Post some of your thoughts and pics!

For those that know me a bit longer than others will remember this and other that don't, I hope you don't mind. I'm not a huge fan of talking about myself... if I meet you face-to-face... I like to listen and laugh, and not a fan of 1-upping, so I don't elaborate much on my life experiences. But in truth, if you ask more, I will tell more... and that's how I like it. LOL.

So, to my credentials list short... by trade and occupation, I am a licensed aircraft mechanic since 1991, and I work on heavy commercial jets for a very well known International carrier. Been doing it on and off for nearly 30 years. I also fly small aircraft, although I'm not a licensed pilot. I have a lot of pilot friends that allow me to fly their planes a long with them. I have probably around 20-30 hours of undocumented seat time in various low, high and open cockpit small airplanes. Bi-Planes, fabric, metal...whatever...

I mention these aspects for very important reasons. WOFF (BH&HII and all previous) has become my flight sim of choice. I have logged thousands of hours in all variations of M$ Flight Simulators dating back to the SubLOGIC variations on Commodore 64's. Bare with me... there is a point to all of this... it's really about my skill level and how I try to take this as serious as possible when I fly. I am not new to actual flight or simming for that matter.

It was late in the evening last night and I was working on the Pfalz for a little bit... so I took a break, and popped over to our forum to see if any news came up. Sure enough, there it was... the new patch "Recon Wars" (which I hope becomes a fun nick-name to the new update) will be a welcomed if not revered addition to this magnificent game we have!

I quickly downloaded it, and read though the instructions... wow... this sounds devilishly insane... I jumped into a French Escadrille (yes... you read that correctly! I looked like a duck at a chicken farm) and took off for the front on a simple "note' mission over enemy troops positions. Not more than 20 mins along this fray into the jaws of death my flight was jumped by a Hun Jasta (with some amazing and colorful skins mind you!!). I think it was Jasta 32b as I was in the Marne sector where I thought I would be safe for a little while. Oh... hell ... no. WOW... I was tossing that plane all over the sky, jinking and diving to give my observer a chance to get off a shot. Rear guns blazing away, I can hear the engines of the Albatros right up my ass. Well, as I looked over my left shoulder to make an evasive maneuver, down we went. Head shot. I was out. I didn't even get a chance to get to the target.

Now... I know this does not explain anything about the point of the mission... I get that... but what it does show is that the mission has purpose now. There was a feel like I had something to do, and I needed to get it done. I prepped for it, read everything, wrote down the sector, and the short-cut keys for quick reference... but never got a chance to do anything. THAT is my point. This game is beyond anything I have experienced before. I fly my planes now, like I fly in real life and they react as they should. In a J3 Cub, you are space limited, cramped up and feeling like your sitting in a fabric covered coffin... I felt like that in the Strutter. It handled very well as expected for a WWI two-seater. I did all I could to avoid the inevitable death I was facing. I had my map sector next to me to verify I was flying the compass correctly. I had notes as to what I was looking for... much like I would have in real life. I was set on doing the job as I was assigned as close to what real-life would have been like. Obviously, as much as we have just shot 2-seaters down like sitting ducks, there was a side to them that we never saw until now. And that side it not just piloting skill... it was preparation. Understanding the core reason for the mission, that lives depended on you... and you HAD to get that mission done!

This leads me to believe with confidence that this new Add-On "Recon Wars" is going to set a standard for realism for many years to come that no other sim will ever get close to. WWI was hell... Recon Wars puts you smack in the middle of the boiling kettle with no where to hide,

Download it and get up there!!

OvS


The Black Baron of Boistrancourt returns!!

I'd rather die fighting, than live for nothing. - Gen. G.S. Patton