Sooo many Squads - and noone will ever have enough Time to test 'em all... Some of them fly mostly laid back, relaxed Sight-Seeing-Tours, others fly only Missions, after which you always land with your Guns empty, some are stationed in Areas so far away from the Front, that you already have fallen asleep before you get into Action, then others are so close to the Front, that you are in the Middle of a large Dogfight, before you have even reached 100 meters of Height... There really are more than enough Squads to meet everyone's individual Preferences.
So I thought that it might be a good Idea to start a Thread, where we can talk about interesting Squads that we have discovered. This could be for Vets as well as Novices (so, someone could also describe the Pros and Cons of Jasta 11, 5 and so on...)
My Recommendation of the Day would be the French Esc 68, starting @ Jan '17: It has a nice Variety of mostly Nieuports over the Time, isn't too far away from the Front and the Missions often put you in very challenging Situations - so I would not recommend it for a Novice, who has just barely learned how to fly. The Flights in Jan '17 mostly start before Dawn - so you literally fly from Night into Day... this grants an unbeatable spooky Feeling: Dogfights often start in a twilight-shaded, cloud-shrouded Atmosphere. The Enemy seems to instantly spawn out of another Dimension... The Landscape is another Plus: It varies very much. Large Woods, Hills, Ponds (and the usual brown, slimy Slobber of the Front...) and is not as flat and monotone as the North.
Well my careers follow a pretty set routine. If I had 20 hours a week to fly things maybe different but since I try to get the "most bang for the buck" my pattern is: 1) Fly in 1917 or 1918. 2) For the time of the year I pick either the month, or shortly before, some major ground activity. For example April 1917 and August/September 1917. For 1918 it is March. 3) I pick a "famous" or high activity squadron like Jasta 11 or 5, 56, 48, or 1 or 60 for the RFC.
Since I am so set in my routine I am really glad for the feature of "random" weather when the Historical setting becomes semi-remembered.
BTW as we test LOTS we often choose the same 1st to come up squads for mundane tests but personal pref is RFC56 to fly with Cecil Lewis trying not to become one of the empty seats he talks of as he moves up the table in the mess.
I was thinking of starting a campaign where I advance time by one week after I've completed the mission(s) on a single day. I'd start sometime at the end of Sept. 1915 (The Battle of Loos) somewhare in Flanders to get in on the "fun" early on.
So, assuming I survive every mission, I would complete about 200 or so missions from begining (9/1915) to the end of the war (11/1918). I'm thinking that would give me a good taste of the entire aerial war's progression since I don't have time to play this game one day at a time.
BTW as we test LOTS we often choose the same 1st to come up squads for mundane tests but personal pref is RFC56 to fly with Cecil Lewis trying not to become one of the empty seats he talks of as he moves up the table in the mess.
What!!! You have time to play!!!!
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I'm currently in a Sight-Seeing-Mood and for that I can recommend the French SOP5
They are practically stationed in the Middle of the Mountains - viewing the spectacular Landscape from high above is truly breathtaking. Just give it a try: The Moment, you are taking off the Runway, you will already be convinced... The Plane, you are assigned to is a Strutter A1. Nothing fancy, but in this Region the Enemy isn't piloting the latest state-of-the-Art-Foo-Fighters, also. The War there isn't as hot as in most other Places. Sometimes you are convinced that it is more a Cold War - with a Border between two States, that do not like each other very much... comparable to the Cashmere-Region between India and Pakistan nowadays. This Circumstance grants a relaxed Flight, where you don't have to watch your 6 every few Seconds. Airfields, Roads or Railways are rare, there - so always have some extra spare-quarts of Fuel in your Tank: Having to Land if you've gotten lost in the Middle of Nowhere can get somewhat challenging... The great Advantage on the other Hand is that this Area is quite easy to memorize. After a few runs you no longer need a Map, unlike these agriculturally cultivated Flatland-Areas, where you always think "Hey! Haven't I been here 5 minutes ago?"
The Disadvantage of SOP5 is obvious: I you are looking for a thrilling Dogfight, there, you probably have to wait 'till the next World War...
If you want to fly with a unit with good morale, and well shielded by aces, I recommend
Jastas 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 23 - well, should be enough for a start.
As for areas, check out and use the map I posted earlier here.
If you want to fly specific aircraft, WOFF provides you with the time scale in the "Enlistment" manager. You can select each unit to see, which aircraft they will receive; and you can click through the time to see, how the "morale" changes, what aircraft they receive when; which aces are in the unit when; etc. This is a bit time-consuming, but also VERY informative for your planning. There is a lot of historical knowledge wrapped into.
Vice-President of the BOC (Barmy OFFers Club) Member of the 'Albatros Aviators Club' - "We know how to die with Style!"
Great thread idea, Nietzche. In fact, I've now checked out that map (thnx Olham), and have started a career at Boistrancourt (thnx vonbauer). (I'm a teacher with a snow day today, so.......)
Normally, I go by something/someone I just read about, and it's always nice to fly around in the Vosges. So I guess I'll have to sign up for Esc. 68 now. Oldhat's idea also sounds great, too. And.......
I'm flying the Esc12 from March '17 on for a while, now. I have started from a low Rank, and I can say, that it's a good "Action-Unit", especially the Summer-Period. If you like Nieuports, you can have a lot of Fun, there. The only Downside is, that this Esc is crowded with Aces - and they all have Spads very soon... there are Missions, where you have a hard Time following them in your Nieup. You start near Verdun and move up the Map several Times, later, until you are stationed in the far North, so the Scenery varies and stays interesting.
Can anyone recommend a good Unit, where one can fly B1 Strutters (the single Seaters) AND have some Action? I have tried one and all I do there is burning Fuel...
I've never tried a campaign with them, but you could try 3 Wing Naval in the fall of "16. You should run into a promising young scout pilot named Ernst Udet, and a few of his friends Cheers shredward
...for the ones who like to fight against the odds: I'm currently flying with the SK Sachsenberg in Oct. `16. Everyone has got hip, new Fighters - and you are still sitting in your old Fokker E3, trying not to get shredded, somehow. Every Mission is quite an Adrenalin Rush, there. My Recommendation: Regional Air Activity set to High.
Nice vid. I like the way you recovered the approaching stall in the Pup. Those can be really tricky!
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