homepage Forums Read Only Forums Read Only Forums Red Baron (Read Only) Has anyone ever survived a campaign?

Starting at the very beginning, full realism? I can never finish a campaign without starting over or aborting the mission/cheating. I mean, has anyone ever made it through without having to cheat?

I always get killed some way or another, sometimes I shoot down 4 planes and mess up landing back home and get killed. There's so many ways to get killed. Is it possible to make, or do I just suck at this.

Salute, Lucky1!

No, you don't suck at this. I've never made it through an entire campaign, either--even when I've enlisted with the Yanks in March 1918! And I've been playing this game for three years now!

I also play "full realism" (if you can call it that), with skill levels set as high as they can go. But I don't cheat. My personal rule is "die-and-you're-done." I've also had my career cut short by court-martials or confinement as a P.O.W. But I've never made it to the end alive.

(Of course, for the past year or so, I confess that most of my flying time has been spent on-line.)

------------------
LW_Herr Mac
Member of the Lone Wulffe Squadron
http://www.LoneWulffe.com

S!

Personally......I cheat! Some pilots I insist cheat less then others and fly with more realism, but it breaks up the frustraition when you leave options open to yourself. Thats why I have about 12 different pilots that are at various stages of their careers. Only three of my pilots have finished the war. They all fly in different squads so I learn alot about different squads during the course of the war.
I would suggest that you use the "cheats" until you get one or two full campaigns under your belt so it doesn't get too frustraiting for you. Try starting at different dates as well. I eventually plan to do the no restart-no resurrections campaigns but I'll never limit myself to just that because after all its about enjoyment.
Also dont demand too much of yourself by setting the realism at maximum. Set it down to something you can typically survive and then work your way up. This gives you satisfaction at seeing your skills advance. And set different goals for your pilots as well.

Examples:
My namesake Shnoze Shmon was one of my first pilots and all I wanted from him was to get through a campaign and see how many kills he could rack up. I started while I still was flying novice and only advanced his difficulty when I no longer wanted to fly at settings that low. Just to show what I would let him get away with one time I had activated invincibility so a friend of mine could try out the game. I forgot about this until I was reminded due to the fact that I was in a 23 to 1 fight and I wasn't getting killed. (wingman didnt last long) However, I let that mission stand instead of aborting and changing the settings. He ended his career with nearly 700 kills. (cant imagine why)lol

Now take his brother Dershwine Shmon. He has to live up to greater expectations. Amonge other settings he has limited ammo. Now he got an earlyer start on his career so maybe he can still give Shnoze a run for his money.

Then we have Randy Roadkill. He started out in command, and with very high difficulty settings. His main goal is to keep his wingmen alive. Not that easy since they are flying DH-2s. I wanted to see how low a turnover rate I could get.

One thing I would recommend NOT doing is putting the name and picture of a female associate on one of your pilots and then showing her "her war record" when your through. The appreciation factor for this kind of thing is quite low, especially if you make little remarks about now knowing what her "true age is." This IS a source of good cardiovascular exercise though just make sure your shoes are up to the task.

I would make it easier by having unlimited ammo and making the AI easier, but then the score factor is so low that you hardly ever get promoted.

Nope! Haven't had any luck completing a campaign either.

Furthest I have progressed was as a British Pilot in 24 Squadron. Managed to last just on a year, being invalided out in July 1917. Came back from an unproductive flight and crashed on landing. Guess battle fatigue had set in!

I came close. Once. Full Realism, no restarts. Was even playing the campaign with no E, F, or N key for added fuzziness. He was a Hun pilot and I started him as early as I could using CM. I got all the way to Nov 9, 1918 when he was killed by a flak burst at 7000 feet. Routine mission, nothing special, no enemy in sight and BOOM! I sat there stunned as his pieces fluttered down. He had 43 kills by that point.

I had an English pilot once make it from 1915 to Jan 1918 and then he died (I screwed up and stalled at low alt).

Both were using Berry's 2.0 patch and EMLSAI FMs. Haven't started a new campaign yet with Panama's FM and might give ROTJ a whirl.

The only time I have ever gotten completely through a campaign was in the original Red Baron. I did this by avoiding becoming a hero, being very careful and running away a lot.

In Red Baron 3d, I usually kill my campaign pilot by colliding with another aircraft or crashing into a building or tree.

I just did a dumb stunt with my current pilot. First mission with Dr.1's, too. It was a Turkey shoot, blasting at British Bombers coming in to land. After 3 comfirmed kills and damaging several others I decided to save my ammo in case we were bounced by some more dangerous adversaries and I tried to carry on with the flight plan. I put my plane on "Ctrl A" autopilot, made sure that my plane was going in the correct direction and then proceeded to joyfully watch the other members of my flight blasting at the bombers.

I guess the combat autopilot decided to join in on the activities while I was "astral tripping" around and I was rudely awakened to a message that I had been wounded. I should have used the navigation autopilot.

I "jumped back" into my cockpit and found myself in a dive going straight towards the ground in a red haze throbbing in and out. I took off the autopilot and attempted to pull out of the steep dive.

I almost pulled it up enough but pancaked smartly onto the enemy tarmack sliding upright. I sat there, wounded in a wrecked plane (still upright) without an undercarriage a few feet from the enemy hangars. It was an exciting moment to find that I was still alive.

I was captured and that was that for the end of the war.

I am going to restore that particular pilot and do the mission again but I think I will start trying to see how long I can stay alive by using the self preservation tactics I used in the original Red Baron.




[This message has been edited by Hans Offen (edited 08-08-2001).]

I tried those self preservation tactics, but its very difficult in RB3D. One my flight of four came upon 2 AL DII's, were in Nu-11's. We took them out, then 3 AVI CIII's came along and we took them out. I thought we had the advantage the whole time and I was involved with blasting them away.

Then, suddenly, I check my six after the last AVI went down only to see about 6 AL DII's on my six and no wingmen anywhere in sight. I tried to run, but it was useless. They were faster and higher. Eventually they started to shoot, we caused me to jink and turn, which then brought them all to shoot at me. I took one out, but they got me.

S!

I just recently found something easyer to shoot down than the BE-2. I followed a flight of 3 DH-4s back to ther base and caught up with them while they were landing. It was all I could do to get rounds in them before they crashed. I finnally got 5 DH-4s at that base and I bet I fired less than 50 rounds.

As for being outnumbered by a/c with better performance (or out of ammo) you can do 1 of 2 things. 1. Land and wait till they leave and get out of e range. 2. If there are 4 or less you can evade with contour flying. AI can only hit you when your close to the ground if they can make a long shallow approach at you. If your turning around every little bump on the ground they'll never get a firing solution unless they have enough to keep you surrounded. I'm talking about flying so low that you have to gain alt in order to make more than the shallowest of turns. Don't try to cross rivers unless you first throw them off enough to give yourself a bit of a lead because you have alot of flat ground to cover. Properly timed u turns can scatter the group over a large area. To gain alt for such things as crossing high hilly areas fly around the sides of hills gradually gaining alt. If you find yourself flying down a high and narrow vally with a dead end then circle at the end gaining alt and hugging the terrain till you can clear the top. If you are presented with a shot take it but dont get pulled into a melee. Most likely when you let down the other side you will count fewer enemyies pursuing you. Keep up with your location so you can lead your "fans" to areas with high concentraition of AA such as infantry or dromes.

Make it though an entire campaign with the same pilot without cheating? Not yet. Like Herr Mac, I to fly with 'full realism' for that total immersion effect and have never survived pass a few months. Once I made it through three seasonal changes and then, THWACK, down I went. I've been shot down by aces & also runs, shot by observers, downed by AA and even once my Albatross was totally ripped apart by a flak burst. That surprised me. Mostly my demises have been brought about by getting to close and colliding with the enemy. I like to hear them groan or scream. After all this, I was beginning to get discouraged with the 'restarting at the very beginning' purist approach. And then I devised a plan. Some may call this cheating but I don't. Now when my pilot is deceased, I restart the game, in the month of the occurrence and with a new Jasta. This way my game moves along and I get to fly with various aces and in different coloured liveries. The best thing about this is that with this type of restart all those aces are resurrected and fly again as mates or challengers. This time I'm going to make it to the end. Skylark .. out

No Skylark, thats a great idea. I might try that myself. All I gotta do know is survive at least a month

S!

Another servival tactic you can use is to pay attention in the preflight to where the other flights from your squad will be. That way if you need to run for help you may know where to find it. I've saved myself and my wingmen by leading a superior enemy flight to another flight from my squad. Also don't forget to watch for other friendly flights in your area.

RAC Shnoze has a good suggestion of seeking help from others in the area but keep this in mind. With fast enemy ACs in tow that any course change greater than 20 degrees will bring them onto your tail and within firing arrange. This is because the AI will always cut the corner to intercept you and if you didn't extend far enough then be prepared to get your tail waxed. Always maintain your height when attempting to escape greater numbers. Attempting to climb out of a bad situation will reduce your much needed escape speed and soon have those faster enemy types breathing up your tail. Skylark .. out

S!
A tactic I learned from the bad old days of RB2 unpatched when the Archie was murderous and I was limping home was to fly along the rivers just skimming the surface.
If your limping home and being chased and your aircraft won't outpace the chasers, hugging the ground seems to keep them from firing very often. I have often had four or five bandits escort me home. They will pepper you occasionally but a quick kick on the rudder will get you out of trouble.
If they do accompany you, try to make the flight more intresting for them by detouring via a friendly army corps or airport. The machine guns are sure to give them a salute.
regards,
Poyungan.

S! Lucky,

I survived to Armistice day only once back in RB2. I had tried British pilots first but kept getting transferred into the DH2 "flying bathtub" squadrons where I was promptly killed by hordes of faster Albys with better guns. I had no gunsight or transparent cockpit at the time so I was pretty useless.

Finally I switched to French pilots and the more survivable Nieuports and Spads. I died from engine fires, random flak, AA headshots from thousands of feet up, got maimed, court martialed (damaged one of my own team when he cut in front of me and then he flamed on the way home) After MANY tries I made it all the way through once (I think I got captured once and escaped after several months which really helped.)

It can be done but it is VERY tough. I had to consciously avoid being outnumbered in fights even when I knew I could win easily because there was always a random chance I would get an unlucky fuel or oil leak or headshot. I flew VERY cautiously when behind enemy lines and ran away a lot. I was much more aggressive on things like balloon defense where I was close to home and where the enemy was busy with a target. This wway I could at least land on my own lines and not get captured if I had a bad run of luck. I also got lots of bombers too as they were safe to approach from beneath.

I just started a campaign saturday (before reading your post) and this other flights have saved me. Actualy just one.
Flying the 9 RNAS, Febuary 1917, N17, Pup and Tripe available, Went on flying to offensive patrol, tripes, with 3 wingies in Lille. Found Voss and one other guy escorting 4 Rolands, jumped on them and while the fight was hot another flight of OP from my squad arrived. We started the fight in their side of the front, wasn't even over the mud, and finished up in our side of the mud.Got altitude again, found 4 rolands alone, nail them too together with that other flight. Then we started fighting over Lille with a flight of Albies, this time one of them rammed me, tnx god I rolled away from it and only got bit in the left wingtips (all 3 of them). One of my guys lost power and was captured (Lt. Simmons if I remember), the other 2 came back to the first base I found in front of me.
Final stats: 4 kills for me, 2 kills for my friend P.O.W, 1 kill for 2nd. Lt. Underwood and 0 for the last guy.
Since I'm flying as CO, my XO got KIA, Lt. Simmons was put on the disabled list (lol), as well as another 2nd. Lt.

Heck, I would be dead meat if wasn't for those N17's that came to help us.

Btw, played with ROTJ 1B, PR FM France 2, but the gun style borrowed from my friend Raymond Collishaw . Unlimited ammo, because the FM uses the EM2 DM, which simply can't be killed with the normal ammunition. I set the AI difficulty scroll so that when with unlimited ammo disabled I get 105% of difficulty. I also used the 3P rules from Bluevoss, that made me feel attached for those simulated punks that fly with me for a mission and get KIA, lol.

Slicer

P.S: Never finished a campaign, but I'm gonna end up this crap alive this time... Well, at least until it becomes RAF 209 and I get that creepy Camel

[This message has been edited by RAF_Slicer (edited 08-13-2001).]

You would definately enjoy Uhlan's DMs. They are still much tougher than the stock DMs but Uhlan's really do take selective damage very nicely.

I am not sure what link to post for them, though.

Roger that Hans
I know his DM, but after a while I couldn't get on his page...
Also, I'm most of the time outnumbered anyway, I don't like the idea of having some bad damage easier anyway...

S!
Slicer

This thread inspired me to start another SP campaign when the crap on-line started to get to me. I had a delightful couple hours winging with the LE in December 1916. Poor Bill Thaw flamed on my first mission, but I managed to get a kill before running out of ammo on every sortie. I must say, my aim has improved since last SP game.

Separated from my flight once, I jumped a plain brown pair--Halb & Albatross D2 cruising low behind their lines. I barely got away with my skin...after action report revealed it was Von Richtofen & Voss. I guess I was lucky. A neat thing about it was I was struggling homeward all shot up and picked up a high trailing contact...turned out to be old Lufbery, who guarded me until I made it across the front. Love this game!
Au revoir en l'air...S!
Heureux

I have never come close.
But right now I have surivied a year and 2 months. (the best I have ever done). I have done the good advice of not being a hero and running a lot. Then after my 18th kill earlier they other day I was changed to those damn DH2s. I knew I was screwed if I didnt get out of there so when we went on a basic CAP I lef tand destroyed a German balloon. After I did that low and behold Mr. Von Richtofen jumps on my tail. I dive as fast as the cuppy little plane can handle and fly toward home BEARLY above the trees. He only shoots ever now and then. After about 7 mins I finally get home. And lucky me a flight of Nep 17s is patroling. Bye Bye Red Baron you will be missed. So when I get back I have that kill and the Baron is dead after following me forever. Brass decides that I completely suck in a DH2 and gets me over to 40 squad to fly a lovely Neport 17, Thank the Lord.
Thats my big story so far. I pray that this George Speirs fellow doesnt screw up cuz this is the best I have ever done.

I too have got tired of MMP. Just not that fun anymore, you get sick of it after a while. Also real life(tm) keeps me away from it most of the time. But I'm proud of putting that RAF in front of my name in whatever place I post a message, and that's good enough to keep me attached

About running... Well, saying is one thing, doing it is another. The fact is your wingies are VERY stupid, you are lucky if they don't engage the enemy. The thing gets more hard as you go into offensive patrol or other missions you gotta cross the front. The main reason I use RNAS squads is because they have 3 great dogfight options, N17, Pup and Tripe. Whenever I have to cross the front I assign at least 2 wingmates and fly the Tripe. If I go for a CAP I usualy am happy flying a N17.
Also, if I fly the 9 RNAS I get to fly later the RAF 209, my online squad. Even tho I HATE Camels, I get to beat the Dr1's with it and later I have the Snipe, that is just one heckuva fighter.

BTW, talking about running, once I decided to join some Jasta in the late stage of the war (realy late, october or november of 1918). I did read a thing in Beery's page saying "never make lone wolfs after XXX, 1916. Well, I decided to give it a shot, got my D. VII and headed to enemy territory... Wasn't my surprise when I saw nothing more, nothing less than 12 enemy SPAD XIII comming my way (US94th if i remember). Turned back home, tried to run but no go, they got me good.
Not always running saves you

Salute!
Slicer

Its a VERY rare moment that anyone can get away from a Spad. They are just too quick.

Recently I have been trying to learn how to fly the Spad after years of being a confirmed turn and burner in more . Old habits die hard and I am finding it very difficult.
I have set the Fly Now! setting on Elite and fly against the DR1 and DVII. I don't seem to be able to get away from these blighters. By the time I come down from doing an Immelman I have an arse full of lead. I thought I should be able to outrun these critters easily. Any hints?

Regards,
Poyungan

S!

when pursued by more than 4 enemy who are faster than you LAND!

Wait for them to get out of "E" contact range before starting your engine.

Salut Polyungan!
You have to use climbing turns to get/stay above them. Attack only when diving from a height advantage. There isn't much time to line up and take a shot. Zoom climb after each firing pass when possible and extend (=run a bit)if they are getting around on you.... This advice also applies to MMP.

The main difference in MMP is your opponent will prop hang and hose you from far below if you try to eke out the last bit of altitude from the zoom climb. You have to keep your speed up and start a fast climbing turn sooner in MMP. The SP pilots won't make such extreme shots and will hold fire in positions where you'd get a hot lead enema in MMP.
BTW, in MMP, the "prop hang" is followed by a stall and recovery, which is a great time for le Spud driver to swoop down and take a shot.

Au revoir en l'air...S!
Heureux

Spoken like a true Spud lover! Yeah those DR1 jockeys love the prop hang. If you toy with 'em a bit first they fall for it every time -- drop on them, take a long distance pot shot to keep them honest and pull up WAY early. They figure you're coming down on them and pull up for the prop hang. In the meantime you've climbed WAY above them and while they try to line up that little teeny speck in the sky, they begin to stall at which point you fall on them like a ton of bricks. If you time it right you can blast the heck outta them as they are completely motionless in the stall with the entire top wing exposed. While they recover the stall you zoom back up again. If you play with them using partial "sucker" zooms some of the time then they will blow their alt. Sometimes they stall right into the ground and sometimes they get so low that you can yoyo them using your superior speed and greater energy state. This REALLY gets em mad cause you're turn fighting them in a Spad AND WINNING!

>>This REALLY gets em mad cause you're turn fighting them in a Spad AND WINNING!>>

Le big grin. I often fly Hun when the odds are heavily Entente. Doing so taught me first hand why Huns HATE spuds. I get a real kick out of lamenting in Hun team chat,

"I hate SPADS"

Somehow, my "fellow" Huns never get the irony.

Au revoir en l'air...S!
Heureux

"Spads are lame....and...

And you, Sir, are a BOOGER!!!

(quote of Tron, as he creeps out of the wreckage of his stalled Fokker DR1 once more)

Tron
LoneWulffe_Sturmbock

"I am so!"

(When challenged by Huns it is acceptable to use a modfied reply which confuses them even more than a skunk flying a Spad does.)

BTW the D7 is such a sweet crate I don't know why anyone would take a DR1 (other than the fact they're fun for melees.) The D7 is faster, goes up like an elevator, recovers E better than any crate out there, is a stable platform with awesome guns, rolls like it's on ball bearings and loses nothing at altitude. The only problem is it is slower than the Allied crates so if you get low you can get chased down.

Bout the only thing that can get above a D7 is a Tripe and you just walk away from those.

I look forward to meeting WW/LW in RBWL Week 22! Salute!

------------------
Lt. Pepe LePeu, DSO, AFC, BO
Flight Leader Charlie
209 Squadron RAF

"No, you are NOT!!!" ...err...huh?

(those hideous allied verbal tactics are EVIL)

LOL...looking forward to fly against you, too!

Salute!
(err...whats that smell all of a sudden... ***passes out***)

Tron
LoneWulffe_Sturmbock

I think I am beginning to like the Spud. Looks like a fish and steers like a cow. And since my brother(great mate in real life, avowed enemy for the last three decades in all forms of sport and play)loves the DR1 and DVII, it surely is my duty to master the arcane art of potato flying and make him scratch his head in awe.
Thanks for the tips.
Regards,
Poyungan.

"No, he's NOT! I am!" In French that's "Le Bourget", non?

>>"duty to master the arcane art of potato flying">>

"Flyed" is good, also mashed or baked.

Au revoir en l'air, my little "tater tot"...S!
Heureux

I see you are not without a sense of humour, Heureux! Have you tried the Onion "wings" ?

------------------
Lt. Pepe LePeu, DSO, AFC, BO
Flight Leader Charlie
209 Squadron RAF

Humor? Moi? But of course...if happy I want to be, a good sense of humor is essential. I'm not familiar with le onion "wings", though. Are they "French" fried? le yum! )

I have also read of a particularly nasty looking type of Archie that is called a "flaming onion".

BTW, I happen to LIKE the small spotted skunks. They have no odor unless they spray...unlike the perpetual aroma of the Great North American variety.

My wife once accidently petted a spotted skunk in our barn when feeding the cat after dark. She pushed him lovingly aside so she could fill the bowl he was eating out of and thought his coat felt a little wiry, but he kept happily crunching away. As she turned to leave, she saw our CAT in the doorway, so she turned on the light...le voila! (to coin a phrase)

Au revoir en l'air...S!
Heureux

The spotted skunk lacks the character and natural charisma of a striped skunk such as myself. I am not surprised your wife found one eating out of your cat's bowl in the barn. Striped skunks have a natural appreciation for the finer things in life such as grilled Ahi tuna, Pouilly Fuisse, and fallen chocolate souffle with white chocolate sauce. Crunchy Cat Chow and drinking from the toilet I will leave to my less refined spotted southern cousins.


------------------
Lt. Pepe LePeu, DSO, AFC, BO
Flight Leader Charlie
209 Squadron RAF

"Touche"

(You Elitist stinker!)

LMAO!
Hex

hi rgr that idea...
i'm thinking of using the french campaign editor needed for the PPP to delete all my pilots kills when he dies but resurect him anyway and carry on ...as his own replacement sort of thing so my kill tally dies but the pilot lives on to fight another day..whaddya think??
salute
bort

------------------
oh to be in England now that England's here...i stand up-right in my wheel barrow and pretend i'm Bodecia

I just might survive an RFC campaign if my beloved Camel wasn't taken away from me for "good behaviour" and swapped for an SE5a.

Damn you, Trenchard!

Just bopped in here on a whim and have two comments:

What an amazingly civilized, not to say humorous, forum. Must be something about the Knights of the Air that's for real even if simmed. (Compare to, say, IL-2 or Falcon 4...)

The discussion on survival times is enlightening. I know more or less nothing about WWI planes, but the now defunct public effort of 17 Hours informed me of the estimated average lifespan of a pilot in those days. Seems RB does justice to the idea.

If I hadn't killed my V5500 card I could maybe try this sim out. But as things stand I have no Glide capable vid card.

Regards, Lads.

KR
Oh, wait, that was three comments. "There are three kinds of people: those who can count and those who can't."

Howdy
Well KingRat (Great name Big Weasel Thinks
The MMP and SP for that matter gameplay
is good enough to try and locate a
Voodoo2 or Voodoo one card just for glide.

Shouldn't set ya back that much. There will
be a few hassle in set up, but nothing
the RB community can't help with.

S!
Hope to see fellow Vermin in the air!
BigWeasel

Salute King Rat !!!
Many pilots do not have glide capable cards and have been having a ball for several years. If you cannot obtain the Voodoo card, don't fret, grab a copy of RB and "Wheels Up !!!!"
AD

King Rat...Wasn't there a great WW2 Jap Prison Camp novel of that name by James Clavell?

BTW..Weasels are NOT vermin, nor are they rodents...but they ARE sneaky lil' buggers.
Au revoir en l'air...>S!
Heureux

Well I have seen the Armistice once, but I enlisted on november 1st 1918, just to watch the movie.

My best REAL attempt was Johann Von Bunsenbrenner, who enlisted in the spring of 1917 and lasted six months, scoring 23 kills and dying dramatically seconds after his 23rd kill, a balloon, hit mortally by a Nieuport. In between he had been wounded two times and spent two months as a POW before escaping.

I play with realism at 108% or so, the AI levels at the default value. I did crank up the bullet mass a bit, to 500. Any one else do that?

I have now started a new attempt in the RFC, flying SE5s. So far I have lasted a month, and scored 6 kills and an MC.

Those Camels are a real bitch by the way. I can't get one of the ground with torque effect on, and I have flown some horrible FM's like the Spitfire in BoB and the P51 in Mig Alley. Is there a trick or does the FM just suck?

S!

Don't forget in your pursuit of a realistic campaign that there are no real aces who flew from 1916 to the armstice. So if you cant do it I'd say thats proof of the realism.

I take it from the context that Wheels Up is a Glide API wrapper. Perhaps over DirectX or perhaps just a straight software rendition. Guess I'll look into this sim after all.

Re: my handle, it was given to my by some friends(?) many years ago who noted it matched my real life initials. There may also have been some under-vocalized mutterings about my personality to go with it? The full version is King Lab Rat.

Thanks for the replies, chaps,

KLR

Salute King Rat!!!!

I didnt mean to mislead you. "Wheels Up!!" is just an expression meaning "Start Motors and Take Off !!"
Since you mentioned glide wrappers, I think that no one has been able to find one that really works. There was a thread regarding them here a while ago. The consensus was that there isn't one that works.
As I stated, many, or maybe most by now, pilots do not have glide capable video cards. You can, however, get a Voodoo 2 card and connect it up with your newer card.
It's all "Greek to me" how to do it, but there are lots of folks here who can advise you on that.
Hope to see you in the French skies soon !!!!
AD

However, Udet flew from 1915 (if not before) and survived, didn't he?

Howdy
Pijlie there are quite a few tricks
with the Camel. I assume you are
flying it in advanced mode.
The Key to the Camel is smooth inputs,
Forcefeedback and framerates. You need
good FPS to " feel" the Camel, watch the
screen for shake, and or back off on your
inputs if you feel stick shudder.
Quite a few feel that the Camel and Dr1
in advanced mode are the most accurate.
I've never flown a Camel or any plane
so all I can say are they take time to
learn. In the Camel go easy on the rudder
for most ACM manuvers. Use rudder mainly
to aim and/or prevent stalls. Keep speed
high and stay away from climbing left turns
until you get the feel of it.
To land line up on the runway come in fast
and tab the engine to slow down
get both gear on the ground, before you chop
throttle. It will roll on ya so keep the
wheel on the ground until you build up or
drop your speed.

Bullet mass is a double edged sword.
a BM of 500 means that your bullets are very
powerful,,, so is your opponents and AI
wingmates. 1 bullet can down a plane.
Setting your bullet mass to 1 will make it
more difficult for you to down your enemies,
until you get the hang of getting close and
making those bullets count.

A problem with Advanced flight mode is that
when damaged some planes performance increase
substantially. The AI really does not
capitalize on this, but you or I certainly
will and so will any online players.

I like the intermediate flight mode with
all options maxed out, or some of
the custom FM's and DM's for Single mode.
For Online play I prefer the Normal Flight
mode.
To simulate Normal Flight mode offline,
select intermediate, turn off, torque,
gunjams, and blackouts.

Good Luck
Weasel!

S! RAF Slicer

Yep yer right Udet flew from 1914 to the Armstice, although, he flew in recon & bombers until some time in 1916. He He so I guess its possible to survive a whole campaign.

And Nungesser...as a fighter pilot,no?

Actually have on both sides. Full realism. No Glide. 1916 thru Armistice.

Guess cause fly like really there. One life - flimsy plane - run away to fight another day. Dont fly over flak areas. If can hear the bell - too close.

Can be done.

My typical campaigns in Red Baron 3D tend to be short, brutish, violent affairs. I guess I really should start flying with the philosophy of "running to fight another day" but it's just SO tempting to stick it out and try to bag that e/a.

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"Forget it Ming, Dale's with me." - Flash Gordon

How about it, anyone still around made it to Armistice? I did once, Maimed for Life!

S!

The only way I get far in the single player campaign is hitting the abort button every time I get shot up. Several times I have made it back over my lines and landed safely while wounded only to be maimed and discharged. So now if I really want to continue my pilot when I'm seeing red, I just abort and restart.

I have gone on mission after mission for what seems like for ever but I've never seen the last one.

"Since you mentioned glide wrappers, I think that no one has been able to find one that really works. There was a thread regarding them here a while ago. The consensus was that there isn't one that works.
As I stated, many, or maybe most by now, pilots do not have glide capable video cards. You can, however, get a Voodoo 2 card and connect it up with your newer card."

Huh? Glide wrappers don't work? Someone has their wires crossed because I use dgvoodoo with my 1900 ATI and it works just as well as a voodoo card. I get 100% Glide graphics and great frame rates to boot. I'd post some screens with the frame rates right on the screen... but I don't know how to get the screen shots from my computer to this board.

Andrewsdad was writing in 2001. If I recall, we didn't get dgVoodoo until early 2004. Sorry for bumping this ancient thread, Toadvine.

Oh, no problem. I didn't realize how old the thread was, but I don't remember ever using a wrapper that didn't work. I remember discussions over which was better the wrapper or a voodoo card, but even Glidos worked. Glidos was the earliest one I ever tried.

Yeah, I started this thread way back in the day.

Anyway, I'm still playing RB3D. And the only pilot that I made it all the way to the End was a British pilot. But I had to abort more than a few times when he got wounded or killed. He ended up with almost 400 kills though.

Other than that, I always die one way or another. I've come close so many times. One time I got captured and escaped many months later. Only to get shot down and killed on my next mission in 1918. It's frustrating.

>>I didn't realize how old the thread was>>

I was fooled too -- until I read a reference to the old Fairy Godmother's of Flight FM and looked at the date. Fun reading it all now though. I miss Pepe.

FWIW I think the best way to have a chance at surviving a campaign is to use CM11 to slow down the rate at which ground AA mgs acquire targets accurately, I've been shot up too many times when my use of auto navigation between encounters lead my flight over a landmark at low altitude.

It's also a good practice to head home any time you get shot up at all over enemy territory, then land asap. Forced landing or flamers or debilitation due to undetected damage or injury also ruin perfectly good campaigns.

Seven flying Red Baron and I'm still no where near ending a campaign. The longest I've survived was with a German pilot who started in January 1916 (using WFP). He survived until October 1916, when he got nailed by Archie when on a 'attack infantry' mission.

Many say that a wrapper works better than a V5500.
I'm using Glidos "0.07b4". Works best for me. FR's in the 60's on a 256 mB GeForce in 800x600 60 hertz.
Never finished a Campaign unless joining in October '18
One of my other tricks is to re-join the same
Squadron after getting killed, same Pilot name, rank, date etc. I lose my kills and medals but I get too many of those anyway
Another tip - land at the nearest available Friendly drome, this will save some of your Squadies who may not make it back all the way to home drome.

There are also instructions in the retail RB3D manual telling how to resurrect a dead pilot. They talk about going into the save file and monkeying with it somehow. I wasn't able to follow the instructions and get it to work though.

Glidos, or OpenGLide never worked well for me. When I drew close to the ground or to a cloud layer the textures would tear and go crazy. And framerates were not too good either in a fight, especially over a ground object.

But dgVoodoo has been great. FR's average in the forties. And you're right, I actually bought a Voodoo 5500. It is still in my closet. I haven't had any incentive to install it.

I do the same thing, start a new pilot in the same squadron about a week after I die, but with a new name. I always fly as CO, so I figure it would take a few days for him to get to his new assignment. I usually give myself three tries at a mission. If I still can't get through it, I let my pilot die. I've learned a lot about surviving this way.

Toadvine, you can revive a pilot with CM11. Open your campaign, click on Modify Campaign, and select Restore Last Pilot.

S!