homepage Forums Read Only Forums Read Only Forums Red Baron (Read Only) A few tips for new players

I am by no means an expert but have learned a few things after some time in the game. In particular there were some revelations that I wish I knew about earlier (lol RTFM Pepe!):

1) Transparent Cockpit. If you have Voodoo you can hit Alt T for a see-through cockpit that allows you to better see what you are doing. There are also some transparent cockpit paints available but I have never used these.

2) Enemy View. Lock an enemy with the E key then press F8 to see their plane. Great for knowing who you are up against and what they are flying. Now press F5 to see them in relation to you -- great for dogfighting SA.

3) Target Lock (MMP). Press SHIFT D to lock on to a particular aircraft and press D any time after to locate it fast. Much faster than cycling through all the E contacts in range just to find your target.

4) Fuselage is a Damage Dump. Rather than aiming at the fuselage of an opponent, aim for wings, tail, engine or pilot. That N11 pop gun will take a long time to kill an Alby bomber otherwise. Try shooting the tail off a Gotha and see what happens.

5) Voodoo Glide. Awesome graphics if you use Voodoo video card. I got a cheap PCI card and I love it. Makes the game 10x better.

6) Twist Joystick. Essential for lining up guns using the rudder. You won't survive MMP servers without it.

7) ASK FOR HELP WHILE FLYING. Many squad members will teach you a few tricks or let you practice dogfighting with them.

8) WINGS OF HONOUR. http://www.wingsofhonor.com/index.shtml
Sorry to plug another forum here but WoH has downloads and tips that will make you a better player. Tutorials, patches, paints, bug fixes, add-ons -- everything is at WoH.

9) Gauges. Airspeed and altitude are life. Pay attention to keeping your airspeed up and watch the AoA (angle of attack or climb rate) to learn what is your most efficient climb speed. Also fuel gauge and oil gauge are important if you want to survive SP for any length of time.

10) Autoclimb. Does not exist. Use SHIFT A for level flight, ALT A to circle in MMP. Some pilots cut lengths of popsicle sticks to put under their joystick to climb automatically in straight flight while they grab a frosty beverage.

11) Learn the Spad XIII. New pilots hate this crate because it can't turn for beans. I had bad turn habits when I started RB -- every fight turned into a series of level turn circles in my Nieuport or Sop. When I got to MMP I was massacred by pilots who had learned to use the vertical. By flying Spad you are forced into the vertical and learn to use it well. You don't ave to fly Spad forever but having a good run at it will sure help you in every other crate you fly. It is a pure Energy fighter and the opposite of the DR1 which is a pure turn fighter. Every other plane is somewhere in between IMHO.

Hope some of these help.

S! Le Peu

best thread here to date, IMHO !!

Keep it going!

and...

"Some pilots cut lengths of popsicle sticks to put under their joystick to climb automatically in straight flight while they grab a frosty beverage."

...we older ones can learn some tricks here too!

See you in unfriendly skies....

LW STURM bock
Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow.(Goethe)


[This message has been edited by Tron (edited 08-09-2001).]

Thank you sir. I think the reason you like this post so much is that skunks are possesed of a natural eloquence that is transcended only by their charisma.

BTW another valuable tip:

12) RB3D Compatibility with Wife/Girlfriend. Please note that unlike men, women plan ahead and often know their schedule DAYS IN ADVANCE (Gasp!) I found that if I post my RB flight schedule listing war nights and training nights on the fridge door (ahh! The fridge -- wish my cockpit had one! -- but I digress...) I find that if I post my schedule on the fridge door, Mrs LePeu knows it IN ADVANCE and plans her schedule so it does not conflict with my flying (Is that a great wife or what?) This results in less involuntary celibacy, fewer bonks on the head with large mallets and reduced instances of seeing a halo of little stars and birdies. In short: if you know when you will be flying then tell the Mrs in advance, otherwise there will be a conflict:

HER PLAN (formulated two weeks ago and anticipated ever since): the two of you will have a candlelit dinner and then spend the night snuggling on the couch watching "Sin and Sensibility" together.

YOUR PLAN (formulated in the car on the way home from work): you will grab a bag of cheesies and a slice of salami for dinner and retreat to the office with a few well chilled wobbly pops to yell expletives at the computer screen while you blast opponents with your machine guns until 3:00 am.

You see where this is headed, right?

Peppe...

Climb on up to 15000 ft and you won't need a fridge...

Spandau

Ok heres one for the new guys. You will suffer far fewer typing deaths if you place some of the common things that you say in the [Quickchat] section of the mplayer.ini file. Such as:
Insert=Salute bloody hun!
Delete=My apologies for that collision!
Home=No vulching on this server please.
End=No smoking on this server please.
PageUp=etc, etc, etc
PageDown=etc, etc, etc. Whatever you want to say

Then save as mplayer.ini
Now when you want to salute just hit "backspace" "insert" "enter" and you just typed "Salute bloody hun!" in the chat window. Its quick and can give your pilot character without wasting alot of time typing. I use that collision one alot. LOL

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RB3D_Misfits_Squadron

Best_RB3D_Forum_4_Info

FS:SDOE_WW1_Online_Standard

S! Spandau,

Lol, I am RAF 209 bomber puke -- I spend my whole life in an N17 on the deck blowing up enemy dromes and running away from angry DR1s. Still need a fridge down that low.

Our fighter jocks spend time at that alt -- they have requested rum flasks and not fridges. Go figure.

Hehehe... what can I say? I'm a fighter puke m'self... Thought you brits preferred your beer warm anyway?

Spandau

Well dude, I got another one:
When you want to climb fast and move fast, keep your angle of attack low. You climb not because your angle of attack is high, but because your speed creates more lift in the wings. I can climb 1000 feet per minute with a Snipe with a 5-10 degree angle of attack, going at 90MPH.
How about that stinky?

Salute!
Slicer

Just resurecting this thread for the new MMP players out there

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Capt. Pepe LePeu DSO OBE DSC AFC CR BO
Executive Officer
209 squadron RAF
I can quit RB3D any time I want. I don't have a problem!

Salut Pepe! Glad you bumped these excellent threads. They are a fun read as well as informative. With the demise of Wings of Honor and the continued arrival of new players, I thought I'd add a copy of my patching tutorial:


Patches for the Newcomer
By Heureux

Preface/Disclaimer
The author is relatively new to Red Baron 3d. This article contains opinions and practical suggestions that are based on personal experience; advice obtained on the Delphi Flight Simulator Forum and from published works such as Wings of Honor tutorials and patch maker Web Page directions. It attempts to walk the newcomer through the patching process in a way that will minimize problems. You may encounter problems anyway. The decision to experiment with patches is yours alone, as is any risk of rendering your game unplayable. It may be reassuring to know that one can always uninstall all the game files, reload a fresh copy and try again, even if a problem does occur. A lot of assistance is available from the Red Baron "Community" at the various on-line Red Baron Forums and elsewhere. If anyone's contribution to the state of the patching art has been overlooked or mischaracterized, please accept this apology. I would never claim to "know it all", even if I'd been around for years.

What is a Patch?
One of the many great things about Red Baron 3d is the wealth of "patches" freely available from the World Wide Web. A great number of very devoted and talented Red Baron fans have invested countless hours designing a wide range of improvements to the basic game (often referred to as "corporate" or "OEM" Red Baron). Patch creators typically maintain Websites where their work can be downloaded. The Red Baron Web Ring is an excellent place to find links to these sites. Recently, the Wings of Honor Website provided a comprehensive Resources page where one can find most patches in one place.

Patches can be categorized several ways:
· Utility programs for adding patches, improving multi-player on-line gaming or tinkering with game design components
· Basic game design changes or additions that permit a wider range of player settings, game effects and play options
· Historical research corrections incorporated into the game
· Terrain, ground objects or aerial effects artwork creating a more realistic environment
· Aircraft artwork that is more realistic or visually attractive
· Flight characteristics or damage modeling changes intended to improve realism

Many patches improve Red Baron in more than one way. Some "super patches" attempt to incorporate individual patches in a mutually compatible set that improve the game many ways without requiring the user to experiment with numerous potentially conflicting patches.

Learning to use patches can be a bit confusing and intimidating. It is easy to feel as if one lacks the necessary technical knowledge needed to use patches, if one is a newcomer to Red Baron. Unfortunately, many people are reluctant to try patching, because no one wants to "mess up" the way their game works. Fortunately, it is not that hard to learn how to use patches. You will find the benefits of using patches far outweigh the time and effort needed to learn how to use them.

Getting Started
Patching is not difficult, but it does require you to have at least a little understanding of how to use a Zip utility and manage files with Windows Explorer. It is advisable to have a fresh installation of the OEM game before you start adding patches. Use Windows Explorer to take a good look at the way the stock Red Baron game folders are organized.

Read the instructions for any patch you want to use, as with any software. The Web Page you download a patch from often contains instructions. Patch makers tend to put more effort into their creations than their instructions, but you can usually figure it out, especially if you check a Forum for help. You can add patch enhancements directly into your games data folders, or add and remove patches with Tom Harradine's (von Tom) Campaign Manager utility, which is highly recommended.

Von Tom's Campaign Manager is the first patch you should download. Either the cmbeta10 or newer cm11 (released 01/30/00) versions will do. This utility makes adding and removing patches easy. If you can figure out how to use patches without it, you can easily install and use Campaign Manager, so you may as well take advantage of it. Campaign Manager goes in the RedBaron3D subdirectory. The path looks like this:
C:/Sierra/RedBaron3D/cm11
Take a good look at the cm11 subdirectories and files. Note the "Patches" folder, where you will be placing the game patches you want to use. Note the Rbbackup folder, where Campaign Manager will keep a default set of data files if you choose to. Study the readme files. Locate the cm11 application file (a roundel on a green box) and make a shortcut to cm11 for your desktop. Now run Campaign Manager, and take a good look at it before you try to add any patches with it. Click on Patches and Files, then Backup RB Files. This will place a default backup copy of the current Data files in the CM11/Rbbackup/Data folders. Note that CM can only have one backup copy at a time. Backup RB Files saves a copy of whatever game configuration is in use at the time, overwriting any prior backup. It wouldn't hurt to have a look with Windows Explorer to see them, if you still aren't clear what you're doing.

Avoiding Problems with Patches
Not all patches create the exact same filing system when you unzip them. Some are designed to automatically create a folder with their descriptive name (which is what you will see in the CM add and remove lists) and subfolders containing the new data. If you set the zip utility to create subfolders, you can just unzip these patches directly into the Campaign Manager Patches folder and be good to go. Not all patches are created equally, however. You may be lucky, but it helps to learn the following about HOW Campaign Manager and Red Baron handle patch files, especially if you want to try a variety of patches.

It is recommended that you download patches to a "holding folder" (name it anything you choose). Unzip the patch there and examine the contents. You may find a readme.txt file containing additional instructions. Make sure you have the patch folders and subfolders set up right, then cut and paste them into the Campaign Manager patches folder, when satisfied they are arranged properly (as described later in this article).

Use Windows Explorer to take a good look at the C:/Sierra/RedBaron3D data directory and its 4 subdirectories. This is where the game accesses the new data from the patches, which Campaign Manager will copy from the C:/Sierra/ RedBaron3D/cm11/Patches folder. The Data subdirectories look something like this:
C:/Sierra/ RedBaron3D/Data/3dpatch (terrain patch data ends up here)
C:/Sierra/ RedBaron3D/Data/Multi (things that appear only in MMP go in here)
C:/Sierra/ RedBaron3D/Data/shellpat (things that appear only in Single Player go here)
C:/Sierra/ RedBaron3D/Data/simpatch (things that appear in both SP and MMP go here)

Patches work best when installed in an orderly fashion. Not all patches are compatible. If you add a patch and have problems, remove it and often the problem will stop. Even if it doesn't, at least you know where the problem started. If you add a bunch of patches all at once, it is much harder to sort out which patch triggered the problem.

Start with one of the larger patches. The Beery "Super Patch" suite, UnOfficialPatch 4.5, Cam's Art Attack Flander's Field set, and Comeau's Wingstrut sets are large patches. These larger patches typically contain a set of compatible files that eliminate the need for numerous smaller patches. Use only patches that the large patch author approves for use with his/her patch. For example, Beery asks that one not mix BSP with any other major unofficial patch. Any patch that includes files such as except.dat, filelist.dat, pilots.dat, squadron.dat) is not cross compatible with his patch suite.

Depending on the patch makers' interests, their patch may change data in only one or in many of the categories listed above. Some are original work, while others are compilations of other people's work, modified for compatibility. The EASIEST way to avoid patch conflicts is to settle on one comprehensive patch, such as the Beery set. The BEST way to avoid patch conflicts is to learn about what the patches do and pick compatible ones that change what you want to change.

Speaking of patch conflicts, it is worth mentioning that patch makers have a lot of themselves invested in their work. It is advisable to use some discretion when talking about patches, to avoid sparking a "flame war" of artistic egos. It is likewise appropriate to show some consideration for the authors. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. Patch makers like recognition for their creations, and they are sensitive to criticism and plagiarism, just like anyone else.

Adding Patches with Campaign Manager
Using Windows Explorer, place a major patch in the Campaign Manager Patches directory, after which the path should look something like one of the following:
C:Sierra/RB3D/cm11/patches/uop4.5/Simpat/"the files"
C:Sierra/RB3D/cm11/patches/beery20/Shellpat/"the files"
C:Sierra/RB3D/cm11/patches/r-4Seson/3dpatch/"the files"
Depending on what type of data the patch modifies.

Start Campaign Manager, click on Patches and Files. Highlight the patch you want in the Patches available field and click add. The patch name should appear in the Patches in Use field. Exit CM and take a look at the new data from the patch in C:/Sierra/ RedBaron3D /Data. Now play Red Baron to see what changed. If you like it, continue adding patches that your research tells you are compatible, in the following order:
A Major Patch
Graphics (Promised Land, for ex.)
Sounds (Promised Land, for ex.)
Graphic Add-ons (i.e.: terrain patches, Garps Flames etc)
Flight model (EM/LeadSled, etc.)
Damage model (Uhlan for ex.)

You cannot use many patches on-line in Multi-player mode (MMP). Adding non-MMP compatible patches last makes it easy to remove them with the Campaign Manager before venturing on-line. Graphic and sound enhancements usually don't cause MMP problems, but flight models (FM) and damage models (DM) do.

Choosing Patches
There are several "major" patches out now, as noted above. Generally speaking, these improve many aspects of OEM Red Baron. The On The Edge 4 Seasons patch is terrain only. Its size and completeness make it worth considering as the default backup for terrain, however. Adding it first and then using CM to Backup RB Files will allow one to experiment with alternative terrain patches later, yet easily revert back to the 4-Season set as the default, without having to add it again. This makes it easy to play around with different terrain patches, which tend to be conflict prone.

Terrain patches can generally be used with major patches such as UnOfficialPatch, the Wingstrut patch and Flanders Field, which do not contain terrain files that would conflict. The Beery patches, as noted above, are built of components taken from a wide range of patches. They will work with other Beery patches, but may conflict with patches from authors that modify the same data. One can also delete specific bmps from the larger patches that isn't desired, if you know what you are doing.

Several flight and damage models are available that really improve the realism of aerial combat in Red Baron, particularly patches from the FGMOF (Fairy Godmothers Of Flight) and Uhlan. These patches make the aircraft fly and take damage more like the real thing. Damage model (DM) patches compensate for the corporate version's unrealistic damage model, placing game's damage boxes more accurately and reducing their size. The state of the art in flight model patches as of 09/2000 is generally considered to be the "lead sled" (emlsai) FM. The flight model in emlsai is a derivation of the "Final FGMOF Version 1.2", with improved SPAD VII, XIII, and SE5a. It is for use in "authentic/advanced" setting of Red Baron only.

Some seasoned Red Baron users prefer the more aggressive way the AI (artificial intelligence) of the enemy pilots flies in the Intermediate setting. It is possible to utilize any of the EM's or LeadSled for Intermediate use, as follows:
Make two copies of the Acspecs3.dat file from the flight model patch you want to change. Put them in another folder to work with. Rename one of the copied files Acspecs2.dat and the other Acspecs.dat Copy or cut the newly named two files and paste them (overwrite) back into the original patch, with the original Acspecs3.dat file. Change the game setting preference to Intermediate. Your AI just became very aggressive and flight worthy. You may want to consider whether you plan to fly in single player mode only or MMP before making this modification. You can also set up separate FM patches for MMP and SP use.

The Future
It is hard to say whether any company will see profit in creating a new World War One flight simulator that approaches the ability of Red Baron 2/3d to attract and hold the interest of fans and combines the level of historical research we enjoy with state of the art graphics. Until that happens, it appears the dedication, enthusiasm and talent of the "Red Baron Community" will keep the old game alive and well. Hopefully, this article will help the newly brevetted "pilote de chasse" explore the truly marvelous improvements that keep us in the air over the Western Front.

S! Heureux!

This was a useful document for me when I was a newcomer to RB. Thanks for adding it here. Patches are such a huge topic the probably deserve a thread all their own. Of course skunks are the same kind of topic as well

P.S. Love your skunk story!

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Capt. Pepe LePeu DSO OBE DSC AFC CR BO
Executive Officer
209 squadron RAF
I can quit RB3D any time I want. I don't have a problem!

S! Stinky,

Your RESPONSE to my skunk story really tickled me...I decided right then and there that skunks from the Great White North are a special breed, indeed. I just love your posts...even read them to my wife! The (BeX thread is a favorite).

I am surprised to read that my tutorial predates your preeminence as a Red Baron ace. Judging from your posts (they ring true as well as being articulate and entertaining) I assumed you were an old hand, perhaps harkening from the days of the legendary SpinDry or our beloved Colonel Photo.

I myself only started flying on-line a little over a year ago, but as soon as I caught on to patching, I drafted the tutorial in the hope it would encourage more new people to join in the fun. These threads at SimHq serve us in the same fashion and are consistently helpful to many, I'm sure.

Hope to see you "en 'air" soon...S!
Hex

S! Hex,

Many thanks for the kind words. We periodically have the RAF wives post on our private forum and the results have been hilarious. I think all our wives have to have a sense of humour to marry us. They are certainly smarter than us although some argue that marrying us belies this fact.

As far as "preeminence as a Red Baron ace" I nearly wet myself at that one. Um. Ruh roh. Be back in a minute...

Anyway I consider myself an average dogfighter and maybe a bit better as a bomber. (I'm nowhere near as good as Photo or the best RAF aces -- these guys kill me at will!) I flew online for a year before joining RAF and RBWL was really my first war (although it was a huge one with 430 pilots.) I credit my team for my success in RBWL. I got great training and had guys saving my striped tail all over the place. Having a whole squad of guardian angels is great when you are a bomber.

I guess I am no longer a newcomer to the game but I am by no means one of the originals or even an old hand. Old fart maybe. I talk better than I fly! Maybe some have noticed...

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Capt. Pepe LePeu DSO OBE DSC AFC CR BO
Executive Officer
209 squadron RAF
I can quit RB3D any time I want. I don't have a problem!

>>I guess I am no longer a newcomer to the game but I am by no means one of the originals or even an old hand. Old fart maybe. I talk better than I fly! Maybe some have noticed...>>

Same here...kindred spirits, I guess. Especially the old fart part ). I flew RB1 on my 486 for a couple years, long after RB3d was out. I finally got an Athlon 600 system a year ago last May (specifically tailored to RB with a Voodoo 3 3500) and flew SP until November. I joined LE in December, but "talking" was my main contribution to our squad activities also until just recently. It is gratifying to finally pull my own weight "en l'air" and the MMP game had gotten quite exciting at times. My biggest problem now is finding the time to fly, especially when scheduled events are happening.

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

The MOST important tip you can ever learn to fly Red Baron right, is to fly WAAAAAAY up wind of Pepe. Especially on Sat before his weekly bath
Salute


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RAF_Uplander
"Take No Prisoners,
Bomb that Outhouse"

Uppy they let YOU in this forum? There goes the neighborhood. No wonder there are no other skunks here.

BTW Uppy anytime you want to fly upwind of me just feel free to fly in front of me. I promise to keep my finger off the R key. Really.

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Capt. Pepe LePeu DSO OBE DSC AFC CR BO
Executive Officer
209 squadron RAF
I can quit RB3D any time I want. I don't have a problem!

LOL

So with all of that Alphabet stuff behind your name does "BO" stand for "Body Odor"
That would be most appropriate.

Salute

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RAF_Uplander
"Take No Prisoners,
Bomb that Outhouse"

Naturally! How else would I be so distinkuished?

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Capt. Pepe LePeu DSO OBE DSC AFC CR BO
Executive Officer
209 squadron RAF
I can quit RB3D any time I want. I don't have a problem!

As any casual observer should have noticed by now, Pepe's FIRST statement in this entire thread is incredibly accurate. He is no expert!!! (chuckling) However, he has personally been responsible for causing entire Hun divisions to evacuate their entrenched positions and flee in abject terror at the mere sight of him raising his posterior pelage.

As for his bombing talents, he does as well as you would expect a skunk to do. Certainly not on a par with the talents of your average Chiropteran, however. He is especially adept at bombing large wooden badgers.

What about a below-average Chiropter?

Send me your current e-mail addy so I can abuse you more! (ifoster@lextec.com)

Also saw your post on bombing in WoV and sent an e-mail to PJ666 suggesting 20 minute target changes so we don't have to wait 50 minutes to blow stuff up.

BTW I have a DSL server if you want to practice dogfighting skills or set up an RAF vs RFC13 4x4 Island Team Target.

Peu

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Capt. Pepe LePeu DSO OBE DSC AFC CR BO
Executive Officer
209 squadron RAF
I can quit RB3D any time I want. I don't have a problem!