by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson

  Q. Tell us about the damage modeling, both damage resolution as well as graphical effects.

Damage modeling is relative to exactly where the aircraft is hit, based on the force of the impact, proximity of the weapon, and then calculated according to what systems are in the area of impact. We'll also see cascading damage, where one system may affect another.

On static objects (buildings etc.) damage is rated according to a number of factors including hardness and resiliency. Objects like fuel trucks or parked aircraft have different ratings because they are also explosive, and secondary damage effects are modeled so that an aircraft parked near vehicles will damage them or light structures when it explodes.

Q. With the game set in 2004 will we see any next generation weapons?

The AGM 154 (JSOW) is modeled as well as the AGGM-84H standoff Land Attack Missile. The Expanded Response cruise missile is here (SLAM-ER) and JDAM GPS guided precision weapons. On the Hornet itself the next generation AIM-9X is available.

Q. In high end simulations accessibility for the novice is always a consideration. How will F/A 18 bridge that gap?

The game is built for easy access but is like an onion, where you can access deeper levels of control at will. You can simply choose a mission, receive the briefing and then fly, or you can edit waypoints and customize your loadout, adjust the composition of your flight etc. prior to take off. You can even build and save pre-configured loadouts rather than selecting from a standard package.

Naturally, the typical options are here relating to difficulty and challenge, and you don't have to fly with full realism if you choose not to. Other features we'll see include a flight recorder (fairly basic) and a mission builder. Expect to see a similar layout to that of F15 but with even greater control.

Matt Wagner: The AIs use a different set of flight model calculations than the focus aircraft (F-15 or F/A-18 depending on the sim). All AI aircraft have their own flight model based on various data points. Some of these include max speed, max G, acceleration, max instantaneous turn rate, max sustained turn rate, max yaw rate, and such. However, they all obey the same laws of physics.

Although not as detailed as that of the F/A-18E, each AI aircraft has a close approximation of flight model of the real aircraft. As you probably read from the interview, a tremendous amount of number crunching goes into creating a high fidelity flight model. To have such a flight model for the AIs would bring even the fastest CPU to its knees. The pilots we've had fly against the F/A-18 AIs have been very impressed. Dogfighting in F/A-18 is night and day compared to F-15.

In terms of SA, they have a visual scan cone, but they may also receive a "heads up" from other aircraft or radar sites. There is no magic SA.

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The primary difference with F/A-18's mission builder is that it gives much great control over events. For example, you can now set a radius around a vehicle and have certain events trigger when the player enters that distance. In addition to such additions as that, there are all sorts of features that enable you to take advantage of setting up naval units and have them take part in the mission. The mission builder also received a graphic makeover.

Wingman Comms

Matt: Yes, you can communicate with your immediate flight, but also with members of the package (like SEAD and Sweep escorts). We've added additional commands along these lines since F-15. There are several new wingman commands. A couple of examples are of SEAD commands and also the ability to tell wingmen how many weapons to put on targets. And several new AWACS commands have been added.

Q: About SEAD (and AWACS for that matter). I seem to remember in F-15 that it was kind of difficult to actually get help from a SEAD flight or a CAP flight. AWACS would always say something to the effect of, "Can't help you, they're busy right now..." (serious paraphrase there! ). Someone asked Ellison on the F-15 listserver about it and it turns out there were actual rules behind getting help. The helping flights had to be within X-miles, etc...

Are there plans to be a little more complete in the manual in describing the actions of the AI aircraft? Not just in SEAD and CAP, SWEEP, ESCORT, but when you say "clear my six," (for example) what does the AI take that to mean? And, has the code for AI actions been changed any so that it is easier for us to get help from the AWACS?

Matt: You're much more likely to receive fighter and SEAD support in F/A-18 for two reasons. First, more such flights are in the missions. There is generally at least an alert 5 ready to go. Second, the conflict area is generally smaller than in F-15. The determination of getting support is based on distance, if they're tied up, and weapons/fuel load.

I honestly don't know if this topic was covered in high detail in the manual. As it is, we can't make the manual bigger because it physically wouldn't fit in the box.

Hardware Support

While USAF has specific enhancements for the Pentium III, F/A 18 will not. Unfortunately this also means no additional support for AMD's Athlon either.

As to what sound APIs are supported, it sounds like it's neither EAX nor A3d in this release. Instead look for DirectSound with programatic sound positioning. On top of DirectSound the team uses Miles Sound System for mixing and high level interfaces.

A Short History of F18 Simulations on the PC

• F18 Hornet (GSC, 1996)
• Hornet: Korea (GSC, September, 1998)
• iF/A 18 Carrier Strike Fighter (iMagic, 1998)
• Coming Soon: F/A 18 Super Hornet (Digital Integration)

For more on the Super Hornet see: F/A 18 Super Hornet, What I Did On My Holiday, and Ride in a Hornet.

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