Hello All,
New to flight sims and new here. I thought I would learn the game a bit but am finding that when I start a mission in the career mode everyone just flies away from me. I do take off but it seems the only way to keep up is at 100% power with wep (?) on. I arrive at the waypoints alone and don’t see anyone until time to land. Is this normal? I was afraid of running out of fuel.

Welcome to WOTR! WWI is much more my thing, but my guess is that you need to fine-tune your prop pitch and fuel mixture. At takeoff, you need full rich, but when you get above a couple thousand feet in height, you need to start leaning the mixture. Or, you can set fuel mixture to automatic in Workshop.

You may also need to use WEP at takeoff in order to get up into the air, but don't forget to cut back after a minute of two in order to prevent damaging the engine. Finally, don't climb too aggressively as it will slow you down. Keep in mind that the AI always knows exactly what the correct combination of throttle, prop pitch, fuel mixture and climb is required at any given moment, so it can be quite difficult to keep up with them at times. Depending on squadron, they may also have later models of aircraft than you.

Someone much more knowledgeable than me will be able to give you better and more detailed information, so please be patient, and good luck!

Links not provided VonS ..nothing to click on pal.

That initial post went through by mistake for some reason, while being edited -- fresh post included below, in this message, to minimize multiple postings.

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Performance tips for the Hurries and Spitties available here and here.
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Cheers all,
Von S

Thanks VonS, but I am a great example of a clueless beginner and have no idea what to do with this great information. Maybe someday I will get a clue.😵‍💫

Until you feel a bit more comfortable, just take things one step at a time. First, set auto-mixture to ON in Workshop. Then, practice taking off at full power (100% + WEP, or war emergency power) and learn how to retract flaps and landing gear so it becomes second nature. Then, cut back to 100% power (non-WEP) and start fiddling with the pitch until you are getting around 2800 rpm's. After that, you can focus on keeping up with your flight mates. Once you have mastered that, you may wish to turn off auto-mixture in Workshop in order to get maximum performance from your aircraft.

As suggested above, be sure to turn on the TACtical display so you can see where your flight mates are and where they are headed. You can also use the in-flight map to see where each waypoint is to get a better idea where the AI may be headed next. I don't consider it cheating if you take a more direct route to the next waypoint than the AI, especially if you are already falling behind them a bit.

With practice, you will literally "catch up" to the AI. Just don't get jumped by Jerry!

P.S. You should probably learn to do this in QC, not the campaign. Choose free flight and start on the field. You can also practice your landings, all at the same time. Don't forget to choose "Pilot never dies" as this will save you the time from having to create new pilots.

Cheers mate appreciated.




Excellent advice Chris, I usually leave the mixture to auto I’m going have a good practice flying with auto mixture off.

Thanks, that helps. Is there a post or place that describes how to read the TAC display? I tried using auto pilot after taking off and was able keep up with the flight group. When we encountered bogies, I turned off the autopilot and turned it back on to return to the field. Landed out of autopilot.

The TAC is relatively straight-forward. It shows you a 360-degree view of the space around your aircraft but does not indicate if the enemy is above or below you. You can turn it on or off, and you can toggle the range of the view from 4.4, 2.2, 1.1, 0.6, or 0.3 nautical miles. You can also toggle whether the TAC tracks "all", "aircraft", "balloons", "airfields", or "structures." I tend to have it track aircraft, as it will still mark ground objects even with aircraft selected. Friendly aircraft are colored green, while enemy aircraft are red. Aircraft that are too far away to be identified are grey in color. With another key, you can "highlight" a particular aircraft to track, which can be useful in a dogfight. Highlighted aircraft are colored yellow.

You can also make the TAC appear larger or smaller, but that requires editing the view.xml file, I think. Most people leave it alone.

Finally, in the Workshop menu, you can control the distance where labels will identify the identity and distance of enemy aircraft, but you need to make sure that labels are turned on for this to display.

What does the blue line on the TAC indicate?

The light blue line indicates the direction and distance to your next waypoint. If the line is angled to the right, you need to steer right and so on. When you get very close to the waypoint, the line will shrink and then shift direction to point to the next waypoint.

If you set your pilot to AI control, you can watch the AI follow the line as it shifts from one waypoint to another.

Note: the line may disappear if you encounter enemy aircraft until the combat is resolved. It may also shift from the next waypoint to point to a friendly airfield if your plane is damaged.

Thanks, played with it yesterday, your comments really helped!

Thanks. Glad to be of service.

Having started with flight sims just a few weeks ago which translates to about 8 play hours. I find this game very enjoyable but still difficult. I wonder if I should spend more or focus on an easier game (IL-1946?) first?

For instance I can take off with no issues but have difficulty keeping up with the flight, so I initiated autopilot. When we encounter enemies, again no real issues there except staying alive. Return to base is ok. But landing is still Autopilot. Part of the problem is getting the muscle memory on all the commands. Any idea of the typical time it takes to get relatively proficient?

Hi Snow,
Visit the OBD page to find FAQ and other helpful stuff,

Mike

https://www.overflandersfields.com/support.html

For landing, there are a few things you need to do, usually in this order:

1) Open your canopy. This will increase drag and slow your speed.
2) Reduce throttle. How much will depend on a variety of factors, but you should probably chop it to somewhere between 30% to 60% (this also depends on a variety of factors, and more knowledgeable and experienced players may have better or more detailed recommendations).
3) Once your speed has begun to drop, start lowering your flaps. If your speed is still too high, gently pull back on the stick and/or engage in a few slow turns. Note: once your flaps are extended, you may need to increase your throttle a bit to compensate so you don't stall (see note 1 below).
4) Lower your wheels and line up with the runway, if you haven't already.
5) Ideally, your airplane should be just above stall speed just before you touch ground. The most common mistake that rookie pilots make (including myself) is coming in too fast. If you find yourself coming in too fast, DO NOT reduce throttle to 0% (see note 2 below). Instead, go to max power, climb, come around, and try again.

Notes:
1) It's critical to know the stall speed of your aircraft, both with flaps fully extended and without. Falling below stall speed at any time during approach can be deadly.
2) When landing, the elevator plays a greater role in controlling your speed, and the throttle plays a greater role in controlling your rate of descent.
3) Practice, practice, practice! You will never learn how to do this by letting the AI do it for you. Plus, you will get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction once you learn how to do this on your own. If dying and having to start a new campaign over and over again is an issue, use QC instead of the campaign to learn how to land.

I am sure there are a few points I may have missed (or got wrong) or that may require more elaboration. Feel free to keep asking questions.

..and to add to BuckeyeBob's comments, you can set "pilot never dies"in QC (bottom row) to save you recreating pilots when practising.

Is there a way to set up a “training flight” mode where you can practice things like taking off and landing? I like the game and know it will take a lot more practice. Do I need a throttle? I see the number keys control throttle in 10 steps. The throttle on the Thrustmaster fcs works but is awkward to use.

Thanks for the great advice Buckeye Bob!

You can go into Quick Combat and select Free Flight and set your altitude to Field. Be sure to check pilot never dies, in case of unfortunate accidents. You can pick any field you like that is active for the side you are flying for.

The "Killer Bees!"

B = Bletchley
B_B = Burning_Beard
BB = BuckeyeBob



Good idea to look around inside the QC menu. As Burning_Beard just mentioned, it gives you a lot of options, including Free Flight, which is ideal for practicing takeoffs and landings free of enemy interference.

Keep us informed of your progress, Snow46!