Flight Sims, Circa 1990

[Emp_Palpatine 501]

Didn't know this one, quite impressive for 1983!

[Fubar512 1,350]

There were even a few games on the Amiga that used wireframe graphics with red/blue glasses for actual 3D.

 

Sublogic's JET is probably the earliest fully-3D flight sim I can think off. Unlike F-15 Strike Eagle, it had filled polygonal graphics with actual terrain, airfields and carrier landings. This in 1983 on a C-64.

How primitive!   Meanwhile, my brothers and I were making money distributing this game "Cobra Command", just over a year later (in 1984).  

 

Of course, the cabinet that contained this game weighed almost 300 lbs, and the whole mess cost over $4000, in 1984 dollars. To put that figure in context, back then one could buy an entry-level Toyota (a Starlet) for not much more! The "graphics" were read off a laser disc, and were therefore not rendered. If I recall correctly, it took us over a year to break even on the purchase, as we split the proceeds 50-50 with the owners of the locations that we had the games at.

 

By the time I left my regular job, and started doing this full time in 1989, the two Cobra Command cabinets that we still had were basically trashed, and worthless.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2016 by Fubar512

[+Julhelm 266]

That's an FMV game though similar to Dragons Lair. All that engine has to do is overlay sprite colliders on what is essentially a animated movie, which itself is probably streamed from laserdisc. Jet was a full-3D game that featured semi-active radar homing, carrier operations, and real dogfights, all while running on 64k of RAM. That's much more technically impressive.

[Fubar512 1,350]

That's an FMV game though similar to Dragons Lair. All that engine has to do is overlay sprite colliders on what is essentially a animated movie, which itself is probably streamed from laserdisc. Jet was a full-3D game that featured semi-active radar homing, carrier operations, and real dogfights, all while running on 64k of RAM. That's much more technically impressive.

Dragon's Lair was a hoot, and a later, a bust. It did incredibly well for all of about six months, and then fall flat on it's face.  I recall modding the cabinet from 50 cents per play, down to 25, as interest in it waned.

 

There was a third laser disc game from that era, the title of which I cannot recall. It was basically a B-52 in an overhead view, superimposed over a photo-realistic terrain that included harbors, cities, missile bases, etc.  It wasn't very popular, so we did not buy it...but I do recall spending the better part of an afternoon playing with it in the distributor's show room 

[mono27 85]

Anybody else had fun with Chuck Yeagers Air Combat?

Man, I loved that sim!

[Boresight 51]

Top Gun Fire at Will looked better than F-14FD, yes. But it played worse. Scripted campaign missions that required you to win to progress, and that's all there was.

 

I played the game for several hours till I got to a mission so tough I couldn't beat it. There was nothing else to do but replay that mission ad infinitum. I uninstalled the game.

 

I've played it the last time more than 15 years ago or so.

 

Let me guess:

- some mission in the last campaign (Libya);

- where you had to fly really low above the ground;

- take some pictures (with TARPS) over the target area without being shot by the AAA;

- manage to return to the carrier while speed running from the MiGs...

 

I've finish it several times, and it was really amusing, although the video plot (between missions), could have been at little longer - after game completion.

 

 

Anybody else had fun with Chuck Yeagers Air Combat?

Man, I loved that sim!

 

Afirmative again - played it for the first time around 1993 or so.

 

Graphics were somewhat poor (understandable for that time), but was a great "school" for me and everyone who does like air combat sims.

I remember it was possible to rip the F-4 Phantom's wings off, if going extremmelly fast in a nosedive.

 

Liked it a lot because it went directly to teach the basics, and had the right amount of complexity to be easy, immersive and give some fight at the same time.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Boresight

[shotdown 8]

So , anyone else played F/A-18 Korea? It was quite fun for me, and the instructions book alone was worth the money you paid for that game.

[Caesar 305]

One of my friends had Chuck Yeager's Air Combat.  We didn't play it much, but I remember it was pretty fun.  Another one of my friends had a C64 with the Harrier Combat Simulator; that one was a blast!  Our family didn't get a computer 'till I was 10, so I got spoiled with Fleet Defender Gold as the first flight sim I actually owned (well, maybe F-15 Strike Eagle II on the Genesis, but that was pretty simplified from the PC version...or maybe Combat on Atari?).  Still running today in DOSBox!

[Skyviper 1,101]

Wow

 

I mean just

 

Wow.

[Fubar512 1,350]

So , anyone else played F/A-18 Korea? It was quite fun for me, and the instructions book alone was worth the money you paid for that game.

 

I have all three major Graphsim releases from that series.  Hornet 3.0, F/A-18 Korea, Korea "Gold", and F/A-18 OIF.

[mono27 85]

I found another interesting feature in 1942: The Pacific Air War, by Microprose. There was a strategy/simulation mode where you can plan your carrier operations and take part of the battle flying in one of the planes (if you want).

I never saw that again in any other sim.

[JediMaster 451]

Yes, the strategy part of the game. That was great. It was like SSG's Carriers at War in that aspect (but simpler).

 

There was one sim before that which had a strategic element, even if it was totally unrealistic--SWOTL. Your primary role was to fly fighters and/or bombers against enemy targets. However, you could also adjust production at factories to make up for losses at others to keep your war machine running. Like any pilot did that... Still, it added depth to the campaign.

[mono27 85]

Carriers at war? I didnt know it but I will search for it and give it a try.

Theese days I am trying Top Gun: Fire at will (the one we were talking about). It is great! I like the immersion (I wish I could have in its time).

I found a cheat for it. You can edit your savegames files with the notepad and change the number of the mission where you are stuck.

[Boresight 51]

Carriers at war? I didnt know it but I will search for it and give it a try.

Theese days I am trying Top Gun: Fire at will (the one we were talking about). It is great! I like the immersion (I wish I could have in its time).

I found a cheat for it. You can edit your savegames files with the notepad and change the number of the mission where you are stuck.

 

Didn't know that back then.

(Those were the days of Windows 98; and the Internet was still a couple of years around the corner here in Portugal, 1997 or 1998.)

 

So I've had to complete the whole sim by trial and error.

But it was probably the most rewarding PC flight sim I've ever completed until today.

 

What makes a lot of immersion feeling and also rewarding sensation to this sim, are the video tracks plot (cinematic sequences), following each mission, focusing in the theatre of operations in relation with the US Navy ops.

 

So, have you completed the 1st. Campaign - NAS Miramar TOPGUN School already ?  

Edited October 27, 2016 by Boresight

[mono27 85]

Yes, Boresight. I am in the first training campaign in Miramar. I don't have this immersion feeling since I played Strike Commander, but this time is better, because now I fly an F-14 instead of an F-16 (The Tomcat is my favorite jet fighter  )

 

The actors are funny, and nice to see the same guy from the movie here (this time he is called Hondo).

I will keep flying the Tomcat! 

 

PD: I see that you fly FSX as well. What about that F-14X, TackPack and NAS Miramar combination? Are there any Top Gun training missions for FSX?

(You can answer me through PM because this topic is for classic 1990 sims)

[Boresight 51]

Yes, Boresight. I am in the first training campaign in Miramar. I don't have this immersion feeling since I played Strike Commander, but this time is better, because now I fly an F-14 instead of an F-16 (The Tomcat is my favorite jet fighter  )

 

The actors are funny, and nice to see the same guy from the movie here (this time he is called Hondo).

I will keep flying the Tomcat! 

 

PD: I see that you fly FSX as well. What about that F-14X, TackPack and NAS Miramar combination? Are there any Top Gun training missions for FSX?

(You can answer me through PM because this topic is for classic 1990 sims)

 

Yes, actor James Tolkan is there and you will fly a lot with him in training.

You also dogfight against the F-16 and other types in some Miramar training missions.

Very realistic flight models for the F-16; MiG-29; etc; which one will surely note, as these two can get on your six with relative ease.

 

You will also have the notorious navy aviator "rival" (although not "Iceman"), but called "Stinger" instead.

Although a somewhat childish character, it gets its role done.

 

Keep flying the missions, the cut scenes do give a "cold war" environment.

 

PM sent.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Boresight

[Dogzero1 16]

This always gets my interest piqued.  Love the old sims.  They were detailed, big boxed with hefty manuals.

 

Remember this old thread?

http://combatace.com/topic/27851-your-first-combat-flight-sim/?p=173207

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2016 by Dogzero1

[exhausted 55]

True about the manuals. I think the guard changed when they stopped printing manuals.

[Boresight 51]

This always gets my interest piqued.  Love the old sims.  They were detailed, big boxed with hefty manuals.

 

Remember this old thread?

http://combatace.com/topic/27851-your-first-combat-flight-sim/?p=173207

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man, I follow you !