By: Len 'Viking1' Hjalmarson
Date: 1999-05-21
My last update on coming WWII Sims for 1999 was in early April. It's time for a fresh look!
With the recent release of Fighter Squadron by Activision, the combat prop fan now has a choice of the following sims:
- Microsoft CFS
- European Air War
- Fighter Squadron
- Flying Corps Gold
- Luftwaffe Commander
- Red Baron II
- WWII Fighters
and online:
That is quite a collection of talent! But believe it or not, there are NINE more prop sims in development including two Vietnam era sims which also allow flight with classic early jets. Below is a chart for a quick comparison of coming simulations.
Add three more to the list: B17 II, Fighter Ace II and a new sim from Rowan which we'll call Battle for Britain.
Nine Sims for 1999
Dynamix Desert Fighters
Doug Johnson, Designer of Desert Fighters, is a personal fan of Aces of the Pacific (AOTP), and estimates that he may have flown a thousand hours in that sim. While there was much he loved about AOTP, there were weak areas that stood out to him, such as the flight modeling.
Doug personally places fun before realism, yet his goals for the modeling in Desert Fighters will still place it beyond AOTP. "Fun" to Doug means such things as allowing users to paint their own aircraft, and a fully dynamic environment. It also means being able to impact the course of the war to the extent that a successful pilot can eventually rewrite history.
Dynamix Desert Fighters
The sim will depict the struggle for North Africa which took place between March 1941, and May, 1943, though the sim will stretch the end date of the campaign to December, 1943. The heart of the campaign is the "Battle of Supplies" that took place in North Africa at that time. The ground war is modeled in detail, especially as it relates to supply convoys and ground support in the strategic environment of the North African desert.
Desert Fighters will feature 30 aircraft, with approximately 18 flyable models. Included in the simulation are some unusual aircraft, such as the Ju-87 Stuka, the Italian Macchi MC 202 and the French Dewoitine D 520, along with the Spitfire and the P-51 Mustang. Players will even be able to take the tail-gunner position in the Stuka. Yes, you will be able to paint your own aircraft and add your own squadron IDs.
Damage modeling will be at the level of Red Baron 3d but improved. Multiplayer support will be virtually identical to that of Red Baron 3d, Doug expects up to sixty virtual pilots in the air in a single online game. Desert Fighters is being produced by Mike Jones, look for it in October '99.
Flight Combat
Here is an update from the Producer of Flight Combat with regard to flying bombers in that simulation:
All stations are accessible and we are doing TRUE co-op (that is, you and all your buddies can be on one bomber, each manning a different position) as well as regular adversarial multiplay. Some of the bombers featured are the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, He-111, Ju-87 Stuka and Ju-88 and a few others that I can't comment on yet.
Ju87 from Flight Combat.
At E3 we watched a B24 Liberator coming in over a German city. The searchlights scanning the sky up ahead looked menacing. If the key light (blue beam) found you, all other beams would then focus on you and you would be easy prey for the AAA.
Conn trails in Flight Combat, as in B17 II, are tactical since they make your position visible from much further away. Conn trails start at appropriate altitude.
Night fighting will also be modeled with the 110 Zerstorer. This German bomber should make for some interesting gameplay, though I wouldn't want to fly without a good escort!
I was pleased to learn that Looking Glass have planned dynamic entry and exit in multiplayer, as in Falcon 4 (though F4 hasn't worked well up to this point.) And Stuka fans will finally be in heaven!
MiG Alley Update
With MiG Alley Rowan makes the move to a fully dynamic campaign system. The campaign engine tracks ground forces, aircraft, and supply routes throughout Korea, and uses these factors to determine the status of the war. Intelligence includes daily briefings which list major events and the capture of important targets.
Sound familiar? The only campaign system currently out there to date which has this much depth is found in Falcon 4.0. In fact, Rowan claims that their campaign will rival that of F4 in scope. From what we saw at E3 this is true, although the player won't be given as much control as we have in Falcon 4. On the other hand, the interface is much better and easier to manage.
In MiG Alley you will assume the role of Supreme Air Commander, assigning squadron directives and dividing your forces between Air Superiority, Chokepoints, Supply, Airfields, Roads, Railways and Army support. You will also determine rest periods, so it is possible to reduce efficiency by straining your pilots.
MiG Alley
The computer generates the missions, laying out waypoints and targets, and assigning pilots and loadouts. You man alter pieces of the generated plans scrap them and build your own. The mission planner is well designed and includes typical filters allowing display of the elements you choose: civilian targets, specific types of military units, elements of the supply network, defenses, or airfields.
While the ground forces are under AI control they are there for you to see and interact with and you will see them fighting when you fly over battle areas. Ground attack missions will include the use of bombs, rockets, and napalm.
MiG Alley: Gear Down
MiG Alley includes the modeling of the Forward Air Controller (FAC), and you will sometimes be directed to your target with smoke markers. You can even interact with the FAC after a bombing run if you need another go.
Naturally MiG Alley will offer full radio comms with your wingmen and ATC. While the menu system isn't complete in the beta I have some of the voice is in place and is nicely done. The final will have more voices in place so that you can distinguish your wingman and a separate flight.
Better yet, I've been experimenting with Game Commander and have found it is PERFECTLY suited to this type of comms control. In fact, in MiG Alley I've been testing it with views as well as comms and have found it very reliable. The difference is astonishing. Instead of worrying which key to press or which stick button I've programmed the command to, I just say "RIGHT" or "LEFT" or "ZOOM COCKPIT" and the program responds.
MiG Alley
The feeling of flight in MiG Alley is great, although the early Sabre jet is not a forgiving aircraft. I've encountered some nasty spins, but I've also taken out a few MiGs without much practice (on high realism but low AI settings, that is.)
The light source shading is perfect, and I feel that I am looking at a real aluminum skin instead of a simulated aircraft. The terrain is beyond Flying Corps Gold, but objects are still sparse in the late alpha I have. On the other hand, landing in a cross wind is quite a challenge!
MiG Alley Mustang
For more exclusive MiG Alley screens click HERE
IL2 Sturmovik
I asked Oleg Maddox of Maddox Games about plans for bombers in IL-2 Sturmovik. Here is his reply:
In add-ons we plan a lot of planes and there will be present famous Russian middle range bombers Pe-2 and Tu-2. Pe-2 was also used as a heavy fighter and was a very dangerous enemy, especially for the bombers and Stuka's. Pe-3, which really was a re-engined version of the Pe-2 was very similar to the English Mosquito, but with more powerful weapons and good armor. (The Pe-2 was the first aircraft in the world (1939, in series, not experimental), which had electric-buster control of the flight.)If IL-2 succeeds, one of our add-ons can be with the Pe-8 - a four engine long-range bomber similar to B-17. The Pe-8 was created in 1938 and in a series was built from 1940. The first real battle experience was in August, 1941 with the first bombing of Berlin and some other German cities.
Pe-8's lifted off from Moscow and bombed Berlin, then returned to Moscow without any landing during this flight. Escorting of Pe-8s was with long-range twin engine bombers, called AR-2, flown all years from 1941-45. The best operation of Pe-8's was the destruction of Koenigsberg fortifications and communcations at the end of 1944.
Some other bomber types, like the TB-3, weren't used in the war as a bomber because it was too old (1933-35.) But several operations with this plane involved the TB-3 flying as a great bomb itself with a radio control from an escorting plane, or from ships in the sea and ground radar control.
Me 109 in B17 II. Notice the shell casing.
The visuals are very impressive, at least equal to Ka52 Team Alligator. We watched the aircraft rise and fall slightly on the thermals, an amazing effect when combined with conn trails or smoke.
View from the Fortress.
Click for 1024x768.
A few other effects caught my eye: watching the gun turrets swivel from the outside view, with both guns firing, was impressive. As most of you will know, the graphics engine in EAW did not allow for this type of detail. Click on the title above for our E3 summary on this one.
Nations: Fighter Command
Nations: Fighter Command was indeed showing at E3, but the display seemed almost an afterthought. There was no joystick available for control when we saw the sim in play.
In the clouds.
In spite of that Nations should hit beta very soon now, and it looked good and didn't crash while I was playing with a few commands. No dynamic campaign in this one, but the fighting AI is supposed to be very good and it will ship with advanced support for AGP.
Sunset in Nations.
The lighting engine is quite advanced, and general detail in effects should be stunning. Volumetric clouds come as standard equipment.
Physics and systems modeling has received careful attention also. In fact, while I was flying the Focke-Wulf I cut the throttle suddenly then heard the engine sputter and the exhaust manifold belched a puff of smoke as the engine leaned out.
Fighter Ace II, Rhino and BoB
I had a quick peek at this one at the Microsoft booth in LA. It was looking VERY good, comparable to many of the new generation graphics engines. However, the game was still relatively early in development and the cockpits weren't finished. Goals for realism are quite high, however, and the game will be configurable enough that it should please a wide range of virtual pilots.
Finally, we can't tell you anything about Rhino because the interview we fielded was never returned. And Rowan's Battle of Britain simulation is so early in development that no details have been released. It's set for Q2, 2000 so is not one of the nine for '99.
Needless to say, the experience of building the models and flight dynamics for the Mustang in MiG Alley will be useful in Rowan's next project, and since MiG Alley has a fully dynamic campaign system the following sim should also have one. Personally, I am looking forward to this one greatly! Once MiG Alley is out the door we will probably have more info on Rowan's next project.