On 18 Jun 2007 19:38:57 +0000, "Angus Manwaring" wrote:
> On 17-Jun-07 20:32:00, Seppo said
> >On Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:24:25 -0400, "Nate Brazil" wrote:
>
>
>
> >That's what I meant - for example, your primary mission is to strafe
> >the infantry and the road sides are full of AA guns. So, your choices
> >is either to go after the infantry (and get shot to pieces half way
> >through the mission) or shoot those guns and survive, but
> >fail the mission.
>
> I don't succeed even if I just go for the Infantry. :)
That's what I meant above :)
> I've had some problems with the game. First of all it wouldn't save, but
> it turned out that was my fault as I'd messed up the installation. Okay,
I
> sorted that out and commenced play.
>
> I think I'm too obsessive for Wings, I hate not completing a mission
> properly or some other pilot taking the credit for a kill that should
have
> been mine (mine! Mine!! MINE!!!).
>
> So I've started cheating.
Hmmm...I thought there was some kind of competition ongoing - should
we rearrange the rules?
> If I'm unhappy with the result of a mission, I don't save, I quit the
game
> and reload, trying again form my old saved position, again, and again
and
> sometimes again. I'm still only on about the fifth mission though. :)
Oh dear... ;)
> I remember when I played Wings back in the day I basically just kept
> playing not worrying about mission results, well trying, but just going
> along with the result - it all seemed to get a bit samey to me, and in
> those days with floppies it was more complex loading and reloading.
>
> In my opinion as games go, its all pretty good, but I really wish they
had
> included even a simple throttle control so that you could dogfight with
a
> bit more flying skill. I mean why not? And if you say it would have
> alienated people who are scared of flight-sims I would disagree and
argue
> that a throttle control would have given the game just that extra bit of
> depth that captured an even wider audience. I am quite happy not to be
> landing and taking off, not making rondez-vous's and not flying along
for
> half an hour to get the action part of the mission, but just this one
> concession to depth?
Mind you can pick up speed by diving (and after that pull a loop). Or
hold
your distance to enemy by pulling up the plane's nose (careful, or you
stall!).
I don't have problem with the flight model - but would like the enemy AI
to use a wider variety of manouvres in dogfight - now they usually just
try scissors - which are pretty easy to counter.
> >> In my last mission, I flew with a Major. Oddly, I was wondering
before I
> >> left the ground if those who outrank you ever take your kills simply
> >> because of who they are and the fact that they can, and at the end
of the
> >> mission, I only got credit for one kill when I'm pretty certain that
I
> >> should have received credit for two. The Major certainly got credit
for a
> >> kill; I was left wondering if this was programmed into the game to
reflect
> >> some "human nature" when it comes to power and the abuse thereof.
>
> >I've run into this, too. It is irritating at first, but believe me,
when
> >you come up against 12 enemies with only five wingmen, you don't
> >really care who shoots them down... :)
>
> Hah, you have not witnessed my lust for glory! I'd be interested to get
> Nathan's take on this point. Was the American Flying Corps corrupt in
this
> way?! Surely not!
Hmmm.... ;)
> >I think that having good stamina raises your odds of surviving a crash.
>
> I've put some text about this at the bottom of this post.
>
> >Hehe, I do. Even if my first pilot was shot down today and died, after
> >65 missions, 32 kills, two medals and rank of Captain. :(
>
> That's really good Seppo - I don't survive 6 missions usually. :)
It is quite easy to die during the first 10 missions if you are not
careful.
> >The next pilot lasted just one mission :)
>
> Ah, trying too hard perhaps - its a bit like Rally, isn't it. ;)
Actually, it is one of the design flaws the game has - if you lose a
veteran
pilot you have to create a new one - with default ability levels. Should
this
happen later in the game (when the game difficulty has risen and enemy
planes are more dangerous doppel-deckers) you will be in big trouble
with novice pilot.
> >Which brings me nicely to one of the finest feature of the game -
> >if you die, you don't have to start the missions all over again -
> >you pick up where your previous pilot left. So you fly through the
> >war, hope your pilot survives, if he doesn't - you continue creating
> >the tale with another one.
>
>
> >I know some people will find this approach off-putting, but to me it
> >creates the almost movie-like atmosphere. Like in old war movies, some
> >of the good guys don't make it to the end, while others carry on their
> >heritage.
>
> Yeah, I'm not convinced. :)
No prbs with that :)
Today I started the game from the beginning - gotfrustrated after losing
too many novice pilots in a row. Also, I want to have another go against
that evil Rittmeister :)
> Here's that bit from the manual - cheers.
>
>
> flying ability, mechanical
> aptitude, shooting ability, and stamina. You set these levels when you
create
> your pilot, then your performance in battle affects them from that
point.
>
> Successful missions affect all four of these favorably; an
unsuccessful
> mission affects them all negatively. The amount of effect is determined
by
> the mission's difficulty level. Successful missions positively affect
your
> entire squadron. Repeated failure has a negative effect on the
squadron's
> morale.
>
> FLYING ABILTY The general maneuverability of your airplane (how fast
you
> can fly and turn) is affected by this ability.
>
> MECHANICAL APTITUDE This rating affects how well your plane holds up
in
> the air, whether or not the guns jam, and how much functionality and
control
> you have if you are hit.
>
> SHOOTING ABILITY The level of this ability affects the # of hits that
you
> need in order to take out enemy aircraft. It also determines the
accuracy and
> range of you machine guns.
>
> STAMINA The level of stamina determines how well you're able to
survive
> crashes. Rookie pilots tend to be killed instantly in mid-air
collisions,
> while pilots with high stamina may get a chance to land.
>
> Certain activities in successful missions can favorably affect
particular
> ratings. In a strafing mission, if you hit the required # of primary
> targets, then take out a majority of your secondary targets, your
shooting
> ablility increases. Hitting all the supply areas in a successful
strafing
> mission also ads more to your shooting ablilty. If you sustain no hits
to
> your plane during a successful strafing mission, you get a signifigant
> increase in mechanical aptitude. The more hits you sustain, the smaller
> the increase. Getting shot down results in a decrease in mechanical
> aptitude (even in a successful mission).
>
> After you hit your primary targets in a bombing mission, you get extra
> flying ablity for success at hitting seconday targets. If you avoid
being
> hit by anti-aircraft flak during a successful bombing mission, you get
extra
> stamina.
I suppose I have to start taking these strafing and bombing missions
more seriously, then - so far I have seen them only as a vacation from
dogfight missions :)
> When you abilty levels change, the "nickname" you get for each
category
> changes on your status screen. The chart below shows some of the changes
you
> may see, starting with the lowest possible rating.
>
> FLYING MECHANICAL SHOOTING STAMINA
> Sitting Duck Butterfingers Pea Shooter Door Mat
> Clay Pidgeon I Apprentice I Marksman I Lead Belly I
> Clay Pidgeon II Apprentice II Marksman II Lead Belly II
> Sky Falcon I Grease Monkey I Sharpshooter I Granite Gut I
> ? ? ? ?
> ? ? ? ?
> ? ? ? ?
> ? ? ? ?
>
> When you win a medal, it appears in its appropriate niche in the
bottom
> window. Medals and promotions are awarded based on the pilot's successes
and
> the mood at Wing HQ. Mood is affected by how the squadron does as a
unit.
> Keep this is mind next time one of your buddies sweeps in and steals a
> hard-earned kill just as you were about to deliver the fini****ng blow.
Your attitude is wrong, Lieutenant - if I were your squadron leader you
would get a serious lesson in group work ;)
Bye,
Seppo
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