From: kuebeler@stat.tamu.edu (Mark Kuebeler)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games,rec.aviation.simulators
Subject: SVGA Air Warrior - Preview (Long)
Date: 23 Nov 1992 12:39:32 GMT
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: stat.tamu.edu


This is a fairly long winded description of the multiplayer air
combat simulation Air Warrior and in particular, SVGA Air Warrior,
a boxed version of the AW front-end program which I've had the
opportunity to test.  SVGA just went into production and should be 
in the stores by Christmas.

   DISCLAIMER:  The opinions expressed below are my own.  I do not
   represent Kesmai, Konami, or GEnie in any way.  Descriptions of 
   features of SVGA Air Warrior are based on a test version of the
   program, so some features may differ in the final version.

************************************************************************

OVERVIEW OF AIR WARRIOR:

Air Warrior (AW) is a multi-player air combat simulation on GEnie. 
Players must run a front end program (FE) on their home computer and  
connect through GEnie to a host computer running AW.  The FE takes care of
the graphics and flight simulation computations, and communicates the 
player's position and other data to the host, which in turn sends the FE 
data for the other planes in the vicinity of the player. 

Players can fly for one of three constantly warring countries (simply
known as A-Land, B-Land, and C-Land), either solo or as members of
organized squadrons.  Each country has a number of airfields and a 
variety of WW2 era fighters and bombers available to it:

	P-51D Mustang		B-17G Flying Fortress
	A6M5a Zero-Sen		B-25J Mitchell
	Spitfire Mk IX		A-26B Invader
	Bf 109F-4		Mosquito Mk XVI
	Focke Wulf 190A-8	Mitsubishi G4M2 Betty
	P38J Lightning		Junkers Ju 88A-4
	F4U-1D Corsair		C-47 Skytrain
	Yak 9D
	Ki-84 Ia Hayate

There are several WW1 era planes available in the WW1 theater:

	Fokker Dr. 1
	Sopwith Camel
	Spad S.XIII
	Fokker D.VII
	Bristol F.2B Brisfit

Three jets are also available:

	Me 262 A-1a Sturmvogel
	F86-F Sabre
	MiG 15

Bombers have multiple gunner positions which can be manned by other players.  
Most airfields can be destroyed by the enemy, some of them can even be 
captured.  There are also strategic targets (radar, factories, refinery, 
city) in each country that can be attacked.  Some airfields have host-
controlled anti-aircraft guns, and there are ground vehicles that can be 
crewed by multiple players for air defense or attacks against ground 
targets. 

There are separate WW2 theaters with European and Pacific terrain, and a 
smaller theater for WW1 air combat.  The main game takes place in the combat 
arena, where player scores are kept by the host.  A scoreboard is maintained
listing the standings of all Air Warriors.  There is a separate training 
arena where no scores are kept and the planes are loaded with "blanks" so 
nobody can be shot down (rather, you are informed that you have been shot 
down).  Historical scenarios are offered on a semi-regular basis in a special 
scenario arena.  Each theater has a maximum capacity of 50 players. However, 
due to network limitations only one combat theater at a time is currently
available (in addition to the training arena and WW1, which are always 
available).  The combat theater changes approximately every three weeks, at 
which time all scores are archived and reset to zero.

Since human opponents can be much more challenging than computer controlled
enemies, the learning curve in AW is correspondingly steeper.  To help
new players learn the ropes, regular training sessions are held each
Tuesday evening in the training arena.  The front ends also have an
off-line practice mode so that players can practice take-offs, landings
and aerobatics, however there is no means of practicing gunnery other than
online in the training or combat arenas.  The most recent addition to the
AW training program is the Air Warrior Training Academy (AWTA).  AWTA
is a package deal consisting of structured training sessions, manuals
and maps, all for one low price. 

AW is currently supported on IBM, Amiga, Macintosh, and Atari ST computers.
The front-end programs can be downloaded at no cost from GEnie, but the game
itself is not free!  The cost is currently $6/hr, the usual GEnie rate for
non-basic services.  Support materials such as maps or manuals can be ordered 
for a reasonable cost. Still other files like player designed artwork, films 
and help files can be downloaded at the non-basic rate.  There is a very 
active bulletin board for AW related topics, which is a GEnie basic service, 
and is included in the monthly membership fee (currently $4.95).  This is
a particularly good place to learn more about the game without spending a
lot of money.  To get to the AW bulletin board, type M1045;1  from any
GEnie prompt.  This is the Multiplayer Games Roundtable (MPGames).  The AW 
topics are in categories 3-6.

===========================================================================
SIGNING UP FOR GENIE SERVICE:

To talk to a GEnie service representative, dial 1-800-638-9636.

To open an account on GEnie:

  Set your terminal to 7 Bits, Even parity, 1 Stop Bit, Half-duplex
  mode, at either 1200 or 2400 baud.

  1)  Dial 1-800-638-8369.
  2)  Reply:  CONNECT 2400 (or 1200, as the case may be)
  3)  Type:  hhh  (no <rtn> required)
  4)  Reply:  U#=    (this is the GEnie login prompt)
  5)  Type:  XJM11868,AIR
  6)  Follow the sign up MENU prompts.  Have a major credit card
      number ready to use for billing.

  Note that it usually takes a few days to get your permanent account
  number and password in the mail, so you won't be able to access any 
  non-basic services (including AW) until then.

===========================================================================

DESCRIPTION OF THE IBM FRONT-END AND NEW SVGA FEATURES:

The current version of the IBM front end is ver. 1.4 (there is a version
1.4b that includes support for SoundBlaster sound cards, but it is not a
free download).  Nearly all of the capabilities of the current front end 
are included in the upcoming SVGA version.  SVGA enhances some features
and adds new ones.  Except were specifically noted, the following
description applies to both version 1.4 and the SVGA version.

  SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:  The current version of AW will run on any
  IBM PC or compatible with 640K RAM, although running artwork and
  sounds really pushes the memory limit to the edge.  A 286 or better
  is recommended for performance reasons.  A 16-bit EGA or VGA
  graphics adapter will improve graphical performance.  Either a
  mouse or analog joystick is required.  Ver. 1.4 supports Covox
  sound boards and the PC speaker.  Ver 1.4b added SoundBlaster support.  
  The recommended baud rate for AW is 1200 (there is no advantage to 
  running at higher baud rates), so at least a 1200 baud modem is required.  
  (NOTE:  Ver 1.4 only supports modems on COM1 or COM2.)

  SVGA has bigger system requirements.  A 386 or better is required,
  with at least 4 megabytes of RAM.  A SVGA video card with 1 MB
  video RAM is also required.  SoundBlaster and SBPro are supported,
  but there is currently no PC speaker sound support planned.

--------------------

  FLIGHT CONTROL:  Pitch and roll are controlled by either joystick
  or mouse.  Rudder must be manually centered.  Since all turns in AW
  are autocoordinated, rudder is mainly used for making adjustments
  to the flight path during a firing pass or bomb run.  Some commands
  are handled by a single keypress (e.g., flaps up/down, drop bomb), while 
  others require entering a command mode and typing the command (e.g., 
  arm/disarm bombs or enabling the bombsight).

  SVGA adds support for Thrustmaster FCS and WCS, and rudder pedals.
  The castle switch on the FCS can be used to access some of the
  out-of-cockpit views.  One unique feature of SVGA is the joystick 
  calibration routine.  It is possible to adjust the sensitivity of the 
  joystick at various deflections, and this can done independently for 
  the pitch and roll axes.

--------------------

  FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS:  The instrument panel is always in view, even
  when looking in other directions.  Instruments include the standard
  gauges: altimeter, airspeed indicator, rate-of-climb, compass, fuel,
  oil and ammo gauges.  An accelerometer (g-meter) displays the airframe
  loading during maneuvers.  A "stick box" indicates the stick position
  (mainly useful for mouse control) and rudder position.  There are
  also indicators for landing gear, flaps and throttle.  Unlike most
  air combat sims, AW has an option to display either true airspeed (TAS)
  or indicated airspeed (IAS).

  SVGA adds an option of replacing the stick box by an artificial horizon,
  and the instrument panel is literally a work of art!

--------------------

  GRAPHICS:  Ver. 1.4 runs in screen resolutions of 320x200, 640x200 and
  640x350.  The default out-of-cockpit views contain plain silhouettes
  of the wings and fuselage.  Player designed artwork which replaces the 
  plain default views with more realistic looking views can be used if
  desired.  However, artwork is only available for the lower resolutions.  
  Hits on other planes by the player are represented by a large "X" on the
  target.  Damaged planes will trail "smoke" in the form of a white triangle 
  behind the plane.  The explosion effect is somewhat difficult to describe, 
  but sort of resembles a burst of sparks (called "fractal effect" in the
  options menu).

  SVGA runs at a resolution of 640x480, however the price of this higher 
  resolution is that the viewing area is smaller than in the EGA version.  
  The included artwork was done by professional artists.  Artwork may be 
  completely disabled if desired, or disabled only in selected view 
  directions. Hits on planes are represented by debris flying off the target 
  (similar to  BOB1940).  Smoke and explosion effects are animated, and much 
  more realistic looking.  Any or all of these effects can be disabled by
  the player if desired. 

--------------------

  TERRAIN:  The terrain in the world of AW is fairly simplistic.  Most of
  the action takes place in an area of about 1296 square miles which is 
  divided into nine 12 x 12 mile sectors.  The ground is completely flat 
  and at sea level.  There are some mountains (simple polygons), rivers with 
  bridges, and lakes.  One airfield has some low hills around it.  The 
  Pacific theater consists of three home islands, six aircraft carriers, and 
  a central atoll area.  Although the terrain is plain, it is sufficient for 
  navigational purposes.  Besides, sightseeing is not exactly the point of AW!

  SVGA displays the exact same terrain features (albeit in higher res).
  There is an optional effect to generate random colored patches on
  the ground, which provides more of a feeling of forward movement, and
  serves as an additional attitude cue during low altitude maneuvering.
  The gradient horizon shading is one of the best I've seen in a flight 
  sim yet!
  
--------------------

  VIEWS:  AW probably has the most comprehensive view system ever
  devised for a flight sim.  Views are accessed from the numeric
  keypad or keyboard.  The front, rear, left and right view keys can
  be combined to give intermediate views (e.g. forward-left, right-rear, 
  etc.).  There is an up view key, and the eight level views can be
  shifted upward by simultaneously holding down the up key and the
  level view combination.  Similarly there are downward shifted views,
  for a total of 24 different view directions.  All the views have some
  overlap, so it is possible to keep a target in sight at all times
  while maneuvering.

  SVGA allows players with the Thrustmaster FCS to access some
  views with the castle switch.  SVGA also includes a utility for
  remapping the default keyboard layout.

--------------------

  GUN CAMERA:  A "gun camera" feature allows the player to record all
  or part of a flight, including radio traffic.  In film playback there
  is an external view option, and all view key combinations apply to 
  external viewing.  Interesting and unusual films of other Air Warriors
  can be downloaded from the MPGames library on GEnie.

--------------------

  REPRESENTATION OF OTHER AIRCRAFT:  Aircraft are first represented 
  as a solid black dot at around 12,000 yards. Within a few thousand 
  yards planes are represented by a "T" which gives an indication of 
  the target aspect angle, depending on how the T is rotated.  At very 
  close ranges planes have full polygonal rendering.  There are no 
  markings or colors, but it is fairly easy to tell the difference 
  between a P-38 and a Spitfire.  Other planes are less easily
  identified.  Fortunately target identification is facilitated by a 
  display of the planes in the current view.  A row of "icons" along 
  the bottom of the viewing area appear below each plane.  The color of
  the icon identifies which country the plane belongs to (there is a
  key to remind the player what the colors are).  A text display
  shows the distance (in yards) to each plane in the view, plane type
  if an enemy, or player id number if a friendly.

  With the increased resolution of SVGA, aircraft are rendered as
  polygons at much greater distances, starting from about 2000 yds and
  increasing in detail as the range is closed.  There is an option
  to enable the "T" display described above, if so desired.

--------------------

  RADIO COMMUNICATIONS:  A unique feature of AW is that players can
  send and receive messages via the "radio"  during flight.  There is
  also a "radio shack" that players not in flight can use to communicate 
  with those who are.  Players type their messages on the command line,
  and read messages from other players in a text area.  There are 999
  radio channels to use.  Channel 1 is a common channel for all players,
  while channels 2-999 can only be monitored by players in the same
  country.  Channel 1 is used to negotiate truces, congratulate opponents
  on a skillful kill, or just to say hi to the AW community (hey, just 
  because they want to kill you doesn't mean you have to be unfriendly!).  
  Frequently Ch. 1 is also used to taunt and psych-out the opposition!  
  This is an accepted part of the game, within reason of course. :)

--------------------

  CONFERENCE ROOMS: After entering AW, the player starts off in General 
  Conference Room 1 (GC1).  There are 9 such conference rooms where players 
  from all countries can get together and chat.  Each airfield also has a 
  ready room open only to members of that country which can be used for 
  preflight briefings.  There are a number of commands that players can 
  issue to get information, such as a roster of all players currently 
  online, scores for themselves or any other player, and the status of 
  airfields and strategic targets belonging to the player's country. 

--------------------
  
  OFF-LINE PRACTICE MODE:  The AW front-end can be used off-line for
  practice.  Players can select any plane, start from any airfield, and
  fly around the AW terrain.  There are no planes to shoot at, however,
  so this is mainly intended for learning how to operate the planes,
  practice landings and aerobatic maneuvers.

  SVGA adds off-line drones!  The player can select up to four computer
  controlled drones, each having a selectable plane type, country,
  starting airfield, and skill level.  Bomber drones have gunners.
  Fighter drones will shoot you down if you let them, but they are fairly 
  easy to evade.  The fighters fly fairly aggressively (if one is nearby
  while you are taking off, it will come over to strafe you), and it can 
  take a while to get saddled up on them, but once you get on their six 
  they are not hard to shoot down.  However, AW is about air combat against 
  human opponents, not the computer!  The purpose of the drones is simply 
  to give players a cost-effective way to practice gunnery and relative 
  maneuvering.   

--------------------

  REALISM FEATURES:  The online game runs at half real time.  This is
  both for playability and due to network limitations.  All planes
  will stall at a certain speed, but the flight model is very forgiving
  in that there are no accelerated stalls, spins, or blackouts.  For
  example, it is possible to make sustained 9 g maneuvers in AW with no 
  ill effects other than a rapid loss of energy.  Frequently dogfights 
  degenerate into what are known as "stallfights," where the planes become 
  locked in a slow turning battle at stall speed.  Not very realistic, and 
  not a good position to be in if an enemy with more energy comes along!  

  Planes are given triple the historical ammo load (again for playability),
  and the gunnery model considers any "bullets" falling inside a "hit
  bubble" around the target as hits.  Zero deflection shots from the
  rear have the greatest chance of scoring hits, and the rear hit
  bubble has a 3 wingspan diameter.  Deflection shots require lead and
  are harder to score.  Head on shots have the lowest chance of scoring 
  a hit.  Lethality of guns in the on-line game is somewhat low, so it
  can take quite a few hits to bring down some planes.  This is done
  for playability;  no one likes to spend 10-15 minutes getting to a 
  fight only to be taken out with one or two lucky hits, although it
  has still been known to happen!  

  Random damage from hits may include loss of an engine, fuel or oil leaks, 
  damaged elevator or flaps.  Flaps will not operate above a certain 
  speed, and landing gear can be damaged if lowered at too high an airspeed.  
  Some planes, like the Spitfire, can lose their wings in a fast dive.  The 
  P-38 suffers from compressibility at high speeds, but has dive brakes to 
  prevent this.  

  Bombing in the game is highly simplified.  Bombers have a  crosshair 
  bombsight, and fighters (and some bombers) have a divebomb sight, which
  behaves like a CCIP sight.  The sights are "magical," so bombs will 
  generally hit whatever the bombsight was on when you dropped them.

  SVGA adds new realism features like accelerated stalls, spins,
  blackout/redout, buffeting, a realistic gunnery model, and real-time 
  flight in off-line and H2H mode.  Accelerated stalls occur when the 
  angle of attack becomes too high, and can occur at any speed.  As the
  plane nears a stall it will start buffeting, and the screen will 
  visibly shake.  A stall light begins flashing when a stall is 
  imminent and a horn signals that a stall has occurred.  Stalls can
  develop into a spin, particularly if the controls are moved around a lot
  during stall recovery.  Spin characteristics are modeled differently for 
  each type of plane.  Blackouts are modeled from Air Force data.  Vision 
  begins to dim at around 5 g's, becoming dimmer as g's increase.  Blackouts 
  tend to set in between 7-8 g's depending on the pilot's level of fatigue.
  Fatigue is cumulative, so the pilot is less able to withstand a blackout
  after sustained high g maneuvers.  Blackouts last a few seconds, during 
  which time the pilot loses control of the aircraft and there is some 
  randomization of the controls.  There's nothing like coming out of a 
  blackout and seeing your forward view full of ground!  The realistic 
  gunnery model gives the player the historical ammo load and lethality, 
  and reduces the hit bubble to a single wingspan.  
  
  Each of the realism features can be disabled in practice mode and H2H.  
  Also, realism features will probably not be used in the online game until 
  all other platforms have been updated to include them.

  SVGA includes updated flight characteristics for all planes.  All
  other platforms will likewise be updated in this regard.  In the new
  models inverted flight cannot be sustained without a loss of oil
  pressure and damage to engines.  Also diving at full power can cause
  damage to engines from too high RPMs. 

--------------------

  H2H MODEM PLAY:  With SVGA players have the option of going head to
  head with another player, either over a modem or using a null modem
  cable.  One player puts his computer into H2H host mode, and the
  other player initiates the call.  When the connection is complete,
  the players can chat via the terminal screen by typing messages on
  a message line until one player begins the negotiation phase.  The 
  negotiation window shows the settings for each player:  plane type, 
  starting airfield, and realism settings.  Negotiation works in turns.  
  The first player selects the options for one or both of the players,
  and then passes control to the opponent, who may accept the settings
  or make changes and pass control back.  During negotiation players
  can continue to communicate through a small message window.  Once the 
  conditions of the duel are accepted, the players can begin the flight.  
  As in the on-line game, players can communicate over Ch. 1 while in 
  flight.  If a player is shot down or crashes, he or she starts again 
  from their starting airfield with a fresh plane, while the opponent
  continues to fly.  At any time the duel can be stopped, returning both
  players to the terminal screen.  Another duel can be negotiated at
  this time.  

***********************************************************************