J5_Hotlead

That's super-cool Emerlist! I'll have to add that to my bucket list for sure! Thanks Larner! Neat! Do you compose score music?

Thanks Emerlist!

Thanks Luft! Much appreciated!

Thanks Klai! That means a lot to us!

Thank-you Hess! We're thrilled you enjoyed it that much! I've never been to the Atlanta History Center! That must have been absolutely amazing!

IT'S HERE!!! http://forum.jg1.org/topic/6387-remember-me-civil-war-short-film-is-released/

Started in late 2015 and finished in late 2018. Our short film "Remember Me" is finally here!!! If you liked what you saw, don't forget to leave a like and share with your friends! Also, be sure to let us know what you thought in the comments on YouTube! Doing that helps our video rank higher and it also gives us useful feedback for future short films! Enjoy! :

Oh, it’s not a livestream; we just mean we’ll be online to answer any comments/thoughts/questions posted on the YouTube video.

1:30pm Central time.

Like Larner said. Absolutely wicked fights last night! Started out the night with MASSIVE Central formations contesting the skies over Metz against Pups, Triplanes, and SPAD 150s (although SPAD 180s would have been nice to have). After that, we traveled to Metz bomber offensive where there were some absolutely bloody conflicts in the claustrophobic skies over Metz! (One fairly funny moment that I caught just now... at 1:41:41, when I was dead-stick landing after oiling my engine chasing Hobbs, I actually got turned around and landed in enemy lines. And I didn't even realize it that night lol! Larner may drive on the "wrong side of the road," but I land on the wrong side of the lines. ) Anyway, you can see the livestream here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/348773430 And here is Baer's stream from the Allied POV:

Just a reminder, gentlemen. We will be flying this Thursday evening at 8pm Central US time on Wargrounds. Hope to see you there!

Salute all! A little late posting last Thursday's stream, but here it is at last! (Better late than never, eh? Also, I'll post up combat breakdowns in the private section of the forum later this evening.) https://www.twitch.tv/videos/345670868 And here is US103_Baer's stream: Had some absolutely AWESOME action on Cuban's server tonight! US103rd SPAD formations combined with 4 ship Dolphin formations, plus a couple high altitude two seaters made for the most intense action I've seen since my return to ROF! Afterwards, had a very nice chat with Larner & Hunter, and after that, had some DH.2 vs E.III action on the Ma and Pa's Basement server. Big thanks to everyone who came out tonight! Looking forward to next Thursday night!

Hello everybody! Each week leading up to the release of "Remember Me", we'll explore the historical backdrop of a facet of our short film. This week, we'll look at just exactly how good of a shot you had to be in order to be a member of the US Sharpshooters. Simply being an above-average shot with the rifle wouldn't cut it. To join the US Sharpshooters, one had to be an AMAZING shot. Just how amazing, you might ask? Perhaps the recruitment call Hiram Berdan (the units' founder) put in the papers says it best: "No man will be accepted...who cannot when firing at a rest at a distance of two hundred yards, put ten consecutive shots into a target the average distance not to exceed five inches from the centre [sic] of the bull's eye to the centre of the ball." (A copy of the paper, as well as a photo of one of the targets after 30 minutes of shooting, can be found attached at the bottom of this post. Click to enlarge.) In other words, applicants had to put 10 shots in a row, all within a target the size of a dinner plate, from 600 feet...often with nothing but iron sights. Keep in mind, the standard military tactic of that day was to line masses of soldiers up against one another and have them volley-fire in the general direction of each another to inflict maximum casualties. Imagine for a minute how utterly shocking and demoralizing it would be for Confederate troops to suddenly come under pinpoint-accurate fire from a foe they couldn't even see, and you will begin to see how effective a force of marksmen this good could be. This will be the last historical post about our film's backdrop, because the full film releases next week!!! In fact, the full film has already released to our supporters on Patreon today; if you're interested, check out our page: https://www.patreon.com/RookieAce

Now that is ingenious!

Hello everybody! Each week leading up to the release of "Remember Me", we'll explore the historical backdrop of a facet of our short film. This week, we'll look at some of the specialized gear that made the Berdan sharpshooters so unique. One thing that immediately stands out about the Berdan sharpshooters is that even though they were Union soldiers, their uniforms were a dark green instead of blue. This visually set them apart from the rank-and-file troops, and also added another benefit: camouflage. The dark green of their uniforms blended in with foliage much better than the standard blue or grey uniforms in the Civil War. The sharpshooters also were issued leather leggings (to protect their legs against rough terrain and snake bites) and a high-quality calfskin knapsack different from the tarred haversacks most other soldiers wore. Nonetheless, by mid-to-late war, many of these uniforms and special items began to wear out or get lost. Thus, by the time our film is set, most of the sharpshooters had adopted the standard blue frock coats and haversacks or bedrolls. One item amongst the sharpshooters' equipment is ironic because there is nothing special about it, yet many people often think the sharpshooters didn't have it: a bayonet. It is no secret that the sharpshooters preferred to engage targets from afar; they even threw their bayonets away at one point! But after that happened, the army made sharpshooter unit Captains responsible for ensuring their men kept their bayonets. Any "lost" bayonets were taken directly out of the Captain's pay from then on out. So, by the time our film is set, each sharpshooter would have definitely carried a bayonet...however uncheerfully. For more info on early vs late war Berdan uniforms, check out this awesome video by the 2nd US Sharpshooters Company D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnf5wTkzwjw (Credit for the tin-type effect on our film screenshot goes to LIBERATOR from the ROF forums)

You're welcome Jocassee! It was great to share the skies with you again! Last night was a slog. The US103rd was highly successful on all fronts (15 kills for no losses) and we got hammered pretty good. In hindsight, I can see I have quite a lot to work on myself. My flight leading was decent but ineffectual, and my dogfighting was pretty sloppy. I put myself in bad tactical situations, especially near the end of the stream and paid for it by getting killed by Baer later that night. However, my thanks go out to the US103rd. They are forcing us to get smart and rethink our tactics. For a long time, we ruled the skies without a dedicated Allied squad to oppose us. Well, now one is here, and we will have to up our game. I'll post some thoughts later when I have time, but for now, here is last night's livestream: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/342496947 Also, here is Baer's stream from the Entente side of things: Anyway, it was a pleasure flying with you all, and I look forward to next week!

Salute gentlemen! Just a reminder that this Thursday’s action will take place on Cuban’s server! All are welcome to come! If you like livestreams, then my livestream will be live at about 8:30pm CST here: https://m.twitch.tv/jg1_hotlead and my esteemed Allied opponent US103_Baer will also be live around the same time here: https://www.youtube.com/user/PaulLMF Should be epic!

Peter Jackson recently released a new film in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of WW1 called â€They Shall Not Grow Oldâ€. For those who are interested in seeing this film on Dec. 17 or 27, you can put your city in here, and it will tell you where the nearest showing is: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/they-shall-not-grow-old Looks really good!

Thanks guys! Lol, true! I’ve got a ton of old footage since about 2015 just sitting on a storage drive, so yeah, expect more videos in the future!

Ah, the Rise of Flight Nieuport 28. So quaint, so outperformed by other aircraft. When we see her online, we treat her like the old granny of the flight sim birds...something to be unceremoniously rolled over by the bigger, meaner birds of prey out there. One might think this lowly little aircraft would be doomed to the role of bullet sponge forever (or until it gets a flight model tuneup)! But this bird has a secret side to her that few know about...she can be a killer! Under the right circumstances, she can even send the dreaded Fokker triplanes and D.VIIfs running home with their tails between their legs! This little firesnorter of an aircraft has certainly captured my heart, and I hope she will capture yours too. Vive le Nieuport 28!

Sweet! Have fun!

Yes, that is a Sharps rifle pictured. And yes, using the real deal was kinda out of our budget range lol. Actually, we found nonfiring replicas to use for about $150 apiece, which was MUCH cheaper than trying to acquire firing replicas. This actually worked out pretty well because the state park where we filmed has a rule against uncased firearms; however, the park management was cool with letting us use nonfiring replicas as long as we had people on set to clearly explain the situation to any hikers passing by.

Hi guys! With the film set to release next month, I thought it would be cool to post a bit about some of the film's historical backdrop each week leading up to the release. This week's topic? The Sharps m1859 rifle. In a day and age dominated by muzzle-loading rifled muskets, the Sharps rifle was a weapon ahead of its time. Where the standard Enfield and Springfield muskets used minié balls and black powder poured down the barrel, the Sharps rifle used cloth cartridges that were loaded from the breach. This revolutionary new development allowed soldiers to reload while prone or behind cover. It also increased the firing rate of a soldier dramatically. Well-trained soldiers with standard muskets could fire about 3 shots per minute. In contrast, according to one source, soldiers with the Sharps rifle could fire a withering 8-10 shots per minute. Of course, a weapon this good had to have its downsides. For the Sharps rifle, it was the cost. Much more expensive than the standard musket, the Sharps rifle would not see action with the general infantry. Instead, it would be given to an elite force on the battlefield: the 1st and 2nd United States Sharpshooters. This weapon was ideally suited for the sharpshooters. Somewhat experimental in nature, the 1st and 2nd US Sharpshooters did not adhere to the traditional rank-and-file tactics as closely as their infantry brethren. Often, instead of taking part in line-firing, sharpshooters could be found in concealment taking out high priority targets from a distance. These high priority targets included officers, artillery battery members, and (of course) Confederate sharpshooters. (Credit for the tin-type effect on the film screenshot goes to LIBERATOR on the ROF forums)