"Ace of Aces" - WWII Challenge!

[Panzerlang]

Just now, oc2209 said:

 

Even though there's no historical reason to do so, I kind of wish the game would give us Rudel's gold+diamonds+swords+oak leaves, for, say, the 400 kill milestone. Or maybe even 500 kills.

The gold was intended to be awarded post-war only and I believe there was to be a hard limit of twelve recipients. Rudel was the exception to the timing rule and ended up being the sole recipient too.
I guess Hartmann would have got one if everything had gone Hitler's way.

After the Diamonds the only stuff left to get were penants for the clasps (based on number of sorties). That was going to be a long grind for me though.

[oc2209]

3 minutes ago, Hetzer-JG51 said:

The gold was intended to be awarded post-war only and I believe there was to be a hard limit of twelve recipients.

After the Diamonds the only stuff left to get were penants for the clasps (based on number of sorties). That was going to be a long grind for me though.

 

Interesting, I wasn't aware of the limit.

 

And yeah, the sortie clasps are brutal. If there was an easier way to ensure a career was unbreakable (by save errors, etc) without needing the workaround (that I've only ever employed with partial success) or without constantly backing up your saves from the game folder, I'd be more interested in chasing the clasps.

 

Note that I'm referring to the base game career, not PWCG's.

[Panzerlang]

Just now, oc2209 said:

 

Interesting, I wasn't aware of the limit.

 

And yeah, the sortie clasps are brutal. If there was an easier way to ensure a career was unbreakable (by save errors, etc) without needing the workaround (that I've only ever employed with partial success) or without constantly backing up your saves from the game folder, I'd be more interested in chasing the clasps.

 

Note that I'm referring to the base game career, not PWCG's.

I have to do them manually in PWCG, along with other extras. ?

[oc2209]

9 minutes ago, Hetzer-JG51 said:

I have to do them manually in PWCG, along with other extras. ?

 

In regular career, I get a lot of save errors in Bodenplatte compared to other periods. I wish there was a conventional in-game save system within each career. For example, you could have two or three save slots for each pilot, cycling through them (by overwriting them) at the end of each day, to preclude the loss of anything more than 1 day's progress.

 

This is how I typically back up any game I'm playing with a career-type mode, and it never fails. All you really need is just more than one save slot. The probability of multiple errors across several slots is virtually non-existent.

[Panzerlang]

7 hours ago, oc2209 said:

 

In regular career, I get a lot of save errors in Bodenplatte compared to other periods. I wish there was a conventional in-game save system within each career. For example, you could have two or three save slots for each pilot, cycling through them (by overwriting them) at the end of each day, to preclude the loss of anything more than 1 day's progress.

 

This is how I typically back up any game I'm playing with a career-type mode, and it never fails. All you really need is just more than one save slot. The probability of multiple errors across several slots is virtually non-existent.

I was talking about the clasps. Lol.

I play DiD in PWCG but it's very easy to get out of dying, mainly by turning death off in the configuration. But if you select full dead but something non-game kills your pilot it's very easy to fix it. Either by immediately re-running the mission or resurrecting the pilot from within the generator. Fortunately both the game and Pat's generator are incredibly reliable (for me at least). I can't recall the last time IL2 crashed and PWCG has never terminally screwed up a career. ?

[oc2209]

10 hours ago, Hetzer-JG51 said:

Fortunately both the game and Pat's generator are incredibly reliable (for me at least). I can't recall the last time IL2 crashed and PWCG has never terminally screwed up a career. ?

 

IL-2 never crashes for me as well, but the career save error has happened at least 3 times. Including wiping out my longest running and highest scoring career that had been carried all the way from Moscow>Stalingrad>Kuban>Bodenplatte; I hadn't had a career error previously, so I hadn't bothered to back anything up. The error happened early in Bodenplatte. It wasn't an ironman save, but still. Kind of stings. Makes me reluctant to get really deep into another career.

 

Even if you backup saves after every session, you could easily lose 3-4 sorties to an error. Which is why an in-game manual save feature would be nice.

[Panzerlang]

1 hour ago, oc2209 said:

 

IL-2 never crashes for me as well, but the career save error has happened at least 3 times. Including wiping out my longest running and highest scoring career that had been carried all the way from Moscow>Stalingrad>Kuban>Bodenplatte; I hadn't had a career error previously, so I hadn't bothered to back anything up. The error happened early in Bodenplatte. It wasn't an ironman save, but still. Kind of stings. Makes me reluctant to get really deep into another career.

 

Even if you backup saves after every session, you could easily lose 3-4 sorties to an error. Which is why an in-game manual save feature would be nice.

Yeah, I've been there many times in other games. Really can take a shine off your day (week, month...).

[Panzerlang]

So Hans Rudiger looks like he couldn't hit a target on the ground if he was sitting on it with a big stick.

Five air kills so far though and the first of those (Hurricane) in a Duck. But the Duck sucks so he wangled a transfer to a ground attack unit flying Fw190s.
The best of both worlds. 

[Varibraun]

The Boys are back in action - featuring callsign "Flakman" @ShamrockOneFive.  Thanks @Requiem for another great video 

 

 

[ShamrockOneFive]

Uh oh... it says airfield attack. ?

[Panzerlang]

We have five of us flying the PWCG campaign right now. So far KevTT is our top pilot with 30 kills. 

[Varibraun]

A little praise for the immersion element that @PatrickAWlson brings to my current slowly progressing PWCG Hartmann Challenge. 

 

Three IRL historic aces involved in sorties over a couple of days.  First, my pilot's squadron leader, Gunther Rall meets his demise in a head on pass at the merge with Soviet Ace Dmitry Glinka.  My Challenge Pilot, Gerhardt Abel, brings Glinka down shortly afterwards and puts him out of the war with serious wounds.  Then Lydia shows up in the very next mission - seeking revenge for Glinka?  She takes significant damage and suffers light wounds, but she still survives and will likely show up down the line when she transfers to Yaks.  All of this is dynamic with persistent squadron personnel, plus it is reflected in the Pat's amazing historical squadron logs:

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Varibraun

[Varibraun]

WO Wood continues to close the gap on JJ through some serious FW drama.  Spiritual question - Was Wood saved by a callout from the beyond through a deceased @busdriver? 

 

 

[busdriver]

4 hours ago, Varibraun said:

WO Wood continues to close the gap on JJ through some serious FW drama.  Spiritual question - Was Wood saved by a callout from the beyond through a deceased @busdriver? 

 

No sir, been flexing my profanity vocabulary ? while testing Reflected's Mosquito campaign in that sim that shall not be named. 

[Varibraun]

17 hours ago, busdriver said:

No sir, been flexing my profanity vocabulary ? while testing Reflected's Mosquito campaign in that sim that shall not be named. 

 

Well...despite your forays with insects in a far away world, I am looking at the Holy Book of St. Joseph of YT 8:22 above and still believe in miracles for our WO @Requiem.  

 

P.S. - Req, was that your own brother still trying to get you killed despite the voice from the beyond?

Edited March 29, 2022 by Varibraun

[Requiem]

9 hours ago, Varibraun said:

 

Well...despite your forays with insects in a far away world, I am looking at the Holy Book of St. Joseph of YT 8:22 above and still believe in miracles our WO @Requiem.  

 

P.S. - Req, was that your own brother still trying to get you killed despite the voice from the beyond?

It's very likely! Peregryn is always trying to get me killed ?

[Livai]

Ace of Aces - No Fly Zone Challenge

 

• Germans try to attack my bomber squad see what happen with them

 

 

[Varibraun]

WO Wood on the hunt with the lads at night.  Some impressive last minute target ID by @Requiem saves the flight leader during some action that had me plenty worried about Wood's survival in a wounded Spit! 

 

 

[Guest]

We refuse all night missions. Verboten! ?

[JG27_Mainz]

I'm here to claim the Hartmann Challenge!

[Varibraun]

11 hours ago, IV./JG51-P_Mainz said:

I'm here to claim the Hartmann Challenge!

 

 

AWESOME JOB @IV./JG51-P_Mainz to officially close out the challenge as our Ace of Aces!!  Quite the accomplishment of both skilled and smart flying to survive - Name your reward!  

 

Thank you to everyone who participated over almost an entire year to get us to the end here with Peter.  There were some really great stories, and a movie (see below) along the way.

 

Finally, I will continue to follow/post @Requiem's WO Wood's excellent video saga here to see him through his JJ challenge too.  (I have been known to pour a Guinness and put YouTube on my big screen TV to cheer him and the lads along).  Thanks Requiem for all of your great videos and for highlighting this Challenge on your channel.

[JG27_Mainz]

2 hours ago, Varibraun said:

 

AWESOME JOB @IV./JG51-P_Mainz to officially close out the challenge as our Ace of Aces!!  Quite the accomplishment of both skilled and smart flying to survive - Name your reward!  

 

 

Battle of Normandy, please and thank you!!

[Varibraun]

1 hour ago, IV./JG51-P_Mainz said:

Battle of Normandy, please and thank you!!

 

On it's way - Congrats and Enjoy! 

[JG27_Mainz]

5 hours ago, Varibraun said:

 

On it's way - Congrats and Enjoy! 

 

Got it, thanks again!

[Hotaru_Ito]

A little late to the party, hope it's still OK to follow up. I finally finished my Bong attempt. Captain JT Wilder had 44 confirmed victories, 1 unconfirmed, 2 shared, and 1 damaged when he bailed out over enemy territory after the wings came off his Mustang in a high-speed turn in January '45. He's my high score for PWCG and number 3 overall, behind only a couple of easy-mode vanilla careers.

 

Thanks again @Varibraun for setting this up and offering the prizes, and congratulations to everybody!

[Varibraun]

After ages hauling civilians around friendly skies, @Requiem is back in the Spitfire with WO Wood in pursuit of JJ.  Not naming names (I will leave that to the court martial), but two words from my favorite flight instructor for the hilarity that ensues as the crew prepares @ 1:52:  "Throttles Idle!"

 

 

 

 

Edited July 18, 2022 by Varibraun

[Varibraun]

"Piece of Cake" day for everyone (well except the poor 101st Airborne unit who actually called in the airstrike on the advancing German armor, @ 4:38 oops!)  @Requiem's WO Wood and the lads continue to support Market Garden.  Great variety of aircraft and ground units involved today:

 

 

Edited July 23, 2022 by Varibraun

[JonRedcorn]

I need to start a pwcg campaign and stick with it and try and get on here.

[Varibraun]

@Requiem's WO Wood continues to close the gap on Johnson:

 

 

[Varibraun]

As the 9th SS begins mopping up at Arnhem, @Requiem's WO Wood and the boys are sent after the advancing armor to see if they can buy the Red Devils just a little more time (all complements of @PatrickAWlson).  

 

Side note:  I have a new drinking game for anyone watching this campaign - you have to drink whenever "Hardluck"  @ShamrockOneFive of https://stormbirds.blog/ fame, unselfishly diverts flak from our hero WO Wood to help him reach the now very close goal line!  

 

 

[ShamrockOneFive]

I'm really good at catching flak. ?

[Requiem]

Not just in the campaign, he tends to attract flak anywhere he flies!

[Varibraun]

@Requiem's WO Wood and the lads...just howling at the moon:

 

 

[Varibraun]

WO Wood is only 3 victories away...enjoy the conclusion of @Requiem's long saga without spoilers