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 : I7 Hitech Simulation Digest Volume 2 : Issue 7 Sun Mar 6 09:20:59 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: Tornado 1.0d update Andrew.Stevens@comlab.oxford.ac.uk DI future plans Andrew.Stevens@comlab.oxford.ac.uk ------------------------------------------------------------ From: Andrew.Stevens@comlab.oxford.ac.uk Subject: Re: Tornado 1.0d update O.k. here's the deal (as far as I understand it from some Pints with the DI folk) regarding 1.0d. Basically, it fixes the odd obscure bug in the front-end. Other than that it is essentially identical to 1.0c. The BIG change in the code is the hooks needed to handle the Desert storm scenario: extra warzone, two sets of GFX, plus the change in the way anti-air operations are handled in the campaign simulation part of the front-end. As far as I know there is no way to upgrade to 1.0d without getting the scenario since the d revision changes are to all intents and purposes specific to having the scenario stuff lying around. However, you definately don't need the CD version to get Desert Storm (and thus 1.0d). There's a floppy upgrade version as well. As usual things are a lot slower in the US and neither is really available yet from Spectrum Holobyte. Andrew ------------------------------- From: Andrew.Stevens@comlab.oxford.ac.uk Subject: DI future plans Talking to the DI developers last night over beer I got the following regarding their plans for future releases. - They're aiming to bring out a game based on their third generation 3D engine (Tornado was the 2nd generation) within the next 18 months. The schedule is primarily dictated by the need to keep a decently stable cash-flow (Tornado really `bet the company') and avoid the game engine being dated even as the first game came out. The Tornado engine was ready about 20 months before the game which made releasing a follow-on game with the same engine non-viable (it had dated too much by then). - The most likely option being discussed is a high-quality authentic chopper sim (some experience having already been gained with the EH101 mini-sim done on the Tornado engine for the Royal Navy). The virtue of the chopper sim is that it requires (compared with a fighter) far far less coding for avionics and weapons systems simulation. (Coding the Tornado avionics and weapons plus campaign system was about 2/3's of the work). - Once the first game is out the plan is to develop a more extensive Tornado-like product building on the same game engine. Possibly bringing out stuff in a layered way: e.g. basic game 1st, fancy mission planner / extra weapons avionics scenarios second. The time-scale for this product would be 8-12 months after the first product. (A lot depends on being able to hire the right people for doing stuff like 3D object and map design). Future maps will be based on real geography. - The game egine will shade/texture and is currently being developed to support 320x240 640x480 and 800x600. Framerates for the first 2 are very encouraging `much better than expected' but the latter looks like it may only be suitable for use in the game front-end. The design target seems to be Tornado-like frame-rates at 640x480 on mid-range VL bus graphics cards on 486/33 level machines. Obviously, targets can be missed or hit. The 320x240 mode may or may not be available as a fall-back for folk with more modest machines. Andrew ------------------------------- [[ End of digest Volume 2 : Issue 7 ]]