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The Best Combat Flight Sims of 2000
by Len "Viking1" Hjalmarson
Version: UK Release
Category: Air Combat Simulation (WWII)
Developer: Rowan Software
Publisher: Empire Interactive
Release Date: North America - January 2001, UK - Released
Links: | Playable Demo | First Look | Preview 1 | Tracking a Pilot Career | Message Forum |
The European Air War (EAW) community eagerly awaited two releases in 2000, but only one of them arrived. IL-2 was delayed to the first quarter of 2001, and Battle of Britain (BoB) was released only in the UK. The North American release will occur in late January.
Battle of Britain bears comparison to European Air War, but moves far beyond the earlier title. The dynamic campaign is far deeper, and BoB allows detailed interaction with the campaign, even to running the war from either side. Graphics are beyond EAW, yet there is a similarity in feel. Clouds are not mere layers, however, but are tactically significant. While beyond EAW, graphics are nowhere near what is seen in B17 II.
The dogfighting AI is far beyond EAW and at least on par with MiG Alley, the greatest PC dogfighting sim ever. In BoB, however, we have literally hundreds of aircraft in the air in a relatively small area. That spells IMMERSION, and it also spells CHALLENGE. Just when you think you have your man, someone else is on YOUR tail.
BoB also lets us man gun positions in the bombers, including the Ju-88, Do-17 and He-111. This is almost a game in itself, since there are THREE gun positions in the Ju-88 alone. Flying the Stuka is another experience.
He -111
I confess that I never had this much fun in EAW, though it came close at times.
In reality, BoB is two games in one. One can play the strategic side and never actually fly. The campaign system is hugely flexible, with the ability to automate various tasks or interfere as much as you like.
The Operations Room
Directives Dialogue for the Luftwaffe
The player can set up the type of attacks or patrols he prefers, and even automate the scramble process. Or, interfere and micro-manage as you choose, even changing the response size in a given situation. Detailed Intel reports come to you via dialogue as well as voice, just as in the real operations room during the battle.
While the game doesn’t model a single career track, it is possible to follow a single career by setting up the Control options.
The flight models are solid and differ according to aircraft type. The Spit is an excellent angles fighter, though perhaps too similar to the Hurricane (except for top speed). The AI is excellent; pilots are unpredictable and varied in skill level, and I’ve never had such a challenge getting a kill! Even flak and barrage balloons are modeled.
The damage model is as good as the flight model. Damage resolution seems improved over MiG Alley, and damage graphics are also more varied. In a recent mission my engine was gradually losing power, then began smoking and finally froze. On bailing I saw my man pull the cord before the chute opened.
While graphics are beyond EAW, and the terrain is far beyond MiG Alley, it has been disappointing to some. No matter, it turns out that Rowan’s graphics utility allows the conversion of the old CFS terrain, the same as later seen in EAW. Jay released an early conversion and I continued his work. These next two images are the modified version, and you can download the converted CFS terrain HERE. Click HERE for Jay's terrain page.
Cockpits are now fully interactive using the mouse. Engine management is now complete, and you can play with full realism including prop pitch settings. If you prefer to let the game automate these tasks, you can set it up accordingly.
BoB has the best force feedback implementation since Fighter Duel. You can adjust four individual parameters including Gunfire, Buffet, Aerodynamic and Airframe.
Rowan has developed an excellent view and padlock system, and MiG Alley pilots will find it all familiar. With BoB, however, there is a view that is NEW to PC simulations. BoB allows you to open the canopy and lean out the side, handy when landing a ship like the 109.
While BoB needs a little more time to learn or to program to your sticks than a few cardinal views, it pays dividends in gameplay. For example, you can use F5 to padlock the source of the last message, useful when the flight LEAD is wondering where you have wandered off to! You can also set an auto-switching padlock that will take you to an external player-target view when the target moves beyond your peripheral vision.
Other unique Rowan options include the Gun Camera and Auto Vectoring. Set the Gun camera to “trigger” to have the game record footage whenever you pull the trigger. The camera will stop ten seconds after you release the trigger. Turn Auto Vectoring ON if you want your alter ego to direct your wingmen when targets appear. If you prefer to take control, the command structure is similar to MiG Alley.
Multiplayer support includes death match (head to head), team play (co-op) and quick missions. The Quick Mission option is especially attractive, since the missions include some huge furballs like the first day of Adlertag (Eagle Day, the Luftwaffe prelude to invasion).
Battle of Britain is poised to be an instant classic. Unlike the previous title from Rowan, however, this one is set to capture the hearts of the hordes of European Air War fans. New paint schemes are already appearing. It won’t be long until you too are flying in the Battle of Britain with your personal aircraft markings!
RECOMMENDED SYSTEM: WIN 95/8/ME, Pentium II 400MHz, DirectX 7 compatible 3D graphics card with 16Mb RAM or greater, 64Mb free system RAM, 550 Mb hard disk, DirectX 7a
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