Combat flight simulator
Encyclopedia
Combat flight simulators are video games (similar to flight simulator
or amateur flight simulation
software) used to simulate military aircraft and their operations. These video games are distinct from dedicated flight simulators used for military flight training which are far more complex and consist of realistic physical recreations of the actual aircraft cockpit.
produced arcade game
s that resemble video games, but were in fact electro-mechanical games that used rear
image projection
in a manner similar to the ancient zoetrope
to produce moving animation
s on a screen
. One such electro-mechanical game by Sega was Jet Rocket, a flight simulator featuring cockpit controls that could move the player aircraft around a landscape displayed on a screen and shoot missiles onto targets that explode when hit. In 1975, Taito
released an arcade video game simulator, Interceptor, an early first-person
combat flight simulator that involved piloting a jet fighter
, using an eight-way joystick
to aim with a crosshair and shoot at enemy aircraft that move in formations of two and scale in size
depending on their distance to the player.
The earliest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator
(1982) had crude graphics, simple flight models – and a combat option, with "dog fighting" in a World War I
Sopwith Camel
. This feature was removed in the simulator after v4.0, though the Camel itself remained as one of the standard aircraft for some time. Shortly after Microsoft Flight Simulator was released for the 8-bit computer, Microsoft released "Jet". This simulator used simple filled wire frame graphics and a small generic battle space to allow players to fight MiGs in an F-18 or F-16. The five or six frames per second refresh rate was barely acceptable, but was the only thing available in the 8-bit market at the time.
The early 2000s saw several rival publishers such as NovaLogic
with titles like the Comanche Series
that simulated helicopter combat and later Jane's WWII Fighters which had small features that the Microsoft titles lacked, such as more detailed visible damage. A breakthrough occurred when Namco
launched Air Combat
, for PlayStation 1, which would go on as the Ace Combat
series. The series would continue with sequels for PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
and Xbox 360
.
Although mass interest has waned in recent years the genre is still popular today with many titles specialising in certain types of aircraft or historical periods or wars with Microsoft remaining one of the market leaders. Microsoft currently has three combat flight simulators: Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series
, Combat Flight Simulator 2
WWII Pacific Theatre and Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe
. Ubisoft
is now the leading publisher in the genre with the acclaimed IL-2 Sturmovik series,which some claim to be far more realistic than other games in the genre, the first of which was first released in 2001.
Simulators of current moderns wars are usually classified not by the period of war, but rather as a separate category of "modern jet simulators".
versus a Messerschmitt 109
in IL-2 Sturmovik or a Mitsubishi Zero versus a US Navy F4F Wildcat
in Combat Flight Simulator 2
). There have been modern jet survey simulators as well (US Navy Fighters by Jane's/Electronic Arts 1994, USAF by Jane's 1999) typically with simplified and generic modelling of radar, navigation, and weapons.
in 1995 it quickly garnered a cult following, including a user group that produced a detailed online manual of weapons and tactics. Soon afterward, a collaborative effort between Electronic Arts
and Jane's specialized in such sims in the 1990s with titles such as Jane's Longbow
, Jane's F-15
and Jane's F/A-18
.
Falcon 4.0
is perhaps the highest regarded example of this genre. This detailed simulation of the USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon
was based on a series first begun in 1987 (Falcon
). Later iterations improved the fidelity of avionics, weapons systems, physics, and flight models until version 4 was released by Spectrum Holobyte
(later marketed by Microprose
) in 1998. It was claimed by Microprose Chairman Gilman Louie that most of the techniques and tactics used in the real jet worked in the simulator. Official development stopped after a few updates, but thanks to the intervention of Louie, the Falcon 4 community took over development of further versions and add-ons. As of 2011, the community development is still highly active.
Helicopter simulations have their own story, beginning with Gunship by Microprose in 1986. Nearly ten years later, in 1995, Digitial Integration released Apache-Longbow
. The most sophisticated helicopter game to date, it would only be exceeded by Origen the year following. In 1996, AH-64D Longbow was created by Origen and released by Electronic Arts
as part of the Jane's Combat Simulator series. The sequel, Longbow 2
, was released late in 1997, improving every aspect of the game, particularly the terrain and objects. (Longbow 2 was one of the early simulations to take advantage of hardware accelerated graphics including advanced lighting). The following year, in 1998, Empire Interactive
released Enemy Engaged: Apache vs Havoc
allowing players to choose to fly for either the USA or for Russia. Meanwhile NovaLogic
released the final iteration of their Comanche series in 2001.
The “Digital Combat Simulator
" started with its first release "DCS: Black Shark” in 2008 a series of simulations, which can only be compared with Falcon 4.0 (and may excel the older simulation). The PC game simulates the Russian Kamov Ka-50
attack helicopter and was developed by "Eagle Dynamics
" in cooperation with helicopter-manufacturer Kamov
(the Kamov-logo can be found in the main-screen). The simulation features a complete and detailed cockpit of the Ka-50. All relevant switches are accurately modelled and functional. Over 500 key-commands are mapped, but the fully interactive cockpit allows virtually every switch and radio-button to be clicked and changed. This level of high fidelity is down to Eagle Dynamics securing military contracts for simulators. They negotiate the clause in their contract that they will be allowed to release a retail level simulation with top secret features of the aircraft in question removed.
Besides the traditional input-devices such as joystick, throttle and pedals, DCS has a built-in support for TrackIR
with 6 DOF, creating (in conjunction with the interactive 3D-cockpit) a very realistic experience.
Due to the increased flexibility of the DCS system, additional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter add-ons will be released as (independent) "modules" one by one, each module providing another realistic vehicle. The latest module released(release date February 21, 2011) features the A-10C Thunderbolt II
). Some have concentrated on future fighters (e.g., F-22 Total Air War
by Digital Image Design in 1998), while others have simulated well-known existing fighters (several AV-8 Harrier II sims, F-14 Fleet Defender by Microprose, F22 lightning 3 and many others). A recent example is Lock On: Modern Air Combat
, which attempts to bridge the study/survey gap with quite detailed models of several US and Russian aircraft.
). Although modern video games create fairly intelligent and independent behaviour for adversaries ("bandits") or allies ("friendlies"), advanced players find even the best to be too predictable. Multi-player games allow players to oppose one or many human players for a much more realistic and challenging experience. Some simulators exist only or primarily in internet multiplayer versions (e.g., Air Warrior
, the massively multiplayer Fighter Ace, Aces High, World War II Online
, and others).
. Simulators enhance the replay value by not only offering a variety of single missions, but also randomly generated quick missions or longer campaigns consisting of several smaller mission or objectives. Many simulators also include "mission builders" which allow the player to create missions. The mission builder for Red Baron II was quite powerful, as was the mission builder for IL-2 Sturmovik and Rise of Flight.
Most campaigns are "dynamic flowing", which means they change according to the results of each successive mission, e.g. if the player destroys a "target of opportunity" which turns out to be a truck carrying an enemy leader then the campaign starts to take a different path. Some campaign models have been developed which are fully dynamic, and where successive missions take place in an environment which is persistent (destroy a building in one mission, it remains destroyed in the next and will only be rebuilt in view of limited resources, realistic time and strategic priorities, etc). A notable pioneer in this area was Andy Hollis, producer of the Jane's Longbow series. Digital Image Design
, with their release of Total Air War in 1998, took this to a level comparable to or beyond that of Falcon 4.0. allowing a transparency into the larger strategic battlefield by use of multiple screens and a "God's eye view."
" (hands on throttle and stick") controllers that allow full control of most functions without touching the keyboard. Voice control and head-tracking
view control systems are also available for home flight sim enthusiasts.
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
or amateur flight simulation
Amateur flight simulation
Amateur flight simulation refers to the simulation of various aspects of flight or the flight environment for purposes other than flight training or aircraft development...
software) used to simulate military aircraft and their operations. These video games are distinct from dedicated flight simulators used for military flight training which are far more complex and consist of realistic physical recreations of the actual aircraft cockpit.
History
Prior to the rise of video games, SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
produced arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s that resemble video games, but were in fact electro-mechanical games that used rear
Rear projection effect
Rear projection is part of many in-camera effects cinematic techniquesin film production for combining foreground performances with pre-filmed backgrounds. It was widely used for many years in driving scenes, or to show other forms of "distant" background motion...
image projection
Image projector
An image projector is an optical device that projects an image onto a surface, commonly a projection screen.Most projectors creates an image by shining a light through a small transparent image, but some newer types of projectors can project the image directly, by using lasers...
in a manner similar to the ancient zoetrope
Zoetrope
A zoetrope is a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures. The term zoetrope is from the Greek words "ζωή – zoe", "life" and τρόπος – tropos, "turn". It may be taken to mean "wheel of life"....
to produce moving animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
s on a screen
Projection screen
A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed, as in a movie theater; painted on the wall; or semi-permanent or mobile, as in a conference room...
. One such electro-mechanical game by Sega was Jet Rocket, a flight simulator featuring cockpit controls that could move the player aircraft around a landscape displayed on a screen and shoot missiles onto targets that explode when hit. In 1975, Taito
Taito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
released an arcade video game simulator, Interceptor, an early first-person
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
combat flight simulator that involved piloting a jet fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, using an eight-way joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
to aim with a crosshair and shoot at enemy aircraft that move in formations of two and scale in size
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
depending on their distance to the player.
The earliest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
(1982) had crude graphics, simple flight models – and a combat option, with "dog fighting" in a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
. This feature was removed in the simulator after v4.0, though the Camel itself remained as one of the standard aircraft for some time. Shortly after Microsoft Flight Simulator was released for the 8-bit computer, Microsoft released "Jet". This simulator used simple filled wire frame graphics and a small generic battle space to allow players to fight MiGs in an F-18 or F-16. The five or six frames per second refresh rate was barely acceptable, but was the only thing available in the 8-bit market at the time.
The early 2000s saw several rival publishers such as NovaLogic
NovaLogic
NovaLogic is a software developer and publisher established in 1985 and based in Calabasas, California. The company was founded by current CEO John A. Garcia....
with titles like the Comanche Series
Comanche series
Comanche is a series of simulation games published by NovaLogic. The goal of each of these games is to fly military missions in a RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopter, which was in development and prototyping at the time of release....
that simulated helicopter combat and later Jane's WWII Fighters which had small features that the Microsoft titles lacked, such as more detailed visible damage. A breakthrough occurred when Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
launched Air Combat
Air Combat
Air Combat, released in Japan as Ace Combat, is a semi-realistic flight-sim/action game developed and released by Namco in 1995 for the PlayStation. It is part of the Ace Combat series. All subsequent games retained the original Ace Combat name.Air Combat is also an arcade game from Namco in 1992...
, for PlayStation 1, which would go on as the Ace Combat
Ace Combat
Ace Combat is a hybrid arcade-simulation flight action video game series featuring 12 games, published by the Japanese company Namco Bandai Games...
series. The series would continue with sequels for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Although mass interest has waned in recent years the genre is still popular today with many titles specialising in certain types of aircraft or historical periods or wars with Microsoft remaining one of the market leaders. Microsoft currently has three combat flight simulators: Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series
Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series
Combat Flight Simulator World War II Europe Series is the first version of combat flight simulators from Microsoft Game Studios, released November 1, 1998. CFS1 is set in the European Theater of World War II.-Game design:...
, Combat Flight Simulator 2
Combat Flight Simulator 2
Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater is the successor to the highly successful Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series and Fighter Ace Series. CFS1 Was the first combat conversion of the Microsoft Flight Simulator series...
WWII Pacific Theatre and Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe
Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe
Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe , is the latest installment of combat flight simulators from Microsoft Game Studios, released in 2002. The game is more or less a heavily updated version of the first , offering a far wider range of options to the player...
. Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
is now the leading publisher in the genre with the acclaimed IL-2 Sturmovik series,which some claim to be far more realistic than other games in the genre, the first of which was first released in 2001.
Types
Combat flight simulators are usually classified according to their historical period, type of aircraft, level of detail (survey is less detailed than a study type) and single- versus multi-player.Historical
There are simulators for most modern periods and wars, including the following:- World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
by order of appearance- Red Baron by Sierra EntertainmentSierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
, 1990 - Dawn PatrolDawn Patrol (video game)Dawn Patrol is a World War I combat flight simulator by Rowan Software. It was released in 1994 for the Amiga and PC MS-DOS platforms. The game's front end takes the form of a hyperlinked book describing the history of the war in the air, the aircraft, and some of the famous aces who flew them,...
by Rowan SoftwareRowan SoftwareRowan Software was a British software company focused on the development of computer games. The company was founded by Rod Hyde in 1987 and based in Runcorn, Cheshire. Rowan was best known as a publisher of flight simulators for the PC....
, 1994 - Flying CorpsFlying CorpsFlying Corps is a 1996 World War I flight simulator developed by Rowan Software and published by Empire Interactive. It was one of the most popular flight simulators of its time due to its accurate flight models and graphics, and also the novelty factor of a First World War dog fight simulator...
by Empire InteractiveEmpire InteractiveEmpire 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:...
, 1996 - Red Baron II by SierraSierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
1997 - First Eagles: The Great War 1918First Eagles: The Great War 1918First Eagles: The Great War 1918 is a PC game that focuses on World War I between 1917 and 1918....
by Third Wire, 2007 - Rise of Flight: The First Great Air WarRise of Flight: The First Great Air WarRise of Flight is a World War I combat flight simulator originally developed by the Russian IT Company, Neoqb and currently being developed by 777 Studios....
by 777 Studios, 2010
- Red Baron by Sierra Entertainment
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Fighter Ace
- Aces High
- Aces of the PacificAces of the PacificAces of the Pacific is a flight simulator game developed by Dynamix in 1992. Its success caused Dynamix to create a very similar sequel, entitled Aces over Europe. The game takes place during World War II...
(1992) by Dynamix Sierra - Aces Over Europe (1993) by Sierra
- 1942:Pacific Air War (1994) by Microprose
- European Air WarEuropean Air WarEuropean Air War is a combat flight simulation released by MicroProse in 1998. European Air War is the sequel to 1942: The Pacific Air War by Microprose. The stock standard version simulates the Battle of Britain, and the Allied Air offensives in Western Europe during the Second World War in 1943-45...
by Microprose - B-17 Flying Fortress (computer game)B-17 Flying Fortress (computer game)B-17 Flying Fortress or B-17 Flying Fortress World War II Bombers in Action is a flight simulation/role-playing video game released in 1992 for DOS on the IBM PC compatible personal computer by MicroProse. Commodore Amiga and Atari ST versions were released a year later...
by Microprose/Hasbro - B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8thB-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8thB-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th is the sequel to the 1992 flight simulator B-17 Flying Fortress World War II Bombers in Action developed by Wayward Design and sold by MicroProse owned by Hasbro in 2000. It was released in the United States onDecember 13, 2000...
- Battle of Britain by Empire Interactive
- Fighter Squadron: The Screamin' Demons Over EuropeFighter Squadron: The Screamin' Demons Over EuropeFighter Squadron: The Screamin' Demons over Europe is a Windows-based World War II theme combat flight simulator released in 1999. The game was written by Parsoft Interactive and released by Activision. It was designed for the Windows 95/98 operating system...
(1999) by Parsoft/Activision - Jane's WWII FightersJane's WWII FightersJane's WWII Fighters is a World War II era European Theater of Operations Combat flight simulation video game set during the U.S. American termed "Battle of the Bulge" in 1944 and 1945. The combat flight simulation was copyrighted in 1998 but was released in 1999...
(1999) by Jane's Combat SimulationsJane's Combat SimulationsJane's Combat Simulations was a brand of PC flight and combat simulators released by Electronic Arts . The Jane's Information Group sold the rights to EA so that EA could lend authenticity and accuracy to their growing line of combat games.... - IL-2 SturmovikIL-2 Sturmovik (game)IL-2 Sturmovik is a World War II combat flight simulator video game, focused on the air battles of the Eastern Front.It is named after the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack fighter, which played a prominent role in this theatre and is the single most produced military aircraft design to date...
(2001) by 1C Maddox Games - IL-2 Sturmovik 1946IL-2 Sturmovik (game)IL-2 Sturmovik is a World War II combat flight simulator video game, focused on the air battles of the Eastern Front.It is named after the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack fighter, which played a prominent role in this theatre and is the single most produced military aircraft design to date...
(2007) by 1C Maddox Games - IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover (2011) by 1C Maddox Games
- Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe SeriesCombat Flight Simulator WWII Europe SeriesCombat Flight Simulator World War II Europe Series is the first version of combat flight simulators from Microsoft Game Studios, released November 1, 1998. CFS1 is set in the European Theater of World War II.-Game design:...
- Combat Flight Simulator 2Combat Flight Simulator 2Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater is the successor to the highly successful Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series and Fighter Ace Series. CFS1 Was the first combat conversion of the Microsoft Flight Simulator series...
- Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for EuropeCombat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for EuropeCombat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe , is the latest installment of combat flight simulators from Microsoft Game Studios, released in 2002. The game is more or less a heavily updated version of the first , offering a far wider range of options to the player...
by MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Games Studio - Battle of Britain II: Wings of VictoryBattle of Britain II: Wings of VictoryBattle of Britain II: Wings of Victory is a Windows-based flight simulation created by Shockwave Productions,Inc. and released in 2005. It is a remake of Rowan's Battle of Britain combat flight simulation by Empire Interactive...
(2005) by A2A SimulationsA2A SimulationsAir 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....
- Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- MiG AlleyMiG Alley (video game)MiG Alley is a combat flight simulator game developed by Rowan Software and published by Empire Interactive in 1999. It is a historical simulation which focuses on early jet fighter combat in the Korean War - specifically, the so-called MiG Alley in northwestern North Korea, for which the game is...
(1999) by Rowan Software
- MiG Alley
- Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
- Flight of the IntruderFlight of the Intruder (video game)Flight of the Intruder is a 1990 flight simulator developed by Rowan Software and published by Spectrum Holobyte for the PC , Commodore Amiga and Atari ST. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991 with Imagineering as the developer and Mindscape as the publisher...
(1991) by Spectrum-Holobyte - Wings Over VietnamWings Over VietnamWings Over Vietnam is a PC game set during the Vietnam War over South East Asia and covers the time period between 1964 to 1973....
- Flight of the Intruder
Simulators of current moderns wars are usually classified not by the period of war, but rather as a separate category of "modern jet simulators".
Survey
Many of the historical combat simulators are classified as "survey simulators", because they include a variety (or survey) of aircraft from the period in question, typically from all nations participating in the conflict. Early simulators often suffered from flight models and instrument panels that differed little between aircraft, but more recent examples have excelled in this regard, forcing the virtual pilot to learn the carefully modelled strengths and weaknesses of the various types (e.g. the different fighting and flying styles of a 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...
versus a Messerschmitt 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
in IL-2 Sturmovik or a Mitsubishi Zero versus a US Navy F4F Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
in Combat Flight Simulator 2
Combat Flight Simulator 2
Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater is the successor to the highly successful Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series and Fighter Ace Series. CFS1 Was the first combat conversion of the Microsoft Flight Simulator series...
). There have been modern jet survey simulators as well (US Navy Fighters by Jane's/Electronic Arts 1994, USAF by Jane's 1999) typically with simplified and generic modelling of radar, navigation, and weapons.
Study
Modern jet combat aircraft and helicopters have a variety of complex electronic and weapon systems that are specific to a particular aircraft. This has led to a genre called the "study sim", which focuses on modelling an aircraft's systems as accurately as possible, often requiring thick manuals that rival the real manuals in detail. EF2000 might be an early iteration of such games, and when released by Digital Image Design (DiD)Digital Image Design
Digital Image Design was a British video game developer founded by Martin Kenwright and Phillip Allsopp in 1989 and was originally based in Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The company had employed around eighty developers who specialized in areas of software and simulation...
in 1995 it quickly garnered a cult following, including a user group that produced a detailed online manual of weapons and tactics. Soon afterward, a collaborative effort between 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...
and Jane's specialized in such sims in the 1990s with titles such as Jane's Longbow
Longbow (computer game)
AH-64D Longbow is a realistic PC flight simulator of the AH-64D Longbow. Released on May 31, 1996, this simulation was developed at Origin Systems, Inc. by producer Andy Hollis and director Will McBurnett...
, Jane's F-15
Jane's F-15
Jane's F-15 is a study combat flight simulation game modeling United States all-weather strike fighter F-15E Strike Eagle. The game had two campaigns: one based on the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq, and the other focusing on fictional conflict with Iran...
and Jane's F/A-18
Jane's F/A-18
Jane's F/A-18 is one of the final study flight simulators by Electronic Arts under Jane's Combat Simulations brand, the sequel to the highly successful Jane's F-15. Jane's F/A-18 was released in 1999; it simulates the F/A-18E Super Hornet and carrier-based aviation in a fictional campaign around...
.
Falcon 4.0
Falcon 4.0
Falcon 4.0 is an air combat simulation originally released on December 12, 1998 by MicroProse. It is a realistic simulation of the Block 50/52 F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter in a full scale modern war set in the Korean Peninsula. Falcon 4.0s dynamic campaign engine runs autonomously...
is perhaps the highest regarded example of this genre. This detailed simulation of the USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
was based on a series first begun in 1987 (Falcon
Falcon (computer game)
The Falcon line of computer games is a series of simulations of the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft. The games were developed and published by Spectrum HoloByte...
). Later iterations improved the fidelity of avionics, weapons systems, physics, and flight models until version 4 was released by Spectrum Holobyte
Spectrum HoloByte
Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher originally based in Alameda, California.The company was founded in 1983 and was most famous for its simulation games, notably the Falcon series of flight simulators and Vette!, a driving simulator from 1989...
(later marketed by Microprose
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
) in 1998. It was claimed by Microprose Chairman Gilman Louie that most of the techniques and tactics used in the real jet worked in the simulator. Official development stopped after a few updates, but thanks to the intervention of Louie, the Falcon 4 community took over development of further versions and add-ons. As of 2011, the community development is still highly active.
Helicopter simulations have their own story, beginning with Gunship by Microprose in 1986. Nearly ten years later, in 1995, Digitial Integration released Apache-Longbow
Apache Longbow (video game)
Apache Longbow was a computer game released by Digital Integration in 1995 for MS-DOS and Macintosh. It was released as Apache in the United States.Apache is a combat flight simulator of the American AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter....
. The most sophisticated helicopter game to date, it would only be exceeded by Origen the year following. In 1996, AH-64D Longbow was created by Origen and released by 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...
as part of the Jane's Combat Simulator series. The sequel, Longbow 2
Longbow 2
Longbow 2 is the sequel to the best-selling AH-64D Longbow from Jane's Combat Simulations. Made at Origin Systems with executive producer Andy Hollis and producer Will McBurnett on board, and released on Nov 30, 1997. This sim improved on virtually every level of the first game, and it is...
, was released late in 1997, improving every aspect of the game, particularly the terrain and objects. (Longbow 2 was one of the early simulations to take advantage of hardware accelerated graphics including advanced lighting). The following year, in 1998, 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:...
released Enemy Engaged: Apache vs Havoc
Enemy Engaged: Apache vs Havoc
Enemy Engaged: Apache vs Havoc is a helicopter flight simulator game by Razorworks. It was followed by Enemy Engaged: Comanche vs Hokum, which was interconnectable with Apache vs Havoc. It also has a sequel called Enemy Engaged 2...
allowing players to choose to fly for either the USA or for Russia. Meanwhile NovaLogic
NovaLogic
NovaLogic is a software developer and publisher established in 1985 and based in Calabasas, California. The company was founded by current CEO John A. Garcia....
released the final iteration of their Comanche series in 2001.
The “Digital Combat Simulator
Digital Combat Simulator
Digital Combat Simulator is a series of study combat flight simulator video games by Eagle Dynamics, and the descendent of the popular "Su-27 Flanker" series....
" started with its first release "DCS: Black Shark” in 2008 a series of simulations, which can only be compared with Falcon 4.0 (and may excel the older simulation). The PC game simulates the Russian Kamov Ka-50
Kamov Ka-50
The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" is a single-seat Russian attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995...
attack helicopter and was developed by "Eagle Dynamics
Eagle Dynamics
Eagle Dynamics is a software company based in Moscow that develops video games and Oracle-based products.The company has developed Su-27 Flanker, Lock On: Modern Air Combat, the LockOn-Add-On "Flaming Cliffs" and the Digital Combat Simulator -...
" in cooperation with helicopter-manufacturer Kamov
Kamov
Kamov is a Russian rotor-winged aircraft manufacturing company that was founded by Nikolai Il'yich Kamov, who started building his first rotor-winged aircraft in 1929, together with N. K. Skrzhinskii...
(the Kamov-logo can be found in the main-screen). The simulation features a complete and detailed cockpit of the Ka-50. All relevant switches are accurately modelled and functional. Over 500 key-commands are mapped, but the fully interactive cockpit allows virtually every switch and radio-button to be clicked and changed. This level of high fidelity is down to Eagle Dynamics securing military contracts for simulators. They negotiate the clause in their contract that they will be allowed to release a retail level simulation with top secret features of the aircraft in question removed.
Besides the traditional input-devices such as joystick, throttle and pedals, DCS has a built-in support for TrackIR
TrackIR
TrackIR is an optical motion tracking game controller for Microsoft Windows, created by NaturalPoint Inc. that tracks head motions with up to six degrees of freedom in later models, allowing handsfree view control for improved game immersiveness and situational awareness...
with 6 DOF, creating (in conjunction with the interactive 3D-cockpit) a very realistic experience.
Due to the increased flexibility of the DCS system, additional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter add-ons will be released as (independent) "modules" one by one, each module providing another realistic vehicle. The latest module released(release date February 21, 2011) features the A-10C Thunderbolt II
Modern jet
This type includes all simulators of modern jet aircraft. These simulators can usually also be classified by their historical context or level of details (study versus survey). There have been many modern jet sims, some of them listed above under Survey Sims (USNF, USAF) and Study Sims (F-15, F/A-18, Falcon 4.0, Tornado (video game)Tornado (video game)
Tornado is a combat flight simulator computer game by Digital Integration modeling the Panavia Tornado and released in 1993 for DOS and Amiga....
). Some have concentrated on future fighters (e.g., F-22 Total Air War
F-22 Total Air War
F-22 Total Air War, also known as Total Air War or by its acronym TAW, is a fighter jet flight simulator game released in 1998 centering around the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft. The game was published by Infogrames Entertainment and then later by Atari and was developed by Digital Image Design...
by Digital Image Design in 1998), while others have simulated well-known existing fighters (several AV-8 Harrier II sims, F-14 Fleet Defender by Microprose, F22 lightning 3 and many others). A recent example is Lock On: Modern Air Combat
Lock On: Modern Air Combat
Lock On: Modern Air Combat or LOMAC, known in Russia as Lock On, is a modern combat flight simulation developed by Eagle Dynamics and published by Ubisoft in Europe and 1C Company in Russia; it is considered as a survey simulator by its creators. It contains 8 flyable aircraft and over 40...
, which attempts to bridge the study/survey gap with quite detailed models of several US and Russian aircraft.
Multi-player
Most simulators listed can only be played by a single player, although most titles from the late 1990s on include some sort of multi-player/network capability. With single player combat simulators, everything other than the player's own aircraft is controlled by the program's "AI" (artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
). Although modern video games create fairly intelligent and independent behaviour for adversaries ("bandits") or allies ("friendlies"), advanced players find even the best to be too predictable. Multi-player games allow players to oppose one or many human players for a much more realistic and challenging experience. Some simulators exist only or primarily in internet multiplayer versions (e.g., Air Warrior
Air Warrior
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...
, the massively multiplayer Fighter Ace, Aces High, World War II Online
World War II Online
Also known as "World War 2 Online", "WW2OL", "WWIIOL", "Battleground Europe", "BE".World War II Online: Battleground Europe is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter computer game. It was released was on June 6, 2001 for Windows, with the Apple Macintosh version being released in 3Q...
, and others).
Missions, campaigns, mission builders
However realistic their flight, weapon, and system models may be, combat flight sims remain video games and as such, many players seek replay valueReplay value
Replay value or replayability is a term found in combination with video games, but it may be also used to describe other kinds of games, movies, music, or theater plays. In video games, the term replay value is used to describe the entertainment value of playing a game more than once...
. Simulators enhance the replay value by not only offering a variety of single missions, but also randomly generated quick missions or longer campaigns consisting of several smaller mission or objectives. Many simulators also include "mission builders" which allow the player to create missions. The mission builder for Red Baron II was quite powerful, as was the mission builder for IL-2 Sturmovik and Rise of Flight.
Most campaigns are "dynamic flowing", which means they change according to the results of each successive mission, e.g. if the player destroys a "target of opportunity" which turns out to be a truck carrying an enemy leader then the campaign starts to take a different path. Some campaign models have been developed which are fully dynamic, and where successive missions take place in an environment which is persistent (destroy a building in one mission, it remains destroyed in the next and will only be rebuilt in view of limited resources, realistic time and strategic priorities, etc). A notable pioneer in this area was Andy Hollis, producer of the Jane's Longbow series. Digital Image Design
Digital Image Design
Digital Image Design was a British video game developer founded by Martin Kenwright and Phillip Allsopp in 1989 and was originally based in Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The company had employed around eighty developers who specialized in areas of software and simulation...
, with their release of Total Air War in 1998, took this to a level comparable to or beyond that of Falcon 4.0. allowing a transparency into the larger strategic battlefield by use of multiple screens and a "God's eye view."
Controls and other hardware
As real-time applications with a lot of things going on, combat flight simulators are among the most computer and graphics demanding applications at any given time, and many sim fans are constantly upgrading their hardware, including the most advanced graphics cards. These sims have also given rise to a variety of hardware add-ons such as "HOTASHOTAS
HOTAS, an abbreviation for Hands On Throttle-And-Stick, is the name given to the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle stick and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit, allowing the pilot to access vital cockpit functions and fly the aircraft without having to remove his...
" (hands on throttle and stick") controllers that allow full control of most functions without touching the keyboard. Voice control and head-tracking
Optical motion tracking
Motion Tracking can differ from Motion Capture because in applications such as sports and missiles the object of interest is tracked optically instead of a person...
view control systems are also available for home flight sim enthusiasts.