Rise of Flight:Iron Cross Edition

[Dagger 21]

Rise Of Flight:Iron Cross Edition

Publisher: 777 Studios

Rise of Flight official web site:

Rise of Flight

 

First Thoughts

 

Every virtual pilot has an era of flight that really gets his juices flowing, starts his heart pumping faster, and makes his palms sweat with anticipation. For me it is WW1 with the open cockpits, wire and fabric planes. The feeling of being one with the plane. So you can guess my excitement when I saw Raise of Flight:Iron Cross Edition and looked at the screen shots of the game. The selection of planes and the assorted eye candy looked top shelf.

We've all seen sims and arcade games with wild claims and have been disappointed when we finally got the game. So I decided the best way to go was to try the demo. I downloaded and installed the demo, made an account and logged on.

The Demo Experience

 

The demo is basically a scaled down version of the full game.The playable aircraft are limited to a Spad 13 for the Allies and the Albatros D.Va for the German pilots, BUT the flight experience is the full game. The really cool thing about this is you can go and fly in most on-line servers. After logging on and selecting the Multiplayer, I found my server. I then selected my side, of course I flew Allied, and then went to the hanger. Here you can do some really great things, you can change your load out by adding bombs if the aircraft you are using had them, You can even select your planes skin, with the demo it is limited, but they do have some very nice skins to choose from. One really cool thing that I can’t remember seeing in sims before is you can adjust the machine guns convergence point with a visual slider, this is the point where your machine gun rounds come together.

As for the options, this sim can be as hard to fly as any modern era flight sim, or you can scale the realism down and make it easier to learn. The game has a nice feature in the options, you can adjust your stick and throttles input curve. The nice thing is you can help "calm" the planes down. Yes they are very "twitchy" and unless you have a very light hand the planes bounce around, and makes accurate gunnery almost impossible just like the real planes.

One of the first things that strikes you is the level of detail in the graphics, all I can say is WOW! The terrain looks like a picture post card, and the aircraft themselves are so detailed you will think you are looking at an actual plane. The water is second to none, and if you fly through a cloud be prepared to get a little wet. Another thing that jumps out at you is the sunlight and the glare off the aircraft. I have to say, nothing like being blinded by the sun in the middle of a flight, but you can make adjustments.

Now on to the important part. I am not a pilot, and having said that, if I were I have a feeling that the flight model on these planes are going to be very close to accurate. The fact that the numbers come from an engineer help to make all the models as close to real as you can get. You can almost feel the wind in your face, and feel your scarf flapping behind you, and unlike modern jets that almost fly themselves, you are basically forced to keep an eye on the gauges as they sometimes have a mind of their own and keep an ear open to the sounds of your engine as the RPMs will increase and decrease on their own. The cockpits are works of art, you get the impression of an old sports car. Take offs require a light touch to keep your plane heading down the field and the bumps and ruts will make it fun, a little rudder and you’ll be fine.

Once airborne I highly recommend some time down low to just take in the sights.

Remember most of these planes were flown at much lower altitudes, so flying over the French country side, chasing down your prey is an experience. Once you have caught him, and you bring your guns into play, the damage model is first class. From the smallest tear in the fabric, to wings getting blown off at the wing root, it all seems "right".

Speaking of damage models, I made a fast low level ground attack run, just for fun, and what did I see? My rounds ricocheting all over the place. If you are close enough and at the right angle, they will also ricochet off an airplane.

 

My impressions of this demo? I will say this demo made a believer out of me, The graphics, the game play and stable multiplayer are rock solid. It recognised my throttle and stick. The track IR support also adds realism to the game. 777 Studio maintained a high set of standards with this Sim even after releasing 16 updates with more on the way.

Just remember you only have 2 weeks to decide if this sim is for you, sorry but that is all the time you get with the demo. If you are a “pilot” then this is for you.

 

The final score:

For a demo, this one gets 9.5 out of 10 stars.

 

The Upgrade from Demo

 

If I had to pick a word to describe this process it would be “user friendly”. There are several different ways to upgrade this sim. You can purchase the boxed set, digital download, or by buying directly from 777 Studios, which just unlocks the planes for you. The hardest part is typing in the numbers.

 

The Packaging

 

While I normally don't say much about packages, this one just begs for some time to investigate it's contains. The DVD and the user manual is well written and presented. Then I looked at the goodies that came along it. First, there is a grid map of the area, which makes mission planning easy, and if you are flying with your squad mates, knowing where you are really comes in handy. It's just plain fun to have it on your lap while flying to add to the experience. Another nice addition is the key card which shows some of the most important keys and key combinations to enhance your flying. Then there's a sheet that folds out and shows all the medals that a pilot can be awarded. Medals from all countries which are very accurate. Turn the paper over and examine the awards you can also achieve in the game. They make you want to do your best.

 

The Full Game

 

From the first time I fired Rise of Flight up after installing the full version, I had a tingling that I haven't felt in a flight sim in a very long time. I decided to check everything out.

 

Off-Line Game Experience

 

First I logged in off-line and found campaigns, quick missions, and a solid platform of a sim for single play.

There are basically 3 campaigns, all scripted,but more on this part later. The single missions could be flown with what ever plane I wanted with missions designed for that aircraft. A quick mission editor so I could quickly make my own mission, what targets, weather (including rain and snow), enemies, this is basically a great idea for the person who wants to change things to their liking. No need to be connected to the internet now. The missions are as difficult as you want, and some are just plain killer, at least for me as a rookie.The reason I am all worked up is the feeling of immersion is there. I picked a mission and as soon as I came in game I was looking at the windsocks blowing in the wind, trucks rolling around the hangers, and men manning their AA guns.

 

 

The weather plays a big factor in the way the planes fly, rain, snow, and even the wind can be set to your liking and you feel it.You have to adjust your flying style to fit. The cockpits are so detailed, even down to the wicker seat in my Camel.

 

 

 

 

 

I flew out of the field in the rain trying my best to see through the rain now soaking my goggles. If I wasn't impressed before I am now. How did the mission end you may ask..not well is all I can say. Which reminds me, not only do the planes take damage, you do too. The red seems to splatter and your vision blurs.

 

 

On-Line Experience

Once you log in on-line you'll find the same options for game play as the off-line mode, PLUS a career mode, very nice, and of course multi player. The cool things about the servers is you can see not only how the server is set up, but your ping, and the names of other pilots in the sever.I wanted to try the on-line side of the game now. My squadron, the U.S. 95th ^{(http://us95th.org), is now flying Rise of Flight , and we have 2 servers. I jumped in and picked my plane, picked my skin, set my fuel load and gun convergence, and went to fly. Folks I am so impressed with the On-line play of the is sim, it is rock solid and very fun. The interface is not as tough as some of the newer sims, but it still has it's points, so take the time to look over the key mapping before you start. In our training server they have the easy gauges turned on, and as you turn to make your attack on an enemy plane, there's a aiming point to help you. In the main server these aren't there. So you can find a server to meet your needs easlily. You can record your flights, or fights with just a touch of a couple keys, the standard screenshot is easy as touching a key and the sim stores your pictures in the main folder. The different views are a nice touch, and you can even spectate if you're not up flying, or just want to watch for awhile.}

 

^{Realism Factor}

 

 

 

 

^{Most WW1 sims don't take time to worry about engine warm ups, or mixture settings. I have never seen the radiator open and close switch before now. If you have your realism settings turned up these are 2 things you have to worry about. You'll need a 2-3 minute warm up period. During your flight you are constantly checking your gauges, listening for changes to the tone, and sounds. You'll even look at the exhaust smoke, check it for color, engine damage causes the exhaust to change color and the sounds made by the engine. They even modeled in the torque effects of the rotary engines. I didn't know the German and Allied aircraft rotary engines spun in different directions. Hows that for real.}

 

^{Campaigns and Careers}

 

Now back to the campaign point I mentioned earlier, there are 3 campaigns included, 1 German, 1 Allied, and 1 training. OK they are scripted, after flying a mission or 2 I think you'll find they are really good missions, and very fun. There is a wide assortment of targets, as well as different objectives. If you like balloon busting, intercepts of enemy bombers, or ground attack, it's all there.If you read the 777 Studios forums you'll see there is actually going to be a career mode upgrade. In the mean time, I suggest try the campaigns and a career that are already in the game, if for nothing else the practice, and the learning experience. They are all well designed and put together missions.

 

You might have noticed I haven't mentioned the mission editor, not the quick editor, but the full feature one. The editor is a very powerful editor, and there are several how to articles on line, but that will get a review of it's own. It's that powerful. This is the same editor used by the team when they do missions. So be patient. I will say this, you can make missions for both single player and multiplayer, and then share them.

 

Want more planes?

If you want more planes, you simply go to the Rise of Flight web site store and purchase what you want. planes are available by the single plane, or in bundles of 2 or more planes. it is as easy as buy then log in. Your plane will be in your hanger. All planes are available in game when you make missions, BUT when you buy them it unlocks them so you can fly them. You also can make custom skins to use and share.

My over all impressions

 

The Pros

 

For a change lets start with me a statement, I am like most folks and I don't like being nickled and dimed just to play a game. I have heard the complaints of having to buy add-on planes, and It took a talk with Mr. Jason Williams, the owner of 777 Studios and Rise of Flight, to get me thinking about this. Yes if you want the extra planes you have to pay for them, BUT if you play other sims you pay for add-ons, and most don't think anything about it. Also 777 Studios is not one of those companies that has a giant company bank rolling them, the money you spend helps the game continue and grow.

 

Now where to start? What did I like? The graphics are great, some of the best you'll find in any flight sim, and all the small details like working windsocks, trucks running around the bases, trains look like the trains of the period. Even the pilots can use hand gestures and head gestures, and that's cool to watch your fellow pilots give you a quick thumbs up. The game play is solid, and the “feel” is right. The flight models and damage models are correct, how do I know this? They use a engineer and he crunches the numbers to make sure they are correct. The missions are well written and fun, the campaigns,while scripted are well thought out. So many small touches that I will not be able to mention them all. Another plus is you can track your progress as the game keeps your stats, a neat feature.

 

777 Studios have released 16 updates, with more on the way, new planes coming soon, as well as the new career upgrade. I love a company that doesn't just fade away once they release a game. They do listen to their customers. What a novel idea stand behind your product and listen to the folks that spend their money on it. Also the games is based on a completely new engine, nice to get a game not using old engines with dated graphics.

 

The Cons

 

The main one, if you want to turn everything up it takes a pretty decent system to run, and I miss the shell music, I know it's nit picky but I had to come up with something.

 

The recommended system specs:

 

Operating System Windows® XP / Vista / Windows® 7 CPU Intel® Core™ Quad 3 GHz or Intel i7 3 GHz RAM 4 Gb or higher Free Hard Drive space 10 Gb Joystick Direct X 9.0/11 compatible joystick Internet Connection required for Registration, 256 Kb/s - for Multiplayer Graphics Card 1024 Mb, GeForce GTX 285/Radeon ATI 5850/HD5850 Sound Card DirectX 9.0c/11 compatible

Supported Operating Systems Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Windows 7

 

My test system

AMD quad core running at 3.0, 8 gigs of ram, and a GTS 250 1 gig video card, a X-45 stick, and a surround sound system using a creative labs sound card running 5.1 dolby, and cable internet connection, Windows 7 64 bit.

 

. My final thoughts and how it scores

 

So how do I score this one? Ok it is true I am reviewing it after it's been out a little over a year, and a lot of the problems fixed, but the fact that 777 Studios are still releasing upgrades, and new aircraft says volumes about the company. This is one of those titles you have to have on your hard drive, and being a WW1 sim, that alone makes it worth the time and money. The main problems are already being addressed, so it is hard to hold them against the company. Also saying I've played the demo, but not the full game is like saying ”I owned a Chevette once, so I know how a Corvette drives” Yes they are both Chevrolets but there is so much more to the full game. So at the end of the day, I have to say this is the highest scoring sim I have ever tried. I give this one a final score of 9.85 on the 10 scale.

If you are a fan of WW1 aviation then this is one sim you have to have.

Here are a few screenshots if you have any doubts about this sim.You might call them parting shots

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2011 by Dagger

[+Dave 2,322]

Good review Rusty!

[danwatto 0]

That's a good review, detailed and fair. When they release the two seaters in March plus the new career mode it's going to be the best sim ever

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

That's a good review, detailed and fair. When they release the two seaters in March plus the new career mode it's going to be the best sim ever

 

Yeah?

 

And by the time you've bought the addons (including ANY aircraft worth flying)...probably the most expensive ever too

[JediMaster 451]

Well, I bought ICE on sale at Gogamer for $30 including shipping, and with the sale that went all last week I bought every single seater (I don't know if I'll ever care to fly a bomber) for another $33. So, $63 isn't that bad. I spent more for both F-19 and Falcon 3 for a single purchase, and between F4 and F4:AF I spent more on F4, and for Il-2 I bought the original, FB, Aces Exp, Pac Fighters, and 1946, so...

Oh, and I bought FE2, SF2, SF2:E, SF2:V, SF2:I, and both expansions and I think even at the cheap prices that was well over $100!

 

So, while comparing it to other WWI sims it may or may not come out more (after all, OFF requires CFS3 depending what you paid for that and then there's the HitR expansion), compared to other sims in general it's not...if you buy on sales.

[themightysrc 5]

Whilst it's certainly a very enthusiastic review, I'm not sure that's either impartial or exhaustive.

 

Having to buy extra aircraft seems a little mean to me - and from the review I have no idea how many are supplied 'free'. Is it 2? Is it more? Also, the rather sketchy nature of much of the review also leaves me with the feeling that I've not read very much other than a panegyric to RoF. Certainly, it's known widely that the current SP is rather less than satisfactory, many of the claims by the makers are not challenged or even explored, and the lack of multiseat craft is never even mentioned, nor the dearth of craft from the early periods of the war. A WWI flight sim that has no RE8, no Roland CII, no BE2 nor the FE2b? Really? And this is meant to rate 9.85 out of 10?

 

Equally, I feel that any reviewer worth his or her salt should not be quoting breathlessly any 'jam tomorrow' sentiments as supplied by the game's producer: that strikes me as being completely partial. Tell us what's there and what's missing, not what's promised. For a reviewer to tell me "be patient, it's coming" or "OK, it's in the pipeline" or any other such sentiment does, I'm afraid, lead me to the conclusion that the reviewer in question hasn't gone in an been completely impartial as to the weaknesses - as well as the strengths - of the game.

 

I have to confess, I found the review to be rather too gushing to reside very much faith in it.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

No info on AI and that's the most important thing. Although it covers a lot of stuff but not much detail, but considering there is SO MUCH stuff it would take a novel to cover in detail. For example, the "spectating" part of online play: I wonder what kind of view that means.

 

And anything everything is better than the simhq reviews I used to see at that included references to drinking alcohol in every paragraph.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

** Buying planes independently sounds great, especially if it helps directly the game developer to further game development. I wish TK would do that, although it may not work for his overall idea, which is cool too.

[JediMaster 451]

Well, his talk about the "revised" method of expansion packs makes it seem like that's indeed what he will be doing. It will basically be one new flyable (eg the Mirage F1) and some new AI and some other stuff.

 

As for how many planes come with ICE stock, it's SPAD XIII, Fokker D.VII, Nieuport N.28, Albatros D.Va, Fokker DR. 1, Pfalz D.IIIa, S.E.5a, Sopwith Camel, and a bonus plane. That plane depends on where you buy the game from. So if it's from Amazon it's one thing, Gogamer another, etc. It's on their site, just go to riseofflight.com and look. That's nine planes out of the box, which is a pretty good selection.

 

Unlike other sims which have lots of AI-only "filler planes" modeled to a lower fidelity, ROF chose to go with the "every plane flyable" route. The one exception was the DFW and Breguet which appeared as AI well before they were made flyable. The DFW now is, the Breguet will be out soon. That means by necessity of that choice that there are fewer planes to fight with or against, and the planeset is certainly biased towards late-war vs early.

Whether you want to call this a negative depends on your POV. The AI is very good and deadly, although they have one quirk that bugs me...the "dive for the deck" tactic. It reminds of EAW's old "split S when he's on your six" move the AI always did. I don't mind the AI doing it sometimes, but they ALWAYS do it, no matter if they start above you, the same altitude, or below. If they're attacking you, they'll go after you where you are, but as soon as you're behind them they make diving turns to get away, so inevitably furballs wind up on the deck, although in small engagements you can keep it up high.

 

I personally would've given ICE a lower score, maybe an 8.5, but that's a personal opinion and I can't say it's because anything in the review was wrong. It's just because everyone personally will give greater or lesser weight to a given fact.

Some people care more about the scope, some care more about the AI, some care more about the flight/damage/weapons modeling, some care about the environments, and so on. You can easily have a group of 5 people agree on everything that is or isn't there and come up with wildly different scores based on what is more important to them. It's no different from a movie review.

[sixstrings 111]

After much researching i'm sold on this sim with out a doubt,as it has been constantly updated and gets more refined as time goes.That can't be said for other sims out there.Buying more a/c is not a problem when compaired to say FSX for example and it helps keeps this sim going in a small special niche that dosen't have a following as WWII or more modern CFS's. In a age where shooter games reign supreme, good combat flight sims are rare and few. Been into combat flight sims since the begining and am thankful for the good ones out there.Remember,combat flight sims are way overshadowed compared to the first person shooter games being offered now. I'm basicly new to this generation WWI sims,(remember Red Baron 3D), and want to learn as much as i can till this summer ,when i will build my own very high- end Win. 7 gaming rig ,that will rip through any sim out now or in the future. I have and will install OFF1&2 and fixing to get FE1 EP, for my maxed out / upgraded trusty ole' Dell XP rig ,(as much as i could with a XP OS). As a CFS3 nut, (8 different installs),and have the Il-2 series up to '46 ,along with Flaming Cliffs and others .I enjoy the history of WWII a lot. Now i find WWI very interesting, and with WOFF and OFF part 4 coming out along with FE 1&2 and others ,now seems to be a great time for WWI Combat flight sims! Maybe buy the time my rig is built RoF will be even more upgraded/refined i hope. Thanks for the review.