Joystick and throttle, rudder pedals for tail rotor
SmartDrive to reduce load times
Fast PCI video card
On January 16th 1991, four US ARMY AH-64A helicopters went
into Iraq to take out key early warning radar sites, to
pave the way for the coalition airstrikes to come. This
marked the end of Operation Desert Shield and the beginning
of Operation Desert Storm. In 1989, AH-64A helicopters took
out APCs in Panama in what was the beginning of Operation
Just Cause. As a US Army promotional film dictates, Apache
"rules the night."
With Longbow GOLD, the original Janes Combat simulation and
the fantastic Flash Point expansion set arrive in WIN95. If
you were waiting for this combo to arrive, now is the time
to pick it up.
When I first opened the box I was surprised to see a real
honest-to-God spiral bound manual enclosed. WOW. These guys
really do know how to do it right. I've been badgering a
number of developers to go this route, and it is really
great to see it happening. The advantage, of course, is
that this manual will lie open wherever you leave it so you
actually refer to the thing while playing without resorting
to placing heavy objects all over it on your limited
desktop. Of course, the manual integrates the added Flash
Point controls nicely with the original Longbow very
nicely.
Just so we're straight on this, LB Gold is NOT Direct3d
compatible. If you already have Flash Point and the
original Longbow, there is no overpowering reason to "go
for the gold." Maybe Janes will retail this great new
manual separately? =8-D Ok, they probably won't! You would
be better off investing in the aftermarket strategy guide
put out by Janes/Origin. Loaded with tips, articles on
hardware, etc., its a fantastic addition to the sim and
well worth the pesos.
In case you missed the Flash Point review back when the
add-on was released, the enhancements were simply
astounding. The CP/G position was added, along with the
option of a full screen FLIR display in white-hot or
black-hot mode and other new avionics. Sound effects were
enhanced for every object in the battlefield, including new
background sounds and radio chatter. New wingman commands
were added which GREATLY expanded flexibility and control.
These things alone were worth the price of the upgrade.
Threat intelligence was likewise enhanced, and objects were
given simple mission goals: move from here to there, attack
these units, etc. In fact, the increased dynamism in the
sim was quite amazing. Objects destroyed in one mission
remained dead in the next, and one felt like one had
entered a dynamic campaign environment (see my interview
with Andy
Hollis for info on this "semi-dynamic" approach...) The
usual attention to detail among Hollis and crowd was full
blown with the Flash Point add-on, and one could tell that
this was a sim-lovers piece of work.
Other little details abounded. One could shut down engines
individually, use a fire extinguisher once, and set the
repeat rate of the chain gun. Damage modelling is enhanced
and more variable, including about 15 system failures,
including RWR, PNVS, Laser Spot Tracker/Designator and
more, including audible warnings followed by the failures
themselves. Even the flight model was enhanced. Need I say
more? Oh.. one more thing, the terrain detail in the Korean
campaign was simply awesome. For the first time one felt
that one was flying in an environment perfectly designed
for this amazing machine. The enhanced terrain is really
great.
Longbow Gold includes both campaigns: Korea and the
Baltics. There are also individual historic missions to fly
in Iraq and Panama. Wanna try your luck in Desert Storm? Go
for it. Operation Just Cause has your interest? No problem.
This GOLD collection even allows you to play any campaign
mission of your choice. "Instant Action" remains at the
ready if you like your missions unpredictable and random.
The tutorial system that simply MADE HISTORY is included in
full, and with this GOLD version there are two new
tutorials added. One discusses all of the new upgrades that
were added to the original sim by Flash Point, and the
other is a free-flight mission where you learn the fine
points of auto-rotation.
What, you never heard about the incredible tutorial system?
Son, you gotta see it to believe it. These interactive
tutorials are AMAZING, complete with an actual instructor
from Fort Hood in the rear seat. Janes broke new ground
here, and Novalogic made a few small steps in the same
direction in Comanche 3.
As in the original releases you can customize to your
hearts content. Enemy ability, flight model, etc. are all
selectable. The additional Flash Point options are all here
including "realistic TADS and FCR operation" etc. These
options not only add realism and flexibility, they add
awesome depth of gameplay to the best simulation of 1996.
Ok, so what about multiplayer? Weren't we promised mp
support? Word is that there is a revolution in the works,
with something bigger and better than we had hoped. Does
this mean some kind of virtual battlefield product linked
in to the aircraft sim that is in the works? Well, I'm just
speculating, but it wouldn't surprise me if this were the
case, only with Blackhawk, Defenders, and Kiowa warriors to
team with. At the very least, look for a new campaign disk
with the multi-player features, perhaps even better
features, and maybe D3d support. Hey! Don't drool on my
page!!
