GameStorm Online Chat Record

  mage : can you be disciplined for not following the mission perameters for an assigned mission? For example, if you bomb Hanoi instead of your assigned target?

arnold.hendrick : In the solo version, which has AIs for everything but you, but otherwise looks a lot like the online.. ...you can get a Courts Martial and lose the game immediately. In the online version, the penalty is that you don't accomplish the mission, which makes everyone rather pissed at you. Since advancement is based on mission success. :)

dead_man_flying : What sort of complexity can we expect? Will it be more system management than seat of pants flying?

arnold.hendrick : There will be a selectable level of realism and complexity in the game...the simple version really simplifies a lot of stuff, much simpler than hard-core jet sims you see today....the realistic version includes all the key fighting stuff, but doesn't insist that you learn to use every dial and gauge...we want to concentrate on combat flying, not instrument flying....besides, the planes of that era were definitely user unfriendly... very hard to learn compared to modern planes.

bratdeux : How are you going to represent the USMC in a flight sim?

arnold.hendrick : The USMC is part of the USN, but operates from Da Nang area bases, rather than aircraft carriers...at least, the historical squadrons, with a couple exceptions... ...in the game, USMC pilots get the right ranks and all, but can fly either USN or USMC missions...and USN pilots who get tired of carrier ops can fly USMC missions... we want to be flexible there. Playability over realism in this case.

Grizzly : Any idea when the new BigPac will be released?

blue_baron : No firm date, Grizz - mostly because we have to go easy on the pace of change in an existing product like AWIII. All I can say is that Mage did a splendid job with it .

foos : why would AWIII not continue in it's own right - or at least a unique arena?

blue_baron : Nobody, but nobody said that AWIII would die. However, folks will want updates to AW in the prop era.

arnold.hendrick : Absolutely. AW:Vietnam is a new and separate product. I expect AW3 will continue alongside it.

blue_baron : we can't go on forever with what we now call AWIII, but we can continue the game AWIII carries on. arnold.hendrick : I expect that we'll have an open beta period before full launch. The need for a disc could complicate it somewhat, though. We haven't worked out all the logistics of the testing program just yet. (grins)

honkwomp : What you are saying then is that, players will not be able to choose their mission in AW:V, that what an where the pilot flies is determined by someone in the game?

arnold.hendrick : In the historical campaign arenas, that's true - you're given a mission, which either you or somebody else planned earlier...however...Some American missions were combat recon, a fancy name for giving guys an area and saying they could attack whatever looked like a good target in that area... these were often flown nearly ad hoc. Furthermore, VPAF missions are almost always quite simple: take off, go here, cause Yankee Aggressors are there, and shot em down.

Click to continue

arnold.hendrick: Finally...we will have traditional 'melee' arenas in the AW3 mold, with three hypothetical nations...and all planes available to each of the nations... so you can do all the unplanned flying and fighting you want. After all, not everyone enjoys taking orders!

dose : How do either of the speakers feel about the differences between jet and prop combat? Never the twain shall meet?

blue_baron : Hahahahaha!

arnold.hendrick : I'll let Jonathan handle that first. :)

blue_baron : okay then! Let me just say that I thought aviation took an ill fated turn when they stuck nose wheels on airplanes.

Seriously, WWII (and WWI) is more about aircraft Management. Jet era is more about aircraft systems Management. Both have much to recommend them, but each appeals to a different sort of sim lover...each presents a different challenge. And now I'll turn it over to Arnold ;)

arnold.hendrick : Jonathan and I love to debate this. I regard jets, especially of this era...as bigger and faster prop planes with longer ranged bullets (missiles) that you can try to dodge cause they're so slow.

You won't believe how primitive the systems were of those 60s era planes. At least by modern standards. F-105 drivers, who scored a good number of MiG kills.. barely had a gunsight at all... most had to use their ol' mark one eyeball...only way they did it was 'cause thatM61 20mm Vulcan cannon was such a fine weapon.

This is the war that inspired the USN to create 'top gun' because they discovered the art of dogfighting and the gun kill was hardly dead. Personally, I'm a great fan of WWI, by the way.

blue_baron : True - if you have to go jet, Vietnam has the best mix of old and new fashioned fighting...with lots of the old ;)

arnold.hendrick : But every era has its flying challenges, and Vietnam seems a lot closer to WWI and WWII than it does to Desert Storm or Kosovo.

wingnuts : Will it be two sided, unlike the 3 sides in AW3?

arnold.hendrick : The game will be three sided, actually... USN, USAF, and VPAF. The USN and USAF can't shoot at each other. (grins) Otherwise, they compete. Just like the real world.At least, back then. In the melee arenas, there will be A, B and C land, three equal sides, as in AW3. As for a place for you, send me an email: [email protected].

bill : will there be any ground to air missiles

arnold.hendrick : Yes... as I mentioned earlier... ...the Russian-made SA-2 Guideline (S-75 Dvina) was heavily used by the North Vietnamese in this period, mainly around the urban centers in the Red River Valley.

Go to Page Four