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CCIP · 12-15-13, 12:38 AM

So the latest incarnation of OFF, the almost-stand-alone release of WOFF, just happened. It's $60 and still needs a CFS3 disk to install, but otherwise is a completely separate game. It promises many improvements, including a brand new campaign system, AI, and lots of new graphics.

http://www.overflandersfields.com/index.html

Having never played any of the previous OFF versions, I decided to jump right in, and my first impressions are pretty awesome! The visuals are great, especially for running on such old technology, and you can see the amount of care and detail that went into making the look of the game "feel" right. Cloudscapes in the game look amazing, and the terrain is very nicely coloured and detailed - and looks especially great at low altitudes (below 1000ft) where little touches like livestock in the fields and excellent high-detail textures really stand out. The performance has been rock solid and stable, and although my machine only matches the "low" configuration on their website, it's been running great and with no slow-downs at medium-high settings.

Haven't got a complete feel for gameplay yet as I'm still learning obviously, but so far so good - the aircraft perform as you might expect them, the "dead is dead" campaign system is unforgiving, the option to pass training before heading to the front is pretty cool although does drag on if you do it more than once. In general, few compromises have been for "fun" in this one - if you start an early 1915 campaign, you'll find flight distances long and slow, missions almost exclusively as reconnaissance, air to air armament largely ineffective, and enemies that have no interest in actually engaging you. That does change eventually, though, but it's still not even remotely an action game - but a simulator where survival in a world of instant death is the main prize. Although I haven't experienced much of it yet, the AI is touted as very survival-minded as well (i.e. not like IL-2's suicidal gung-ho planes).

I'll share more impressions later, but as far as single player goes, this is really darn good! I haven't even scratched the surface of the dynamic campaign yet, but it could easily be the best career mode in any WWI game to date.

I'll share more impressions soon! Only had it for a couple of days so far.

Meanwhile, some screenies from training in southern England and a first sortie over France:

12-15-13, 12:38 AM	#1
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	Wings Over Flanders Fields released So the latest incarnation of OFF, the almost-stand-alone release of WOFF, just happened. It's $60 and still needs a CFS3 disk to install, but otherwise is a completely separate game. It promises many improvements, including a brand new campaign system, AI, and lots of new graphics. http://www.overflandersfields.com/index.html Having never played any of the previous OFF versions, I decided to jump right in, and my first impressions are pretty awesome! The visuals are great, especially for running on such old technology, and you can see the amount of care and detail that went into making the look of the game "feel" right. Cloudscapes in the game look amazing, and the terrain is very nicely coloured and detailed - and looks especially great at low altitudes (below 1000ft) where little touches like livestock in the fields and excellent high-detail textures really stand out. The performance has been rock solid and stable, and although my machine only matches the "low" configuration on their website, it's been running great and with no slow-downs at medium-high settings. Haven't got a complete feel for gameplay yet as I'm still learning obviously, but so far so good - the aircraft perform as you might expect them, the "dead is dead" campaign system is unforgiving, the option to pass training before heading to the front is pretty cool although does drag on if you do it more than once. In general, few compromises have been for "fun" in this one - if you start an early 1915 campaign, you'll find flight distances long and slow, missions almost exclusively as reconnaissance, air to air armament largely ineffective, and enemies that have no interest in actually engaging you. That does change eventually, though, but it's still not even remotely an action game - but a simulator where survival in a world of instant death is the main prize. Although I haven't experienced much of it yet, the AI is touted as very survival-minded as well (i.e. not like IL-2's suicidal gung-ho planes). I'll share more impressions later, but as far as single player goes, this is really darn good! I haven't even scratched the surface of the dynamic campaign yet, but it could easily be the best career mode in any WWI game to date. I'll share more impressions soon! Only had it for a couple of days so far. Meanwhile, some screenies from training in southern England and a first sortie over France: __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)