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    IL-2: 3 Sqn SAAF in East Africa
    33LIMA
    By 33LIMA,
    Flying a South African Air Force Hurricane against the Regia Aeronautica in a WW2 backwater     Notwithstanding the mounting excitement around upcoming new sims, there's still plenty of life in classics like IL-2. I for one was keen to try out a couple of new campaigns released by Greybeard which featured a little-known theatre of operations, Ethiopia and eastern Africa. Here in 1940, Musolini's forces staged an initially-successful offensive into British-controlled territories that was soon rolled back after some stiff fighting, in the air and on the ground. I decided to make a start flying for the victors, in a campaign which puts the player into the cockpit of a Mark 1 Hawker Hurricane in Number 3 Squadron, South African Air Force. The campaign announcement is here:   http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3864227/No_3_Sqn_SAAF_in_East_Africa#Post3864227   I much prefer to fly IL-2 with the Dark Blue World mod. This campaign uses a particular version of the Dgen campaign generator by Asura and although it likely works in DBW I decided to make this my first outing with the Team Diadalos patched version. Before installing DBW I had taken a copy of my IL-2 '46 install (a simple cut & paste operation gives a fully-functional second install) and I patched this with the latest official patches and then the TD patches, to get it fully-up-to-date, then installed the DGen mod and the campaign.   Here's the briefing for the first mission. I was assigned to lead a section of three Hurris on what the USN would call a Combat Air Patrol from our base on a rather barren, possibly volcanic, island off the coast opposite the opposing front lines. Clear enough, although the squadron was described at one point as an 'eskadrilyia' (Hungarian?) and the briefing didn't mention the presence of friendly aircraft, whose radio chatter I began to hear early in the mission.     Anyway here we are, lined up and good to go. The recommended skin is quite superb, don't you think?     Without further ado, I locked the tailwheel, tested the controls, and started up. Flaps set, I opened the throttle gradually to reduce swing, and was soon airborne. Gear and flaps up, I swung right into a climbing turn inland, and having put on a couple of thousand feet, levelled off and throttled back on a course just off north, waiting for my flight-mates to catch up with me.   The island base is nicely done; in fact it reminds me of the old RAF verse, that goes like this:   'A little bit of Heaven fell from out the sky one day And landed in the ocean, oh so very far away. And when the air force saw it, it looked so effing bare They said 'THAT'S what were looking for We'll put the squadron THERE!'     We didn't have long to wait, for the enemy to show up! While my wingmen were still some way behind, I head the call on the radio 'Fighters! One o'clock!'. And there they were - two specks to my right front, about the same level. I gave the others the command to get stuck into them, and turned into them myself, as they appeared to do likewise.     The enemy was a pair of Fiat CR42 biplanes and they were short of neither manoeuvrability nor aggression. I gave their leader a fairly wild burst from my eight Brownings as they whizzed by in a frontal pass but it was no time at all after that before one of the b***ers was above me and shooting, ignoring the tracers from ground MG fire.     For some reason, he then rolled away, perhaps distracted by one of the others. This gave me the chance I needed, and I didn't waste it. I chopped the throttle and rolled in after him, being careful not to push my Hurricane - which I had found in test combats to be prone to stalling - too hard. I got in a good burst and though he was in my sights only briefly, it was enough.     Breaking away and taking stock, the sky seemed clear of enemies, so my comrades had evidently got the other impertinent Italian airman. I ordered a reform, and was relieved that both my chaps answered the call. Relaxed but still alert, I steered south towards our assigned patrol area, throttling back again to let them close on me before gaining height again as we headed into...what?     ...to be continued!

    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview with Pcpilot
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview With Pcpilot By Skyviper   In today’s CombatACE Spotlight we’ll focus on Pcpilot. He’s a veteran of the United States Navy, a mod developer and has been here at CombatACE since 2002. He was also among the first group members to arrive here when CombatACE was first started. Thank you, Pcpilot, for taking the time to do this interview.   So, Pcpilot, can you tell us a little about yourself?   I was born in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1957. My family moved west to Arizona when I was 6. Eventually I joined the Marines on my 18th birthday in '75 with a high school buddy and went to San Diego for boot camp. On graduation we were sent to Camp Pendleton. But humping hills on frosty, foggy mornings wasn’t my idea of fun. I had always loved ships and wanted to see the world so the equation was easy for me; I shipped over to the Navy late in '77. I had originally thought to be an AW, (anti-sub warfare) but wound up in deck department as a boatswains mate. Loved it; I was finally a real seaman. 6 years, 2 ships, 3 deployments and a marriage later I found myself re-entering the civilian world with an able seaman unlimited license. Now nearly 30 years later I am living free in Montana, with a good job and a sweet wife who is the love of my life.      That is awesome. Do have any fond memories of being in the Navy that would like share? I'll never forget my shipmates, some of whom I still stay in touch with. We shared long mid watches and flight quarters, cold refuelings and replenishments at sea, rainy sea and anchor details, and many a fun night in port; can you say Subic Bay? I was commended by an admiral for my small boat handling and seamanship taking a sick sailor off the submarine USS Thomas Jefferson with the motor whaleboat after a typhoon in the Sea of Japan. We chased Russian subs and warned away Iranian F-4 phantoms in the gulf. Got to see the Parthenon and visited Austrailia. Walked the streets of Pompei, Tel Aviv, and Yokosuka. Watched B-52s do the dumbo walk over an island off Guam. Felt the heat from the blasts a mile away. These and a hundred other memories I'll carry with me till the day I die.     You have certainly visited some truly amazing places. So, what interest you about aviation? I’ve always wanted to fly, to get my license, and never have. May still yet God willing. Just the thought of being in flight has a romantic twinge to it doesn’t it. The poem High flight by John Magee has always been special to me.     What is your favorite aircraft and why? Well, there are 3 if I may...The F-14 Tomcat, power incarnate, maneuverable, just plain awesome. The F4U Corsair, no more rugged, dependable Marine aircraft ever flew. Just the sound of that engine sends chills down my spine. And, lastly, the piper cub. Simplicity and the suggestion of man putting on a small machine to actually fly, like the birds, seat of the pants. Totally cool.    What got you interested in flight simulation? If I don’t have a license, this seemed the natural alternative.     A natural alternative indeed. Do you remember the first flight sim you ever played? A good friend introduced me to computers back in '94. On his computer he had secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe. I didn’t stop learning and working on computers and building them until I could play that sim on my computer.     I’ve that you’ve been a member here since 2002. What motivated you to arrive at CombatAce and stay over the years? I was member number 66 so yeah, I’ve been here awhile I guess. Honestly, guys like Madjeff, Dave, Eric, Wrench, Nesher, Mannie, Fates, and a hundred others. Guys like these are salt of the earth as far as I’m concerned. And we all share a common interest; flight simming.   I know CombatACE used to be called BioHaz years ago. How did you feel when BioHaz changed into CombatACE? Honestly, I was glad to see it. A little sad Biohaz couldn’t continue, but it was taken over by a top flight team who has lovingly carried Biohaz' legacy to ever greater heights. I still actually have an old Biohaz beer stein I bought back when madjeff started selling swag to help keep things afloat.    When did you start modding? I realized how easy it was to make my own hangar screens for Strike Fighters, and then decided to share them. Gee, I think that was sometime early on, around 2004 or 5 I think.    What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing, is it a neat hobby etc? It’s like when I was a kid and building models. It’s like a grownups toy you can play with and change around. It can be frustrating at times but I get a lot from it, especially when I research what I am doing. So you could say it’s a learning tool also. And the feeling of seeing a skin you made on a plane in game is just plain cool.    You released a file in 2005 called the Pcpilot’s photo pack. It’s your most downloaded file with 1,357 downloads to date. What inspired you to make that mod? I wanted to have more choices for pilot pics. We needed some opfor pilots too since we had learned to make the Migs flyable in SF.   How long did it take you to make it? Not that long. I looked online for pilot pics, re-sized them to the games' dimensions, put it all in a pack with a readme, and VIOLA!     What modding tools do you use and why? The internet for research and PaintShop Pro 7 for editing images or painting skins. PSP7 is pretty simple, flexible, and powerful.    What is your favorite mod that you have created? I was really pleased I actually got a campaign functioning with the Solomon’s Campaign. It actually seems to work pretty well and I still play it.     What is your favorite mod that you did not create? Two old favorites actually, green Hell and Wrench's WW2 pacific terrain updates.    Provided you have the time and resources. What mod would you like to make? It’s been awhile since I’ve done some skins and wouldn’t mind doing a few for the TMF corsair.     Who is a Modder, or Modders, you admire or has inspired you to start modding? Honestly, Wrench. That guy has bent over backwards to keep SF2 still viable. With all the updates and patches from TK over the years constantly causing us to redo mods, especially terrain, he has been absolutely awesome. He has kept our game alive with all his efforts. Hats off to Wrench.     I’m sure Wrench would be glad to read that. Do you have any favorite quotes or thoughts about being here at CombatACE you’d like to share? There have been some pretty pithy comments over the years. One of the things that keep it interesting around here I think. Some of those are unrepeatable, lol. Just visit the forums over time and you'll pick up something sooner or later, lol.   Thank you, Pcpilot, for taking the time to tell us your story. Below are some photos that Pcpilot is kind enough to share with us, from his Naval Days. That’s all for today’s CombatACE Spotlight, have a good day and happy landings.                                                                     

    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview with Wingwiner
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview With Wingwiner By Skyviper     Today we shine the light on Wingwiner. He hails from Poland and has been a member here since 2006. He released a number of flies over the years and just recently he's a released a helpful mod that we'll cover later on. Thank you Wingwiner for taking the time to do an interview with us.   So, please tell us, what interests you about aviation?
    I’m interested in old airplanes (cold war era) and aircraft combat advantage over ground-based vehicles.

    What is your favorite aircraft and why?
    My favorite aircraft is Mig21 and A7 Corsair. But in the past I loved the A-10 thunderbolt also. Why? Because every two years, in my city Radom, (Poland), there is an Airshow. So I can see many Migs in the air! I also like the A7 because it can take a lot of bombs and missiles.

    What got you interested in flight simulation?
    I love the freedom of flight over miles, I like virtual reality where I can create everything myself.

    Indeed flying milies and miles over virtual landscapes is neat. Do you remember the first flight sim you ever played?
    The first flight sim I played was the Novalogic F-16 game. It was not possible to make changes or mods.

    What motivated you to arrive at CombatACE and stay over the years?
    It has been many years, so I don`t remember when and how I found CombatACE forum. I don`t play any another flight sim, Strike Fighters is immortal [awesome or really good] software. I like to share my mods, because I use hundreds of other people’s mods.

    You’ve just released a mod the Experimental Cockpit for Any Aircraft. What inspired you to make that mod?
    I wanted to have a cockpit which uses different units of flight parameters. It is necessary for me for testing aircrafts values, and when I want to build some terrain map mods.

    How long did it take for you make it?
    This cockpit is very old mod, but [recently] I added many useful indicators, so I don’t know how long I worked on it.

    When did you start modding?
    Many years ago. About 10 years ago (for Strike Fighters), I suppose. But I created mods since 2001 for other games.

    What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing or a neat hobby etc?
    Modding is my hobby, and I like to overcome difficulties when I want to do something new.

    What modding tools do you use and why?
    I use Autodesk 3d max and Photoshop. I know this software for many years and I like them.   Thank you Wingwiner for taking the time to do an interview with us. If you'd like to check out Wingwiner's experimental cockpit tool you can download it here. Please read the download instructions as well as any associated readme files to get the most out of the download. Enjoy your holidays and football games!

    Operation Restoration: Wings Remastered Edition
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    Operation Restoration: Wings Remastered Edition "What are you waiting for? JOIN THE 56TH! HEROES LIVE FOREVER!"     1914 a year that shook the world and the year dog fighting was born. Since 1903 many have been trying to use airplanes for military purposes. Aircraft were used simply for observation and pilots waved at each other or shook their fists. Then creativity took over and many pilots started to throw rope into propellers of enemy planes. They even threw bricks and hand grenades anything they could bring with them – even pistols and rifles. Slowly and gradually dog fighting was taking form and aerial combat was forever changed when machine guns were mounted on the planes.   Most flight simulators focus on the mechanics of the plane, the accuracy of the battles, and rarely focus on the emotional impact a war can have a person, even a pilot flying high above the trenches and into the blue sky filled with its own form of hell. It’s the emotional impact that Wings focused on.   Wings, was released by Cinemaware in 1990 for the Amiga and has been well received. Critics  gave praise to game; in 1993 Amiga World ranked Wings third on their list of all-time Amiga hits and Computer Gaming World stated that Wings is a "masterful combination of arcade action, flight simulation, and cinematic story” and have ranked Wings on Amiga as the 65th best game of all time.   Cinemaware has launched for their second time a Kickstarter campaign to bring Wings back with their Wings Remastered edition that will focus on breathing life into this classic game. Cinemaware states “the game will be developed for the PC, with the option of Mac, OUYA, Android and iOS (tablet and mobile) versions and PSN/PS4 as stretch goals (PLUS we will also make the project available for porting to Linux and AmigaOS!). “ Cinemaware also states that “Ken Melville, Cinemaware alumnus and co-writer/game designer of It Came from the Desert and the original Wings missions, is also collaborating with us.”   However as time moves on people tend to forget such classics as Wings but all of that can change. That is if you are willing to help.   How can you help? There are two ways; you can click on the Steam Greenlight icon which will take you the steam page. There you can vote as to whether or not you’d willing to buy the game on steam. Or you can click on the Wings Remastered Edition icon and fund the kickstarter campaign a minimum of one dollar is all that is required or a few minutes of your time if you go to steam. So what’s in it for you? If taking pride in the fact that you’ll be helping to revive a classic isn’t good enough for you the kickstarter page has a vast list of gifts they give their supports. You could even be mentioned in the special thanks section of the game’s credits!   Today, Darren Falcus, Bob Makin, and Matt Falcus have agreed to do an interview with us and will share a little about Wing’s history and its future, a future that depends on me and you. Thank you gentlemen for taking the time to do an interview with us.  
    Please tell us, what inspired the creation of Wings?
    Wings was inspired by classic WWI movies like "The Blue Max", "All Quiet on the Western Front" and even "Wings" (the 1927 silent movie to be the first film to win an Oscar!). In 1990 Cinemaware was reaching a creative peak and its mastery of storytelling and movie-like presentation became evident in Wings. The directive was to create a game that gave the player the feeling of a PERSONAL story, something that one LIVED – not just played and watched. Unfortunately, it was also the company's swan song. Cinemaware shut down its doors shortly after making some big, misguided business decisions.
     
    In 1993 Amiga World ranked Wings 3rd of all time Amiga hits and 3 years later in 1996 Computer Gaming World ranked wings as the 65th best game of all time. What are Cinemaware’s plans to keep such a successful legacy alive?
    We have exciting plans for Wings, starting with the Remastered Edition we have announced on Kickstarter. The core game is a great blend of emotional narrative, nerve-wracking missions, exciting action and a highly immersive atmosphere blending great graphics, music, writing and sound f/x. We intend to push the series further in this direction, advancing what back then described the game perfectly – Wings was the first“PERSONAL combat simulator”.
     
    Flight simulation is an industry that many stay away from because of the complicated controls and the fact that some flight sims require a user to spend a large amount of time to learn how to fly the aircraft before enjoying the game. How will Wings Remastered be different from other sims and more user friendly?
    Just like the original, the core concept of Wings: RE is to allow anyone to pick it up and play -  no complex controls required. We believe this was the genius behind the original game – the ability to allow anyone to enjoy the thrills of flight and aerial dogfighting without becoming a flight engineer! If what you are looking for is a highly technical, complex simulation of WWI aircraft, Wings is not it! But if you want a different experience, one which emphasizes the FEELINGS and EMOTIONS and ATMOSPHERE of what might have been like to be a pilot in WWI, then Wings is your cup of tea! Join the 56th!
     
    Are there any plans to develop a mode for users who wish to use more challenging flight mechanics?
    This is something we constantly debate. We will likely avoid going the route of a true sim (there are great products for this on the market already), but we might include additional options that can be toggled and which might make control over your airplane a bit more hands-on (for example the addition of throttle control). However, we will not do anything that takes away from the atmosphere and feeling of the game that makes it such an immersive experience.
     
    What are some of the other features you plan to release with Wings Remastered?
    We are completely overhauling the graphics, music and sound of the game into full HD! We are also focusing a lot of attention on enhancing the WWI ambiance of the original game even further, which was one of the stronger characteristics of Wings. Finally, we are building the game so that it can be expanded in the future with more campaigns, different squadrons, additional Journal entries, more pilots and planes, a German campaign (this is really exciting!), several new mini-games and more features too numerous to list. In short, we want to expand the universe of Wings and really enrich its universe even further!
     
    What can a WWI aviation enthusiast expect from Wings Remastered?
    As stated before, Wings does not intend or pretend to be a flight sim. It’s not a technical, engineered FLIGHT simulator. It is however, a combat pilot’s LIFE simulator – that is really the best way to describe it. Wings gives its players a chance to relive and FEEL what it might have been to take part in a war – the Great War – and have a sense as to what kind of horrible things those men had to endure, the gallantry, the heroism, the glory and tragedy, all of which come together in such a life experience. Wings has really been one of the very few (if not the only) action combat game that has gotten close to people’s HEARTS in this way…ask anyone who has played through the game – they will never forget it!
     
    Next year is the anniversary for WWI and Cinemaware plans release of Wings Remastered, provided all goes well, during that time. The war had such an emotional impact on the world. Cinemaware’s Kickstarter page states “The emotional impact that Wings’ game playing experience had on gamers has never been quite replicated in the history of the industry”. Will the development team be able to duplicate that same experience with Wings Remastered?
    We believe so, for sure! As previously stated, we are expanding on the features that made the original such an involving emotional experience. However, with today’s technology and platforms, we can develop even more detailed storylines, missions, graphics and ambient effects that will only serve to enhance this emotional experience. Our plan is to release the game during the commemorative centennial of WWI and deliver Wings as a tribute to all members of the armed forces, on all sides of the conflict. Cinemaware honors all of them.
     
    How many aircraft will Wings Remastered have and are these aircraft based off any real aircraft?
    The player will still will fly a single aircraft as part of the 56th Squadron, but we are looking at expanding the game with the addition of other aircraft for the player to choose from. In addition, all enemy aircraft on the German side replicate the original planes from the war, starting with the Fokker Eindeckers to the Red Baron’s Fokker Triplane and other planes like the Albatross models, etc.All in all, there should be at least 15-20 different airplane models to fight and all planes in the game are strictly based on real aircraft of the era.   Will Cinemaware allow the PC version of the game to be modified by the PC users?
    We are not considering modding as part of the feature-set of the game, especially since this is a story-driven product and not a simulator. There might be some kind of limited customization features when it comes to one’s plane and flying characteristic. However, we are saving a lot of the more complex enhancements for a future, larger sequel (Wings 2!). Can I reveal it might include the ability to deploy and command wingmen and somewhat influence the front lines of the war?             This is Cinemaware’s second attempt to revive Wings. What is being done differently now that has not been done before?
    When we had our first attempt on Kickstarter last year, we were not very experienced in running crowdfunding campaigns and really being ready to interface with the audience in an ongoing, 24h basis…crowdfunding takes a LOT of work, dedication and especially preparation. This time, we spent most of our resources and time developing a prototype teaser demo, to show-off the technical and graphical capabilities we could implement for the game, so that fans and backers could really get a sense of our dedication (and passion!) for Wings and Cinemaware. In addition, we focused on creating a more dynamic pitch video and expanding the scope of the involvement of the team and many other collaborators. Still, there’s always something left to do in such a campaign and the more you show and give, the more fans want! LOL But it’s a worthwhile exercise since getting the fans involved is really the most exciting thing a developer can do when it comes to shaping a new game. It’s not just about the funds, it really is about growing the support and passion to make a new game successful.
     
    We see that Cinemaware has another campaign on Steam’s Greenlight program. How is that working out for Cinemaware?
    We have had great feedback and exposure on Steam Greenlight, and the vast majority of the comments and feedback is positive and supportive. The platform gives us another channel to expose the Kickstarter campaign and reach potentially new players and fans who might not have otherwise ever heard of Wings or Cinemaware. Wings is a relatively niche game – it only came out on the Amiga in 1990, so it didn’t have the luxury of being exposed to the millions of gamers that entered the market when MS-DOS PC machines became popular as gaming platforms (especially for simulators). We are hoping more gamers give Wings a chance and join us in rebuilding this fantastic game!
     
    What are some of the challenges that lay ahead and how will Cinemaware overcome those challenges?
    Our biggest challenge is that we are a small team with limited resources, so we must be very focused and selective as to what we try to do and what we can offer our fans. Many passionate fans obviously wish we could move on and create bigger, more sophisticated games and remakes, but realistically we need to build Cinemaware back with a lot of diligence and discipline, and that takes time. We are confident though that fans will give us the support and time we need to do things right! We promise we won’t disappoint them!
     
    Are there any final thoughts Cinemaware would like to add about Wings Remastered?
    First, we’d like to sincerely ask for your readers and members to join our Kickstarter campaign and pledge for Wings: Remastered Edition – regardless if you are a Cinemaware fan or not. Even if you are a hard-core flight-sim fan, please support our effort to revive a great WWI combat pilot experience! This is not just about the game but about exposing many potential players to the life experience of a WWI fighter pilot. Also, if you have never played Wings, give it a try – you can freely download the Amiga version and play it through an emulator, or watch some of the videos on YouTube. We feel confident anyone will appreciate how original and different of a game experience Wings really is!And finally, if you already are a long-time Wings fan – what are you waiting for? JOIN THE 56TH! HEROES LIVE FOREVER!   Once again thank you to Darren Falcus, Bob Makin, and Matt Falcus for taking the time to an interview with and us. At the bottom you will find a wide a variety of links including a FREE Pc demo version and a FREE Android demo that you can download here. Try it out and then visit the Steam Greenlight or Kickstarter page to give your support and you too can be a hero for the Wings Remastered Edition!     Until next time I'm Skyviper wishing everyone out there good hunting and happy landings.         Click here to visit the Wings page                                       Click here to visit the kickstarter page                           Click here to visit the greenlight page                                            If you're having any problems with the links above please try these.   Steam Greenlight: Wings Remastered Edition http://steamcommunit...s/?id=195173821   Wings Remastered Edition: Kickstarter Page http://www.kickstart...dition?ref=live   Wings Remastered Website http://cinemawarewings.com/   PC Demo Download http://www.cinemawar...o_Installer.exe   Link to the Android Demo https://play.google....com.Hippo.Wings

    War Thunder Beta (1.35) Review
    Centurion-1
    By Centurion-1,
    War Thunder Beta Impressions by Mats "Centurion" Liljeroos   http://warthunder.com/   War Thunder by Gaijin Entertainment is an air combat game set in World War 2 and the Korean War time period, and features an impressive almost 300 aircraft to date! And it does not cost a single cent to buy, which would have seemed too good to be true a couple of years ago. The free-to-play concept certainly has proved successful these last few years, and it seems that almost all multiplayer titles these days adopt the free-to-play or f2p concept at some point, with massive boosts in revenue as a result. For the consumer, the f2p concept has some very obvious strengths, the biggest being that no money is required up front, allowing the consumer to sample the offerings for however long he or she wishes. The largest criticism of the f2p model is that is actually free to play, but pay to win, and that the player has to pay to have any chance at succeeding in the game. War Thunder is a free-to-play title, but is it pay-to-win too? And is it a serious air combat game?   Installation and introduction   War Thunder is currently in open beta, the last major update was version 1.35. The release date for the full version is not disclosed, but there is already at this stage a large amount of content implemented, and the developers have stated that they will not perform a reset of player stats once the full version goes live. The game is available for Steam or stand-alone, but you will have to register an account for the game that will track your achievements. As stated previously, the game is indeed free so the threshold to install the game and give it a whirl should be quite low. The download is about 5Gb in size, nothing exceptional in this day and age.            Once downloaded and installed (I went for the stand-alone route) clicking on the game icon will take you to the launcher that ensures that you have the latest version and also offer the latest news regarding the game. Once actually in game and logged on, you are treated to a somewhat bewildering array of menus and a view of you first aircraft for the nation you chose to play for. The choices of nations are USSR, USA, Britain for the Allies, and Germany (which also has Italian planes in it's roster) and Japan for the axis. There is no requirement to actually stick to that said nation, however. The first launch also prompts the player to set up controls and complete a basic training mission.[/size]       Main screen     Economy   After a little while, the menus will start to feel rather familiar, and the UI design is actually rather well executed. The main elements are your player profile, with a separate level rating for each playable nation. A higher level will give access to better planes through the research panel. The planes will, however, cost you which brings us to the in-game currencies. Yes, you read right, there are two in-game currencies: Silver Lions and Golden Eagles. Silver Lions are earned for more or less everything and are not really in short supply while Golden Eagles are the premium currency, and these are generally bought with real money even though they can be earned in-game in certain special cases. The good news is that the majority of the planes in-game can be bought with Silver Lions, the bad news is that certain planes actually need to be bought with Golden Eagles. For the most part, these planes are special cases like captured enemy planes, and I am fine with those being charged extra for. If you want to fly for the USA but still do that in a Bf109 you should be forced to pay in my opinion. My gripe is that USSR players are forced to pay Golden Eagles for lend-lease planes like the P-40 Kittyhawk or P-39 Aircobra, even though these were employed en-masse by the VVS. Be that as it may, there are a lot of planes available for Silver Lions and the planes are divided into logical technology-trees, forcing you to think about what you want to fly not only now but also later on.[/size]     Research panel. The planes to the far right are premium planes, avaliable either as gifts or for purchase by premium currency.   Once you buy a plane the basic idea is that you receive a second-hand, slightly ragged example that needs repairs and upgrades to operate at maximum efficiency. These are unlocked by flying the plane and symbolic sums of Silver Lions, and do make a difference for the total performance of your plane. Upgrades range from an engine supercharger to new machineguns, and are overall rather reasonable and realistic, and makes the time between level-ups seem meaningful. And they are a great excuse to fly just another mission! Planes are assigned to different slots which each have their own air and ground crew that can also be leveled up, allowing you for example to decrease the re-arming speed or increase your pilots g-tolerance.     An almost fully upgraded plane   Gameplay   There are three main modes of gameplay that will earn you experience points and Silver Lions: Arcade, Historical Battle and Full Real Battle. These differ rather much from each other.  Arcade is an all-out furball over fictional, but oh-so-pretty, landscapes. There are no limits on plane nationality and the players can respawn for as many times as they have crew slots with planes. In arcade you also start out in the air and all planes have an WEP (Wartime Emergency Power) boost that can be used for a short while. Machineguns and cannons are reloaded in the air as well, making for some pretty hectic gameplay. If you just want to get in there and have a fast round or two of flying, arcade can be your pick. Because you are allowed to respawn, it can also be a lot less frustrating for beginners. The arcade scenarious are divided into various mission types, ranging from ground strike where the elimination of enemy vehicles is number one priority, to airfield domination where the team wins by holding a number of airfields that are captured by landing on them. Both are good fun and can be surprisingly tactical.     The historical battlefields are a bit more low-key, but well made nonetheless.   Historical battles are more realistic in the sense that you start on the runway and can not change plane after dying. If you run out of ammo you need to land to reload. The flight dynamics are also more apparent and stalling as well as spinning is a more distinct possiblity, as is ripping your wings off if you try to manouver too hard while having a high airspeed. The maps are based on historical locations and have various objectives. More often than not the game ends with one side loosing all of their aircraft. Historical battles are good fun and better to fly with a joystick since the lead marker that shows you where to shoot in arcade battles is absent, and thus the mouse aim players advantage in accuracy is a lot smaller.   Full Real Battles (FRB) are just that: Full realism simulation, with all engine and flight dynamic settings enabled. Mouse-aim is not permitted meaning you need to have a controller like a joystick, since the "mouse joystick" is very counter-intuitive, and you can only view from within your cockpit. In this mode, some kind of head tracking is probably very helpful to keep situational awareness. On an interesting side note, War Thunder is ready out of the box to support the Oculus Rift VR headset, and as you might know the production Oculus Rift is set to be released sometime next year.   The latest version, Beta 1.35, has added a new setting, called “Events mode”, which are customized battles with varying settings, for example a specific day of combat during the Battle of Britain where only the historically correct aircraft get to participate.         An event.   Flying in War Thunder really brings me back to the days of Il-2 Sturmovik, which was the last WW2 sim I played. I'd personally say the feel of the flight dynamics are rather excellent, and coupled with the quite granular hit and damage modeling makes for some very satisfying dogfights. In Arcade mode the flight model is definitively more forgiving and entering a flat spin is damn near impossible, meaning that you can yank your controls around with abandon. In HB and FRB you need to pay more attention to energy management and your planes characteristics. Limping back to base in a shot-up plane to re-arm and repair can be exhilarating in its own right, which is a good testament to both the flight model and damage modeling.         I made it!   There is also a lot of extra events and special commemorative days that gives players discounts for certain aircraft, and during some events you can even earn free aircraft that are otherwise premium for kills or other tasks. So if you just got a month long slot opened in your calendar, there certainly is a lot to do in War Thunder if you really want to have at it!   For those who are not too keen on multiplayer gaming there are some single player missions avaliable, but the AI of your opponents and especially your wingmans leaves a lot to be desired. If you are prepared to overlook that you can fly custom battles, single missions and even a dynamic campaign versus the AI. You can also play these mission with friends allowing for traditional co-op play. Overall though, the game places a lot of emphasis on the multiplayer component.         A single mission   Controls   As I mentioned earlier you can either control the game by just a simple mouse and keyboard combo or then a joystick. There are many different types of ways to set up the controls, so if you have a joystick, rudders, throttle and even one of those trim switch controllers with a lot of programmable levers and aim to fly FRB you can map things like propeller pitch or fuel mixture to these in addition to all the basic controls. I think this is a great approach, as there is something for everyone and even new players that may not own a joystick have a good possibility to just get into the game. One should not scoff at the mouse aim either, because it more than makes up for its lack in turning proficiency for its deadly aim: putting well aimed shots is a lot easier with the simplified mouse control than with a joystick and making small corrections is quite easy. If you want to fly with a joystick you can opt to use a simplified control scheme that has a “instructor” that prevents you from stalling and spinning your aircraft. After going into a few flat spins and crashing because of poor energy management in a P-39 Aircobra you might want to consider this. The author certainly did. In FRB mode this is not available, however.   It should be said that the control issue is a pretty big one, since the super accurate shooting that the mouse enables makes joystick flying in the arcade mode a bit impractical if you want to really rack up a good score. Flying with the mouse is still amazingly fluid and you can really feel like a good pilot zooming low over the threetops. Only in the FRB mode does the joystick actually become a necessity.   Planes, planes and more planes   The plane set is satisfyingly large, and no matter what nation you chose there is a lot of choice. Want to fly a nimble biplane fighter or a lumbering four engine bomber? There is a choice for you. The planes are ranked approximately by year, so you start out with mostly bi-plane designs of the 1930s and move up from there. Korean war jets like the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15 represents the top-of-the-line. And don’t worry, the matches are set by plane rank so you won’t have to take on Me-262s in your I-153 Chaika. There is also a lot of stuff to upgrade for each plane making the time between levels more meaningful. You can also customize the look of your plane by adding decals and changing paint schemes, however the selection of different paint jobs is pretty small and a lot of these are premium meaning they cost golden eagles.         Here you can see my P-39Q with two custom decals. If you have a premium account, you can apply up to four decals!   The planes are modeled to satisfying detail and feel "right" in the handling. Things like roll and turning rate and armament really does make a difference in the battles and you find yourself researching your next purchase pretty tediously.           The level of detail is quite high       If you for whatever reason feel limited by the choice of aircraft, you can check the official homepages release roadmap and note that there seems to be plans for damn near every combat aircraft that flew for the various nations. One can only wonder how long it will take before this huge plane set is a reality.   Graphics and sounds   I have been playing computer games and sims for over 15 years, and I can remember the time the first graphics accelerators came out on the market. By that I wish to say that I’m not very easily impressed by graphical gimmicks anymore, but I’ve got to admit that War Thunder is stunning to look at. The planes are modeled and textured beautifully both on the inside and out, the terrain is rendered wonderfully in full detail and the light and atmospheric effects are like icing on the cake. Flying from inside the cockpit towards a setting sun with light-shafts and shadows dancing around while you look at a misty valley below is almost poetically beautiful, only to be torn apart seconds later by the chattering of gunfire and bursting flak shells. I can only imagine what it will look like while wearing the Oculus Rift.   The sounds are also excellent, heavy machineguns have a satistfying "oomph" to them and the sound of cannons like the Yak-9K's NS-45 45mm cannon is downright terrifying. The engines sound convincing and they sputter and whimp when damaged in a convincing manner. And it is all comped by a suitable orchestral sound track that never gets annoying.                                   Ultra low graphics         The graphics are excellently scalable and there is even an Ultra Low mode for those with older machines that eliminates most of the graphical fireworks in exchange for a lot more frames per second. I initially run the game on my laptop in ultra low but after some trickery I managed to update the graphics drivers to the latest Catalyst version, and after that I consistently get 30+ fps even on my laptop on higher graphics settings. All in all, the graphics engine deserves the highest of praise!       The future   Obviously, War Thunders imminent future involves getting out of the beta phase and adding more planes and scenarios. In addition to that, the developers aim to introduce player controlled ground and naval forces. There are some early screenshots of the ground module available, but no concrete details yet. Only time will tell how well these additions will work. The official homepage has a roadmap page which lists planned new features of War Thunder to be introduced during open global beta:   The earliest changes: personal statistics; squadrons (clans); enhanced game balancer; new missions, locations and game modes; major update, new menu and interface; further FM corrections; new aircrafts (check the Release Tree section); economic model update; Other updates:   localization for more languages; control over ground vehicles and battleships; tournaments; player authored missions, and full mission editor; «World War» game mode; bomber cockpits; voice chat.   So there certainly does not seem to be a lack of effort on the part of Gajin Entertainment. In a recent new update they have stated that playable ground vehicles will be added to the open beta during 2013! War Thunder is also scheduled to be a launch title for the PS4.   Conclusion   War Thunder offers a lot of content for potentially no money at all, so there really is not much negative to say about that. The business model chosen means that progression is a bit on the slow side if you decide to not buy any premium currency to speed things up or invest in a premium account which gives you even more experience points. On the other hand, the slow progression means you get to spend a good deal of time with each plane you get.   Ultimately, your enjoyment in this game will not be down to the actual game but to whom you play it with and what your preferences are. Competitive multiplayer gaming is not for everyone, and the game is a whole lot more fun if you have a friend or two in your squad to cover your six. There are frustrations in this game, but so far I have encountered a lot less of them than in other multiplayer titles. Voice communications and a bit of planning can go a long way in this game, and helps you avoid frustrating deaths.   Perhaps the best of all is that in the end, it all comes down to player skill. A good pilot can thrive in this game even if they don’t put a single dime into it.     Score:   Gameplay 4 / 5   Excellent flight dynamics and damage modeling coupled with a wide array of supported devices means anyone can hop into the fray and not be at an disadvantage. The game really captures the excitement potential of the air combat genre and it is all too easy to say to yourself  "just one more mission". The only downside is the somewhat lacklustre single player portion, but on the other hand it is great that the developers added it in the first place.   Graphics and sounds 5/5   Simply stunning visuals that run smooth as silk, comped by excellent sound effects and music.   Overall: 4,5/5   It is really difficult to find serious faults in this game, because it offers so much for basically nothing. And it seems that War Thunder has found that balance that makes playing without paying quite viable while rewarding those that do sink a few bucks into it. I bought a premium plane just as much for the better stats it offered as to support these developers, and the future certianly seems bright for the title!  

    CombatACE Spotlight: Interview with Typhoid
    Skyviper
    By Skyviper,
    Interview With Typhoid “I think CombatACE is a community of people from across the world that have come together on a collection of flight simulations … This is a fun place to come hang out for a bit.”    In this week’s CombatACE spotlight we shine the light on Typhoid. He’s a retired Naval Flight Officer, a modder, an elected official, and has been a member here at CombatACE since 2006. He has also released a number of files, over the years that have collectively accumulated over thirty thousand downloads. He’s even made a very special campaign that has been downloaded over two thousand times. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us, Typhoid. To start off, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  I am a retired Naval Flight Officer and then did another 18 years as a defense contractor and task lead supporting NORAD, US Space, AF Space, NORTHCOM, STRATCOM, and AFC2ISR Center.  Counting my active duty and contractor time, I spent 15 years in NORAD J3 including 9/11 and a lot of work after 9/11 on upgrading NORAD command and control systems.  I also earned a commercial, single and multi-engine with an Instrument rating as well as single and multi-engine instructor rating.  I didn’t do very much flying with that but the experience helped me a lot in my Navy flying since I also flew co-pilot on a number of occasions when land based.   I ran for office starting in January of this year and was elected to a four year term on the Colorado Springs City Council, which includes service on the board of directors of CS Utilities.  This keeps me busy in my retirement!     Busy indeed. How long have you served in the Navy and what was your role while serving? I retired after 21 years of active duty as a Naval Flight officer as a Commander (O-5) in the E-2 as an Air Intercept Controller and Mission Commander and, on a joint tour, the E-4B initially as a Strategic Operations Officer and then as Chief, Command Control and Communications which included Emergency Actions.      What aircraft did you fly while in the Navy and which one did your prefer flying? Mostly I flew the E-2 and E-4B.  Of course I flew the standard training aircraft; T-34B, T-39, T-2B and also a few others at various times for various reasons including the TA-4J, S-2, P-3C, E-3A, and the KA-6D, for one, right seat day trap!.  I logged 345 traps in the E-2 so including the KA-6D; I logged a total of 346 traps as an NFO.     I guess you can land on a carrier in Strike Fighters North Atlantic with your eyes closed and a hand tied behind your back. What is an aircraft you would like to fly? Any aircraft!  I really liked the Bonanza and Beech Baron in civilian flying and the TA-4J was a real fun couple of hops flying with the aggressors in VF-126.  I can say that I flew both kinds of Skyhawk, the Cessna 172 and the Scooter.     What interest you about aviation?  It is a fantastic, demanding and always changing field.      What is your favorite aircraft and why?  I don’t really have a favorite.  Every aircraft that I had the opportunity to fly, front seat or back, had its own special attraction, its own mission niche, and own challenges.  I ended up in the E-2 through the selection process and I happened to fit in there very well.  Having the Big Picture and control of a variety of aircraft on a variety of missions was an awesome challenge and responsibility.  I was involved in a lot of very challenging operations flying the E-2 from the North Atlantic to the KAL-007 SAR ops.  The E-4B was a very challenging experience in a field that most never get exposure to, and the three years that I can talk the least about!    What got you interested in flight simulation? Sitting in an office all day and remembering what it used to be like.  Being able to fire up the flight simulator at home and go flying again once in awhile is a lot of fun and breaks the tension after a day pushing paperwork.     I can understand that. It’s sort of like being a caged bird and the flight sim, in a way, sets you free. Speaking of flight simulators, do you remember the first flight sim you ever played? Not now.  I think I always had some kind of flight sim on my computer going back to the early days of Windows.  As the operating systems evolved the early flight sims would crash and I’d be looking for another.  I just happened to come across Wings Over Vietnam in the store one day and have been very happy with the series and the community ever since.     What motivated you to arrive here at CombatACE and stay over the years?  After picking up WOV, I went to the Thirdwire site to figure something out and stumbled onto the various community sites with all of the various mods.  That opened up a lot of interesting variations and I’ve enjoyed trying them all out, and filling up my hard drives.  CombatACE was the one I settled on the most with a very large community of people who have become friends and a lot of different ways to modify the games.    When did you start modding?  Pretty soon after I first got started on the series and after I came onto CA.  When I saw how the mods worked it became another part of the game that I found very interesting.  Just making a mod was a challenge from both a technical aspect as well as leveraging my past experience.     Over the years you’ve released a lot of files mostly updates to the game. How long does it take you to make those updates? It takes several hours to think just one through and then try it out, debug it, and try it again until I get it right.  I have not made any real complicated mods at all, nothing like some of the other gents have.  I have mostly done just minor ini mods to make different models of aircraft that others have previously made or some mission packages.  I joined some of the teams for awhile helping teams develop some of the mods and testing them out, and providing some ini mods to those.  I have not done any actual model development or terrains as some of the other guys have.   Another file of yours, the Gulf of Sidra Incident, has gained a lot of attention as well, with some 2,718 downloads. What motivated you to create that campaign and share it with us? I was there.  That was several minutes of a winter Mediterranean morning that was burned into my memory.  I was the 6th Fleet Battle Watch Captain on duty in the Fleet Command Center aboard the flagship, USS Belknap, when that went down.  Without going into specifics, we had the first contact and I called the first threat inbound. We were on the nets through the engagement.  You all know pretty much what happened after that.  I made the missions from my recollection of what happened and set up some variations so people could fly from either side.  One of the missions that I set up had the Floggers coming out on a routine recon and one on an active, hostile intercept as it happened; so that by trying both of them out, one can fly the intercept without knowing if this is going hot or not, pretty much what a real section would face.    To say that was a tense situation would be an understatement. What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing and neat hobby etc? Yes, very much a fun exercise to put the day behind and do some fun stuff.  Since I’ve been in elected office now, my calendar exploded and I don’t have time anymore to do any modding.  I just occasionally have a little time to fly a few missions in an evening once in awhile.  I go weeks at a time now between logging in simply because of the time constraints I am now under.    What modding tools do you use and why?  I’ve just done ini modding rather than any of the real mods such as creating the full aircraft model or I do mission building.  I used to use some of the mission tools but since one has now been added on SF2, I just use that one.     What is your favorite mod that you have created?  The F-14D in the series one.  That was how I really learned how to do those mods and I updated the model as I learned how to make the changes and make them more and more realistic.      What is your favorite mod that you did not create? That is a tough one.  The planes that many modders have released are awesome. As a Navy guy, I get a kick out of all the ship mods coming out, those are quite interesting and I have fun just looking into the files to see how they’re built. I think the ones I like the most are the full, all inclusive mods such as the Falklands, Desert Storm, etc., where the terrains have been built and the various planes and objects have all been put together and then linked with campaigns and missions. Those are the real modders and my hat is off to all of them.      Who is a Modder, or group of Modders, you admire or inspired you to start modding?   That is a very long list!  I think the Mirage Factory is where I first caught on and Ollie was someone who brought me into that community where I learned a lot very fast from quite a few people.  And there are lots of people since.  I hesitate to start listing them all because there really are a lot of really great people working on these mods and new ones are coming in all the time.  Special mention, though, to Erik and Dave and the others who built this site and keep it running.    Do you have any favorite quotes or thoughts about being here at CombatACE you’d like to share? I think CombatACE is a community of people from across the world that have come together on a collection of flight simulations and share insight, experience, and models.  In many cases, we have become friends in sharing a hobby and talking about aviation in general.  This is a fun place to come hang out for a bit.    Thank you Typhoid for taking the time to do an interview and for sharing your story with us. If you'd like to play the campaign based on Typhoid's own recollection, of information he's allowed to share with us, click here to check it out. Please read all download instructions and associated readme files to get the full enjoyment from the mod. Typhoid was also kind enough to share with us a couple of photos. One is of him in the Navy and the other is a photo of him as a councilman. Thank you for dropping by to check out today's CombatACE Spotlight. Until next time I'm Skyviper wishing everyone happy landings!  

Portal by DevFuse · Based on IP.Board Portal by IPS


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