Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!mintaka!streeter From: streeter@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Kenneth B. Streeter) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Game wanted: EGA/VGA Fighter Game Summary: Try F-19 Stealth Fighter from MicroProse (long) Message-ID: <1990Jul20.182211.11078@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> Date: 20 Jul 90 18:22:11 GMT References: <10325@stiatl.UUCP> Sender: daemon@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (Lucifer Maleficius) Reply-To: streeter@im.lcs.mit.edu (Kenneth B. Streeter) Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT Lines: 84 In article <10325@stiatl.UUCP> dwj@stiatl.UUCP (David Jaquay) writes: >What kind of fighter pilot games are out there for EGA/VGA? I've got Battle >Hawks, and would like something that works better off just the keyboard. Once >upon a time I played Gunship (I think), which was a 'copter simulation. I have recently played the F-19 (Stealth Fighter) game from MicroProse. It accomodates EGA/VGA, and has excellent graphics. The flight is moderately realistic. This game has features that can make nearly anybody happy. Update and response is quick, with excellent out-the-cockpit graphics. The head-up-display (HUD) is also very well done. I strongly recommend it as the best fighter flight simulation game I have ever seen on the PC. With the game, you get a short installation leaflet explaining how to set up the game for your specific machine. It installs on the hard disk, if you have one, but requires reading one of the floppy disks for copy protection upon startup. Also included is a 100+ page book explaining what the F-19 is, a quick tutorial, a more-involved explanation of the machine, takeoff/landing procedures, radar stealth techniques, air-to-air fighting tactics, air-to-ground fighting tactics, specifications and uses for various NATO/Warsaw Pact aircraft and armaments, and a good index. This documentation permits the player to delve into the simulation in varying levels, from just taking the plane up and trying to shoot down bad guys, to really trying to perform a stealth mission carefully and precisely. There are four areas of battle among which you can choose: South Mediteranean (Libya), Persian Gulf (Iran), Central Europe (Warsaw Pact), and Northern Europe (Warsaw Pact.) In all of these arenas, you can choose among 4 different types of missions (training/regular duty for strike and air-to-air missions), 3 different levels of conflict (cold war, limited war, conventional war), 4 different levels of enemy troop expertise, and 3 different levels of landing difficulty. These many choices permit picking a skill level that will keep the game very interesting. The different levels of conflict choices are particularly interesting. They do not vary in difficulty (they are not intended to do so), but rather distinguish between true stealth missions as in a cold war where avoiding detection is nearly as important as destroying/photographing the objective, and outright full conventional war where avoiding detection is only important in that it helps keep you alive. In the simulation, you are the pilot of an F-19. For control, there is an optional joystick mode, but I have always used keyboard only. I found the game easy to pick up and have fun with initially. With the easiest setting, the plane doesn't crash (just bounces) and can't be shot, so one can quickly get a feel for how the aircraft handles, and have some fun. On the highest (realistic) settings, just trying to land this on an aircraft carrier (missions can involve both/either standard or carrier takeoffs and landings) can be quite a challenge. With more expertise, one learns not just how to use "fire-and-forget" guided missiles, but also how to drop bombs (level & dive bombing), strafe ground units with the cannon, dogfight, and avoid detection flying through enemy radar screens. (This is actually quite involved -- there's a lot more to it than just flying low -- direction, speed, radar type, and perspective are all important, as well as altitude.) Basically, this is a GREAT game. Of course, it will be the most fun with hi-res EGA/VGA graphics, on a fast machine. After playing this game frequently for quite a few months, I still find it to be an awful lot of fun. For me, this game has been almost unique among others I have tried in that it has so many possibilities of things to do that it does not become tiresome. The F-15 Strike-Eagle II (the version II is important) also from MicroProse, is very similar, but doesn't have quite as much room for variation as the F-19 simulation, as the F-19 can be used for dogfighting, just as the F-15, but the radar-detection aspect of the F-19 simulation is unique. >As a side note, I didn't see a comp.sys.ibm.pc.games here. Is there one, or >is there another/better place to ask this? I haven't found one, but think it would be a good idea. >David Jaquay (gatech!stiatl!dwj) -- Kenneth B. Streeter | ARPA: streeter@im.lcs.mit.edu MIT LCS, Room NE43-350 | UUCP: ...!uunet!im.lcs.mit.edu!streeter 545 Technology Square | (617) 253-2614 (work) Cambridge, MA 02139 | (617) 225-2249 (home)