Traditional Career Mode

[Adamfp3]

Are there plans to incorporate a traditional career mode similar to GB where we can join a squadron and rise through the ranks or has this been replaced by the Squadron Commander mode? (Are we stuck leading a squadron and always being flight lead?)

[LukeFF]

Possibly in the future.

[Koziolek]

13 hours ago, LukeFF said:

Possibly in the future.

Possibly? From your previous posts I thought it was granted and was just a question of time. 

I tried the Commander mode, it was quite  interesting but for a few hours only and I do not imagine it not being optional 

Like the OP I would like to be able to start as a begginer pilot

[wiscstar]

It's unrealistic and historically inaccurate to put a rookie in charge of a flight or squadron.  That's not how it worked in the real war and not how it should work here.  You start out flying wingman in a two-ship element.  Then, as you gain experience, you progress to element lead, then flight lead.  Judgment and experience don't come quickly.  Great Battles had it right.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

9 minutes ago, wiscstar said:

It's unrealistic and historically inaccurate to put a rookie in charge of a flight or squadron.  That's not how it worked in the real war and not how it should work here.  You start out flying wingman in a two-ship element.  Then, as you gain experience, you progress to element lead, then flight lead.  Judgment and experience don't come quickly.  Great Battles had it right.

The idea is that you're not a rookie. All of the backgrounds/biographies you can choose for your pilot, describe a highly skilled one that could certainly be a squadron leader. And let's face it, many of us virtual pilots have a lot more combat experience than most of the real-life pilots would have had. I would argue that it'd be even more unrealistic to have us start at the bottom as a rookie pilot.

That said, I'd love the ability to start somewhere in the middle. Not quite as squadron leader, not quite at the bottom. Perhaps a wing leader.

[YoYo]

On 8/19/2026 at 2:04 AM, LukeFF said:

Possibly in the future.

I didn't know about that. Great news, because I miss some of that too. It would have to be a slightly different mode, though, I think, where some kind of automation would initially handle management (AI, without the player's ability to intervene in orders, selecting wings for missions, deliveries, pilot promotions, etc.). So, at first, you'd just be a rookie. As you advance, reaching the commander role, management would be transferred to the player. That would make a lot of sense.

[wiscstar]

Yes, you'd have to revamp the backgrounds/biographies of the pilots, but that's how it was.  Both the Americans and the Communists had lots of young rookies just graduated from flight schools, and had to go through intro and indoctrination before they could go on their first combat mission.

[Captain_Trips]

+1

That is exactly what I was hoping for.

Dating myself now....
I yearn for the experience of the original Red Baron game.  The one that started me on combat flightsims.

That feeling of starting out as an FNG.  Working your way up. 
Those dopamine bumps when you got a medal or a promotion or was allowed a custom paint job.
The thrill of being invited to a prestige squadron or being personally challenged by a famous ace because you started making a name for yourself.

I know a lot of that didn't apply in this time period but that sense of growth and progression was satisfying.
It was centered on the players personal game-life and had a world-building story-telling feel.  And when your dude died, that was it.

In fairness, it feels like you can skip a lot of the management in the current career mode and just auto everything, but it feels abstract and about the organization and not the player's story.

But maybe the scripted campaigns will fill this role better.  I haven't tried it yet.

 

Edited August 29 by Captain_Trips

[AndreiTomescu]

15 minutes ago, Captain_Trips said:

maybe the scripted campaigns will fill this role better.  I haven't tried it yet

the scripted campaignS is only one, but it's very, very good. @Jaegermeister was at its best. ALMOST as good as Greek Fire, but with all the new features of the new game.....

[Captain_Trips]

5 hours ago, AndreiTomescu said:

the scripted campaignS is only one, but it's very, very good. @Jaegermeister was at its best. ALMOST as good as Greek Fire, but with all the new features of the new game.....

I played a few missions on that and I think it's going to be excellent.

THAT is more of what I was wanting in Career Mode.  But with the dynamic nature instead of scripted.  Maybe Career Mode vs Command Mode.

I don't really want to play logistics officer, or HR director.
I don't want to lead or navigate.  I want to follow the other guys and be told what to do. 😁

I want to be a cog along for the ride. 😉  

But I want it dynamic and not have to wait for people to handcraft scripted campaigns (but will enjoy them when they do.)

$0.02.