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#4484401 - 07/28/19 09:48 PM How to tackle WOFF fights?  
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KamikazeGrandad Offline
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Need some advice on best approach to tackle engagements. WWII planes can gain speed and height a lot faster than these WWI birds.

I'm finding once I lose the altitude advantage it can be very difficult to re engage in combat, is it as simple as waiting for an enemy to come to you and make him make a mistake when there is still a battle raging above?

#4484410 - 07/28/19 11:23 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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Hellshade Offline
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So I make it a rule to try and fight whoever is at the highest altitude, meaning if I am fighting an opponent and they dive away, as long as any other opponents are at roughly my altitude, I don't purse the one diving. The reason is basic survival. Because it is so hard to gain altitude in these old crates, every enemy that dives away is one less plane that has a good chance to attack me. Will you lose kills that way? Probably. But you live long enough to score more kills. And if I am forced to dive away, it's to exit the fight completely. The last thing I need is 6 enemies boom and zooming me from high up on a perch and I have no way to really defend myself.


Flying Wings Over Flanders Fields: Between Heaven & Hell II
videos at www.youtube.com/hellshade68

#4484412 - 07/29/19 12:15 AM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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Claymatzi Offline
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I fly the Se5a and this holds true...

"Gentlemen, always above; seldom on the same level; never underneath." Mannock

#4484417 - 07/29/19 01:22 AM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: Claymatzi]  
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Hellshade Offline
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Originally Posted by Claymatzi
I fly the Se5a and this holds true...

"Gentlemen, always above; seldom on the same level; never underneath." Mannock


Indeed especially with the SE5a's strong engine, Boom & Zooming from a perch is highly preferable.


Flying Wings Over Flanders Fields: Between Heaven & Hell II
videos at www.youtube.com/hellshade68

#4484425 - 07/29/19 03:20 AM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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HarryH Offline
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Hellshade is super good at this thing, so it's definitely worth heeding his advice, for sure smile

Keep in mind also that each matchup is different. A lot depends on what craft you are flying versus your opponent's. Knowing when NOT to engage is super important, and HOW to engage (e.g. taking on 2-seaters from below to avoid the rear gunner).

Enjoy the learning curve, it's what makes this sim so great!

H


System: i5 8600K @ 3.6GHz,16GB DDR4 @2666MHz. RTX2080, MSI Z370 mobo, Dell 27" G-SYNC @ 144Hz. 2560x1440

#4484479 - 07/29/19 05:39 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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KamikazeGrandad Offline
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Thanks for the tips, thoroughly enjoyed some of the fights I've had and equally frustrated when I lost too much height, this gives me something to work on.

#4484480 - 07/29/19 05:56 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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KamikazeGrandad Offline
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One quirk I have noticed is if I go into "target view" the planes do seem to climb quicker than in cockpit view with less chance of stalling, can anyone confirm this?

Edit: Hahaha, Using "target view" to climb faster worked to a degree untill my plane developed a fault, burst into flames and ran out of juice all while my squadron were still circling home airfield trying to gain height..managed to land but died from injuries from fire!

Last edited by KamikazeGrandad; 07/29/19 07:05 PM.
#4484505 - 07/29/19 11:44 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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jerbear Offline
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Another good thing to do is go to Sandbaggers MOD page. Under General Mods there are some fighting and flying instructions for several different aircraft by Rob Wiggins that are very helpful. If you fly an Albatros there's some good advice in the Q&A PDF in the Support section off the main WOFF page.

As for myself, I try to stay as high as possible and keep out of the main fight as Hellshade says. I usually go into roller coaster mode, keeping my speed and altitude up while split S ing and diving and climbing in shallow curves to see what's going on, trying to be unpredictable like a butterfly and keep my speed up to avoid becoming a target.. A target will usually present itself, the AI make plenty of mistakes and when they get tired the often go into "forming up" mode, which makes them sitting ducks if you approach them out of their sight window.

Good Hunting

Jerbear

#4484522 - 07/30/19 09:10 AM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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mvp7 Offline
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I have only played early campaigns so far (Fokker E.III, F.E.2b...) I tend to fly as high as the plane, weather and mission objective allows. Especially over enemy territory I usually ignore enemies who are too far below me and generally try to avoid descending below 2000 meters.

If I still end up having to fight an enemy above me I either gain altitude away from combat, try to stay directly below them (to try make them waste altitude and energy), or get away as soon as I have the opportunity. This means I have had to let several enemies get away in crippled planes (especially threatened Eindeckers seem to like spinning down to near ground level before heading away) but I also haven't lost a single pilot in combat (or to Archie) yet.

#4485549 - 08/08/19 07:24 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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vonBaur Offline
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Altitude is key. But one trick that helps me if I'm at the disadvantage and can't dive away is to fly toward my attacker but stay just under his nose. That way that he has to increase his dive angle to get a shot. Eventually he will end up too far below me to zoom-climb back above. Timed properly, that can turn the altitude tables in my favor. Of course, that also depends on the performance difference between the two aircraft...e.g., it ain't gonna work on a DR1 if you're flying a DH2.

You can also make your opponent lose sight of you to shake someone on your tail. Keep one eye on him and make any changes in direction when his fuselage or top wing blocks his view of you.


SALUTE TO ALL!
#4485571 - 08/08/19 11:16 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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Hellshade Offline
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VonBaure is correct. Another trock I do is to constantly turn into my attacker, reducing the amount of time their guns can be on target. If you constantly turn into them, they will eventually get fatigued and give up the fight to fly for home.


Flying Wings Over Flanders Fields: Between Heaven & Hell II
videos at www.youtube.com/hellshade68

#4486287 - 08/15/19 02:12 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: KamikazeGrandad]  
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Waldemar_Kurtz Offline
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surprise! yes, stalking enemy planes and ambushing them is still the very best way of shooting down enemy planes.

honestly, unless I'm flying a plane I feel very comfortable with AND in a solid squadron, I try to avoid getting into serious dogfights. if I feel fantastic about my plane, and know my squad mates are top-notch then, yes, I'll mix it up a lot more. but 80% of my victories have been against pilots that never even knew I was there. one of the things I really like about the AI in WOFF is that they don't have a 360-degree field of vision. in a lot of older flight sims I could literally be flying directly below and behind an enemy two-seater and they will magically know that I'm there and turn around to attack me. or, they'll know that I'm there and bank off to one side and have the observer shoot me down. in some of these battles, there would have been no realistic way for that two-seater crew to have ever known that I was there.


typically I might come in from below and behind … AND get as close as 30 yards before opening fire. however, in some cases, this isn't possible. the other day I was flying a Pfalz D.III and there was just no way I was going to catch up to that Airco DH.4! so I ended up settling for opening fire at 200 yards range. after firing 200 rounds from each gun I eventually set the poor blokes on fire. they flew around for another three minutes before they crashed behind enemy lines. normally I try to get in really close... but with a superior two-seater, I'm content to stay a bit further away. the closer you get to a good two-seater the more likely they are to kill you. so don't get up close unless you're positive that they haven't seen you.


slipping into blind spots and shooting down fighters after a big dogfight is typically how I get my Pfalz D.III victories. my latest pilot has actually lived long enough to shoot down 8 confirmed victories. the weird thing is, that half of them are Sopwith Camels. A Sopwith Camel that has no idea that you're there is a lot easier to shoot down with a Pfalz D.III than a Sopwith Camel who does!

#4486451 - 08/16/19 11:19 PM Re: How to tackle WOFF fights? [Re: Waldemar_Kurtz]  
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jerbear Offline
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Since the last update, the AI have been more aggressive. Now if I'm leading B flight, when I see an enemy formation flying along the opposite track I avoid them, as I would have anyway if they were too many for flying something I don't want to mess with, then double back. More often than not, A flight has engaged them. So, now I can wait until things have spread out and turn my boys loose. Often I can find a lame duck or someone in 'form up" mode, easy pickings usually.


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