After having read a number of books I have found at least one common thread that seems to have been overlooked by nearly every WW1 flight sim that has gone before you. That thread is simply the complete lack of reliability of early aircraft. This unreliability would add considerably to the challenge of finishing even a short term of duty. It would be even nicer if this unreliability was modeled in such a way that it simulated features such as the low quality SPAD's passed off to units of the USAS. My short list of pontential failures would be:
Gear Reduction unit partial failure: (turn back now or risk landing somewhere uncomfortable.)
Failure of oil and/or fuel tank welds: (loss of oil and/or fuel)
Gun Jams for a host of reasons unrelated to overuse.
Carb Icing. (enough said)
General structural icing.
For these failures to be truely interesting emergency landings must also be interesting. In real life the spot you pick for your landing has much to do with your success. Buildings, trees, wind direction, even the furrows in a field must be reckoned with. Also, pilots that are bright enough to shut off the fuel cock before going in should have a greater chance of survival. This feature would add tremendously to my experience. I realize that this is difficult to implement, if it wasnt than other sims would have these features.
I would also place accurate systems modeling (mixture, spark levers, blip switches, etc) and weather high on my list of cool things that would add to my enjoyment. All of these things could of course be turned on or off to fit user parameters as I am sure they are not everyones cup of tea. I also remember the navigation (those fold out maps) in Red Baron I. It required a good bit of thought which made the game a lot more imersive for me than the clipboard in red baron II/3d.
I am eagerly awaiting your sim, and wish you the very best in your endeavor.
