Fighter Squadron: Screamin Demons Over Europe is one of the most awaited simulations of 1998, and for good reason! The pedigree of this WWII sim is impeccable, growing out of earlier efforts with the likes of Eric "Hellcats" Parker behind them. If you have played Activisions' A10 Cuba, you have to know we are in for a treat!

Recently we fielded an interview to some of the principles behind FS:SDOE, and we received these responses from Trevor Snowden: Producer for Activision, Eric "Hellcats" Parker of Parsoft Interactive, and John Lemberger: Project manager for FS:SDOE. Not only is the interview exclusive, but some of these screen shots have not appeared elsewhere in any media. Enjoy!

Csim: Thanks for your time, men! As you know, interest in Fighter Squadron Screamin Demons is intense. Can you tell us a bit about your history and how you came to be involved in this project?

Trev: I've always had an enormous interest in simulations, ever since my early gaming days. I've played just about every flight sim over the past 10 years, and have formed a sort of addiction to the modern and WWII flight sims. Activision recognized my experience and heavy interest in flight simulations, and hired me from Interplay, where I had worked on Starfleet Academy and Descent.

Csim: Another history question: tell us about Parsoft Interactive. Was Parsoft involved with Hellcats Over the Pacific? What prompted that direction?

Eric: Flight simulators had always fascinated me, but the reason I started writing one was I had one of those rare Ah-Ha! experiences. The company I had been contracting for received a shipment of Sun SparcStations (this was back when they first came out). I was playing with one one night, and started decrying the low performance of its bus. The CPU was capable of 12 million instructions per second, and the screen displayed 256 colors at 1152x900 resolution, but the bus could only transfer 5 Megabytes per second. That worked out to about five frames per second - even if you were just clearing the screen to a constant color. How stupid, I thought; the CPU is just sitting idle 90% of the time.

Then it hit me - instead of using simple brute force to render the graphics, I could use that idle time to run a compression algorithm that would minimize the amount of data transferred over the bus. It would take more work by the CPU, but throughput should be better.

Boy was it better! Eight hours later I had a cube spinning at over 150 frames per second - at full resolution. The algorithm was linear with screen size. I knew no one else had this capability, so I made plans to produce a product with it. Since the SparcStation was a tiny market, I had to choose between the PC and the Macintosh. I chose the Mac because at the time, it ran at 640x480 while the PC only ran at 320x240, and my algorithm was much better at higher resolutions. 2 years later, Hellcats was released.

Csim: Parsoft has also been involved in Mac games. What are the key differences between these platforms for modern sim developers?

Eric: The differences are really unimportant. I write only a tiny amount of assembly language code anymore because today's CPUs are so fast. Most of my C++ code compiles without changes on both platforms. The advantages that the Mac had years ago have mostly disappeared since DirectX hit the PC market. Today both platforms are excellent game hosts.

Click for 512x384

Click for 800x600 victory salute...

Csim: A10 Cuba was ground breaking in its simulating real-world physics, both in flight models and even in such esoteria as landing-gear and belly landing physics. How will this experience be reflected and surpassed in Fighter Squadron?

Trev: FS:SDOE will have a much more extensive flight physics model than A-10 Cuba. This time around, we have focused on all aspects of the aircraft. Wings bend and break, gears bend and snap off, tires come off and roll away, propellers curl back and break off, etc. There are so many factors involved, such as whether you land on grass or pavement, or which side of the aircraft is taking most of the stress and whether it's going to break away or not. And this is only what can happen if you hit the ground! There are just as many factors acting upon the plane in the air as well.

Csim: In a recent interview with the developers of Fighter Duel 2.0 I was pleased to find that ballistics modeling is another growth area for prop sims. Is this also the case with Fighter Squadron?

Eric: I don't really understand what the term ballistics modeling means. If it means doing dynamics, then I've been doing it for years. FSSD will be no different, but now each component of a vehicle will compute its own forces, so you'll see wings flexing (and sometimes shearing off), propellers twisting to maintain the RPM setting, the nose pitching down due to flaps deployment, excess drag due to combat damage etc.

Csim: When the first screen shots from FSSD were released last summer it was obvious that a new graphics engine had been done. I recall reading something about "rivets on the cockpit!" Tell us about this new G3 engine and the artwork we'll see.

Eric: G3 is my attempt to keep up with the fast moving 3D graphics environment on the PC. We can customize G3 to render with Direct3D, OpenGL, Glide, or anything else that comes down the pike. A new engine can be added to G3 in just a few days. Of course the quality of the art depends on the artists, and we have some of the best in the industry.

Csim: How main stream does Parsoft consider 3d hardware? Are you still concerned to make FSSD playble on non 3d accelerated systems?

Trev: We believe 3D cards are playing a very big roll in flight sims, and plan on taking as much advantage them as possible. But we are also working hard on the software version, since there is a significant percentage of users who don't use or have access to hardware acceleration.

Csim: What kind of frame rate can we expect on a P200MMX under 3dfx hardware Voodoo 1, and at what resolutions?

Trev: We are targeting 15-20fps (or higher) with full detail at 640x480 by the time of release.

The inside view of the B-17. Click for a larger image.

Csim: Tell us about other aspects of the graphical environment. Will we see fog patches, cloud layers, dynamic lighting?

JohnL: The most noticeable graphical improvement over previous Parsoft simulations is the fully textured environment in FS:SDOE. This combined with the outstanding smoke & fire effects make for truly stunning visuals. We do have plans to add cloud layers before ship, and we expect the clouds will be true three dimensional objects.

Csim: A-10 Cuba! and A10 Attack also had some truly impressive sound effects. The authentic sound of the high-bypass turbofans and the "ripping cloth" sound of the 30mm Gatling cannon stand out in particular. What are some of the highlights we can expect in the sound effects department for FS:SDOE? Will each aircraft type have its own engine sounds? Are different guns sampled uniquely?

Trev: We want everything to sound as real as the rest of the game feels, so we've built an extensive library of actual sound effects of the actual planes, guns, engines, stalls, explosions and tension/stress. And yes, different engines will sound different, as well as different guns.

To hear the sound of an FW 109 click FW 109

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Click for 800x600 CSIM: Csim: A-10 Cuba! was also impressive in representing aircraft damage. Can you give us some kind of feel for how damage effects and resolution will work in FS:SDOE?

Trev: The damage model is going to be one of the highlights in FS. Each aircraft will have an average of 24 break points. These are places on the aircraft that can bend or break. When a wing (or half of a wing) breaks off, it will actually become a separate object, with true physics, and tumble/flutter to the ground, damaging anything it hits on the way down. At that point, the airplane will be missing an aerodynamic portion of its frame, and will therefore react exactly the way that a one-winged plane would in real life. This goes for every piece of the plane that can break off (wings, props, gear, tails, etc).

Those Killer Fences....Click for 800x600

Planes will also take progressive damage from loss of oil, and your engine can also catch fire. For example, if your engine takes damage and catches on fire, the fire will start small, and if you don't do something to control the fire (such as dive or shut down the engine) then the fire will grow progressively larger. When you have a large steam of fire and smoke, the engine will eventually burn away from the aircraft. Similarly, fire will do progressive damage on ground objects (houses, barns, docks, etc.).-starting small, then growing, then catching nearby buildings on fire (depending upon which way the wind is blowing!)

Air will also effect damage to the aircraft. If you go into a steep dive, for instance, and try to pull too hard out of it, you may stress the wings so much that they will bend, become structurally unsound, or even break.

CSIM: We've heard that the selection of aircraft to fly in the game is atypical. What aircraft will we see and why were these particular craft chosen?

Trev: There will be ten aircraft in the game: a twin engine fighter, a single engine fighter, and a bomber from each of the three sides, Germany, England, and America. In addition, there is an extra British fighter. We selected what we thought would be the most diverse aircraft, since each one of these planes flies very differently. They were also some of the best planes of their time.

CSIM: One of the biggest gripes players had with A-10 Cuba! was the small number of missions and lack of expandability. How will Fighter Squadron address this issue?

Trev: There will be 30 missions that you can play from any of three sides, making a total of 90. We have also added a mission editor that allows you to adjust any value in any mission, or make your own from scratch. This gives FS unlimited playability.

CSIM: Tell us about the Open Plane Interface? What kinds of design control will the module allow?

Eric: OpenPlane (TM) is really just our database format, but documented. The unique thing about OpenPlane(TM) is that everything needed to describe the airplane is in the file. Most simulators hard-code much of the aircraft's behavior, but with OpenPlane (TM), nothing is hard-coded. I'm sure we'll be seeing all sorts of interesting aircraft once the format is publicly available.

CSIM: Can you tell us about the interface itself: what kind of programming knowledge will be needed to design aircraft? How much documentation will be supplied for novices?

Eric: Well, no programming is required, but the format is extremely detailed. Novices should steer clear. Perhaps some third party company will produce an editor for OpenPlane (TM) that will take much of the drudgework out of it.

CSIM: Last year we heard that the design module might be released PRIOR to the sim itself.. is this still likely?

Eric: No. We don't want to finally nail down the format until we're done putting everything we need into it.

CSIM: Will the player be able to add his own paint scheme or his own markings?

Eric: That concept is certainly feasible with OpenPlane', but we won't be providing the tools to make it happen.

CSIM: In 1997 mission builders became more advanced with features like those in Janes F15. Tell us more about the FSSD mission builder. What will be the main features? How much tactical control will be allowed? Will there be tasking?

Trev: You have full control of the sim with the mission editor. Our focus on the mission editor was to make it as easy to use as possible. We are using a very simple drag-and-drop, point-click interface that anyone can jump right into.

CSIM: Will we see any features in the mission builder that are unique?

Trev: It's ease of use!

CSIM: Will player generated missions be capable of being shared with other players?

Trev: Yes, and in addition, we are making it so that you can create a mission and play it with your friends and co-workers over a network.

CSIM: Gameplay in Fighter Squadron is squadron based. What does this mean and what will it look like in multiplayer mode?

Trev: In the game you start as a squadie, and when you earn enough points you progress to squad leader and control the whole squad. You can also jump inside any given plane in the squadron, at any time during a mission. In net play, you assume the role of a squad leader, as do the other players. This means you can choose to command a number of AI pilots (and yourself) against someone else over a network.

CSIM: One request I hear constantly is "I want to fly a WWII bomber!" Beats me why ;-D. Will FSSD allow players to fly a B17 or....? If so, how many positions can be player occupied?

Trev: Yes, you can fly a bomber! You can also control any station in the bomber you choose: pilot, bombardier, or any gunner position. When you switch between stations, the AI will take control of any station you're not occupying.

CSIM: I understand that the campaigns are not dynamic? If not, how are scenarios structured? What connects one to another? What will contribute to the immersion factor?

Trev: The missions are structured key missions of an all-out war. Your progress from one mission to another is dependent upon the success of the mission objective. If the mission objective is achieved, then the mission is considered a success, even if you don't make it home alive. (In real war, the mission objective is the grounds for success, not your life!) This is why you can jump from plane to plane (at a large cost to your score and credibility). But if you're a real ACE you won't need to do this.

CSIM: Computer controlled pilots have become very sophisticated this year, including becoming subject to g forces, losing sight, panic, morale, growth in ability etc. Can we expect this level of detail in FSSD?

Trev: Yes, we have implemented five values to the AI pilot: aggression, skill, morale, loyalty, and sanity.

• Skill - Ability of a successful attack/hit/dodge.
• Aggression - Likelihood of attacking
• Loyalty - Will your squadron mates stay in the fight as long as you do, or run home when it gets dirty.
• Morale - How likely are the pilots to stay in the fight after incurring some losses.
• Sanity - How likely is the pilot to take suicidal risks.

Click for 640x480 P38 cockpit.

CSIM: "Situational awareness" has become a very big issue in today's sims. Different companies are trying various ways to help players create a mental and visual picture of the vast sky battle on a small monitor. How will this be handled in FS:SDOE?

Trev: You don't have static front, side, back views that make you feel like you're in a box. Of course you can snap to any of these views if you choose by a quick head turn but what we are doing is placing someone in a 3d model at all times. You will have a full range of motion and several padlock views from which to choose. All the instruments and levers will be functional at all times. You will also be able to zoom in and out of the cockpit. You can zoom all the way out and see 170 degrees from the front of your plane, like ADF has done. Or you can smash your face up against the canopy/HUD, like USNF.

CSIM: The flight modeling in A10 Cuba! was state-of-the-art. Fighter Squadron has been advertised as featuring "a ground-breaking simulator engine based on the most accurate inertia, gravity and force calculations to date." How many factors figure in the flight model?

Eric: Tough question. As mentioned earlier, aircraft are now constructed from multiple independent components, each of which does its own calculations. So to answer the question, the number of factors that affect the flight model depends on how the plane was put together. As an example, in the P38 that comes with FS:SDOE, each wing is partitioned into three airfoil objects. Tables of lift, drag and moment (with optional modifiers for leading and trailing edge devices) are used to parameterize each airfoil.

The propellers are partitioned into 8 segments, with twist angle, chord length and airfoil section specified for each. Additional parameters specify min. and max. pitch angle (because the P38 uses constant speed props). The fuselage and twin engine booms contain lifting bodies to account for airflow over their surfaces. Each landing gear is divided into 5 separate objects that interact through springs and dashpots. All the aforementioned objects have inertial properties as well.

CSIM: Last year Fighter Squadron was said to have three distinct play modes to allow easy entry for novices. Is this still the case and how is each level structured?

Johnl: Our goal is still to provide enjoyment to both the novice & expert. The flight models may be simplified for the novice, and damage thresholds may also be increased for the player's aircraft. The final structure of these modes will be based on play-testing results later this year.

CSIM: What is the current list of aircraft that we can fly?

Trev: American: P-38J, P-51D and B-17G
Germany: Ju-88A4, Fw109A and Me 262
English: Spitfire, Lancaster Mk I, Mosquito FB VI and Hawker Typhoon Mk I

CSIM: Will we see wind and weather modeling in Fighter Squadron?

Trev: Yes.

CSIM: Will we be using radio to communicate with base and other pilots? Will early radar be modelled?

JohnL: FS will be a close-in dogfighting simulation. We don't expect the player to waste a lot of time traveling to targets, or finding & getting to the fight. The mission parameters should provide the information necessary to engage targets.

CSIM: What forms of multiplayer support will be provided and what kinds of multiplayer gameplay will be included?

JohnL: There really shouldn't be much difference between the single & multi-player modes. Missions can be selected for either single or multi-player games, and the game player may control any plane in his or her squadron. Multiple players may work together cooperatively within or among squadrons.

CSIM: What kind of future expansions are likely to appear for the game?

JohnL: We have very capable physics & graphics engines which open up a lot of possibilities for expansion. Additional aircraft are the most obvious expansion option to the first product release.

CSIM: What is the minimum spec machine and the recommended system?

Minimum:

• Intel Pentium 166MHz
• 32 megabytes of RAM
• 256 Kb of Level 2 Cache
• 2 megabytes of Primary Video RAM
• Screen Resolution of 640x480x16 bit color

Recommended:

• Intel Pentium 266Mhz processor
• System RAM: 64 megabytes
• 256Kb of Level 2 Cache
• 2 megabytes of Primary Video RAM
• 3D accelerated video card with a minimum of 4 megabytes of VRAM

CSIM: Will force-feedback controls be supported and, if so, how will they be put to use?

Johnl: We hope to use force feedback to model realistic control forces. Aircraft generally provide the pilot with a great deal of information via the control stick or column. We would like to effectively use this communications medium to describe the forces acting upon the aircraft. The pilot should be able to feel the aircraft's energy state through the controls.

CSIM: Will there be a MacOS version of FS:SDOE?

Eric: We are not actively working on the Mac version at this time, but we do plan to release a version for the Mac some time soon after the PC release.

CSIM: If you could ask yourself and answer any one question in regards to Fighter Squadron: Screaming Demons Over Europe, what would it be and how would you answer it?

Trev: "Hey Trev? How dose the flight model feel?"

Well ..REAL!!! The feel of the sim is incredible-I've never flown anything even close. Even if you are a novice simer, and you can't quite explain it, you'll feel it. It just feels right! The flight and damage models have forever made my standards in sims sky rocket. Once you get a chance to play, you'll see.

CSIM: With 32 meg of Ram selling for about $50 and 3d hardware power increasing dramatically, it must be dream time for sim designers! If FSSD represents the cutting edge in 1998, where would it go in 1999?

Eric: There is still tremendous opportunity for improvement, but I want to leave some surprises for later!

CSIM: Thanks, and best of luck with a very promising sim!

Click HERE for a nearby explosion from FS:SDOE.