Down in Flames (video game)
Encyclopedia
Down in Flames is a computer video game for Microsoft Windows
, developed by Dan Verssen Games and published by Battlefront.com
in 2005. Closely based on a card-driven tabletop game
of the same name, Down in Flames is a turn-based simulation of dogfight
s between World War II
fighter planes. Some parts of the game also involve escorting and intercepting bomber
s.
The game features aircraft of Germany
, Japan
, the United Kingdom
and the United States
. An expansion pack
, Eastern Front, was released in 2006, adding Polish
and Soviet
planes.
of the same name, first released in 1993 by GMT Games
. It is a turn-based simulation of dogfight
s between World War II
fighter planes. Such battles are combined into campaigns. In a single dogfight, each player controls either one or two pairs of fighters, with each pair consisting of a leader and a wingman
.
At the start of each battle, the players are dealt a hand of cards. Each card represents a certain action, such as an offensive or defensive maneuver, machine gun burst or altitude change. Both sides play chosen cards in a turn-based manner responding to enemy's maneuvers, until one side is defeated. The game uses an "Action/Reaction system" with "action" cards used to initiate maneuvers, while "reaction" cards are used to cancel and react to enemy's moves. Some card are both actions and reactions.
Apart from dogfights, one side also attempts to attack targets on the ground (such as troops, naval units or factories) while the other side defends them. Some missions also include escorting or intercepting bomber
s, however the bomber planes itself are not controlled by the player.
The game features aircraft of Germany
, Japan
, the United Kingdom
and the United States
. Each fighter is described by four ratings: performance (number of maneuvers its pilot can have at any one time), horsepower
(number of new maneuvers the aircraft gains each turn), bursts (how much firepower the plane has) and airframe
(how much damage the plane can take before being shot down). Pilots gain experience with each dogfight (however, they may be "permanently killed" in online multiplayer mode) and eventually new planes can be unlocked. During the game, the player may buy extra cards and abilities – a feature not found in the original card game.
, titled Down in Flames: Eastern Front was released in 2006. It adds Polish
and Soviet
planes to the game, as well as three new planes for each of the countries previously featured in the game. The expansion also adds new campaigns, pilot skills and the option to create custom missions.
In the spring of 2003, Verssen and Marrs tried to find a publisher on E3, an annual trade show for computer and video games. When none of the companies displayed interest, Verssen decided to look for a publisher on the Internet, and came in contact with Battlefront.com
, which after additional work on the game, eventually published Down in Flames in 2005.
Additional campaigns, available as free of charge downloadable content
:
for the wargamer
" and concluded that it will "appeal to wargamers looking for a quick playing, light strategy game". 1UP.com
said that "Down in Flames emphasizes ease of play over hard realism" and is "easy to play, tough to tear yourself away from." GameSpy
described the game as "wickedly addictive," but complained on the lack of Soviet planes in the base version.
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...
, developed by Dan Verssen Games and published by Battlefront.com
Battlefront.com
Battlefront.com is a video game developer and publisher. Battlefront specialises in war-related games, including turn-based and real-time strategies, as well as simulations of air, land and naval military vehicles....
in 2005. Closely based on a card-driven tabletop game
Tabletop game
Tabletop game is a general term used to refer to board games, card games, dice games, miniatures wargames, tile-based games and other games that are normally played on a table or other flat surface...
of the same name, Down in Flames is a turn-based simulation of dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
s between World War II
World War II
World 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 planes. Some parts of the game also involve escorting and intercepting bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s.
The game features aircraft of Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. An expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
, Eastern Front, was released in 2006, adding Polish
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
and Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
planes.
Gameplay
Down in Flames is closely based on a dedicated deck card gameDedicated deck card game
Dedicated deck card games are card games with decks that are specific to that game, rather than using standard playing cards. By the early nineteenth century, educational games were being created, such as "The Historical Game of Grecian History", created by John Wallis. Today's collectible card...
of the same name, first released in 1993 by GMT Games
GMT Games
GMT Games, probably the most prolific of the wargame companies in the 1990s and 2000s, was founded in 1990. The current management and creative team includes Tony Curtis, Rodger MacGowan, Mark Simonitch, and Andy Lewis...
. It is a turn-based simulation of dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
s between World War II
World War II
World 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 planes. Such battles are combined into campaigns. In a single dogfight, each player controls either one or two pairs of fighters, with each pair consisting of a leader and a wingman
Wingman
A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. Wingman was originally a term referring to the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation....
.
At the start of each battle, the players are dealt a hand of cards. Each card represents a certain action, such as an offensive or defensive maneuver, machine gun burst or altitude change. Both sides play chosen cards in a turn-based manner responding to enemy's maneuvers, until one side is defeated. The game uses an "Action/Reaction system" with "action" cards used to initiate maneuvers, while "reaction" cards are used to cancel and react to enemy's moves. Some card are both actions and reactions.
Apart from dogfights, one side also attempts to attack targets on the ground (such as troops, naval units or factories) while the other side defends them. Some missions also include escorting or intercepting bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s, however the bomber planes itself are not controlled by the player.
The game features aircraft of Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Each fighter is described by four ratings: performance (number of maneuvers its pilot can have at any one time), horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(number of new maneuvers the aircraft gains each turn), bursts (how much firepower the plane has) and airframe
Airframe
The airframe of an aircraft is its mechanical structure. It is typically considered to include fuselage, wings and undercarriage and exclude the propulsion system...
(how much damage the plane can take before being shot down). Pilots gain experience with each dogfight (however, they may be "permanently killed" in online multiplayer mode) and eventually new planes can be unlocked. During the game, the player may buy extra cards and abilities – a feature not found in the original card game.
Expansion pack
An expansion packExpansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
, titled Down in Flames: Eastern Front was released in 2006. It adds Polish
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
and Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
planes to the game, as well as three new planes for each of the countries previously featured in the game. The expansion also adds new campaigns, pilot skills and the option to create custom missions.
Development
Development started in 2002, when Dan Verssen - creator of the original tabletop version of Down in Flames - met Brian Marrs, a profesional programmer who created a self-made computer rendition of the game. Verssen thought it had "commercial possibilities" and in November 2002, together with Marrs started working on "polishing" the game.In the spring of 2003, Verssen and Marrs tried to find a publisher on E3, an annual trade show for computer and video games. When none of the companies displayed interest, Verssen decided to look for a publisher on the Internet, and came in contact with Battlefront.com
Battlefront.com
Battlefront.com is a video game developer and publisher. Battlefront specialises in war-related games, including turn-based and real-time strategies, as well as simulations of air, land and naval military vehicles....
, which after additional work on the game, eventually published Down in Flames in 2005.
Campaigns
Following campaigns are included in the game.- Dunkirk – Dunkirk evacuation (1940)
- Battle of Britain – The 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...
(1940) - Singapore – The Battle of SingaporeBattle of SingaporeThe Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
(1941–1942) - Midway – The Battle of MidwayBattle of MidwayThe Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
(1942) - Solomon Islands – Solomon Islands campaignSolomon Islands campaignThe Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942...
(1942–1943) - Daylight 1944 – Allied bombings of the Third Reich (1944)
Additional campaigns, available as free of charge downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
:
- Bomber Command 1941 – overview of bombing and oceanic operations by the British and German air forces and navies (1941)
- Battle for Greece – Operation Marita (1941)
- Invasion of Crete – The Battle of CreteBattle of CreteThe Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
(1941) - Malta – The Siege of Malta (1941)
- Flying Tigers – Campaign following the history of the 1st American Volunteer GroupFlying TigersThe 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...
(1941–1942) - Leyte Gulf – The Battle of Leyte GulfBattle of Leyte GulfThe Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
(1944)
Expansion pack
Following campaigns are featured in the expansion pack.- Strange War – Soviet-Japanese Border WarsSoviet-Japanese Border WarsThe Soviet–Japanese Border Wars were a series of border conflicts between the Soviet Union and Japan between 1932 and 1939.Before Japanese occupation of Manchukuo, the Soviet Union had conflict with China on the border of Manchuria...
(1939) - Gdansk Bay – The Battle of the Danzig Bay (1939)
- Last Defence – Final phase of the September Campaign (1939)
- Red Tide First Strike – Soviet bombing of StettinSzczecinSzczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
and BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1941) - Leningrad 1942 – Siege of LeningradSiege of LeningradThe Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
, with advantage on the German side (1942) - Leningrad 1943 – German-Soviet battle with both sides having similar power (1943)
- Leningrad 1944 – Third Leningrad campaign in the game, with Soviet advantage (1944)
- D-Day – Allied landing in NormandyD-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
(1944) - The Rock – The Battle of OkinawaBattle of OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
(1945) - Iwo – The Battle of Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo JimaThe Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
(1945) - August Storm – Soviet invasion of Manchuria (1945)
- Invasion Japan – Operation DownfallOperation DownfallOperation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
, a hypotethical Allied invasion of Japan (1945) - Invasion USA – A fictional conflict fought on American soil between the USA and Germany, with German planes operating from Nazi-occupied FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(1945)
Reception
Down in Flames gathered favorable reviews from game critics. The Gamers' Temple described the game as "Magic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
for the wargamer
Wargame (video games)
Wargames are a subgenre of strategy video games that emphasize strategic or tactical warfare on a map, as well as historical accuracy.-History:The genre of wargame video games is derived from earlier forms of wargames...
" and concluded that it will "appeal to wargamers looking for a quick playing, light strategy game". 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
said that "Down in Flames emphasizes ease of play over hard realism" and is "easy to play, tough to tear yourself away from." GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
described the game as "wickedly addictive," but complained on the lack of Soviet planes in the base version.