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Other shots of the Moon terrain. The environment system has been tweaked to allow for stars to appear even during daylight hours. Unfortunately, the stars are the same as seen from Earth, and a day lasts 24 hours as if it was Planet Earth. At least the gravity is correct. And "here" we have blue-ish sunsets... orange skies... hmm...

Contrary to popular beliefs I am still around, but nah, never worked on Su-25 one, Su-22 I had in hiatus for 3+ years so can't say if and when given my current modding break/leave.

Agreed. I've spent $50 on a meal I wish'd I hadn't ate.. And also, I feel that this is a bit of a "thank you" to TK for all those years of enjoyment. I bought the sims, and then this wonderful community here helped me continue to play those sims for many years past what was probably envisioned. Yes, I know we also say thank you to TK by buying stuff, add-ons, etc..but the community IS small, and I'm guessing he isn't buying Ferraris with the proceeds of Strike Fighters sales. I'm just happy he is taking a glance back at the PC world. I'm convinced he wants to make the best sim he can for the money, and I'm willing to play the lottery with some of my money to maybe help that happen. I love DCS for what it does, but sometimes I want the relaxed atmosphere of SF2 type sim-play and I don't really see ED heading much in that direction. I have a dozen modules for DCS World that I don't know how to use (and I still love them), whereas I can crank up SF2 and be dropping bombs (and getting shot down) in minutes. I feel it is important to support this type of sim. I get that others may feel another way about it..and that's fair. BeachAV8R

The end of the Soviet Air Force base at Finsterwalde, GDR.

This is what I like with SF2: If I read an interesting account of a mission over VN (or Israel, or Korea or ...), I can play it in SF2 in 2 clicks

A-4C from VA-12 Flying Ubangis in 1970. The last A-4C in Vietnam (together with the ones from VA-172 on the same Carrier).

After finishing up with some FM tweaks for WOFFue, it's always nice to come back to the TW series of sims. The early morning atmospheric shots never cease to amaze me in SF2 (and in FE2). Some far eastern action in 1941 with the Japanese Me109 (E7) - a tweak of the A-Team E8. Happy flying, Von S

Viking Spitire

In response to dsawan's thread (https://combatace.com/forums/topic/93782-moon-scenery/), I decided to create a realistic Moon scenery. I will use this thread to remind myself that I have one in the making, LOL. Jokes aside, I have encountered various limitations of the game engine in regards to the environmentsystem.ini file, but hopefully I will solve everything. I wish guys like @Stary were still around, their knowledge would be of help. Gravity and Inclination Angle are that of the Moon. Earth phases have been created as well. The terrain features a high quality 250m heightmap of an area between Mare Crisium and Mare Smythii. Right now, I am using some repainted objects as stand-in Space AAA guns and SAMs. I also modified two fictional aircraft available here (KF-2 and KF-1) to be used for this scenario. The scenario pits a joint alliance (United States Space Force, Russian Space Forces and People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Forces) against a fictional Settlement Defense Front, in the years 2038-2048. Those interested are invited to contribute with fictional yet "realistic" objects of a future Moon settlement, as well as new aircraft designs (IIRC X-Plane had some study aircraft designs for flight on Mars).

VVS Mig-23M found a target flying at high altitude and fired a single AA-7A Apex missile. The enemy F-4E tries to evade the missile but at high altitude its maneuverability is limited... AA-7A hit and destroyed the target

Amen to that!

Those two are not worth any effort applying to that website... I believe it is worth to wait for V bombers here.

They'll be here in time for SF3

Up, up... and awayyyyy!!!

If you've ever supported the When Thunder Rolled Project in anyway, first again accept my sincere appreciation and gratitude. I would ask that you please email me with your contributions list and an upcoming announcement at: admin@whenthunderrolled.com . If you're still interested in contributing in some way, we welcome and encourage you to reach out. Just to avoid any misguided speculation, this request is not implying any near-term release date. Thanks again, here's a good blast of early 2Q 2019 WTR screenies that are long overdue...hope you enjoy.

Lets hope some talented modders from here take up the task then, i really love the V Bombers of the Rioyal Air Force

Check in Florian's Tonka. He used night vision.

If TK wants to sell more SF2, he needs to introduce a "disruption" and VR MAY (I am not even sure of it) be it. If he does not invest, then the number of player will decrease slowly and SF2 will die, and this si likely what will happen. Going "open Source" may slow down the phenomenon, but I am not sure it will increase significantly the number of players. I will keep my old install ... and continue playing it for quite a longtime, but like everybody, I wish it can improve and more people discover this hidden gem. There is some room for a middle core jet era fighter simulation, but SF2 is not up to date for this. Would need better nicer terrain, VR and multiplayer (if we compare to heliborne, for instance). The rest is ok, I think.

I've yet to have dealing with the A team but from what I gathered by reading the information on the website (years ago) and from what I heard here. I'm not really missing anything. I mean it used to get under my skin really bad that a lot neat mods I saw available here required me to go to A team to get the needed files. But once there it seemed like you had to run gauntlet on top of giving some person ALL of your personal information. After all that you may or may not have access to the downloads. So that was a huge red flag for me. If I have to do all this stuff just to get a small chance at downloading the needed files then forget all of that noise.

Yup, but they will be available for newer versions, not early ones ;-)

And if I can throw in my wish list - VR in Strike Fighters would be INCREDIBLE. Playing in Green Hell and rolling in in my A-6 with flak popping all around me. Heaven. And if I could do that with four or six other people at the same time (MP)..that would be nirvana. I know VR and MP aren't really scheduled for this fund raiser, but I can always dream.

Yup. I'm in.

Yes, don't expect a response from the A-Team.

To be honest, as my game on W10 is running smoothly, to make this update atractive, should be a low price as I said and some extras like FAC missions, Transport missions, water take-off/landing abillity or things like that. Unless is useless...

another beautiful warplane. thank you

Come on guuruu, it's both! Aren't you tired of the old dx7shaders, and working on Max9.. (I know I am LOL!) Have faith, one update will eventually lead to others!

The additional information on this campaign is fine with me. Just don't really like Windows 10 anyways. But whatever helps TK doing some actual PC SF stuff again. So I threw in a contribution now.

More realistic red night lights.

We all love the SF series and I think we can all make this work .. I'm sure TK's heart is in it; and that can only be a good thing! For what it's worth, I've chimed in and hope we can reach the goal! Cheers

Over Hokkaido, Kuril Islands 2 terrain (WIP)

To be honest I don't care much for the politics on this one. I threw my penny in the pot

Death from above

Challenge accepted, people! Hope you don't mind about the F-22 being used. It's all a proof of concept, but it's very promising. A new environmentsystem.ini is being worked on (hence the colors are off), with correct inclination and gravity values (it makes up for some fun physics). The terrain will only feature a small, real scale portion of the Moon, namely an area between Mare Crisium and Mare Smythii (full of interesting craters), stock SF2 terrain size of 1000km.

Good news in itself, So I have read the two topics on this fund raiser, and the comments at the fundrazr.com. I understand the term 'Keep it all' campaign. But AFAIK such a campaign requires TK to state what happens when the goal is not reached? Worst case the money is then used to fund mobile rubbish instead? It is not comfortable to make a decision when I lack the info that I need...

Of course: Monday, December 25, 2006 Tsuyoshi Kawahito's bookshelf in his small West Lake Hills office tells his story. Books on game design and computer programming sit next to books on aviation history. Military strategy books rest near white binders filled with pilot manuals. And near the bottom sits the telltale yellow of "Small Business for Dummies." Kawahito, 38, runs Third Wire Productions, a one-man game development studio in Austin that makes flight simulator combat games. His latest game, released this month and available online, is called "First Eagles: The Great Air War 1918." Tsuyoshi Kawahito spends months at libraries, in museums and on the Internet researching the planes he uses in his flight simulator games, such as these from his newest creation, 'First Eagles: The Great Air War 1918,' a World War I game. "That is a niche market within a niche market," said Chris Sherman, who used to run the annual Austin Game Conference. "It's very tough." Third Wire typifies the under-the-radar game development businesses that flourish in gaming cities. Kawahito is unusual for surviving this long on his own in an industry that is tough for newcomes to crack. In Austin, there are about 50 computer and video game development companies. It is a shaky industry; game studios frequently shut down because of lack of funding. Given the odds, Third Wire stands out for being able to establish a solid revenue stream. Kawahito's games may sound obscure, but they have a devoted audience. Played by aviation enthusiasts and history buffs, his main clients are 25- to 40-year-old males, older than most computer gamers. He once got an e-mail from a 62-year-old asking to be a beta tester for his game. But he has never had a true hit. His most popular games sold about 100,000 copies worldwide. He's a gamer more than a businessman, and he is shy about promoting himself. He doesn't disclose revenue, but his games sell for about $30. Flight simulation games bring in about $22.3 million each year, according to consumer market researcher NPD Group. Microsoft Corp.'s "Flight Simulator" is by far the most popular, consistently ranking in the top 20 of best-selling computer games. The overall PC games market is a $1 billion market. About $11 billion are spent each year on video and portable games. A FOLLOWING OF FLIGHT FANATICS Kawahito's games are available through online stores and retail outlets such as Gamestop and Best Buy. His latest game is using a new online distribution model, which allows Kawahito to tap into a much larger worldwide market. He is more concerned about making fun games than ones that make him a lot of money. The company recently became profitable after years of being in the red. "If I make a game that is fun to play, then I am happy," Kawahito said. Called TK by his friends, Kawahito has a cadre of devoted fans, including one influential computer gaming guru: Alex Aguila. Aguila is one of the founders of Miami-based Alienware Corp., which manufactures high-end gaming computers that cost $800 to $6,000. Alienware was recently bought by Round Rock-based Dell Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Aguila helped fund "First Eagles" because he wanted to play a flight simulation game based on World War I. It is designed to emulate the air battles over France. He gushes about Kawahito, saying he has revolutionized the flight simulation market. He said Kawahito builds games that allow players to add on to them. Players can create their own planes, maps and missions. "TK is a genius," Aguila said. "He is one of the most important developers in flight sim history." Other gamers say they appreciate the simplicity of Kawahito's games. "There aren't many bells and whistles and everything," said 47-year-old Rusty Casteele, a truck driver from Virginia, "just really good graphics that cater to the Average Joe." Casteele is a huge fan of Kawahito's games. For years he has tracked every game Kawahito has made, buying each one. "I loved 'Wings Over Vietnam.' I grew up in that era," Casteele said. "So when I put in that game, I can fly the F-4 Phantom that I watched on TV growing up. I can fly the F-15 Eagle that I watched on the news shows when Desert Storm was going on. I can fly those missions you saw on TV or heard about." INTERESTS TO INDUSTRY GURU Kawahito was born in Japan and moved to Los Angeles when he was 12. For a long time, he wanted to become a pilot, but his bad vision got in the way of that. "I knew I liked things that moved," Kawahito said. "Trains, cars, spaceships." In college, he planned on being an aircraft designer, so he majored in aerospace engineering and got his master's degree in the same subject from the University of Texas in 1996. Like many college students, he wanted to stay in Austin. His first job out of college was at Origin Systems, a groundbreaking Austin gaming company. "I sent them my résumé and told them I thought I would be good at this," Kawahito said. "I know games; I played them all throughout college. And I know aircraft." At the time, Austin-based Origin was working on several different flight simulator games. After working there a year, he moved to another studio in Baltimore to work on a different flight simulation game. That was when the genre started losing its popularity and many game publishers pulled their projects. "Everyone was getting out of the business, but I saw an opportunity," Kawahito said. "It was a niche market I thought I could capture and cater to." He moved back to Austin and started his own business in 1999. HIGH PRODUCTIVITY, LOW BUDGET It wasn't easy at first. He dug into his savings to start Third Wire, funding his own game, "Strike Fighters," which took him three years to release. After two years, Kawahito's savings dwindled, and he subsisted on ramen noodles and McDonald's 99-cent hamburgers and by skipping oil changes for his 1998 Toyota Celica. "I think that is why my car broke down," Kawahito said. "I didn't have enough money for an oil change, and then it stopped working. I started riding the bus." But that phase didn't last long after his first games found a following. Publishers started funding his next projects, and Kawahito got a cut of the sales of each game. He's not rolling in dough, however. He rents an apartment in town. He replaced his Toyota Celica with a Toyota 4Runner. His office is bare-bones, with three small rooms and a reception area with no receptionist, only a twinkling Christmas tree to greet visitors. This month, his office is empty as he plans his next project. He let all of his temporary workers go because he didn't need them anymore. Kawahito is able to survive by churning out games faster than most developers do. He puts out a new game about every six months. "What he was able to do with such little funding is unbelievable," Aguila said. "Most developers would charge millions of dollars. He did it on a very small budget." Kawahito said his secret is creating a main engine that he uses to program his games. That way, he doesn't have to re-create an engine every time. He does months of research in libraries, museums and online, digging for history books and photos of old aircraft, and tries to re-create them as accurately as possible. Thanks to his degrees in aerospace engineering, he understands how to build an aircraft. He occasionally asks for outside help from pilots but gets most of his data for his games from his research. When he's ready to start creating a game, Kawahito hires a temporary team of three game developers. Six months later, they have a game. He doesn't think much about his business beyond his next project. But he has dreams of expanding beyond flight simulation games, maybe developing a war strategy game. Or perhaps even space combat. "Or if I continue to just do this, that would be great," he said. Source: statesman.com https://www.wingsofhonour.com/firsteagles/articles/html_woh_firsteagles_articles_flying-under-the-radar_statesman.en.html

Anyway,this is an opportunity to bring SF2 back,and I support it.That is the hope anyway,it looks naive,but its always good to have hope.MAKE SF2 GREAT AGAIN!!!

Tornado Outbreak........ Alert Pad Residents Wingman Follows... THIS is how you kill a runway And since I hate to bring high explosives home, let's create a serious FOD Hazard

Let's see, the way the fundraising is setup TK expects to raise at least $25k in 2 weeks, and keep the money if that goal is not reached, without having to provide anything in return... Even if I still had the funds set aside for when TK finally stopped being an ass, under these conditions... nope.

Let's see, considering the history of similar initiatives, the absence of an actual list of fixes and features planned and a keep-it-all financing model... We'll see in, somewhat appropriately, two weeks.

PB4Y-Privatter