Feast or famine is often the way in combat simulations, and the pending
release of TWO F/A 18 E Super Hornet simulations means feasting for
Hornet fans around the world. The contenders are:
Digital Integration. Makers of the classic TORNADO, the first pc
combat simulation to feature a fully dynamic campaign system and
advanced mission planning. Tornado still has a fan following, and until
recently even had dedicated web sites where co-op campaigns were
planned.
JANE'S Combat Simulations. The skunkworks in Maryland has produced
some excellent simulations, and are tough to beat when they release a
study sim. Some of the best known titles include Longbow II and more
recently, F15.
Initially there were few obvious differences between the two coming
titles, but DI has verified that their simulation will include a fully
dynamic campaign system and a COMMAND mode for the US release. This
mode will allow interaction with the campaign system, including target
selection and mission planning that may rival the system found in MiG
Alley.
JANE'S will counter with an improved F15 campaign system, and
an improved mission planner. JANE'S argue that the very best campaign
system is more like a semi-dynamic system, where "a compelling series
of missions combine to provide a sense of : 1) overall purpose, 2)
progress and cause/effect due to the player's actions, 3) being part of
a much larger world, where the actions of others have causal effect,
not just your own, and 4) continuity through resource management
(planes, ordnance, aircrews) and world integrity (dead things stay dead
and regenerate over time as appropriate)."
The feel of a dynamic environment is paramount in creating
believability and even raw "fun." And the dynamism of that environment
extends to both simulation and interface. What I mean by the dynamism
extending to the interface is the flow between missions and the form
and frequency of supply of intelligence (debriefing, mission
assessment, pilot records, mission planning elements etc.)
USAF did a great job in this area, but still lacks some of the dynamism
of the classics like Tornado, EF2000, and Falcon 4.0. JANE'S FA 18,
however, is likely to surpass USAF in this area considerably. Only time
will tell, but as we wait for those first reports to begin flowing in,
this article will share some of the tidbits from a pre-release version
of the manual.
The "Latest and Greatest"
In our recent interview CJ
Martin reported that, "we've raised the bar even further in our
avionics modeling, doing stuff that simply hasn't been done before
outside a full up multi-million dollar Military Simulator. The advanced
defensive systems mean that even a rookie pilot has a chance against
some very capable air defenses."
The manual as it stands is 200 pages of information, including
32 pages on the Mission Builder. Given the complexity of the systems,
that strikes me as concise, and a first reading gives that impression.
There isn't much introductory type material here, leading me to believe
that we may see a separate guide for the novice.
For comparison, the manual for if18E Carrier Strike Fighter,
iMagic's F18 simulation, was 149 pages in total, but only 115 pages
were devoted to the simulation, and the level of detail covering
various systems was much lighter than in the JANE's manual. Hornet Korea? GSC's manual was smaller yet, though their online training was VERY nicely done!
After reading through the manual I took a close look at the Reference
and Installation guide. As I expected, JANE'S have pushed the envelope
in this area, allowing configurability far beyond F15. Two new options
under GAMEPLAY/FLIGHT include REALISTIC INFLIGHT REFUELING TOLERANCE
and REALISTIC INFLIGHT REFUELING DURATION. Checking these two options
should add considerable challenge for the determined pilot.
Under GAMEPLAY/WEAPONS the user can no select REALISTIC BOMB
ACCURACY and REALISTIC WEAPON DAMAGE. The former creates a realistic
blast radius, and the latter requires that the correct weapon be used
against each type of target; a GP bomb will not destroy a bunker.
For the novice, new CHEATS include AIRCRAFT LABELS for aircraft
within a certain range. The labels are color coded: friendly are green,
neutral are blue, and enemies red.
Similarly, ground target labels can be enabled. An intriguing
approach allows CASUAL VOICE WARNINGS to be enabled, providing
additional SA for the virtual pilot.
In fact, addional speech can also be enabled under NAVIGATION
CUES and TARGETING CUES (two separate settings), and a visual aid can
be enabled that provides a green arrow to help guide you to your next
waypoint and/or to your next target.
Under GRAPHICS options there is a huge range of settings. Here is a partial listing:
