From: masten@beta.lanl.gov (David A. Masten)
Subject: Re: Yeager's Combat Sim.
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 04:57:21 GMT

In article <Bxxn5s.FzL@ais.org> draper@ais.org (Patrick Draper) writes:
>There's a new one from Electronic Arts (publishers of CYAC) that looks kind
>of neat. The box says it has a ton of aircraft that it simulates.
>
>I can't remember the name --- someone help me out!!

It's Birds of Prey, which originally came out on the Amiga around
December last year.
 
>Is it any good?

The short answer is no.
See my review in Gamebytes #7 (available at ftp.ulowell.edu in directory
msdos/Games/GameByte).  For those who don't know what Gamebytes is:
Ross Erickson started up this electronic (usenet) computer gaming mag
which is pretty damn good.  Includes screenshots, sometimes of games not
yet on the market.  Just ftp it, unzip, and run the executable.
Available in the smaller text only version and the full graphics version
(about 1.2 MB).

Since we've been comparing games, here's how I rate the ones I've played:
 
---------------------------------------------------------------
Falcon 3.0
Fly the F16 with wingmen and other allied flights against primarily
Soviet hardware equipped nations in various real world scenarios.  Stands
alone as the most comprehensive and realistic sim available.  But not
without its faults. The vaunted flight model incorrectly models quite a
few parameters, especially in "complex" mode.  The hyped "hifi" flight
model, which requires a coprocessor, is much better, but has joystick
sensitivity too twitchy for my tastes.  Be prepared to spend hours to
learn, and maybe a lifetime to master!  The D patch makes the campaign
too tough as your missiles and countermeasures seem less effective than
the enemy's.  Both dogfighting and ground attack are superbly conceived.
To succeed you must plan missions and fly them like the real thing.  Good
plane/vehicle and the best ground graphics.  The real world mapping and
unique 3D terrain force you to truly interact with the environment.  You
need a fast machine (I'd say 386/25 as a bare minimum) and 3 MB memory to
get the best out of it.  Includes modem and network options that are very
temperamental.

Operation Fighting Tiger (Falcon 3.01)
The expansion disk not only gives three new theatres, but adds more
planes, weapons, radars, mission types, action commands, flight commands,
and more digitized speech.  Also makes campaigns much more playable
allowing reduction of number of enemy flights.  This update also makes
your weapons and countermeasures more effective, and continues to address
bugs/gripes.  Greatly enhances F3's gameplay.

Chuck Yeager's Air Combat
Fly one of six planes spanning WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.  One plane from
each side in each war.  Choose from either one of 52 historical missions,
or create an air-air encounter flying any of the six planes against each
other or about a dozen other modelled planes (all with their own flight
models).  The cross-era, ala "Final Countdown," option is unique.  Very
fast and pretty graphics combined with fair and individual flight models
makes this the choice for computers of 386/16 or less power (even a
12mhz?).  Air Combat is the name, so it's weak on ground interaction.
Excellent, easy to use VCR. Limited long term play value.  But terrific
dogfighting!

Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
Fly either side in the later era of WWII when the US bombed the cr*p out
of Germany.  You have the choice of conventional fighters of the day
(both sides), or the B17 (including gun/bomber positions), or the
advanced German planes.  Fly single missions, a tour of duty, or a
campaign where strategic elements come into play.  Fairly nice
planes/world and beautiful cockpit graphics plus all the bells and
whistles.  I'm not a fan of the bitmapped plane graphics.  But great for
the "feel" of the era and action.  A poor choice was limiting you to only
cockpit views in play, and only external views in the somewhat clunky
camera review.  Can get by on lesser machines than a 386/33 (maybe down
to a 20?).  A good choice for those who want an involved game and a WWII
sim.  AI is probably weaker than the other games, but not ridiculously
easy combat as in F15II.  The B17 flys like a bus but is a nice addition.

Aces of the Pacific
Fly from a plethora of WWII pacific theatre planes from either side.
Models them reasonably, except may give some clunky US planes the benefit
of enhanced turning capability, and climb rates are off.  Choose single
missions, fly against an ace, or a sign up for a career.  If you want
carrier takeoffs/landings, dive/torpedo bombing, or just WWII pacific
ops, you don't have many other choices.  Lovely plane graphics, both
inside and out, good ships, fair ground detail, lots of options, and a
good replay feature.  With patch B, frame rate is improved, but is still
not great.  I'd say requires at least a 386/33.  Sounds, enemy AI, and a

few other things are now very good.  A few playability weaknesses and the
slowness detract.  But still, a fine game.

Megafortress
A very different sim in that you fully control the super-B52 conceived in
the novel Flight of the Old Dog.  This EB52 is somewhat stealthy and has
air-air missile capability.  You not only pilot, but man the copilot,
navigator, electronic (defensive) and offensive weapons stations.  The
emphasis is on flying low, navigating, avoiding detection, system
management, and weapon delivery.  Very complex controls that all but
require a mouse.  A joystick isn't even supported!  Limited to 16
training, 14 Desert Storm and the single FOD missions.  But the steep
learning curve guarantees you will get reasonable play time.  The plane
and external graphics are dated compared to the above games.  The
internal station graphics are detailed and complex.  Sound support is
good.  The flight model is pretty mediocre, which may be merciful as you
have your hands full with other chores.  While it has numerous play
weaknesses, it still offers many challenges.  For those who like
complexity ala Falcon3 and want to try something different.  Expansion
disks (including a mission designer) are available.

Birds of Prey
Lets you fly 40 different aircraft, including the usual fighters plus
bombers, recon and experimental aircraft.  You pick one of 12 mission
types, aircraft and side (unamed, but NATO vs Soviet) within a simple,
but dynamic, campaign over a fictitious map.  The computer determines the
particulars of the missions and the campaign progress is linked to your
success.  The game is hampered by having only a single, not particulary
well designed, cockpit, common systems, dated world graphics, and poor
joystick response.  On the positive side, the planes' external graphics
are decent, flight models are fairly impressive, and virtually any modern
plane you have ever wanted to fly is included.  Also it is much easier to
get into a mission than in F3.  But definitely a poor cousin to the above
sims.  Two years ago this might have been hot.

F117A Stealth Fighter (based on playable demo)
Gives you the choice of either the more accurately portrayed Lockheed
F117A, or a 'Microprose' F117.  The emphasis here is on flying this
'fighter' (really an attack plane) stealthily, to attack two targets per
mission.   Nine different real-world and possible future scenarios are
included, with hostilities ranging from cold to all-out war.  Graphics,
cockpit displays, the unrealistic radar, and AA missile/gun effectiveness
(for the MPS F117, the Lockheed has no A-A capability), and gameplay are
too reminiscent of F15II for my tastes.  No campaign mode, no VCR replay,
no mission designer.  F19 might have been hot when it came out, but this
slightly improved version isn't in the same league as Falcon 3.  Wait for
F15III if you want a more state-of-the-art MPS sim.

Gunship2000
Though again your weapons are too effective, enemies are pretty dumb, and
radar has the unrealistic 360 degree view (all MPS hallmarks), I find
much to commend.  Fly one of 6 different US copters either solo, or as
flight leader of five (upon achieving sufficient rank) in either the
Middle East or Central Europe.  Gameplay is similar to F15II and F117 in
that you have a primary and secondary target, though a cursory campaign
(which ties missions together, and tracks success) is included.  But the
uncertainty of enemy location, management and interaction with other
copters, need for advancement to qualify to fly the latest hardware, and
need to fly nap-of-the-earth over the graphically improved landscape,
makes this a much more interesting sim.  Flight models, as far as I can
tell, are complex, though I believe inertia isn't too well modelled
(including climbs and dives).  Unfortunately, you don't get a feel for
the locations as no real geographic features are included.  But terrain,
and enemy capabilites do differ between the theaters.


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