Setting the Scene

The maps and terrain in RB3d are large and very realistic, covering the major areas of the Western Front. The maps included are Alsace, Flanders, Verdun, and the Marne regions. There is also a map we call the Island map which is an excellent condensed battle field arena with lots of interesting terrain features, with a section of the Front dividing the map into equal sides.

In addition to the ever-present aerial dogfights, there are ground targets that need to be destroyed. Military ground targets include aerodromes, supply depots, factories, railroad yards, and bridges. Beware, these targets are well defended by anti aircraft emplacements. These guys have been practicing their aim, so remember to fly very low when you're near them.

Opportunities for Improvement

So do I have any complaints? Of course! Don't all cyber warriors, especially sim pilots?

I dearly miss the front-end chat screen that enabled the Red Baron community to develop. The other area concerns the realism of the Flight Modeling (FM) and a few areas of the Damage Modeling (DM).

There are a few things about the FM's that are unrealistic, primarily the lack of energy bleed, the result being the ability to make sustained high-bank turns without loss of altitude or stalls. Although it is fun to be able to circle endlessly at a 90 degree bank without losing altitude, that simply does not happen in real flight with these aircraft.

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User Created Textures.

Sioux paint.

Getting Better and Better

As these screenshots show, you can easily add your own paint schemes, sound and music files. Tired of listening to the Red Baron theme song night after night? Just slip in your own, it's easier than putting a CD in your home stereo.

At the moment I blast my senses with the theme song from the movie Top Gun (I love that opening music.) Sometimes I want something closer to the era and will play authentic recordings of music from the WWI era. It's all easy to find, download, and install from the many fan websites.

User created snow.

Final Warning

Playing Red Baron 3D is highly addictive. This warning is not to be taken lightly. Many players have become addicted to the point of playing every night since December 1997. Others have gone so far as to spend any offline time time creating add-on missions, extensive organized paint files, additions and enhancements of every sort, and all for the benefit of anyone who wants to use them.

Still others suddenly have cravings to learn all they can about WWI, particularly the airwar part of it. Stories abound of players spending a lot of time in libraries and bookstores, reading and learning all they can about the lives of the pilots and aces of the war.

As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoy this simulation. I hope to see you soon, as a friend on my wing or a foe in my sights, in the skies over Western Europe during the formative years of this century.

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