Richthofen's Reign - an innovative and original air combat reconstruction.

This is a recently released publication of a WW1 air combat wargame. The concept is called "Richthofen's Reign", and is a scaled down reconstruction of the entire air campaign. Fourteen major production types from Britain, France and Germany are featured in the scenario, and the emphasis is on replicating the actual number of aces and their scores. All data has been applied objectively, allowing the gamer to learn exactly what the merits and weaknesses of these planes really were. "Richthofen's Reign " is an original idea, and will provide new perspectives for anyone interested in WW1 aviation; whether they are a wargamer, modeller or historian. To see more on this visit: http://www.toothnclaw.com.au.

[Polovski]

Will there be a computer based version at some point norm219?

From what I have been able to figure out, it will be difficult to convert RR to a computer format. There are a few reasons for this.
Partly it has to do with time and resources, but mostly it is to do with the particular slant that this idea takes. It would certainly be possible to write a program, seeing as the whole thing is founded in mathematical procedures to begin with. The problem here would be that as a computer game the player would largely be a spectator to an event that they had set in motion. You will make certain decisions (which units to employ/attack), and then sit back. I would envisage that as a computer sim each combat would play out as a type of video sequence, where a player may select a particular pilot's perspective (perhaps even to interchange between aircraft), but you would be a spectator rather than a player.
I don't mean to be particularly gruesome here, but the nearest analogy that I have for RR is that of collecting a heap of spiders and centipedes together into the same jar and giving it a shake. You are safely outside the jar, and you have set into motion a hostile exchange, but no amount of advice or well-wishing to the combatants will make the slightest difference to the outcome.
How RR works as a wargame is much the same. The difference is that the player sees the internal workings of the program. The approximate translation of this is that what you lose in graphics you gain in understanding of each of the variables. For instance, in order to deatroy an aircraft a minimum number of hits need to occur to make this happen (if potential hits on the pilot are discounted). An aircraft with more machine guns can do so in a shorter period of time, but if it has only limited endurance you will understand how this will influence the process.
Loosely speaking, each person who plays RR will have God's view of a combat. Each plane that has been damaged, how much fuel remains, which planes are being targeted by skilled pilots: these are the things that keep you interested during a dogfight (that and actually being in at the kill).
During development of this idea I've seen more than two thousand WW1 planes written off to gunfire, crashs and collisions. Over that sort of spread certain patterns emerge, but there is always one or two of the more interesting disasters that stick in the memory.
Hope that helps,
norm219

[Polovski]

Wow sounds interesting. I can see how that might be difficult, but as you were describing that in my mind I saw that in 3D with the ability to slow down the action and pause and zoom in, or pick out at the click of a button, bring up stats and highlight certain planes or sort by certain criteria such as damage states etc. Replays, screenshots, mini movies following certain favourites or Aces or whatever aaaah If it could be done I would be very interested it would be a 3D tactical simulator like some of the great war games, but for WW1 in the air?

Yeah, that pretty well sums it up. It would be terrific to have the whole thing as a computer sim, but (alas!) my knowledge in the field is lacking (gross understatement). As you say, it has so many potential possibilities.
Right now all I can say is that when you start playing out the campaign as it exists, you are so busy focusing on the present situation that there isn't a lot of time to dwell on replays. At the end of each combat you need to attend to a variety of administrative details (awards/promotions plus replacement aircraft/crew, hospitalisations etc...), and when that's all done you line them all up again and turn vicious with your fellow player/s.
A lot of the time you are trying to look forward to a time when you can settle accounts with a particular ace that you'd just love to bring down. One time Sam (my fiance) named one of her Albatros DV aces Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I just couldn't cop that as a realistic name for a WW1 pilot. During a dogfight early in 1918 he stopped a bullet. It reduced his ability, and the gunfire also happened to cause some nasty damage to his plane, but it didn't go down straight away. Then, just before my fighters had to break off, one of my boys clobbered him. The crash didn't kill poor Arnold (worse luck), but he got hauled off in an ambulance. Now I just wanted that sucker to come back from hospital so that I could finish him off. He wasn't that good to begin with, but had scored 21 kills (more than to be expected for a campaign) and had increased his skill level accordingly. As you would be aware, many pilots injured in combat (eg Kurt Wolff) are killed as soon as they return to action, whilst others (MvR is the perfect example) take some time to regain their touch. RR works the same way, and Arnold would come back somewhat worse for wear. Unfortunately for me, no positions for a staffelfuhrer became vacant for the remainder of the war, and I was left chaffing at the bit for that entire time. I mean, if he had come back he was Terminated!
That's what I like about this idea. Things always play differently: surprises, satisfaction and frustration are distributed very evenly.
norm219