RoF sale. Worth getting it now!

[Ataros]

As I read one forum thread written by programmers and designers of IL-2, RoF and DCS on Russian forums some time ago I know that the flightsim industry is having its hardest times ever probably.

You know that the niche is small and just a handful of people work for these 3 companies and some work for 2 or 3 of them to make ends meet. Thus I like the idea to support all 3 sims to keep these talented people working on sims and not switch to FPS shooters or various Worms of Planes titles where they can earn more money with all their talents.

I hope some of you would share my attitude and invest in these people by trying all 3 sim series.

Now back to RoF. 1st time I tried RoF demo 1 year ago which was 1 year after its release and did not like it at all. It looked like an unfinished product with very strange design decisions to me both online and offline. 2nd time I downloaded a free version of the game about 3 weeks ago which is about 2 years after its initial release(!) and liked it a lot as it now looks like a polished and shining product which really delivers joy to a flightsimmer (with very tough learning curve however). I find myself flying about 50% in CoD and 50% RoF now depending on my mood. I like aircraft models and sounds of the game made with great love. FM is very advanced but has some issues as any sim. The only 2 things I am not satisfied are 1) ground scenery which looks too cartoonish to my personal taste at mid-low altitude as if it was made by a good artist but not a photographer but I hope "they are working on it" to make it look more appropriate for a sim. Anyway I do not usually have time for sightseeing neither in RoF nor in CoD as I fly online mostly. And 2nd issue is absence of server interface or built in scripting that would allow creation of dynamic online campaign even in the old original IL-2 ADW style (which is strange as 777/GT created ADW).

Usually one single-sitter costs $7.5 but they just introduced a tremendous sale offering them for $3 which is more than an opportunity till August 17th only.
http://riseofflight.com/en/store

I recommend getting at least 4 uber-aircraft if you do not like to spend much money and time on the game (Fokker DrI, Sopwith Camel, Fokker DVIIF, S.E.5a) for less then $12 (!). These are good to dominate dogfight. The 1st and 2nd aircrafts are not easy to master though. As a 2nd priority I would go for Albatros D.III, Sopwith Pup, Pfalz D.IIIa, Fokker DVII, Sopwith Triplane, Nieuport 17.C1, Sopwith Dolphin, Fokker D.VIII (poor attempt to place in order of priority ) that are in demand at full-real servers as well. Bristol F2B is the best and uber 2-seater if you like them. B'n'Z fans may wish to add Pfalz D.XII and Nieuport 28.C1 in addition to SPAD 13.C1 and Fokker D.VIIF. All these are my personal impressions of a newbie though. I hope veterans will give a better advice on the subject.

Anyway I think you all may wish at least download and try the play-for-free version with 2 flyable aircraft Albatros D.Va (t'n'b more or less) and SPAD 13.C1 (b'n'z mostly) just to get an idea how polished a product can be in 2 years after release which will hopefully give you enough patience for waiting for CloD improvements (this is not a 6 months or even 1 year endeavor). WWI is not my setting either but I must say if you like models details of CloD you would like RoF as well. Just do not go to the Newbie server online. It turns out it is easier to survive on a server without icons. Also be prepared to learn basics of flying and gunnery again. Maybe this unexpected difficulty have attracted me lol

I will definitely get DCS-A10 (hope it has an arcade mode ) as well as Battle for Moscow and Stalingrad and all other products from these 3 companies. Let's keep the sim industry alive! Only we can save it and its employees from Worms of Planes invasions and temptations.

Wow... too long post )))

PS. This is not RoF/CloD/DCS comparison thread, this is "Help the sim industry and RoF/CloD/DCS" thread. Moderators, I would like to ask you too remove all unbalanced black-and-white posts to the rants thread http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=25051 .

[von Pilsner]

I support the sentiment Ataros... I own more flight sims than I can play for the same reason.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Thanks for the heads up, Ataros!

Just picked up the Handly Page and the Focker Triplane.


Cheers!

[DB605]

Yep i saw sale signs too yesterday and bought Fokker DVIIF immediately and probably gonna buy more planes soon. Attention to detail and athmosphere in this game is totally fantastic, hopefully COD will be like this some day. But lets stay on topic and not start another COD vs ROF wars again

[FG28_Kodiak]

Thanks Ataros!
Now i am owner of all available Planes in RoF

[Ataros]

Originally Posted by FG28_Kodiak

Thanks Ataros!
Now i am owner of all available Planes in RoF

Ahh... Pity they do not have promo/partnership links. I would make a fortune from this

[kendo65]

I downloaded and tried ROF when 777 recently offered it for free and then bought the SE5 and Fokker DR1 in last week's sale. Been having some fun trying to master the very different flight characteristics, though I seem unable to shoot anything down with the measly two-machine gun armament of those early aircraft. (everything turns so damned tight - hard to keep a bead on them!!)

Thoroughly enjoying it. In my opinion it seems very polished and 'mature' in comparison to COD, so it is interesting to read your opinion that in early stages it was much less impressive. It gives hope as to what COD can become in another year. I also prefer the terrain in ROF - strange as to different people's take on things, but I don't find it 'cartoonish' at all.

It's an interesting sales strategy that 777 have adopted now with the game free and all revenue coming via aircraft. Personally i wouldn't be averse to paying for new aircraft in COD but only once the underlying issues are sorted and the game is running somewhere near its potential.