Air Warrior
Encyclopedia
Air Warrior was an early multiplayer on-line air-combat simulator. A player is able to fly a simulated World War II aircraft, fighting with and against other players, each flying his own simulated aircraft. It was introduced in 1986 by Kelton Flinn
and his company Kesmai
. At this time the internet was not generally available outside the worlds of government and academia. Kesmai therefore used the online service GEnie
for the game's networked communication.
Air Warrior originally ran on Apple Macintosh, Commodore
Amiga
, and Atari ST
computers, had simple black and white wireframe graphics, and cost over $10/hour to play. Over time, Kesmai produced improved versions of the game, starting with SVGA Air Warrior (AWSVGA) in 1993, and continuing with Air Warrior for Windows (AW4W) in 1996, Air Warrior II (AWII) in early 1997, Air Warrior III (AWIII) later in 1997, and finally Air Warrior III Millennium Version (AW:MV) in 2000.
Kesmai also did business deals to provide access to Air Warrior through additional on-line services, including Delphi, CRIS, CompuServe
, America Online, Earthlink
, Gamestorm and CompuLink
. A version of Air Warrior for Windows was ported back to the Macintosh in 1997 in an Internet open beta, and then later moved to America Online. In 1999, Electronic Arts
purchased Air Warrior, and became provider of the latest version of the game, only to discontinue it in 2001. The last version was Air Warrior III Millennium Version, and the last day of on-line flying was December 7, 2001, the sixtieth anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor
.
with some real-life features labeled, although Berlin, the Kiel Canal
, and Peenemünde
were left unmarked. There was also a playing area map that included a hodgepodge of Pacific islands
and the coast of Australia. The player could design his own missions on any of these playing fields. Fans of the on-line competition developed a tool that enabled the player to paint his or her own aircraft. Screenshots could be taken in combat, and even videos, which could be distributed over the internet. Douglas C-47s could be used to carry paratroops to take enemy air bases. These could be shot down by flak panzers as well as fighters.
There were many ships and a few buildings to attack, even V-2
s at Peenemünde, a bridge near Westminster
's Parliament House, and the Brandenburg Gate
of Berlin. However, targets that were destroyed soon re-appeared. Besides aircraft, the player could control a jeep
, a tank
, a truck, or a flak panzer, although the player could not drive through the fence surrounding the airfield unless a tank destroyed it at a given spot. The aircraft carrier
s and other ships were fixed in place. The game was notorious for its sheep and for the cartoon
s which appear on the screen to mock the player when he died.
Kelton Flinn
Kelton Flinn is an American computer game designer who is a major pioneer in online games. He is a co-founder of the seminal online game company Kesmai, which they began in 1982...
and his company Kesmai
Kesmai
Kesmai was a pioneering game developer and online game publisher, founded in 1981 by Kelton Flinn and John Taylor. The company was best known for the combat flight sim Air Warrior on the GEnie online service, one of the first graphical MMOGs, launched in 1987...
. At this time the internet was not generally available outside the worlds of government and academia. Kesmai therefore used the online service GEnie
GEnie
GEnie was an online service created by a General Electric business - GEIS that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around 350,000 users. Peak simultaneous usage was around 10,000 users...
for the game's networked communication.
Air Warrior originally ran on Apple Macintosh, Commodore
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
computers, had simple black and white wireframe graphics, and cost over $10/hour to play. Over time, Kesmai produced improved versions of the game, starting with SVGA Air Warrior (AWSVGA) in 1993, and continuing with Air Warrior for Windows (AW4W) in 1996, Air Warrior II (AWII) in early 1997, Air Warrior III (AWIII) later in 1997, and finally Air Warrior III Millennium Version (AW:MV) in 2000.
Kesmai also did business deals to provide access to Air Warrior through additional on-line services, including Delphi, CRIS, CompuServe
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
, America Online, Earthlink
EarthLink
EarthLink , is an Internet service provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It claims 1.94 million subscribers.- Business :EarthLink provides a variety of Internet connection types, including dial-up, DSL, satellite, and cable. Both dial-up and high speed Internet access are available...
, Gamestorm and CompuLink
Compupress
Compupress is a Greek publishing company formed in 1982. Originally the company was formed in order to publish computer magazines and books. Following the decline of the computer magazine market, the company expanded to publish fantasy and science fiction, comic books and graphic novels, manga and...
. A version of Air Warrior for Windows was ported back to the Macintosh in 1997 in an Internet open beta, and then later moved to America Online. In 1999, Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
purchased Air Warrior, and became provider of the latest version of the game, only to discontinue it in 2001. The last version was Air Warrior III Millennium Version, and the last day of on-line flying was December 7, 2001, the sixtieth anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
.
Air Warrior III
Besides many small playing fields, Air Warrior III had as one playing area a map of northern EuropeNorthern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
with some real-life features labeled, although Berlin, the Kiel Canal
Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....
, and Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
were left unmarked. There was also a playing area map that included a hodgepodge of Pacific islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
and the coast of Australia. The player could design his own missions on any of these playing fields. Fans of the on-line competition developed a tool that enabled the player to paint his or her own aircraft. Screenshots could be taken in combat, and even videos, which could be distributed over the internet. Douglas C-47s could be used to carry paratroops to take enemy air bases. These could be shot down by flak panzers as well as fighters.
There were many ships and a few buildings to attack, even V-2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
s at Peenemünde, a bridge near Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
's Parliament House, and the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
of Berlin. However, targets that were destroyed soon re-appeared. Besides aircraft, the player could control a jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
, a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
, a truck, or a flak panzer, although the player could not drive through the fence surrounding the airfield unless a tank destroyed it at a given spot. The aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s and other ships were fixed in place. The game was notorious for its sheep and for the cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s which appear on the screen to mock the player when he died.
See also
- KesmaiKesmaiKesmai was a pioneering game developer and online game publisher, founded in 1981 by Kelton Flinn and John Taylor. The company was best known for the combat flight sim Air Warrior on the GEnie online service, one of the first graphical MMOGs, launched in 1987...
- Legends of Kesmai
- Multiplayer Battletech: SolarisMultiplayer Battletech: SolarisThis version of the multiplayer BattleTech computer game was available on AOL, and on Kesmai's game service between 1996 and 2001. At its height on the AOL server, thousands of players competed simultaneously in arenas of two to eight participants, battling in team games or free-for-alls...
- Aces HighAces High (computer game)Aces High is a combat flight simulator and massively multiplayer online game for Microsoft Windows. It was created by HiTech Creations and originally released on May 8, 2000, the game is subscriber based and is constantly updated and upgraded...