Combat Flight Sim

Source: Blue’s News

1C Game Studios takes to their forums to announce ambitious plans to expand their IL-2 Sturmovik series with three new games to be released over the course of 2018 and 2019. They are also outline plans for a new aircraft, a playable demo, and announce a new name for their game engine. There’s a lot to unpack, so please make sure your seats are in the upright position as we take off. First off, they reassure fans that IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Kuban will emerge from early access into full release later this year. Then they take the lid off the three new games, Battle of Bodenplatte set during the closing months of World War II; Flying Circus Volume I, which bring the series back to World War I, and Tank Crew – Clash at Prokhorovka, entirely focused on tank combat in the second world war. The first of the three is already available for preorder, and preorders for the other two should start in the first half of next year. They also kick off preorders of two new planes, LA-5 FN and Bf-109 G-6, say they will unveil plans for a playable demo in Q1 2018, and say they’ve enhanced their Digital Nature Engine so much that they’ve renamed it the Digital Warfare Engine (which also has the advantage of sounding less like it was designed for a farm simulator). Here’s the rundown on the three planned new games:

Battle of Bodenplatte

Although it was technically an “operation”, for continuity sake, we’re calling it a battle! Battle of Bodenplatte will explore the air war near the end of 1944 and into 1945. This late-war setting offers a wide variety of classic fighters and fighter-bombers for you to fly including some of the hottest piston powered airplanes to ever grace the skies. In addition, we’ll introduce our first jet aircraft! The Allies flew many low-level tactical missions into Germany from bases in Belgium and Holland during this time. In a desperate attempt to stem the tide of war, the Germans launched a surprise attack on Allied airfields on January 1, 1945. The ensuing battle became legendary.

Flying Circus – Volume I

Flying Circus will finally give our loyal and patient Rise of Flight customers a new way forward into the future! Our eventual goal is to essentially re-build ROF inside of the Sturmovik universe and give WWI all the latest technology like VR, 64bit, DX11 and improved visuals. We will start by focusing on re-furbishing ten of our existing WWI airplanes and providing a partial map of France to fly and fight over. Subsequent Flying Circus products will further expand content and we’ll work to integrate Flying Circus into our Campaign and Career systems over time. Volume I is merely the first important step and it will be a lot of fun! If Flying Circus proves popular we can eventually fire up the Great War assembly line and break out the canvas and timber once again to make some new crates! Guynmere, Fonck, Coppens, McCudden, Bishop, Rickenbacker and von Richtofen shall fly again 100 years later!

Tank Crew – Clash at Prokhorovka

Tank Crew will be expanding upon our initial adventure into tank combat by including ten new tanks and armored vehicles and improving our two existing tanks. Tank Crew will create a ground combat component that can be integrated into single-player content and multiplayer servers. Our tanks will be multi-crew in multiplayer which most other leading tank games are not capable of. Our playable tanks will also be modeled both inside and out with realism in mind and improved damage modelling. The map will feature the southern portion of the Battle of Kursk with the village of Prokhorovka and town of Belgorod included. The map will also be built somewhat differently giving tank players a better ground environment then our current large maps. Further details about Tank Crew will be released as development ramps up.

Sim155 Ltd. has announced that Combat Air Patrol 2 (CAP2) v810.4 update for the flight and naval combat simulator game is expected to be available in early October. This new update will contain a richer environment, with more buildings, lush vegetation, and a host of custom objects including power lines, lighthouses, water tanks, ATC towers, rigs etc. Lighting has been added to roads, runways, taxiways and buildings, illuminating villages and cities for superior immersion. The cockpit lighting in the AV8B Harrier II has also been updated, including night illumination.

Check out the new Combat Air Patrol 2 “Terrain Lights Promo” HERE.

Combat Air Patrol 2 (CAP2) is a flight and naval combat simulator game for PC (Steam/Windows) where you pilot the AV8B Harrier II. After initial flight and tactical training you will be pitched into an immersive scenario against aggressive ground, sea and air based enemies. Use your skill as a pilot and your tactical awareness to engage in dogfights, carry out ground attacks and command your fleet to ultimately ensure the safety of your comrades and the final capitulation of the enemy. Strategic decisions such as commanding your fleet on the tactical map and your performance in the air will affect the final outcome: Go ‘gung ho’ with a full out assault and the outcome will be in the balance or plan ahead and the end result will be your ultimate victory.

You can follow the development of Combat Air Patrol 2 via its Steam Community Hub and at the games official website.

“It was an apt co-incidence that the Chinese government’s contract with the Flying Tigers had to be terminated on the 4th of July in 1942. After all, the tigers had been flying high and low – independently – against the Japanese for seven months straight. Not only for money, but so that China could remain free and unopressed.”

See for yourself if history is worth playing by watching the “Termination” gameplay trailer for Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China (“FTSOC”), the epic air-combat action game available now on Steam which is based on the historical events of America’s secret volunteer squadrons that defended China in World War 2.

Published and developed by ACE MADDOX, FTSOC was created in Steam’s Early Access program which allowed the dev team to gather ongoing feedback from the game’s community while iterating, improving and adding new content and features to the game on a near-monthly basis for over a year and a half until it was released on May 29, 2017 (post-release development still ongoing).

HISTORICAL TRIVIA:

• Officially called the 1st American Volunteer Group (the “AVG”), the Flying Tigers were flying mercenaries contracted by the Chinese government under President Roosevelt’s “Secret Executive Order”.
• Assuming fake identities, AVG recruits had to travel by ship half-way around the world to get to Rangoon, Burma. One pilot made the trip undercover with a specially-made passport indicating he was a missionary. Others posed as plantation managers, cowboys and even circus performers!
• China paid AVG fighter pilots a $500 bounty for each Japanese aircraft shot down. In addition, the monthly renumeration was $675 for flight leaders, $600 for pilot officers, and about $250 for ground-crew staff (at the time, about $600 bought a factory-new Ford V-8).
• The Flying Tigers insignia patch was designed by two Disney artists – Roy Williams and Henry Porter – together they worked up a painting of a Bengal cat leaping out of a V-for-victory sign.
• The AVG and the Chinese were financed and organised by White House lobbyists and advisors using shadow companies and laundered money to shield the Roosevelt Administration from violating any neutrality acts.
• As per Roosevelt’s “Secret Executive Order”, all Flying Tigers “volunteers” had to resign from the military and become civilians. If captured, they risked being executed as spies by the Japanese.
• A total of 311 “volunteers” formed the AVG. Some fought as pilots while others served in ground support roles such as mechanics, doctors, clerks and nurses.
• Starting out with only 99 P-40 fighters, the Flying Tigers racked up an amazing combat record in just about seven months. Their tenure collectively destroyed 297 enemy aircraft in Burma, Thailand and China.
• Rugged construction allowed the P-40s to withstand steep dives as the Tigers swooped down on the Japanese from high above using “hit and run” tactics invented by their daring flight instructor, Claire Lee Chennault. This caused Japanese fighter pilots to view the Flying Tigers with bittersweet respect. They thought the Tigers didn’t fight fair.
• On the 4th of July 1942, the American Volunteer Group aka the Flying Tigers were disbanded as the Chinese contract expired and the onslaught of World War 2 made further non-official (covert) operations politically difficult.
• After July 4, the U.S. Army 23rd Fighter Group took over the AVG P-40s but only five tiger pilots accepted induction. For morale and propaganda, the Flying Tigers name was retained for the 23rd pilots.
• After the AVG were disbanded, the U.S. refused to recognize the Flying Tigers. That position remained unchanged until 1991 when the “honorably discharged” Tigers officially became WW2 veterans.

Get more information about the game at the official Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China website.

Sim155 Ltd. has announced that Combat Air Patrol 2 (CAP2) v810 update has been released. v810 includes new satellite imagery, OpenStreetMap data, MCAS Yuma, Barry M Goldwater Range and the Mach Loop in Wales. A promo video featuring the new changes in the update is also available for viewing. UPDATE: Since the v810 release, v810.2 has been released, having fixed a number of small teething issues over the weekend.

Combat Air Patrol 2 (CAP2) is a flight and naval combat simulator game for PC (Steam/Windows) where you pilot the AV8B Harrier II. After initial flight and tactical training you will be pitched into an immersive scenario against aggressive ground, sea and air based enemies. Use your skill as a pilot and your tactical awareness to engage in dogfights, carry out ground attacks and command your fleet to ultimately ensure the safety of your comrades and the final capitulation of the enemy. Strategic decisions such as commanding your fleet on the tactical map and your performance in the air will affect the final outcome: Go ‘gung ho’ with a full out assault and the outcome will be in the balance or plan ahead and the end result will be your ultimate victory.

You can follow the development of Combat Air Patrol 2 via its Steam Community Hub and at the games official website.

Sim155 Ltd. has announced that Combat Air Patrol 2 (CAP2) v810 will be released before the end of June. v810 will include new satellite imagery, OpenStreetMap data, MCAS Yuma, Barry M Goldwater Range and the Mach Loop in Wales. You can preview the updates in the new promo video.

Combat Air Patrol 2 (CAP2) is a flight and naval combat simulator game for PC (Steam/Windows) where you pilot the AV8B Harrier II. After initial flight and tactical training you will be pitched into an immersive scenario against aggressive ground, sea and air based enemies. Use your skill as a pilot and your tactical awareness to engage in dogfights, carry out ground attacks and command your fleet to ultimately ensure the safety of your comrades and the final capitulation of the enemy. Strategic decisions such as commanding your fleet on the tactical map and your performance in the air will affect the final outcome: Go ‘gung ho’ with a full out assault and the outcome will be in the balance or plan ahead and the end result will be your ultimate victory.

You can follow the development of Combat Air Patrol 2 via its Steam Community Hub and at the games official website.

Source: Blue’s News

Eagle Dynamics announces DCS: F/A-18C Hornet, saying the latest addition to Digital Combat Simulator World will be unveiled to the public next month in the Thrustmaster booth at E3. Here’s what they have to say about this for now:

Eagle Dynamics SA and Belsimtek are excited to announce that DCS: F/A-18C Hornet will have its debut showing at E3 2017 at the Thrustmaster® booth. DCS: F/A-18C will be by far the most authentic PC simulation of a modern fighter to date, and it will use unique CFD engine and aerodynamics developed by Belsimtek. Based on exhaustive research in association with Boeing, current fighter pilots and the development of our new simulation engine, the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet will set a new benchmark.

Eagle Dynamics SA senior producer, Matt Wagner, states, “We are happy to announce the cooperation between Eagle Dynamics SA and Thrustmaster® to create the ultimate F/A-18C Hornet simulation experience”. “After the success of our first collaboration with Eagle Dynamic SA on DCS: A-10C Warthog, that lead to the HOTAS Warthog, we are proud to start a new collaboration on the DCS: F/A-18C Hornet”, says Gilles Raulet, Thrustmaster Development Director.

Please stop by the Thrustmaster® booth South Hall #2813 and experience the next level of combat aviation simulation!

“The sky was a maelstrom of exploding bombers, twisting tracers, flaming parachutes, and Robert’s own burning fighter… then his engine quit!”

Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China (“FTSOC”), the historical air-combat action game based on the events of America’s secret volunteer squadrons who flew combat in Southeast Asia during World War 2, launches today on Steam in 13 languages including English, German, Russian and Chinese. View the launch trailer here.

Published and developed by Ace Maddox, FTSOC was created in Steam’s Early Access program allowing the development team to gather ongoing feedback from the game’s community while iterating, improving and adding new content and features to the game on a near-monthly basis for over a year and a half.

The Digital Deluxe Edition, also available today, contains the Paradise Island DLC which includes the Phi Phi Islands dogfight and multiplayer map, and two amphibious fighters: the Japanese A6M2-N “Rufe” and the US Navy SC-1 “Seahawk”, plus the digital soundtrack OST featuring original music from the game.

FEATURES:

RARELY DEPICTED AIR-BATTLES OF WORLD WAR 2
Action-packed campaign recreates the clandestine operations of the American Volunteer Group in fighter, bomber, gunner, reconnaissance, torpedo, and night missions.

APPROACHABLE TAKE ON AIR-COMBAT
Features TrazerTime™ slow-motion precision firing, arcade-like combat maneuvers, sim-style pitch & roll controls, moody weathers (including thunderous monsoons, beautiful sunsets and misty dawns), 20+ Allied and Japanese planes, adjustable mouse & keyboard, gamepad, and flightstick controls, and more!

MULTIPLAYER FOR UP TO 16 PLAYERS
Steam leaderboards eternalize players’ online rankings across five battle modes! Coordinate devastating air-attacks in TEAM DOGFIGHT while providing cover for your comrades, outdo all enemies using powerful rocket weaponry in ROCKET BATTLE VS, or take to the skies to “Capture the Flag” in the FLAGBUSTERS mode.

PAY ONCE AND PLAY
No micro-transactions or F2P-elements – for a single purchase, you’ll get the full, stand-alone experience – with unrestricted multiplayer!

FLY IN COCKPIT OR THIRD-PERSON MODE
Soar through the skies of Southeast Asia in third-person or cockpit view in a variety of American, British, Russian/Chinese, and Japanese aircraft.

STRIKING RENDITION OF THE FAR EAST
Faithful environments, beautiful graphics, booming sound effects and an epic-orchestral soundtrack create a lasting impression of the China-Burma-India theatre.

Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China is priced at $14.99/€14.99/£10.99 for the standard version, with the digital deluxe edition costing $18.99/€18.99/£13.99.

FTSOC is available in 13 languages: English, Spanish, French, Polish, German, Portuguese-Brazil, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, Italian, Czech, Turkish, and Japanese.

Get more information about the game at the official Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China website.

Ace Combat franchise director Kazutoki Kono announced in an open letter addressed to fans that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is being delayed until sometime in 2018. Here’s that letters content:

Dear Ace Combatants,

I wanted to take this opportunity to speak with you directly, our loyal ACE COMBAT fans, and give you a first-hand update on the launch timing for ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN.

The Project ACES team and I have been working hard on ACE COMBAT 7 and we’re determined to achieve the vision we have set for the game. To reach that vision, we have decided to move the launch of ACE COMBAT 7 to 2018.

We would have loved to launch ACE COMBAT 7 at the end of 2017 as we originally intended, but doing so would compromise our goal for the game. We take our art very seriously and that means we have instead chosen to devote additional time and effort to perfect and optimize this newest chapter of the ACE COMBAT saga. The combination of the Unreal 4 Engine and the power of current generation consoles and PC hardware have literally opened the “skies of opportunity” to us to develop the best ACE COMBAT experience to-date. At no other time in ACE COMBAT’s 20+ year history has gaming technology allowed us to deliver the minute details of flight combat – such as cloud cover and air currents – or give players a new way to experience dogfights and attack sorties through hardware such as the new PlayStation VR.

We’ll have a lot more information and details to share with you in the coming months, starting at E3 2017 where we plan to reveal a brand-new demo showcasing one of the non-VR missions in ACE COMBAT 7 for the first time ever!

On behalf of the entire Project ACES team, I want to thank you all for your patience and for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Kazutoki Kono – ACE COMBAT Franchise Director

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is currently rated PEGI 16. The game will be coming for the PlayStation 4 system, Xbox One, and PC via STEAM. To find out more about Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, head over to the games official website.

The highly anticipated return of the storied ACE COMBAT series seeks to enlist fighter pilots across multiple platforms

Leading interactive entertainment media publisher and developer BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is excited to announce that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will be coming to Xbox One and STEAM®. Already announced for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown puts gamers in the cockpit of advanced war planes and delivers fierce air combat experiences through photorealistic visuals, intense dog-fighting action, and a multitude of authentic and futuristic aircrafts to fly, all encompassed in an immersive storyline.

Developed by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.’s in-house Project Aces team based in Tokyo, Japan and utilizing Unreal Engine™ 4 with a unique and brand new dynamic feature, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown applies the latest evolution of its graphics engine in conjunction with the power of the latest generation of gaming consoles and PCs to create immersive aerial battlefields. Fully rendered clouds fill the skies while highly detailed cityscapes enhance the sense of supersonic speed, setting the stage for highly exhilarating aerial battles. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will provide an arsenal of ultra-modern and near-future super weapons for players to wield, while presenting formidable enemies for pilots to vanquish in the air. Aces who have proven their aerial combat prowess in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown’s campaign mode can take their dogfighting skills online for furious online multiplayer battles. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown also marks the return of Sunao Katabuchi as the lead writer behind the fictional storyline that players will experience in the game. Previously, Sunao Katabuchi wrote the storylines for both Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is currently rated PEGI 16. The game will be coming for the PlayStation 4 system, Xbox One, and PC via STEAM. PlayStation 4 system players will be able to play portions of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown and experience exclusive features developed specifically for the Sony PlayStation®VR. To find out more about Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, head over to the games official website.

Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China prepares for multi-lingual release

As Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China gets ready for international release, a decent number of translations are being prepared for implementation courtesy of today’s “Lingua Franca” update. Soon, air-combat action gamers in Germany, France, Poland, Spain, China, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil, and more countries, can take to the skies in their native language.

On a side note, the Lingua Franca moniker was chosen as a name for the final English update as the term fittingly means “a language or dialect used to make communication possible between people who do not share a native language”.

Launched on Steam’s Early Access programme in August 2015, Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China is approaching final release.

Update details as follows…

• Strings: Finalized English-language strings in preparation for translation and the upcoming multi-lingual/international release.
• Performance: 3D-renderer now optimized for low-end PCs, circa +30% more efficient occlusion culling, resulting in lower stress on bandwidth.
• UX: New default. Players can now toggle the free-roaming Panoramic Camera by holding Left ALT and moving the mouse to look around (if playing on MOUSE+KEYBOARD, for example).
• GUI: Updated text-system for multi-player lobby and console/log output strings.
• Aircraft: Implemented cockpits for amphibious fighter planes A6M2-N “Rufe” and SC-1 “Seahawk”.
• Audio/Music: Updated multiplayer lobby, mission result, and main theme tracks.

Get more information about the game at the official Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China website.