Freycinet

Slow for the first thirty seconds, then sure, hit the accelerator!

From a fellow video maker: I love your excellent and very creative camera work and editing! You are putting so much work into these videos and it really, really shows. You are making this sim look like a high-budget movie. Not that you need any advice, but I think that - regarding your latest vids - you should just spend half a minute slowly easing us into the action. Present the opponents, start a bit slow and then, BAM, go for it! (My vids were made many years ago, here are my best ones, https://youtu.be/T5Wuknd8Q60, https://youtu.be/NAlL_QaeLfw, https://youtu.be/0qMXr5cXoh8, https://youtu.be/hipWoINtJX0) I have +2500 subscribers and +1,5 million views... -I wish I could pass the subscribers to you! 🙂

Excellent compilation, great view of the new dogfights with G-effects, top-notch!

You have to let the AI get used to the new effects as well. I'm sure they won't do that anymore after a few weeks.

The map represents a huge challenge: a mountaineous Ardennes region, huge cities, diverse airfields and Ruhr industry, all part of an age-old European cultural landscape on one single map. Looking forward to seeing how you pull that off!

At least it would be nice to have the "ski jump" buildings as ground target sites.

The devs are giving us pretty much all the tools necessary for making compelling missions. I think it is now up to users and players to use those tools and make realistic airfields if they want to. The Bodenplatte map is useful for many many other periods in WWII. It shouldn't be hobbled with very period-specific damage.

A first look at Bodenplatte.

I live a half hour drive from Melsbroek Air Base, which is now adjacent to Brussels Airport (Zaventem). I love the views of the map and can attest to the fact that it looks pretty damn' exactly like the landscape we have here in Belgium. "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melsbroek_Air_Base The aerodrome was created by German military during World War II. Melsbroek also was operated by the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) and the RAF during World War II (after the 1944 liberation) when it was known as B58 Melsbroek. Operation Bodenplatte, the German aerial attack of 1 January 1945, hit Melsbroek hard. According to Emil Clade (leading III./JG 27), the AAA positions were not manned, and aircraft were bunched together or in lines, which made perfect targets. The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The Recce Wings had lost two entire squadrons worth of machines. No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11 Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged. Possibly all No. 140 Squadron RAF′s Mosquitoes were lost. At least five Spitfires from No. 16 Squadron RAF were destroyed. No. 271 Squadron RAF lost at least seven Harrow transports "out of action". A further 15 other aircraft were destroyed. 139 Wing reported five B-25s destroyed and five damaged. Some 15 to 20 USAAF bombers were also destroyed.[2][3] Another source states that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four Auster and five Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron. Three Spitfires were also lost and two damaged.[4] At least one RAF Transport Command Douglas Dakota was destroyed.[5] After the war, Melsbroek replaced Haren Airfield as the Belgian national airport. That title is now carried by the Zaventem terminal on the same aerodrome, built for the 1958 world exposition. At that time, the existing terminal was taken over by the then Belgian Air Force."

The perspective is not the same in the screenie and in the photo... Look at the harbour basins. In light of keeping frame rates down I think the map looks absolutely top-notch. You can always add polygons and textures if you don't care about looking at a slide show. That's the real-world trade-off developers, unlike thread posters, must always keep in mind.

What a wonderful read, Jason. Thanks for giving us an insight into the human side of this project. To all the fans out there: if you've got a bit of spare cash, think about gifting this fantastic sim to friends who might have an interest in WWII or aviation. With the iconic US and Brit planes coming out I really think this sim has a big potential for reaching out to even more fans. If the money from extra sales go into research and development as that described by Jason it is really worth it!

Since we have all now agreed that the developers will have to add dietary factors, why not also fatigue? I suggest that Night Witches in U-2's overflying the lines at night should diminuish German pilot effectiveness by 30% the following day...

I have inside info that one of the collector planes will be the Avro Anson. Really great choice, I think, since a lot of us need training on twin-engined planes. The other one will most probably be the Siebel Si-204, but that is not certain yet. I am sure the fan base will rejoice at this choice of planes.

That movie was one of the best I've ever seen, kudos to Pauk!

That title-art image of the Russian tanks is just.... Art!