Red Baron 3D Community
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This article covers the history of the modifications and patches released for the 1997 Flight Simulator, Red Baron 3D.
[edit] Patching Red Baron 3D
Following the official upgrades by Sierra/Dynamix - the flight sim community around Red Baron 3D took shape and modifying of the game's graphics and data files began. These mods would drive the game's development to what appears to be its concluding collection of patches in 2006.
Patching Red Baron 3D (RB3D) was crude undertaking at first. But community members like “Sygrod” spent hours unearthing RB3D's file system, compiling mountains of data that allowed modders to peer “under the hood” and see what, if anything, could be changed. Patch makers began altering aircraft skins, terrain, and sound effects. It was a slow and tedious process as no one in the community had any idea how RB3D's file system was structured. With time, the blueprints behind the mysterious file system slowly became apparent. Little did anyone know it was the beginning of what would become a long and impressive journey.
As time progressed, so did the quality of the files. By 1999, patch makers within the community had a rudimentary idea of how to alter the flight model, damage model, sound effects, and basic bitmap files which controlled individual aircraft appearance. Soon the advent of the Unofficial Patch, or UOP, took shape. These patches attempted to compile many improvements to several aspects of the game into a cohesive file that end users could download and install. These UOP's were released as individual efforts by several members of the community.
[edit] Early patches: 1998–2000
One of the first major UOP’s was the Beery Patch version 2.0 with a date-based add-on included. “Beery” and “WingStrut” were two of the founding fathers of UOP’s to be created within RB3D's. While the Beery Patch 2.0, the WingStrut 2.2 patch, and UOP 3.0 appeared at roughly the same point in history, the Beery Patch provides an excellent example of what all these early patches created in 1999. Beery 2.0 featured improved plane bitmaps, special effects such as thicker smoke and fire graphics, and an improved (though far from perfect) flight model. These early UOP's were the first to take advantage of file swapping, utilizing a program called Campaign Manager 1.1.
The Beery Patch also featured what became an aborted attempt at creating new aircraft for the game. Called the New Plane patch, it attempted to model such obscure planes as the Fokker DVIII, which saw little to no combat in WWI. However, it was not yet known how to change interior cockpits, and coupled with other shortcomings, the patch simply could not be completed. While it can be said the New Plane patch as a whole failed, it was simply ahead of its time. Five years after the release of the New Plane Patch, the Western Front Patch featured an entire UOP based on swapping out entire aircraft depending on the game's date.
[edit] "Revenge of the Jastas" (ROTJ)
One of the more unusual patches created within the community came in 2000 with the release of the Revenge of the Jastas patch. Produced by “Baron von Helton”, The Revenge of the Jastas II patch followed up on the work begun in ROTJ. “Von Helton” was the first to create new 3D models of the aircraft in RB3D's, finally providing the realism the community so greatly desired. Wires began to appear between the wings, engines took on three-dimensional shapes, and aircraft parts were rendered in full 3D. Of course these models were primitive at the time, yet they show the Baron’s unique touch at creating engaging and visually interesting models of WWI aircraft. With his flair for obscure aircraft and personalities of the war, Revenge of the Jastas II was possibly the most unusual UOP. The Baron continues his work on the Revenge of the Jastas series of patches with RTOJ III currently in development as of the beginning of 2006.
[edit] "The Dr.1 is porked": The history of flight models
The graphics weren't the only part of Red Baron 3D which needed intensive work. The game also suffered from a lackluster flight and damage model which created several bugs. In Red Baron II, bullets streamed from the guns in a perfect line, far from the historical reality of real World War I combat. Aircraft actually gained speed when they lost their wings, and could still be controlled even with most of their parts missing. Other glaring errors included two-seater aircraft circling endlessly over targets, coming down only when they ran out of petrol and crashed to the ground. It was a circus sideshow of freakish errors, blunders, and embarrassing problems which needed immediate attention.
Stepping into this quagmire were the flight and damage model creators of RB3D’s community. These are often the unsung heroes, the ones who make the files that alter how the planes feel and fight in the air. While the other creators were improving the graphics, sounds and other details, these were the folks hard at work modifying code, correcting the plethora of errors within the data files that controlled the aircraft and AI.
One of the first groups to release modified flight models were the Fairy Godmothers of Flight. The group, comprising Chuck Holden, "Bluevoss", and "Cap’n Darwin", attempted to correct all that was wrong with the flight models and also attempted to correct the damage model. The difficulty with all of this was a complete lack of any blueprint explaining what all of the data in the files meant. It was an endless process of “tweak this file a little, load up the game, fly, and revise”. “Cap’n Darwin” also created many of the editors used for altering the flight and damage model files: the infamous Fmparam.dat and Acspecs.dat files. His work led to the groundbreaking flight and damage models created during the game’s lifespan. His latest work is the control panel in Full Canvas Jacket, which allows users to customize a variety of parameters in RB3D.
Over time, newer flight models were produced by others. “Panama Red” was a major contributor, creating some of the most impressive flight models ever seen. His work greatly enhanced the way RB3D flew, and as a result, extended the life of the game. His flight model was featured in all major UOP’s by 2000 and was used in several releases of the Western Front Patch until 2001.
"Greybeard", "Wolfgang von Wellhausen", "Captain Royce", and others also continued to create flight models that attempted to succeed at various goals. Some wanted to get the best performance out of the computer-controlled planes surrounding the player in the game. Others were committed to complete historical accuracy: making each plane climb, sustain level flight, and dive at the appropriate speeds and times. Others strove to create a compromise. There is little else to add with words, but so much went on with endless testing, revising, and republishing each flight model. Countless hours and even months went into each work and each strove valiantly to create the ideal in RB3D. It is important to stress that no one flight model has ever been considered the best. None of us have ever flown a World War I era aircraft, let alone all of the ones modeled in the game. Each flight model is a success in its own right and a "best of" label can only be applied by the end user who selects one over the other.
This certainly doesn't mean there was a lack of heated debate over how certain planes handled. The infamous "Fokker Dr1 is Porked!" thread on the Flight Sim Forum of early 2000 can certainly attest to that. Passions ran high over which Flight Model was the best, but finally the community “agreed to disagree” and in the end, various patches featured various flight models.
Damage models were also a major fault in the original game. The hit-boxes, data files that influence the size of the target the player is aiming at, were completely inaccurate. They were often too large for the plane, sometimes by ten to twenty times too large. The famous "Charlie Brown Head", named for the gigantic head modeled on the Pfalz DXII damage file, is a good example of some of the puzzling errors found in the damage model. Many contributors, including "Uhlan", a founding member of SWWISA, and "Zinteck", are credited with creating some of the best damage models around. Without these important works, the flight models created would have been all for nothing. It was vital to have an accurate and challenging damage model to complement the improved flight characteristics.
The most recent flight model was released by "Rens". His work contributed to the development of some of the most realistic and responsive flight models seen yet - combining not only a flight and damage model, but also using the relatively unknown wing data files to create some of the most accurate and intense dogfighting to date. Graphic enhancements certainly improved immersion in the sim, but it was the development of solid flight and damage models that brought the AI, and thus the game, to life.
[edit] The Society of World War I Sim Artisans: SWWISA
Individual efforts could only take Red Baron 3D so far. By late 1999 and early 2000, a lot of discontent had arisen on the Flight Sim Forum. There were more arguments and general unruliness than many of the members of the community ever wanted to see. Eventually it became apparent that some form of organization was needed for progress to continue. Once this movement within the community had taken shape, progress finally kicked back into high gear. The major members of the community had organized and were ready to develop Red Baron 3D together, sharing resources and knowledge to improve the game and tackle issues that no single member had the time or energy to solve.
As SWWISA formed, a forefather of the community released his final Unofficial Patch. 1918 Air War by “WingStrut” was released in early 2002, and is the last UOP created virtually from the ground up by one individual.
[edit] The last of the classic patches
The last of the Classic Unofficial Patches is one that was unfortunately, and unfairly, overshadowed by greater developments within the community at the time. "WingStrut", already well known for producing the WingStrut 2.2 patch in late 1999 and early 2000, worked for two years to create his next work for RB3D. 1918 Air War was one of the most revolutionary patches to date.
"WingStrut" sought to create a UOP that focused solely on 1918, a period of amazing combat and great bloodshed during the war. The patch used only planes that flew during that year, and created the most diverse and richly detailed recreation of that year of any patch seen to date. The plane models were a compromise, using a mix of fully 3D and 2D shapes, along with considerably larger bitmap files to give the patch a crisp, clean look while keeping the frame rate high on older machines.
"WingStrut" succeeded in creating a patch that reflects the beauty and grace of his artistic touch. Sadly, 1918 Air War was a casualty of being released at the wrong time. The patch was largely overshadowed by two major developments that also occurred in 2002: the amazing models created by Karel Dooms, affectionately known as "Charles de Thielt", and the formation of SWWISA (Society of World War I Sim Artisans).
Tragically, "WingStrut" pulled 1918 Air War from his site just months after its release and began work outside of the community creating aircraft profiles, which he continues to this day.
[edit] To the east and elsewhere! Mark Munro
But the efforts to create historic patches weren’t limited solely to the Western Front. Another SWWISA member, Mark Munro, who was a long-time member of the RB3D community, embarked on some of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken for RB3D. Instead of creating another patch modeling combat on the Western Front, Mark made works that involved events outside of the Western Front. One of his first patches, the Middle East Patch, modeled combat in the desert theaters of the war. It involved new paint schemes and plane types: not to mention a fresh terrain set for a much warmer climate.
Mark continued his work with the Italian Front Patch, which covered combat in the Italian theater of operations during the war. He followed up the IFP with his latest release, the Eastern Front Patch, which covered combat between the Russian Air Service and the Central Powers, a topic that has never been tackled in any Flight Sim in history. Mark strives to meet the historical accuracy of the events each patch covers, and all provide a welcomed and refreshing change to the familiar events over Flanders, Verdun, the Marne, and Alsace. They were all brilliant works in their own right, and were commended for reaching above and beyond anything that Red Baron 3D was ever designed for.
[edit] Modifying terrain: It's right under your wings
While improvements continued with flight models, airplane and cockpit graphics, and even cloud modeling, the terrain in RB3D experienced great change as well. Often overlooked, the improvement of terrain detail in RB3D creates new levels of immersion. Nothing quite comes close to rolling your scout over and diving towards a beautifully rendered earth – the experience can be exhilarating even from the comfort of your home office.
Several terrain sets have been created during the development of RB3D. One of the first was by the "Promised Land". Led by "Kessler", the Promised Land specialized in the areas of sound, terrain, and ground object improvements. Starting in 1998, "Kessler" created a terrain set and a new set of sounds for RB3D. I personally used these two patches for a number of years. The terrain was a massive step forward from the blurry, poorly-detailed green blobs that passed for Western Europe.
Another terrain modeler was "WingStrut". Created specially for his 1918 Air War patch mentioned later in this article, "WingStrut" built his own terrain to model the Flanders region in the closing months of the war in 1918. It was a beautiful terrain set; while it is less than realistic, the artistic touch to his work is obvious and an immersive terrain set was the product of months of work. Yet one more terrain set remains incredibly popular within the community to this day.
"Rabu" created one of the most beautiful terrain sets to date. While not considered photo-realistic like the work later created by the Promised Land, "Rabu's" terrain seamlessly blended with the graphics engine of RB3D and created incredible artistic beauty in its own right. An additional bonus to Rabu's terrain was a lack of any apparent hit on the game's frame rate. Players rejoiced at the opportunity to enjoy beautiful terrain and smooth game play. His work was offered as a standalone patch, and was hosted on "Otto von Stachel’s" "Hell’s Angels" Web site for use with his work or any other patch.
[edit] The revolution of Charles de Thielt
Not too long after the release of 1918 Air War from "WingStrut", a major revolution in RB3D technology emerged. Karel Dooms (also known as "Charles de Thielt"), a modder within the community, began to release incredibly detailed and frame-rate-friendly aircraft models. These models are still the standard in all patches and nothing like them has been seen before or since. The realism presented in each model is apparent, and it is obvious that Karel created each model with love and care. He is often credited with training many of the SWWISA members in how to make new aircraft models using the program Anim8or. Yet a CdT model remains unmistakable, no matter how good another model looks. Karel simply had a mastery of the art form. And in reality, his works can be considered art. They are completely realistic, incorporate form and function, and are truly beautiful to look at.
Karel died in November 2002. Most patches released credit CdT in one form or another, either for helping them along the way or simply being a great artist. A memorial stone was crafted and laid in the virtual town of Thielt in RB3D for any offline user to fly by and admire.
[edit] The giant leap forward: A new breed of UOP
Karel opened the floodgates for patch makers to come. The new models, however, had to be installed one by one, often leading to crashes and headaches for anyone not intimately acquainted with RB3D’s quirks. I recall spending many hours trying to update each model within the game one by one, but to no avail. I personally didn’t realize it at the time, but a revolution had begun. Karel had found a way to create new models from scratch that broke out of the RB3D mold. Because of this discovery, the community now had a way to create models for planes not originally in RB3D, and this opened up a new world of possibilities. One can say that Karel saved the community. In late 2000, most of the chatter on the respective forums used to keep in touch with other members had fallen almost silent. There was little left to do by all accounts as the community appeared to hit the limits of what they, and RB3D, could do together. When his models appeared, life flooded back into the efforts made by new and daring patch makers. The changes that were to come over the next four years would be nothing short of extraordinary.
[edit] Pat Wilson and the Western Front Patch
After SWWSIA had been officially formed in early 2001, work began on a new kind of Unofficial Patch that would incorporate these new models. The three authors were Pat Wilson, “Panama Red”, and Beck. Pat explains the advent of The Western Front Patch in his own words:
"With the fact that paint schemes could be swapped in and out over time came the idea, why not whole planes? The Western Front Patch was started by Panama Red, Beck and myself. The original intent was to address the glaring weaknesses of RB3D, such as no French early war two-seaters. Panama Red did the Flight Models, Beck did the squadron updates, and I did most of the rest of the data files. Beck and I were both 3d modelers. We had done several of SWWISA models and continued to do them for WFP as needed. The skins came from a variety of sources, a lot of them done by myself and many done by others.
I was pushing for a smaller project to start with but Beck and PR wanted to go bigger. WFP started at around 65 planes. The project was too large to be accomplished in one shot so we started with 1915/16, then released 1917 and 1918. Over time planes were added as time and ideas permitted. WFP now stands at 100 [planes]. SWWISA figured out how to do individual cockpits and they were added. Reconnaissance and Bomber campaigns, and how to transition from them to a scout career were added later. Now Mark Hutchinson has completed the moving front patch for WFP, which will be made publicly available soon.
PR dropped out after the initial release and Beck disengaged about a year ago. Since then I have retained ownership. We have gotten lots of help from people over time. Panama Red's original Flight Model was replaced by Royce's which was in turn replaced by WvW's. Greybeard has a current alternative FM. Zinteck came along with a great DM and has been doing them for quite some time. OvS came out with HA and there has been constant sharing between our patches. Skins have come from all over, Walther Wever, Andreas, OvS, WingStrut, ... too many to mention. Pretty much everybody that has ever done a 3d model contributed to WFP. Go look at the SWWISA page and you will see most of the contributors. Beck, Steve Fabert, and Shredward have been instrumental in getting the history right.
I know that I have not named everybody that has contributed. This project has been ongoing for over three years and we have taken bits and pieces from everybody, and as the Moving Front Patch shows, it ain't over yet."
By the time of its latest release in 2006, the Western Front Patch version 7 would model the war in the air from late 1915, a full six months earlier than the original RB3D campaign, through 1918. Utilizing date-based file swapping, WFP would model every conceivable change to every possible aircraft on the Western Front. In the end, Pat estimated 100 types of aircraft are modeled in WFP, compared to the 40 aircraft in the original game. French reconnaissance squadrons now flew French aircraft; engine upgrades to the SE5 were modeled accurately down to the month; unusual planes like the twin spandau Fokker EIV and others were now modeled with complete historical accuracy.
In addition to the improvements of the patch itself, Pat built a utility called MissionGen which altered the mission parameters created by RB3D, allowing the game to accurately model the sparse skies of 1915 along with the large scale flights of 1918 with almost perfect accuracy. The comprehensive work of SWWISA in creating WFP and MissionGen has given the community the most accurate simulation of life on the Western Front possible within the confines of RB3D.
Another major contributor to the Western Front Patch legacy was "DeltaK". "DeltaK" holds a unique place in history. He created a series of skins for all of the aircraft in Western Front Patch. Yet, while Pat and the gang were striving for what became known as Dirty Birds (aircraft that looked weathered and beaten), "DeltaK" made aircraft that resembled very high resolution versions of the skins featured in the original RB3D. While they weren’t photo-realistic, they were beautiful in their own right; holding crisp, clean lines that were pleasing to look at while being historically accurate in their markings. Sadly, "DeltaK" retired his patch about a year before the release of Western Front Patch 6.4 in 2004, though many within the community continue to beg him to make a new version of his classic patch.
[edit] Stachel and his angels from hell
"Otto von Stachel" (OvS), a lifelong World War One aviation buff, computer game enthusiast, and member of SWWISA, created a significant UOP from the ashes of an old patch that was left behind, and then make the work truly his own. Hell’s Angels began from the remains of UOP 4.5, an abandoned patch from the late 1990s created by another modder, "Baron von Benz". "OvS" took the patch and began what is known as a home-brew; a mix of various patches from various sources made for his own liking. But as he began skinning aircraft for his private collection, the itch began to grip him and soon he was making headway on his own Unofficial Patch.
The patch originally featured a mix of photo-realistic skins along with the older bitmaps of previous patches (including UOP 4.5 and "Baron von Helton’s" work). "OvS" was the T.S. Eliot of RB3D, shoring the remains of previous work against him to create, in essence, a living history of the community rolled into one patch. This first release of what became known as the Hell's Angels patch (named after the Howard Hughes film) was successful. Following its release "OvS" teamed up with Pat Wilson from WFP fame, and worked continued on the next edition of Hell's Angels.
If Hell’s Angels and Western Front Patch left any lesson, it was the benefit of sharing resources openly. In fact, many of Hell’s Angels bitmaps are borrowed from Western Front Patch, and vice versa. "OvS" said he felt his patch should be called: "WFP/HA". This sharing of work allowed both patches to benefit enormously and created two deep and rich UOP’s for everyone to enjoy.
Over the course of the next two years, Hell’s Angels grew into an immaculate non-date-based patch and became a unique work all its own. The last version of Hell's Angels added another SWWISA member's talent, Shredward. Stachel will be the first to tell you that "Shredward" was vital to producing Hell’s Angels Super Patch (HASP) and without his help, the patch would never have been the success it is today. With Shred's vast knowledge and depth of research, the skies of HASP were filled with more historical accuracy than any WWI game ever seen before. Hell’s Angels also featured some of the most realistic and breathtaking skins ever seen in the history of the community, and coupled it with "Rabu’s" excellent work in terrain modeling. Works by Pat Wilson, "Andreas", and "Wweaver" made their debut in the latest version of HASP. The patch also featured ace paint schemes of lesser-known pilots such as Elliot White Springs and Raul Lufbery but always historically accurate even to the smallest detail. The patch included exciting new "single missions", something that no other creator has included in a UOP before or since. This gave players a chance to see the richness of the patch and to really enjoy all of the work that was done. Hell’s Angels also featured menu music from the movie The Blue Max along with a mix of period songs and gave the game brand new sound effects. Wind now whistled through the cockpit, guns had new, frightening sounds, and the immersion created by the great new effects was stunning. The patch successfully combined the artistic talents of the brightest in the community, openly shared resources, and in the end, created an amazingly rich, deep single-player experience that left pilots pleased and eager for more.
"OvS" followed up the successful Hell’s Angels with a unique patch called Resurrection. It allowed all historical pilots from the war to live indefinitely, only dying if they were killed during game play, rather than on their historical dates. This opened up many new possibilities within a single player campaign. What if Manfred von Richtofen wasn’t the highest-scoring ace of the war? What if Max Immelmann lived until 1918? These changes greatly improved gameplay.
Resurrection’s concept remains a first. "OvS" rewrote the pages of history, changing every ace profile in the game to reflect what might have happened if they had survived the war which claimed so many of their lives. In addition to the new profiles, "OvS" had to invent new ace paint schemes for aircraft the resurrected aces would have flown. What would Bolecke look like in a Fokker DVII or Max Immelmann in a Fokker Dr1? The new paint schemes and possibilities were exciting from the beginning, and gave players chills as they flew with aces they knew had never lived that long. While it was a departure from the great historical accuracy produced in the original Hell’s Angels, it gave the community an injection of fun to live out boyhood dreams of flying with, or against, the all-time greats.
"OvS" also coupled Hell's Angels with a Blue Max Patch, in honor of the 1960s film. After seeing a set of skins released by Andreas that duplicated the paint schemes used in the movie, "OvS" could not pass up a chance to make a full-blown patch for Hell’s Angels. Players could now fly alongside Bruno "OvS" or even Willi von Klugermann, the famous characters from the film. It gave the game another shot of pure fun and enjoyment for all of those who remembered the movie so well.
Hell’s Angels remains the best free, non-date-based patch around and is the best start for anyone looking to begin their way into the world of RB3D, or for those who love the game at its richest and most fun.
[edit] The second coming of the promised land
Graphically speaking, the ultimate Unofficial Patch ever created for RB3D was Full Canvas Jacket - released by "Kessler" of "The Promised Land" in 2003. It actually garnered publication in several gaming magazines and was nominated for Flight Sim of the Year in 2003, five years after RB3D’s initial release. Full Canvas Jacket represents the culmination of years of work and stands as a giant over the rest, and leaves Red Baron unchallenged as the ultimate flight simulation of the First World War.
The list of alterations to RB3D by "Kessler" is very long indeed. Improved aircraft skins, squadrons, aces, events, sound effects, menu music (composed and performed by Kessler himself), flight model, damage model, photo-realistic terrain, sky, clouds, and cockpits, better artificial intelligence, increased number of ground objects, infantry, buildings, trees, more machine-gun nests, more anti-aircraft fire; the list appears limitless. Everything that could be altered and improved within the structure of RB3D was and Kessler left no stone unturned. Full Canvas Jacket did more than modify RB3D; it changed the game as it had always been known. RB3D transformed into an accurate and moving representation of the period and those who risked their lives every day in the skies over the Western Front. Full Canvas Jacket can be regarded as the "shot heard round the world" and the community changed forever upon its release.
"Kessler" had worked since the beginning tweaking RB3D, usually creating new terrains, photo-realistic buildings and better sound effects. His site, The Promised Land, was always a source for new and better audio and visual effects. In 2001 he released a "Promised Land" update for RB3D, giving the game all of the above in one patch. Yet "Kessler" knew he had to finish the job right to be satisfied and began work on creating a single install, non-date based UOP for RB3D. When the screenshots of his aircraft were released, the community was stunned. No one had ever seen aircraft that looked so incredibly realistic. No one really knew how he had done it, but with each passing day more pictures of more planes were released to an amazed and excited community. Not only did the planes look "real", so did everything else. The terrain had transformed from a blurry mass of green and blue to something beyond photo-realistic. One could actually see shadows being cast by trees along open fields below the planes. The rivers looked like they slowly flowed along the French countryside. The sky and clouds filling it looked exactly as RB3D pilots had always imagined it. The trenches looked chillingly realistic. The one phrase uttered most often in the months leading up to July of 2003 was "it looks so real!"
When Full Canvas Jacket was finally released in July of 2003, the culmination of work by "Kessler", and in all actuality, an entire community of enthusiasts drew to a dramatic climax. Years of work had finally paid off. Flying Full Canvas Jacket resembles that of being in a movie, or even better, actually flying in World War I itself. To sit in the photo-realistic cockpit, take off over the stunning terrain, and engage in a ferocious dogfight with aircraft that look like they are going to jump out of the screen was simply breathtaking.
Kessler's Full Canvas Jacket represents the ideal imagined by "Beery", "WingStrut", "OvS", Pat Wilson, every member of SWWISA, "Baron von Benz", Karel Dooms, "Baron von Helton", and every enthusiast who felt called to tweak a flew plane skins since the late 1990s.
[edit] The end of the road
Following the release of Western Front Patch, Hell's Angels, and Full Canvas Jacket, development on future patches slowed. By 2005, the latest version of all three patches had been released and a slowing of development has been noticeable in the community for nearly a year.
Red Baron 3D should not, however, be considered a "dead" sim. The community would be the first to agree with that statement. It will live on for many more years, until a suitable replacement comes along--a replacement that features a dynamic campaign, historically accurate paint schemes, high resolution graphics, advanced flight and damage models, among other features. However, historically speaking, the development of Red Baron most likely peaked between 2003 and 2005. While there is still development in the multiplayer side of the sim, and many hundreds of pilots fly both online and off, patches for the single player campaign are mostly finished.
Much has fallen silent along the Flight Sim forums of Delphi and SimHQ, among other places. But it is a silence brought on by unparalleled success. There is simply nothing left to improve that is within the scope or abilities of RB3D’s programming. The phrase "it’s all been done" is apt here; Red Baron 3D has been saved. A few projects are in the works, such as the Moving Front Patch, or MFP, but for the most part, RB3D is considered a mission accomplished. The patch makers are busy actually flying and enjoying the game, or have moved on to other things in life. Red Baron, the flawed title that seemed doomed to fail, has lasted longer on most hard drives than any other game before or since.
With the exception of a Western Front Patch release of Full Canvas Jacket by "Kessler", a final release of Hell's Angels, and work progressing on Revenge of the Jastas, there is no new development in progress for RB3D. Additionally, some of these projects are slated to be final releases for the community. "OvS" recently announced plans to close his site shortly after releasing the final edition of Hell's Angels. Further, many in the community have moved on to other projects--including "Over Flanders' Fields", a mod for Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 3 - a World War II flight sim for the PC. Over Flanders' Fields will modify the files in CFS3 to replicate combat in World War I. While the development and modification of Red Baron 3D has slowed, thousands of players across the world are still downloading and enjoying the work created for one of the only World War I flight sims released in the last decade.
[edit] See Related Articles
- Red Baron 2 (1997)
- Red Baron 3D (1998)
- 1st Aerial Battalion
