One important thing about Monty's DOF campaigns have proven, you need ATC and taxi ways!!! His airfields are so busy, cars and trucks running around, aircraft taxing and taking off, and little order to the mess. I've had two accidents on airfield taking off, collision with truck and an aircraft crossing my takeoff path. Good thing the people are stationary.
Monty took the time to create a very active airfield, which really hits home to me the need for ATC and proper taxi ways. It is still fun dodging the mess, but sure adds to the "danger" of combat flying in WWI.
For this stage, the ambient sounds are there as well, you need an outside view and take a 'walkaround' before departure. The WWI airfields were disciplined but busy, there is a war going on! Out on the active area fuel and supply vehicles will be travelling up and down the space doing their job. When the AI are also taxiing they will usually give way to one another and to you as well.
There is no complex taxiing in Dawn of Flight but it is nice for the player to start up in different places. These light aircraft would often be pushed into place for a start up although the layout of the airfield is important too. The cavalier daredevils on the Somme fire up their Nieuports from the tents and all swing into place at once. - That is amazing to see.
Likewise, Richtofen's Flying Circus are disdainful of any help and prefer to fire up and get going. They scramble into the air like a swarm of wasps. Its a beautiful effect and each mission took many hours to make, constantly testing the AI takeoffs and watching them with F12 cameras placed around the airfield.
The Ramleh Aerodrome, in Palestine, is surrounded by adobe type buildings and the aircraft are all lined up alongside a strip of cleared sand that acts as the runway. Using the 412 taxi feature they start up and swing around to produce a series of independent staggered takeoffs that looks like a Hollywood movie (Peter O'Toole playing Laurence of Arabia riding in the back of an FB2).
FT 1916 PRIDE works great! And what a joy to get the Nieuport IX. I can't believe how nibble it is. On second mission I went out and got into an immense fur ball. Everyone aggressively maneuvering, three near collisions, and I only could take snap shots as enemy was briefly in my gun sights. I didn't know what was going on, just trying to stay alive. If I gave chase to one, another would get some shots in. So back to the dance. However, the nieuport was spinning like a top, in almost any direction!
I downed a few and then things were suddenly over. Breathing hard, sweat on my hands, I only saw my own ally fighters, the enemy was gone. Not running, just gone. I was sure I got three, but wouldn't be surprised I only got credit for two. Landed at base and found I got credited with five air victories!!! Huh? I know things were hectic, and I never had time to enjoy seeing planes crash, but five! It certainly was a rush.
Did I say I love this Nieuport IX. Except for taxing, something is wrong with that. You can't! It acts like its stuck in mud and takes off when engine is near full throttle, like a bullet. Any hard break and your on your nose. It is frustrating to get into your "parking spot". All the WWI aircraft I have test flown (68 so far) don't have this strange issue. But I still love it.
These WWI dogfights are something else. And those near collisions really are scary as all get out. Love it.
DOF rules. And so does TGA, and WAW, and also TJA.
Congratulations on Ace in a day! You have progressed through the early stages too, which is as I intended it to be experienced. I hope that the other effect will be a gradual accumulation of experience, with the period and the sim itself. The enemy aircraft progress as well. On all sides the flavour and pace of the war gradually intensifies...
Here's an interesting tip: I use F10 to 'Start and Finish TRACKS' (not a standard key, you have to program one from 'controls) - You can hit the key and start a track as the action starts. Another way, on completing any campaign mission, is to use the 'keep track', assign a name for it, to keep a recording of the entire mission. You can then view that track from the main menu, pause, zoom, switch views, review the whole thing like a movie director and take screenies. That's how I get my screenshots.
That's how you can get yours and show them to us.
With a lot of these aircraft it also helps to 'warm it up' and drive it gently. ie: Start up, that can take a few goes for the engine to catch, love that feature. Then apply the chocks and run up the engine. This also helps to set the calibration on your throttle stick, run it to the limits full up and full down.
Next, with throttle closed and engine on tick-over, pump the brakes. I use keys < and > for left and right, which is intuitive and easy to find. Chocks away, see the guys run off, pump the brakes again and accelerate very gently. Now you are moving and can point using your rudder. You will need to throttle back regularly though and use a gentle touch.
The little Nieuport is a terrible car, an over powered tricycle on the ground. Take the throttle up gently to avoid ground looping. It will takeoff with about 65% and then you can whack it to the stops when safely up in the air.
Currently completing the entire package, last lot, the Nieuports bigger brother, the N28C..
Author
Topic: DEVELOPMENT THREAD - DAWN OF FLIGHT CAMPAIGNS (Read 53310 times)
