THE OFF CAMPAIGN ENGINE

The Campaign engine for 'OFF' (Over Flanders Fields)  is managed via the OFF Manager.  This is a fully external menu system developed independently by OBD Software that also creates all WW1 missions based on a squadron type. 

The OFF Manager ensures every single aircraft in the air is on a mission based on that squadron's craft type and mission directive. So no fake spawning as you get close to a certain point on a map.  If  you see an aircraft it's because you happened to cross paths or get close as it flew its own flight path on its own mission.  This helps to create a dynamic world full of possibilities.

The complexities of doing this are huge, and yet this is all done behind the scenes smoothly using a mass of historically researched data.  Comprehensive standalone OBD historical database of nations, aces , squadrons, weather, aircraft, targets is behind the scenes to support a standalone Dynamic Campaign Engine that fully replaces  the CFS3 campaign system.

The mission directives are varied and can even change over time for a squadron to reflect the changing tactics from Recon in the early years to Ground strafing and ground support missions in 1918.

The manager uses the researched data to set up many various criteria such as ensuring each aircraft in flight, where available, is flying with the correct squadron colours for that squadron craft and time.  Aces have their correct personal colours thoroughly researched. 

This requires several thousand individually historically researched "skins" for each aircraft to be assigned.   Currently around 4000 of these have been made by ODB and many more to come in our next version currently known as "Phase 4".   These are specifically researched by the team themselves to ensure the finest accuracy -  many of the team know WW1 thoroughly and were involved in legendary WW1 mods for the most famous WW1 flight sim, Red Baron II / Red Baron 3D (such as Hell's angels mod, Full Canvas Jacket etc).    Where skins are not yet made for a particular Ace or Squadron then the manager ensures where possible the squadron default colours for that period and craft is used, or in some rare situations, the aircraft factory colours.

However importantly there are now around 4000 skins in Between Hat in the Ring and Hat in the Ring! expansion and we are adding to the skins constantly (we now have over 5000 fully researched skins in the next release of OFF we are working on, many new and many othes have improved detail).

OFF Manager sets the front line historically so the front moves over time.  Terrain and cities become damaged over time, even towns become eaten by the advance, become damaged and over time destroyed.  The front is dynamically controlled depending on the period so airfields may switch sides as they are captured, and sometimes you may find that landing near the front is not always safe!

The OOB  (Order of Battle) built in to OFF Manager also oversees and controls the missions each squadron is assigned.

OFF Manager is fully aware when there is a real major battle happening and so flights and ground forces are increased (for example) patrols and attacks build up.  The number of aircraft in the air at a time can currently be up to 226 aircraft in unique historic flights - however we are able to easily increase this number at any time :)

There are varing flight types assigned that can change over the course of the war,  also numbers of craft in the air will increase dynamically as the number of active squadrons builds up.   

This is just a small fraction of the capabilities of the OFF Manager - we hope you enjoyed this and hope to discuss more in the near future. 

See you in the skies...

See FOR FULL FEATURE LIST!  for Over Flanders Fields Between Heaven and Hell.

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The CFS3 engine underneath has amazing qualities and expansion never used before. 
OFF improves it tremendously and beyond imagination from the original release of CFS3.
From High Res Scenery, Flight models, Damage Models, Aircraft and Ground Models,
new stunning Ground Scenery, better AI (computer pilots),
with FULL NEW INDEPENDENT WW1 Historical Campaign Engine! 
Many features are a first in a flight simulator.