Comparison of Recent Releases:

About eight weeks ago Tom Basham and I began working on a prop sim comparison chart. While we didn't agree on every item, it was amazing how similar our perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the first crop of the new WW2 sims turned out to be.

With the release of the v.1.1 patch for EAW I am ready to make a comparison to Microsoft CFS and Janes WW2 Fighters. This brief article will compare these sims along the categories you see listed above. (For a review of EAW see Review).

Test System

• PII 300
• STB V4400 TNT
• Microsoft SS80
• TM HOTAS, CH Pedals
• Logitech Wingman Force
• 6.4 Quantum UDMA
• Viewsonic PS790 19"

Graphics

WW2 Fighters is a graphical feast. Prior to the patch, EAW was very good, but really couldn't compare to WW2 Fighters. With its incredible clouds, excellent graphical damage modeling, and highly detailed aircraft, all this running at 1024x768, WW2 Fighters has redefined the state of the art.

Nevertheless, EAW was still a good looking simulation. Cloud layers were quite nice, effects were well done and the terrain is actually superior to that in Janes WW2 Fighters. Aircraft themselves look good, although not quite as good as in Janes simulation.

Microsoft CFS, on the other hand, has quite beautiful terrain and some good effects, but the clouds are dismal, and aircraft aren't very impressive. However, the cockpits are the best out there, even better than WW2 Fighters.

Now take EAW post patch at 1024x768, and its almost as good as WW2 Fighters. Ability to ID aircraft at long range is greatly improved, especially on a 19" monitor. I give both Janes and MPS top points for graphics, and feel generous allowing CFS 2.5 points, mostly for excellent cockpits and great terrain graphics.

Realism

Realism covers a lot of ground, including voice chatter, damage and physics modeling, and avionics and flight dynamics. If you drop your flaps at 250 knots (CFS) and take off without noticeable torque (WW2 Fighters) then you lose points here.

EAW post patch is easily the most realistic simulation here, and would still have won this contest pre-patch. CFS neglects some features, like the ability to select how many of your guns fire in a burst, but overall does a good job in the realism arena. I was greatly tempted to take points off for not allowing control of wingmen, but in the end I decided not to penalize Microsoft for this one. WW2 Fighters is pretty solid overall.

Pre patch EAW allowed bail out at any speed and altitude pre-patch and it was almost impossible to land on the ground, but this has been corrected. Damage modeling is very good in all these sims.

Flight

Flight modeling in both CFS and EAW is excellent. EAW exceeds CFS realism only in the modeling of departure characteristics. Mistreating your joystick in EAW will get you killed more quickly than any other prop sim on the PC. Takeoffs in CFS are nerve rattling.

WW2 Fighters has a good flight model when the options are set high, but isn't quite up to par with either CFS or EAW, being aimed at the more casual fliers.

AI

CFS has some very sophisticated pilot AI. However, it really doesn't seem to work right some of the time, and even on high skill levels enemy pilots make moves that are not appropriate to their aircraft. For example, a Focke-Wulfe will get into a turning fight with a Spitfire!

EAW was slightly better than this pre-patch, and lacked only in the aggressiveness of enemy pilots. However, post patch and on high levels of challenge, it is much improved. Getting on a bandits six is no longer a guaranteed kill, and entering a multiple aircraft furball has become VERY dangerous! Moreover, enemy aircraft manage energy much better than before.

WW2 Fighters has some excellent AI as well, but the flaws are glaring ones. The best known one relates to a bug that causes friendly aircraft to collide like confined cattle when attempting to land. Furthermore, there seems to be no way to control your wingman, whose zeal leads him to get in the way when you are attempting to make a kill. Finally, get on the tail of a large aircraft and they will amaze you with their agility!

Campaign

This is no contest at all. EAW has a fully dynamic campaign that is executed well. There is room for improvement, but neither CFS nor WW2 Fighters have much of a campaign.

On the other hand, the mission builder in WW2 Fighters is a good one, and CFS with its open architecture allows great flexibility in this area, including importing aircraft and scenery and modifying aircraft characteristics.

Cockpit/Padlock Views

All these simulations do a good job with padlock and views, but WW2 Fighters is the most flexible of the bunch. True, CFS has an excellent padlock system, but the virtual cockpit itself is downright ugly. Both CFS and WW2 Fighters allow you to pull up additional display windows.

Sound

In order to test this area properly one needs a good sound system. The Microsoft Sound System 80 has a great subwoofer and reproduces highs with excellent clarity as well.

With 16 bit sound in EAW and high quality selected in WW2 Fighters, both these simulations will give you that "I'm really there!" feeling. I especially love the sound of feathering the engines in the P38 Lightning in WW2 Fighters..

But getting in among the bombers in EAW is impressive also. And the thunder of my Spit when the turbo kicks in... awesome! CFS has good quality sound, but somehow it doesn't quite seem up to par with these other two.

In the voice arena, German language chatter can be had in either CFS or EAW now. Voice is well done in all these sims, though perhaps not quite as good in WW2 Fighters.

Force Feedback

This is an odd one. EAW is excellent, and would only be better if they allowed the same tweaking of the parameters that Fighter Duel engineered in their updated release two years back.

CFS, on the other hand, in spite of being a Microsoft product, seems to have coded force feedback as an afterthought. It's there and it works, but it doesn't have the fineness of tuning and isn't in place for as many parameters. Janes seems to have run out of time for the WW2 Fighters release and it lacks force feedback completely (we might yet see this in a patch).

Expandability

Before much longer we will see a Pacific Theatre add on for WW2 Fighters, much to the delight of the PAW crowd! There is no definite word on an add on for EAW, although it seems likely.

Multiplayer

EAW allows coop play in single missions. The feeling is very dynamic, but still not what it would have been in full campaign mode.

However, WW2 Fighters integrates a mission builder that allows pilots to set up any scenario they like, including actual historical engagements, and then share the scenario with friends for head to head or coop play. Very cool.

CFS lags badly in this area, with only an aerial deathmatch arena. Yes, you can connect head to head in dogfight mode, which can also be a lot of fun, but for most of us, it quickly lacks a sense of involvement.

Totals

If you've been keeping score, EAW easily ranks at the top of the heap, with WW2 Fighers a close second, followed by CFS. I wish I could have included FSSD in this comparison, but even though it's in late beta, it simply isn't fair to include an unfinished product. Watch for more on FSSD soon!

Coming Prop Sims and Sim News

Last July we published a chart comparing coming WWII prop sims. Here is an updated attempt at a new chart, with the six coming titles listed by feature set. We have also included MiG Alley since this title includes prop driven aircraft.

Please note that these are pre-release simulations and features change in early stages of development. Some features may be added, others lost. It's impossible in a chart like this to cover every feature or even cover features that every developer would agree is important.

Note also that we have no news on Aces: X Fighters, although our last information was that the title was discontinued. The addition of Flight Combat by Looking-Glass Technologies is the most recent news we have in this area, and after a conversation with the Producer last week we're excited about this title. Look for a truly state of the art simulation that may turn out to be the Falcon 4.0 of WWII combat simulations.

Yes, we know you would like to know more about this coming sim, and so would we! We can tell you that you will be able to fly bombers, and we can also tell you that in addition to the standard aircraft expected in a simulation of this type, there will be some less commonly modeled aircraft.

Furthermore, the Producer is a history buff and dogfight lover. Constantine will ensure that flight modeling is bang on, and that even the Warbirds and Air Warrior crowd will be pleased with the game play. Mission design is also critical in his eyes, and we can expect a deep and immersive game.

Another interesting tidbit is that JANES Combat Simulations will publish this product. Since A10 is likely Andy Hollis' last simulation, with the reigns passing over to Paul Grace, does this mean that Looking Glass Studios has become the "hard-core" designer for the JANES label? I suspect that the answer is "yes."