Volume 37, Number 1
Society Desperate to Copy Instant Start
Sarcasm Rating, 7/10
Rather than simply adopting the Indy Squadron's existing Instant Start system that is faster, starts flights closer together and provides better limited intelligence, the Fight in the Skies Society has wisely chosen to alter the system that was already producing inferior results. George Henion shared the news that the Society will now begin halving Quick Start's ridiculously large altitude differences to make it more like Instant Start, because everyone knows that propping up a deficient system is better than changing What We've Always Done.
Society Desperate to Copy Instant Start
Sarcasm Rating, 7/10
Rather than simply adopting the Indy Squadron's existing Instant Start system that is faster, starts flights closer together and provides better limited intelligence, the Fight in the Skies Society has wisely chosen to alter the system that was already producing inferior results. George Henion shared the news that the Society will now begin halving Quick Start's ridiculously large altitude differences to make it more like Instant Start, because everyone knows that propping up a deficient system is better than changing What We've Always Done.
Instant Start requires fewer rolls than Quick Start (Graham Cox research, Aerodrome 177, Spring 2018), proving that Quick Start is superior to Instant Start despite the fact that Quick Start doesn't start as quickly. Any fool can see the logic here.
Instant Start reduces the distance between opposing flights at the start of each game compared to Quick Start (Graham Cox research, Aerodrome 177, Spring 2018), so clearly we should alter the system that doesn't produce desirable results rather than adopt the one that does.
Instant Start also protects the identity of aces about 300% better than Quick Start (Graham Cox, Aerodrome 177, Spring 2018). But since the opposing aces of World War I were personally acquainted and recognized each other in flight, limited intelligence in a game based on World War I makes little sense. The next suggested improvement for Quick Start is to require players to write their pilot's mission-kill record on their forehead in crayon.
The most important new development here is that no new development will occur. Instant Start won't be used by the Society. And when we make so many adjustments to Quick Start that actually becomes Instant Start, we will be sure to keep calling it Quick Start.
Which brings us to this issue's Pro Tip -- never run about willy-nilly and adopt a system that does what we want right now when we can keep trying to patch up the inadequacies of What We've Always Done. It's this sort of thinking that moves our Society bravely forward.
But for backward, uneducated derelicts who want to fairly consider and weigh the available options (not recommended) click here.
Instant Start reduces the distance between opposing flights at the start of each game compared to Quick Start (Graham Cox research, Aerodrome 177, Spring 2018), so clearly we should alter the system that doesn't produce desirable results rather than adopt the one that does.
Instant Start also protects the identity of aces about 300% better than Quick Start (Graham Cox, Aerodrome 177, Spring 2018). But since the opposing aces of World War I were personally acquainted and recognized each other in flight, limited intelligence in a game based on World War I makes little sense. The next suggested improvement for Quick Start is to require players to write their pilot's mission-kill record on their forehead in crayon.
The most important new development here is that no new development will occur. Instant Start won't be used by the Society. And when we make so many adjustments to Quick Start that actually becomes Instant Start, we will be sure to keep calling it Quick Start.
Which brings us to this issue's Pro Tip -- never run about willy-nilly and adopt a system that does what we want right now when we can keep trying to patch up the inadequacies of What We've Always Done. It's this sort of thinking that moves our Society bravely forward.
But for backward, uneducated derelicts who want to fairly consider and weigh the available options (not recommended) click here.
Stephen Dale Dominates Gaming After 3 Year Absence
Welcome to the 37th consecutive year of uninterrupted publication for the Indy Squadron Dispatch! Our annual New Year's Day gaming tradition was held this year at Rick Lacy's house on the west side of Indianapolis. Many thanks to Rick and Pam for hosting the day.
Stephen Dale returned from North Carolina for his first gaming since 2021 and had a spectacular day, scoring two confirmed kills. George traveled from Wisconsin to join us and had a solid day as well. Other players included Josh, Bob, Ethan, Rick and Stephen.
Game 1 featured Rick, Stephen and Josh in Belgian Nieuport 17's escorting George's RE 8 against the Albatri of Bob, Ethan and Stephen Dale. On Turn 1, Bob's Albatros scored 9 hits from the bottom on Stephen's Nieuport. Six of those shots went into the engine, which instantly stopped running. The 8-mission Belgian pilot was forced down in German lines and taken prisoner for the duration, with Bob being credited with a solo kill. Heavily damaged by the good shooting of Josh' Belgian flyer, Ethan's German pilot crashed his Albatros at his home field but survived.
Game 2 featured Ethan, Josh, George and Stephen in British DH 5's against the Albatri of Rick, Stephen Dale and Bob. Rick made a dash for German lines after his engine was smoked by Josh's British pilot. Using DH 5's superior dive (pretty much the only thing it does well) Stephen dove into the fray and scored a critical pilot wound on Rick's Albatros. The kill was confirmed after Rick dove all the way down to 200 feet altitude only to have his pilot pass out while landing. He died in the crash. Meanwhile, Bob and Stephen Dale doubled up on Ethan's DH 5 and badly damaged the Brit's wings. Ethan rolled a critical hit that added two hits to his right wing, which destroyed his airplane and killed his 5th mission pilot. Stephen Dale won the cut with Bob to score his first kill of the day.
Game 3 featured a pair of rarely seen Italian Pomilio two seaters flown by Rick and Bob, escorted by the Hanriot HD-1 of Stephen (SGT Melchoire Giovanni, 25/14) against the Oeffag Albatri of Josh and Stephen Dale who were escorting George's Austro-Hungarian Hansa-Brandenbug C1. At only 1500 feet altitude, Stephen Dale's Albatros pilot came up underneath Bob's Pomilio two seater and shot it's engine out with a single burst that cut the fuel line, scoring his second kill of the day. A strong tailwind pushed the Pomilio across the front lines (by just 200 feet) where Bob's crew crashed on rocky ground, yet both pilot and observer survived.
Game 4 was set in September 1918 and the gang finally drew big, fast airplanes. Josh, Bob and Rick (2LT James Sladen, 30/3) flew British Sopwith Camels against an all-star flight of German aces. Two Fokker DVII 185's were flown by Stephen (LTN Jurgen Ulf, 20/6) and Ethan (UNT Nicolas Bob, 17/3) along with the oddball Fokker DVI of Stephen Dale (LTN Milan Sova, 16/3). By all rights, the Germans should have cleared the skies. Other than Stephen Dale's performance disadvantage in his Fokker DVI, the German pilots were all at ace level and the players were all very experienced. But absolutely nothing went their way.
Stephen and Ethan tried to double attack Josh's Camel on the opening turn but Stephen jammed a gun and Ethan scored minimal damage. Meanwhile, Bob and Rick filled the wings of Stephen Dale's Fokker DVI with bullets. Rick's Camel stuck to the Fokker's tail, while Ethan placed Bob's Sopwith under cards only to jam a gun two turns later. Stephen rolled poor initiative and had to move first for most of the game.
Battered by the Camels and suffering from repeated gun jams and terrible dice rolls, the Germans withdrew and neither side suffered any casualties in a very exciting game that ended the night.
Fly In a World War 1 Airplane
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