Red Baron (game)
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Red Baron is a computer game for the PC, created by Dynamix and published by Sierra. It was released in 1990.
As the name suggests, the game is a flying simulation set on the Western Front of World War I. The player can engage in single missions or career mode, flying for either the German Airforce or the RAF. In the course of the game the player might find himself either flying in the Red Baron's squadron Jasta 11, or encountering him as an enemy above the front.
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Aircraft and Realism
Many of the famous German, British, and French WWI combat aircraft are available to fly including the Fokker E.I Eindecker, the Fokker Dr.I Triplane, the Sopwith Camel, and the SPAD XIII. The game features somewhat realistic physics as it was mainly intended as an entertainment game instead of a true flight simulator, although the unique flying characteristics of some of the aircraft were implemented such as the gyroscopic effect created by the Sopwith Camel's rotary engine and the Albatroses' upper wings shearing at high negative G loads. The player also has to deal with problems the real fighter pilots of WWI faced such as gun jams, Archie/flak (slang for anti-aircraft artillery, engine damage, and they could also bleed to death if they were wounded and could not land at an aerodrome (WWI airfields) in time.
Aces
Famous aces like Albert Ball, Werner Voss, Georges Guynemer, Manfred von Richthofen aka the Red Baron, and Eddie Rickenbacker make appearances in the game. Not only are they flying the aircraft that they would have been flying at the time, but their aircraft are also in the appropriate markings. For example, Manfred von Richthofen flies his all-red Fokker or Albatros, and Charles Nungesser has his Nieuport 17 with a black heart painted on the side.
Missions
There are several types of missions in the game: patrol; balloon busting/protection; reconnaissance escort; and bomber escort/interception; and Zeppelin hunt. There were also recreations of historical missions. The majority of the missions are carried out with 1 to 3 wingmen for the player.
Patrol: The player patrols the Front. Anti-aircraft artillery is always encountered and enemey patrol are usually encountered as well although the latter does not always happen.
Balloon Busting/Protection: Perhaps the most dangerous mission in the game is balloon busting. The player needs to eliminate enemy artillery observation balloons while avoiding anti-aircraft fire as well as dogfighting against protecting enemy aircraft. It is much easier if the player is on the protecting side.
Reconnaissance Escort: The player and wingmen escort a reconnaissance aircraft as it flies over the Front. Patrolling enemy aircraft are usually encountered and try to destroy the reconnaissance aircraft.
Bomber Escort/Interception: Gotha and Vickers bombers attack factories or trains, and it is the job to either escort or intercept the bombers.
Zeppelin Hunt: Zeppelin dirigibles bomb the English homeland, and it is up to the player to shoot it down.
Historic Mission: Historic engagements can be relieved on either side. Missions include the engagement for which Billy Bishop received his Victoria Cross and the final dogfight of the Red Baron.
Single Mission Mode
The player can select any mission to fly on either the German or British/French sides. Location, aircraft type, wingmen, and famous aces can also be chosen for the mission.
Campaign Mode
A career in either the German or British/French (the game treats the two countries as one) air corps go from the beginning in 1914 to the Armistice. As time progresses, the player is transferred to various historical aerodromes in France and in England. The Front also shifts as it did during the War and battles such as Verdun are noted. More advanced aircraft are also introduced in the proper time periods. The player's number of aerial kills is kept track of and is promoted in rank and awarded medals as they progress, and they can eventually customize the colors of their aircraft. If the player is wounded in combat and is able to land/crash land in friendly territory, they spend several months recouperating from their wounds, but if they end up in enemey territory, they spend several months in a POW camp until they escape back to their side. The timeline continues during the recovery/imprisonment periods, so it is possible that the player will return to duty at a different aerodrome flying newer aircraft.
Depending on how well the player does, they can be assigned to an aerodrome that has a famous ace and can fly missions with them, and depending on the time period and the location of the aerodrome, the player can encounter the famous enemy aces that were in the area during that time period.
Multiplayer
There was also a mutiplayer mode in the pre-Internet game network created by Sierra Entertainment hosted on its ImagiNation Network.