TODAY IN MP

[Todt_Von_Oben]

THURSDAY: Flew SP Duels as a performance benchmark; then MP at the Zoo, ST, and RAF20.  Rift VR settings low.  All servers performed well.  Good graphics and smooth sim operation.  No problems.

 

Then I saw there were about five people at Flugpark and flew for a while but didn't see anybody.  Later on the numbers went  up so I got a D7F.

 

I started seeing recurring messages about server overload and possible erratic aircraft behavior; that went on to the end of the event.  I didn't notice any erratic behavior, though.

 

If there was a roadmap; I didn't know how to access it.  Just kind of wandered around looking to see what was where.  Didn't have good long range vision; had to be really close to airports before the buildings showed up.  Low graphic settings smooth the action but it can be hard to find my way home, sometimes. 

 

I took off ahead of a Dreidekker and an Alby but without comm I didn't try to formate; just went hunting.  I searched around for a while before I found some action.  The Dr1 and Alby were in that area at that time, too. 

 

I got into a good aerobatic dogfight with a Camel.  FR looks like the final straw was a burst I put sideways through his empennage; I think he lost elevator and/or rudder function.  He rolled inverted and managed to swoop out of it but the wings broke off.  (They did have some center-section damage alongside the bay window.) 

 

But rather than ride it in, he jumped without a parachute.  I was impressed.  Way to commit, dude! 

 

But I laughed out loud when I saw the FR.  He bounced!  Yep.  Hit face down and bounced  about four feet back up into the air before coming to eternal rest. 

 

In this sim they used to hit and stick like a blob of peanut butter.  I mentioned on this Forum that a jumper impacting at terminal velocity will bounce.  Maybe others have said the same.  And now I see 'em doing it here.  HA!  Cool!  Darkly humorous and physically accurate all in one; any real skydiver would love it.  Cudos!

 

Anyway, at that point I'd been up a while so I went looking for my home base.  Wasn't easy to find but finally did.  After making what I thought was a pretty cool landing and taxiing up behind the lineup before shutting down, I found out the FR had passed some kind of limitation and turned off without me knowing it.  So I didn't record my landing.  Damn.

 

Went back up in a new D7F and flew to the mud.  After I crossed over into enemy territory, I stopped and re-started my Flight Recorder again to abate that time limit problem.  But I didn't see any action so I crossed back over the mud; headed back toward my own lines.

 

I check my six a lot and when I reached our green side, I did a right 180 and holy schnit here's a Camel; maybe 150 meters and closing.   I turned hard and it was on.

 

I'd like to think I can turn a D7F pretty tightly but he just managed to get the edge on me in a horizontal turn and vertical loop situation; and put holes in my plane both times. 

 

He didn't make any mistakes.  We passed so close a couple times we shoulda brought Covid masks.  That was good flying. 

 

It came to a point where we were both coming back around after a clash; I kicked it over, dived into the steep beginnings of a yo-yo, pulled up through a hard 270, and came up to merge our relative vectors in a firing solution at his 3 to 4 o:clock. 

 

I didn't have any gunsights; just flying the guns and shooting instinctively.  I was close and closing when I led him with a one-second burst that he flew through; bullets raked the fuselage from engine to rudder, holed the tank, and killed the pilot.

 

After that I did another 360 to check my 6 and then started looking for my base. 

 

There was less than ten minutes to go when I saw a low-level furball on our side of the lines.  I knew there'd be organized teams on comm flying TIR; and a solo VR pilot is probably gonna be dogmeat.  I could have played it safe; taken my two kills and gone home.  But I thought I'd see what I could do to help out anyway.

 

There was a lot going on below me and I tried to enter the fray being careful not to infringe on anyone's airspace or projected cone of fire.  Before long I got into a fight with an SE5A.  I didn't know it at the time (vision in VR ain't great) but he had a tilt gun and was using it really well. 

 

We turned and traded shots a few times; I lost sight of him and then mistakenly fired some shots in the direction of a friendly D7F I thought was the Scout.  (FR looks like I missed.  My apologies all the same.)

 

The Scout came back and we scrapped some more. I managed to get behind him and was landing shots as he jinked; that went on for a bit; then I got wounded and a second later I was dead. 

 

It was his wingman: swooped in firing from my high four o:clock; never even saw him coming.  Well done.

 

But I didn't notice any erratic aircraft behavior due to the server overload.  As far as I could  see; everything was working right.

 

CORRECTION: Went back to check the FR to see how other people were flying.  Wow.  What an acid trip.  Planes moving like they are trans-dimensional or something.  And we've all seen rudders deflect but this is the first time I've seen them twist back and forth.  But I didn't see any of that while i was flying VR and suspect this is one of those things the server messages warned of.  

 

Looks funny!  

 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Todt_Von_Oben
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[NO.20_W_M_Thomson]

I see you like to record most of your flights. The in game recording only last's for 20 minutes from what I have seen, maybe there's a setting that can change that. But if you like recording maybe look into OBS studio. It's free and you can record for as long as you like. Recording no matter what you use sucks a lot of memory, You also need a fairly good graphics card for OBS. I had a 1050 ti for a bit and OBS caused lag but I changed my card to a 1660 ti so should be a bit better (I hope) and added another ssd drive to store any recordings I'd like. I guess you can live stream it to you tube, Not sure how that works. 

 

I've seen a lot of action about mid mud , Think that's like a dog fighting area with ai. I steer clear of that only because I and my wing mates do a lot of bombing and try to hide from the enemy which most of the time we suck at. The German side are getting to know us now  .   

 

We have a few VR users in the RAF 20's. Actually I think over half of us use it. I've been playing with VRidge. The cheapest VR you can get I suppose. I don't use it on line just QM.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

I sometimes record my VR view in OBS, but I also record a track. I use the track to get external views for any videos, as well as screenshots. If you're willing to put in the effort, it can give some great results. There is also a tool that will automatically restart the track recorder when it stops.

[Todt_Von_Oben]

Thanks for the vector guys; I'll check it out.

 

I had choke records (and thought that might be gumming up the works) so last night I deleted most and today it recorded for 34 minutes at the MOSD server (beautiful day on the Lens map; no other planes or balloons, though) with no problem.  Went to Flugpark just now; wasn't crowded but a few dogfights going on'; but my recorder kicked off again without warning at 26 minutes.  

 

Don't know if it's happening at the Zoo or RAF sites because my flights there don't last that long.

 

Updating the thread:

 

Last few days I've flown a couple new Zoo maps: Zoom Lens and A Good Day to Douai.  Flying an old Oculus Rift VR, his sites always work well for me and the subject matter is an added bonus.  Always a clever take on WWI at the Zoo.

 

Booting up, I fly an SP Duel first; using a clear day to benchmark how the plane is flying, how the simulator is performing, and how my VR looks.  Lately, it's been looking and working just fine.

 

When I go to the Zoo or RAF 20 sites; they are pretty much the same as SP in quality; though some times they might stutter a bit but not badly.  I think a lot of that has to do with time of day, Internet load, and such.  Mostly, everything works like I figure it's supposed to.

 

Flown the Flugpark through various daytime versions of the Lens map the past couple days.  Generally, the graphic quality in VR is as good as anywhere else.  The map has embellishments you won't find elsewhere; burning cities, and maybe other things I haven't noticed yet.  That's nice.  

 

There's those pesky server glitch messages onscreen all the time but mostly I don't see any ill affects when I'm flying.  

 

After I watch other people in the FR, they look like something out of a Salvador Dali painting sometimes; or they are warping around at supersonic speeds; or they are phasing in and out of this dimension; but you don't see that when you're flying.  

 

I think the worst problem i had was in a low-level fight with a Camel over the mud; I think it was that there was so much imagery going on in my headset, it started to swim and morph strangely but I just told myself it was sweat in my eyes and fought on.  All in all, a good representation of the sim and some great fights at the Flugpark.

 

"A funny thing happened to me tonight on the way back from Arras..."  

 

Wanted to test the Flight Recorder endurance so i did a high altitude recon in a D7.  The Lens afternoon (?) map with the light snow in the air.  Nice, quiet flight.  Nothing shaking.  Then, dead ahead: a balloon.  I shot it in several passes.  (I guess they disappear and reappear now?  Think I got two of 'em lately about five times each.)  Some FLAK popped near my 8 o:clock but I didn't notice it had holed my tank and I was streaming green.

 

Headed home; did a Crazy Ivan to check my six, and here comes an SE5A.  

 

We turned.  He lost.  I split.  

 

I fly back over the mud and by this time I'm pretty familiar with where Douai and Breyelles Aerodrome are so I'm doing a long, straight, descending high-speed approach; throttled back just enough to keep my engine warm.   I saw a guy hedgehopping in a Pfalz and dropped in to his distant high six for a while, but either he was sightseeing or lost so I climbed back up, got my bearings, and headed for home.

 

I had the throttle back to about 1100 RPM  and was descending through 500 meters at about 130 kph with the aerodrome in sight; when my engine quit.

 

Really?  Did I hit the starter button and kill the mill by mistake?  No.  I looked at the gauge and it was bone dry.  

 

But I was in a beautiful position for a forced landing.  At that point I was directly over the airport; just did a leisurely descending right hand 360; brought her into the landing zone but steered a little right of the buildings so I wouldn't leave a wreck in the middle of everyone else's active runway if I blew it.  But she came down nicely on all three points and rolled to a stop in the grass behind the huts.  

 

It was one of those moments where you sit back after the prop stops and just say, "Whew!"

 

Good fun.  

 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Todt_Von_Oben
More accurate number.