A 1.6 preview has been produced in readiness for the next major version, the highly anticipated (well by me anyway :) v1.6. The preview contains an outline of the additions and features of the new patch along with some videos. Of special mention is the "Bushman's Video" of the HeIII, replete with a pounding Wagner score.
Fancy a bit of a challenge in FS2002? Mathias Elsaesser has posted a informative article over at flightsim.com. Mathias gives a potted history of these amazing craft and reviews FS2002's only "WIG" add-on. Here's the intro:
"Before digging into Michael Shulgin's creation first some background and historical info on the little-known class of Wing In Ground-effect (WIG) craft. Seabirds of all kinds have been doing it for ages - skimming the waves and thus conserving energy by taking advantage of reduced induced drag and the air cushion they trap between their wings and the sea. In this mode they can soar up to several hundred meters without even flapping their wings once! As in many other instances man has tried to mimic nature by utilizing this so-called ground effect which every aircraft experiences right before touchdown and has let quite some pilot run out of runway in the process. Various WIG designs have been around for quite some time. Dornier flying boats in the 1930's first experienced substantial fuel savings by flying in ground effect while crossing the Atlantic."
Bubba "MasterFung" Wolford at SimHQ has produced a review of this top of the range Geforce4 card. As usual in their reviews, SimHQ have checked the performance of the card in a variety of sims. Here's a extract:
"Currently, they are making use of the Conexant chip on the back of the PCB but it only allows for Video out and not video in. Since VIVO (Video In / Video Out) is not fuctioning, there are no VIVO cable(s) included in the box. The only contents in the box besides the card itself is a copy of Star Wars "Starfighter". It is a playful "arcade" game but after spending a few minutes playing it, it is certainly made for the "kid" market. Now if the included game had been the recently released Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, I would have been thrilled. Yeah it is not a simulation, but the game play is exceptional and makes good use of the speed of the Ti4600 chip"
After a number of requests, Frugal has organised some Frugal's World T-Shirts and other merchandise. Order with confidence as all the products have a 30 day money back guarantee if they do not live up to the quality you would expect from Frugal's World of Simulations.
Tom's Hardware have provided their usual in-depth look at the HOTAS and "Foxy". Here's a snippet:
"The Cougar offers so much more as soon as you dive into the arcane secrets of its programming language. The interface used to program the Cougar is Foxy Cougar Edition software. This software makes it possible to create files that assign the controls of your choice to a particular simulator, and you can then load these instructions into the Cougar. You can also simply upload to Cougar any of the numerous files of ready-made programming, a very exhaustive list that covers all the simulators currently on the market."
SimHQ have posted a link to Combat Sim Central who have created a huge 63 mission campaign for IL-2 set in Crimea. Here's the details:
"Crimea 43 is a fictional campaign, taking place at the Crimea peninsula at spring 1943. The story begins as the German army takes over the western side of Crimea. The Russian forces will try to take back the land, while the German army will move east towards Simpheropol and try to take control over the whole peninsula. The campaign contains 67 missions in this version, and is under constant development. Wars are not a short and easy experience, especially when two great armies are fighting each other. Therefore, don't expect any sharp and definite victory or loose. The war will continue, to evolve as long as I have the time and will to expand it."
Justflight have released their FS2x/CFS2 add-on for the "Wooden Wonder". Here's a snippet from the web site:
"Mosquito Squadron includes a highly detailed, visually accurate Mosquito FB. Mk VI, complete with custom designed instrument panels, gauges, flight model and sounds. You'll also find authentic scenery of RAF Methwold and the village of Methwold itself. Flying the Mosquito in Flight Simulator is an incredible experience and an ex-RAF aircrew who had a spin in the cockpit via FS2002 described it as "…amazing. It made me feel twenty again!""
Full details of the release are available at the Justflight website. Check it out
HERE
I have posted a review of eDimensional's TrackIR. Here's a snippet:
There is some effort involved in getting the best out of the TrackIR but if you take the effort you will be rewarded by a far greater degree of immersion and a higher level of Situational Awareness. The TrackIR basically renders the padlock mode and pov hat obsolete. The trackIR has both advantages and disadvantages over padlock view but the disadvantages tend to fall in the category of “extra realism”. For instance one of the disadvantages is that your view is not locked to the target, you have to track the target with your head just like in reality. As a result it can sometimes be very easy to lose sight of the enemy behind a part of your airframe or in clouds etc. So in this area whilst it is not always as easy to track the aircraft it is more natural and more realistic.
Colin "Cooler" Morrow and Bob "Snowman" Crawford haver posted details over at the f4ut site regarding the work of the F4UT voice group. Here's the intro:
"The F4 VoicePak will contain new recordings from volunteer actors for Falcon 4.0 and will be offered as a free add-on. Most of the voices will only be used for ATC, but we are also giving the actors the option to record many more frags so that their voice may also be used as a wingperson, FAC or AWACS. (I say wingperson as we have several actresses on board too :-)"
AVSim have posted an extensive interview along with some great new screenshots. Here, Tucker explains the multi-player capabilities of CFS3:
"There will be an "arena combat" mode and cooperative missions in multiplayer which function pretty much like Combat Flight Simulator 2 does. A number of people simply join the game they want to play — and play.
The goal for campaigns was to avoid the unstructured environment you have in the large online combat environments, so we've concentrated on having mission goals that are clear and balance to the missions which remains relatively constant.
To do that, our campaign will have multiple missions being flown simultaneously. Each mission will have a limited number of "slots" for players, and each player will replace an AI pilot when he joins. This way, the each side will always have the same number of aircraft, regardless of whether two or ten human beings are in the game. So, in a big campaign game not all players will be able to fly simultaneously in the same mission, but they all will be flying in the same campaign and influencing the flow of the war."
Rory Gillies has reviewed the use of this FS utility from Luciano Napolitano, WidevieW over at flightsim.com. The article is also an interesting look at the use of multiple view set-ups in FS2x. Here's a snippet:
"You will need to play around a while with all the available settings until it is just right for your particular system. Probably the most time consuming task is aligning the client views correctly. The documentation supplied goes into considerable detail on this subject and you should read this carefully. For best effect you should have your client(s) monitor(s) placed at the actual viewing angle; i.e. if your front left view is 45° then your monitor should be placed at 45° to your front view screen. You can edit the default view of aircraft in the panel.cfg file so that each client will start up with the correct view angle. Seating position (not virtual) is also quite critical, and small adjustments to your seat height can make dramatic improvements – it really is a case of tweaking everything until it is right for you and your system."
I received the following Press Release from TK at ThirdWire.
"AUSTIN, TEXAS (April 17, 2002) – Third Wire Productions is pleased to announce that it has entered into a worldwide publishing deal with Strategy First to bring its highly anticipated flight simulation game, Strike Fighters: Project 1, into the retail market. Scheduled for release later this summer, Strike Fighters: Project 1 is a new jet combat game designed by the lead designer of European Air War ("Best Simulation Game of 1998") and Jane’s Longbow 2 ("Best Simulation Game of 1997").
Third Wire’s production heralds the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, a lean, loud and versatile aircraft that saw action as both an interceptor and strike fighter. The last of a legendary generation of aircraft, the F-4 may lack the complex computer systems found in its modern counterparts, but its pilots thrived on the adrenaline of seat-of-the-pants flying. Strike Fighters: Project 1 brings this feeling to the desktop, pitting hopeful pilots against their enemies as they roll and twist in a violent aerial chase or hunt down strategic ground targets. Other player flyable aircraft include North American F-100 Super Sabre, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk.
The fictional campaign is set in the 1960s, when aviation technology was still primitive, but advancing at breakneck speed. Weapon selection within the game matches historical availability, offering a few select missiles and guided weapons later, but focusing primarily on mounted guns. As any former combat pilot can attest, the weapons of that era challenged the delivery skills of even top pilots, and most air battles involved visceral, “in-your-face” gunfights in which outmaneuvering opponents remains the key to victory and survival. Strike Fighters: Project 1 takes this type of close combat to an unparalleled height by realistically modeling flight physics and aircraft systems, adding an overall sense of immersion to the game.
The game’s newly developed graphics engine employs the latest DirectX technology and renders scenes in rich, 32-bit color, with spectacular lighting effects, intricate texture layers, and reflective mapping. All flyable aircraft are modeled with exceptional detail and accuracy, right down to customizable squadron art and kill tallies.
For more information log onto www.thirdwire.com or www.strategyfirst.com.
Developed by Third Wire Productions, inc., Strike Fighters: Project 1 is a flight simulation game for PCs with the Windows® 95/98/Me/2000/XP operating system. It is scheduled for release late in summer of 2002 and will be distributed worldwide exclusively by Strategy First.
Third Wire Productions, Inc. is a software development company founded by Tsuyoshi Kawahito, the simulation game designer behind the critically acclaimed Jane’s Longbow 2 and European Air War. His educational background in real-world flight physics has earned him a reputation as one of the leading simulation programmers of the past decade. Formed in 1999, Third Wire is currently developing Strike Fighters: Project 1, its new and highly anticipated flight simulation game to be published by Strategy First.
Strategy First Inc. is a leading developer and worldwide publisher of entertainment software for the PC. Founded in 1990, the company has grown rapidly, publishing major games in the industry and simultaneously developing its own in-house titles, such as O.R.B., Disciples II, Nexagon: The Pit and Zero-G Marines. After winning numerous awards for games such as Disciples: Sacred Lands, Europa Universalis, Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns and Steel Beasts, Strategy First continues to push the gaming envelope with its own groundbreaking titles, while maintaining its reputation as a unique alternative for independent developers seeking to market their games to a worldwide audience.
Microsoft have made an announcement regarding FS2002 patches. Here's a snippet:
"We've seen a lot of speculation in the Flight Simulator forums and newsgroups about a "patch" or update for Flight Simulator 2002. The short answer to all the questions is that we have no plans to issue an update for FS2002. We can issue updates only to address major issues that affect installation and operation of the program. Feature enhancements (e.g., changes to the ATC system, scenery, weather, and aircraft) involve complex, often interdependent code changes that require extensive planning, development, and testing, and they are feasible only during development of a new version."
I received the following press release from eDimensional
Alexandria, VA (April 9, 2002)-- eDimensional, Inc., the leading provider of consumer virtual reality products and accessories including the E-DTM Glasses for the PC is proud to announce that the E-D glasses will be standard hardware in the latest version of X-Plane, v. 6.12. While already compatible with the existing versions of X-Plane, this new release will enable users to select the E-D glasses from the list of compatible hardware and display additional product information.
X-Plane creator Austin Meyer says, “I don’t want to take the E-D glasses off! They give an eerily '3-D' feeling to flying that you simply do not get with a regular monitor! It is really quite an X-perience!" eDimensional executive Michael Epstein commented, “The E-D glasses add so much to the already amazing X-Plane experience, it’s only fitting that they are being recognized as must-have hardware for flight simmers.” Together, the E-D glasses and X-Plane create the most immersive and realistic flight sim experience ever possible.
The lightweight E-D glasses convert existing PC games into true stereoscopic 3-D instantly. The E-D glasses come in a wired and wireless version, retailing for $69.95 and $99.95, respectively. Product reviews and other flight sim virtual reality accessories, such as the trackIR hands free POV controller are available through the company website at http://www.edimensional.com/. X-Plane is available in retailers and through the X-Plane website at www.X-Plane.com.
About eDimensional, Inc. eDimensional, Inc. is a Virginia based technology company whose mission is to provide the latest in virtual reality technologies to all consumers at a very affordable price. The company has been featured at various trade-shows, on television, in magazines, on Internet web sites and more. More information can be obtained by visiting the company’s Web site at www.eDimensional.com or contacting company sales department, at sales@edimensional.com.
About X-Plane X-Plane is the world's most comprehensive, powerful flight simulator, and has the most realistic flight model available for personal computers. X-Plane has detailed failure-modeling, with 35 systems that can be failed manually or randomly, when you least expect it! X-Plane comes with subsonic and supersonic flight dynamics and about 40 aircraft spanning the aviation industry (and history), and several hundred more are freely downloadable from the internet. X-Plane scenery is almost world-wide, with scenery for the entire United States, Hawaii, Alaska, Europe, Australia, Canada, and Japan on the CD, and more scenery downloadable from www.X-Plane.com.
"The patch has been testing well. Oleg and his team are putting in some final tweaks and we will need at least another day or so to test. Our Goal is to release the patch worldwide on Friday. Bearing any unforeseen problems, we should be able to make Friday the day.
This means we are PLANNING on having the patch available on Friday, not promising, not saying absolutely. If we find something wrong with the patch between now and Friday, it will delay the release.
We realize some of you are rather anxious to get your hands on this patch, but we know what the reaction would be if we release a patch that causes new problems and we'd like to avoid that much unpleasantness.
No one wants this patch released more than we do, but we are going to follow proper procedure and test it. You've all seen the list of things addressed by this patch so you can appreciate that we want these fixes and enhancements to function properly.
We appreciate your patience. It is almost finished, hang in there!
Cheers, Carl
________________________________________
Carl C. Norman Executive Producer Ubi Soft Entertainment"
Tom "WKLINK" Cofield has published this interview over at SimHQ with the Lead Game Designer of what, after the release of FS2002, must be a very highly anticipated sim. Here, Rob descibes the advances in the multiplay:
"Delivering a robust and satisfying multiplayer experience was my number one priority for CFS3. We will have quick arena combat, individual cooperative multiplayer missions, and a huge multiplayer campaign covering the entire span of WWII in the ETO. In addition, players will be able to create their own multiplayer missions using the mission builder. The real gem of the game will be the user-hosted campaigns, where players can play both competitively or cooperatively to determine the course of an entire war."
A great announcement over at the Official X-Plane Site. Version 6.12 has been approved by the FAA for used for logging time towards an ATP Certificate! .... albeit when used in conjuction with a Motus full-motion sim (price tag: about $150,000.00) and an instructor :)
John "Spoons" Sponauer has written a detailed review of Xicat's release. In this extract, John introduces the damage model:
"JAS uses an extremely detailed damage model, which you can actually see and explore for yourself in the Physics Editor. Bullet holes appear real-time right where the round hits, which looks great. Planes come apart when being hit, as debris falls free. Airplanes explode in mid-air, showering virtual crew and pieces of the airframe into the sky. If you want to see the damage modeling in action, take a bomber gun position and shoot at one of the other planes in formation with you. You can easily see damage occurring right where you hit, with more or less appropriate responses in the target's structure. Although the damage guns can do may be altered somewhat in the options settings, I think they are, in general, modeled very strong. Only a few hits from a .50 caliber can cause a B-17 to explode, even if the damage doesn't seem to be near anything that would seem to cause such a catastrophic explosion. I think bomber guns are over-modeled, not only for accuracy (without any doubt....more on that later), but also in power."
The f4ut site has posted a MP Mission Report from the latest internal beta from C3PO. Here's a snippet:
"All the time we were diving in and out of the cloud base (somewhere around angels 8) which added to the immersion factor. Myself and 4 (the AI) loaded up with AMRAAMs to protect the strike components of our flight. They delivered their durandals on target and engaged some Migs too."
SimHQ have posted a link to an article at 3dactionplanet.com that looks at the great skinning work of Darrin 'Hammerd' Covington. Here's the intro:
"I can think of no better choice for our first artist recognition than Darrin 'Hammerd' Covington. His list of aircraft modded for Jane's World War II Fighters (WWIIF) is impressive in sheer volume alone. But it is in the detail of his artistry that Darrin demonstrates the possibilities of creating aircraft that display the subtle touches of their real life counterparts. The FW 190A-8 series created for WWIIF is the best example of Darrin's current work. The worn and chipped paint finish, the riveted separate metal panels, the grease and smoke stains and the attention to structural fidelity (although admittedly bound within the limits of what is possible for WWIIF) create an aircraft whose appearance and historical accuracy transcend the flight sim genre. Each of these aircraft are works of art, unique in their shading, coloring and texture."
I have posted a fresh batch of Project 1 Screenshots sent to me by ThirdWire's TM. These shots show off the incredibly sweet looking Phantom. This really is starting to get me very excited.
The Official IL-2 Site has posted details (on behalf of Ubisoft). Due for release tomorrow, the patch version is 4.3.0.9. Here's some of the info:
"This is a first in computer gaming, allowing players of two different products to compete against each other on the same "virtual battlefield". When hosting or joining a game, the player can now choose to start either Destroyer Command or Silent Hunter II (assuming they own both Ubi Soft products). Once in a game Destroyer Command players will be in the same world as Silent Hunter II players."
checksix have posted the latest release of the utility. This version includes:
"- Works with upcoming 1.04 patch
- German support language, big thanks to Claudius Henrichs
- Lots of SERIOUS bugs fixed for Win 95, Win 98, Win ME OS (Stats, Staviskas, unable to connect to multiplayer game and others things…)
- Others minor things fixed for Win XP users
- Colors enhancements"
***Be aware, some people are reporting that the download contains a virus*** Personally, I downloaded at about 2am GMT on the 6th, scanned with latest definitions and scanned for spyware and can see no problems.
Further to Oleg's recent disclosure, Carl Norman an Executive Producer at UbiSoft has posted further details about the patch on the Official IL-2 Site forum:
"Sturmovik Faithful,
We will be posting this information on the main page of the IL-2 Sturmovik webpage soon but I thought I would post it on the Forum so that the information gets to you right away.
Despite the complaints of some that the patch is "vaporware", it is in final testing and will be released soon. It will be released when it is ready.
The V1.04 patch has just been submitted to the Ubi Soft QA Team for testing. We will be testing for problems and verifying that all new features and bug fixes have been implemented properly. We would like to be finished with the testing sometime during the week of April 11th, but please understand that the release depends upon the results of our testing efforts. When the testing has verified that the patch is ready to be released we will post an official announcement on this website.
Be advised that the list from the Read Me file that is contained in this message thread is subject to change and some of the features or revisions listed here may be changed prior to the final release of the patch.
We thank you for your loyalty and patience.
Carl C. Norman Executive Producer Ubi Soft Entertainment"
Read the full extent of the contents of this patch
HERE
The winner of our Hotas Cougar competition has been drawn. I am pleased to congratulate Mr (or Ms) A. Conway from Kent. The Cougar will be sent out by Thrustmaster as soon as the Cougar is released.
Oleg has revealed some details about the next patch/add-on. Speaking in the new "Oleg's Ready Room" forum on the il2 Sturmovik site realed details of two of the three new flyable aircraft:
"1. PZL P11c (User made model). I now understand why slow Polish fighers were respected by English and Russian test pilots and why Romanians used them on Russian front (Germans sold captured Polish planes Romania that to use against Soviet Union). They had increadible maneuverability! For these who will learn well this plane is a chance to fight with high speed fighter very well! And its flyes like a dream! almost no spin, you can do all you want (except good climb)!)
2. BI-1 (User made model) This one was the first real battle ready jet interceptor in the world. Real story of this plane you'll read in a text with this patch. It isn't uber plane. It is fast, but has limited time to fly and ony 45 shells for each of two ShVAK cannons. With this plane we'll offer small campaign (beginning from trial test and then like "if Russians use it in real battle, what was possible?) Campaign make Luthier (creator of Model). I personally think it is very interesting (as well as Me-163 Komet - I also like to make this one realistically for such purpose - historical point of view). I Online: against fighters this plane is not too good from the point of view "uberplane". At least during tests I personally was able to shot down other fighters just couple times (I'm not bad pilot!)"
gamespot have posted a preview of Microsoft's latest WWII outing. Here's the intro:
"It's back to Europe again with Microsoft's third Combat Flight Simulator - and a whole lot else has changed too since the series' last Pacific outing. The setting is 1943-1945 and follows the turning tide of war as the allies build up for D-Day and then beyond, into the Reich itself. The front-end presentation has changed, the flight modelling has changed, and so has terrain generation - allowing low-level strafing to look more realistic than ever before. Good job too since there are some tasty aircraft here - including the Hawker Typhoon and P-47 Thunderbolt, just itching to be flown above the hedgerows. More good news is the inclusion of a comprehensive multiplayer system that could well see CFS3 become the first choice for online WWII combat tournaments in the future."
Thomas "WKLINK" Cofield has posted a review at SimHQ of the on-line sim. Here's a snippet:
"Warbirds was the second of the great online simulations and for many years was considered the best online only game made, not just the best online only flight simulation. Warbirds II, first introduced in 1997 took the original version several steps higher, creating virtual world that caused almost an addiction among some gamers and certainly some heated arguments between spouses when the monthly credit card bills arrived. The game continued to improve, adding 3D card support, new terrains, a different field capture method and an ever-increasing plane set. For years Warbirds II was the king of online simulation."
