Rise of Flight
Do you like aircraft? What about rickety wooden flying machines that fall apart at the slightest provocation? How about plummeting 2000 metres to your inevitable death? Then do I have the game for you!
Rise of flight is a first world war combat flight simulator taking place from late 1916 all the way up to the end of the war in November 1918. Fly aircraft like the legendary Fokker Dr.I and Sopwith Camel over the Western and Channel fronts. The game currently contains 40 aircraft. It is Free.
Currently the game contains 4 main modes. Quick Mission, Career, Campaign, and Multiplayer.
Career mode offers the ability to choose a date, squadron, and aircraft and offers you the ability to try to survive the war and build a name for yourself. Completely dynamic and somewhat challenging it's a solid way to play the game.
Campaign mode offers the ability to play through a series of pre made missions that range in difficulty.
Multiplayer is where things get real. The AI in the game are good, even dangerous on higher skill, however they will never match a good player and multiplayer is were you get tested. Play in various "Dogfight" type scenarios (You may be familiar with it if you have ever played the IL2 series before) were you choose your plane, a aerodrome and attempt to complete various objectives or run interference on enemy fighters. Or play in coop type missions were you face off against AI with your comrades.
In terms of realism this game is about as realistic as it gets. Flight models are very accurate and the difficulty of flying a plane before gauges became commonplace becomes very apparent. Weapons jam and G-Force snaps wings. Quite often your last sights are a dim view of the rapidly closing ground obscured by engine oil and your own blood. This is not a game for the faint of heart, and while the game does have a mouse option, it is highly suggested you use a joystick.
The catch is that while the game is free, you do not get access to all the aircraft in the game or the Channel map. Without purchasing anything you get access to the Albatros D.Va, Spad 13.C1, and Nieuport 17.C1 RUS. These are all good aircraft and are well suited to new players and will serve you well in multiplayer and single player. However, many scenarios will contain these aircraft in multiplayer, but some will not, and this is where the purchases in game come. Regular price for each aircraft is $5 for fighters with some larger planes costing more. Purchasing multiple aircraft at once does give a discount however, and sales are common. One can also purchase modifications for aircraft, but I would not advise to do as such unless you are seasoned enough to know what you want. You can however, free of charge, choose to accompany somebody as a gunner in any aircraft, and some aircraft contain many gunner positions. Gunning is like flying without all the worrying about keeping the plane in the air.
I would personally suggest for your first purchase, if you choose to make one, to purchase the Fokker D.VII, Sopwith Camel, Albatros D.III, and Nieuport 17.C1. Each one of these aircraft are a solid plane and give you access to most of the eras of the war.
If you do get into the game in a major way you can choose to download various packs of historical skins that will appear in career and multiplayer at: http://riseofflight.com/forum/topic/45373-new-useful-materials-page-official-links/
Right now I'm hoping to get together a number of people to play in multiplayer. Newbies are welcome and I'll even help you learn to fly. Respond here, shoot me a PM or contact me on steam if your interested in flying together, otherwise find me on TeamSpeak (Normally in the Charlie channels)
Comments
What's your RoF-name PFC? I'm often on MP (New Wings) Euro evening time. Would be happy to team up in TS
I fly as just "Dott". I will often go on New Wings Battlegrounds. Spent a lot of time on some of dogfight servers as well. Generally wont be on Battlegrounds unless its the weekend. Shoot me a pm sometime and i'll see if I'm free.