The missions are progressively more difficult as you move down the column, until you get to the final mission, which is always living Hell! At first as I repeated one of the later missions I thought, "Ho-hum, no randomness!" Although this is true, you will often encounter something that SEEMS like random action because of timing or because of your wingmans interaction and success or lack thereof. In other words, if you refly the mission and your wingman survives longer or bites it sooner, or if you fly faster than your support team, you will find the mission can be very different.

Each mission begins in the same way, with a briefing screen of a page or so, and then a map where you can click to move from waypoint to waypoint and get a look at the terrain you will be flying through. You can't adjust or add or delete waypoints, but the briefing is adequate.

Gameplay: The Forest and the Trees

One quickly learns to make good use of the MFD map. You have a lot of choices here, including the ability to go full screen with your MFD. (Good idea to use HOVERHOLD while doing this!). Whether full screen or cockpit view, you can toggle map modes for detail and also zoom in and out. Standard view is quite large scale and you will overfly your map view in seconds at 80K, so normally you will zoom out a couple clicks.

In any case, the map is VERY useful, especially with your data link. You can see enemy forces long before they see you, and you can use the terrain data to your tactical advantage, staying low and using masking to conceal your approach. You will also use the map as part of your pop-up attack technique with TM (Targeting Mode) in HOLD. This way you can scan targets, duck behind cover, delete unwanted targets, then pop up and ripple fire your Hellfires, limiting your exposure to enemy fire.

One feature that this chopper has that would be nice to have in Longbow is the use of a vertical stabilizer. Each mission comes with a pre-set height considered strategically necessary, and your stab will keep you at this height when engaged ("K" key). You will want to limit your speed below 60K when using this in rough terrain. You can also input your current height for the V Stab feature whenever you like by using the "L" key. Or you may input a specific value by using ALT K.

What about the overall FEEL? Well, in initial campaign missions I felt a bit lonely. The increase in command options and in radio chatter helps. But the limitations of a scripted environment also contribute to this feeling. And in Comanche I am never more than thirty seconds from the action. (This is one of the FEW drawbacks from the voxel space engine: terrain simply takes up a TON of space). In Janes Longbow one sometimes flies 20K just to get to the target. This kind of interaction with the environment helps me believe I am in a real war.

What does help is that you are often accompanied on the difficult missions by an Apache team, and you will encounter plenty of ground fire along the way, even from small arms in some areas. You might be tempted to ignore this, but I've had my fantail knocked out more than once this way! When you lose your wingman, you will hear yourself call for backup. This adds to the sense of being there, increases the tension as you wait (not long enough) for them to arrive, and see them engage and mop up the opposition.

But the best way to shake the lonelies is to get online, and this is where Comanche GOLD will shine. More below... =)

Did you know that the Comanche has 1/600 the radar signature of the Apache? Its many angles are radar deflecting. Engines hide behind V shaped inlets. It also has only 1/5 the IR signature. To suppress hots spots, it has a complex exhaust system built into its tail boom. Comanche uses the latest in Stealth technology, from weapons pods that hide away (like the F22, sound familiar?) to retractable gear and machine gun. Its five blade rotor makes a "whir" rather than the "whop-whop" of a two or four blade rotor, and an advanced airfoil and a shroud that houses the fantail allow for a "sneak mode" and eliminates the noisy mixing of wakes from the main and tail rotors. This chopper is quiet: it can come twice as close to its target before anyone is aware of its approach. Its also fast: try 200 mph top speed! Like the Apache, unmasking to scan the battlefield and memorize target positions and then remasking prior to weapon launch limit vulnerability. But unlike the Apache, IR sensors will be 40% more powerful. And the entire unmask and remask function are built into a sophisticated Autopilot, returning the Comanche to its original position despite winds or turbulence.

Click to continue . . .

As for views, you will find a nice variety. Its a blast to watch the replay from the external chase view 3/4 back, and you can switch around during the replay to view current target, target to your chopper, wingman internal/external ad infinitum. Novalogic even left the HUD on screen in the external chase views so that you can fly from this view if you like. Believe it or not, with the V Stab feature this can be easily done. In the replay, you will see the target box on your lower left screen also. Nice!

Sound

As in F22, C3 makes use of 16 bit dolby stereo surround sound. Voices and sounds are impressive throughout, but significantly, they don't only sound cool, they add to your overall SA. Yes, Virginia, when that tank explodes underneath you, the sound is centred. If your wingman takes a hit to your left, you hear the explosion on the left channel. If something explodes behind you, and if you have rear channel speakers, you'll hear the explosion behind you. Nicely done!

Missile launch sounds and gun sounds are also nicely modelled. Explosions are relatively loud or quiet depending on distance. There is nothing to complain about with regard to sound except possibly lack of wind noise. I know that this chopper is slippery, but I would expect at 150 K to hear some whistling from the wind.

Novaworld, Modem and Net Play

I am still waiting to try a connection, but I would guess that this is where this sim is going to shine. With wingman AI always limited, you need a good human pilot at your side. When you call your buddy to engage, you know he is not going to be shooting his cannon at terra firma, or wasting Hellfires on non threatening targets.

Novalogic made an EXCELLENT choice to support two player mode from the same CD. Thats right! You can loan your buddy the CD to install for MP use, and then host the game from your CD while dialing up your bud for some serious fun. I'm glad to see this option included. Of course, if you want to REALLY get happening, you can network up to ten players from multiple CDs.

As for comms when connected, Novalogic has supplied ten chat macros that you can send just by pressing the "R" key. This is meant to save typing time, and you can also substitute your own macros by choosing the Define Chat Macros on the Connection Selection menu. Great idea!

But now comes the biggest news, the ability to fly online with and against other players. The initial limitations will be eight players who can form teams or play a King of the Skies scenario. Of course the Raptor world is quite different, allowing over one hundred and twenty players in the same world online.

Now obviously this is nuts for team play. What you want is maybe ten players per side maximum. This is fun enough in itself, but my conversation with Lee Milligan indicates that this is only the tip of the iceberg! Go to Novaworld For the Novaworld briefing .

Current Comanche 3 owners will have the opportunity to upgrade to Comanche Gold with a special $15 rebate from NovaLogic.

Need a better TM Configuration File for your F22 or FLCS? Go to

TM Config

Go to Novalogic