Very perceptive! I see they have different options for bullets as well.

Spare me, please........

I've seen it said many times that the SSW was experimental, the Fokker Razor was experimental, the Pfalz D8 was experimental, und so weiter.

.......What's good for the goose, is good for the gander.

......And if you believe that, I got a bridge I want to sell you!

64bit CPU anyone?

I'll say it here, none of the three planes that you mentioned seem to be 'experimental' as far as I can see. All three showed well in the various fighter competitions, all of them were given production orders, and all did some service before the war ended.

The problem is numbers and impact. Let's look at the Pfalz D.VIII for starters. As I posted in the 'Relax' thread, it (or the Pfalz D.VII more precisely) won the competition for rotaries at the same time that the Fokker D.VII won for inlines. Fantastic rate of climb for the Pfalz. Both the Pfalz D.VIII and the Fokker D.VII were blessed with production orders.

But look at the results. The Fokker D.VII went on to massive production runs and acclaim as the best fighter of the war. The Pfalz D.VIII eventually had a production order of 40 aircraft. It partially equipped three Jastas very late in the war, with (as far as I can see) no record on its combat effectiveness. Problems with the engine seemed to delay it, the same engine that doomed the Pfalz Dr.I to a production run of only ten aircraft.

The late war rotaries for the Germans simply didn't become the great fighters that maybe they should have become. For whatever reason they didn't get large production runs and didn't have a big impact on the war. Those are facts. I'd love to see them added into this sim at some point, but I don't think that they should be included in the first release.

OTOH, the Snipe had more aircraft produced before the end of the war than the Pfalz D.VIII. It equipped three squadrons, has a recorded combat history, and was involved in a very famous combat that is well documented.

I agree that for the end of the war, the Snipe is fairly marginal in terms of production. Had Barker not flown it in such a famous fight, it probably wouldn't have been included in Red Baron. But he did, and it was included. *shrug*

Droops

So Barker didn't engage those aircraft?

So King wasn't the top scoring Snipe pilot?

Still waiting for your non exsistent proof that the Snipe was an experimental aircraft.

No, the Snipe was simply just beginning to replace the Camel in October 1918. So it only appeared in limited numbers, primarily to the Australian squadron.

However, if there is a dynamic game that goes beyond 11/11/18, then expect more Snipe/DVII encounters.

Erm... sorry to interupt the cat fight with a comment on the screen shots, but...

Hmmm. No personnel on the ground yet(?).

Not that I know anything much about WW1, but isn't it likely that quite a few missions will involve strafing or bombing of trenches, emplacements etc. Where be the soldiers? They can't all duck and cover that well surely?

Are we up against some sort of censorship/rating issue where its "not acceptable" to depict human or animal targets, as with il2FB?

It seems that, due to (AFAIK) WW1 combat being much more up-close and personal, not having troops in those trenches is going to really retract from the immersion. (or if we're talking WW1,trenches and mud, perhaps 'emulsion' is a more appropriate word )

But... that said, I am aware that screenies depict WIP. Looking forward to seeing some troops and the smoke of war wafting over the trenches in future screenies.

Sorry for the interuption - back to the fight now boys.

Edit: Oh damn - I just checked screenshot 16 again. Lewes gun firing against an air-target - operated by a mysteron

PLEASE Mr ASPECT! Can we have an adults only version (if necessary to appease the censors) that has crew modelled on the guns?

Blasted game ratings

It might be a frame rate issue. It seems that the game will be processor dependant as it is.

" Hmmm. No personnel on the ground yet(?).

Are we up against some sort of censorship/rating issue where its "not acceptable" to depict human or animal targets, as with il2For animal targets, as with il2FB?"

Huh? Never heard of a censorship like that. It's okay to kill a man in a plane but not on the ground? I don't get it. What about games like Call Of Duty? How does that get buy the censors? There are dead cows and everything in that game.

Are you sure about this censorship business? First I have heard of such a thing. Censoring killing of human targets in a war sim? WTF? It is okay to send a man to his death in a firey crate from 2 thousand feet but not okay to shoot him in a trench? Just doesn't stand to reason...

It's a frame rate issue. IL2 has guys scrambling out of trucks when they are getting strafed and there's nothing to stop you from shooting the helpless pilot in his parachute.

"On 27 October 1918, Canadian ace William Barker made the Sopwith Snipe famous in a single-handed battle with more than 60 enemy aircraft that earned him the Victoria Cross."

Woah nelly! That sounds like a yarn to me! Are you sure that number is not 600 instead of 60? I mean why not? It is no less believable.

I can see Bill back at the areodome. "Hey guys I just had a little scrape. Yea, there was 60 of them if there was a dozen! But hey, this little Snipe and I made short work of 'em. They all must have been good men who loved their families, cause after I killed 7 or 8 of 'em the rest turned tail and headed for home!

It's great that some news finally got through.
I just wish they'd used some better PC, to make the screenshots.
Many of the new screenies seem to be made on 800x600, with no FSAA.
The older images are much better.

But all in all...it's alive!

S! I recall discussions when il2 was first released regarding reasons for horse drawn carts etc. not being included as targets. I'm absolutely certain I remember 'reputable sources' talking about violence rating categories affecting potential sales. I remember because I recall thinking to myself, "That's BS! What about FPS games?"

If you want me to quote sources, sorry. Its just my recollection.

I concede that animated figures would probably cost some additional CPU power, but, in view of all the possible alternatives to a Lewis Gun firing by itself (not to mention the difference in visual target profile if you are attacking), I would happily settle for a less-cpu hungry compromise.

Anyway the screenies are WIP eh?

BTW: really looking forward to this Sim!

btw a closer look at #1, the pilot looks less an well....

Hopefully, they will have some sort of animation or other indicator of pilot death. For the game rating, perhaps something intially disabled / user enabled. Wasnt it PAW that had the disabled rear gunner graphic?

One thing I'm not seeing and has me somewhat concerned is the lack of clouds in the screen shots

from "hostile skies - a combat history of the AAS in WWI"

"...a half score of German single-seaters were roaring down out of a nearby cloud to attack the 148th's bottom or decoy flight..."

"..Suddenly, a dozen Fokker D-7's dropped from a low-hanging cloud into the middle of Spring's Flight."

"...they were jumped by several other Fokker formations which slid through a rift in the clouds with guns blazing."

I still remember a fight in RB1(lol) were I was attacking a 2-seater(I think) with a few mates when a flight of spad 13's jumped into the fight. We were at the edge of that big old cloud and I about rammed a spad that suddenly appeared in front of me.

they had nice clouds in crimson skies(that I remember)

S!
kail

http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/canada/barker.html

Barker, VC
The Classic Story of a Legendary First World War Hero; Wayne Ralph / Softcover / Grub Street 1999

A good book and the writer does question the actual number of fokkers present in Barker's last battle as well as his refusal to discuss the matter in later years.

Voss engaged far less, and everyone knows what happened to him.

.......This is nothing but an elaborate yarn.

Just goes to prove who was better.

Voss died. Barker didn't.

And of course you will provide proof of that?

Blast. Forgot who I am talking too.