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COMBATSIM: How will the missions be created and how will the results of the missions be tracked?
Roger: See the last answer.
COMBATSIM: Can I die in the SDOE War?
Roger: A Commander is allotted a set number of pilots for the War. Once those pilots have been killed the War is effectively over. However a SDOE flyer can register to be a pilot, and fly and die as many times as he, and his Commander see fit. His pilot death would be subtracted from the total allotted, but he would be allowed to fly again, and die again.
COMBATSIM: What would I need to do if I wanted to join the events starting from a fresh install of Fighter Squadron: SDOE?
Roger: The SDOE WAR will be flown with the latest Plane Pack which at this writing is 5.3b. The Contest Plane pack is also being used, as well as the latest beta build (currently version 1.5.1.76) by Michael Harrison.
Fig. 5. A happy crewCOMBATSIM: You're the man of ideas in the SDOE community where you, amongst other things, initiated the contest for the best custom aircraft that resulted in the Contest Plane Pack, one of the best additions to SDOE. How did the War idea come about, was it one of those apple-falling-on-your-head things or a result of a longer brain process?
Roger: I had knocked around this idea for quite some time. It began as a way to get more "mission" related flying online, and less of the "airquake" furball type flying which is so prevalent. My feeling was, and is, that lots of flyers would love to take part in something that was bigger than the usual missions flown, those missions that seem to have no real consequence. With a War to fight, I thought, we would have daily, and weekly updates, and even pilots who could not fly every battle would have a vested interest. I can see them as they watch the ebb and flow of the War and read the "I was there" commentaries penned by the participants after each campaign.
COMBATSIM: The current mantra of the sim community is 'Yeah, but does it have a dynamic campaign?'. Simmers obviously like the strategic elements and the involvement in a greater effort when flying. What does SDOE War deliver in this respect and how does it relate to dynamic campaigns?
Roger: SDOE is tailored made for this type of event, and this event is the closest thing to a real dynamic campaign I know of. The games program doesn't decide where your next target will be, the Commanders do. The games program doesn't decide the type of aircraft you will face, the Commanders do. The games program doesn't allow you the ability to decide to repair a damaged Airfield, or instead spend your dollars on additional aircraft, the Commander, and the dynamics of this War do! The SDOE WAR will give you strategy as well as the type of action that all sim fans crave. At least that's what we are going for. :)
COMBATSIM: Is everything really that big in Texas?
Roger: Our reputation is not unfounded. :)
Fig. 6. The white cliffs of DoverCOMBATSIM: The basic concept of the War really doesn't seem to be related to a specific sim title. Why Fighter Squadron: SDOE?
Roger: I am like most WWII Flight Sim fans which is to say...I own all of the big WWII Sims. However, I love SDOE. SDOE lends itself so beautifully to this concept, as well as so many other things, as it has proven. It shines as it stands now, and it's only getting brighter. With the mission creation it allows, the now wonderful assortment of aircraft (all thanks to the outstanding work done by the SDOE community), it is the most flexible of the sims we have to choose from, in relation to an event of this sort. But granted, I'm biased.
COMBATSIM: What features would an ideal sim need for the War concept to work best (developers, take note!)?
Roger: A flexible Mission builder. The ability for all the aircraft to be flown by human pilots. A scoring system flexible enough to be able to track and record all losses, including the destruction of property.
