I have played this game to bits in the 90s. This question is for Red Baron 1.

But i remember better graphics (i am hoping).

I cannot even make out anything in the game, especially planes, is this how the graphics are? Is it perhaps setting on my PC?
Is there a way to change or set graphics.

Seriously, i look at gameplay videos on youtube and the graphics look better there than when i run the game.

I cannot make out whos who. I have to crash into person just to try and see the badge on wing, i cannot remember the graphics being so pixelated and cannot see what is what.

Any ideas?

Thanks

There are detail levels you can set in the options menu but this game looks rather sparse now.
At the time it probably was the most amazing looking game ever.

I don't play full screen and that improves things. The window is small but at least you can see the detail you need to see.

Yeah i will try that, in the 90s it was 640x480 now i tried on 1920x1080.

Thanks for the reply.

Red Baron 1 - that's from 1990 dude, when you could almost still count the pixels on one hand! Look, it's not just the higher resolution 1920x1080 widescreen you're trying to play it on now, when you played the original game it was probably a physically MUCH smaller screen and a 4:3 format CRT one too (which would smooth the jaggies). 560x384 on a 4:3 12" CRT might have looked ok on very the latest macintosh in 1990, but stretch that out on a 1920x1080 screen today and it will look horrible - or play it windowed and the window will be the size of a postage stamp. Red Baron 3D is the only one worth playing now, and even that is only a max res of 1024x768 - which still looks (just about) ok on my old 19" 1280x1024 screen.

Personally I like the jump in and play approach of the old game, it's like Doom for flightsimulators.
On the other hand I could never warm up for Red Baron II or 3D, much rather play Flying Corps instead (if I could get it working that is).

Flying Corps was fun and had an ok campaign mode, but RB has a much better career mode (and crucially for many, an on-line multiplayer mode, which some still play to this day). And Flying Corps only has 2D Direct Draw graphics and low resolutons like the original RB, and for flight nerds RB has a much better flight and flight-damage model than Flying Corps.

But the reason I'm saying RB3D is the only one worth playing is primarily compared to the original RB. And that is because unlike RB (or Flying Corps for that matter), RB3D has the 3D glide graphics which was a massive step forward in 1998 and, with some geeky tinkering (and various graphical, gameplay and utility mods still on-line) can bring RB3D up to a more than passable experience today (well, more like a great 10yr old game than a fine 23yr old one). RB3D is still (even today) highly rated as a WW1 sim - though admittedly that says more about how sadly starved the era has been in subsequent flight sims (well, ones with decent career or campaign modes) than about how great RB3D is today.

Flying Corps got a 3Dfx upgrade called Flying Corps Gold, which in my recollection looked better than RB2/3D.
I think it has to do with the scale of the game, flying at high altitude in Flying Corps felt more convincing to me.
Can't really say anything about the campaigs as I only played quickmissions in these games and I've never used multiplayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIhrXIktbM8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2bnyDTn7kM

I started playing RB1 for the very first time 2 years ago, and I don't have a problem identifying the planes, but then again I'm savvy with the planes of the time. Best advice I can give is take a good look at the colours of your wingmen's planes. Is that pixel off in the distance a different colour to you and your wingmen? Then voila- it's an enemy. Forget the wing markings- it's all about the plane colours. Funny enough I've been loving RB1 for 2 years but haven't even tried RB2. Those low res textures just look really bad. Call me crazy but I simply prefer the flat shading of the original Red Baron over the pixelated sequel.

If you get the chance play Wings of Glory, it's a game in the same formula as Strike/Wing Commander with realistic touches like creaking noises from the stressing the airframe. The story is a bit blander than the previous mentioned games (but that is to be expected from a ww1 game) but the gameplay is pretty engaging. Really need a joystick for this one too.

I'll look into it. One thing I really like from Wings Over Flanders Fields is the torturous creaking of the airframe during high speed turns. Gritting your teeth praying to high heaven that you can evade that enemy fire -just long enough- without ripping your own wings off is pretty thrilling!