Red Baron Pack

I remember the encounter well. On the occasion of my 16th kill, Bolko von Richthofen issued a challenge to me, asking me to come alone to a particular spot over the western front. I naturally accepted the challenge, and on that cloudy day made my way to the appointed spot using the trusty (printed out) map. There he was - only the treacherous German ace had brought two wingmen along! Too late to avoid an encounter, I ripped off a burst at his plane directly, to no seeming effect, and split S into the clouds, taking cover and making my way home; there would have been no way to win against those odds. On landing, I was informed that Bolko was dead, killed by my bullet burst. Also, a certain Manfred von Richthofen wanted to issue a challenge to me. I had just killed the Red Baron's brother.... This game had: a dynamic campaign, accurate flight models including stress damage to wings if you tried high-G maneouvers, realistic damage modelling, including the ability to kill the pilot without damaging the plane (this latter is sorely missing from recent games), and a progressive campaign that gave you access to new planes as the war progressed, and allowed you to paint them with you favourite colours. Missions included bombing defense, attacks on observation balloons, attacks on zepplins, and the favourite, the dreaded patrol. If you were injured from machine gun fire in the air, you'd have to weigh up your chances of landing and being captured (and thus losing months of service before escaping) against dying in the air, and losing your rank and your wingmen. If your engine was shot out, you'd have to hope you could land your crate... there were no parachutes back then. Honestly, on a realistic setting the furballs on this game were second to none. Guns jammed (requiring you to hammer away on them), oil spurt from leaked lines, and survival required knowing when to run as well as knowing when to stay. Combined with optional objectives and "ace challenges", the campaign was very much a gaming experience. Now, I'm not sure the graphics hold up a candle in today's day and age, but the realism certainly will.