After my first E3 preview, Carl Norman and I discussed some changes and features
that were not shown at E3. I have since had a chance to put the latest beta
through its paces and talk to Carl about more of the items featured.
Q. In my first preview I mentioned the limited detail on many of the
aircraft. I see that there have been considerable additions to the texture
files and bit maps. Is there still more to come or is this beta reaching the
level of graphics we can expect?
CN - All of the aircraft textures have been replaced since E3. Work on
enhancing the aircraft and objects is a continuous process. The artists
responsible for aircraft textures are constantly working on improving
the look of each aircraft. The ground detail is also much richer than
what was displayed at E3. The cities and towns have a wide variety of
building types. There are many monuments and historic sites depicted in
our model of the Crimea.
Q. What type of frame rates are you seeing?
CN - That depends upon many factors. Everything from scenario
size to number of aircraft or objects present. On a Pentium II with an
AGP card, I've had a medium sized mission running between 12 and 33
frames per second. With the highest graphics detail enabled, Flanker
2.0 demands fast processing and fast video. We strongly recommend that
if you want the best performance at the highest levels of detail, you
should have a top of the line AGP card.
Q. What are the minimum system specs expected to be for these types of frame
rates?
CN - As I stated, there are many factors to the frame rate, so the
machine specs alone are not the answer. Scenario size and number of
objects is just as critical. At present, we are stating that the
minimum specs are a Pentium 200 with 32 MB of RAM, DirectX compatible
3D video card. We recommend a Pentium 300 or greater with as much RAM
as possible and an AGP video card.
Personally, I am using a Pentium 450 and 128 MB of RAM with a
Riva TNT2 card and have had great performance. A very large scenario
with hundreds of objects will still slow things down even on this
high-end set-up. The bigger and faster your system, the better the
performance.
Q· What graphics APIs are going to be supported?
CN - AGP, Voodoo 2 and above.
Q· What will the resolution choices be?
CN - 640x480, 800x600, and 1024x768.
Q· There was talk that the graphics would be scalable from 1.5 levels up to
the full blown 2.0 levels. Is this still planned?
CN - I wouldn't use V1.5 as a benchmark for this product since this is
a completely new graphics engine, but yes, the level of detail can be
adjusted in such areas as: Terrain Detail Levels, Texture Resolution,
Object Density, Greenery Density, Roads & Rivers, and Detail
Visibility.
Q· Can you talk a little on how the terrain was done, low and high level?
CN
- The Team utilized stereoscopic satellite photography that was
previously classified. Models were made of the terrain features and
textures added. The rest is secret! (Grin) The buildings, monuments,
and historical landmarks are the result of intense research, to include
visits to the Crimea by the artists.
Q. The mission editor has been enhanced since the original. Can you tell us
the new additions and tweaks we can expect?
CN - It is still very similar to the original with some enhancements to
the interface making it easier to use. The map is very detailed and can
be zoomed down to cracks in the runway. Static objects and buildings
can be viewed in detail. There is now an improved targeting system that
allows the user to assign targets at individual waypoints.
One of the main enhancements is a much greater selection of units in
the Order of Battle. We are including the Campaign Editor as an
unadvertised feature. It's a bit more complicated to use than the
Mission Editor, but we are confident that the hard core Flanker
Faithful will be putting out campaigns on the Internet at the cyclic
rate.
Sounds
Q· There was talk of English and Russian voices for the systems. Is this
still planned? Will there be any other languages?
CN - The cockpit voice warning system ("Nagging Nadia will be in
English only. The HUD will be in both Russian and English (selected
from the options menu.) The simulation is also being localized for the
German and French markets but I do not know if Nadia will be speaking
German and French.
Q Will there be radio calls or wingman responses?
CN - Wingmen respond to acknowledge your commands.
Q· There is a lack of in cockpit sounds, will there be more in the release
version? What types?
CN
- The user can hear engine sounds (muffled) and explosions, as well as
the impact sounds of shells hitting the fuselage. Also, there will be
various audio cues relating to the Threat Warning System. And of
course, Nadia will be there.
Q· We know from the original release debates that the SU is very quiet in
the cockpit, however in real life there are other cues (feel etc.), will
there be sounds or other "crutches" to increase situational awareness? As
an example, I am sure you FEEL the rumble of the burners in an SU even if
you can not hear it, in game what cues other than the dash lights will we
get?
CN
- We've added cockpit reflections to the canopy. Other than what I've
mentioned in my previous answer, that's it. I'm not sure what else you
could add in the way of sounds for a jet aircraft in flight.
Q· Are the voiced over training sessions still a go? Will they be in English
and Russian as well?
CN
- They are in English and will be localized in German and French. They
are really similar to instructional videos where the instructor takes
you through the maneuver or engagement and they you try it on your own.
It is not fully interactive. They will be very helpful to new users and
provide more experienced users with a means of reviewing procedures.
Q· How will communication between the player and his wingman be handled?
Or between the player and GCI? How will this work?
CN - Wingmen receive their command, acknowledge, and execute. It's not
very complex. There is no GCI interaction in Flanker 2.0. We are
considering GCI for future products. AWACs information will be
displayed on the MFD if an AWACs aircraft is airborne.
Q. Will the keyboard commands be remappable?
CN - Not
at present. We are in the process of evaluating a joystick-programming
tool that may provide even the most basic stick with the ability to
utilize macros to make controlling the aircraft, sensors, and weapons
systems easier. It is still being reviewed so I don't want to go into
detail at this time.
Q. Will the cockpit have an interactive interface (clickability)? If so,
will all cockpit commands also have keyboard commands for programming ease
of peripherals?
CN - No interactive cockpit.
Q. How are differing tactics used by the Soviet Block being handled? E.g.
GCI, IFF/NCTR, formations etc.
CN - I'm afraid I don't have any details to provide you on this subject.
Q. What areas of the flight model have been tweaked?
CN
- Induced Drag algorithms for rudder input, spin characteristics,
canard effects, Angle of Attack limitations, G-limiter, more accurate
flight parameters.
Q. Will the AI have the same strengths and weaknesses the player does? In
1.5 the AI could notch and break RADAR and missile locks but you could not.
CN - Yes. But, as with any AI, there are small adjustments made.
Q. You mentioned that the SU-27 is an air superiority fighter, and will not
be allowed to carry ground attack weapons in the game. The SU-33 on the
other hand is a ground attack aircraft and can carry both types of weapons.
The SU-33 will be available on both land and sea?
CN - Yes. You can base Su-33 aircraft onboard Kuznetsov (the Russian Carrier) or at land bases.
Q. Are weapons modeled with real world specifications?
CN - Missiles are modeled in Flanker 2.0 with the following parameters:
G Envelopes
Weight (varies as propellant burns)
Burn Time
Thrust - Acceleration to Max Speed - Deceleration
Gimbal Limit of each missile as functions of f(cone size) and f(rate of turn)
Drag coefficient as a function of altitude f(air density)
Detonation proximity f(warhead)
Q. Will the ships move?
CN - Yes, but with limitations.
Q· How will they move? Are they plotable?
CN - Ships move in set patterns that are hard coded into a set of
scenario templates. It is not the way we want it, but it will have to
do until we fix it at a later time. We have plans to improve it in
either a patch or upgrade in the future. All of us want to be able to
set waypoints for the ships but it has to wait.
Q· What is the thought process behind this limitation?
CN - We ran out of time and had other priorities. We will revisit moving ships at another time.
Q. Will ground units; BMPs, Tanks, trucks; not Sams or AAA, defend
themselves?
CN - If it has an anti-air weapon, it will defend itself.
Q· Will they interact with each other, actually do combat with each other?
CN - No.
Q· Will they move within the mission?
CN - No, not realtime. They can change location between missions in a campaign, but no real movement.
Q· How will they respond if attacked?
CN - Anti-air capable units will engage.
Q· Will they reposition from mission to mission in the campaign?
CN - They can. It is all up to the campaign designer.
Q· What time period is the game based .. what types of Russian and NATO
equipment will we see?
CN - It is set in the present day. The list is very long and subject to change:
Kuznetsov, Vinson,
Moscow,
Grozny,
Elnya tanker,
Aquamarine(Natya),
Azov(Kara),
Bobruisk(Sivuch),
Albatros(Grisha-5),
Amethyst(Grisha-2),
Orel(Krivak-3),
Rezky(Krivak-2),
Molniya(Tarantul-3),
Murena(Tsaplya),
Oliver H. Perry,
Osa,
Skory,
Spruance,
Ticonderoga,
Torpedo boat,
Kilo,
Som(Tango),
Veter(Nanuchka-3),
Zwezdny,
Yastrebov
OOB: Ground Units
SAM Systems
1L13 EWR station,
55G6 EWR station,
S-300PS cp,
S-300PS 40B6M sr,
S-300PS 5H63C tr,
S-300PS 64H6E sr,
S-300PS 5P85C In,
S-300PS 5P85D In,
S-300V tr,
S-300V sr,
S-300V sector scr,
S-300V 9A82 In,
S-300V 9A83 In,
S-300V 9A84 In,
S-300V 9A85 In,
Buk command post,
Buk Search radar,
Buk launcher,
Buk loader/launcher,
Kub str,
Kub In,
Osa In,
Osa Id,
Strela-1,
Strela-10,
Dog Ear radar,
Tor,
Tunguska,
Shilka,
Roland,
Roland Radar,
Avenger,
Patriot str,
Patriot tractor,
Patriot cp,
Patriot In,
Gepard,
Hawk sr,
Hawk tr,
Hawk In,
Dzhigit,
Igla,
Igla,
S-300V cp
Other Combat Units
SAU Msta,
SAU Akatsia,
SAU 2-C9,
ATMZ-5,
ATZ-10,
APA,
BMD-1,
BMP-1,
BMP-2,
BRDM-2,
BTR-70,
Grad-URAL,
Hummer,
LAV-25,
Leopard-2,
LVTP-7,
M-109,
M-113,
M-113G,
M-1 Abrams,
Marder,
SAU Bereg,
RLS Bereg,
Smech,
ATZ-60,
RLS-PRW-11,
RLS RSP-7,
Reis launcher,
RLS 37,
T-80UD,
BTR TPZ,
UAZ-469,
Uragan,
Ural-375,
Ural-375 PBU,
Vulcan,
RLS Zapros,
ZIL-135
Misc. Ground Objects
MAZ power station,
MAZ guardhouse,
MAZ home,
MAZ mess,
Electric locomotive
IKARUS Bus,
VAZ Car,
Locomotive,
Trolley bus,
Coach a tank,
Coach cargo,
Coach cargo open,
Coach a platform,
Coach a passenger,
Tractor
Q. Will the buildings just "pop up" like 1.5 did at only very close
ranges?
CN - The "pop-up" has been a problem that we have been working on for
some time. While we have the situation optimized, there is still a
"pop-up" effect that is particularly noticeable with buildings.
Q· Is this range dependant upon graphics settings? E.g. Will power users be
ale to set this so the buildings appear farther out?
CN - Yes.
Q. Let's expand on our conversation on the campaign. The campaign is
"semi-dynamic". This is a phrase being used lately to mean a scripted,
branched campaign. You explained that the previous missions performance
will have some impact on the follow up missions. While the way the term
"semi-dynamic" is being abused lately, your concept actual does have some
very interesting "semi-dynamic" qualities. Can you explain what you mean
and how this will work?
CN - Our campaign system works in a series of Phases. The results from
the initial Phase dictate the selection of the next Phase. The results
of the previous Phase are carried over to the next scenario (i.e. a
destroyed bridge will remain destroyed).
Additional Mission Conditions can be set that provide for variations in
unit presence, size, placement, and locations depending upon parameters
either met or missed in a previous phase. The conditions can utilize
Boolean logic parameters (or, and, and/or). When a user ends a mission
they will see a dialog box that asks if they wish to proceed to the
next Phase. If they choose yes, the next Phase will be a scenario that
is selected based upon the Phase Completion Conditions of the previous
Phase.
Individual variations will also be present in the next Phase
based upon the Mission Conditions established by the designer. These
can be simple "if - then" conditions or they can be more complicated
conditions that require a series of conditional parameters. It is up to
the imagination of the designer.
Q. Will its destruction dis-allow a scripted movement of troops? (eg: if a
unit was slated to "move" or be repositioned over a bridge from one mission
to the next, will this destruction prevent that movement?)
CN - That's up to the campaign designer. They can make that a mission condition to be present for the next Phase.
Q· This sounds pretty complicated, trying to keep track of all
possible results between phases. How does the interface and design
module assist the designer in keeping track of all of the variables?
How many and what type of variables are available?
CN - The interface for the Campaign Editor is presented in the form of
a branching list that allows the user to see all the Phase Completion
and Mission Conditions in a list format that is presented in sequence.
It looks more daunting than it really is; once you understand how the
campaign system works, the editor makes sense. A well organized series
of Phases with logical and creative conditional factors will make for
an outstanding campaign. I'm sure we'll see a wide variety of very
creative and innovative campaigns being created by Flanker users.
Q· If you destroy an airfield, will flights scripted to take off from that
field be deleted and no long be able to attack?
CN - At present, we have a time limit on damaged runways until they are repaired.
Q· Does this flow down to all types of units? Ships, carrier based flights,
etc. ?
CN - The designer can create conditions with all types of units.
Q· How is the OOB managed? (at the start, resupply, etc.?)
CN
- The OOB is established by the scenario designer. There is presently
no logistics model present other than what the scenario has allocated
in the OOB.
Q· Are there any options for resource management included?
CN
- No resource management at the scenario level. Campaigns can simulate
resource being made available in later Phases that are dependant upon
conditions.
Q· How is attrition handled?
CN - The same as resource management.
Q· How are victory conditions tabulated and how do they effect the overall
outcome of the campaign? As an example - in the real world destroying an
enemy's CCC, leadership, and logistics have a tremendous impact on the war.
CN - There are primary and secondary targets that can be assigned.
There are no points or tabulation of score. You either accomplish the
mission or you don't. In the campaign mode the effects of one Phase can
transition to another phase in a multitude of ways. At the end of each
scenario or Phase, there is a Debrief that shows information about
targets destroyed and ordnance expended.
Q· If my ATO says to attack a convoy, but I destroy the bridge that prevents
the convoy from reaching the front, how does the campaign system recognize
this? Will I get credit for a victory, or even a partial victory?
CN - The designer of the campaign would have to recognize and condition the status of the bridge in the scenario.
Q· Do the missions have multiple conditions to meet that equate to full,
partial, or no success rates?
Q. You have referred to "the designer" several times. Can you tell
us what his responsibilities are and what resources are available for
him? What does he control and what will the game assist him in
controlling? Is there any form of AI involved in the control of the
scenarios?
CN - Flanker has always been a product that has thrived upon the
creation of missions from the user base. There are thousands of Flanker
missions available for download on the Internet. Flanker enthusiasts
around the world have created these missions.
As with Su-27 Flanker V1.X, Flanker 2.0 provides a
full-featured Mission Editor that will allow "the designers" out there
in Flankerland to create missions to their heart's content. Both the
Mission Editor and the Campaign Editor Tools provide the designer with
a large Order of Battle, target designation, weather control, task
assignment, and the Crimea to play in.
As far as AI is concerned, each of the tasks assigned (such as
escort, anti-radiation, ground attack, combat air patrol, etc.) has a
particular profile that AI controlled units will utilize.
Q. Multiplayer is planned, tell us the maximum number of players you are planning for.
CN - On the Internet we are specified at 32 for a transfer rate of 512
k/sec or greater, but state that we recommend 16 or less with a
transfer rate of 256 K/sec. For LAN play with 10MB rate we say you can
have up to 32 players with marginal performance but again, we recommend
16 or less.
Q· What different types of multiplayer are being planned? (H2H, coop,
campaign?)
CN - Head-to-head or Cooperative in individual scenarios. No multiplayer campaign at this time.
Q· Will we be able to put multiple players in the same mission without each
machine having to create the way points etc.?
CN
- Not at present. Each player has to place their own aircraft. We are
going to look into revising this system later in the year.
Q· The Delta Hawks were able to get 14+ human players in a
mission in the 1.5 version. But as we added AI units, the amount of
humans that could enter reliably dropped substantially. Has this been
addressed in 2.0?
CN - Your performance all depends upon the size of the scenario, number
of units, capacity of your network, the type of machines being used,
and many other factors. At the recent Big Bear II meet in the
Netherlands, they had little problem getting a large game up and
running.
Q. ACMI - does F2 have it?
CN - No ACMI. We have the Track file system that lets you record
missions to be viewed as videos later that have the ability to be
re-flown or edited at any point.
Q· If so, will it be full screen?
CN - Tracks are full screen.
Q· Accelerated via D3D or Open GL?
CN - We use D3D. No Open GL support at this time.
Q· Are we able to record MP missions?
CN - Yes =).
Q. The original SU-27 was very user friendly to 3rd party utilities, will
2.0 be the same?
CN - We've tried to make it that way but it is all new code and I'm
sure we'll be adjusting things for months after the release to make
things more accessible to the Third Party utility guys.
Q. What add-ons or enhancements do you see in the future of the SU series
and will it directly interface with the current game, or be a whole new
product with 2.0 incorporated?
CN
- Our next product is going to be Su-39 (which I'd like to call "Su-39
Shturmovik", we'll see.) This simulation of the Sukhoi ground attack
aircraft, the Su-25 and the Su-39. The Su-39 is the naval aviation
variant of the Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft.
We will be finalizing the design for Su-39 in the weeks following the
release of Flanker 2.0. The plan is to have these two products capable
of working together. We are still working out the details. Regardless,
our current plans are to continue to support the Flanker 2.0 product
with patches and upgrades are required.
We also have plans for another product that is in the early planning
stages so I don't want to go into further details except to say that
like Su-39, it will be compatible with Flanker 2.0 and will feature
more aircraft for the user to fly in the Flanker universe.
Q. Can you tell us when we can expect to see FLANKER 2.0 on the shelves?
CN
- We plan to have this product on the shelves sometime in mid to late
October 1999. We are currently in final Beta and things are looking
very good for an October release. We still have some technical
challenges, and we need to finish and polish the content portions
(scenarios and campaign).
Q.Is there anything you would like to add? Expectations our readers may have
that will not be included? Items that we do not know about yet?
Moscow and Flanker 2
CN - I'd like share a little about my recent trip to Moscow. I
was in Moscow working with the Flanker Development Team from August 13
to August 22.
This was my fourth trip to Moscow. The trip was very productive and we
were able to get much accomplished as we near the final days of Flanker
2.0 development. I worked very closely with many members of the Team
and enjoyed the experience very much.
This is a dedicated and talented group of people who have really put a
lot of effort and care into the Flanker 2.0 product. They are very
proud of their work and that pride can be seen in the final product.
Things are tough in Russia these days and these people work very hard
in an unpredictable economic situation.
The Development Group is part of The Fighter Collection
organization and has offices in the northwestern part of Moscow. The
Team regularly puts in 12-hour days, 6 times per week. While I was
there we worked even longer hours on several of the major components of
the simulation.
In particular, I was working with the various HUD modes, the view
system, and the key command set up. Much work was also done on
coordinating information for the final documentation for Flanker 2.0.
The office environment is very professional with a good-natured
feeling. Humor is not lost between languages and there were a few
moments for laughter mixed into the daily grind to finish the product.
There is a full-time cook that provides the Team with the mid-day meal.
The fare is typical Russian, starting with soup, bread, cheese,
vegetables, and a main course that varied between meat and fish. The
food is outstanding and was a welcome part of each day. I found that it
was a great team building method having everyone eat together in a
family style setting.
I am very pleased to be working with such a group of talented
professionals who have a real passion for the work. I've been fortunate
to have made new friends in Russia; particularly the Team's Managing
Director, Igor Anatoliovich Tishin, a professional whom I look forward
to working with again soon.
Igor has had to put up with my attempts at speaking Russian. I drive
him crazy by attempting to read all the signs and billboards as we are
driving through Moscow. I look forward to the day I can take him to a
Baseball game here in the USA so he can be the one that is confused!
Nick Grey, the Director of The Fighter Collection
and I were able to spend an afternoon at the Lukovitsy Machine Building
Plant and Moscow Aircraft Production Organization (MAPO) facility where
the MiG-29 is manufactured. It was their "Open House" which featured a
brief airshow and a reception afterwards. We were able to see several
demonstrations of both military and civilian aircraft that are
manufactured at Lukhovitsy.
It was very impressive and we were able to spend some quality time with
some of the top MiG designers. We also were treated to an excellent
spread of Russian food. There was also much vodka, that was used for
the very Russian tradition of toasting. We drank many a toast and by
the end of the day, Nick and I were feeling no pain (until the next
day! ). All and all, a once in a lifetime experience and I am grateful to our fine hosts.
I'd also like to take a moment and thank all of our Testing Team on
Flanker 2.0. We have a very dedicated and loyal group of people that
put many hours of their time into testing Flanker 2.0 and we are very
grateful for their support. We couldn't do it without their support.
Thank you also to the many Flanker Faithful online that have support us
through the good, the bad, and the ugly. You know who you are.
My appreciation to my colleagues Sean Decker, Producer, Charles
Harribey, Associate Producer, Russ Brown, Technical Director, and Kevin
Hicks, Production Assistant. Of course I have to also mention Mr. Nick
Grey, who's passion for all things aviation is a big part of why
Flanker is such a success. If Flanker has a Father, his name is Nick
Stephanovich Grey.
Thanks to Dan and Len at COMBATSIM.COM™ for the chance to do this interview.
Thanks for the interview Carl! We are all looking forward to the release of FLANKER 2.0.
