an attack, prosecute it to the end.

When you start an attack, prosecute it to the end, unless you begin to lose the position of advantage as outlined in the first dictum. If you see the tables are turning it is best to retreat earlier rather than later, using your remaining advantages to break away from the fight.


Drei
Fire the machine gun at close range and only when you have your opponent well in your sights.

Fire the machine gun/guns at close range, within 50 yards or less, and only when you have your opponent well in your sights. Avoid deflection shots unless you have practiced them as they are a waste of ammo.


Vier
Go after the opponent from where he cannot see you.

Go after your opponent from where he cannot train his guns on you. If you are fighting a single-seat scout, attack from any angle that allows you to fire on him without him being able to fire on you. If you are fighting a two-seater, either get directly below him and fire into the underside of the plane, (1st choice), or dive in from either side keeping the opponent’s wings between you and the gunner, (2nd choice). It is key to keep some part of the two-seater between you and the gunner as he cannot fire through his own plane.


Fünf
In any form of attack, it is required to approach the enemy from behind.

In single-seater attacks, it is best to approach the enemy from behind. In two-seater attacks, it is best to approach the enemy from directly underneath.


Sechs
If you are attacked by an opponent diving on you from above, do not try to dodge the attack, but turn into and toward the attacker.

If you are attacked by an opponent diving on you from above, do not try to dodge the attack, but turn into and toward the attacker. Using some rudder to sideslip your plane can throw off your opponent’s aim while still allowing you an accurate shot.


Sieben
If you find yourself over enemy lines, always keep an eye toward your own direction of retreat.

If you find yourself over enemy lines, always keep an eye toward your own direction of retreat. When you have lost the advantage, (as outlined in the first dictum), make your retreat early and fly to the cover of your own lines, balloon positions, airfields, etc.


Acht
For squadrons: The principle method of attack is to fly in groups of four to six aircraft. When the fight scatters into single battles, make sure that not too many comrades fall upon any single opponent.

For squadrons: The principle method of attack is to fly in groups of two to six aircraft. When the fight scatters into single battles, make sure that not too many comrades fall upon any single opponent. If you are the flight leader use your key commands to assign targets to your flight members but do not be surprised if they ignore you and attack whomever they so choose. You will have to watch for overzealous pilots in your flight who will dive in front of you as you engage an opponent, and be ever alert for possible collisions. In WOFF it is usually safer in a furball to single out an opponent along the edges and drag them away as you fight them, this will minimize and/or eliminate the above noted risks.


Fly Smart!


Lou

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well done Lou

Firing at targets as close as possible is even more important here because I'm pretty sure your bullets do more damage the closer you are.

That's why, even though you may be making quite a few long range hits on that guy running away from you, they still keep taking many hits without much effect. With some of them, I've put 40 to 70+ rounds into one plane from the rear at long distance with little effect. Other than making them do a split-s or slow turn and then extend, those 400m hits don't do much. It does force them to go evasive, however, and that's often enough to get you a bit closer bit by bit.

The close-up shots are the ones that seriously damage the aircraft, engine, and especially the pilot. I'm convinced that they do more regarding the damage model while up close. So get closer.

Neun
Just for Simmers: Fly the Simulator like your own real life is on stake


Fly the game the way you would do in real. Imagine that if you lose your pilot, your installation will delete itself completely or worse. In simulators one is often taking higher risks than he would do in real life. Often chasing the enemy longer than he would in real. Breaking up the fights later than he would in real. Simply because there is no real fear of losing life or anything. That's the reason why campaigns have often many kills, but doesn't last even a week. Try to survive at any costs. Don't take any risks you wouldn't do in RL. Then you will have a prolonged career and still maybe some victories here and there. It is much more rewarding than having 30 kills in 7 flighthours.

Ditto to "Neun"!

And maybe Zehn:

To bring all your wingmen back home with you will always be much more rewarding
than bringing home another victory.

I've had some good times when forced to make tough decisions regarding this.

Just yesterday, my flight of two scouts (my N24 and wingman's SPADVII) was escorting two bombers deep behind enemy lines when I spotted five Albatroses coming at us from a higher altitude. Had to make a tough decision.. whether to dive for the deck and get out of there, or to try and distract the enemy flight long enough for the bombers to get away, lest they be savaged. In essence, I already felt bad for thinking of leaving the bomber crews to be shot up, so it was more of an emotional decision than a smart one. It says a lot for a game that can evoke such emotionally oriented decisions.

My wingman inevitably ran for it, and I wasn't sure whether I could outrun the Hun, so I engaged in a 1v5 dogfight. Fortunately there were so many of them after me that they couldn't all maneuver freely around me for fear of collision with each other. After putting a burst into one aircraft, I'd switch to another coming around on me and do the same to him. Constantly switching targets and only doing small amounts of damage to them to force each one to dive or Split-S to escape. The damaged ones ran away and once I gave the third aircraft a burst or two, the whole group fled. I thought I was good as dead, and I definitely had wing damage at that point, but this has been my go-to tactic for being outnumbered and having a decent chance of surviving. Just can't let any one sit directly on your tail for more than a second or two.

It was damn fun. I just wish I had the wherewithal to take some screenshots of that scrap but it was so demanding, it never crossed my mind at the time.

Dupe.

Especially when he has a cool name like "Victor Richter". Man I miss that guy!

Hey Nefaro, it looks like your video card will run Shadowplay, which would let you save those cool battles as a video and then you could pull all the screenshots you want from the safety of your not-in-the-middle-of-combat... at least from your pilot's perspective.

Interesting. I've not investigated the Shadowplay feature yet. I'm always most concerned about squeezing out the most performance from my hardware so I haven't considered recording vids. Perhaps I should sometime. I love watching other peoples' WOFF and ROF gameplay vids on the 'Tube so perhaps I'll get motivated to do some too.

From what I've seen and read, there's really no performance hit. I never seem to notice one, at least! The cool part is that it is free and easy to set up, so no harm in giving it a try!

Is 'Shadowplay' eating less frps than FRAPS?

I believe so, Olham. I've never tried fraps, but the propaganda on Shadowplay says you shouldn't really see a hit, and in a blind test, I don't think I could tell if it was on or off...

RR

I use FRAPS and currently I'm not seeing a hit on FPS with it during vid captures.

Okay, thank you both. I used FRAPS so far. Seems to work fine.