Impressions from SF2

[tselepides 9]

A quick appraisal of Strike Fighters 2:

 

Flying in SF2 and getting engaged in aerial battle in missions is, for me, very different to what I was used to in CFS2.

You never know what aircraft you will face and where and when they will appear.

Bewilderness, fear and an ignorance of the tactical situation at most times combine to give this game its special character.

 

As a pilot you may have a plan of action, but there is, for me at least, an overwhelming desire to avoid being shot down, especially when you hear those shouts of “Bandits, bandits!” in a screeching adolescent voice. Can’t anyone change these sounds to something tamer and better-sounding?

                                                                                                   

It also seems that some of your co-flyers panic very often, as if they are separated from their senses and wallow in the sky blind as bats, fearing for the worst. One comes to understand the meaning of panic in this game better than in most other similar games. It is the unknown you are running away from, the unknown in the situation, in the enemy and in yourself. Thus immersion is achieved and the andrenalin reaches highs. In that the game excels and is in fact better than most. In yourself, you do not know what exactly to do. You press “T” to view the enemy aircraft once but by the time you are back in cockpit view you have lost valuable seconds and are in great danger of being shot down. Often, you meet your maker here.

 

The only feeling of security you have is your fighting habits and former training in similar games or civil sims—in the real world security comes from your background of military drill, the uniform, the very badges on it, your rank, your training, and from the solid machine you are flying in and fighting with, plus directions from your officers, plus perhaps a feeling of looking forward to going back to base and having a chat with your riggers, good meal, a beer at the bar with other pilots and sound sleep in clean sheets afterwards. Such things build up security and order.  In SF, order is unknown, chaos is the order. And in its aerial battlefield the individual vanishes. You cannot even turn to your squadron mates for help with absolute trust, as you can do in real warfare.

 

After a mission, your soul is not refreshed and you exit the game with a feeling of emptiness coming from both your kills or failures, or a death certificate or a medal, and the emptiness of the Stats and Debrief screen, plus a score that means very little.

 

So what is the verdict? There is no real verdict. This was written as my impressions after about a month of flying in it and the SF game has its own place, nuance and hue in everyone’s tastes...

 

 

Nick

Edited December 20, 2014 by tselepides

[hrc 156]

 Can’t anyone change these sounds to something tamer and better-sounding?

                                                                                                   

There is an alternative voice pack in downloads section, that I find better than the one in stock.

[tselepides 9]

hrc,

 

Thanks for pointing out the new sounds.

 

The post however was about my impressions of SF--like a review of some type.

 

Admittedly, one must be a trained writer to respond to them, as they are half-literary and half-philosophical, and I wrote it only to escape from the usual kind of forum writing that deals with specific game issues and questions and in which were up to our necks--all of us. 

 

My intention was to give readers something different to what they are used to.

I happen to be a highly trained writer and translator, and that explains a lot.

 

In fact, when I was writing this post I thought to leave out the part about the sounds, being more or less afraid that someone would focus on the sounds only--which is what happened. But I left it in.

 

This kind of thing often happens in most forums. In my Newbie's Plight post, the main point was the cartoon I made, intended to give us a laugh, but posters led me to knowledge bases and other such things I never expected. 

 

However, thanks again for telling me about the sound pack. I am glad it exists and will get it.

 

Nick

[+ordway 23]

 

 

"After a mission, your soul is not refreshed and you exit the game with a feeling of emptiness coming from both your kills or failures, or a death certificate or a medal, and the emptiness of the Stats and Debrief screen, plus a score that means very little."

 

 

The only air combat sim that I personally thought ever addressed this was Dynamix's RED Baron. The developer, Damon Slye, is now working on a new flight sim according to a magazine interview that I read last week. 

 

 

[+logan4 847]

Your writing stile is interesting and the cartoon looks cool.

 

The reason anyone "focus" on the Sound part or other is because those are questions and we want our simmer fellas to have a good experience with the game like we do, so we naturally answer those first and admittedly we often forget to mention the other part in the process.  

If no one complains about it you can be sure it was well received.

[tselepides 9]

ordway and logan4,

 

 

Thanks for your feedback.