In each of our lives there are events that take place that we believe will be fun for those attending, but do not trust that it will be fun enough to warrant ourselves taking part. For the Warbirds' faithful, there is one event each year that they mark on their calendars and await with great anticipation. I didn't give it much thought beforehand, but the show was not just fun, it is an absolute MUST for all aviation fans.

This was a big show for Interactive Magic, not only was it their third convention, but it was the introduction of the newest member of the iMagic online family. Dawn of Aces (DOA) was truly born at Warbirds Con 98. All the players had brought their own computers and there were several competitions among the different squadrons and among individuals. Those that wanted to leave some items at home (like monitors) rented them in town. Interactive Magic arranged a discounted fee for hotel rooms and provided all the beer and snacks players could "down".

Having not played Warbirds in a while I was excited about taking it for a spin against the best of the online players. Those who know me realize I am pretty good at the stick with modern jets, but WWII is a different beast. WWII planes require a huge commitment to maintaining energy. They are not nearly as forgiving when pulling hard on the stick. My girlfriend giggled several times when I pulled too hard on the stick and snapped my wings, resulting in several uncontrollable spins to my death. I suddenly remembered how tough prop planes are to manage.

Dawn of Aces is seen by Interactive Magic as a way to introduce new players to online play. They feel that many new players who wander into the Warbirds arena get pounced by veteran Warbirds players, get quickly frustrated, angry, and before they even have a chance to get comfortable, leave the game arena and never return. This is a very valid point as Wild Bill encouraged those players attending the conference at dinner Saturday night, to be patient with some new players, give them a chance to look around, "…and then kill them." This of course, brought huge bellows from the veteran crowd.

Sopwith Camel. Click for 800x600

Dawn of Aces allows all players to start on a level playing field (sort of). Obviously, players who play Warbirds often or fly flight sims frequently and understand Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM), still have a tremendous advantage. However, the slower speeds don't allow for more advanced ACM and thus allow newer players more opportunities to get acquainted with dogfighting before getting stomped. In addition, a couple of DOA planes allow for a backseater to manage the machinegun for the pilot.

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This is perhaps the most popular part of DOA. Players fought over the precious gun positions, begging for anyone to pilot a plane so they could play the role of backseat gunner. Often times their pleading was met with satisfaction. Players switched between Warbirds and DOA very often.

A possible downside for newcomers is the lack of power in the planes. WWI planes have less horsepower than any car on the road and even less than some lawnmowers you can buy. This can result in some quick, painful, and at times (I can attest) embarrassing loss of control due to realism. These planes are not made for the dramatic dogfighting associated with today's jets and WWII's premier dogfighters.

Patience, practice and visualization are a much greater part of DOA than most other flight sims. Seeing the dogfight and anticipating your opponent's actions are even more paramount. Mistakes are both easier to recover from and more dangerous to make (too often). Once you opponent gets on your rear, getting him off is near impossible, short of stalling the plane.

Having not seen DOA for a few months since my last update, I was pleased to see how good it looked. Clearly the game has benefited greatly from the continuous tweaking Warbirds has received over the years. I was extremely impressed with the visuals. When the plane took hits from other planes, several possible consequences can result. Total loss of control, loss of one or both wings, death of your backseater or pilot while your plane is still in flight, or perhaps just maneuvering too much and either hitting the ground or snapping off the precious, flimsy, wood/cloth wings.

Spad. Click for 800x600

As some planes got hit, white smoke would stream form the engine. This made for some great visuals, especially when your opponent would fly through it and become temporarily blinded. Another great visual feature was seeing the smoke whip past your pilots' face after you fired your machine guns. It was hard to see at first but then again so were the empty shell casings that were flying past as bullets were spent. I thought both of these visual effects were a real bonus.

Go to Part II