To: devnull@onion.rain.com (Hitech Simulation Mailing list) From: devnull@onion.rain.com (Hitech Simulation Mailing list) Reply-To: devnull@onion.rain.com (Hitech Simulation Mailing list) Sender: devnull@onion.rain.com (Hitech Simulation Mailing list) Return-Path: devnull@onion.rain.com (Hitech Simulation Mailing list) Errors-To: postmaster@onion.rain.com Precedence: bulk Bcc: hitech-sim-out Subject: Hitech Simulation Digest V2 : I1 Hitech Simulation Digest Volume 2 : Issue 1 Tue Feb 15 21:35:24 PST 1994 Compilation copyright (C) 1994 Jeff Beadles Send submissions to "hitech-sim@onion.rain.com" Send add/drop requests to "majordomo@onion.rain.com" Archives are available via ftp from onion.rain.com [147.28.0.161] Today's Topics: RE: CYAC ... Heinz-Bernd Eggenstein (LS2) Subject: RE: CYAC ... john "sirpo" hiett (HIETT@caer.uky.edu) wrote: >-Regarding your JS#2 problem in CYAC. DId you call EA for help? Given previous experience with customer support, I didn't even try. >WHat about >a kludge: put a JS switch on your "Y" cable and just shut off the ofending >JS when in CYAC. That would be a solution, and if there isn't a software solution, I'll have to do that. >FUN: try the Korean mission...ground attack....Chuck says:"I didn't >know those Migs were there !?" of course by now youv'e flamed 'em in your >Mustang Now that you mention it: this is my favourite! Extremely difficult. I once was able to kill both MiGs ("normal" difficulty setting, I think), but never with higher difficulty levels. But maybe I just lack practice. If you can do it in expert level, please send me a recording! Heinz-Bernd Eggenstein ------------------------------- From: norm@ctr.columbia.edu (N. R. "Norm" Lunde) Subject: Aviator I have (and have played to death) Aviator. The graphics are really impressive -- nicely contoured and shaded (gouraud I think) F-18s and X-29s with transparent, reflective cockpits, highly detailed terrain -- but the scope of the program is somewhat limited. Flight models: Not bad, but there are no afterburner, landing gear, or fuel limitations. I think the F/A-18 has a bit too much power, and it doesn't bleed speed rapidly enough in a tight turn. You can't over-G the airframe. There are no external stores besides a few AAMs, so they don't enter the equations. The X-29 flies just like the F/A-18, so you can't take advantage of its reputed agility. The cockpit, armament, etc. are all the same -- only the graphical model is different. Still, it's useful to give Red and Blue distinctive airframes during team play, since the planes have no distinguishing markings. Systems simulation: The HUD is nice, but everything else is toylike. You have a perfect radar with 360 degree coverage. No ECM, chaff, or flares. The missiles actually loop around looking for targetss, and if you really try you can shoot yourself down with a Sidewinder. The Sparrows are nice, though -- this is the only sim/game I've seen which models SARH. You actually have to keep the bogey in your reticle or the missile won't guide. There are no AMRAAMs, and worst of all, NO GUN! Once you've expended all your missiles, you have the option of quitting, committing suicide, or frustrating your opponents' attacks until they too are Winchester. Sometimes I take an unarmed 727 for a spin just to see how long one of those suckers would last with a pack of angry Hornets chasing it. (Not long.) Combat simulation: Life is one continuous chaotic furball. There are two small terrain worlds, one covering the Hawaiian islands and the other covering a big chunk of California. Although the terrain is beautifully detailed, with lots of ridges and canyons to hide in and around, there are no man-made structures to strafe, bomb, or land on. Thus, you have no landing gear or a/g stores. Moreover, you never run out of fuel, so there aren't any fuel tanks either. There are no teams, and the program doesn't even keep score for individual players. In fact, Aviator doesn't even give you confirmation of your kills. Often it's impossible to tell whether your opponent took a Winder up the pipe or flew into the side of Diamond Head trying to dodge it -- unless you trust his word :) There aren't any drones, but you can fight multiple human opponents over the network. Campaign mode? Forget about it. Bang per buck: The game itself is copy-protected via encrypted license key; you need one license per player. You'd better buy at least two licenses, because there are no AI drones to fight with. You'll also need a SPARCstation IPX or better -- no, make that two of them -- on the same Ethernet. You can't play against opponents across an IP bridge or router because the game hacks the Ethernet hardware directly instead of using IP protocols. For similar reasons, the game only runs on SPARCs with the GX framebuffer, and it only runs under OpenWindows. Aviator is about as non-portable as you can get, so don't expect a compatible PC version anytime soon :) Since Solaris 2.x came out, Sun has been gradually withdrawing support for SunOS 4.1.3. The newer, sexier Sun machines don't even run 4.1.3. I don't whether the Aviator people are contemplating a Solaris port, but they're f*ed if they don't. Even though the game itself appears to be comparably priced to, say, Falcon, you need really expensive hardware (~ $5K per SPARCstation) to run it. CONCLUSION: In most respects, Aviator is a lousy combat and systems simulator. Aviator is best characterized as an expensive cousin to Air Warrior, although even Air Warrior has a richer combat environment and much better systems and flight models. I think the best workstation flight/combat sim I've seen is the "Dogfight" game that comes with every SGI workstation for FREE. Dogfight has about half as many aircraft types as Air Warrior, including modern and WWII fighters, and a similar combat environment with mountains, airbases, etc. Dogfight is the only game I've seen where P-38s can tangle with F-14s in 256 colors and stereo sound. I wish I could have seen that Tomcat driver's face when I splashed him >:) ------------------------------- From: slb512@serveru1.naic.wpafb.af.mil (stuart butts/taai/75033) Subject: Re: Aviator > From: norm@ctr.columbia.edu (N. R. "Norm" Lunde) > > Flight models: > > Not bad, but there are no afterburner, landing gear, or fuel > limitations. I think the F/A-18 has a bit too much power, and > it doesn't bleed speed rapidly enough in a tight turn. You can't > over-G the airframe. You can't over G the real one (for anything more than an instantaneous spike) unless you turn off the automatic G limiter. > There are no external stores besides a > few AAMs, so they don't enter the equations. The X-29 flies just > like the F/A-18, so you can't take advantage of its reputed > agility. The cockpit, armament, etc. are all the same -- only > the graphical model is different. The X-29 didn't have any kind of weapons or weapon displays. It's high AOA roll performance was better than an F/A-18, but did have a Ps disadvantage. It wasn't built as a fighter, it was built as a technology demonstartor. ------ Stuart Internet: slb512%server3@fastc-issu.wpafb.af.mil | When sending messages, slb512@serveru1.naic.wpafb.af.mil | please send to both of these GEnie: S.BUTTS2, Mister Ed, Plane #6333 CI$: 71553,356 ------------------------------- From: "VOEGTLI@UBECLU.UNIBE.CH" Subject: Tornado : Problems handmade... Hi folks I've heard in a previous posted article (number, autor ? i don't know...) that it's possible to run Tornado under Windows ! Would be nice for playing at work (sorry chief...). I've tried it, and it works. But i have to start Tornado twice in the DOS-Window - the first time it stops loading and returns to the prompt, the second time it runs without any problems. Yesterday i started a campaign Level1 in warzone1, and fought me through various hot situations. Today, before my coffe-break, the enemy's morale was about 18% (mine 82%) - so i saved the game and went to the cafeteria. I think i was near my first sucessfully campaign. After my coffe-break i started my computer and Tornado again, fliped through the menus and clicked on the saved campaign (day 3, 20:33) and ............ nothing goes ! &*%/*&#!& (fu.. !) I've forgotten to exit from the DOS-Window bevore i turned off the computer !!!!!!!!!!!! That lousy Windows-s**t-Software has killed my campaign. Following my experience with corupt files like this one i started a new campaign (my real morale is now -100%). So, i just want to tell you: **** DO NOT PLAY TORNADO UNDER WINDOWS ****** when you are as clever as me, respectively when you often forgot to return to windows after a DOS-session, before you turn off the computer. ?????????????? Or is there any hope to repair my campaign-file ?????????? Anyway i hate now WINDOWS even more... not TORNADO ! This is the very best flight-sim i ever played, even more, it's the best game i ever buyed... Bye, Roland ================================================================== | Sometimes i think the surest sign that /o\ intelligent life exist elsewhere in the _____(_+_)_____ universe, is that none of it has tried oo oo to contact us... Calvin & Hobbes voegtli@phil.unibe.ch roland "the dreamer" University of Bern (Switzerland) ================================================================== ------------------------------- From: Heinz-Bernd Eggenstein (LS2) Subject: CYAC: JS#2 problem Hi! Thanx to all who helped me with this copy protection problem with CYAC! One other problem I (and other CYAC veterans) had was this: if you have a second joystick (or rudder pedals) connected, CYAC tends to chose the second joystick/pedals as flight controls! To fix this, try the following: While loading CYAC and during joystick calibr., fully deflect the input device you don't want to use (e.g. the pedals). During start up and joystick cal., CYAC seems to reject joysticks/pedals that do not appear to be centered. This works for my secondary joystick (cheapo Quickshot). Hope this helps, Heinz-Bernd Eggenstein ------------------------------- [[ End of digest Volume 2 : Issue 1 ]]