I need to be convinced on:
The Albatross D.II, the Sopwith Pup and the Sopwith Dolphin.

In return I can pitch the wonders of:
The Nieuport 11, Sopwith Triplane, Pfalz D.XII (and D.III) as well as the Airco D.H.2.

I've also logged some time on the Nieuport 17, the Fokker D.VIII & E.III - so I can review those as well.
Let me know if you need convincing

I have 'em all, so need no convincing.

After all the hoopla over the last day or so over the Pup alone, I can't believe you're still fence-sitting (especially given the dirt cheap sale price!), though the other two you mentioned are fun, have very different personalities and I enjoy flying them.

How about peer pressure for a strategy:

I have them, and you don't. They're all mega-cheap till the 12th (ten bucks for all three). If you don't get them and change your mind later once the prices return to normal, I shall be forced to point and laugh at ya for being a wuss-puss.




[MF] Gunloon

I've got them all and yes the Sopwith Pup is a delight to fly. I'll probably take forever to get around to flying them all but everything Gunloon says is on the money in more ways than one. Who can pass up such a bargain. I have a friend I have very recently introduced to RoF. First thing I did when the bundles were announced was to e-mail him to buy.

Jerry

Jerry

Nail on the head. If you don't take advantage of the sale, you'll likely regret it. I know I would (and have in the past).

Though there will likely be sales in the future, one has to ask why such an extravagant sale? Especially the new aircraft at such a price.
Did the 'super bundles' not sell well? Are they in need of quick funds? Somebody's twins going to university???

"If you don't take advantage of the sale, you'll likely regret it."

Roger that. I picked up the Tripe, Pup, and Alb3 yesterday and decided to complete the rest of my stable today by picking up the rest of the planes I don't have. At 2.99 a pop they are super cheap right now. I'd be kicking myself in the posterior if I didn't take advantage of the plane sale.

BTW, the Pup is an absolute dream to fly!

I just think its a bit of positive PR.

777 seem to be quite sensitive about their business model and how its perceived by the community. By some ROF is seen as being an expensive clube to join ( I don't agree but it does come up) I think the sales and bundles are a bit of a response to that.

If funds were tight the first thing you'd do is charge full price for the new planes.... surely.

DII - the fun little sportsplane of the Hun set. The German answer to the N11, it really shines as a go-getter for the wood panelling demographic. Comes in two variants; for younger pilots who like the sight of those manly air cooling pistons sticking out the side (chicks dig them!) and the more refined one with the crisp, flowing lines down the fuselage that say the driver is a man of style and distinction. Leather seat standard in all models.

Sopwith Pup - all of the in-your-face pugnosed charm of the later Camel without any of the hamfisted brutishness, the Pup combines the rugged construction that has made Sopwith famous with suprising responsiveness in turns that have made it a by-word for the most demanding of British Aerodromes.

Thanks Dart! Much appreciated.

Exactly what I needed & quite eloquent (although the Camel was a minor rhetorical misstep - I hate the camel - I'm a Pfalz D.XII flyer).



Gunloon & Jerry:
Yes I could pawn a couple of items, or mow someone's lawn and get them to add the planes to my account (even if I didn't have money or a credit card). Yes, I probably won't resist the sale any longer. But, this isn't the point! If I'd been into impulse shopping I'd have bought the whole set already.

The point is to enjoy the distinct pleasure of "fence-sitting", to gradually build up rationales and arguments. It is a great pleasure in shopping - to look carefully, hesitate and then leap. You guys should try fence-sitting a little. My 2 cents on how to get the most out of a new plane.

Mogster:
Rise of Flight is a very expensive club to join - the padlock system and lack of visual stall cues means that it really requires TrackIR and a force-feedback stick to easily use. With these two additions it's wonderful though. This could all be fixed in future patches.

Thanks guys,

This is a great sale. I don't think of it so much as a cram to get some quick funds but more of if people haven't bought some of them by now then they aren't going to at full price. It's better to sell more at a lower price than fewer at a higher price. Helps people fill out their hangars too.


I haven't decided if the pup or the tripe is my new favorite plane. If you like the new tripe then you will like the pup as well.

I have the DII, but I don't really fly any of the Albitri. It's really the only early-mid German plane right now. The EIII is way early and the DIII we have is more mid-late war. So the DII fills in the set nicely. It still does fly like the other Albitri somewhat... Super easy and not much of a stall.

The Dolphin is just so ugly you have to have it! If you like the Pfalz D12 then you will like the Dolphin. Plus it has the best visibility in the game.

Gonna pick nits here. The E.III has the best visibility in the game.

Don't write off the angry lawnmower that's the E.III! My cohort Agent 86 and I spent hours last night after I got him the Eindecker and N11 hunting each other. That Eindecker may not have much roll response, but its rudder is awfully effective. After getting flamed twice by 86 while he was flying the Eindecker I had even more respect for it. Chasing him made for long fights, years of deathmatch playing have made him squirmy and unpredictable and in his hands the Eindecker was very hard to hit. I got him a couple of times but had to chip away at him in the N11 or DH-2 for a long time to do so. When my turn came, I was reminded how agile the E.III can be if handled decently. Love these early planes!

I'll add that the N11 is tougher than I'd thought...after the last sortie Agent 86' Nieuport looked like Swiss cheese and there were bullet holes even around the nose area, but I never got a critical hit on it. The Bebe's a fine ride too!

PS- I like the D.II since it's the only Albatros I've flown that will spin if roughly handled. First time I noticed that while horsing it around I was happily surprised.

[MF] Gunloon

Avimimus,
Well, the Pup puts the joy in joystick. Boasting a high fidelity FM, the Pup combines a fast roll rate with tight turn on a dime antics; Camel jocks know and love. While the Camel and the Pup are related, the Pup is the sophisticated big brother; well rounded, athletic, and charming. The Pup is slower than the Camel, but seems to take to high altitudes, a lot better than his faster little brother; giving you confidence to climb out above the clouds and duel among the boom and zoom bad guys. The Pup is a plane for anyone looking to get the angles fight goodness of a DR1 or Camel, but looking to party in 1916. One added bonus is that the Pup can take on opponents from later years too, so if 1917 or 1918 is your thing, then the Pup is also a good choice. I hope that is helpful.
S!
MJ (Newguy)

Thanks guys.

Impressions:
- The Pup is certainly sweet - it has excellent forward visibility (but poor upward) and the armament works.
- The big surprise was the D.II - the big buzzard doesn't fly quite like the newer Albatross, it has less power and is more of a beast in handling - but still stable (In other words charming).
- I got the Dolphin as well, largely out of two-bay biplane solidarity (learned on the D.XII), but it is a bit too easy to fly (spins excepted). I may come around when I stop comparing it to the mysterious and obsessive allure of the D.XII. The E.III is also certainly a unique plane - I found it a bit too easy to pull around in pitch and it has two high acceleration for my tastes (there is a reason I don't fly online).

All are certainly worth the purchase.

P.S. Dart: For wood panels I'm still looking for the release of the Roland D.VI, with its clinker built fuselage.