In late June, 1998, SIMIS and Mindscape/SSI released Team Apache, a unique approach to a military helicopter simulation. The emphasis was on "team," and managing your team was a simulation in itself, much like the role-playing "simulations" that are popular with Japanese console gamers.

In June we posted an extensive interview on the next game from SIMIS, Team Alligator. Team Alligator models the Russian side of the conflict from a similar simulation perspective, but with key changes and enhancements. (Note: images are at 1024x768 or 1152x864).

Airbase in fog in Belarus.

From the perspective of the serious simulation fan the most important changes will involve realism: in flight modeling and avionics, weapon systems and AI. Control of flight lead will be expanded and look for more detail in virtually every area.

I spent about three hours flying around in a pre-alpha version this past weekend, and I am as impressed by my first look at Team Alligator as I was last year by Team Apache. The graphics engine itself is impressive, and modeling is far beyond Team Apache. Consider this: ten times the polygon count in the cockpit. Buildings and trees are both more numerous and much more impressive.

Ka52 in fog in Belarus.

Voice are also more impressive. The Russian accents are nicely done. I was impressed by the training missions also, voice narration is a great way to get the player involved. The impatience of the Instructor when you don't follow directions seems quite realistic!

Leaving the airbase in Belarus. Note the gate at the guardhouse.

Atmosphere

It's only reasonable to expect atmosphere in spades with the hardware we are running these days. Team Alligator looks set to meet expectations in this area. I flew day missions, dusk missions, and bad weather missions. Flying in fog was very cool and very much a nail biting enterprise.

The feeling of flight was quite good, and the response felt very different from Team Apache. I doubt whether the flight model is final, however, and weapons and systems modeling is also not yet complete. And by the way, there ARE foot soldiers in Team Alligator, and they can be very dangerous!

Ka52 in fog in Belarus.

Good weather. Note the jet landing on the runway.

The general feeling of the landscape is much better integration of roads and objects than anything I have previously seen. But you can see for yourself!

Comms and Control

This is such a key area, I'd like to share a little more detail with you. Here are some of the command options in Team Alligator:

Slewed view of airbase in Belarus.

Orders - this defines your team orders when you reach a waypoint. These orders are fixed and can't be changed. The most common orders are:

• Transit: fly to the next waypoint.
• Land: land at a base.
• Deploy: Transport helicopters to drop off their load.
• Pick Up: Transport helicopters pick up a load.
• SEAD: Engage all enemy air defence units.
• Engage Primary: Engage all primary targets.
• Engage Secondary: Engage all secondary targets.
• Engage AFV: Engage all armoured vehicles.
• Engage All: Engage all targets.

Ka52 team returning to base.

Actions on Contact - this is the standing order that determines how the flight reacts to the presence of an enemy. Enemies are defined either as threats to the aircraft or non-threats, depending on type and whether the helicopters are in the target's engagement envelope. For either threats or non-threats, you can cycle through the orders, which include:

• Engage: engage and suppress/eliminate the enemy.
• Bypass: bypass the enemy and fly to the next waypoint.

Radio Channels- you may issue orders to flights using your radio. You set your radio channel by pressing keys:

• 1 Sets channel to Flight 1
• Sets channel to Flight 2
• 3 Sets channel to Flight 3
• 4 Sets channel to Flight 4
• 5 Sets channel to Flight 5
• 0 Sets channel to All Flights

Another shot of the returning team.

Navigation Orders

You may issue navigation orders to flights as follows:

• Ctrl + 1 Flight to go to next waypoint
• Ctrl + 2 Flight to go to previous waypoint
• Ctrl + 3 Return to base
• Ctrl + 4 Flight go to ARSP
• Ctrl + 5 Flight go to Rally Point
• W Wait in place
• E Formate on me and follow my lead
• Z Go to Nap of Earth flight
• X Bob-up from Nap of Earth flight

Combat Orders:

You may issue combat orders to flights as follows:

• 1 Disengage from combat area
• 2 Follow briefed orders
• 3 Attack my target
• 4 Attack designated target with laser weapons
• 5 Suppress enemy air defences
• 6 Engage primary targets
• 7 Engage secondary targets
• 8 Engage armoured vehicle targets
• 9 Engage all targets
• Q Request status of flight(s)

Rally Points and ARSPs

Each flight in the game has a Rally Point, a special waypoint representing a safe fallback area. If you need to pull a flight out of combat in a hurry, you may order that they fall back to the Rally Point using the Ctrl + 5 command. In some missions helicopters in the flight may have standing orders to fall back to the Rally Point on their own if damaged or low on ammunition or fuel.

Arming and Refuelling Supply Points (or ARSPs), are forward resupply points which may be specified in the mission. They are usually located at Rally Points. You may order that a flight fly to an ARSP and rearm and refuel by using the Ctrl + 4 command. If you fly your own helicopter to the ARSP and land, you will automatically be rearmed and refuelled.

Airbase from the side view.

Friendly (Russian) units.

More friendly (Russian) units.

Friendly armor.

Armed and Dangerous.

Mission at sunrise.