flightsim.com have posted a press release from justflight.com detailing this add-on for Combat Flight Simulator 2, Flight Simulator 2000 and Flight Simulator 2002. The aircraft included in the package are :
"Avro Lancaster PA474 Douglas Dakota ZA947 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa P7350 Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 Supermarine Spitfire Mk LFIXe MK356 Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIX PM631 Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIX PS915 Hawker Hurricane Mk II LF363 Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc PZ865 De Havilland Chipmunk WK518 De Havilland Chipmunk WG486"
Len “Viking1” Hjalmarson has posted the second part of his review at Thrustmaster. Here he concentrates on the comms, views, mission builder and online action. Here's an extract:
"IL-2 multiplayer is living up to the hype. I’ve seen up to eight players online, where two had 56K connections running at around 44K, and there was no lag in a dogfight mission. In another case we had four players, one of whom was running on a PII 450 in a coop mission. The frame rate for all of us was lower than we would expect. When the player with the weaker machine dropped out (his frame rate was hitting 4 fps) we all noticed an increase in performance. Unfortunately, weak links in terms of weak hardware can impact online play significantly."
Sim-News have posted a review of Saitek's latest HOTAS offering. Here's the intro:
"In the world of flight simulations, controls are king. Many modern flight simulators like Falcon 4.0 have so many functions assigned to every key that to remember all of them would be impossible. Fortunately, companies such as Thrustmaster, CH Products and Saitek have specialized in control sets called a HOTAS, for Hands On Throttle And Stick, like those found in military aircraft. Saitek’s most recent entry into the HOTAS market, the X-45, makes some improvements over its immediate predecessor, the X-36, but there are still some glaring problems."
Not strictly sim related but an interesting article especially with the European release of IL-2 tomorrow. il2sturmovik.com have posted this chronological overview of major events on the Eastern Front. Here's a snippet:
"By December, about 200 Ju-52 aircraft and 100 He-111 bombers with empty bomb compartments had been organized as transports, and by January 1943 the number had grown to 467 aircraft in all. Sixth Army demanded 700 tons of supply per day, every day. The Luftwaffe at this stage was barely capable of delivering 350 tons, and only for a short period of time - even that estimate completely discounting any Soviet opposition."
SimHQ have posted a link to a review at ign.com of Novalogic's helicopter sim. The review is subtitled "New controls, new graphics, new explosions, same bad assed helicopter o' mucho butt kicking". Say's it all really. However, here's part of the intro of the review:
"Comanche 4 retools the series' fundamentals to conform with today's preferred games of appeal. So much so of a change that it gives some a justifiable argument that the title could have been better off under a different moniker. But is this change, however radical it may or may not end up being, a switch to the better, greener pastures of gaming?"
flightsim.com have posted a small review of these 3D glasses. Here's the intro:
"From the company that says "The best 3-D graphics EVER, or your money back!", comes eDimensional's E-D Glasses. We received a pair of eDimensional's 3D glasses and decided to take them out for a spin. I am always suspicious of claims promoting 3D anything so I didn't have a lot of built-up expectations. I installed the software on an 800 MHz Pentium III-EB computer with a Creative Labs 32 MB 3D Blaster Annihilator Pro and 256 MB RAM running Windows 98se."
Len “Viking1” Hjalmarson has posted a review at Thrustmaster. Here's an extract:
"Engine damage is also modeled, both for sound and appearance. You will see black smoke streaming from your exhaust in most cases, but you’ll also hear the ragged sound of a damaged engine, which will increase in volume until finally it seizes up. It’s quite intense, sounding like a handful of ball bearings in a heavy drum."
terrapin has published the following announcement:
"Hi,
thank you all for your enormous interest in F4Freeware.Net and it's File Library System. Unfortunately I had to shut it down - temporarily at first - due to unforseen and unevitable enormous extra traffic costs.
Although I was able to get special contracts for nearly all my servers, user traffic in the range of 400 GB/month simply isn't bearable for a single person. It was never my intention to get revenues from F4Freeware.Net, I was always aware of blowing money down the toilet...
But now the financial burden is too much. To ensure the pure existence of the betatest-server I was forced to close F4Freeware.Net's File Library.
If all goes well, it will be online again, in a couple of days the latest. See http://F4Freeware.Net for more details!
I have posted Stardogs interview with Jim Hill of the famed VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron. Here is a snippet:
"Jim: We were on a Fighter-Sweep and when we reached Rabaul, a Japanese stronghold, Pappy called on the radio, “Come on up here and fight you Bums”. Well, with that we could see the zeros taking off two by two. As they approached our altitude Pappy said “Lets go get em’ boys”, and we rolled over and dove on them. I picked out a target, got a good shot at him and he burst into flames. I think we shot down eight planes that day."
Hehe nice to see our radio calls on RW match the real guys :) Read the full interview by clicking
HERE
The F4UT is proud to announce that SuperPAK1a is ready for download.
The main fixes for this version are:
- The Voodoo3 hard lock. - ATO mission generation (F-16's tasked as tankers, etc...) - CTD fixed when SA-5 comes into bubble - Activate full airbase relocation (when turned on).
You can choose to upgrade your current SP1 installation or download the complete installer again.
Make sure you read the installation instructions for information about what files
you need and what to do with them.
The new files are:
- FalconSP1a_Installer.zip - New installer - FalconSP1a_Doc.zip - Manual and Keychart - FalconSP1a_Exe.zip - Standalone Exe - F4Patch_Standard_41_SuperPAK1a.zip - F4Patch
The files should be available for download on these locations:
F4 Freeware Dogfighter F4 Community amvi.it
(If you choose to mirror these files, please let me know and I'll add you to this list.)
"Version 1.40 features a number of bug fixes, including new terrain and terrain buildings. Many new sounds have been added (or sound bugs fixed), including main gun reloads for tanks and FPS mode. All new map icons have been added, and icons in general have been revamped to appear much sharper at all distances. "Death cam" has been enhanced, yellow flags are gone, "forced exit" on death has been added, and there's even an in-game clock. The full text of the v1.40 readme can be viewed here."
The full readme is available HERE and the patch can be applied as an auto-update or downloaded from
HERE
IL-2 has started to appear in US stores apparently in order to catch pre-Thanksgiving sales. The European release is still scheduled for November 20th.
flightsim.com have posted a press release from Personal Display Systems announcing a head mounted display system for use with FS2k. Here's a snippet from the release:
"i-Visor personal display eyewear is a lightweight (less than 7 ounces) pair of glasses with miniature liquid crystal displays and advanced magnification optics embedded in them. Connected to virtually any video source, (PC, Laptop, DVD, VCR, Game Console, PDA, etc.) i-Visor creates the illusion of a large video screen floating a few feet in front of your eyes. i-Visor delivers true 800 x 600 SVGA resolution, full 16-bit color and superb stereo sound. i-Visor is the first of several new high-resolution personal displays in development at PDS. Future models include i-Visor 3D and i-glasses SVGA. All models will be compatible with the InterTrax2 head-tracker and Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2002 software."
The Sturmovik Technika site has published a translation of the original IL-2 Pilots Operating Handbook into English:
"This five part series combines the fully translated Ilyushin IL2 Pilots Operating Handbook and images from the simulation of the same name. As well as being the perfect companion to IL2 Sturmovik, this series is extremely informative. After studying this manual and in combination with the simulation every switch, gauge and control will come alive. It is a highly recommended download. You will require the Adobe Acrobat reader. For the most part the test is identical to the original 1942 manual. As shown in the example below, adapted images are boxed in orange and where appropriate the default keystrokes from the simulation are included. Original images are boxed in green."
Eurogamer have posted a short preview of IL-2 along with some screenshots. Here's a snippet:
"IL-2 prides itself on its little touches that make the whole experience that more fulfilling. We could go on for ages about the impressive way the planes break apart as they're littered with machine gun fire, or the way tiny full-modelled troops run for their lives as you swoop down to drop your cargo on their heads."
SimHQ have posted a link to a review at Gamespy of Xicat's re-release of F/A-18 Hornet Korea. The review is subtitled "A better name would be F/A-18 Korea Gold". Here's a snippet:
"Veterans of the original need not apply. Most of the updates are available in patches, and the user-made missions are freeware. For new players, Precision Strike Fighter isn't a bad buy. The sim is still a good ride, the extra missions bolster replay value, and there's still a mission builder for the creatively inclined. The user-created missions are of varying quality. Some are interesting and well-documented missions with plausible scenarios, and others are simply waypoint survival courses. Some are comical, such as the one where players try to bomb Saddam Hussein when he visits Korea for a sex change operation."
The f4ut have announced that the SuperPak 1a is soon to be released. Here's the announcement:
"Falcon Pilots, The Falcon 4.0 Unified Team is pleased to announce that SP1a will be released within the next 72 hours.
This release will address the following bugs: - The Voodoo3 hard lock. - ATO mission generation (F-16's tasked as tankers, etc...) - CTD fixed when SA-5 comes into bubble - Activate full airbase relocation (when turned on).
The final version of the SP1 manual will be included in the release and also available as a separate download.
SP1a will be available as a new installer as well as an upgrade from SP1"
"The graphics have greatly improved from X-Plane 5 for two main reasons. The elevation data is covered by five times more points, which results in more convincing terrain throughout the universe (well, the US at least). Secondly, the city textures are improved, incorporating 3-D buildings and dynamic cars, with turn signals and all. This is pretty cool, but it’s still offset by the square, blocky, unrealistic terrain pieces, which eliminates any realism that the other elements might have brought to the table. Cloud effects are good, the planes themselves look very realistic, and smoke trails follow the planes. Of course, X-Plane 6 can’t hold a candle to FS2002’s tear-inducing graphical superiority. But, graphics are just eye candy, right?"
"One of the strongest points of this sim is the depth and detail of the manual. It is in amazing detail on how to fly this aircraft. It has a fully interactive cockpit manual for starters. There is picture of the cockpit and by scrolling over a section or and instrument you get information about it. After going through all the gauges and instruments in the manual I felt well informed and had a good idea where everything was."
The permanent forums are back in place. I have changed the forum software to a faster and better featured forum. All the original members and posts have been restored. I will look into transferring the posts from the temp forum.
It may take a while for the dns to propagate so don't panic if you get a Homer (404)
A quick plug for all our European visitors as the show is less than two weeks away now and Frugal and myself will be making the bleary-eyed schlep up to the Midlands.
"Visitors will be able to try everything from virtual reality programmable joysticks to complete cockpit systems. Test your ability to handle the fastest fighting jets, land an airliner or simply "fly" a light aircraft.
Existing users of the various civil and military' simulations will be astounded by the wide range of new scenery and enhancements they will find. Real pilots will be tempted by the extensive range of PPL ground school. IMC practice and flight planning software that now can be applied to their real flying experiences. Many of these products are unique and are not available in the shops.
From buying a suitable computer and understanding the technology to learning how to navigate, we hope to be able to help.
If you have ever fancied becoming captain of an airbus and want to fulfil your "airborne" dreams, this is the day out for you! Fun and thrills for all the family...BE THERE OR BE GROUNDED!"
AVSim have posted an announcement that the sim is ready for release:
"Novalogic has announced the completion of Comanche 4, its latest military helicopter combat game. The game includes a scalable flight model that can be adjusted to appeal to fans of both first-person shooters and fans of flight simulations. It can be played from both first- and third-person perspectives, and players can use either a joystick and pedal setup or simple keyboard and mouse controls. Comanche 4 lets players take control of the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66, the US Army's advanced armed reconnaissance helicopter. It contains a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, ground attack, and air-to-air combat scenarios. The game is scheduled for release on November 15 for an approximate retail price of $39.95."
There's an interview with Chris (he of WWIIOL fame) over at boomgames.com. Chris is a producer at Cornered Rat Software. Here's a snippet:
"What unique challenges have you faced in creating the game?
Lots. How to create a virtual battlefield that works. How to host the largest online environment ever attempted. How to have a compelling shooter co-exist in an environment full of tanks and aircraft. How to create an RPG layer that's sole currency is gameplay skill. We have lots more challenges ahead as well, we are going to be supporting multiple theaters and running special events, as well as contests historical scenarios, and training arenas. Getting all that to work together while controlling dilution is a big one."
Manfred "Schumi" Nelles has released SuperPAK version 1 with the following announcement:
"Falcon Pilots, The Falcon4 SuperPAK Unified Team is pleased to announce the version 1 of the Falcon SuperPAK. This project has been started to transform Falcon 4.0 into the most realistic simulation it can be. After individual releases of eFalcon V1.10 and RPG's Realism Patch 5, now, in November 2001, the unified exe is a reality. This first release of the Falcon 4 Unified Team is a simple combination of the in-Cockpit realism enhances eFalcon V1.10 offers with the superior artificial intelligence that can be found in Realism Patch 5. Enjoy!
While you are reading this, the quest continues and work on the successor of SuperPAK 1 has already begun.
SuperPAK 2 aims high: It wants to be the ultimate combat flight simulation of all times.
All you hear and read about SP2 is subject to change, but some planned new features will be:
In-game theater switcher Improved Multiplayer Client-Server code that never made it into eFalcon V1.10 A full collection of improved flight models New DX8.1 graphics engine Revamped, realistic ATC Improved avionics for current weapon systems (i.e. HARM) New avionics for new weapon systems (i.e. JDAM) Even better AI Realistic AWACS screens in the UI New high-resolution UI "
Flavien Duhamel of the French "Micro Simulateur" magazine has had an article posted on the STURMOVIK TECHNIKA site discussing Luftwaffe marking system of WWII and its application in IL2 Sturmovik. Here's a snippet:
"IL-2 does not only feature beautiful planes, as you can see, but the markings stem from an unprecedented work of research in the world of simulation. If you want to fly in "historical realism", do it all the way! And without the slightest doubt, the only part which is not of that period in this simulator is you!"
Dusty "Redwolf" Rhodes has posted an interview with Jim "Hornit" Campisi, TSH's Project Co-ordinator at Dogfighter. Jim was also a consultant to Electronic Arts during the development of F/A-18. Here's a extract from the interview:
" I see some big things coming and as we get more folks with talent on board it will get easier. I envision whole new maps with correct terrain and new objects allowing battles pretty much anywhere we can generate the terrain for. Also, I envision some really nice art enhancements and refinements to the sim. I’ve got some... ahem... obligations in a few other areas soon and may hand this over to the team in the not too distant future. I hope to stay with them as a consultant, so to speak, though. Nothing concrete yet about whether I give it up or not really."
Thrustmaster have published an interview with James Hallows, discussing programming techniques used with the Cougar HOTAS. Here's a snippet:
"I cannot stress this enough – at the end of the day, the Cougar is easy to use, and easy to program, and 99 percent of users will be more than happy using and modifying files provided by other people, or developing their own files with simple programming statements. But this is designed as an ultra hardcore product, and that means that there are advanced programming statements, and tricky concepts there, for those who want that low level raw power."
Go HERE to read the first article and HERE to read the second.
SimNews has posted a review of the above HOTAS. Here's a snippet:
"Being an owner and almost daily user of the F-16 Fighterstick and Pro Throttle gameport versions for almost two years, I can definitely say that the feel of this HOTAS is great. The molds are solid and do not feel like they are being tweaked as you use them. I can also vouch for the high-quality materials and design of this HOTAS, as with my two years of heavy use on the gameport versions, they have shown absolutely no wear, and I even took the Fighterstick apart once to see if I could increase the tension on the springs, and I also mounted them to my chair as you can see in the photos. These babies are built to last! And if you have any problems, CH support is excellent. I know someone who had to send his Fighterstick gameport back because one of the hats went out in one direction, and they sent out the new stick before he even returned the old one."
Stéphane Kauffmann has posted an article at Tom's Hardware that looking at a number of Joystick/HOTAS solutions for flight sims. Stéphane looks at the Saitek X45, Thrustmaster Fox 2 Pro and the Microsoft Sidewinder Precision 2 amongst others. Here's a snippet:
"For starters, we rejected anything that moved or vibrated randomly in all directions. These "power" effects have never been much use in flight simulators; in fact, they are more of a handicap than anything else, because they make it all the more difficult to guide the joystick with precision. We'll be doing a comparison study of these jittering and vibrating levers at a later stage, for the benefit of fans who still prefer the 'live' stick."
There's a great review over at Thrustmaster. Here's the intro:
"Stunning – Shocking These are the two words that represent my first few hours in Microsoft®’s Flight Simulator 2002. The difference between FS2002 and FS2000 is so great as to defy comparison. This is the year that MS Flight Simulator comes of age."
I have put a temporary forum in place. It contains most of the members and post counts, all of the ranks, but none of the posts. It should stop us going into withdrawal though :)
Thrustmaster have produced a nice article discussing IL-2 as a learning environment for the novice simmer. Here's the intro:
"IL-2 is rapidly gaining a reputation as an unforgiving WWII combat simulator. But the truth is much bigger than that. IL-2 is a top notch learning environment for the beginner, by far the best learning environment ever designed. There are at least six reasons why this is so.
It is configurable It has excellent gunnery and flight modeling It has excellent views and visibility It has excellent AI It has a mission recorder It allows a pilot to sit out and observe a fight in real time"
SimHQ has posted a link to a review at TFHGaming.com who score the game at a very exact 92.6%. Here's a snippet:
"The videos are done by Martha and John King, who are evidentially world renown for their video flight school videos. From the picture you can see that these aren't the dare devil Top Gun types, in fact, these two make an episode of Full House look like the bloody sequel to Total Recall. So what if they're a couple of dorks, evidentially they know how to fly, and they teach you how."
I now have more info. It appears that Dominators servers are down permanently. The forums will be down until I can find another hosting solution. I will probably put a temporary forum up over the weekend. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dominator for his generosity in hosting our forums and for all the other sites he has hosted. Falcon 4 fans owe him a huge debt of grattitude. I hope everything works out for you in the future Greg. Thanks and best wishes.
GamesDomain have posted an enthusiastic preview of the game. Here's a snippet:
"The flight model impressed us, as well. Torque effects, low speed handling and stalls seem right. The complete novice will probably find IL-2 too challenging, but the seasoned WWII simmer will be satisfied - good to see a hardcore sim keep its focus. While this could change before the game is released the current state of the code offers solid, realistic and predictable flight characteristics. There are some distinct differences between the aircraft types. The Bf-109 is challegning on takeoff and landing due to the narrow landing gear, for instance, and it also tends to go into high speed stalls much easier than the IL-2 and Yaks."
Some good initial advice has been posted by Andrew Herd on flightsim.com for all you FPS chasers. Here's a snippet:
"However, the first thing to realise is that 10 fps in FS2002 is a different ball game to 10 fps in FS2000, because in general FS2002 shows much less "stuttering" - the sudden drops in frame rates which were the trade mark of FS2000. So raw frame rates aren't so important in this version of the sim as they were in the last one; because you don't need such a large frame rate "safety margin" to keep you clear of the abrupt slow downs we used to know so well. This means that lower frame rates are more acceptable in FS2002 than they were in FS2000."
