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Author
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Topic: Rowan's Battle of Britain - SimHQ article
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Yardstick
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 04:24 AM
   
If you guys get the time go and have a look at the SimHQ interview with the developer. This is going to be an interesting title albeit with a graphics engine that will probably be sub EAW. There are many things in its favour that intrigue me.1) Fully dynamic campaign - with the option to micro manage at the squadron level or play the game more as a 2D war game; 2) Lots of aircraft in the air at once (up to 250); 3) Covers an era un-covered by other up-coming WWII sims; 4) The ability to navigate using real landmarks and geographical features over the countryside in which I live; 5) Realistic damage modelling (the physics are not going to be up to SDOE standards but at least engine damage / limitation should be realistic); 5) The promise of an immerse pilot career (something I have not experienced since my days in SWOTL, PAW and Falcon 3). It is not without it's faults but Rowan have a good (and deservedly so) reputation for quality flight modelling and producing sims with high end campaigns. I think I will compliment B17-II and IL-2 and is now on my 'intend to buy' list. ------------------
Yardstick painted this
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ArgonV
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 04:46 AM
I read you could have up to 1000 planes in the air at the same time. Also, there will be MOVING ground units around airfields (such as fuel trucks, ground crews, fire trucks...) Also, if a city is ablaze, a low smoke cloud will form over the burning city. All major cities have ben modeled by "elevated dark areas" I.E. High altidude detail and low altitude 3d models. There are also barrage balloons and a dynamic cloud system.IP: Logged |
Flash Gordon
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 07:57 AM
I think in most of the articles and interviews on BoB, the designers state that they are going to make 1000-plane raids possible. If it were 'only' 250, it'd be no different from EAW...IP: Logged |
Yardstick
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 09:13 AM
My mistake 1,000 it is. Anyway 250 or 1,000 is considerably more than SDOE, B17-II and IL-2 will offer, although in IL-2's defence it is a tactical level sim not a strategic sim as BoB will be. B17-II however models a strategic bomber and by limiting itself to 12 Boeings immersion may suffer accordingly.But as always it's swings and roundabouts, no one sim can offer everything and at £35-40 a piece it is hardly going to bankrupt anyone if they buy all 3 (what's that half the price of a Geforce 2 / V5500?) ------------------
Yardstick painted this
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Razer
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 09:26 AM
I don't know, the graphics didn't do anything for me in the last screen shots i saw. I love FM stuff as much as the next die hard simer, but i must have the full package to be happy. I could care less if it is the most realistic WW2 sim ever made if it has the graphics of Falcon 3.Oh yea, Yard, you get the P-39 i sent you? IP: Logged |
Yardstick
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 09:36 AM
Razer, yes thanks. I was going to take a look at it tonight. I was researching some schemes the other day and have a nice 'large nude' that I think could find herself sprawled (nice word sprawled - almost onomatopoeic) across both sides of the fuselage. ------------------
Yardstick painted this
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Tailslide
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 11:06 AM
I was disappointed by Mig Alley but the Rowan guys have their hearts in the right place. I am really looking forward to BoB as well (crossing fingers). TS IP: Logged |
Flash Gordon
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 11:40 AM
I think they're limited to having 12 bomber raids in B-17II because of the way the game is structured - each bomber having 10 crewmen modeled scurrying about within as the bombers get hacked apart by machinegun/cannon-fire and ack-ack. Because of this, I think they made a conscious design decision to only have 12 bomber raids in order to keep things within limits but you're right, it does kill the immersion but it's certainly understandable why they made this decision.IP: Logged |
Spyder
Pilot
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posted 08-03- 07:50 PM
I'm looking forward to this one but I'm not happy they are sticking to their crappy speech system as used in Mig alley.
Bandits.....at.... your....3..'0 clock.
The rest of the features sound great though.------------------
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charmstar
Pilot
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posted 08-04- 12:10 AM
I thought the Mig Alley speech system had a lot of potential, if they could just get rid of the crappy pauses between words. Hearing radio chatter can add a lot to a big dogfight.charm IP: Logged |
Yardstick
Pilot
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posted 08-04- 04:32 AM
On the subject of in-flight radio coms, IMHO nothing has approached Longbow 2 in both it's informative quality and atmosphere. EAW was OK but the use of phrases like 'Winchester' were wholly inappropriate and spoiled it. Anyway the coms that are really useful usually come over Roger Wilco, well most of the time ------------------
Yardstick painted this
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Spyder
Pilot
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posted 08-04- 08:35 AM
yeah Charm, that's what I meant. The pauses being the dots in my example above.
Speech was fine but quite obviously a pile of small files strung together.
Eaw was good, pity it didn't have more.
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Flash Gordon
Pilot
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posted 08-04- 09:12 AM
I liked EAW's radio calls (anachronisms notwithstanding) - only wish they had more 'spice', i.e. instead of 'there's a bandit on your 6!' something more like 'MacDonald, you bloody fool, look behind you, man, behind you!' and instead of 'I can't shake him!' something to the tune of 'Oh my God! Somebody HELP ME!'I thought the dialogue in AOE was sort of cute - when you leave the bombers and they get attacked by fighters, they radio 'Where are you, you lazy escorts?' I would have thought something stronger was in order ;-) IP: Logged |
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