Red Baron FAQ
Ver. 1.0
by Black Funkster, 2004
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HISTORY
18/3/04: Started FAQ, wrote contents table, went as far as "Getting
started."
19/3/04: Kept going. Got as far as "Career Mode." Minor changes to
"Flying Tips." Got bogged down in the medals section.
20/3/04: Kept slogging through the medals section. Started a new Red
Baron game to get the names of reconnaissance aircraft/medals. Finished
version 1.0
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Game info
3. Getting started
4. Flying tips
5. Missions
6. Career mode
7. Planes
8. End stuff
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1. INTRODUCTION
Howdy there. So you've managed to get this game, and you're now
wondering how to play the game, or how to finish the game, or how to
shoot down the Red Baron himself. Well whatever it is, you've come to
the right place, and this is beginning to look like the first FAQ for
the Sierra game Red Baron. I'm doing this cos I've had the game for a
while, and all the while I've never seen a single FAQ for this, so here
I go. Remember, though, that this my first FAQ I've ever written, so
please be patient with whatever's bugging you about this. Enjoy!
All (well, most) information in this walkthrough was extensively
researched and documented by me, Black Funkster. You may freely
redistribute this information and use this information as long as the
source is clearly labeled. I place no other restrictions on the use of
the information in this document. This document was written to benefit
all who have ever enjoyed playing Red Baron, and I wish to keep an open
policy so that objective can be met. If you could let me know when
you're using this info, that'd be great, but if you can't (or won't),
then I won't bawl too much about it.
(This disclaimer was adapted from the disclaimer in Douglas Hawkins' FAQ
of Super Mario Bros. Big thanks to Douglas)
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2. GAME INFO
The year is 1914-it is the dawn of World War I. Patriotic fervor runs
high as young men across Europe prepare for a new age. Red Baron takes
you back to this bygone era, where you'll experience the look, feel, and
experience of aerial warfare in WWI. Engage in close-range dogfights, go
balloon-busting to take out the aerial eyes of the enemy, take on
Zeppelins, escort bombers deep into enemy territory, go undercover in
nighttime missions and go head to head with such famous Aces as the Red
Baron himself!
Features:
*Fly on either side of the war as a British pilot in the Royal Flying
Corps or a German pilot in the German Air Service.
*Includes 28 different aircraft, each in
beautifully rendered and technically accurate 3-D. Including: Sopwith
Camel, the DH2 Pusher, the Spad 7, the Albatross DIII, the Fokker
Triplane, and many others.
*Accurately detailed 3Dspace worlds including the length of the German-
French front, Verdun, the Somme, Paris and London.
*Play single Mission or enlist for the full tour in Campaign Play with
more than 40 missions played back-to-back from 1915 to 1918. Progress in
skill and rank, and become eligible for medals and awards, including the
coveted Victoria Cross and Blue Max.
(taken from Readme.txt file, found with Red Baron freeware version)
Red Baron is, as you've guessed, a flight simulation set in World War
One. It was released originally on the 19th of December 1990, and it was
made into a downloadeable freeware version on the 10th of February 1997.
It was released by Sierra, and developed by a little-known company
called Dynamix (don't really know what happened to them past this game,
except that a Red Baron 2 was made.) Sierra, of course, went to higher
and better things.
System requirements are as follows:
Processor: 286 286-16MHz Hard Drive:
Ram: 640K 1MB To Install: 3MB
Conventional: 583K 590K Compressed: 6MB
Expanded: N/A N/A To Play: 3MB
Extended: N/A N/A Compressed: 6MB
Swap File: N/A N/A (Hard drive not required)
Video VGA N/A Operating System
Sound Card: No Yes MS-DOS 5.0
(once again, taken from the Readme file)
Right, now lets get into it.
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3. GETTING STARTED
Once you've installed the game (and done the sound settings), play the
game by clicking the file BARON.COM (or by typing the word BARON in DOS,
once you're in the folder). From there, a short intro will roll, then
you'll be in a menu. (The background pic shows the Red Baron blasting
down a British/French plane....expect this to happen to you a fair bit
when you start out :))
MENU
The menu choices are as follows:
-Dogfight A Famous Ace (Go one-on-one against a German, British or
French ace. This option is also available in the Single Mission menu)
-Fly Single Mission (Gives you a list of missions you can do, with
whatever settings you wish. See the "Missions" section of this FAQ for
more info)
-Career Menu (Join either the German or Allied side in WW1, and go
mission after mission while working your way through the ranks and
medals. Once again, see the "Missions" section for more)
-View Airplanes (Take a look at the Allied and German planes of World
War One, including planes flown by Aces)
-Other Options (Watch a demo, change your preferences or roll the
credits)
-Mission Recorder (Sit back and watch a mission thats been pre-recorded,
or your own missions that you've recorded.)
-Exit To DOS (Take a guess. Seriously.)
CONTROLS
The controls are as follows:
Up arrow: Nose down/dive
Down arrow: Nose up/gain height
Left Arrow: Bank left (hold down for barrel roll)
Right Arrow: Bank right (hold down for barrel roll)
Space: Fire machine gun
#1-9: Throttle. This is basically your speed, with 9 being the highest
speed, and 1 pretty much switching off your engine. (Its advisable to
use the 1 key only if you're coming in to land.)
F1-F8: Change view (VERY useful in dogfights.)
Enter: Toggle between internal/external view (NOTE: When in external
view, hold down the Enter button and use the arrow keys to rotate your
viewpoint around your plane. This is useful if you wanna see where a
far-flung reconnaissance plane is, and the like.)
C button: Toggle time compress. This basically speeds up time massively,
and in most cases you will still be able to control your plane during
this time. The exception to this will be if your mission involves
protecting something, i.e. reconnaissance planes, bombers, balloons and
the like, where your plane's controls will be automated to follow them.
Time compress will be turned off if an enemy is spotted, and this'll
stay this way throughout the battle (Time compressed dogfight?
Translates straight into "suicide"). Time compress also switches off if
you're too close to the ground, and if you're nose-diving for it, then
bloody well pull up! Mostly, use time compress for escorting
reconnaissance (they get boring otherwise), and for basically flying
over the trenches, picking a fight.
A button: If you're leading a squadron, this orders your wingman/wingmen
to attack an enemy.
W button: If you're not leading, but still in a squadron, this warns the
flight leader that enemies are close by (if he's too far away, then just
take 'em on yourself. Who needs a leader anyway?)
D button: Tells your wingman/men to descend (dunno wat much good this
does)
M button: Tells your wingmen to attack an enemy.
That seems to be about it. I don't think that the buttons are
customisable.
YOUR COCKPIT
Inside your cockpit, you'll find a few dials and stuff sitting in front
of you. Unfortunately, none of these happens to be a coffee machine/jet
thruster/*insert cool gadget here*, so I'll tell ya wat they really are.
Right now I got NFI (No F**king Idea) how to draw in ASCII, so I'll do
my best to describe 'em to you.
-White dial, with the letters "E", "F" and "A" written around it: this
is the fuel tank. Holds fuel. Fuel makes plane fly. In the air. Like
bird. (you get the bloody idea don't you) Anyway, if it reaches empty
(either from taking damage or otherwise), land. No two ways about it.
-White dial, with the numbers "40", "100" and "160" (and ONLY those
numbers) written on it: this indicates your oil pressure. In normal
flight, you won't need to ever glance at this...that is, until the words
"Your oil pressure is dropping!" pop up on the screen. What that means
is you're losing hydraulic pressure, the dial will start dropping, and
around the zero mark, you won't be able to keep your plane's nose up.
Your plane will keep dipping until you're forced to land. (Unless you're
shot down first, of course.)
-Big black dial, with the numbers 0-9 written around the face: took me
ages to figure this one out. This shows your altitude, or how high you
are. I'm not sure what the exact denominations are (I think each number
means each 100 feet), but its useful generally, as well as when you're
in thick cloud, and you got no idea whether you're diving or not. (Of
course, the ground rushing up to you should also be a pretty good
indicator of this.)
-Big white dial, with the numbers 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 140 around
it: Your speed in miles per hour. Pretty self-explanatory.
-White dial, with the numbers 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 around it, with the
letters "rpm" barely distinguishable: rpm? RPM?! Yep that's right, this
shows your engine revs, and this'll go up and down, depending on how you
use your throttle (Pity it ain't a Ferrari F40 though...:()
-Black meter, with letters popping up: your compass, as in which
direction you're facing. If you have a basic idea where in the region
your plane is, (i.e. by looking at a map in Career Mode and the like)
then you'll have no problem patrolling the front, or not getting lost.
Right, that's about it.
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4. FLYING TIPS
For the majority of the time, your plane will be in the air, and funnily
enough, you'll be there too (ok, crap joke). Flying itself is fairly
easy: just push the arrows to where you wanna go, and use your throttle
accordingly. With combat, however, it's a whole new ball game. Here are
some tips you need to know, combat or otherwise:
GENERAL FLYING TIPS
*When in the air, use the freedom you have...just not excessively.
Reckless flying alone could see you get into a tailspin (Your plane
dives, and you can't pull up), your engine stalls (you push your plane
higher than your throttle will allow you. Try increasing the throttle,
or just not pushing at all.), or worse. Keep it real, aaight?
*If a message pops up saying "Enemy aircraft spotted," but you can't see
anything, just take a look around. This doesn't mean you twist your
plane in every single direction, but rather, use your camera angles.
(Try holding down Enter, then moving the arrow keys.) That way, you can
tell where they are, and how to approach them. Also, look for grey/black
specks against the sky, or irregular black patches against clouds (or
basically anything else that's moving in the sky.) NOTE: Some Allied
planes are painted green, and as such they can be damn-near impossible
to sight, since they blend perfectly with the ground below. In this
situation, try dipping (nose-diving for a short while) your plane, then
straightening out your plane. Granted, they will now be above you, but
much more importantly, you will be able to see them. Use this same
tactic for night-flights, since the game engine turns everything pretty
much pitch black at this time.
*If you start off (or find yourself) in thick cloud, There's a couple of
things you can do. If you're patrolling the front, just dive until you
get out of the clouds, then re-align yourself accordingly with the
trenches below. (This way, you know which way you're going). If there's
enemies about, then rise above the clouds, and for Christ sakes, STAY
ALERT. (Sorry about the blasphemy, btw) Sure it sounds dangerous, but
more often than not, the enemy will usually be above it as well, or they
will follow you anyway. Besides, if you need to make an emergency
landing for whatever reason, clouds are good protection.
*If you're flying around, and you notice grey pixels periodically
exploding around your plane (along with a sharp cracking sound), this is
anti-aircraft fire from the ground (or "Archies" as it was called then).
You'll find this happening along the front lines, around balloons, and
over towns in enemy territory. (Your own side won't fire at you, so this
is also a good indicator as to where you are.) This is one of the more
annoying and deadly aspects of flying, and the best that you can do is
to swerve, turn, change direction and basically do a ballet with your
plane...just don't stay still. Fighting enemy planes with anti-air fire
can be bloody difficult too, and one way to get around it is to draw the
enemy away from the area (i.e. run), then fight 'em.
*When escorting reconnaisance planes/bombers, remember to keep an eye on
the compass. This is because during a dogfight, they will continue on
their course (and swerve occasionally), and once you're done fighting,
you'll have to catch up to them. Also, if you wanna fly manually while
escorting these planes (i.e. no time compress), the throttle speed for
these planes is usually around 6-7. My normal cruising speed is at 7,
and dogfighting speed is usually 9.
*When flying, you might notice a red-and-yellow thing rising from a
point in the ground from time to time. That red-and-yellow thing is
(presumably) a flare, and its purpose is to show you where your
aerodrome is. If your mission's over, they mean for you to head there
and land.
*To land, first just get close to the ground. Assuming you didn't crash
while diving (hehe I'm being optimistic), point your nose at roughly a
45-degree angle towards the ground (keep the nose a bit higher than 45),
and drop your speed to the lowest speed (press the 1 key). Once you're
really close to the ground, nose up, and you should come to a perfect
landing. Never, EVER, try to land on a high throttle speed, cos no
matter what, you will crash once your wheels hit the ground.
COMBAT TIPS
*First off, the crosshairs on your machine gun are very useful. It'll
save you the wild firing.
*In most dogfights, the enemy will initially fly around you, trying to
spot your blind side, then shoot. Therefore, the rule against this is
the same in any martial art/fist-fight: DON'T give your enemy a blind
side. Always face your enemy. If an enemy is flying alongside you, track
his flight path. (For beginners, the best way to do this is to bank your
plane to whichever direction the enemy is, i.e. put your plane almost on
its side, then hold down the Down button). This way, your plane will go
the fastest it can to face the enemy. Sooner or later, the enemy plane
will have to put itself upright, and if you've been tracking it alright,
then all you gotta do is right yourself up, aim and shoot. However, if
you've learned the "deflection shooting" skill below, then you can just
shoot him while he's still turning. If you find that YOU are the one
being tracked and shot at, then do your diddly-darn best to shake
whoever's blasting you, then round on them. If they are sticking really
REALLY tight on your tail (Aces tend to do this), then try to shake them
even harder. One thing you can try is in the middle of a turn, pull a
barrel roll the opposite way, and then see if you can get him. He should
be taken by surprise, although this move isn't a guarantee. NOTE: While
some planes in the game are perfectly suited to the above maneuver,
other planes are not, and they'll probably end up giving you blistered
fingers, due to their lack of agility. Thus, this tactic's success is
limited only by what sort of plane you're flying. More info on this is
in the "Planes" section of this FAQ.
*The thing to watch out for with "Tracking" (as I've called it) is that
each time you do it, you lose a bit of altitude, since your nose is
pointing more down than up. This becomes a problem if you do it for
minutes on end, because soon you find yourself too close to the ground.
From there, you'll just have to face your enemy by trying to get a clear
shot at him without hitting the ground. (He should've been dead by now
anyway...)
*One of the most essential skills to master is whats called "deflection
shooting." What this means is, basically, anticipating where an enemy
plane is going, and shooting into it's intended flight path (just a
short distance in front of the plane), rather than shooting straight at
the plane itself. This is done because over fair distances, bullets take
some time to reach their mark, so this compensates for that. Of course,
over short distances you don't have to worry about any of that, just
point and shoot. This'll probably take a bit of time to master, but
it'll help you heaps. NOTE: If you've turned on the "Limited ammunition"
setting in the combat options screen, then I'd advise against deflection
shooting, cos it chews up a fair bit of ammo.)
*If an enemy is coming straight at you, guns blazing, then the sensible
thing to do is to get out of his way, and immediately turn around, so
that hopefully you can catch him on the hop, while HE'S still turning.
However, if he's still out of gun range, then you can still head toward
him, but dip your plane so that he's a couple of feet above you, and
keep your crosshairs pointed at him. This way, you'll be able to pepper
him with lead, and maybe even bring him down in one volley.
*If you're following an enemy plane, trying to get a decent shot at him,
remember to stay alert. It's the perfect opportunity for another enemy
to swoop down behind you and send you to Kingdom Come. This is one of
the biggest problems with fighting a group of enemy planes, and the best
antidote to this is not extra wingmen, but instead mixing it with
agility and keeping on your toes...or wings. When chasing someone, always
take an occasional glance backward (F2), left (F3), right (F4), above
(F5) and below (F6). It will save your life more than once, I guarantee
it.
*Another key to dogfighting is controlling your throttle. This is
important, especially concerning the previously-mentioned tracking
maneuver. If an enemy plane keeps zipping past you, try dropping your
throttle while turning. Simple physics dictates that at slower speeds, a
vehicle tends to make a sharper turn, (i.e. like braking before a bend
in a racing game), so use this to your advantage. Also remember that if
you're below and behind an enemy plane, turn your throttle up in order
to climb. If you try this with a low throttle, you'll stall.
*Whilst there are cases where you will be tempted to shoot down your
wingmen, DON'T DO IT. Not only will this mean less support, but this
will massively reduce your score, and in Career Mode, if you do it three
times, you'll be fired from the air service you're flying for, and its
career finished. If they keep pissing you off (i.e. they don't do
anything, or they get shot down by the first enemy they meet), then
either don't take 'em along. If this can't be helped, then use them for
what they're worth. Personally I think wingmen can become nuisances for
the above reasons, and nowadays I only take them into missions so that
they can draw some enemy fire away from me, onto them.
*There's separate tips concerning shooting down enemy reconnaissance
planes/enemy bombers. These planes are nowhere near as agile (or crafty)
as fighters, but that doesn't mean that they are defenseless. All of
these type of planes have mounted machine guns, and most of them are
situated behind the pilot, sweeping above the tail of the plane.(The
British F.E.2b has a front-mounted machine gun.) Bombers' machine guns
also sweep below the tail and also in front of the plane. The general
strategy against them is to shoot them as they head towards you (unless
they're bombers or F.E.2b's), or let them pass on your flank, then
immediately round on them and pepper them from behind. The other thing
you really have to watch out for is attacking recon planes above clouds.
If you're close behind them, they will dive straight into the clouds-
thus leaving their gunners free to fire upon you, which they will.
Whatever you do, DO NOT go chasing after them, cos you'll either injure
yourself or die. Instead, dive out of the clouds (at a safe distance),
and fly all the way just past the cloud, in the direction that the
planes went. Once you've got clear sky, climb, turn around, and head
back to the same cloud. You should bump into them very soon.
That's pretty much the main combat tips I can think of. Once again, be
agile and alert. Don't let the enemy get the drop on you.
________________________________________________________________________
5. MISSIONS
These are what make up the entire game. The two main modes of gameplay
are Single Missions and Career Mode. These two modes consist of the same
missions, except that Single Mission mode means you can choose whatever
mission you like, with whatever settings/planes you like. Career Mode is
basically the story mode, with a few differences. (I will explain them
in the next section.) I'll take you through a guide of each particular
mission, and what needs to be done in each one:
a) Dogfight A Famous Ace
Pretty self-explanatory. You get to go one-on-one against a German or
Allied ace of your choice. Like all other single missions, you get to
choose the settings, i.e. what weather conditions will prevail, what
planes each of you will be flying, etc. The combat tactics that were
previously mentioned also prevail; however, you can generally expect
aces to track you a lot more than regular pilots would, so if you're
feeling up to it, try to take them out the minute you see them heading
towards you. If that doesn't work, keep up the melee.
In Career Mode, this mission will occur only when an enemy ace
challenges you to a dogfight. In this mode, you won't get to change the
weather settings (as in any career mission), and unlike other career
missions, you won't get to choose your wingmen or be part of a squadron
either- you're going it alone. Your plane will be dictated by what type
of plane your squadron flies (or if you're a Captain, and have your own
plane). Note that not every ace will challenge you- only those whose
squadrons are in the vicinity of your own, and then only some. To the
best of my knowledge, the following aces challenge you in Career Mode:
*Manfred Von Richthofen (German)
Werner Voss (German)
*Lothar Von Richthofen (German)
Max Immelman (German)
Rene Fonck (French) (?)
*Edward Mannock (British)
Charles Nungesser (French)
*= This ace flies with 2 wingmen by his side (cheat!).
?- Unsure whether he challenges you or not.
Note that even in other missions in Career Mode, aces will participate
in them, whether as your leader, wingman, or enemy.
b) Dogfight A Squadron
Here, you can fly (with up to 3 other wingmen) against an enemy squadron
(Anything from one plane to 4 planes) and take 'em out of the skies.
Once again, combat rules apply, and your options are customisable like
above, except that now, you can choose how many fighters will be in each
squadron, and the skill level of the enemy pilots. (You can choose
between "novice pilot", "regular pilot" and "veteran pilot." Your
wingmen will be "regular pilots" by default.) Also, you can choose
whether an ace will be leading the enemy squadron or not.
In Career Mode, this follows the same difference to single mission as
dogfighting an ace does; except you'll be able to choose your wingmen
(or be part of a squadron). Once again, a maximum of 4 planes on each
side prevails.
c) Patrol The Front
You (and/or a squadron) have gotta fly over the trenches, engaging in
any enemy plane you come across. Geddit? What sets this apart from other
missions is the freedom involved- you fly over a long distance, with no
other goal than to follow a big brown line on the ground. Since a long
distance is involved, you will be facing no more than 2 sets of planes
along the way. (Lets call these sets "flights", ok?) Each flight is made
up of up to four planes, and these flights can be made up of enemy
reconnaissance flights, fighter flights, or a mix of both. Enemy
reconnaissance flights usually consist of 1-2 reconnaissance planes
(Unmaneuverable, fairly fast aircraft that cannot dogfight, but are
armed with rear machine guns anyway), that are escorted by 2 fighters.
(Or sometimes no escorts- fish in a barrel!!) Now, whichever type of
flight you'll come across, mathematically this means that the highest
number of planes you will face in one mission is 8 planes. Therefore,
it's a good idea to go with wingmen when starting out. However, when
you've developed your skills, you'll find that there's no greater rush
than to take on 4 enemy aircraft (or even 6) all by yourself :-D. And
yes, combat rules apply (this applies for any mission concerning enemy
fighters, k?). To complete your mission, keep following the front until
a message pops up saying "Your Mission Is Over." From there, you can
either allow the computer to return you to base, or you can land there
yourself (you get more points for landing yourself, and this applies in
ALL missions.).
No major differences in Career Mode, just less options flexibility.
d) Escort Reconnaissance
This is like patrolling the front, where you will have to fly for a long
distance, fighting off two flights of enemy aircraft (never at the same
time, thank God). The difference is, you (and your squadron) will be in
charge of the protection of 1-2 reconnaissance planes (whose job it is
to take photographs of the front). Therefore, do your best to protect
them. When the enemy flight is spotted, aim up at them- but DON'T climb
to their level, and DON'T fly over your recon planes. The obvious reason
for this is that your recon planes is what they will be aiming for, and
so chances are that most of them will try to dive and turn to end up
behind the recon planes- so stay behind them, so that you'll be ready
for the enemy. Remember, DON'T shoot the recon planes- if there's an
enemy fighter between you and a recon plane, he'll be weaving from side
to side, so shoot him when he's at the sides. Also note that recon
planes can be shot down by anti-aircraft fire, but there's not much you
can do about that, since they follow their own flight path (which you
follow as well).
After a dogfight, you'll sometimes find that your recon planes are
nowhere in sight. Therefore, always check which direction you're headed
beforehand, (i.e. West, North, etc) and follow the front in that
direction. With a little bit of luck and time compressing, you should
see them soon. In case you reckon that they've been shot down, press the
Escape key to check. If it says "Your Mission Is Not Complete," then go
find them. If it says "Your Mission Is Over", then go home. Refer to the
"Flying Tips" section for more.
e) Escort A Bombing Raid
Like above, except on a shorter scale. You and your squadron have to
escort 2 bombers to a factory site/Zeppelin base/railroad yard over the
enemy lines, protecting them from any fighters. You'll be up against a
single flight, no more. The same basic tactics apply as above: get the
enemies, don't shoot your own planes, and escort them home.
f) Stop A Bombing Raid
The opposite of above. This time, you and your mates have gotta shoot
down a bomber flight, and their escorts, before they reach their target.
This mission is easier than its counterpart, because the biggest number
of escorts enemy bombers are given, is 2. (Some missions will just have
3 enemy bombers, with no escorts- once again, fish-in-a-barrel!)
Note that in Career Mode, you won't get to participate in these missions
until about 1917- this because bombers hadn't been developed until that
time.
g) Balloon Busting
One of the most dangerous missions of all. (But also one of the most
rewarding.) Your squadron's mission is to seek-and-destroy enemy
balloons, which are big white stationary things that don't do anything
but sit there, but instead are guarded by some of the heaviest anti-
aircraft fire possible. They are not Weapons of Mass Destruction, but
instead they are basically observation posts. In addition to the anti-
aircraft fire, they are also protected by a squadron of enemy planes, up
to four of them. Can anyone say "eek?" How about yelling "No fear, old
chap!" It's debatable as to whether you should take out the enemy
squadron first, or flame the balloons first, then the squadron. The
smarter thing would be to go for the squadron right off (balloons can't
shoot you), but the drawback is that you'll have to fly over the
balloons to get to them, which could see you injured. I'm told that the
main strategy against balloons is to fly high over them, then dive on
each one at a time, climbing again when you're done. If you find
yourself in the immediate vicinity of the balloons, though, then just
keep weaving, swerving and dodging- it's easy to get shot down this way,
but you'll flame the balloons quicker. God help you if you find yourself
alone and bleeding, with 3 balloons intact on one side, and four nasty
fighters headed straight for you on the other- that's about as bad as it
gets. Even so, there's a way out: blast the squadron, then take the
balloons. With luck, you'll live to fly another day, and even if you
don't, go down fighting. Its not like pilots were given parachutes in
those days anyway...
h) Balloon Defense
Like above, except from the opposite side. You start near a group of
friendly balloons, and you have to fight off a squadron (or sometimes
2!) of enemy fighters. When you start, for some reason your plane will
be facing the very direction from which the enemy will be coming from.
Whether you are the flight leader or not, keep heading in that
direction, and engage the enemy ASAP. Even if your flight leader keeps
circling the balloons, stuff him, and keep going. You've got a job to
do, and no stiff-arsed coward for a flight leader is gonna tell you to
run from the enemy. (Damn straight!) Also remember that this time,
ground artillery will be on your side, and therefore enemy planes are
prone to them.
i) Hunt A Zeppelin
This mission has only one target, and no enemy flights to face.
Nevertheless, it's a hard target, and this mission takes place at night-
time (and dawn, although this is pretty rare) only. Your job is to scan
the night skies for a big, long, cigar-shaped object that looks a bit
like...a Zeppelin; and shoot it down. Simple? Oh no, boyo. First off, you
gotta find the damn thing, which, despite the night sky, can be achieved
by using the "dipping" technique I mentioned in the "Flying Tips"
section. Although its fairly slow-moving, this thing's got guns pointed
at just about every angle of it, so going in too close is probably a bad
idea. The standard method of attack is to start shooting at it the
minute it's spotted (provided it's bigger than a speck), then pull up
once it opens up its own guns. Then repeat the maneuver. However, this
"flying beast" also has a blind side- it's tail, or arse-end.(hehe, you
said arse, Beavis.) This is pretty much like the previous strategy,
except that there are no tail-guns on this enemy. Therefore, you have
more chances of getting closer, rattling off bullets all along the way.
In no time, it should burn up in the air.
NOTE: This mission is only available in areas near the English Channel,
i.e. the Dunkirk region and the London region. Zeppelins were used by
the German side to bomb London and other English targets, and Zeppelin
bases were mostly near the coast as a result. Also, as you've probably
guessed, you cannot play this mission if you're on the German side of
the war.
*j) Scramble Mission
This is a variation of dogfighting a squadron, except that you don't
have the option of beginning in the air. Instead you begin at your
aerodrome, your plane fueled and armed, and an enemy squadron headed
straight for you. You gotta get into the air and blast 'em outta the
skies. Now, to take off (it took me AGES to figure this out), hit the 9
button first off, i.e. hit full throttle. Your plane will start taxing
and rolling. Once your plane is travelling on its 2 front wheels (i.e.
its evened itself out), hit the Down button and take to the skies. Turn
around, and go get the fighters. Easy. NOTE: Early-model planes will
have a horrible time of this mission, as they are very slow to gain
height, and even worse to turn when near the ground. This is because the
planes are underpowered, and even a full throttle can't help them. If
this is the case, get ready for a frustrating fight, or just skip the
mission by pressing Escape while you're still on the ground.
*= This mission is not available in the Single Mission Menu.
k) Fly A Historical Mission
This basically consists of a number of missions, of differing types, and
they are all based on real events concerning Allied and German pilots.
Some of them are dead easy (such as "Immelman's First Victory", in which
your mission is to shoot down a single recon plane.), while others are
just plain nuts ("Frank Luke, Balloon Buster", which sees one Allied
plane, flown by Luke, against 3 German balloons and a full flight of
German planes). Most missions can be played from both the German and
British side. They're generally good for a challenge, lashed with
authenticity.
________________________________________________________________________
6. CAREER MODE
This is basically the "story mode" of the game. You are signing up with
either the Royal Flying Corps (Allied side), or the German Air Service.
You can choose whether to start flying "early in the war" (December
1915), "in the middle of the war" (October 1916) or "late in the war"
(January 1918). If you choose to start early, this'll mean that you will
start out flying early rust-buckets with wings, but since you're here
for the duration of the war (until October 1918), you're looking at a
higher score. If you start late, you won't get much fight-time, but you
will have an easier ride, since the planes will be more advanced by
then. From there, choose a name, and go in. You'll then be shown which
squadron you've been assigned to, as well as a map of the Western Front,
showing you where it is.
The Career Menu is as follows:
-Fly Next Mission (Off to the next mission. You can't choose what
mission you'll be doing, and some missions will depend on the location
of your aerodrome, i.e. hunting Zeppelins.)
-Squadron Info (This is where you can see your squadron name and
location, as well as which aces are currently in your squadron.)
-Map Of The Front (Brings up a map of the Western Front, showing
different aerodrome locations and which squadrons are stationed where.
It also shows where both Allied and German aces are stationed)
-Request Transfer (You apply to transfer to another friendly squadron.
You can only do this once you've gained the rank of First
Lieutenant/Oberleutnant. Once you're transferred, there's a 4-month
waiting period before you can transfer again. As you gain rank, more
squadrons will be open to you. During your career, you may get
invitations to join certain squadrons. If you accept these, which you
should, that counts as a transfer.)
-Personal Aircraft (Once you've gained the rank of Captain/Rittmeister,
you'll be provided with a plane of your own choice. The choice is
limited by what time of the war you're flying in; if its earlier, your
plane choices are more limited. Once you've chosen, you can paint your
plane whichever colour you like...so long as its on the colour list, of
course. (WHAT?! No purple with yellow polka dots!? NOOOO!!) Once you've
chosen, you get to keep it for three months minimum, after which you're
able to request a new plane. If you choose not to request a new one,
then each time a new plane comes out you'll be notified as to whether
you want it or not.)
-View Pilot Record (Shows your pilot info, including your name, rank,
squadron, location, and how many aircraft/balloons/Zeppelins you've shot
down.)
-Backup Career (Makes a save of your current progress. The save system
is a little different to others; when you save, you create a duplicate
of your current form, rather than save over your regular game. This is
done so that if you're killed in action, you can just load up your
duplicate; the game in which you were killed won't be active anymore. Of
course, you can always hit the Windows key if you stuff up, and load
your game...hehe.)
-Return To Main (Go back to Main Menu)
Here, I'll try to lay bare the career system to you:
There are 3 ranks available to you in your career. You'll start off as a
Second Lieutenant/Leutnant, and this means you're a novice. You cannot
lead a squadron, you cannot fly alone, and you cannot transfer or have a
personal plane. Whenever your superiors say "Fly!", you ask how high.
The next rank is First Lieutenant/Oberleutnant, where you can now lead a
flight of two planes (including yourself), and are eligible for
transfers. The final step is Captain/Rittmeister, in which you now lead
all missions that you fly (the exception is when you're in a squadron
that's being commanded by a specific ace). You also get more
transferring powers, and most importantly, you get your very own
fighter.
In addition to ranks, there are medals to be received and newspaper
front pages with your name on it to gaze at. I've tried to compile all
these into a table below. Most rewards are dependent on the number of
kills you've made:
KILLS
AWARD
3
Iron Cross Second Class (German), Military Cross
(British)
5
Newspaper headline, marking you as Ace
9
Iron Cross First Class (German)
11
Promotion to First Lieutenant/Oberleutnant
21
Royal Hohenzollern House Order (German)
23
Promotion to Captain/Rittmeister
26
Orden Pour le Merite, plus newspaper headline of you
receiving award (German)
35
Distinguished Service Order (British)
52
Victoria Cross, plus newspaper headline of you
receiving award (British)
71
Red Eagle Order (German)
77
Newspaper headline of you being honored in a special
ceremony, and being named pre-eminent ace of the war
(British)
81
Newspaper headline of you being honored in a special
ceremony, and being named pre-eminent ace of the war
(German)
100
Orden Pour le Merite with Oakleaf, plus newspaper
headline of you receiving award. (German)
Croix de Guerre (awarded after gaining a number of
kills while flying in a French squadron)
Legion of Honour (awarded after gaining a number of
kills while flying in a French squadron)
Distinguished Flying Cross (awarded midway through 1918
automatically) (British)
Now for a few tips on how to kick-start your career:
* Practice in single missions first, and be mindful of what planes you
practice with. My advice is to practice with earlier-model planes,
since later models handle and fly better, and by the time you get to
them your skills will be sharpened considerably. I spoilt myself
rotten by initially flying with the best planes in Single Mission,
and as a result I paid for it by being shot down time after time in
my career.
* If its your first time, and you've started your career early in the
war, I'd better warn you now that the German side won't get a new
plane for 9 months, while the Allies will have several planes to
choose from by then. What this means is that you'll find yourself in
situations where Allied planes will constantly pepper you from every
angle, while you struggle to face them. If you have experience, then
its not as scary as it sounds, but these situations are nonetheless
hard. Yet another reason to practice with early model planes.
* Before you transfer, be mindful of transferring to squadrons
stationed in the London region. This is because all your missions
will consist of stopping bombing raids (and occasionally flaming
Zeppelins), and if you'd rather dogfight, stick near the Western
Front.
* If, during a mission, you see an enemy plane that's painted
differently to the rest of the enemy planes, you can bet that an ace
is flying it. You get a higher score than normal for shooting down an
ace, so don't hesitate to go for him first. When you shoot him down,
instead of saying "Scratch one German/British/French plane!", it will
instead say something like "You just shot down Goering!" For the same
reason, never refuse an ace challenge- you never know when you'll get
the chance to kill him again.
* Upgrade your plane regularly. If you stick with the same one for too
long, you'll soon find it very hard to compete with enemy fighters.
* If your plane is badly damaged or if you're wounded in the air, try
to land on your side of the lines. This is because if you land in
enemy territory, you'll be captured and locked up for up to 6 months
(before you escape), and this makes you lose precious fighting time.
However, even if you land on your side, you'll be hospitalised for a
couple of months as well (if you're wounded).
* Note that once you have your own plane (i.e. when you become a
Captain), you're not stuck with it for each mission. In the Flight
Assignments screen, just before you begin your mission, you can
choose to substitute your personal plane with an ordinary plane used
by your squadron. (It'll still have your personal colours though.)
This is particularly good if you can't decide between your plane and
the squadron's. (for example, your plane has good agility, but the
squadron plane is faster.)
________________________________________________________________________
7. PLANES
Right, now to the cool bit- here is the complete list (At least I hope
it is) of all Allied and German aircraft. This comes with basic info
about each one, tips on flying the plane, and tips on attacking this
type of plane.
ALLIED FIGHTERS
a) Morane Bullet (November 1915)
The Bullet is a monoplane based on a pre-war design. The Bullet is slow,
underpowered and sluggish in flight.
For such a rust-bucket of a plane, its got a cool name. Despite its
inadequacies, you'd better get used to flying with it. Shooting it down
is easy; its handling it that's hard. Its turning is painfully slow, and
if you're up against a higher-level German plane, its harder on you.
Also, this plane's lack of power will either drive you mad or kill you
(or both) in Scramble missions. There are no real pros about this plane,
just take comfort in the fact that at the start of the war, the German's
planes are no better than yours. Bear in mind, though, that if you can
master this plane, you can master any plane.
b) Airco D.H.2 (February 1916)
With a unique design, the D.H.2 has the engine mounted behind the pilot.
Although fairly agile, the D.H.2 is a fragile aircraft.
A good improvement over the Bullet. Its speed is marginally better, and
its increased agility will have you sighing with relief. (its handling
is marginally better than some later German planes.) However, whilst
it's an adequate dogfighter, it's defense, or sturdiness, isn't too
flash, and more importantly, its still underpowered.
c) Nieuport 17 (April 1916)
The Nieuport is a capable fighter with adequate maneuverability.
However, its lower wing is weak, and will often break in a steep dive.
One of the best all-rounder planes, and one of my personal favourites.
Although this French plane doesn't have a particular strong point, it's
lacking in nothing. The Nieuport will see you through well into 1917,
and it was the standard mount for most French squadrons until that time.
When facing it, be warned of its maneuverability- it can be a sneaky
bugger. You don't have to worry about the wing breaking, by the way-
that sorta stuff doesn't happen here.
d) Sopwith Pup (April 1916)
The Pup is a small, lightweight aircraft with good maneuverability.
Unfortunately it is underpowered, and has only one machine gun.
A good alternative to the Nieuport. Its handling is marginally easier,
and everything else about it is roughly the same. However, it is
underpowered, and Scramble missions are slightly harder than normal.
You'll find this plane in the Dunkirk region, since it was mostly used
in naval squadrons during the war. The Pup is painted green, so be
prepared to use the dipping technique when you can't see it attacking
you. Once again, watch out for its maneuvrability.
e) Spad 7 (July 1916)
Fast and sturdy, the Spad is a capable fighter. However, it is
underarmed, as it has only one machine gun.
Like the game description just said, its fast and its got good defense.
However, it lacks in agility, and its turning is a little better than a
Bullet's. Favoured by the top French aces and another French squadron
staple. Next to the fact that it's also painted green, you also have to
watch out for its speed; trying to shoot it when it first rushes you may
not work all the time.
f) Sopwith Triplane (January 1917)
Although underpowered, the Triplane is a nimble aircraft, and climbs
quickly. It only mounts one machine gun.
Hmm...underpowered, yet climbs quickly? That's not supposed to work out,
but there it is. I don't use this plane often, since I'm already with my
Nieuport; both are maneuverable and mount one machine gun. However, the
Triplane will have some difficulty with opening volleys (i.e. shooting
an enemy who's above you, as he flies towards you). Like the Pup, this
saw service with the naval squadrons.
g) S.E.5a (May 1917)
Although not as maneuverable as the Camel, the S.E.5a is faster,
sturdier and easier to fly. It's a great fighter for novice pilots.
This is probably the most widespread and common fighter in the Royal
Flying Corps, and for good reason too. Not only is it fast and sturdy,
but its turning is quite good as well. Put these things together (plus a
green fuselage), and you've got a formidable foe. There's no special
tactics required for this plane though; just get used to fighting it,
since they stay in British squadrons until the end of the war. Many
British aces have been known to fly this plane.
h) Sopwith Camel (June 1917)
The Camel's exceptional maneuverability make it the best dogfighter of
the war. However, it's a tricky plane to fly, and novices should avoid
it.
This plane is the Muhammed Ali of Allied fighters. It floats like a
butterfly and stings like a bee; now you see it, now you don't. If
you're going up against a large number of German planes, resulting in
prolonged dogfights, accept no substitutes. Whilst its speed and defence
may be lacking, it's well compensated for by its sheer turning power,
thus making it my personal favourite plane. Having said that, it does
take a fair amount of time getting used to. When you first fly it, your
aiming will be considerably off (since the controls are sensitive), so
work on handling it. Things are fairly tough if you're against a small
number of these, but if you're against a whole flight of them, pray like
hell that you can catch them on the hop. If there's one plane that can
match the Camel for agility, it's the Fokker Dr.I (more on this later).
These two planes are classic adversaries.
i) Spad 13 (September 1917)
The best French scout of the war, the Spad 13 is very fast. Its also the
sturdiest aircraft of the war.
Well there you have it. This upgrade of the Spad 7 (they look identical)
is the technical opposite of the Camel; while the Camel relies on
maneverability, the Spad can handle a fair bit of damage, and is
excellent for stalking recon planes/bombers. Having said that, its
handling is good, but not as good as the Camel/S.E.5a. When against it,
watch out for its speed and stiff resistance to bullets. This is another
plane of choice for French/American aces.
j) Sopwith Snipe (September 1918)
The Snipe is an improved Camel. Fast, highly maneuverable and durable,
the Snipe is the best British fighter of the war.
If you're looking for a "perfect" plane, well here it is. This was
released too late in the war to make much of a difference though. As you
can expect, it's an excellent plane, however its handling has been
slightly marginalised (compared to the Camel), and so I just stick with
the Camel (or alternate between the Camel and the Spad 13). You won't
get to fight these too much.
BRITISH RECONNAISSANCE PLANES/BOMBERS
-R.E.8 (recon)
-F.E.2b (recon)
-Handley Page 0/400 (bomber)
GERMAN FIGHTERS
a) Fokker Eindecker (November 1915)
The Eindecker is a mediocre aircraft. It's slow and unmaneuverable. It
is outclassed by all but the most primitive enemy fighters.
This is the German counterpart of the Morane Bullet. They handle pretty
similarly, with no major differences. The only difference between them
is that while you're in a German career, you can expect to fight planes
as far as the Nieuport 17 and Spad 7 before the Eindecker will be
surpassed. In other words, get used to it.
b) Albatros D.II (September 1916)
The Albatros D.II is a competent fighter. It's equipped with two Spandau
machine guns.
By the time you get this, you'll be screaming with relief that an
upgrade has come. Whilst its speed and sturdiness have been greatly
boosted, it's agility has only had a marginal improvement. Nevertheless,
this'll definitely do you good in dogfights (its handling is compensated
for by its firepower). No specific strategies against it, just remember
that since its fuselage is grey, it will blend in easily with clouds.
c) Albatros D.III (February 1917)
An improved version of the D.II, the D.III posses greater
maneuverability than its predecessor. It is a capable fighter.
Seems like the above game description has stolen my thunder. Not much</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
else can be said; its agility is better, with a marginal improvement on
speed. Upgrade to this ASAP. The fact that all German planes from the
D.II up possess dual machine guns, means that you'll be keeping this for
quite a while- you won't need to change much from this all-rounder.
d) Albatros D.Va (June 1917)
The D.Va is an easy to fly, competent fighter. However, it is inferior
to both the S.E.5a and the Sopwith Camel.
Between the D.III and this model, there's not much improvement at all.
This is, if anything, a clone of the previous model, with no outstanding
features. (You would have probably also guessed that all Albatros models
are identical) I suppose its one good point is that it's an all-rounder-
nothing more. These planes were still in widespread use in 1918, when
they were issued to rookie pilots.
e) Pfalz D.III (July 1917)
Although not as maneuverable as the Albatros D.V, the Pfalz is sturdier
and more durable. It can also dive more steeply than the D.V.
Don't even bother. Seriously. It's not that it's a bad plane; the thing
is, there's no point upgrading it from a D.Va or even a D.III, since
they're all the same. It's durability, unfortunately, doesn't compensate
for its decreased maneuverability. When fighting it (or flying it),
you'll notice that compared to other German fighters it is actually
quite slow, and you won't have a problem tracking it and bringing it
down.
f) Fokker Dr.I (Triplane) (August 1917)
Along with the Camel, the Dr.I is the most agile aircraft of the war.
It's not as fast or sturdy however. It's climbing ability is phenomenal.
The German counterpart to the Camel, and just as deadly. It's controls
are, if anything, even more sensitive than the Camel's, and it's
climbing ability means that it has total agility in the skies. Once
again, its handling takes getting used to, but is worth it. It's speed
is nothing to worry about, however its defence is noticeably below a
Camel's defence. (This will become even more noticeable during balloon-
busting missions.) Flying against a squadron of these planes is
terrifying, so try to face them with a Camel or Snipe. The notoriety of
the Red Baron's scarlet-coloured Fokker Triplane made this plane the
most famous of the war.
g) Fokker D.VII (March 1918)
The D.VIII is simply the best fighter of the war. It's fast, very
rugged, highly maneuverable and extremely powerful.
This, quite simply, is the all-rounder to end all other all-rounders.
Nothing, not even the Snipe, can beat this for sheer versatility. Take
the speed and sturdiness of a Spad 13, and mix it with the agility of
something between a Nieuport's and a Camel's, and you have a D.VII.
Although their blue fuselage will make them stand out in the skies, this
doesn't make them any less dangerous than normal. Take comfort in the
fact that they don't have the same degree of maneuverability as the
Dr.I, as well as that they only came out in March 1918.
GERMAN RECONNAISSANCE PLANES/BOMBERS
Roland C.II (recon)
Rumpler C.IV (recon)
Gotha G.IV (bomber)
Junkers J.I (bomber)
________________________________________________________________________
8. END STUFF
*Phew* so we're finally at the end of this FAQ. Sweet. (this took me a
while to do, y'know.) Umm, first of all, a big thank you to, well, you,
the person reading this right now, for delving into my Red Baron FAQ.
Hope that this helped. If there's ANYTHING at all that you didn't
understand about this guide, then by all means let me know. My email
address is below:
[email protected]
Now the policy is, I'll happily respond to genuine questions concerning
the FAQ. However, if you wanna have a slang at me for anything unrelated
to Red Baron, or if it's about anything else that I reckon is irrelevant
to the game, forget about it. Also, don't try and add me to your MSN
Messenger list or mailing list...anyone I don't know, I don't really talk
to. It's not that I don't like you, it's just that if it's got nothing
to do with the game, then why should I respond? Fair is fair.
The information in this FAQ has been meticulously researched and figured
out by myself, so I think it's only fair to say that, under NO
circumstances, should this information (or indeed, this entire FAQ) be
copied or pirated without my prior consent. That means no outside
publishing. If you wanna use something in it, consult me first.
Right, now for a list of acknowledgements:
-Sierra and Dynamix, for making this great game.
-www.gamefaqs.com, for allowing me to publish this, and for helping
inspire me to write this.
-In particular, I would like to thank Red Baron45 (your interest in the
game helped me to start this), kavemann32 (your ask for help convinced
me that people wanted to know more about the game), and to Douglas
Hawkins, for writing up his Super Mario Bros. FAQ. (I adapted the
disclaimer from it.)
Remember, Red Baron is freeware, so you're perfectly entitled to
download it.
This version (1.0) has been published only at GameFAQS.com. If you found
this version somewhere else, please let me know.
A quote from me:
"Never mistake asthma for excitement in the bedroom."
Happy Gaming!
-Copyright Black Funkster, 2004
