I spent a couple of hours toying with an early beta of Nations this week, and my general feeling is that this is a prettier EAW, but without the dynamic campaign or wingman control.

P51 on the runway.

P51 on the runway.

You may remember Nations from our interview and reports last year. Overall it's a very pretty simulation, with the feeling of an artists' canvas about it.

Some things in Nations are coming along very well: the sound and voice are good, and the effects are nicely done. Damage modeling is likely unfinished in the version I have, but damage effects are nice.

Physics is also coming along well. Starting the aircraft and taxiing can be a challenge. Torque is modeled, and you can also watch your exhaust manifold belch smoke when you are starting your engine or cut the throttle quickly.

The aircraft themselves are okay; I could wish for a few more polys but they are at least beyond EAW. The terrain is quite beautiful down low and at mid altitude. It sometimes lacks detail at high alt, but again I am viewing a beta and it may be unfinished.

P51 getting airborne.

The graphics model overall seems quite similar to EAW, being a similar generation of engine. As in EAW, you'll see lots of trees and buildings.

Preferences and Difficulty.

Also like EAW, the control surfaces on aircraft don't move, although gear will fold up. And the viewing system is the most odd I've ever seen. I hope they allow a high degree of control configuration, because the key assignments are strange at the moment.

Some view options seem to be missing entirely from Nations. I couldn't find a padlock view; hopefully this won't be left out! I also could not find a wingman or wing leader view key, or a player to target view. It's true that you can locate other aircraft via reflections, but this can be tedious.

Ground Support.

Making the Kill.

It also looks like wingman control will be very limited, even more limited than the original release of WWII Fighters. Personally, I think this is a mistake, although Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator did just fine while lacking this kind of control.

Locating the Target for a Raid.

I'd like to report on the meat of the sim, but that's tough to do with an early beta. The flight model is definitely unfinished. It has a swinging on a rope feeling at this stage and I couldn't induce a stall. Word is that the goals are high here, so I expect we will see some nice modeling by the time Nations hits the street.

Warhawk on a Ship Kill.

Raiding the Fleet.

Also like EAW, the control surfaces on aircraft don't move, although gear will fold up. And the viewing system is the most odd I've ever seen. I hope they allow a high degree of control configuration, because the key assignments are strange at the moment.

Also like EAW, the control surfaces on aircraft don't move, although gear will fold up. And the viewing system is the most odd I've ever seen. I hope they allow a high degree of control configuration, because the key assignments are strange at the moment.

I have a feeling that Nations may find a niche in the ground action area. Ground object details and effects are quite good, a nice combination for that kind of action. I had some fun with an anti-shipping mission and the training missions are coming along nicely.

With a number of great WWII sims already out there, Nations will have to do it right to earn a place in our collections. The challenge is clear. Let's hope they offer us something really special this fall!