Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory
Encyclopedia
Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory is a Windows
-based flight simulation created by Shockwave Productions,Inc. (currently known as A2A Simulations
) and released in 2005. It is a remake of Rowan's Battle of Britain
combat flight simulation by Empire Interactive
. The aerial combat is drawn from the Battle of Britain
during the Second World War and features the British RAF versus the German Luftwaffe
. Due to its emphasis on historical accuracy, Wings of Victory remains very popular among serious PC historical World War II flight sim enthusiasts. The release was met with many favorable reviews, and won several awards including the SimHQ Best of 2006 award.
Battle of Britain II can be played either as a flight simulator or as a strategy game, or both combined. It allows the player to assume the role of pilot in the flight simulator, and/or the Commander of the Air Force - managing tactics in the strategy game. The player can choose either side, the RAF or the Luftwaffe
. Changes from Rowan's original BoB title include an extensive graphics overhaul, gameplay tweaks and numerous new features. Its broad scope includes hundreds of warplanes and huge aerial raids and battles in the air. The simulation has realistic AA fire, radio traffic, and in-game ambiance that includes military forces on the ground. Due to the high level of detail and historical accuracy, the flight sim developers term Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory their "time machine". The flight simulation engine (code) used in this product is called the "Merlin" engine, which is an advanced proprietary Air-Combat computer game engine
designed by A2A Simulations
and first released in their Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory title.
A2A Simulations
Forum announced a sequel to be called Flying Tigers but no firm dates have been set as of yet for release. As of February, 2008 it was still considered "in development".
A modified version of the game with arcade-style gameplay was published by Wild Hare Entertainment under the title Air Battles: Sky Defender in 2007. It offers less emphasis on historical realism and more emphasis on gameplay for the novice gameplayer looking for a Battle of Britain
experience. (See external Links below)
and Hawker Hurricane
. Aircraft of the Luftwaffe are the Messerschmitt Bf-109, Messerschmitt Bf-110, and Junkers JU87 Stuka. Other aircraft featured are the Luftwaffe bombers Junkers Ju-88, Heinkel He-111, and Dornier Do-17. It also includes the RAF Bristol Blenheim
bomber and Boulton Paul Defiant
.
BoB II WOV comes with a 136 page Operations Manual but the manual has been updated several times, in line with each software patch improvement. (See Patches and Updates below)
The limited edition version of Battle of Britain II WOV comes with a historical DVD on the Battle of Britain
and includes the Wings of Power B17 Flying Fortress for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004.
The simulation has been undergoing continual development from its fanbase, with updates and patches being produced by the "Battle of Britain Development Group" or BDG. The latest BDG patches are found on the A2A Simulations
forum. (See external Links below)
Most recent update: Patch v2.11 (released 21 May, 2010)
The available "Multiskin" patch update contains around 200 individual aircraft schemes and nearly 300 markings and badges. Each aircraft has unique and historically accurate paintschemes and markings.
(Screenshots in this section from 2.07 update)
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based flight simulation created by Shockwave Productions,Inc. (currently known as A2A Simulations
A2A Simulations
Air to Air Simulations specializes in the development and publication of flight simulations, strategy games, visual effects and sound. The company is a North American based company in Simsbury, Connecticut....
) and released in 2005. It is a remake of Rowan's Battle of Britain
Rowan's Battle of Britain
Rowan's Battle of Britain is a World War II era Combat flight simulation video game set during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The combat flight simulation has both RAF and opposing Luftwaffe forces featuring over of sky and hundreds of aircraft...
combat flight simulation by Empire Interactive
Empire Interactive
Empire Interactive was a UK based video game developer and publisher founded in 1987. It was closed under administration on 4 May 2009.-About Empire Interactive:...
. The aerial combat is drawn from the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
during the Second World War and features the British RAF versus the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. Due to its emphasis on historical accuracy, Wings of Victory remains very popular among serious PC historical World War II flight sim enthusiasts. The release was met with many favorable reviews, and won several awards including the SimHQ Best of 2006 award.
Battle of Britain II can be played either as a flight simulator or as a strategy game, or both combined. It allows the player to assume the role of pilot in the flight simulator, and/or the Commander of the Air Force - managing tactics in the strategy game. The player can choose either side, the RAF or the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. Changes from Rowan's original BoB title include an extensive graphics overhaul, gameplay tweaks and numerous new features. Its broad scope includes hundreds of warplanes and huge aerial raids and battles in the air. The simulation has realistic AA fire, radio traffic, and in-game ambiance that includes military forces on the ground. Due to the high level of detail and historical accuracy, the flight sim developers term Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory their "time machine". The flight simulation engine (code) used in this product is called the "Merlin" engine, which is an advanced proprietary Air-Combat computer game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
designed by A2A Simulations
A2A Simulations
Air to Air Simulations specializes in the development and publication of flight simulations, strategy games, visual effects and sound. The company is a North American based company in Simsbury, Connecticut....
and first released in their Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory title.
A2A Simulations
A2A Simulations
Air to Air Simulations specializes in the development and publication of flight simulations, strategy games, visual effects and sound. The company is a North American based company in Simsbury, Connecticut....
Forum announced a sequel to be called Flying Tigers but no firm dates have been set as of yet for release. As of February, 2008 it was still considered "in development".
A modified version of the game with arcade-style gameplay was published by Wild Hare Entertainment under the title Air Battles: Sky Defender in 2007. It offers less emphasis on historical realism and more emphasis on gameplay for the novice gameplayer looking for a Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
experience. (See external Links below)
Aircraft
The available warplanes that can be flown include two variations each of the RAF's Supermarine SpitfireSupermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
. Aircraft of the Luftwaffe are the Messerschmitt Bf-109, Messerschmitt Bf-110, and Junkers JU87 Stuka. Other aircraft featured are the Luftwaffe bombers Junkers Ju-88, Heinkel He-111, and Dornier Do-17. It also includes the RAF Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
bomber and Boulton Paul Defiant
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
.
Product Details
The product comes complete on one CD-ROM, and after the install it does not require the CD to run the application. The title box includes a keyboard overlay.BoB II WOV comes with a 136 page Operations Manual but the manual has been updated several times, in line with each software patch improvement. (See Patches and Updates below)
The limited edition version of Battle of Britain II WOV comes with a historical DVD on the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
and includes the Wings of Power B17 Flying Fortress for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004.
Patches, Updates and Add-ons
A2A Simulations
Air to Air Simulations specializes in the development and publication of flight simulations, strategy games, visual effects and sound. The company is a North American based company in Simsbury, Connecticut....
forum. (See external Links below)
Most recent update: Patch v2.11 (released 21 May, 2010)
The available "Multiskin" patch update contains around 200 individual aircraft schemes and nearly 300 markings and badges. Each aircraft has unique and historically accurate paintschemes and markings.
(Screenshots in this section from 2.07 update)
See also
- Rowan's Battle of BritainRowan's Battle of BritainRowan's Battle of Britain is a World War II era Combat flight simulation video game set during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The combat flight simulation has both RAF and opposing Luftwaffe forces featuring over of sky and hundreds of aircraft...
- Battle of BritainBattle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
- Battle of Britain (film)Battle of Britain (film)Battle of Britain is a 1969 Technicolor film directed by Guy Hamilton, and produced by Harry Saltzman and S. Benjamin Fisz. The film broadly relates the events of the Battle of Britain...
- Battle of Britain AircraftBattle of Britain AircraftThe Battle of Britain was an effort by the German Air Force during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom in preparation for the planned amphibious and airborne forces invasion of Britain by Operation Sea Lion...
- Wings of Power: WWII Heavy Bombers and JetsWings of Power: WWII Heavy Bombers and JetsWings of Power WWII Heavy Bombers and Jets is a video game of the flight simulation genre released in 2004 as an add on to enhance Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004.Wings of Power adds vintage historical military aircraft to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004.Wings of Power also adds 50 missions with...
- Wings of Power II: WWII FightersWings of Power II: WWII FightersWings of Power II WWII Fighters is a video game of the flight simulation genre released in 2006 as an add on to enhance Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 and Flight Simulator X.Wings of Power II adds vintage historical military aircraft to Microsoft's flight simulator series.This simulation add on...
- List of World War II video games