Greetings and welcome back. It has been many months since we paused operations and underwent a period of restructuring. After changes in website design, staff, content curation, and overall direction, we are proud to restart operations as a new organization. Our core team was active under the name Project Lighthouse during our initial two years of operation between 2017 and 2019. What had started as a group of international Ace Combat fans trying something began to evolve into something beyond focusing on a specific game series. Following our interview with Ace Combat series brand director Kazutoki Kono and covering the launch weekend of Ace Combat 7 at PAX South 2019, we felt inspired to go for something more significant. But to achieve that goal, we felt as though the way to branch out beyond our single series focus and open possibilities for future ventures was to rebrand. An article discussing Project Lighthouse as a whole is to be released at a later date. Today, Skyward Flight Media is an aviation enthusiast organization that focuses on games and simulators while including real-world aviation content. We present an array of multimedia that discusses flight related topics. From creators around the world, developers of all levels of profession, media from past and present. Throughout the months of March and April, adjustments will be made to our social media accounts, our video channel will be reworked and the final content from our original Project Lighthouse website will be transferred over. An announcement about a section of our website that focuses on content creators of all sizes will be detailed in our next update. We are eagerly looking forward to bring new content to our audience. If anything is amiss on the website, you have some suggestions for future content or are interested in working with us, feel free to contact us. Thank you for supporting us through this time of transition. Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Skyward Flight Media Director of Operations

The return of the Comanche is sure to pique the interests of rotary-wing flight sim enthusiasts. But those expecting a single player focused product were met with a new vision of online multiplayer driven combat. The name “Comanche” carries a history of nine games released since 1992. The newest game in the series is simply named Comanche. For clarification, I’ll be referring to it as Comanche (2020). Starting with the first announcement, it presented an online multiplayer experience centered around team-based, ability driven player vs. player combat. No single player was mentioned in the early announcements from 2019. The receptive and responsive Nukklear Digital Minds development team has taken feedback from its player base during closed Alpha and Beta sessions and is now actively developing single-player missions. These missions are rolling out during their Early Access release phase. While this is excellent news, it is the multiplayer part of the game that is currently the most complete. It is in player vs. player combat that the unique helicopters, challenging map design, and combat drones that define the newest Comanche title genuinely shine. With this game being in Early Access and open to changes, it would be difficult to call this a review of a final product. Let's call this an analysis for now. The information provided in this article may be outdated before the final version of the game is released. Keep that in mind. Multiplayer Mode Explanation Understanding multiplayer before discussing the hardware related details is vital. For now, two game modes are available. Each mode places two teams of up to four players against each other (4 vs. 4). Neither game mode uses non-player character units. Players will only be facing off against other players. Black Box is a modified version of the standard Team Death Match formula. As adversaries and teammates are shot down in combat, their wreckage drops black boxes. Drones must be used to fly down and recover the boxes. Each black box recovered from an adversary’s helicopter counts as a point for the allied team, while retrieving a fallen ally’s black box denies the opposition points. The team with the highest amount of gathered points wins. Infiltration has each team attacking or defending a pair of objectives. The attacking team is tasked with positioning themselves to fly drones into a military facility and arm an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) device. If the defending team is unable to stop the activation of the EMP or disarm it before it detonates, the attacking team wins. If the defenders don't let the attacking team arm the EMP or if they disarm the active EMP device then the defenders win. Hardware Overview Comanche (2020) features a decent weapons selection that is tied to specific helicopters. The primary weapons of each aircraft are their main cannons, which range from rotary cannons, rail guns, scatterguns, and ‘light’ guns. Secondary weapons include unguided rockets and various types of unique missiles complemented with countermeasures: chaff, flares, and smoke screens; to disrupt the enemy or break the lock of incoming guided missiles. The advanced abilities further define each variant and how they can be used in combat. The stars of multiplayer are the Comanche helicopters themselves. The original prototype Comanche is only one of five variants in the game. There is a story related reason as to why these variants exist, but that can be discussed later date. To put it in terms of an arena like first person shooter, the variants act as “characters” with special abilities and weapons only these “characters” can use. The same is true for the drones as well. The drones are an unexpected addition. They are much smaller than unmanned combat aerial vehicles like the RQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reapers known around the world. They are compact enough to be carried inside of the helicopters and can be flown into buildings to attack personnel and interact with computer systems. Like their rotary-wing counterparts, each of the four drones also come with their special abilities and unique weapons. Players are able to select any helicopter and any drone they have unlocked before multiplayer matches start and during the matches after they are destroyed or crash. The Comanche variants are also available for testing in the single player Flight Tutorials, but not for the campaign. Unlocking each drone and helicopter is done through the use of in game credits and blueprint tokens that are earned through game play. On March 12th, 2020, it was stated that Comanche (2020) would not include micro transactions in the FAQ section of their official Discord server. This has remained true as of the time this article has been published, meaning that the only way to gain in-game credits and blueprint tokens is through gameplay. The overview of the five helicopters and four drones is as follows: Prototype: It is an all-arounder that acts as the starter helicopter for all players. Its aim assistance program for the main cannon is excellent for landing air-to-air hits even while maneuvering harshly. Can fire missiles at medium and close range. Has flare countermeasures. The multiplayer version of the Prototype is different than the single player version, which has even more extended abilities. Circuit: a drone that utilizes a light machine gun and sticky grenade launcher. Its agility is one of its best strengths. This is the first drone players have unlocked from the beginning of the game. Ghost: This Comanche can visually cloak and not be detected by radars at medium and long-range though it can be passively detected when they are close to other helicopters. Uses a high rate of fire rotary cannon and unguided rockets for ambushes. Can deploy chaff to disrupt missile locks. Shell-Shock: a slow, armored drone equipped with a shotgun and sticky grenade launcher. It excels at close-range combat and can cause massive damage to other drones in a single shot. Rhino: A heavily armored attack helicopter that uses a shotgun like Scattergun and Stampede jet thruster system to rush its enemies and destroy them at close range. It can fire a heavy-hitting missile at medium range. Its sonar ability can detect cloaked enemies to unveil them for allies. Bug: a drone equipped with a shock pulse weapon that temporarily stuns and decloaks all enemies within 10 meters. An ability that automatically triggers when the drone is left idling. It also has a self-destruct sequence that yields a large blast. Eve: primarily acts as a support helicopter that can repair other friendly helicopters. This is done by launching specially designed missiles at allies that deliver nanomachines to repair them. The Lockdown ability that regenerates its own health while blocking out incoming damage and a shock pulse that decloaks hidden enemies. Curie: a drone equipped with a repair beam rather than a solid projectile gun. When used on allies, the beam restores their health, but when used on enemies, it acts as an energy weapon. The Detection Mines act as an early warning device. When enemies enter their range, the mines explode and ping the location of the damaged enemy. Horizon: A long-range variant that specializes in line of sight engagements. Using its railgun, it is capable of locking down entire areas of a map utilizing charged shots. Has the ability to fire missiles at multiple targets and deploy a smokescreen for concealment. Multiplayer Combat Helicopter combat consists of medium and long-range engagements with usually brief close range combat where a player’s aptitude with the chin-mounted cannon is a deciding factor. This is where becoming proficient with Free Aim is an absolute necessity. This can’t be stressed enough. Free Aim allows players to fire on targets at unrealistic angles real world attack helicopters could not accomplish. Examples of this are included showing a high angle vertical engagement and a low angle engagement that also shows the game's ability to outline targets that are within line of sight beneath the helicopters: Besides landing hits with the main gun at extreme angles, missiles also benefit from Free Aim's wide engagement envelop. When launched, missiles travel in a straight line away from the front of the helicopter to prevent self-shoot down. Within a second or two after the missile is fired, it then begins guiding itself onto the target it was fired at. All missiles in the game are able to make almost 90 degree turns. This makes over the shoulder missile shots possible at targets that are in range. This is off-boresight launch ability is usually reserved for 4th and 5th generation fixed wing combat aircraft that use helmet mounted displays, thrust vectored missiles and other technology. The speed of the Comanches are essential for search and destroy as counter strategy in-game modes that rely on drones to complete objectives. Drones are only able to maneuver while the helicopters control them are set into auto-hover and are unable to move or defend themselves during that time. Quickly destroying a defenseless opponent is preferable over fighting them head-on. Alternatively, a keen-eyed player can destroy enemy drones before they slip into inaccessible areas with relative ease using missiles or with a decent aim from their cannon. Drone combat is at its peak during close range, indoor battles against opposing drones. A more frenetic play style replaces the large-scale battlefield feel that the attack helicopters operate in. The confined spaces have drones hovering behind cover to defend from being shot at and hiding in dark areas to spring attacks on unsuspecting enemies. Of note are interactable control panels around objectives in Infiltration. These can be used by attackers and defenders to activate barriers. These obstacles include turning on multiple laser beams to block doorways or close doors to ventilation shafts to disrupt the movement of the opposing forces. Diversity Promotes Team Play It’s easy to see how the abilities and weapons of the helicopters and drones can be coordinated. Combinations of the Comanche variants compliment one another. Ghosts paired with Horizons as support for their stealthy operations in Infiltration. Prototypes and Rhinos being repaired by an Eve as they maintain a front line in Black Box. The same goes for drones. While fighting indoors, drones can work together to set up early warning detection and attempt to disable enemies that try to arm or disarm objectives. The drones are able to participate in helicopter air-to-air combat, but it requires players to get creative. Drones shooting down helicopters with their own weapons will rarely happen, but specific abilities are useful. Here are a few examples: Curie’s repair beam can repair allied helicopters and drones. Quickly deploying Curie after defeating an opponent to provide self-repair or team repairs is ideal. In an observational role, drones can be flown into open areas to monitor enemy movement while the helicopter controlling the drone is safe behind terrain or hiding in clouds. In a sacrificial role, players can place drones directly in front of themselves, having the drone act as yet another potential target. This tactic forces the enemy using missiles to put extra effort into attacking the player’s helicopter instead of a drone with a valuable guided weapon. Level Design Encourages Skill and Daring Maneuvers The flight tutorial of the game has players flying through confined spaces while encouraging them to maintain high speeds for a reason. What would typically be considered high-risk, suicidal flying in a full flight simulator can give significant tactical advantages in Comanche (2020). Map design encourages players to fly through cave networks to sneakily reach objectives, twist around mountain tops for defense in dogfights, and come within close proximity to bring weapons to bear on unsuspecting opponents. Each map has plenty of vertical terrain for helicopters to use for defense, offense, and maneuvering into position unseen. Some maps feature extensive subterranean areas that considerably aide players that take advantage of their skills to operate in hard to reach areas. A multi-million-dollar Comanche hovering in a cave behind a waterfall is not an uncommon sight! Cloud cover is a factor in this game. Clouds can aid helicopters that hide within them or behind them from being spotted visually or on radar at medium and long-range. If a guided missile has already been launched at a helicopter, it diving into clouds will not fool the missile. The missile will still pursue its target. Hiding in the clouds can also be good cover for players deploying drones to play the objective. Being hidden visually and on radar forces the defending team to come into close range to search. A nice bonus for players that are using drones; it buys them valuable time. The Longevity of Hardware and Abilities The performance and abilities of each helicopter and drone cannot be altered. This is a decision that keeps each of them viable over the course of the game’s lifespan. What frequently happens in other flight games is that aircraft that were available early on lose their usefulness as more advanced aircraft are unlocked later. The result is that up to half of the aircraft on the game’s roster are no longer viable in multiplayer game modes (when not factoring in player skill). This then leads to the same selection of higher tier aircraft being used over and over by all players to even the playing field. This can be worsened if the game has some type of leveling up system or aircraft parts modification system. By omitting these upgrade systems, this guarantees that all Comanche and drone variants will see frequent use and push diversity in online multiplayer gameplay. - The next update during the Early Access period for Comanche (2020) is scheduled for April 2020. What is immediately known is that the second single-player mission will be released, along with a Command Wheel, improved graphics options, and other improvements brought on by community feedback. About the Author Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. A lifelong aviation enthusiast with a special interest in flight simulators and games. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating aviation related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and sims with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. | Twitter | Discord: RibbonBlue#8870 |

The Ace Combat 6 Fly for Freedom Tournament was the first online multiplayer competition for the Ace Combat series. The event was organized and hosted by GameSpot on their Tournament TV channel with sponsorship from Bandai-Namco. Though the tournament happened over a decade ago, the broadcast has historical and technical value. Some of the complications the first Ace Combat online tournament encountered are similar to those that future titles, including Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, must work with. This analysis, coupled with an interview of the individual that won the tournament, provides a comprehensive understanding. Event Analysis Format vs. Staff Size The staff managing the event was made up of: a tournament manager speaking directly to the players and communicating pre-match information, two GameSpot staff members providing commentary, and three representatives from Bandai-Namco Entertainment. One of these reps was Ace Combat 6 Product Manager In Joon Hwang, who provided commentary about the game itself while presenting prizes on behalf of Bandai-Namco. In all, you could technically say the staff was six people in total. The tournament focused on Battle Royale mode with 192 contestants that registered through GameSpot. After preliminary rounds, the field of competition was reduced to 12 players playing three final rounds. Running this tournament using Battle Royale mode was smart for GameSpot at the time. That format allowed a high number of individual contestants to participate with a minimal amount of management from event staff. Tournaments that use team vs. team formats rely on groups of people to coordinate schedules and time zones to gather at the same time. Doing this for tournaments that have many teams multiplies the possibilities of errors that could occur, which in turn puts further stress on a small group of staff members. Even in 2019 and 2020, a majority of (if not all) official Ace Combat 7 tournaments have been done in Battle Royale. The logistics are just easier to manage. Broadcast and Information Errors There's no such thing as perfection, but errors from the GameSpot team and the AC6 product manager did affect the event's overall presentation. The most glaring problems were miscommunications between the broadcasters and the tournament manager. There were times when a room was setup using incorrect match settings. This had to be corrected by all competitors being removed, a new room set up, then all competitors re-invited. These hang-ups pressured commentators to continue finding things to discuss to give cover for the technical issues. Faux Spectator Mode Woes Even back in 2007, the problems caused by the lack of a purpose-built spectator mode were forefront. With no reliable way to view the competitors while they fought or after their battle, the second and third Bandai-Namco representatives flew each match as non-combatants. Acknowledging that no spectator mode was available in the game, they acted as camera operators flying near and passing through the battle for the broadcast. This exposed them to the danger of being shot down by competitors. Surprisingly, this is something that Bandai-Namco and Project Aces has not addressed since then. Despite being released during an age of high profile competitive game play, esports and easily accessible streaming platforms, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown does not have a dedicated spectator mode. While having competitors live stream their footage could be part of a long-term workaround, it's not a solution to something game developers would need to address directly. Camera Operator Aircraft Selection The camera operators in this event were using Xbox Live Gamer Tags with "gamespot" in their names and flying F-22A Raptors. They most likely selected the F-22A to capitalize on its high speed and excellent maneuverability. But the risk of using one of the highest point valued aircraft is that if it is shot down, it would considerably impact the score results. The cameramen were shot down by contestants because they prioritized recording video over evading incoming missile fire. Using an aircraft with a lower overall point value would have been better, as it would have lessened the amount of points accidentally contributed to the competition. Contestants Targeting Camera Operators While not everyone deliberately did this, the broadcast shows that the camera operators were targeted from time to time. There is a discrepancy between accidentally attacked and purposefully targeted. Multi-lock air-to-air missile special weapons attack multiple airborne targets within their range with minimal input from the player. It would take a decent amount of time and effort mid-match to try and avoid firing at a camera aircraft that happens to be within range. Shooting down a non-combatant would be an accident in this situation because the user of the XMA4, XMA6, or XLAA has limited control over who they target. However, as shown in the death screens of the camera operators, they were also targeted by Standard Missiles (MSSL) and Quick Maneuver Air-to-Air Missiles (QAAM). These weapons are launched at a single target per button press. This means that the player using them would need to have a visual confirmation of the name and aircraft of the player they are targeting in their Heads Up Display. A secondary camera view also appears in the top left, showing a closer view of the target with their name. With two ways to identify targets before firing with the aforementioned weapons, it's hard to believe this was done by accident. This shows that some players knowingly fired at the non-combatants in hopes of scoring points to raise their standing within the tournament. GameSpot had a system in place to penalize players that consciously did this, but no penalization was reported during the finals of the event. This analysis is not implying or stating that the final results of the tournament were skewed in any way. But this is a major downside of using an in-game camera operator that must be made known. Early AC6 Life Cycle This is not a criticism of the event, but it is something to take note of: the tournament was run very early in Ace Combat 6's lifespan. The game released on October 23rd, 2007 with the tournament itself ending on November 30th, 2007. The type of game play that would be standard from January 2008 onward was somewhat different from what is shown in the broadcast. For example, the first patch for Ace Combat 6 was not released yet. This is made clear by there not being a crash or out of bounds point penalty that appears in the kill feed, despite competitors crashing during the broadcast. During the early weeks of online game play, some players would frequently crash themselves into the ground when damaged to deny giving their opponents points. They could do this and suffer no consequences. The first AC6 patch introduced a 1000 point deduction for any aircraft that flew out of bounds or crashed. A penalty severe enough to change the outcome of online battles. The patch sharply reduced the frequency of self-crashing tactics. Furthermore, status boosted or altered aircraft were not as prolific yet. Only AC6 downloadable content pack 01 and pack 02 were available. These packs did not contain aircraft that would completely change the multiplayer dynamic like the F-22A-MOBIUS-, F-15E -CIPHER-, Razgriz aircraft, Idol Master aircraft, and others. Though the Su-33 -IDOLMASTER MIKI HOSHII was available, it did not make a showing in the final rounds of this competition. Unlike the games that would come after it, Ace Combat 6 did not have an aircraft modification system. Status altered aircraft were only accessible through DLC, which gave varying degrees of advantage to those that did own them and changed the general landscape of the game over time. Interview: TornadoADV, the First Ace Combat Online Tournament Champion We are presented with a unique opportunity—a competitor level explanation of the event by the individual that won it all. Known by the online handle "TornadoADV", he fought his way through multiple rounds of battle royale to claim victory in the Gamespot Fly for Freedom Ace Combat 6 tournament. Our interview with him primarily focuses on his time within that tournament. Before we delve deeper into your competitive experience, could you introduce yourself? Of course, I'm TornadoADV. My XBL handle was Beta Eagle. Surprising that somebody had already taken my first choice of name back in the early days of the service. How did you get introduced to the Ace Combat series? It's rather fuzzy now that it's been so long ago, but my first introduction was with the original Air Combat arcade cabinet back in 1993 in an arcade during one of many family trips. Is it true that you've been active within the Ace Combat online community for quite a long time? It's true. I had garnered quite the reputation as a hothead in my early days at AceCombat.net. But even before that, I was an active member of the AC04 community on GameFAQs.com back when it was still an independent website. So since 2001 would be a safe statement. Getting to the tournament, when did you first hear about it? Was it an open sign up, or were there restrictions? I actually first heard of it through the media push that NAMCO-Bandai was doing before the release of Ace Combat 6 to drive up awareness of the game to the North American market. Fly For Freedom was a restricted entry tournament through GameSpot where you had to be an active monthly subscriber to their website to be allowed the chance to sign up. What can you tell us about the general layout of the event? The layout was a typical free-for-all/battle royale engagement, 14 slots for participants, and 2 slots for observers/referees. They went with single elimination where the top four pilots of each match would advance to the next round until 14 pilots were left for the finals (with 2 alternatives for any possible no-shows.) During the lead up to the finals, did you notice any patterns amongst your competitors? Things like aircraft selection, weapons use, or tactics? I think anybody could guess what they would see in a free for all style engagement, especially in Ace Combat 6. It generally consisted only of QAAM capable aircraft of the highest tier (Tier 3), such as the F-22 and Su-47 with a smattering of (Tier 2) Su-33s flying in tight, relatively slow furballs in the center of the map at medium altitude. I didn't see any deviation from that all the way up to the final bracket. Going into the finals, what was your strategy? I think it's important to state for the record that the SAAM [Semi-Acitve Air-to-Air Missile] in Ace Combat 6 was an entirely different beast then what it has become in later installments. Besides mobility easily eclipsing what the QAAM was capable of, you could "unlock" your target after you launched by changing targets and moving your radar illumination circle off your intended foe without the SAAM going dumb/non-guiding, removing the missile warning they would normally get. Once the SAAM got close enough and without having to "re-box" them, you could sweep your HUD circle back onto them at the last moment, the SAAM would pull a literal 90 degree turn instantaneously towards them with no warning and blow them out of the sky. It makes what Rage and Scream do in Ace Combat 7 during Anchorhead Raid look minor league in comparison. This allows you to do the most important thing in a free for all situation, managing your "threat". I was already in a Super Hornet, so I had a head start there. I was a relatively slow, Tier 1 multirole that couldn't carry QAAMs. I was also using the Scarface Squadron DLC skin which boosted my defense up to [A-10] Thunderbolt II levels. So to everybody else, I was a low threat, low point, high defense aircraft flying around the edges of the furball, something they'd have to spend a lot of effort to destroy for almost no gain while exposing themselves to others in the primary engagement zone. The only times I was ever bothered in the finals were by people who had just spawned in and were already on their way to the big fight in the middle of the map. Do you have any specific memories from the combat in the finals? Not really, to use an internet meme, "It was Tuesday" to me. I had an effective and battle-tested plan that allowed me to sail to a crushing first-place finish in every engagement from the first prelims all the way up to the last map of the finals. That's not to say that the other pilots in the tourney weren't skilled, but in a battle royale tournament, you can't afford to get bogged down going after the strongest foe on the field. I simply singled out the weakest pilots in each match and focused on them, only aiming at others if they provided an easier target at the time my SAAMs had reloaded. Once the final results were in, a Team Battle was played between the top three competitors against two Bandai-Namco representatives and In Joon Hwang, the Product Manager for Ace Combat 6. Were you able to strategize with your fellow competitors before the battle? I couldn't say that I did as I was not using my head-set at the time, plus given the map (Stage 5/Team Battle) that was selected, strategy didn't extend further then filling the airspace of the opposing aircraft with as many missiles as possible. Hence my change from a F/A-18F with SAAMs to a F-15E with XMA6s. Given the results, I think my team did pretty well. The prizes you received from Gamespot were a $600.00 USD Best Buy gift certificate and a DLC Pack 00 download code for AC6. How was the rare DLC pack? I think that getting to enjoy the plane of the game's aces in the livery of the series's most influential Ace (and his greatest foe) in HD graphics really took it to the next level for a diehard aficionado like me. Even if they didn't change the Strike Eagle's stats from their base settings, you could feel the relation that AC6 was AC04, but brought forth into the HD age of gaming. Before AC6, competition within the Ace Combat community was primarily offline or "Legacy" competition. How do you think the inclusion of online multiplayer affected the established community at that time? I actually think as far as offline/single player competitions went, it actually increased interest in them because Project ACES has always endorsed online leaderboards for their online capable games (until AC7 for some strange reason.), and you could see them updated in real-time. (assuming the player in question connected to the internet every once and awhile.) Once you get people in through the door of pure top score for missions, you can expand from there by doing aircraft or weapon restriction based competitions, etc. Since 2007 online multiplayer has been included with the mainline Ace Combat releases in 2011, 2014, and 2019. What are your thoughts on how multiplayer has changed? My personal thoughts are that multiplayer is multiplayer no matter what game or genre you're in, people will always go for the quickest and easiest way to win. It's up to the individual to bring style and personality to the proceedings outside of flying a black and red Raptor that's spewing QAAMs into the air like Strangereal's most aggressive Raytheon salesman or abusing other quirks in a game's design. Those are the ones that make a game's online sphere seem alive rather than airborne [Call of Duty]. Thank you for this interview! Reccommended Tornado ADV links: F-4E Phantom II Ace playthrough of AC7, all S-Rank About the Interviewer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. A lifelong aviation enthusiast with a special interest in flight simulators and games. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating aviation related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and sims with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. | Twitter | Discord: RibbonBlue#8870 |

I found myself suddenly cheering late in the evening of April 7th, 2020. With indie developer Why485 announcing the beginning of a three-month concerted effort to build upon the progress of Tiny Combat Arena, a feeling of genuine excitement overcame me. With this announcement, a push to move beyond a series of demonstrators to a full-game release began. Tiny Combat Arena is designed in a way that can appeal to both realistic flight sim supporters and fans of arcade flight games. It looks like it is old enough to have shared retail shelf space with A-10 Attack!, TFX, and Falcon 3.0, but that's intentional. Visually, Tiny Combat Arena is a nod to those flight simulators, but in gameplay modern flight physics and game mechanics are present. It's not as immersive and task heavy as Digital Combat Simulator but also removed from the unlimited action and unrestricted maneuverability of Ace Combat. This is a game in which aircraft carry realistic weapons load-outs on their hardpoints, turn rates differ per airframe, airspeed matters, and running a missile out of energy isn't as simple as going full throttle. But it's also not a game in which a pre-flight checklist is needed, a flight stick isn't mandatory, and your aircraft doesn't have a 100+ page manual. Tiny Combat has been in development in one form or another for roughly two years. Its developer, Why485, is a former mod creator that turned to game development to continue his creative interests. His journey has been driven by game development self-studies, a few strongly worded dares, and his passion for aviation going back to the flight simulators of the early and mid-1990s. The demo that is most frequently seen and referenced is Tiny Combat Arena. It is actually the fifth of a series of demos and games released under the Tiny Combat name. Thus far the games include: Tiny Combat (March 2018), Tiny Combat Redux (May 2018), Tiny Combat Arcade (November 2018), Arena Prototype (April 2019), Tiny Combat Arena (July 2019) and Tiny Combat Arena Flight Model Demo (February 2020). The development path of Tiny Combat can be tracked through the developer's social media, video and Itch.io accounts. Alongside the video updates, blog posts, and tweets, the demos can still be downloaded. This includes early exhibits using a flying box, a point-based arcade game that encourages high scores, the Arena concept prototype - all of them are available for download. Reading the updates and playing the demos provides the experience of playing a game from its conceptual stages through its refinement to create the first commercial release. This is uncommon. Even Early Access games on Steam and similar services only allow people to play a game once it has reached a certain point of maturity. Usually the core game mechanics, user interfaces, damage models, aircraft models, etc. have already been put in place and are mostly finalized. While it may not have been planned from the start, part of the Tiny Combat experience is tracking and interacting with its progress from its earliest stages. Lately, this retro aesthetic game has been making the rounds on social media and YouTube with personalities like BlueDrake42 and PhlyDaily. Even the official Discord server saw a membership explosion. It's great to see this game getting more attention, but they neglected to mention the changes that have been occurring since April 2020. The next demo is going to be very different from the Tiny Combat Arena they had played. At launch, the commercial release of Tiny Combat is going to be a cockpit focused flight-sim lite that only has the AV-8B Harrier II available. The flight model it is using is different from the version receiving praise from content creators. Aircraft flyable just a few weeks ago will be unavailable and focus on the open-ended Arena mode is somewhat shifting. Aircraft guns now have recoil, multi function displays are being integrated, fuel state will be a factor and battles between ground forces occur. Does that sound different from the videos you've seen lately? Well... The small amount of confusion surrounding this game lately is a combination of lack of research by multiple parties and the current high-speed development effort put forth by the developer. That's not an insult but it is something that can be cleared up by following Why485 on Twitter and looking at all of his videos on YouTube that detail the latest updates. For those that are eager to play before the next major demo is released, read this important announcement and the FAQ. Then play Tiny Combat Arena, but be sure to also try the TCA Flight Model Demo to better understand how the game will handle going forward. Keep your eye on this game and take advantage of the opportunity to see how it is being built! About the Author Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. A lifelong aviation enthusiast with a special interest in flight simulators and games. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating aviation related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and sims with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. | Twitter | Discord: RibbonBlue#8870 |

Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition 2020 is here! As the seven day-long event focused on new games in development kicks off, our sights are set firmly on a title that barrel-rolled into our interest. D.E.E.P. Battle of Jove is an action-focused, easily accessible space flight shooter that touts a hand-built level design. There are no procedurally generated elements nor a nebulous open-world to navigate. With the developer referencing Star Fox and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron style retro games on Steam and Twitter, Skyward Flight Media reached out to Thinking Stars - the team developing the game. For one week before the public release of the demo, three Skyward staff members extensively played the demo to get a feel for this still-in-development title. Their first impressions have been compiled into this article with critiques and suggestions at the end. Story It's hard to draw too much story from the demo alone. The story becomes easier to understand after paying attention to the visual novel style dialogue cutscenes, radio communications, and reading the current Steam page description. The player is a member of Eidos, a rebellion that opposes an all-knowing artificial intelligence called D.E.E.P. Brain. The story takes place in the Jovian System (Jupiter and its system of moons) at an unspecified time in the future. The demo's tutorial mission suggests that D.E.E.P. and Eidos last fought at least eight years before the game's story with Eidos forces not being victorious. On the game's full release, the 8-hour story will include voice acting and surely more background, but as it is now, the story is lost within the demo's gameplay. Gameplay D.E.E.P. Battle of Jove presents itself as an easy to pick up, arcade single-player space flight shooter. Its focus is on fast, simplified gameplay with enough systems to keep the player engaged with the action and not on managing pages of primary and sub-systems. During missions, the core systems can are split into movement, weapons, and evasive maneuvers. All functions of the ships are accessible via gamepad or keyboard and mouse with less than 15 buttons and a few button combinations. It should be said that the game was primarily built for gamepads with KBM support coming later. Because of this, some features like an aim assist are not available on keyboard and mouse in this first public demonstrator. Though it does not offer a full six degrees of freedom of movement space sims are known for, the control scheme follows button layouts that are familiar for flight sim enthusiasts with a handful of advanced options changes in the main menu settings. Increasing game difficulty affects how AI enemies evade attacks and amplifies damage players receive. To keep the action at the forefront, enemies that are destroyed drop capsules that contain resources for the players. Repairs for the ship hull and shields, different types of ammo replenishments, and credits used for ship customization. This forgoes the need to dock at stations for repairs or plan lengthy journeys to replenish resources. Players are always just a few destroyed enemies away from being combat worthy again. The evasive maneuver system delivers the ability to instantly execute barrel rolls, U-turns (Immelman Turn), and somersaults with the press of a button or two. Missiles fired by enemies can only be evaded effectively by using evasive maneuvers because of the very small window of warning that is given. Manually adjusting throttle and maneuvering hard to avoid being hit by missiles is rarely an option because of this. Quickly rolling left or right is enough to break incoming missile lock and isn't a hindrance. It was most likely designed like this to add more excitement to the game by relying on the evasion system, but a slightly larger window of warning would be nice all the same. Hostile long-range missile barrages can be evaded by going full thrust, but the energy in Propel Mode is shared with evasion. Running out of energy/fuel to evade is a danger for those that rely on full thrust too often. An unexpected part of the gameplay is Strike Mode. This ability to transform parts of the spacecraft and change its flight characteristics is only available on the Firefly-MKII for the demo. When activated, Strike Mode cancels the constant forward movement of Flight Mode and brings the craft to a hover. Movement is restricted to moving directly forward, back and strafing left and right with quick bursts of thrust to evade attacks. This seems like a big tip of the hat to Strike Suit Zero's Strike Mode, which could transform a craft from Pursuit Mode to Strike Mode as well. In D.E.E.P Battle of Jove, Strike Mode is introduced as a way to investigate areas but is especially effective at concentrating fire on a group of enemies or larger enemies while avoiding overshooting them. Customization This is a preview of the full-fledged system being developed, which will include engine upgrades and cosmetic upgrades that are unlocked by completing achievements and finishing missions. The spacecraft in the demo are open for weapons customization before each mission after the tutorial mission. Weapons are unlocked using credits gained by destroying enemies and completing missions and can be mounted in two weapons slots with a third slot reserved for guided missiles or unguided rockets. Thus far, there are 12 weapons total, though not all can be used in the demo. The weapons are classified between energy and kinetic classes. Included are of various types of lasers, Gatling guns, railguns, homing missiles, unguided rockets, and even scatterguns. Some weapons have additional unique abilities. For example, the Coil Laser BN fires projectiles that guide themselves onto targets if they pass close enough to them. Enemies with shielding can significantly minimize the effectiveness of some weapons. It will take more ammunition than usual to strip away their shields, depending on the weapon they are being attacked with. Understanding the pros and cons of the different weapons and how they are affected by energy shielding is important in combat. Carrying both energy and kinetic weapons during a mission is recommended. While each craft can carry three weapons, the built-in fourth weapon is the EMP Storm. This is an electromagnetic pulse with a limited range capable of destroying smaller fighter enemies and causing damage to larger units. The EMP begins recharging after each use with no set ammunition limit. Enemies destroyed by this weapon are often close enough for their dropped armor, shield, and ammo resources are immediately picked up by the player. This makes the EMP Storm a great tool to eliminate groups of enemies while quickly repairing and rearming in dire situations. Spacecraft At this point, there is little that distinguishes the three (technically four) demo spacecraft from one another in terms of performance. While their descriptions and status bars state what the differences are, the flight characteristics of the Falcon, Firefly, and Flying Ape are all very similar sans Strike Mode. Each of the designs are visually pleasing, but when it comes down to the nuts and bolts their strengths and weaknesses don't stand out in a meaningful way. Enemies There is a small selection of enemies present in the demo ranging from fighter size, which could be described as "large fighter" size with energy barriers and a full-size dreadnought. Enemies of the smaller scale are fast and can pursue players with immensely destructive lasers that can eat through shields and hull armor within seconds if ignored. Some pursue close enough to perform ramming attacks. They are also the most common source of replenishing ammo and armor during missions. The "large fighters" are roughly three times the size of the player's craft. They carry heavy laser weaponry suited for attacking space stations and warships. They are also able to deploy visible energy shielding to block attacks. The dreadnought seen prominently in the trailers for the game acted more like a traditional boss fight than what appeared to be a capital ship style engagement. Eventually, the player is pitted in a 1 on 1 battle with the dreadnought that forces them to rush the dreadnought head-on. While evading missiles, escort fighters, and high power lasers, the damage inflicted by players caused the dreadnought to change forms and unleash new attacks. What a twist! While fleet vs. fleet combat is a possibility for D.E.E.P. Battle of Jove, more boss style fights may be better for its overall identity and match its high-speed arcade playstyle. Critiques and Suggestions For a demonstrator, it's starting with a strong foot forward and a lot of potentials. Our critiques and suggestions are: The missile alert can be unreliable at times. Slightly increasing the time the missile alert prompt appears would provide at least one or two extra seconds to realistically be able to dodge consistently. Perhaps a way to tie this variable to difficulty level would be good. Weapons Information: a better explanation of the in-game differences between energy and kinetic weapons. Which type of weapon is more or less effective against shielded enemies, more suited for engagements at long range, etc. Exchange bar graphs on performance descriptions for weapons and vehicles from bar graphs to exact numbers. This would clearly define damage output, rates of fire, maximum weapon range, speed, hull armor, shield armor, etc. Further adjustments to spacecraft to better distinguish them. Widen performance differences in baseline capabilities to give each craft clear weaknesses and strengths. Examples: Eidos craft better have increased kinetic weapon ammo, craft with captured DEEP technology more energy weapon ammo, Light Fighters carry more missiles than other classes of fighters, etc. Add target height indicator on radar to better understand where enemies are. Reduce EMP recharge rate by a few seconds to make it more of a ‘clutch’ weapon. Keep its range, damage output and ability to gather resources the same. A slower recharge makes it more of a precious weapon to be used less often. Strike Mode offers little in the way of advantages aside from lingering next to large enemies as a stable firing platform. Consider adding specific abilities only available in Strike Mode. Examples: fire both primary weapons at once, shield damage reduction, slightly faster EMP recharge rate. Look into adding full Six degrees of freedom to the game. Options to remap controls on both KBM and gamepad. Slightly enlarge the weapons lock indicator on the HUD. Maybe increase the size of the indicator or change its color so it is more noticeable. Similar changes suggested to lead indicator for kinetic weapons when tracking moving targets. Scroll wheel on mouse to change weapon should work in both directions instead of just up. Skyward Flight Media would like to thank the Thinking Stars team for the opportunity to put the demo for D.E.E.P. Battle of Jove through its paces during this time. Next week we will be following up with them to discuss their experience with the festival, future plans for the game and get to know their team better. I personally would like to thank to Santiago 'Cubeboy' Cuberos and 'Prov' from the Skyward team for playing the demo early and collaborating to create this first look. Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition is active between June 16th and June 22nd, 2020. Alongside this game, other flight experiences await. Stay tuned for more first impressions in the coming days. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. A lifelong aviation enthusiast with a special interest in flight simulators and games. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating aviation related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and sims with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. | Twitter | Discord: RibbonBlue#8870 |

Absolute Territory: The Space Combat Simulator debuted a publicly available demo during Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition 2020. At first glance, Absolute Territory's promotional material invokes a nostalgic feeling from space sims of days past. After hours of playing the demo, I was intrigued by how "right" maneuvering in space felt. The experience was further enhanced when I was able to use more advanced flight equipment, that I would not expect a demo to recognize. The experience of managing energy levels in combat and sliding through space with relative ease left a lasting impression on me after the festival. With questions on my mind, I reached out to the developer, Digitum Software, for information about this game's development and their game festival experience. Hello, thanks for this interview. It's nice to meet you. Can I ask you to introduce yourself? Hello, thank you for having me. My name is Dan I.B. Woods. I am an indie developer currently hiding behind the guise of Digitum Software. I love Sci-fi in film, TV, video games, especially space combat action/simulation set in futuristic settings. I also enjoy programming. Combining these elements, I decided to develop my space combat simulator Absolute Territory. Watching the promotional and test footage of Absolute Territory gives off a nostalgic feeling. What was your inspiration for making this game? Nostalgia is what has driven me to make Absolute Territory. When development first began, there was no more interest (outside of an indie setting) for space combat simulation games. Rather than wait for someone else to make one, I decided to make my own. I have a love of Sci-fi. Watching the original 70's Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Buck Rogers, Star Trek, Babylon 5 in my youth enflamed a passion within. I spent many hours playing Wing Commander on my Amiga 500. As time went on, I found that I enjoyed playing this genre, somewhere in between arcade and realistic simulation, which the Wing Commander series hovered around (with the one exception). TL;DR: A love of sci-fi and video games and the drought in the genre (at the time!). Before starting game development, Digitum Software created VUME. What type of software is it? Video Uploading Made Easy (VUME) for YouTube Content Creators. It's a companion app for YouTube, on Windows PC, designed to simplify uploading and publishing videos. I used to make videos for my gaming channel and found YouTube's service to be lacking in some areas, especially for those who upload content regularly. VUME's main feature is multiple upload defaults, a feature the competition offers as part of a recurring paid subscription. You can define many defaults for the title, description, tags, etc. for say different topics, or if you are a gamer, video games. VUME takes this a step further with variables, which you can pass via the video filename to auto-select the template and auto-populate metadata, making each upload specific to the video content. You can say goodbye to copying pasting text and manual edits. VUME includes other features, like auto-posting to Twitter and Tag analytics. Are there plans to continue software development alongside game development? The plan is for a Tick-Tock cycle. Tick, let's make an application. Tock, let's make a video game. After Absolute Territory releases, I will re-review that original plan. Currently, I expect to be making further updates and improvements to Absolute Territory after release for some time. You have reminded me I have a bug fix update I need to test and publish for VUME. On Absolute Territory: one thing that is clear from the promotional material but can also be felt immediately through gameplay is how the ships maneuver. It feels the way I would imagine a more simulator style space game should handle. I suppose that stems from Wing Commander 1/2 and the I-War series. I loved using the Shelton slide in WC1/2. Hit your afterburner to reach full speed, then turn and pepper your target with hot laser bolts as you slide past them! Fun stuff! I-War took the physics more seriously and probably provides a more realistic idea of how corvette sized space ships would handle. Slow and sluggish! After a lot of hard work, I ultimately used Physics to apply forces for rotation and velocity (speed) changes, for example, to correct your forward velocity based on your facing direction. I found attempting realism wasn't fitting for smaller space fighters (imagine dogfighting in the NASA Space Shuttle). Unrealistic force numbers are applied to tighten up the controls, without making it feel too much like flying a fighter jet in an atmosphere. If I pulled the veil on the force numbers, you would see that the rotation forces are almost as high as the main engines to propel you forward! The Shelton slide! There's a name I have not heard in a long time. This video demonstrates a unique (and daring) level of maneuverability. How is this possible? What are some of the advantages of flying like this? Physics! To expand on above, all ships in Absolute Territory have a Reaction Control System (RCS) controlling velocity and rotation based on the pilot's input, to compensate for zero drag with no atmosphere. The RCS's only goal is to keep the ship flying in the direction pointed. The RCS manages lateral (vertical/horizontal) thrusters and engines applying forward/reverse thrust. Making turns at speed creates a sliding effect as the RCS works to correct your direction to keep you heading where the ship is pointing. One advantage is the manual override of lateral thrusters, where you can 'jink and juke' to avoid incoming weapons fire. You can also perform a Shelton slide either as I described earlier with WC1/2, or use a manual override to disable the RCS and keep your nose pointed at your target while momentum keeps you going as you where. There is also a disadvantage where if you turn too sharply, you can end up making yourself a sitting duck as the ship has to slow to adjust for your new direction. Absolute Territory does not fly like most other space combat action games or like the ships in Star Wars, or the Freespace series, where you always go forward without any implied 'drag' simulated or otherwise from steering. While playing the demo, I was intrigued at how the simple addition of energy management within the ship's engine, shield, and weapons systems could change gameplay in a meaningful way. What are your thoughts on the energy management system? Will it be more complex in the future? As I playtested, I felt Absolute Territory was missing something to help the player get out of sticky situations or take advantage. Energy management has been used in many previous space games to good effect, some taking it much more seriously than others. I wanted the player to be able to manipulate energy management with a minimum of effort and concentration, not take away focus, or too complicated it got ignored. I like the idea of how Rebel Galaxy Outlaw allows you to dump energy from your gun energy into your shields and vice-versa. I can see that feature making its way into Absolute Territory. I'll also be open to suggestions and feedback from players. The mission editor of Absolute Territory sounds like it will be quite advanced. Is it true that the editor is so detailed, the single-player campaign was built using the same editor players will have access to? It is true. The Absolute Territory mission editor was 100% used to create each mission for the campaign. The mission editor is embedded, allowing players to test ideas as they create. You could recreate the campaign missions yourself with the mission editor if you were inclined to do so. Players will be able to share their creations, with the minimum of effort, to the Steam Workshop for others to play. It sounds like the editor is designed for long term use. That is to say, no need for hacking or code work to remain in operation. I have spent a lot of considerable effort on creating the mission editor as I wanted players to be able to continue playing Absolute Territory by sharing and experiencing new adventures with the community. The crux of the mission editor uses Conditional Actions. These respond to and drive events in the game world, using conditions (i.e. when the player reaches a waypoint) to drive actions (i.e. spawn in some enemies). I have designed the mission editor to minimize the amount of coding required to add additional conditions and actions in the future. If more can add depth to Absolute Territory and I will look towards adding any in future updates, I'll also consider requests from players and creators. The mission editor sounds rather robust. Are there any limits at all that players will run into while using it? The only specific limit is the size of the nav point area. You can think of a nav point being a stage in a mission. There is no limit on the number of nav points to place. I do not expect the size limit to be an issue. Its set at 100,000m diameter and used to limit the placing of game objects in the world using the mission editor. This is a design decision rather than a technical limitation. You'll find that most of the missions in the Absolute Territory campaign are broken down into nav points. In the campaign, each nav point is designed to be within 10,000m diameter for pacing reasons. However, if you prefer to create missions in a single nav point, like Freespace 2, there is nothing to stop you. When it comes to using Conditional Actions, described elsewhere, you are limited to the Conditions and Actions made available. More can be added, but that will require additional coding and testing by myself. I am open to suggestions on what any additions could be in a future update. I feel the need to mention modding possibilities. While you can share your individual missions using Steam Workshop, you are currently limited to Absolute Territory's existing assets. I recognize that providing modding support in the mission editor would open up more new possibilities and experiences for creators and players. I will be looking at the feasibility of adding mod support, to at least be able to add new ships and weapons, after Absolute Territory's initial release. The screenshots and video of the asteroid field are exciting and look challenging. Was it difficult to design the asteroid field? The theory on the asteroid field design (or what I call hazards, as there are also minefields), is relatively simple. They are identified using spheres in the game world and then only appear to the player when nearby, helping to improve performance. However, when you are dealing with thousands of asteroids, there is going to be a performance hit. Thankfully, Unity has been working on a Data Orientated Technology Stack (DOTS) to manage thousands of game objects in large game worlds. It's still early days for DOTS. The current hazard implementation took a lot of head-scratching and debugging. For those who don't know, Unity is a 3D development platform and is my development tool of choice for Absolute Territory. It's majorly used for game development for indie developers, like me, with a free to use version (there are alternatives). It has taken some flak over the last several years due to low effort releases by various indie developers, using so-called asset flips. Though, the results of using a tool are only as serviceable as the individual who wields it and the effort put in. Anyone seriously interested in video game development should check it out. I know I'll do this eventually, so I'll ask directly. If I direct all energy to the spacecraft's shields, is it possible to survive running into an asteroid? That will entirely depend on the velocity of impact and the ship you are flying. Each ship has its maximum shield strength. Directing energy to shields will help decrease your mortality chances. More power increases the recharge rate, and more importantly, the maximum shield strength, at the expense in performance within the other systems. I shall look forward to adding you as a statistic, all in the name of science. This next question might be a bit too early to ask, but: will there be allied units? Potentially some large scale fleet vs. fleet battles? You will come across allied units in the campaign. These will be fighters, transports, and destroyers. Allied fighters will assist you in combat, therefore make sure to look after them. Transports and destroyers are generally used in escort/protection, or assaults/strike missions. While they do have anti-fighter weaponry, we won't be seeing any fleet engagements, i.e destroyer vs. destroyer, during the Absolute Territory campaign. I can say for certain as I have just recently finished creating the 21 missions that make up the campaign. It would be something I'd love to include in the future. The main game loop is around combating against several enemy fighters as you progress through stages, to keep the gameplay and progression flowing. It's a mechanic I remember the developers of Halo talking about, as not to bore or overwhelm the player with a constant stream of enemies. I think the most enemies you will encounter are around a dozen at once, with several allied units to back you up. I do not fancy my chances in those odds on my own. Absolute Territory is mostly about making tactical combat decisions when facing 3-4 opponents at each stage, sometimes with allied help. The control style of Absolute Territory certainly "feels right" when I think of a space simulator/game. Thank you for the detailed explanation as to why that is. Will the missions only take place in deep space, or will there be combat near moons or in the atmosphere of planets? Missions take place where you get to appreciate the vast emptiness of space interspersed by asteroids and minefields. Adding planets in Absolute Territory as a decoration is on my wishlist. I have already purchased the relevant assets. It will be a case of being able to embed them into the mission editor as an update after release. I have an extensive list of wishlists and ideas. I'll avoid saying anything more, as I do not want to fall into making promises or suggesting features that have not been decided. With the focus being on smaller engagements, is there a possibility that players may run into an 'Ace' - a single or maybe a small group of highly skilled adversaries? The focus on smaller engagements is for players to learn their and opponents' fighter strengths and weaknesses, then exploiting them to be the victor. I could have added an enemy Ace with increased health, speed, and more weapons. Going up against faster and tanky opponents, of the standard fighter, is not the experience I'm looking to create. Each difficulty level in Absolute Territory alters the AI behavior and damage dealt/received. Rather than having individual pilot skill levels, the focus is on skills based on the selected difficulty. Since the game festival demo release, significant effort has gone to improving AI combat behaviors. AI should appear less predictable, and more accurate, providing a rewarding and enjoyable combat experience overall. All enemy fighters you encounter will be similarly experienced as each other based on the selected difficulty level. Most recent improvements made to the AI steering behavior means all fighters and missile are much more accurate and deadlier than before. How was the game festival? Has any of the feedback changed Absolute Territory's development? The Game Festival was great, it certainly helped to make more gamers aware of Absolute Territory. I ended up with more wishlists in that weekend than I did in the previous 90 days. I highly recommend any game developer to take part in the future with similar events. The inclusion of the demo, a requirement for the festival, helped. In retrospect, it highlights my need to promote and get the word out about Absolute Territory. The demo released to coincide with the festival was as good as an experience I had hoped to present to gamers, based on closed beta feedback and meeting deadlines. I am actively seeking feedback to improve the player experience. For example, the current mouse flight implementation felt twitchy for several players. They also had problems of losing the mouse cursor and found it demanding to keep track of that when fighting more than one opponent. Based on that feedback: I've reduced the baseline sensitivity, increasing its maximum, for mouse flight; Players have a more choice in finding that sweet spot; You can always see where the flight cursor is, identified by breadcrumbs leading to it; The maximum pitch and yaw are now recognized by confining the cursor to a boundary; The gun reticule is no longer obscured when the cursor is near. With these improvements, flying your space ship feels much smoother, less twitchy, and overall, more natural using a mouse. I was able to use a HOTAS, rudder pedals, and a multi-function display with no problem. Was the use of more advanced equipment considered during game development from the beginning? That's fantastic news! I've been waiting for feedback from flight sim enthusiasts. In the beginning, I only had a Joystick (with throttle and hat). Setting up Unity with the default implementation was an absolute pain and problems with axis lag only ever-present in Unity games for Saitek joysticks. Unfortunately, it wasn't even considered a Unity issue, and very few reports at the time. I used my Xbox controller to get around this, eventually adding mouse support. Yet, I didn't want to be releasing a game where players would not be able to use their choice controller. Supporting a wide range of devices, with the default implementation, would mean significant development time and testing many different controls making this unfeasible. Thankfully, there are options. One of those, Rewired. This is a fantastic asset I purchased from the Unity Asset Store and allows developers to support a wide range of controllers and devices. I always intend Absolute Territory to be used with either Joystick / HOTAS controllers. The fact you can also use more peripherals is a massive benefit and should please fans of flight simulation. Thank you for this interview and your efforts in creating this game. Thank you very much for your interest. A demo for Absolute Territory is available for you to try from Steam. Go ahead and wishlist and follow to be notified when Absolute Territory is released. About the Interviewer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. A lifelong aviation enthusiast with a special interest in flight simulators and games. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating aviation related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and sims with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. | Twitter | Discord: RibbonBlue#8870 |

During and after the Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition 2020, Skyward Flight Media has written first impression articles and interviewed the dev teams of flight and space titles that had demos publicly available. D.E.E.P. Battle of Jove visually defined itself with fast, arcade action, transformable spacecraft and bosses and vivid visuals. Our first impression article discusses the three mission demo in more detail. During the festival, Skyward contacted the development team behind the game to schedule a post-festival interview. In the interview we discuss various aspects of the demo, its reception and future developments with 'Martho' from the ThinkingStars development team. Hello and thank you for this interview. Could you introduce the ThinkingStars development team? First of all, a big thank you to Skyward for making this opportunity available to us. We are a game development team from Beijing, and our studio name is ThinkingStars. We are currently working on D.E.E.P Battle of Jove and we have 6 members, including 2 art design, 3 programmer and 1 level design, but of course every member of the team is actually working on the game design! Our pleasure. How long has the dev team been together? Is D.E.E.P. Battle of Jove the team's first game? The studio has been around for 5 years, the core members of the team have known each other for quite some time, and we've all been working in the game industry, developing games for mobile in the early days. In addition to working on D.E.E.P Battle of Jove, there is another game in development called ANNO: Mutationem. It is an action-adventure game that combines pixel characters with 3D scenes and has a strong cyberpunk feel to it. ANNO: Mutationem: Twitter | Trailer and Gameplay Mix Skyward gave a first impression of what we believe the story of D.E.E.P. Battle of Jove is, but to clarify, what is the story setting of the game? Haha, we have to be honest and say that the characters and backstory shown in the current demo are temporary substitutes, and the part about the backstory is just an early idea. The character set-ups and dialogue of the characters currently seen will be replaced in the official release, and even these character images will be completely replaced in a way that is more appropriate for the current style of game graphics. One thing that is certain is that players will be able to experience a full single-player story mode where many characters will appear, contain different forces, and take unexpected plot twists. The game will have a full voiceover. All I can reveal right now is that the plot can remind you of some classic Japanese cartoons. It's a bit early to ask these next questions, but how many spacecraft are planned? Could you describe some of them? Currently we plan to offer 5 different classes of spacecraft, including Scout, Interceptor, Fighter, Bomber, Gunship totaling 5 types. The scout class is the fastest and most agile, but is nimble, weak in armor, and has fewer missiles to load. The Fighter class spacecraft is the most suitable for dogfighting as it offers a well-balanced flying and handling experience and can be loaded with a wide range of weapons. Bomber class spacecraft are slower flying and less agile in steering, but capable of carrying a greater variety of missiles and more powerful Armour. The fourth craft of the demo was called the Beatle. It was unavailable to fly, so could the team tell us about it? It looks really heavily armored! It's a Gunship class Spacecraft, which will be a bit bulkier to handle. It can be equipped with more types of Guns and Missile, and has great firepower. Players will be able to fly it in some specific levels. Strike Mode on the Firefly-MKII in the demo was very interesting. Do other spacecraft have this ability or similar modes to transform? Originally we were only planning to add a Strike Mode to the Fighter class, as only Flight Mode would limit the player's experience to more possibilities, such as more flexible panning control, but also exploration and item scanning in Strike Mode. Since we received a lot of inquiries from players during this Steam Game Festival about similar questions about Strike Mode, we've decided that players will definitely want other planes to have similar modes, so we're going to plan for all other classes of spacecraft to have a more unique transformation, but it will be different from the Fighter's Strike Mode, so we'll keep you posted as to what it will look like. Staying on this subject, the boss battle in demo mission 3 used transformation well to both provide a challenge but also give visual cues to players to show their progress during the battles. Are there other bosses in the game that transform? Yes, we want to make that giant battleship boss, but we also want the player to quickly understand that this giant battleship has a weak point to attack; a flurry of attacks is definitely not an option. In order to keep the player's attention, we'd like to add a few more variations at different stages of the battle to keep the excitement going. So with the addition of the transformation design, Nintendo's Star Fox has actually inspired us in this regard. We'll also have some bosses in the game that have similar designs, but will definitely be different from demo. And don't forget, we also have the Ace fighter bosses, so players can get a good taste of the intense dogfight. Ace pilot encounters! This is an unexpected addition. How is the initial testing with enemy Ace pilots going? Ace Pilot is actually the first type of enemy boss we considered making. We prototyped the Ace Pilot before we made the Dreadnought boss! Since the demo showed off a boss character so well, I had expected more bosses but not Ace pilots. Can players anticipate something like 2 vs 1 or 4 vs 1 encounters against enemy Aces? I'd say all of these scenarios should happen, and there will definitely be a 1 vs 1 situation, where the Ace pilot that comes along will be the toughest. Of course there will also be Ace pilot squadron situations, where it will be 1 vs 2 Or more situations. The player will also have the assistance of teammates. There will be 5 different forces in the game, each with their own Dreadnought, as well as an Ace pilot. Is there an idea about how many levels the game will have? We plan to offer at least 20 mission levels, and more challenging missions. It takes about 10-15 hours for the player to finish the campaign mode, depending on the difficulty. The sample of the ship customization in the demo was good. The Steam page mentions more parts can be upgraded or changed in the full release of the game. What are some of these parts? How can they be unlocked? In addition to weapons, you can customize your own body modules and enhancement chips. The body module can be divided into three parts: wings, engine, and cockpit, which can be customized by the player. These modules will not only affect the performance, but will also change the appearance of the Spacecraft. WING Module: Affects armor performance, shield recovery and other related attributes, missile lock ability, attack power and other related attributes. COCKPIT Module: Affects armor performance, shield recovery and other related attributes, missile locking ability, attack power and other related attributes. ENGINE Module: The engine section mainly affects the acceleration and maximum speed related attributes of the fighter. Enhancement chips can be installed in the above body modules to enhance existing properties. Players can progressively unlock them in Tech-Tree by acquiring Credits. Was the usual Six Degrees of Freedom seen in space simulators left out to keep this game more accessible? Yes, we hope that casual shooters will also accept this current mode of control, and we will also find a way to add vertical and horizontal movement as well, so that we can still retain the full 6DOF mode of control. How was Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition 2020 for the team? Our team was very excited to be a part of Steam Game Festival this year, and many of our players gave us encouragement and valuable feedback. One of the things that touched us was a father and son who played the demo and then wrote a long review for us, saying It's been a long time since they've experienced such a cool space shooter, and they said they're looking forward to the final product. Wow, that makes it all worth it. If I may ask, what is some of the feedback or suggested changes the team received? Have the team’s plans changed after the festival? As already mentioned, many players want other spacecraft to have similar strike modes. I think our development team will be working on that soon. And there's the fact that in addition to the space scene levels, we're going to have levels on the surface of planets, in canyons, in skyscrapers and jungles. We've already completed some of these, and when the time is right we'll publish them to let you know. The team's plans haven't changed, more fighters, more levels, more exciting boss fights everything is in intensive production and hopefully we'll be able to meet you all soon. Our final question is about another unexpected twist: the team introduced concept art for anthropomorphic animal characters. There was a public poll about it, which is a great way to get feedback, but how does the team feel about potentially making these character changes? It seems like it would be a fun change of pace. Haha, glad that was mentioned! One of the greatest joys of making indie games is actually the variety of situations you can try. The flight theme itself is a bit more niche than other types of games, and we wanted to expand the group of players we could attract, and we didn't want to make the game too serious, so it might be a good idea to add anthropomorphic animals, because after all, we all love animals, right? Of course, maybe it'll end up with both human and animal characters. I’d like to give our thanks to the ThinkingStars development team for this interview and for their work on DEEP Battle of Jove so far. Thanks to Skyward for providing such a valuable opportunity to let our readers know about our game. If you are interested, you can download our free demo on steam and try it out! Please add to your wishlist, if you like the game. Currently, our development team is working hard on it and we hope to see you all there soon! About the Interviewer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

After surviving the first half of the ambush, the only thing keeping me alive is system energy management. With just the right balance of energy to the engines to maintain distance from pursuers and energy to slowly recover shields, I find myself in a high-speed chase. Mulling over a strategy to break up the fighter formation chasing me and limit their ability to attack me as a group, I realize that only the shields I've been nursing back to full strength will make this possible. With my hull armor at less than 10%, there's only one chance to survive this encounter, but first... the tense wait. This is the level of strategy that can be experienced throughout Absolute Territory: The Space Flight Simulator. Released on September 1st, 2020, this game is a product of passion. A passion that extends back to the time of Wing Commander on the Amiga 500, Buck Rogers, Babylon 5, original Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, and Star Trek. After our interview with Digitum Software in July 2020, I awaited the full release of the game sometime this year with interest. Shortly after learning what the official release date was, Skyward Flight Media was provided with a copy of the game ahead of the public release on Steam. This review is for the launch version of the game. It will not reveal spoiler information about the story but will discuss the game modes, gameplay, and other aspects of this single player space flight simulator. From the start of the first tutorial, the overall feeling of the game becomes apparent. The vastness and solitude of deep space can be felt in each mission. That is not to say that it felt incomplete. While traveling across thousands of miles of deep space, one cannot expect to always pass by exotic star systems and space stations. Not pursuing elaborate settings like that is also a realistic production goal for an indie developer of this size. All communications are conducted through text boxes; there is no voice acting. Certain sound effects and limited background music do leave a bit to be desired. But all of that only slightly diminishes the overall experience. Absolute Territory is a title that has its strength in gameplay more than anything else. Gameplay-wise, space flight feels closer to what piloting a fast-moving craft in space probably should be. For those in need of a quick big name reference, the flight is more in the style of Battlestar Galactica than it is Star Wars. With Newtonian style physics applied to the game, the flight computer and highly responsive Reaction Control System (RCS) allows for precise and daring maneuvers, depending on pilots' skill. Simply rolling a direction and pulling back on the stick won't be enough to survive the battles ahead. Maneuvering the spacecraft from maximum velocity in one direction to near-zero velocity because of a sharp turn to a different direction is an excellent way to become a static target. By learning to fly with the RCS both enabled and disabled, it's possible to stylishly slip sideways past warships while attacking them, slide through asteroid fields and incoming laser fire, and make efficient turns that keep players alive longer. While the developer did consciously apply some unrealistic force numbers to the physics model to make it easier to maneuver, space is space. The learning curve is there but it's small and it can be overcome relatively quickly. The energy management system is what adds strategy to the battles that goes beyond out maneuvering enemies. Every fighter in the game has this system built into them. As mentioned in the introduction, more often than not, managing energy to either the engines, guns, or shields is a deciding factor. This game mechanic is easy to manage and becomes a factor in the player's mind for each engagement. This effectively changes the way combat is approached the moment players interact with it. Driving power to the guns can quickly destroy targets, but leaves the craft less shielded and moving slower. Pushing max energy to any other system causes similar adverse effects. Finding the right balance of power as the situation calls for it is something only experience in combat can bring. There are 11 spacecraft players can pilot depending on game mode. Each has unique handling characteristics, mass, and thrust. The spacecraft roster is split between the two factions in the game. This means that fighters from the opposing force will not be available during the single-player campaign. Depending on the craft, they may come with two primary weapon selections and up to four types of secondary weapons. Light, medium and heavy fighters are designed for different roles and as such may fly faster, have more armor be more responsive to flight inputs, etc. The designs of the spacecraft fit the 90s style sci-fi well. In particular fighters from the Endophora faction have an organic, bug like design to them, which conjures up memories of past sci-fi series. There are some restrictions that do hold back enjoying the fighters a bit. Their specifications are only available during the briefing screens of the campaign. While the cockpit view of each aircraft is modeled, the external design can only be seen from the rear while in third-person view. It's unfortunate their external designs can't be appreciated more. If there was a way to add in something like a unit database that would have all information about the craft on a single page, that would be ideal, but guides created on Steam would suffice. Besides the fighters, there is a small selection of transports and warships with varying levels of armor and firepower. Yes, that does mean there are escort missions, but at least the ship(s) being escorted can actually fire back and destroy some of their attackers. Still, they won't handle being swarmed by enemies, so do keep close to them. The game modes available are: Campaign, Squadron, The Gauntlet, and Mission Editor. The 21 mission campaign represents Absolute Territory well. As a pilot for the Imperial Hemogony, the player is thrust into conflict against the Endophora Empire; a faction that invades a territory called Bold Peace. This disruption of the Hemogony's 'absolute territory' leads to a regional conflict while political deliberations are held elsewhere in the galaxy. The missions frequently involve patrols and raids on enemy forces, something standard in any actual conflict. Of course, there are unexpected twists that can develop even during the most routine patrols. Some notable moments from the campaign involve being forced into whirling combat in the middle of a minefield, multi-part pursuits of enemy warships, and an eyebrow-raising clandestine mission. One mission uses the tried and true waypoint navigation system in a memorable way that demands players stay close to an immensely dangerous enemy for a ludicrous amount of time. The common threat players will have is flights of enemy fighters. The campaign shows that this is not a title where massive fleet battles will occur. Larger skirmishes are mentioned in mission briefings, but the most complex engagements players will find themselves in consist of waves of fighters, transports, and warships jumping into the battle area with no allied fleet in the vicinity. You won't see dozens of warships in formation like you'd see from a sci-fi TV series season finale or Hollywood movie. Absolute Territory finds a balance in its mission types and gameplay to show that it does not have to over-extend to that scale of conflict to be enjoyable. The two instant action game modes are good for quick play sessions. Squadron mode has the player flying against each type of Endophora fighter as they appear in waves. The Gauntlet operates in a similar manner but includes Imperial fighters as well. Results of each mode's playthroughs are then posted up on a scoreboard for those seeking to make their name known. The Mission Editor is advanced enough to construct detailed scenarios without being overly complex. Surprisingly, the entire campaign was created with this editor. Within 10 to 30 minutes, a mission with multiple waypoints, custom weapon loadouts, conditional actions, a briefing, and a debriefing can be built. User-created missions can then be shared with the Steam workshop. This increases the value of the game in the long-term. Even if/when the developer moves on from this title, content can still be created by anyone that has purchased it. Note: the mission editor is the only way that players can pilot spacecraft from the opposing force. the Endophora Empire. The editor is also the only mode that players can choose their craft and weapons before each mission. Absolute Territory is currently listed on Steam with partial controller support. The developer had always intended for this game to support joysticks and HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick) controllers along with gamepads and keyboard mouse controls. Other peripherals like rudder pedals and Thrustmaster MFD Cougar cockpit panels are also supported. For those seeking an experience that can utilize their advanced flight controllers, this is a solid option. Absolute Territory: The Space Combat Simulator presented an experience that more than fits its price point of $18.99 USD; not including a 10% launch discount from September 1st - September 7th, 2020. This is a solid first release from Digitum Software that is sure to inspire players that have completed the campaign to produce some interesting scenarios in the next few weeks. I look forward to seeing and discussing some of the more interesting missions in the near future. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

At first glance, any flight sim enthusiast can tell you that the Multi Function Button Box has something unique about it. When considering control panels or button boxes to integrate into their rigs and onto their mounts, functionality (and a bit of style) is the driving factor. Designed by Total Controls, this upcoming button box is currently in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign and also has a Patreon. Skyward Flight Media reached out to Total Controls for an interview about the team and their current flagship product that has turned heads and raised eyebrows. Hello! Thanks for taking time to participate in this interview during your ongoing Kickstarter campaign. Can I ask you to introduce yourself? My name is Jonas Hernstig, founder of Total Controls and the designer of the Multi Function Button Box. I am a Swedish long time sim flyer and father of four. As you might imagine there is not much time for my hobbies, but sim flying is always a priority when the kids are asleep. I have flown sims since the 1990s and fell in love with the A-10A in LoMac: Flaming Cliffs 3. Today I spend most of my time in DCS World and preferably in the A-10C or the Hornet. Who are the members of Total Controls? The team consists mostly of aviation fans. Jonas brought skilled 3D-artist and fellow sim aviator, Otto, on board early in the process to bring life to the concept drawings. All renders are his work. Later, technical engineer Lars was contacted to draw the electrical hardware. Niclas, who by the way works at SAAB with their Gripen simulator, is streamlining the software at this very moment. He has a lot of experience with sim aviation having designed a very popular controller card for sims a while back. Everyone in the team loves flight sims and all of us are very excited about this product. According to the timeline on the Kickstarter project, Total Controls was founded in February 2020 but the idea for the company goes back earlier than that. How did the idea form in 2019? Just like most great ideas, it grew from a need. I myself adapted to VR flight very early, but I found it hard to operate all inputs in the cockpit via mouse. It required me to let go of the stick and reach for the mouse. A member of our Swedish DCS community inspired me to build my own button box with the features I thought were needed. The result attracted some online attention, it was then when I realized that I was on to something. I had found a black hole in the sim hardware market. Total Control’s Multi Function Button Box is certainly not the first button box or control panel designed for flight simulator use, but it does have some interesting design features. What are some of its key points? Well, first of all, it features a full numeric keypad that to my knowledge is unique to all button boxes. The gear and hook handles make it stand out from the rest as well. The fact that the box is all metal makes it a robust piece of hardware with a long life span. To me, the real game changer apart from the keypad, is the radio encoders. It has never been easier to scroll through radio channels. The same switches can also be assigned to most rotary functions in any aircraft, such as HSI rotation knobs or light switches. The base plate of the Multi Function Button Box utilizes the same dimensions as the Thrustmaster Warthog throttle. Meaning it will fit most mounts already on the market. To make it even more compelling we have included some rewards in the Kickstarter campaign that features table or chair mounts from Monstertech. At first glance, the most eye-catching part is certainly the keypad. It looks well lit with good button height, and has very audible button clicks. For people that do not use button boxes having “loud buttons” may sound like an inconvenience, but in your opinion, what is a benefit to these “loud buttons”? To be honest, the box in the function preview video does not have the same buttons as the finished product. We have refined it quite a bit and the buttons on the final product will have less travel distance and will be a little less noisy, but they will have a distinct tactile feel to them. We have tried out a number of different buttons and the ones that will be on the box will be perfect. There are some familiar parts in the design, though it still maintains a somewhat ambiguous look overall. Which aircraft does it take design cues from? First of all, the F/A-18C Hornet of course. But there are some parts that are inspired from both the A-10C, the AV-8B Harrier and the F-16C Viper. The data rocker in the Viper is a quite unique piece of hardware and we wanted to incorporate it to make the box more versatile. The positions and designs of the landing gear, hook and jettison buttons are very distinct. What was the concept behind this? When I started developing the Multi Function Button Box my plan all along was to place it alongside my Warthog throttle. I wanted handles on it right from the start and that position seemed the most logical. It proved to be a perfect decision since all handles are easy to reach and operate at a natural angle. The jettison switch is guarded by the handles and you won't activate it by mistake. All buttons and switches can be assigned to any function in the simulator, meaning that you might want to use it another way. Maybe to pull the handle on the ejection seat? The positioning of those three buttons is a simple, but effective way to prevent some regrettable in flight mistakes. As someone that has accidentally done this, I can really appreciate this design decision. While the Multi Function Button Box appears to be more oriented towards modern military aircraft, is it fair to say that even aircraft without a keypad in the cockpit could still effectively utilize this device? Yes! All buttons can be assigned to any function in any aircraft, and with 40 buttons and switches and 7 axes you can make the Multi Function Button Box fit all aircraft. Your imagination is your limit. Just the gear handle makes sim flying much easier with the box. For pilots that prefer aircraft from older eras, how can this device be useful for them? I myself love to fly the old warbirds. In the [P-51] Mustang I use one of the axis knobs to adjust the target wingspan in my gun sight. The row of option buttons beside the keypad is great for switching radio channels. All lights can be easily controlled via the light knobs. In fact, most planes in any simulator will benefit from the Multi Function Button Box. The decision to ensure this product works with existing mounts is a smart idea. Very forward thinking. Was this done in cooperation with the manufacturers that build the mounts or is this a decision made through consideration for flight sim pilots? This was a decision from the design team to make it fit existing mounts on the market. We realized that it wouldn't be easy for mount makers to implement a new product onto their mounts. Therefore we adapted and the result proved to be perfect. When using the prototype during testing what was the most notable improvement to your flight experience? I don't have to let go of the stick any more! When I didn't use the box all UFC inputs had to be made by mouse and since I'm right handed I had to let go of my stick to input values. That messed up my situational awareness (SA) and formation flying. With the box, I can just let go of my throttle and quickly engage the autopilot, enter coordinates or change radio channels. And it works great in VR. Can you talk about the Multi Function Button Box being designed with virtual reality in mind? This is, as I said earlier, my goal right from the start. The sheer size of the box makes it easy to find, even in VR. We will include options to mark any buttons with tactile markings so that you will find it quick in VR. We have also made sure to give all switches different forms so you can locate them using only your fingers. This being said, the box will also work great for all sim pilots who fly with a screen. Is this the first product that Total Controls has produced? Yes it is, but it won't be the last. We have at least two more products in development that hopefully will change the way you look at sim flying. Good luck on your Kickstarter and future development of this unique piece of equipment. Right now we really hope for the Kickstarter campaign to succeed. There is a huge risk that the Multi Function Button Box never will become a reality if we can't get the funds for the project. If you believe in the project and want to be among the first one to get your hands on a box, back us on Kickstarter. Remember that no one will get charged if we do not reach our goal. There is no risk in backing us, just rewards. And to all backers, thank you! Skyward Flight Media would like to thank Jonas Hernstig and the Total Controls team for taking time to participate in this interview. For more information and updates from Total Controls, see their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Don't forget to check out their Patreon along with their Kickstarter campaign to join in early on their development About the Interviewer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The goal of this article is to provide a spoiler free comparison of recent, official Star Wars games that feature flight to the newly released Star Wars: Squadrons. This article was written using a copy of the game provided to Skyward Flight Media on September 30th, 2020. During the lead up to Star Wars: Squadrons, I shelved all memories and hopes tied to beloved flight games and simulators of the 1990s and 2000s. Not out of negativity, but to realistically base my expectations on more recent flight experiences provided by official Star Wars games produced after LucasFilm was acquired by Disney in 2012. As someone that has played Star Wars: Battlefront (2015), the Battlefront Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission (2016) and Battlefront 2 (2017) from their launch days to their final content updates, I fully expected the experience of Star Wars: Squadrons not to measure up to the more flight simulator like presentation it had shown in its trailers. This is not because I thought the advertisements were lies, but because there had not been a title like this produced for quite some time in the Star Wars intellectual property. The facts are that the flight simulator genre is just not as consistently popular as first person shooters, action adventure games and other genres. Put bluntly: the more arcadey the game is, the more accessible it would be to players of all skill levels and in turn the easier it is to sale and maintain a player base. With that being said, I had approached Star Wars: Squadrons fully prepared to be somewhat let down and began examining the game with a few different categories in mind: Spacecraft Selection, Baseline Specifications, Flight Performance, Power Management System, Component Modifications and Virtual Reality. Spacecraft Selection Galactic Empire spacecraft roster. Star Wars: Squadrons sticks to a lean and mostly iconic selection of starfighters. The four spacecraft of the Galactic Empire and the four spacecraft of the New Republic make up the full roster of the game. The eight spacecraft are frequently used by the frontline forces of each side, as seen in Star Wars movies, TV series, games, comics and other media. Since the story of the game revolves around frontline squadrons, it makes sense that the equipment they have access to reflects that. While a particularly rare TIE Advanced V1 is seen in the game, it is not something players can fly or unlock later. There are also no special campaign missions where players take a one-time flight in a high profile ship like the Millennium Falcon or have to fly the dreaded unarmed transport mission. As cool as it would be to have something like a never mass produced TIE Defender in the roster, trying to justify that without breaking the built up lore of the Star Wars universe would be hard. The addition of new starfighters in the future seems possible without breaking game balance, but there are no announcements about that at this time. New Republic spacecraft roster. The eight spacecraft are split between Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor and Support roles. Though they are given these designations they are more than able to be pressed into other roles beyond their purpose built role. There is no arbitrary damage increase or reduction system built into the game that forces players to only use the spacecraft for what the game states they must be used for. The forward mounted blasters of a Bomber will shred an Interceptor just as well a Fighter's would. What these roles do is introduce specific customization modules unique to that class of spacecraft. More on that in a later. The only spacecraft availability restrictions that appear in Star Wars: Squadrons occur in the single-player campaign, and only for certain missions. This is done to introduce players to each spacecraft class. Effectively acting as a tutorial during certain parts of the campaign. The online multiplayer experience has no limits to the type of craft that can be flown. If the player and their allies want to run a flight of Support craft during a Dogfight match, power to them. In Battlefront 2015 players could select from either a Fighter or Interceptor in two game modes. That gave a total of four possible spacecraft with weapons, abilities and specs that were not too different from one another. They were limited to having one primary weapon system and two abilities. Each of these craft were only accessible with Vehicle Tokens. Meaning players had to locate and activate these tokens mid-game to then fly the vehicles. Bombers were non-player controlled units that would attack specific targets depending on game mode, but mostly acted as units to protect as they neared an objective. Other craft like U-Wings, and noteworthy ships like Boba Fett's Slave I were available. Battlefront 2 expanded its roster to 17 standard starfighters with an extra 12 ships classified as Hero or Villain (H/V) ships that had heavily increased stats. The 17 standard starfighters were separated between the three major Star Wars movie trilogies and sorted into Bomber, Fighter, Interceptor. Meaning that at any given time, anywhere between 6 to 10 of these craft would be available - with that number being reduced even further depending on how many H/V ships are in play at one time. All of that translates to an frequent access to 2 or 3 ships per match with the possibility of flying an H/V ship. Depending on the craft, all ships had a primary weapon system with three to four abilities unique to them that sometimes included missiles, turrets or jammers. While Star Wars: Squadrons has a smaller roster of craft available, they are developed to take advantage of their built in systems without leveling up abilities. The weaponry, hulls and engines they can equip is diverse, powerful, and adds to the more tactical approach of the game. Baseline Specifications Star Wars: Squadrons puts actual numbers to ship performance with noticeable differences in turn-rate, acceleration, shield recharge and overall has a good balance between all eight spacecraft. Remaining in line with Star Wars lore, the unmodified stats of each spacecraft are further adjusted by faction with Galactic Imperial TIEs having better overall maneuverability and the New Republic craft being stable platforms that utilize energy shields. Further modifications can impact the baseline performance of each craft positively in some ways but negatively in other ways, allowing for unique loadouts that can push these spacecraft into roles they were not purpose built for. This is a huge improvement over Battlefront 2015 in which each Fighter and Interceptor shared the same flight characteristics with no modifications available. In Battlefront 2, the Bombers, Fighters and Interceptors also maintained the same turn rate, acceleration rate, maximum speeds and hull armor as dictated by their class. Flight Performance The question of how simulator-like Star Wars: Squadrons is must factor in the style of flight all Star Wars media has presented since the first movie came out in 1977. Star Wars has frequently forgone the complicated parts of astrodynamics to present a more visually stunning World War II style of close range combat. That being said, Star Wars: Squadrons is a pretty advanced flight sim for Star Wars in general. In comparison to the last 5 years of flight experiences it has the most advanced flight performance. But by going into game options, further controls can be activated and adjusted. Things like digital throttle friction, advanced power management and dead zones for roll, pitch, yaw and throttle. The flight control inputs are very precise, allowing for specific parts of capital ships to be reliably targeted at long distances or easily twisting through gaps in an asteroid field. The ability to come to a complete stop in an effort to throw off enemies or take cover behind obstacles to prepare for an attack is a welcome addition, alongside the boost-drift for quickly changing directions. It is not the same as being able to rotate on an axis while the craft's momentum in space continues to carry it forward, but it still works. More options specifically for flight sticks and HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) controllers become available when they are plugged in. No matter the device used to play Star Wars: Squadrons, all buttons can be remapped to create the ideal button layout. Things can be further enhanced by adjusting the Pilot Experience option to Instrument Only or Custom. This removes on screen elements of the heads up display and forces players to only rely on the instruments within the cockpits of each spacecraft and their own visual scanning as they look for enemies, obstacles and objectives. This would be more inline with what actual pilots from the Star Wars universe would see. Flying in Battlefront 2015 and the 2016 Rouge One: X-Wing VR Mission was limited to what would be considered ”novice controls” for arcade flight games: unable to roll, had to rely on button inputs to perform advanced flight maneuvers, ship automatically banked and yawed with a single directional input. Reducing speed to a point where spacecraft would float in place, reverse thrust, or stall (in atmosphere) was also not possible. Battlefront 2 did have an option to turn on Advanced Flight Controls which enabled players to have full roll control, but generally the flight experience was very similar to that of Battlefront 2015. Turning off HUD elements in these games leaves the player unable to use their instruments to track targets because the models of the spacecraft in those games were not built with functioning instruments. Power Management System This is a central part of Star Wars: Squadrons gameplay. This first layer of management is the common thread between both factions in the game. While in combat players are able to transfer the power within their craft between the engines, shields and weapons. Putting full energy into a single system grants an overcharge bonus to that system. With the corresponding system overcharged, engines can perform an afterburner style speed boost, weapons can receive a damage boost and shields can increase strength up to 200%. The second layer of the power management differs between whether or not the spacecraft does or does not have shields. Those with shields can direct the position of their shields from the default full coverage to reinforced forward coverage or reinforced rear coverage. While shields are redirected to one quadrant the rest of the ship is unshielded. Redirection of shields is useful in certain situations, like attacking capital ships or defending against pursuing starfighters. For spacecraft without shields the second layer is an emergency power converter. All energy can be put into either engines or weapons system to provide a massive power boost to either system but in turn the other system will be offline. Full energy into weapons will disable the engines, whereas full power to engines will allow for amazingly high speeds but weapons offline. This system is very similar to the X-Wing series of games on PC from the 1990s. There is no recent equivalent of this system. Component Modifications There are 60 components in Star Wars: Squadrons (information for the Galactic Empire, New Republic components as explained by Reviews.org). That is quite a large number, but keep in mind that not all components are compatible with each class of starfighter. Some components are only compatible with specific classes or on specific spacecraft. For example, Interceptors cannot equip capital ship breaking bombs, nor can the Ion cannon attached to the top of a Y-Wing be attached to a TIE Bomber. The components are sorted between the categories: Primary Weapon, Left Auxiliary, Right Auxiliary, Countermeasures, Hull, Shields and Engine. The components are not only capable of changing speed, maneuverability, health, and shields, but also adding weapons like turret mines, tractor beams, bombs, torpedoes and missiles. While selection of the primary blaster firing modes is not possible during a mission or online match, changing the component of the primary weapon can change the rate of fire and firing mode; this varies depending on the component. Other abilities like repair droids, electronic jammers, resupply droids, assault shields, passive stealth abilities and engine upgrades add more diversity to each craft and allow for more complicated strategies to be deployed by individuals and teams alike. Only in Battlefront 2 was there the Star Card upgrade system which allowed for adjustments to be done to the performance of each starfighter. Though they did not add new weapons or abilities, the Star Cards increased performance by a certain percentage. This was a welcome addition to the specification locked starfighters from Battlefront 2015, but not on the same level as the components Star Wars: Squadrons has. Virtual Reality This was one of the big selling points for Star Wars: Squadrons. Without needing to purchase downloadable content, have a separate game mode or being locked to a single platform, it is currently the best official Star Wars flight focused virtual reality experience. All 16 missions of the single player game, the mission briefings, personal interactions with characters before missions and multiplayer game modes are all available in VR. The only non-VR portions of the game are the cutscene videos which appear as a large, flat screen in front of players. With this game not having a 3rd person view, the cockpits are immaculately designed to fit in every detail possible. Whether it’s a single seat fighter or a transport, every button, screen, cockpit frame bar, co-pilot seat or passenger seats - they are all modeled. Star Wars: Squadrons is by far one of the best Star Wars VR experiences in general. Not only for flight, but in comparison to all other Star Wars virtual reality games in general. It is certainly better than the 2016 Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission as a whole. Though that 2016 mission does have some features players wanting more immersion in the VR flight would prefer. Star Wars: Squadrons is by far the most advanced Star Wars flight experience since this intellectual property changed ownership in 2012. Rightfully so, many people wonder if this more simulator like title will be the beginning of a new flight series to rival the Rogue Squadron series or X-Wing series, but only time, sales and reception will tell. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The initial multiplayer focused development of Comanche (2020) is to produce a group of fictional helicopters based on the Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. From a development point of view, this was clearly done as a way to diversify its multiplayer gameplay and make online player vs. player game-play more team based. This is something I previously wrote about in the article Multiplayer Focus of Comanche (2020). According to the still in development single player story, the United States of America had covertly restarted the Comanche development program sometime after the Iran–U.S. RQ-170 incident. Years later, espionage led to data about the designs of the operational and potential variants of the Comanche to be stolen and uploaded to the dark web. This led to organizations and/or nations developing their own rotary-wing aircraft based on the stolen data. These variants of the Comanche have specialized equipment which place each of them into roles similar to those found in team based first person and third person shooters. For example, the ‘Eve’ can use medium-range missiles that deliver nano-machines to repair allies, while the ‘Horizon’ deploys a railgun to snipe enemies from afar. This brings us to the ‘Rhino’. The Rhino-class Comanche is the attack helicopter I love to be confused by. The Rhino is by far the most unexpected helicopter in the game. Its design, weapons and systems are clearly meant to fulfill the “Tank character" in multiplayer. Rhino forgoes any semblance to the stealth reconnaissance role its prototype predecessor sought to present. With its heavy armor, slow speed and low maneuverability, it is clearly built to take incoming fire head-on instead of remaining out of sight and striking from distance. In multiplayer, its weapon systems are the ‘Stomp’ long-range missile which can be fired one-at-a-time with a timed cooled down and a large-caliber Scattergun (i.e. shotgun cannon) that is only effective within 100 meters. It has an integrated close range search system that can locate targets within a certain distance and identify them for other allied players. This includes spotting the optically camouflaged ‘Ghost-class’ Comanche. The Rhino is clearly designed to take down other helicopters above all else. But all of that close range capability is useless against every other attack helicopter that can land shots at medium and long ranges. That would be true if the Rhino didn’t have jet thrusters. The signature ability of this hulking helicopter is the Stampede jet thruster system. When activated the Rhino becomes one of the fastest units in-game. Now, this thing isn't Air Wolf. You won't be zipping around at mach 1 for minutes on end. Stampede is only engaged for a few seconds per use but during that time it flies more like a fixed-wing fighter aircraft. This is something that needs to be kept in mind, since the transition from jet powered forward flight back to standard rotary-wing flight characteristics happens within seconds of thruster deactivation. The common use of the thrusters is to ambush adversaries more specialized in medium and long range engagements. Pilots that keenly maneuver themselves into advantageous positions can use the boost to rapidly close distance with their targets. Rhino pilots can use the thruster system to rapidly change directions, gain altitude above their pursuers engagement envelope or dash away from a disadvantageous situation. The scattergun is a devastating weapon that had to be somewhat ‘nerfed’ in the game’s second early access update. For a time, it was possible to destroy opposing helicopters in just a two or three shots depending on which variant the enemy is and how many of the pellets from the scattergun blast(s) connected with their airframes. But despite the damage reduction and increased spread of scattergun pellets, it is still possible to one-hit-kill the opposition. Not with a cannon or missile, but with the Rhino itself. While the Rhino is accelerating in Stampede, it can bulldoze through airborne enemies while taking almost no damage in the process. This surprisingly entertaining ability to body slam air targets is mostly useful against less agile adversaries that don’t expect the ram (and honestly who would?) or stationary helicopters that are controlling unmanned air vehicles and have their attention elsewhere. The Rhino is just one of the five Comanche variants available in the multiplayer of Comanche (2020), a game that is still progressing through its early access phase. While most of the other helicopters in the game are certainly built as a part of the team play dependent PVP style, the Rhino is one of the most odd helicopters to appear in a game in the past couple of years. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The update that followers of developer Why485 have been in a holding pattern for is finally here. It's not a demo, but it's the next best thing. A video showcase for the retro-aesthetic flight 'simcade,' Tiny Combat Arena, after its significant change in development direction in April 2020. What is shown is a full game loop, a major milestone in its development towards a commercial game. As mentioned in our previous article, the version of Tiny Combat Arena that gained public notoriety about half a year ago was the result of roughly two years of demonstrators under the Tiny Combat name. The video posted on November 5th, 2020, is a little over 9 minutes long but encapsulates months of focused game development. The recent video (shown above) shows the developer fly a few sorties with the AV-8B Harrier II in a short Arena mode campaign. This article is not a comprehensive breakdown of each milestone in its development or a frame by frame analysis of the video. For that, I strongly suggest following Why485 on Twitter and setting aside some time to scroll through his timeline to see the development videos, .gifs, live streams, screenshots, and other media. Instead, we will be discussing a few key takeaways from the video that should be brought to attention. Refined Loadout Management Since The Tiny Combat Arena Prototype (April 2019), the aircraft loadout system has undergone substantial changes. The prototype version had players shootdown specific types of enemies to then unlock and stockpile certain types of weapons to be used over time. Each aircraft had its own particular hardpoint layout and weapons carrying capacity, as they do in the real world. With the current Tiny Combat Arena showcase, the loadout system is more refined visually and functionally. For example, no longer are players required to shoot down air targets to unlock air-to-air missiles. Before each sortie, players can access their aircrafts' weapon stations to equip the entire array of weapons and fuel tanks. Preset loadouts can also be created for quick access. However, carrying 20 or so AIM-9s is out of the question. The aircraft, in this case, the AV-8B Harrier II, is restricted to what it can actually carry. An essential part of the simulator experience. The loadout screen also allows for internal fuel management, shows thrust to weight ratio, payload weight, and more. Meaning that with the new flight model that has been developed, even the selection of what the aircraft is carrying now affects flight performance. Going in loaded for bear all the time might not be the best of ideas anymore. Cockpit POV Focus Even before April 2020, Tiny Combat didn't have much of a heads up display to speak of and didn't have a cockpit view at all. We see the Harrier's cockpit with working instruments, two multi-function displays, and a proper HUD in the video. Some systems still have placeholder text, but their intention is clear. There are more systems to come, but this is a good representation of what to look forward to in the future. There is also no helmet-mounted display in the cockpit view to keep a constant feed of information coming to the pilot while they look around. Situational awareness is a must, even in the most hectic of situations. This is genuinely going to be a cockpit focused 'simcade.' Even though this title has some fantastic camera angles to show off its visuals, no HUD or aircraft system information is shown while in external points of view. That's great for flying but not for fighting. Enjoy the views but be mindful of when you do. The cockpit experience will be further enhanced with the inclusion of TrackIR support, as stated around 0:36 in the video. Headtracking is sure to add that extra layer of immersion to push Tiny Combat Arena a noticeable step higher than others in its genre and around its size. There are all sorts of proven and new hardware and software out there for headtracking. TrackIR, DELANCLiP, SmoothTrack, AITrack, OpenTrack, and others. Our DIY Headtracker Build Guide provides all information needed to create your own tracking clip for those that are more hands-on. It describes camera information, materials needed, software setup, and wiring diagrams to help ensure everything works just right. Strategic Landmark Capture A pre-mission map and named landmarks were a highlight of the Tiny Combat Arena demo (July 2019). It was one of the features that showed a clear pivot towards game development compared to the past demos. Players could select their airfield to operate out of and destroy enemy air, land, and sea forces in certain areas that would allow them to be captured. It was an intriguing demonstration of things to come. In the November 2020 showcase video, the new map shows multiple friendly and enemy-controlled areas that include factories, airfields, and supply depots. Each of these locations has defenders and structures that can influence the status of control over the location. In some scenarios destroying the defenders but leaving the structures can result in the ability to capture the area. Destroying critical structures can leave it unusable by either side. This intentionally makes players be more accurate with their shots and think about the type of ordinance they are bringing to a mission. Dropping the wrong bomb on the right target that's too close to a specific building could destroy the strategic value of the location. As areas are captured, the ground forces (and presumably the air and sea forces) of each side react to defend captured areas. There are set rules about the regeneration of NPC forces that coincide with a time of day cycle per sortie. With fuel and weight considerations being a constant, capturing an airfield closer to primary or secondary objectives allows players to adjust their strategies and aircraft loadouts. Airfields closer to the enemy positions reduce the need for fuel tanks and open up more room for weaponry. With test video of land forces engaging one another broadcast a while back, it's safe to say that enemy forces are most certainly capable of launching their own offensive operations to reclaim lost territory or take allied positions. This is a setup for a somewhat real-time strategy style campaign where victory can be achieved in various ways, with players selecting their own targets and flight paths to fly multiple sorties to achieve a long-term goal. The development of the Tiny Combat Area continues forward, but now with a solid show of progress that has invigorated its current following but will undoubtedly catch the attention of many that will begin to learn about it through the distribution of this video. As always, refer to the Twitter timeline and YouTube channel of Why485 for the latest updates and announcements. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Tiny Combat Arena continues its development march towards becoming a commercial game. This visually nostalgic simcade recently demonstrated a full-game loop in a video. Skyward Flight Media has discussed how that video sums up months of progress and how players can interact with its development through demos from its earliest iterations. We reached out to Why485, the developer of Tiny Combat Arena, to discuss his motivations and thoughts on creating this still work in progress title. Our 8-page interview with him has been split into two parts and features screenshots, .gifs and video provided by the developer. Thank you for making time for this interview while you’re still in the middle of development. Could I ask you to introduce yourself? Hello! My name is Brian and I'm the lead developer behind Tiny Combat in its various incarnations. I'm a software engineer by trade, but like to play games and keep up with the gaming industry in general. In recent years, game making has become so accessible that it became a hobby of mine to write little games and tech demos to test ideas and mechanics that had been floating around in my head for years. Recently I’ve been taking it more seriously and am now working on a Tiny Combat full time. Before being a game developer you were a mod creator. Which games did you create mods for and what were they? The main ones I worked on were Battlefield 1942, Battlefield 2, and Freelancer, though I have made mods for myself for many other games like Sins of a Solar Empire or Oblivion. For BF1942, it was mostly silly stuff that me and friends in school would draw up. I'd then take those drawings home, model it, then put it in game for us to play around with. Stuff like a super tank with 4 tank treads and a double barreled cannon. TurboJeeps was a publicly released mod that gained enough notoriety to be mentioned in a PC Gamer UK issue. It stuck rockets on the back of the Jeeps and disabled collision damage. The only notable things I did for BF2 was HoverJeeps, a sort of spiritual successor to TurboJeeps that let you fly the buggies around like a Back to the Future Delorean, and an effects pack inspired by games like FEAR and Max Payne. Those games had super visceral gunfights that filled an area with smoke and debris, and it really left an impression on me. Effects like that are so important to the feel of a game, and something I focus on a lot in my own work. I got into Freelancer modding in a big way. Both playing mods and making them. I played a lot of 88 Flak, a complete overhaul of the game's balance from the ground up, and also contributed to it. Eventually I did make and release my own big Freelancer mod called Itano Circus. It was my interpretation of vanilla Freelancer, but a bit smoother, faster, and with a big focus on missiles. I think what most people knew me for in Freelancer though, was all the effects and tutorials I made and released. The effects pack in particular got used in a lot of different mods. What caused your transition from modding towards game development? Two big reasons: 1. My own skill as a programmer was growing. While working on Freelancer mods during my university years, I was also learning how to program at school and at the jobs I was working. Hacking around INI files taught me a lot, but you were almost always limited by the systems that the developers wrote. Learning how to program, I realized that YOU'RE the one writing the rules. You don't have to come up with a weird hacky way to add proximity burst flak cannons to a game that was never built to support it, you can just write a flak cannon. It sounds obvious in hindsight, but gaining insight into how computer games were put together was huge. 2. Game development got a lot easier, and a lot more accessible. I first started messing around with Unity around 2012. Previous to that, I had written something I called "SpaceEngine" and it was my own engine I put together using libraries like Ogre 3D for rendering and Bullet for physics. It took me about a month to get to the point where I had a space ship model loaded that could move around an environment. One weekend, I did a quick Unity tutorial and then in 6 hours I was able not only to recreate what I had for SpaceEngine, but also far exceeded it. That was when my amateur game dev journey began. What was the main reason for the sudden shift in development in April 2020? For various reasons, I had been considering leaving my job and working full time on my game for a short while. In the beginning of April, around when COVID was really starting to pick up, I was laid off, and the decision was made for me. I wanted to have at least one released game under my belt, so the plan was to build a very specific and focused version of the game, along with all the game-like things a game needs but nobody thinks about like a main menu, options screen, and so on, and then release it. The code base for the version of TCA on itch.io was a mess anyway, and very much hacked together in an "I'll worry about it later!" kind of approach since it itself was grown out of the Arena Prototype code, which in turn was built on hastily hacked together projects from my GitHub page. Things have gotten a little out of hand since then. Though, in a good way I feel. Belly landing test footage. How did the concept for Tiny Combat Arena begin? Various versions of the idea have been floating around in my head, and even existed in earlier projects. Tiny Combat Redux was supposed to have something kind of like what Arena is today, but that project was deliberately over-scoped so it never happened. Tiny Combat Arena began as something of a dare from Mike Dolan. The idea was based on an almost throwaway mode from the Xbox 360 game, Over G Fighters. In it, you started on an island in the center of a large map populated with enemy planes that spawned semi-randomly. There was no explicit objective, just go out there and shoot down baddies. Occasionally a "boss" plane appears. However, because Over G had such a mechanical depth to it, the actual process could involve sneaking around other planes, careful and efficient deployment of your very limited weapons, effective use of your wingman's weapons, and fuel management lest you run out and fall into the ocean. It was really engaging, and probably where I spent most of my time in that game. What most impressed me about it though, was how dead simple it was on the "game" part. All of that gameplay was just an emergent property of the mechanics the game had, and hey, I love writing mechanics for video games. As they say on Top Gear, "How hard can it be?" I was not expecting to hear Over-G Fighters as an inspiration. Does the Arena mode of Tiny Combat have something like a set campaign or randomly generated campaign? A "campaign" (I don't like using that word) is preset based on data files. While the map itself is static with predefined locations, all of the strategic targets can be activated/deactivated on a per-campaign basis and even be named arbitrary things. There's also a basic trigger system in place. This allows me to build a couple different scenarios out of the same map, which hopefully will be big enough for there to be enough variety for a couple of these scenarios. That's a pretty dry developer answer, but I hope that was okay! I must also add the disclaimer that this is just how it works right now and not necessarily how it'll be on release. As an aside, since the campaign files are plain text JSON, a sufficiently motivated individual could probably make their own. Which part of Tiny Combat Arena has been the most significant to you? I think most people would probably expect me to say the graphics, since it has a pretty striking visual style, but what's most important is that golden age of flight sims spirit. To me, that means building an engaging flying game that draws from real life when it makes for interesting mechanics, but also knows when to streamline or exaggerate them to make a better game. I'm not aiming to make a hardcore flight simulator. Options for that already exist. The kind of flying game I've been looking for, nobody really makes anymore. That said, it's a very fine line to walk, and I'm always second guessing myself on whether or not I'm straying from that mentality and getting too realistic. I look at games like the classic Jane's Fighters' series, or the earlier MicroProse games like F-19 and marvel at their elegant simplicity and game design choices. I think it takes a lot of confidence in your game to eschew realism the way those games did, because in a lot of ways it's "easier" to just copy real life and hope for the best. Were changes or additions mostly community-driven, or based on your own preferences and ideas? For the most part, I'm making the game I want to play, so frankly most of the changes and mechanics for the game don’t come from the community. Though that's not to say I ignore what people say. I read pretty much every single comment I can find on the game. I'm always curious what people think. For example, the decision of which plane to focus the game on, was in a large part inspired by one very vocal supporter of VTOL jets in a Discord server. It also sometimes happens that some off-the-wall comment inspires me to make some change or fix earlier than I was planning, or I draw from when I get to working on that part of the game months later. Honestly, I kind of wish people would be harsher, since it’s hard to act on people saying things look good, but I’m sure there’ll be plenty of that to go around when a build is released. Would you be interested in bringing in other VTOL aircraft of about the same vintage as the Harrier, such as the Yak-38? Either pre-launch or post-launch? Certainly not pre-release, but I do want to expand the plane roster post-release. I already have a few specific planes in mind. I think people will really like them, and it'll allow me to expand the types of play styles available to players. The second half of our interview will include more images, .gifs and videos from Why485 himself. Stay tuned, it'll be up on December 1st, 2020! About the Interviewer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The second part of our 8-page interview with Why485, developer of Tiny Combat Arena. We continue to focus on his motivations and thoughts while still developing this flight simcade. Like the first part of our interview, we are incorporating pictures and .gifs provided to us by the developer. Up to this point, what have been the top three most difficult things to develop? 1. By far the most difficult aspect of the game is the Arena mode and associated UI. There's a lot of moving parts and it's almost like building a separate game on top of the flying game. I'm not a UI/UX designer at all, so I'm basically flying blind on the look and workflow for it. The difficulty of not having a clear vision of exactly what the map screen should look or work, is only compounded by how difficult it is to create UI of any kind. It doesn't help that I've created a lot of problems for myself in trying to make so many aspects of the game pixel perfect and work at low resolutions, despite nobody actually playing at those resolutions. Honestly, at some point I'd love to redo all of the UI in the game with the guidance of a UI/UX designer. 2. Another major problem that I've had to overcome (and am still having issues with) is the floating point precision errors due to the scale of the game. This is a big topic that goes beyond just my game and could easily be its own article. Basically, the further away something gets from the center of the game world, the less precise the game can position it. For the vast majority of games out there, this is a non-issue since nothing gets far away enough. However, for games that take place in large spaces with high speeds like a flight/space sim, it's a crippling problem. If you aren't writing your own engine, there's no good solutions to this, only workarounds of varying complexity and robustness. None of the accessible off the shelf engines have a true solution for this, since it's a niche use case and very non-trivial to support if the engine wasn't built with it in mind. To be fair, Unreal Engine does have native support for one of the workarounds, something I know Project Wingman takes advantage of. Unigine, on the other hand, has recently been made available to the public, and it does have native support for large worlds with a double precision setting. However, it's locked behind a prohibitively expensive (for an indie developer at least) yearly subscription. 3. Last, but certainly not least, is probably the damage model. The Parsoft A-10 games were my main inspiration in what I wanted the physics of the game, particularly the damage and collisions, to feel like. Unfortunately for me, Parsoft set the bar very high. Trying to match that level of destruction and dynamic physics creates problems and requirements that have to be handled and designed for in almost every aspect of the game. For example, I could have gotten away with a much simpler flight model if I didn't have to worry about the complex damage and collision model. There's still a lot of elements of the damage model that are unfinished, and edge cases which are still unhandled, to say nothing of the game-balancing implications it has. It wouldn't surprise me if I'm still tweaking the damage model right up until release. Seeing as 1:1 realism will not be the focus of the game, what compromises will be made for the sake of enjoyment? A lot more than I think people are expecting. The flight model is very physically based (necessarily so because of VTOL and damage), but beyond that I plan on streamlining a lot of the flying around, combat, and sensors. The goal here is to have a game inspired by real life mechanics, with the depth that comes with them, but to be ready to exaggerate and gamify them to make for a better game. A good example of that would be the way missiles work. In a typical arcade flying game, missiles have a constant speed and max turn rate, but not much else. In real life, missiles are affected by gravity, their motors burn out, and they lose speed when they turn. These three facts add a lot of depth, not just evading incoming missiles, but in launching your own. E.g. the higher you are relative to the target, the more energy your missile has to work with since it's going to be flying "downhill" to the target, and can glide longer once the motor burns out. There might be less missiles flying around than an arcade game, but each missile is a much bigger threat and is its own challenge to evade. All that said, this still isn't a sim. Missile ranges will be shorter than real life, and missiles slower so that they're easier to see and evade kinematically. In general, I'd like to have a bigger emphasis on traditional dogfighting, and close range gun kills, than a realistic flight sim so you can watch the planes fall apart and tanks explode in cool ways. It’s never fun dying in a game without knowing what happened, or if it was even your fault, so I want to give the player a very clear picture of what's going on through HUD elements, visual cues, and warnings. With a part of the core gameplay loop now having been shown publicly on your video, what are the areas you will be focusing on to expand on what you have shown? There's only one major gameplay mechanic that's not in place yet or has had much to show: mission planning. The Arena map needs to be a lot more informative than it is right now. For example, showing air defense engagement and effective ranges. I want players to get an intuitive understanding of what they're up against, along with having tools to lay down waypoints and create a flight plan. The real difficulty with that though, is in designing the map and game such that planning is something players feel is actually helpful. I'm wary of the fact that I might spend a lot of time on all that, and nobody ends up using it since the game is too easy and lacks the depth to necessitate it. I also have a lot of ideas on how to handle the HUD, which is very sorely under-developed at the moment. Lately I've been coming to the conclusion that I'll probably need to fall back onto on-screen magic displays to display all the information I want to, and to be able to display it in a way that's easily readable by the player. This is something I'll probably be prototyping out soon. Your Sunday Challenge streams have been an informative way for people to learn about aviation related game development. Is that what you had planned from the beginning? I didn't specifically plan to talk about aviation related things, but I guess that was inevitable considering the kinds of things I typically work on. On Sundays, I generally make an effort to not work on my game, but sometimes there’s some programming concept or game mechanic floating around in my head that I want to experiment with. Doing so in the context of the game itself can be difficult, since there's already so many moving parts. I like making mini-projects to prototype that sort of thing. The best example of this was loading of plaintext JSON files for gameplay relevant data (Tiny X-Wing) which ended up changing the direction of basically every feature implemented into Tiny Combat since then. So much of the game's data is now stored in easy to edit text files instead of locked away in the Unity Editor. Do you have any advice or software suggestions for others thinking about trying their hand at aviation focused game development? Realism is way overrated. People will always tell you they want more realism, but I don't think most understand the far-reaching implications it has. A common design trap is the idea that adding realism makes a game better. I think a lot about the Jane's series of games and how they're so much fun and so beloved by the flight sim community, and how those games are a lot closer to Ace Combat style games than I think most fans would ever admit. What Jane's does so brilliantly is that it dresses up its very arcade gameplay in real life acronyms, concepts, a licensed name with weight, and a very grounded presentation, to trick people into thinking it's a simulator. On a mechanical level, it's pretty much an arcade flying game, but if you had a button to manually turn your radar on, and had limited missiles. The Jane's Fighters series practically wrote the book on how to gamify modern air combat into what people think modern air combat is like. Unless you are specifically setting out to make a high fidelity simulator (which I don't recommend for a multitude of reasons) I think it's far more important that your game feels realistic, rather than actually being realistic. It's a fine line to walk, and it's something I worry about with my own game all the time. The best examples of the genre know how to walk that line, and are confident that their design decisions make for a better experience overall. For the final question, I have to ask what has been on everyone's mind. Do you have a general idea of when a new demo or potential launch date for Tiny Combat Arena would be? I do! This has been a very informative interview, thank you for your time. Good luck with the rest of your game development, we'll be watching for future updates! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! Before I go though, I need to give a shoutout to Project Wingman, which if it’s not already out by the time this is published, should be in a few days. It’s an arcade jet fighter game that a friend of mine has been working on for about 5 years now. RB was tired of Bamco not making Ace Combat games anymore, so he decided to learn how to make games, everything from 3D modeling to programming, just to make his own. It’s genuinely inspirational, and I’m so proud to see it finally come to completion. I’ve already played a little of it and it deserves every bit of success that I’m confident it will see. About the Interviewer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Comanche (2020) continues to evolve during its early access period. The developers and community team members of NUKKLEAR have been receptive to feedback and requests from their early access user base. The changes and additions to Comanche from March through December 2020 result from voting, Discord discussions, and general feedback on the game. A third-person camera view has been added, new drone skins, improved flight controls, custom button mapping, flight assist programs, and advanced controller support was introduced (joysticks, flight sticks). Even native support for several Thrustmaster brand flight sticks and HOTAS was made possible by working directly with that company. Though there are certainly a few game mechanics that need work, those are being addressed over time, as shown by the game's updates. One of the most extensive additions to the game is more single-player content. Admittedly, Comanche being introduced as a multiplayer-only experience at Gamescom 2019 was highly unusual. Since the 1990s, Comanche is a series that has primarily been known for its single-player campaigns. It seems as though the lack of single-player had been received so poorly, by the time its early access phase started on March 12th, 2020, the developers had already assembled the first mission of a new single-player campaign. Since March, each major early access update has included a new mission, making the campaign as of December 19th, 2020 a six mission campaign; technically, seven if you count how the newly reworked tutorial mission plays. Each mission is broken into multiple parts or chapters, allowing players to restart at specific points in a mission if they are shot down. Now, of course, multiplayer remains a key part of the experience even after months of updates. The recent decision to make the multiplayer segment of Comanche free to play and changes to multiplayer matchmaking show the continued interest in maintaining and expanding its online capabilities. But so far, the single player has shown the most progress over the months. Because the campaign continues to be developed and adjusted, a full review of this game is not yet possible, but the backstory of this game's story and spoiler-free descriptions of the missions can be provided. Following the capture of the RQ-170 Sentinel by Iran in 2011, the United States of America quietly restarted research and development of the canceled RAH-66 Comanche. With the unmanned aerial vehicle being stolen through cyber warfare, the new Comanche program's goal was to fulfill a new reconnaissance and attack role while being able to deploy its own onboard UAVs to further enhance its abilities. New military units that operated the Comanche in special operations were formed and saw immediate, repeated successes. One of these units being the International Joint Task Force (IJTF). The single-player campaign then explains that an act of espionage occurred, and the designs of the operational Comanche design and various proposed prototypes were stolen and uploaded outside of secure military networks. This then gave any nation or organization with enough finances and technology to produce their own versions of these designs along with benefits the other stolen data may bring. The player joins this international conflict as a pilot for the IJTF to destroy the primary antagonist behind the information theft and any other enemies that attempt to assist them. Vanilla 1 (the player) is a silent protagonist character, while Vanilla 2 (computer co-pilot/gunner) handles all radio communication with the other characters in the story. There are a few quick one-liners and conversations that show Vanilla 2's comedic side. But the radio chatter is mostly there to move the story along and explain to the player what they must do to complete their objectives. Occasionally enemy radio chatter is intercepted, but this is an unusual occurrence. There is no taking direct command of allied air, land, or sea forces to order them to attack targets or take objectives. Nor is there a constant wingman or flight of allied Comanches under the player's direct command. But non-player character allies do appear from time to time depending on the mission objective. Meanwhile, enemies frequently outnumber the player, of course, but their damage output is something to note. While it is not overwhelming, the amount of damage the player can take when getting hit by three or more units can amass faster than one would expect. Approaching an engagement in a rushed way can result in losing half of your helicopter's armor in under a minute. So far, the primary airframe players will be flying is the 'Prototype' variant, which is closely based on the actual Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66. There are missions where other variants of the Comanche can be flown, which opens the door for the other variants from multiplayer to appear as a part of the story. The single-player versions of both helicopters have more weaponry than their multiplayer versions because of the nature of the high volume of enemies encountered in the campaign. Players shouldn't expect to go into only PVP with three or four different types of weapons at their disposal with various types of countermeasures and such. While their multiplayer versions have limited weapon selection, they do benefit from a cooldown timer with an unlimited ammo count, whereas their single-player versions have a set amount of ammunition but better weapon selection. Ammunition and repairs are given as players cross checkpoints/chapters in the mission they are playing. The exception being mission 3, which has players hover over high-tech nano pads that repair and resupply them while in mid-air. The addition of drones to the flow of combat has actually worked out well so far. It's clear that they are primarily meant for use in buildings to interact with computer systems. When deployed, drones are controlled by the player, leaving their attack helicopter to hover in whichever position it was last left in (always remember to auto-hover!). These drones can interact with computers to gather information, plant computer viruses, and many other things. Each drone comes equipped with weapons they will need to fight infantry, defense turrets, and enemy drones. Unlike attack helicopters, drones are disposable. Deploying and discarding as many of them as needed is not a problem. The drones can still cause damage to enemies of any size, albeit with reduced effectiveness on larger enemy units. But the presence of the drone in outdoor combat still draws enemy fire. Using them to get in a few hits on hostile units or placing them in areas where patrols will attack the drone first opens up ambush opportunities for the attack helicopter if it's done right. The helicopter and drone players operate is pre-determined for each mission and cannot be changed. Each mission presents distinct experiences that employ the blend of helicopter and drone combat Comanche is staking its current identity on. The diversity of objectives and scenarios was more than would be expected from a game that most likely was envisioned without a single player in mind. Mission 01: Operation Blind Anvil The first single-player mission was released on March 12th, 2020. In comparison to how it plays after the 2nd early access update, it's noticeably harder. The entire mission takes place throughout a canyon, which widens, narrows, twists and turns with varying amounts of cloud cover. Throughout are small facilities and a few large facilities built into the terrain that requires drones or the 'Prototype' Comanche helicopter itself to fly into. There are times when small and large enemy warships appear in considerable numbers. Using terrain to limit the amount of incoming fire from their formations is a surefire way to increase chances of survival. Mission 02: Operation Door Breaker A stealth mission that has the player sneaking through a majority of the mission while enemy forces patrol around them. Using the optical camouflage of the Ghost-class Comanche, there are tense moments that involve a game of cat and mouse with a heavily armored Rhino-class Comanche actively searching for the player. Trying to fight enemy infantry indoors using a combat drone while keeping a close eye on the Rhino search pattern certainly heightens the level of tension. Eventually, the tip-toeing gives way to an action-packed segment that sets the tone for the campaign going forward. Mission 03: Operation Bank Job The exact opposite of the previous mission. No sneaking, all attacking. While spearheading a ground offensive against a vital enemy facility, areas that are captured by ground forces grant access to nanopads that repair and resupply the players' helicopter. The need to be conservative with weapons is lessened because of this, so feel free to go heavy on the ordinance. This mission quickly reminds players how dangerous recklessly approaching groups of enemies can be. Those looking for a more "traditional" Comanche experience will especially enjoy this one. Mission 04: Operation Fire Sale Using the Horizon-class Comanche's railgun, the mission focuses on precisely hitting targets across different ranges and situations. Flying with the intention to maintain a maximum distance but gain the most visibility over the targeting area is helpful. Unlike most games that include railguns, there are at least minimal ballistics to consider. Understanding the projectile drop at long range becomes immensely important. Each round fired may not be powerful enough to one-shot kill every target. Do keep this in mind, though: a single reload at the wrong time can result in an instant mission failure - especially at the end of this mission. Mission 05: Thunder Flash If missions 1 through 4 were the first act of the Comanche story, mission 05 is the beginning of the second act. What seems like a pretty straightforward objective rapidly becomes complicated. While once again sneaking around in the Ghost-class Comanche, the design of this mission emphasizes low altitude flying. The engagement areas are very restrictive, resulting in frequent close range combat with groups of enemies. Being able to precisely fly at high speeds and turn quickly in a small amount of space are good skills to have on this one. Mission 06: Fly Swatter A lot more open and unrestricted flying for the most part but in turn, larger, more heavily armored, and hard-hitting enemies appear more frequently. The only way to progress forward being to fight them directly. Expect to use a lot of unguided rockets and guided missiles. With the larger naval units in particular, remember that damage to any part of the ship counts as damage to the enemy as a whole. Any opportunities to destroy an undefended section of a warship while it cannot return fire at you should be taken. You're outnumbered, so use any advantage you can get. Honestly, I really wasn't expecting the single-player campaign of Comanche to catch on as well as it has and am pleasantly surprised with a certain twist in the story. It is available on Steam for an early access price of $19.99 USD. The last major update was on December 17th, 2020. These updates sometimes come with little to no lead up so checking in on their Steam page and their Discord server every once in a while is recommended. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

VRChat (VRC), the free-to-play massively multiplayer online virtual reality social platform. The name in itself immediately conjures up memories of meme-worthy and cringe-worthy stories and videos that have circled social media and the blogosphere multiple times. This is undoubtedly how I visualized VRChat after seeing those videos and zinger articles about the wild things that can happen there. Two good friends encouraged me to give it a shot after getting a VR headset in March 2020. I'd be lying if I said I didn't experience some of the things I read about, but I had just happened to join right at the beginning of something that captivated me: skies full of contrails and roaring jet aircraft. VRChat comprises over 25,000 worlds created by its users with a free to download software developer kit (SDK). This open resource has resulted in a world made for just about everything you could think of. I've seen cave diving, duck feeding, beach resorts, racing, amusement parks, Spider Man swinging, supermarkets, napping worlds, first-person shooters, galactic pirate ship raves, and too many others to list here. All of those worlds are populated by an eclectic mix of avatars that are original designs or come from TV shows, anime, video games, internet memes, and who knows where else. Aviation was never on my mind in a place where literally just about any setting is possible. The flight experiences I've had over these past months are something I believe could not be replicated in any other flight game. VRChat launched on January 16th, 2014, but for VRC aviation, the all-important Udon software tool kit was released on April 1st, 2020, with SDK3. I personally don't have any experience with the software and programming languages needed to create these things, so I'm going to quote the text about what Udon is from the official website: "VRChat Udon is a programming language built completely in-house by the VRChat Development Team. It is designed to be secure, performant, and easy to use via the VRChat Udon Node Graph, a built-in visual programming interface that uses nodes and wires (we call them "noodles") to connect flow, inputs, and outputs. You can build complex behaviors with Udon-- far more complex and easier to understand than unwieldy chains of Triggers and Actions. Not only can you replicate the full behavior of Triggers and Actions with VRChat Udon, but you can create your own behaviors, sync variables with others, interact with scenes, interact with players, and more. In addition, Udon runs in both the VRChat client and the Unity Editor, allowing you to test and debug your creations with ease." - What Is Udon?, VRChat Docs When I started exploring in late March 2020, there were already worlds with flying vehicles and aviation themes. There are a few different flight systems in VRChat. It's essential to make the differentiation between two systems in particular as they are the most prolific. Without getting too technical for now, the legacy system was less like flying and more like controlled levitation. Imagine a chair that players can sit in with hand controllers attached to it. Using the controllers, the chair can rotate and levitate in any direction at any speed. These chairs were incorporated into models of aircraft and spacecraft. In practice, from the runway, a plane could just rotate its nose upward until it stood on its tail, launch straight up like a rocket, stop in midair, rotate wings level, then "fly away." The guise of it being a more realistic flight system by maneuvering these vehicles in a way that mimicked actual aircraft could be maintained with some effort. There are a decent amount of these worlds that haven't received updates in years, so they're now in varying states of operation. After the introduction of Udon, the public release of a world called Test Pilots on April 16th, 2020, changed everything. Created by Sacchan, this world was the first to use the Sacc Flight Script. Both then and now, this script is the most advanced flight system available in VRChat for both VR headset users and desktop users with keyboard and mouse controls. Initially, the Sacc Flight script had been tested and expanded upon through a joint venture by a team of creators, modelers, and trusted users that flew as testers working with Sacchan. From day one, everything had been assembled into a single free to download prefab that continues to receive updates. After a major update on September 16th, 2020, the prefab provides a test aircraft with a fully customizable flight model. The flight model is in line with how many would assume an actual aircraft would fly. Airspeed, angle of attack, and turn rate are factors. Attempting a hard turn at high speeds can cause damage to the plane until it breaks apart. Controls include keyboard-mouse controls for desktop users or a virtual HOTAS that enables virtual reality users to fly with a pair of touch controllers. Think something similar to VTOL VR or Digital Combat Simulator VR, but with less cockpit button clicking. Aircraft can use air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles with FLIR cameras, bombs, and guns with lead computing sights. Air brakes, flaps, retractable landing gear, air show smoke, flight limiters, autopilot, a working HUD, and other features can be managed using a VRChat specific multifunction display (MFD). For VR users, MFDs are controlled by rotating the touch controller thumbsticks to highlight functions and activate or deactivate functions with trigger presses. Even aircraft carrier operations are possible with arresting cables, catapults, and tail hooks. A second user can ride in a back seat if the vehicle is designed for it. They can join in for a joy ride, give flight instructions, or be a second pair of eyes during combat. Sacc Flight Script is also compatible with desktop users, which is something other flight experiences in VRC have lacked for years. On the backend, all of this is free to customize and add on to however the creator using it desires. There's a bit more to be mentioned, but check out the file and setting lists of some more information. Starting from a baseline like this, creators began constructing their worlds. It is no exaggeration to say that the prefab was the seed needed to spur on the growth of new aviation worlds. These individual creators' ambitions and priorities have resulted in a wide array of options for VRChat users. The differences vary by map setting, time of day, type of aircraft, number of aircraft, tweaks to their flight models, types of weapons, and presence of airfields or aircraft carriers throughout the world. There are also deeper differences to consider. Like types of sensors and instruments only found in specific worlds (radar displays, ILS, PAPI, HSI, etc.), or worlds setup for one-time and recurring events. For example, the earliest worlds include aircraft carrier-based air battles with F-14 Tomcats, an entire air base full of static display aircraft with a Japanese pop idol flair and even a Battle Fairy Yukikaze world that is gradually becoming more like a flight arcade game. Worlds that have appeared in the last few weeks include an F-35B simulator with working STOL, worlds with ten F/A-18F Super Hornets or a dozen YF-22s and F-117s and an air racing focused world utilizing a mecha style aircraft. There are also places to fly remote control drones and rotary-wing aircraft that aren't based on the Sacc Flight Script, but they are few and far between. Every few weeks it seems like a new world has been announced or is in development. At the time of this article being published, my research spreadsheet already has 23 worlds and counting. Aircraft come from a variety of sources. Either models and sounds pulled from existing flight games and simulators, public creative commons databanks, or agreements between content creators. The fabrication of VRChat original designs is probably one of the most unexpected parts of its aviation community. There are multiple original aircraft designs, some with more real-world inspiration than others. Even original designs for warships and helicopters are being modeled for various uses. In particular, the MFDs are one of the most ingenuitive additions that have made the management of systems and subsystems possible for more advanced flight experiences. Even aircraft models "ripped" from other games have also been reconfigured to support the VRC specific MFDs. Ultimately, the people who love and are interested in aviation are the driving force behind all of this. It takes many hours and days in Blender and Unity to develop worlds that are then used as hubs for people to fly, fight, and meet others. True to VRChat's original purpose, it's easy to strike up conversations with all sorts of people ranging from absolute newbies to aviation to people that have flown flight simulators or real aircraft most of their lives. This isn't something a majority of flight games and sims are designed for. It's undeniably one of the charms of the entire experience. But for those that want to fly alone or only with friends, creating a private instance is always an option. Particularly passionate people have formed organizations like the Blue Horizons aerobatic team. The first of its kind in VRChat, this Japanese air show team has experience with the "Chair flight" system and Sacc Flight script. They practice and perform full airshow routines at public events and their own airfield (a private world). The VRC Air Force began forming tournaments like their Dog Fight Events, which are bracketed battle royale events of pilots competing to be the champion, and recently, timed air racing events. They include large screens for an audience to watch each aircraft in flight, map displays that show player positions, start and stop alarms for events, even drone camera style setups that broadcast airborne views to those on the ground. The aviation scene of VRChat is deeper than anyone could have suspected. It's not something that can be covered by this article alone, but this serves as a solid introduction. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

As seen in the promotional media and gameplay of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV, also referred to as drones) are an essential part of its story. With Ace Combat 7 being the first multi gaming platform release in the series since 2011, drones have become a part of the modern identity of Ace Combat. But they were not always as front and center in this series as they are now, as hard as that might be to imagine. Ace Combat is a series that has always pushed players forward as fighter pilot heroes continually entangled in high energy dogfights against dozens of foes. As the series progressively incorporated more storytelling and worldbuilding, even the adversaries created to rival the player are often equally impressive ace pilots or an overwhelming sci-fi superweapon. The player's allies are also notable non-player-controlled humans operating aircraft, ground vehicles, and naval vessels. UAVs were introduced early on with Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (May 27th, 1999). The Japanese version of the game had a few remote-controlled attack helicopters that acted as facility defenses, target training drones, and a particularly surprising mission that pitted the player against eight heavily armed, laser cannon welding drones in one of the five endings of the game. The most notable UAV in the game turns out to be the primary antagonist and player themselves. Each of them is either a digital copy of a human's consciousness or artificial intelligence. Now, that's quite the plot twist, and it also stretches the definition of "unmanned" a bit, but this is not representative of the majority of Ace Combat's drone representation. From 2001 to 2010, drones gradually appeared in increasing numbers, with various airframes, and were clearly identified. Different types of direct combat and support drones were introduced. From loitering attackers to original high-speed designs that acted as defensive units for massive superweapons or loyal wingmen for select ace pilots. Slow speed reconnaissance units and unbelievably high-speed surveillance drones that guided in long-range attacks from their mothership. Appearing as single units or entire flights, drones of all types became a moderately uncommon sight. But while they were tools of the enemy, they weren't necessarily something like an antagonist. The pivot towards the era of drones Ace Combat is currently in began in 2011 and continued through 2014. Gameplay-wise, drones shifted from secondary enemies to primary enemies starting with Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy (November 15th, 2011). This game is an all but in name remake of the original Ace Combat 2 (May 30th, 1997). In the original game, a group of red-colored aircraft known as the Zone of Endless (ZOE) appeared as nothing more than named aircraft to be shot down to unlock a special medal. Information from the remake and the Aces at War artbook revealed that the ZOE is actually an artificial intelligence program. It was installed into multiple fixed-wing combat aircraft. As the AI-controlled aircraft participated in combat, they would learn more tactics and become deadlier with each iteration. The ZOE aircraft became boss-like encounters that would not allow players to move the story forward unless they were defeated. This shift in significance to drones in a game's story was further built upon by Ace Combat Infinity. An aircraft called the QFA-44 Camilla frequently attacked the player(s) and their allies both in the single-player campaign and online competitive co-op modes. Also referred to as the "Butterfly Master", the presence of the QFA-44 and its laser-equipped drone escort was presented as one of the greatest recurring threats. Up to this point, these drones were the most dangerous UAVs presented in the series. Capable of swarming players, blasting missiles out of the sky with their lasers, and sacrificing themselves to protect their primary control aircraft. Though Ace Combat Infinity's story would never be completed, it was implied that these drones would continue to oppose the player(s) in future missions as the story continued. A shift in Ace Combat's overall tone about UAVs and their future applications can especially be seen in the novels. The Last Ace (September 19th, 2011), the prequel novel for Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, written by Jim DeFelice, briefly touched on the concept of pilots being replaced by drones. During a United States Air Force mock combat exercise, a modified F-22 Raptor known as Righteous took on multiple 4th and 5th generation combat aircraft primarily relying on an experimental autonomous computer program during combat. Certain characters in the book mused about the replacement of human combat aviators with highly advanced UAVs in the near future. Ace Combat: Ikaros in the Sky (March 28th, 2012) further addressed this with a decent portion of the book centered on this subject. The human-crewed aircraft from the Advanced Support Fighter Experimental program and unmanned aircraft of the Q-X autonomous drone program were forced into mock combat through financial and political pressure from those backing each of these programs. The Q-X program's leading designers and managers explicitly wanted drones to replace human pilots as their development program became more advanced. There was an open feeling of pilots being inferior to their drones from the start. The shift of making drones primary enemies and this thought of having humans replaced by them were combined in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (January 18th, 2019). Drones appear as common enemies in multiple missions and are frequently referred to throughout the game. They are the leading force that struck the war's opening blows, appear as common enemies, run covert false flag operations, provide guidance for long-range weaponry, operate alongside human-crewed aircraft as escorts and wingmen, and protect superweapons. A pair of massive unmanned aerial warships capable of launching and recovering dozens of unmanned combat aerial vehicles are the high profile enemy that opposes the player and their allies. Even the human enemy ace pilot flies to lend his own combat data to the refinement of existing drones and the development of future drones that eventually become the final antagonist to be overcome. By the end of the conflict, the last two drones attempt to self propagate by uploading their data into drones across an entire continent. Something that would be a danger to all humans involved in the chaotic armed conflict that was already ongoing. The cherry on top of all of this was that players can finally deploy their own unmanned combat aerial vehicles when flying the newest futuristic original aircraft for the first time in the series' history. For a time, it seemed like drones would be relegated to support roles or as secondary enemies. But as time moved forward and real-world aviation technology began to produce semi-autonomous combat-capable UAVs, these inspirations gradually found their way into the creative minds at the Project Aces development team. The inclusion of UAVs into the series has not only diversified the gameplay and story telling of the series, but has also become a common point of contention for players that romanticize combat aircraft but also understand the steady beat of UAV development. In the real world, the replacement of at least a small percentage of pilot related tasks seems inevitable but its inclusion into Ace Combat makes it more easily perceived by its players. From being easy tutorial enemies to nearly forming their own flying robot air force and now being weapons for the players themselves, the drones of Ace Combat have come a long way. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Sky Rogue: its cell-shaded look gushes style, the original aircraft selection is wide-reaching, and its weapon options are more in-depth than expected. But I'd say the way it handles co-op on Steam remains a somewhat hidden strength that contributes to its lasting power even after it left early access on August 24th, 2017. Before the time of the widely accessible online gaming we enjoy today, the couch gameplay experience was a definitive part of the way gamers spent time together. The same was true for some flight titles on game consoles as well. Even as high-speed internet spread and online multiplayer became a leading game feature, that fond couch cooperative gameplay experience remains something special that games continue to incorporate. The co-op of Sky Rogue has that same nostalgic feeling in spades with an important supplement via the Steam gaming platform. Something that makes it a fantastic flight game for any game library. Sky Rogue's campaign is easy to jump into with a minimal amount of preparation, planning, or even context needed. Within a few minutes of booting it up, players can be dogfighting with enemy fighters, bombing boats, and pelting aerial warships with volleys of rockets. The spunky roster of original design fighters, bombers, and interceptors are coupled with a sizeable list of weapons, countermeasures, drones, and backward firing weapons. There's a decent amount of content driven by a pleasant fly, die and upgrade game loop which gives it significant replayability. Thankfully, Sky Rogue does not have watered-down co-op. The entire campaign can be played with another person in either horizontal or vertical split-screen. There is no secondary, purpose built game mode that excludes content or only has a limited number of scenarios to play; a significant pitfall that many games from past and present have fallen into. All progress that is made in either single-player campaign or co-op campaign is saved in the save file for player one. This means that player two will always have access to all the aircraft, weapons, upgrades, and other components that have been unlocked by player one. Player two will not be stuck using inferior equipment because of mismatched save progress or not logging in with their own user profile. This is pretty great for couch wingmen, but for people playing on Steam, they can also enjoy the same split screen action via remote play. So long as Steam's remote play internet connection requirements are met, the game can be shared with a second player who also has a free Steam account. Using this method, the other player is not required to own a copy of the game to play. This makes Sky Rogue a flight game that can be shared with friends all around the world at no extra cost for the second player. Some setting and resolution configuration may be needed to smooth out the desired gameplay speed and quality. But a few minutes of potential troubleshooting is a low price to pay for a solid go-to flight game for quick cooperative gameplay sessions. Sky Rogue is no stranger to Steam sales, so keep an eye out for the next one. Note: this article is specifically about the Steam version of the game. Sky Rogue is available on Itch.io, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Xbox game services but I cannot tell you if those platforms support remote play or how remote play works on them, as I have not played this game on those platforms myself. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

While rotating my left wrist to rebalance cabin pressure and using my right hand to decrease throttle to idle, I was suddenly tumbling through space. Stabilizers offline after an unexpected collision with an asteroid, I make eye contact with a drawer full of little green aliens watching me borderline panic as I grab the yoke and begin to assess the damage. I'm laughing again just thinking about it. Ziggy's Cosmic Adventures is a room-scale virtual reality space flight simulator that places emphasis on system management. This game is still in development and gathering feedback about the alpha demo. There is still plenty of time for changes to be made and new features to be added, so this is a first impression of the Ziggy alpha build demo, which represents the gameplay seen in the trailer above. Virtual reality in-flight games and simulators are usually a seated experience limited to headset support only. Some titles take it further, incorporating VR hand controllers for cockpit interaction or are compatible with some pretty cool peripherals like flight sticks and button boxes. Indie developer Stardust Collective went in a different direction, opting to have players stand in a room-size cockpit with a pair of touch controllers as the primary means of input. Remember VR matches up with the actual room area 1:1, so you really do need a decent amount of space to play in. When I started up the alpha demo, I spent most of my time just exploring the ship, trying to understand its systems. Tutorials are still in the works, but honestly, most of the systems are pretty self-explanatory. Every switch, bar, button, lever, and flight yoke can be interacted with by grabbing, twisting, pressing, and flicking using a pair of virtual hands controlled by the touch controllers. All onboard systems are within arm's reach, though taking a step here and there is a way to make interaction easier. Physically moving around this space to manage systems but then step forward to grab the flight controls is kind of a next-level experience. That doesn't sound like a lot, but just taking a few steps here and there adds to the feeling that you alone are managing the spacecraft. Whether you're recharging oxygen, activating energy shields, or managing one of the other shipboard systems physically twisting around and reaching out defines this game's immersion. The developers even have the control console to the right of the flight controls double as what would normally be the pause menu. Audio levels, resolution settings, in-game assists, and all other essentials are there. All systems within the ship are powered by energy cells that are recharged with aliens called Ziggy. Both the energy cells and the cute squishy aliens are manufactured in a cassette tape controlled generator - inserting a cassette and pressing the Start or Play button produces the item the cassette is labelled with. Placing a dead battery and a Ziggy into the extractor saps power from the alien and recharges the energy cell. Accumulating too many drained aliens within the cockpit can be dangerous, so it's important to eject them into space with the ejection port for safety and to keep the area uncluttered. This energy source is as vital as it is mischievous. It's slightly dark cartoonish humor but also a smart move making the power source a mascot-like character that is part of the game's overall identity. The developers certainly know this as there is even a costume design contest in progress. Hilariously enough, the greatest ally you'll have on this journey is drawers and shelving space. Any place you can store energy cells, program cassette tapes, and Ziggies is prime real estate. When system alerts start blaring or hostiles begin firing upon you, you'll suddenly appreciate having access to things that are at waist level rather than rolling across the floor ever farther away from you—shoutout to the drawer beneath the hyperdrive. You can be my wingman any time. It's hard to pin down the exact dimensions of the spacecraft since there is no third-person view, and the wings or fuselage cannot be seen from the cockpit. But seeing a flight yoke immediately made me think of a slow civilian vehicle. The yoke controls pitch, roll, and yaw with different sensitivities depending on how much input is received. There's a noticeable control curve beyond a certain point. Slight movements of the yoke are great for pointing the nose of the spacecraft to allow its fuselage-mounted, forward-facing guns to fire on targets - asteroids of various sizes or unknown enemy turrets that are firing at you. In order to get full maneuverability applying full input to the yoke is needed. Take hold of the yoke and really commit to moving your arms in the desired direction of movement. This ship is highly responsive to large movements making it easy to deftly barrel roll over objects. The throttle is just as responsive with its three settings, high, medium, and low. There is little to no engine spool up between each setting. Physics-wise, things are very arcade. There are no worries about gravity pulling you into a planet or an inefficient turn wasting forward momentum while you go sliding out into space. For those that like comparisons, playing Ziggy's Cosmic Adventures feels like a mixture of flight from No Man's Sky and Job Simulator style task focus, but it's certainly no copy of either one. The full game is scheduled to release in Autumn (Fall) 2021 with 12 linear levels, a dynamic progression system and more for the price of 20.99 EUR / 19.99 GBP / 24.99 USD. Of course any of this information could change in the future, so be sure to keep an eye on this title by following it on Discord, Steam, Twitter and YouTube. See the official website for links. [ Download Alpha Build Demo ] About the Author Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

This article was originally posted on November 26th, 2017. It has received an update in text and download link at the end of the article. The press disc of the Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere PAL press kit has been available for download in various states of completion for many years. Some of the artwork and screenshots found in this press kit have surfaced at random on different video game websites and Ace Combat fan sites, but not all the files have been made accessible nor has the kit itself been explained. This article analyzes the press files, provides a closer look at the timeline for localization and content cut from the export versions of the game and offers all of the files for download in two different formats. Game and application developers create press kits to make it easier for blogs, journalists, and websites to create reviews and other media that promote their product. Though the exact content of press kits has changed over the years, artwork, a detailed description of the project, videos, screenshots, and logos remain a constant. This Ace Combat 3 press kit was created for the PAL television publication territory that covers most of Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania and South America. It is assumed to have been given out a short time before the release of the PAL version of Ace Combat 3 on January 21st, 2000. Besides a copy of the commercial game, an exclusive key chain featuring the underside of a R-101 Delphinus I, a fictional aircraft from the game, and a press disc were included. Concept Art The disc contains artwork, maps, movies and screenshots. Concept art of the Riass Space Center, two Neucom bases in the Waipolo Mountains, Expo City, and Axel Bay can be found alongside high quality, large resolution images of futuristic aircraft. For example, a 16.7MB, 3000x2542 dimension image of an F-22C Raptor II which would later be used in an official desktop wallpaper hosted on the Japanese official website for Ace Combat 3. Signs of Localization ​​The folder named "TEXT" shows signs of translation and localization of the original Ace Combat 3 story. The Japanese version of the game was released on May 27th, 1999, with the PAL release on January 21st, 2000. For analysis, these files have been converted from .RTF to .PDF format to be displayed on this website. Bullet points and pictures showing evidence of translation and localization are included. File Name: 99AC3OVI.RTF General Resource LTD. called by name. Identifies that military industry is their parent body. Neucom Inc. identified by name. Information and telecommunication identified as key part of the company. A reference to the Faith Park Dispute between GR and NEU, their first armed conflict referenced in AC3 JP. Mentions that Dision, an Ace pilot with General Resource encourages the player to defect. This would only be possible in the JP version of the game which allows the player to choose which organization they'd like to fight for. ​​File Name: CHARACTE.RTF Character profiles have Earth nationalities such as French, German and Japanese. General Resource utilizing "X-Generation" technology, mentions of GRDF.​ Neucom Inc. is said to have formed with merging of a USEA government agency that was later privatized known as the United Nation Space Agency (UNSA). Believed to be a localization change from the name Euro Asia Space Agency (EASA) which is the company Neucom Inc. arose from in AC3 JP materials. EASA would later be retconned in the Ace Combat series to become the Erusean Air and Space Administration. File Name: AC3MMOV.AVI​ ​The video included in the media kit is the introduction video for the export version of Ace Combat 3. To hear the voices in the movie clearly, we are using the NTSC-U unfinished work print of the same movie found by DragonSpikeXIII leader of the Project Nemo fan translation group during their effort to translate the original version of the game to English. Time: 0:06 - 0:19 Reused voice lines from Ace Combat 2. No bearing on AC3. Time: 0:20 - 0:23 A female voice identifying herself as "Hopeful." Page 40 of the Ace Combat 3 World and View guidebook list the call signs for three pilots of the General Resource Defense Force. The highlighted call sign "Hopeful" is listed as the call sign for the player when they are playing General Resource story lines. ​​​Time: 0:24-0:33 A male voice is announcing that UPEO had dispatched forces to the bio-plant in the Sandbury Desert can be heard among the noise. The dialogue is: "UPEO has dispatched military assets... to take place at the bio-plant facilities in the Sandbury Desert." The UPEO mission "One Way Ticket" involves the UPEO scrambling the Special Armed Response Force to the Sandbury Desert to stop an armored train with a stolen top-secret research unit; it is heavily implied to be the X-49 Night Raven. The facility the train is escaping in the mission is also seen in a news report on the Mission 00 VHS tape which explains hostilities between General Resource and Neucom. "Geodesic Dome" is also listed beneath a list of facilities that belong to General Resource in the AC3 Mission and World View guidebook. ​Content Cut ​Even though traces of translation and localization are found within the press kit, a document showing the content cut well known by western Ace Combat fans can also be seen. Within the same folder as files "99ACEOVI" and "CHARACTE" is a question and answer session with the Director of Ace Combat 3, Takuya Iwasaki. ​​The answers provided reflect the changes seen in the PAL and NA release of Ace Combat 3 including: ​​​​File Name: AC3Q&A.RTF​ General Resource LTD and Neucom Inc. changed to General Resource Inc. and Nework Inc Confirming the game has 36 missions. "2 endings depending on player's accomplishment level". This refers to the export version of AC3 ending on Mission 35 "Electrosphere". Mission 36 called "Geopelia" can be unlocked in Mission Simulator mode if the player gets a B-rank or higher on all 35 missions. The reason for the content cut for the export version of the game has not officially been stated by Namco or Namco-Bandai. The opinion of Agness Kaku, a translator that did a demo translation for AC3 in 1999, is that the cuts were made for financial reasons. Her thoughts along with a sample of the translation she did for the opening scene of the story, are available on her website in an article headlined "How to Not Save Money." In a separate interview with Hardcore Gaming 101 in January 2012, Kaku mentions that she was supposed to translate Ace Combat 3 but the project was "canned after 1 demo scene", most likely the scene that is available on her website. The head of Project Aces, Kazutoki Kono was asked by a fan during a 2014 Ace Combat Infinity event about the translation and possible remake of Ace Combat 3. Kono's response stated at the time the team was not large enough to support the localization effort for the game at the time and that doing so in the future would be a project more complicated than re-releasing Ace Combat titles from the PlayStation 2. One of the earliest mentions of the content cut being made is in a game review by James Mielke on June 22nd, 1999. Mielke stated that the American division of Namco, Namco Hometek had "copious lead time . . . with the game." He would then go on to say that "one would have assumed that translation of the dialogue was taking place. Sadly, this is anything but the case." With the decision to make the cut coming just a few weeks after Ace Combat 3 was released in Japan, the presence of these text files dated for October 1999 within the PAL media kit is somewhat confusing. Available for Download Skyward Flight Media is offering both the original format and converted file format of the press files on our Google Drive account for public download. These files were once available on the now defunct ISO Zone website but have been preserved for download by the general public. For those that do not know how to navigate the .ccd and .iso file formats, we are also offering a folder of all files with the image files converted to .png and the text files converted to .pdf. Because of the file conversion process, the original dates on the files have been overwritten. It is recommended to download both the original files and converted files. [ Download Ace Combat 3 PAL Press Kit ] And as always, remember that Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere can be played in English in its entirety thanks to the many years of hard work put in by Project Nemo. Their English language download is available on their website along with their blog that is filled with years of information related to the backstory, world building and concepts that created Ace Combat 3. About the Author Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

It seems like whenever I fly, I'm either steeped in flight planning specifics or in combat situations focused on getting weapons on target. Constantly managing multi-engine airliners or overwhelmingly powerful combat aircraft can be stressful. Every once in a while, it's nice to step back from having a borderline helmet fire and just enjoy flight in its most basic form. Skye is a free-to-play flight arcade game that doesn't push the player to be a war hero or semi-pro pilot. It's a short, carefree flight experience with a few small storylines and quests to partake in. To me, it is a breath of fresh air that I still revisit whenever I want an easy-going, low-stakes flight experience. Skye is a casual flight game developed by DeCoded Production, a team of students from the Breda University of Applied Sciences (EN) in the Netherlands. The game was created as part of a university course and has been uploaded to Steam for an international audience to appreciate. Work on the concept for Skye began in September 2019, with active development starting in February 2019. While dealing with issues related to remote working from home, editing the artistic vision of the game, and factoring in public feedback, the game was released on Steam as an early access title on June 11th, 2020. After some final updates, the full version of the game was released on June 18th, 2020. There is only a single floatplane to fly, but that's really all that's needed to be enjoyable. While at the controls of their trusty aircraft, players are free to fly around an area inspired by the Hebrides, an archipelago west of Scotland. The game area is limited to the two large islands and the smaller outlying rocky islands surrounding it. With its hand-painted visual style, soft soundtrack, and unthreatening environment, Skye's mellow beauty can be felt at all times. The islands feel alive with boats sailing through the water, other aircraft traversing the island, and chimneys on buildings quietly puffing out smoke. Freely flying is further encouraged with collectible spy glasses placed across the island and a photo mode for taking some exceptional screenshots. I must stress how good this game's visual style is simply because it's so different from what a majority of past and current flight games and simulators look like. The entire game can be played with either keyboard-mouse controls or a gamepad. Though flying with a gamepad is best, using it in conjunction with a mouse to navigate menus is ideal. The menus are somewhat confusing to navigate only using the gamepad because of how options are highlighted. Just using a mouse to click what's needed is fastest. The flight physics are very friendly. Default controls combine yaw and roll to maneuver the aircraft left, right, up, down, but full roll authority for more aerobatic flying is accessible with a separate set of keyboard keys or gamepad's right thumbstick. There is only a visual penalty for crashing with the aircraft. It mostly just bounces off terrain and structures harmlessly, with an increasing amount of smoke and flame become visible. Landing on bodies of water is done by deaccelerating to the lowest speed possible and somewhat gliding the aircraft onto the water's surface. Traversing the water is possible by increasing engine speed to at least half, allowing for safe landings away from the desired location. The floatplane can then taxi up to the location. With the flight model being like this, I'd even go as far as saying Skye is a good beginner's title for someone of any age who has never tried a flying game before. There is no overarching story, but tasks can be accepted from a small group of people. They'll ask you to do things like delivering replacement parts, scouting good fishing spots, and finding items lost at sea, for example. While a target practice gun is eventually mounted to the aircraft, the most you'll be shooting is traditional bull's eye target markers. There is no combat in this game. Other events include timed air races that focus on how fast players can fly through the terrain. As lovely as this game is, it has been made clear by its now-dissolved developer team that there are no plans to expand or update it. With this being a limited scope project and its students now graduated from the university, this game will most likely remain in its current state. Whether you're looking for a temporary distraction from high fidelity simulated aviation or just want to enjoy the accessible flight arcade experience, Skye is a free and easy addition to anyone's collection. Image Gallery About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

March 2021 should be marked down as the month VRChat (VRC) aviation reached a new height. This month had multiple aviation events and announcements that garnered attention across a broad spectrum of people. This indicates a sustained and growing number of active users and creators that have expanded interest to a point where public and private aviation events have become somewhat commonplace. As discussed in a previous article, since April 2020, the VRChat aviation community has steadily expanded. The number of flight-focused worlds is still increasing, 3D modelers continue to design new aircraft, and the accessibility for all-in-one VR headsets like the Oculus Quest 2 is becoming a factor in world design. To understand the significance of this month, an overview of events and organizations is needed to express how far organized VRChat aviation has come. Overview of Events and Organizations The first public events were free flight days hosted in March 2020 by Blue Horizons, a Japanese aerobatic demonstration team. Since then, they have consistently put on 1 to 3 airshows every month for over a year straight with their Free Flight days. Their popularity and consistency propelled them to perform aerobatics at other events like the VR music Midsummer Sound Festival 2020 from July 31st to August 2nd, 2020, and the opening day of the VR first-person shooter world, "Shooting Battle VRC," on January 17th, 2021. Formal player vs. player tournaments began with the first Dog Fight Event on September 26th, 2020. After a second tournament, a Japanese organization, VRC Air Force, was formed to plan and host future aviation events. On October 30th, 2020, the third Dog Fight Event's success made them semi-official leading Japanese VRChat aviation event organization. Since then, they continue to focus on hosting more PvP tournaments, practice sessions for potential new contestants, and the first air racing tournament on January 9th, 2021. VVFA-103, an American organization, began hosting PVP tournaments on January 21st, 2021. Like the Japanese hosted events, their tournaments draw an international VRC aviation enthusiast crowd. Posters for their events appear in other aviation worlds, which further piqued interest in the English-speaking user base. All of this represents the efforts of organizers and world creators collaborating to host more events. This brings us to March 2021 - a month that these efforts culminated in the most active VRC aviation event month on record. VRC Joint Festival The VRC Joint Festival was a three-day event of multiple Japanese performers putting on public demonstrations and coordinating starting times. From March 12th-14th, 2021, at 2200 JST each day, groups of spectators went to enjoy three distinct aviation exhibitions. Day 01 - Solo Acrobat Event Video by nankotu 360. On day one, a new solo acrobat performance by xmiyabix started the festival off with an only in VRChat style display. With a pink SF-1 aircraft generating flowing energy wings, the display began with the aircraft launching from the hilt of a massive broadsword thrust into a mountainside. This display included pyrotechnics and laser lights, this display's highlight maneuver was a unique pink butterfly created by the aircraft's air show smoke. Day 02 - DankeWorks Flight Event Video by nankotu 360. Day two took place on the futuristic aircraft carrier created by Danke☆Yui. The day started with the audience moved to the aircraft carrier's bow to enjoy a tandem catapult launch. This was followed by a five-ship formation display and a low altitude, high energy dogfight directly over the crowd with pumping electronic music. Afterward, the audience was brought inside the aircraft carrier into a combat information center (CIC) with limited functions. From the CIC, aircraft could be seen marshaling to catapults and launching from the deck. While airborne, aircraft information was displayed on a monitor that showed the callsigns and BRA (bearing, range, altitude) of allied aircraft and the waypoints their combat air patrol route followed. Communications between the combat aircraft and CIC personnel used actual military aviation terms and procedures to intercept, identify and shoot down hostile aircraft that entered the area of operation. The DankeWorks display was the most elaborate of the three-day festival. Day 03 - Blue Horizons' 1st Anniversary Day three featured the now veteran Blue Horizons aerobatic team as they celebrated their first anniversary. Their airborne display was accompanied by a live musical performance of Interstellar Flight from Macross Frontier covered by Angelic Teemo. After the flight team gave opening remarks, they took to the skies while the vocalist sang on stage. Though the event had a limited number "in-person" spectator slots, it was live-streamed for others to watch. In retrospect, the celebration of a year of consistent Blue Horizons operations had more weight to it than one might think. This team flew with the legacy VRC flight system and mastered the current generation Sacc Flight System. It is their example of organized air shows that inspired others to eventually do their own events. VVFA-103 March 2021 Dogfight Tournament Video by Ace Combat Fan. Unrelated to the VRC Joint Festival, the third dogfight tournament by VVFA-103 was on March 20th, 2021. Much like how the VRC Air Force came into a semi-official position as the leading Japanese event organization, VVFA-103 has also fit into a similar position. Their third guns only dogfight tournament went smoothly from start to finish, with a few last-second competitor bracket reworks. From the peak of a mountain, the audience and competitors could watch the aerial battles with either the standard viewing screens or look to the sky themselves if combat was happening directly above them. After the tourney's end and trophy ceremony, an aerial performance by the leaders of VVFA-103 introduced new aircraft that will undoubtedly be seen in upcoming events and worlds they create. With their scheduled events going up to three to four months in the future, they'll surely continue to grow. VRC Flight Academy This announcement came late in the month, on March 29th, 2021. The VRC Flight Academy's upcoming launch symbolizes how people passionate about aviation in VRChat want to spread interest in aviation as a whole. While the flying in VRC is undoubtedly not a 1:1 flight simulator, users with virtual reality headsets and touch controllers will still be interacting with a system comparable to an actual hands-on throttle and stick found in real-world aircraft. In public instances of aviation worlds, it's uncommon to find patient and knowledgeable people willing to teach complete newcomers the basics and get them flying successfully. While a self-taught tutorial flight world was introduced in January 2021, something like a structured academy that can give people the basics and potentially push them to become a more significant part of the community in the long-run is a very forward-thinking decision. With VRChat being such an informal social platform in general, the fact that enough people agreed to cooperate to create an established educational course is noteworthy. Even with as involved as I've been with VRC aviation, I find myself consistently surprised and impressed. What sort of new feature, concept, or event the aviators and creators of this community will launch next is hard to guess. Many of the ideas for future developments and events are started in the passing conversations of friends dogfighting in a late afternoon or while watching the latest high-flying air demo with dozens of other enthusiasts. But after one year of consistent growth, it's clear they won't be disappearing from their virtual skies anytime soon. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The greatest strength of VTOL VR remains in the hands of its pilots. From the title screen to the shutdown of an aircraft after a successful sortie, it is the hands of the players that are the most essential instrument. And yet, its game-making virtual reality controller use seems to be frequently challenged by people seeking full flight controller support to replace or augment the default controls. After spending time learning to fly and fight in VTOL VR, I can't help but feel like trying to replace or sidestep its touch controls would be detrimental to the overall experience and dilute its identity. Developed by Boundless Dynamics, VTOL VR was first available to the general public on August 3rd, 2017, as an early access title on Steam. Over the course of exactly three years, it was refined and expanded upon until it left early access on August 3rd, 2020. At first glance, its non-photorealistic look and use of fictional aircraft may be off-putting to those seeking a 1:1 real-world combat flight simulator experience. But everything you'd want from that type of flight simulator is there. Hardpoint weapon management, campaigns specifically created for each aircraft, an in-depth mission editor, and most importantly, fully interactive cockpits. In VTOL VR, everything is indeed done with your own (virtual) hands. Letting go of the throttle to reach up and press the buttons around the multi-function displays to manage aircraft systems adds a considerable layer of immersion to this flight sim. Using your thumb to TDC slew and tag contacts in the radar/attack interface, raise and lower the collective for vertical lift flight profiles and flip switches to cold start the aircraft - all of it adds a significant immersion factor. While either one or both hands are not gripping the hands-on throttle and stick, the player can reach and lean around the cockpit without any fear of accidentally inputting a radical throttle or stick input while managing systems or commanding wingmen. Only intentionally gripping the stick and/or throttle allows for flight control input. While in flight, the controls are sensitive enough to pick up even the most minor wrist rotations while not over exaggerating maximum input movements, like maximum pitch input while performing evasive maneuvers. Much to my surprise, I have not had a single instance of losing controller response in unexpected dead zones or felt as though controls were incomplete over the past few weeks I've been playing it. These are touch controls done right. There are very few flight simulators out there that can provide the same type of virtual reality experience. Generally, virtual reality support for a flight arcade or flight simulator title usually only means VR headset support. This allows for looking around the cockpit, which significantly adds to the experience, but usually doesn't do much in terms of interaction with the cockpit. Maybe besides looking around the cockpit, the headset also acts as a type of helmet-mounted display to track targets and fire on them with off-boresight capable weaponry. The reliance on physical controllers like keyboards, mice, gamepads, and more advanced flight controllers remains. The first combat flight sim with full VR controller support that comes to mind is, of course, Digital Combat Simulator World. But even it doesn't match up entirely in terms. That's not to say DCS World has done it wrong - you can effectively "finger gun" your way through a mission with a bit of practice and the correct module. But pointing at instruments in the cockpit to interact with them without hands "touching" the instruments leaves a bit desired. Though it's not a combat-focused simulator, it should be mentioned that civilian aviation-focused AeroFly FS 2 has controls in the same vein as VTOL VR but with one or two unusual input decisions. For example, controlling the throttle and yoke with the thumbsticks or touchpads on the VR hand controllers without grasping the flight yoke or flight stick. The primary gripe against the choice to only support VR controllers in VTOL VR and not support physical peripherals primarily comes from flight sim enthusiasts that have invested in high-quality hardware. The inability to hook up their finest Virpil flight stick or trusty Thrustmaster Warthog throttle is a significant sticking point for some. I can relate to that to an extent. It's a bit frustrating to have my high-performance multi-function displays and rudder pedals be incompatible with any flight title I plug them into. Though some users have found software workarounds to use their equipment, Paolo Encarnacion, the developer of VTOL VR, has been asked repeatedly for official hardware support over the years. An official statement from the developer about extended device support can be found in an FAQ on the official VTOL VR Discord server: "I got my first VR headset with the sole intention of using it to play flight sims. The very first time I tried it, I was immediately frustrated by having to feel around for my keyboard and peek through the nose hole to make sure I was pressing the right keys to access the different cockpit functions. This was not the level of immersion I was looking for, so I got to work on VTOL VR. The game was designed from the beginning to be entirely virtual, allowing you to directly interact with the various controls as if you were sitting there in the cockpit. Call me stupid, but in my opinion, looking for HOTAS support here is like looking for mouse/keyboard support in Onward, H3VR, HL:A, etc." - BahamutoD, Developer of VTOL VR Honestly, that's a fair point with some good examples. There are flight simpits out there where every physical piece of hardware is at the exact position it should be to enable 1:1 physical interaction with the cockpit seen in the virtual reality headset. As mind-blowing as that is, it's also quite the financial investment that is only compatible with a single aircraft's cockpit. Sure, VTOL VR has somewhat simplified cockpit systems to manage. Almost every function in the cockpit could probably be rebound to a physical HOTAS with a few modifier buttons. But at that point, wouldn't plugging in all this extra equipment be changing the foundation of what this particular flight sim is? With VTOL VR designed in a way that intentionally and effectively avoids the need for extra hardware and peeking beneath the headset, support for more peripherals just defeats the entire purpose of a built for VR title that only needs two touch controllers to work perfectly fine. Without investing hundreds of dollars in equipment beyond their virtual reality setup, players have access to a fully functional cockpit. One that's easy enough to pick up and learn in a handful of tutorial missions but more advanced than most of the VR combat flight games and sims on modern game consoles and PC gaming platforms like Steam. The saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is accurate, and it feels like it applies here. I personally strongly believe that future flight sim titles should take note of VTOL VR's application of VR controllers and take that extra step to have virtual aviators reach out to grab every switch, knob, and button their eyes can see. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Enjoying a beautiful sunset was a nice prize for surviving a contentious landing that involved dodging trees and colliding with large rocks. Standing on top of a hill near a backcountry airstrip in the wilderness, as night fell, I began to wonder if it would be safe enough to fly home. Being out in such a remote area with no light sources and only the bare essential instruments in my aircraft, I opted to go check out a cabin nearby for shelter through the night. Maybe there were supplies in the cabin to recover some health I lost on that rough landing. GroundFall is a still in development bush flight simulator created by Snow Creature, a solo indie developer. This title caught my eye some time ago with screenshots of its now old initial build. The pictures showed a Piper Cub flying low over treetops or landed in a small clearing in the wilderness and campfires, tents, and radios being used deep in the forest. With no aircraft insight in the screenshots that showed campfires and wildfires, I began searching for information. Just recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the multiplayer test demo for this title by the developer. Though this game is still obviously in development, I wanted to bring attention to it because of the experience I've been having. The initial pitch for GroundFall has the player flying as a park ranger that operates off the southwestern coast of Alaska, USA. Players could be flying low-altitude patrols on the lookout for small wildfires, finding lost hikers, and flying out of remote or unprepared airstrips. With only the trusty Piper Cub as your primary means of transportation, keeping the aircraft in one piece is just as important as keeping yourself unharmed. While flight is an integral part of this title, there is also a focus on survival game elements that affect both the player and the aircraft. The avatars that players create can lose health by being injured from bad landings, extreme weather conditions, and steep falls, for example. In comparison, the aircraft can also be heavily damaged with the fuselage being banged up or the wings being snapped off by trees. There are also plans to include aircraft customizations and other aircraft tuning like adjusting tire pressure. Flight-wise, the model has received minor adjustments over the course of the multiplayer test demo. The instruments and cockpit isn't anything to write home about yet but are functional. The rough backcountry airstrips are the most significant challenge to flying thus far. Often with very short final approaches because of trees or terrain, trying to find the right approach angle and using just enough flaps to not float over half the airstrip. With momentum behind the aircraft and its lightweight airframe, panic braking can result in a propeller strike with the ground or a flat-out front flip that immediately ruins the plane. Even in the seemingly “basic” form of flight GroundFall is presenting, it’s the details in landing and taking off that raise the stakes. While in flight, the limitations of the aircraft are almost immediately apparent. Simply going full throttle and throwing the aircraft into the sky without a care in the world isn’t the wisest option. Though well suited for bush flying, the aircraft’s engine is not powerful enough to make up for poor bank angle choice or heavy handed low speed maneuvers. Being able to land and step out of the aircraft is an eye-catching feature in its open world and proposed “endless world” environments. I’ve made it a point to land at an airfield and wander around the multiplayer demo map to see how feasible it is this early in development. Walking through the forest and foothills while the day and night cycles, the rains come and go, and the sounds of animals in the wilderness change depending on the time of day does add to what I would think bush flying is actually like. Getting lost in the forest, running out of fuel, or going down in a remote area could be fatal. If the inclusion of wildlife, the need for shelter, and in the field aircraft maintenance is introduced as planned, this game may become an interesting entry into the bush flying focused flight simmer’s library. Of course, things are still in development. Bugs are still being found and corrected, and more features are gradually being introduced and refined. The developer, Snow Creature, continues to interact with the testers, and I feel as though GroundFall does have something going for it even this early in its development. This is a title that I will be keeping my eye on while enjoying the small multiplayer testing sessions along the way. Keep up with the changes and potential future demos for GroundFall yourself by following the game on Steam and joining the official Discord server. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

My fellow virtual aviators, I write this baring my soul to admit something to you all. I've had the DCS World Heatblur F-14B for three months and still am not familiar with it enough to fly in combat. My interest is there, surely, but the feeling of necessity is missing. I still find myself flying and fighting in the same multirole maestro that was overwhelmingly suggested to me almost a year ago. As I approach a year of being "stung" by the F/A-18C Lot 20, the reality of a newcomer's decision to start with this aircraft is settling in. Its ability to easily do everything has hindered me from trying anything else. And many others have fallen into the same position I am in. Years before I took to the skies of Digital Combat Simulator World (DCS), I was well aware of what it was. It is that combat flight simulator with video clips, screenshots, and immense guides that has long proliferated sim and non-sim flight groups and blogs for over a decade. But to those from the outside looking in, DCS is just as intimidating as it is impressive. With so many aircraft to choose from, a beginner can easily make a mistake on day one. Purchasing an aircraft that is not the best fit for them could sour their first experience with DCS and may result in them never coming back. In July 2020, I watched dozens of videos from content creators, read forum threads, and asked others I knew that frequently flew in this sim for their suggestions on what my first module should be. After all those conversations, the #1 recommended or mentioned aircraft was the F/A-18C Hornet by Eagle Dynamics. This aircraft does everything a newcomer would expect of a modern fixed-wing combat aircraft. Whether it's from movies, documentaries, or other flight games and simulators, there's a certain level of technology that the general public visualizes when "fighter jets" come to mind. In DCS, the Hornet fits this perfectly. This 4th generation multirole aircraft can operate from aircraft carriers or airfields, aerial refuel, and has a built-in self-protection jammer. Its fly-by-wire system keeps the plane from turning in a way that could damage itself, and sturdy landing gear allows for rough landings. Vital information about the aircraft in flight, systems management, and weapons deployment is easily accessible in three information displays and a full HUD. That is further enhanced with a helmet-mounted display that increases situational awareness and presents access to off-boresight weapons launch. Its selection of munitions is one of the most diverse in DCS, enabling the Hornet to effectively handle multiple types of targets in a single mission. The following picture shows a loadout that's inadvisable to actually use in combat but demonstrates its flexibility. That's anti-ship attack, SEAD, laser-guided bombs, medium-range glide bombs, a targeting pod, an AMRAAM, two IR missiles, and a centerline fuel tank. It's obvious to me why the F/A-18C keeps becoming the go-to module for people giving DCS a first try. With the purchase of a single full-fidelity simulated aircraft, you can experience what seems like everything DCS has to offer. Anyone that flies in online multiplayer servers will tell you that the Hornet is the most prolific aircraft. I've heard and read remarks against the Hornet that include "it handholds pilots," "noob plane," "you're not actually flying," and some other strongly worded opinions. Many of these responses were from DCS players with dozens or hundreds of hours that fly just about every aircraft available. Thinking back, what they were trying to express is similar to what I understand now, but they didn't explain it in the best of ways. It's not that the DCS World version of the F/A-18C is some sort of simplified aircraft explicitly made for novices. Because it is so easy to learn and flexible enough to tackle any mission, newcomers often never bother to fly anything else. After 9 months of playing DCS, my perspective of this simulator has gradually changed. Rather than viewing it as a place to fly a simulated combat aircraft, you gradually come to the understanding that each aircraft in itself is a simulation. When you really think about it, the magic of DCS is that multiple aircraft are just as intricate or nearly as capable as the jack of all trades F/A-18C. That is to say, the characteristics between aircraft are so notably different that even flying the same sortie using other aircraft changes the overall experience of that sortie. There are comparable aircraft to the F/A-18C in terms of weapons capabilities and how advanced their aircraft systems are. Like the F-16C or JF-17. Even intentionally choosing aircraft wildly different in design philosophy from the Hornet like the AJS-37 Viggen or opting for the raw power of the F-14B Tomcat rekindles interest in learning new airplanes and truly seeing DCS in the various lenses (or, in this case, canopies) it has to offer. Now, this all sounds like common sense to anyone that regularly flies in this simulator. Still, again, for the budding DCS World pilots that started with the complete package the Hornet provides, this isn't as apparent. And bluntly, it's not really something you even care about when you feel as though you already have everything you need. To those who find themselves as dedicated "Hornet mains" from day one, I'd say that if they've taken the time to become proficient with a single aircraft, they should be confident that they are more than capable of learning everything else DCS has to offer. Spread your wings and continue challenging yourselves, fellow "Bug" pilots! There is so much more to see! About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

When your aircraft is carrying an excess of 60 or more missiles while casually afterburning well above Mach 2, you know it's flight arcade time. A genre defined by massive battles, constant dogfights, a heroic pilot that saves the day (you!), and most importantly, every flavor of missile possible. While Project Wingman unquestionably adheres to this, there's a single aircraft in this game's roster that goes against the grain. From the start, Project Wingman (December 1st, 2020) was designed as a love letter to the over-the-top flight arcade games of the 1990s and 2000s. Those who remember those times, names like HAWX, Air Force Delta, and Ace Combat come to mind. Developed by self-proclaimed life-long Ace Combat fans, Project Wingman looks right at home in the flight arcade genre. Alongside the usual multipurpose short-range missiles that are effective against anything that flies, sails or drives, there's a rather generous amount of special/secondary weapons. Players are encouraged to play through the game, unlocking the next best aircraft to aid in their progress. Each aircraft becoming more advanced in performance and the quantity and type of weapons they can equip. It's the standard formula. The prize for clearing the single-player campaign is often a real or fictional type of "super aircraft." The top-tier aircraft have the best flight performance, highest weapons capacity and often come equipped with devastating one-of-a-kind weapons. Players that beat the game are free to use these super aircraft to replay the campaign or tackle other game modes. While Project Wingman's all-around top "super plane" is the titular named PW-Mk.I, a second super plane does exist. Though, it may be better to view it as more of a "challenge aircraft." SP-34R or "Spear" is one of three aircraft created by Aerospace Engineer tier backers from the Project Wingman Kickstarter campaign. Designed by Discord user Diabolus#6666 alongside developer Sector D2, in-game, it is referred to as an Icarus Experimental Ballistic Airframe created by Icarus Armories - a fictional company within the distant post-apocalyptic Earth future used as the game's setting. SP-34R appears to be roughly around the size of an F/C-16 (aka F-16C) when viewing it in the in-game hangar. When reaching supersonic flight, a significant portion of its wings, horizontal stabilizers, and canards retract into the aircraft rather than sweep. The aircraft shifts into a clipped canard delta wing configuration, which relies on thrust vectoring for pitch and roll inputs while in excess of Mach 1. Its ultimate defense and offense are speed and maneuverability, coming equipped with either an angle of attack limiter release or countermeasures. This is further emphasized by its weapon selection. The aircraft does not carry any missiles and instead opts for five different types of guns: GUN: The standard gun carries 12,000 rounds with a high rate of fire. CGP: Canister Gun Pod. A shotgun-like pair of cannons that spread shells over a small area. 320 rounds. MGP-1: Medium Gun Pod. 1200 rounds. A slightly lower rate of fire than the GUN with higher damage output. HDP: Heavy Gun Pod. 320 rounds. The slowest rate of fire with the highest damage output. RG: Rail Gun. 30 rounds. The most destructive weapon on the aircraft integrated into the airframe. Has the longest range. Capable of stripping a warship or reinforced land target of defenses in a single shot. On a battlefield in which guided munitions from land, sea, and air make up at least half of the weapons deployed, players flying Spear choose to hinder themselves in that sense. With no guided weapons on board, the player must use speed, maneuverability, and sound judgment to survive. Slashing attacks are especially effective, fitting of an aircraft named "Spear." The sheer volume of firepower it can deploy within seconds is immensely destructive. Firing both the main gun and any secondary gun pods together can even shred large warships. The boss battle-style dogfights against Ace pilots can be over within minutes if a competent pilot can capitalize on a chance to bring all their cannons onto target. The rail gun is an exception to this aircraft's need to get in close and is the most suitable weapon for destroying or disabling formidable enemies at safe distances. So long as the pilot has highly accurate control of their aircraft to aim the weapon. The standard SP-34R combat sortie includes flying at dangerously high speeds and rapidly changing altitudes with a high volume of incoming fire at almost all times. With no guided weaponry on board, only the pilot's skill and control over the aircraft will be the deciding factor in every sortie. This design ignoring the variety of secondary air-to-ground and air-to-air ordinance available in Project Wingman is unexpected. It's a type of flying reserved for World War II or Korean War-era aircraft being applied to a futuristic, presumably 5th or 6th generation fighter. But it also feels like a nod to a vein of the flight arcade community, which prides itself on guns-only campaign runs as a demonstration of masterful piloting even in the face of the overwhelming enemy force. This aircraft is truly for those seeking a new challenge after completing the campaign. In the past close-range air combat has been described as a knife fight in a phone booth. I doubt anyone was expecting a SP-34R to come flying through the window. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Following our article about how genuinely fun the co-op gameplay of Sky Rogue is, we reached out to the developers behind the game for an interview. Wanting to delve deeper into this visually unique flight arcade game, we made contact with Kenny Backus from Fractal Phase, the developer that created Sky Rogue. Thank you for this interview and thanks to the Fractal Phase team for creating Sky Rogue. Can you introduce the members of the dev team? Hello! I'm Kenny Backus, the main developer of Sky Rogue. Charles Blanchard did the artwork and Pete Lepley (via The Otherworld Agency) did the music. I'm the only developer at the moment though, so all of the following answers are going to be from my perspective. Is Sky Rogue the first game that you've worked on? When I made the very first prototype for Sky Rogue in 2013 I had already been working in the games industry as a programmer since 2008 working on games like Age of Conan, The Secret World, and Far Cry 4. I made about 20 or so small games on my own and one medium-sized one called SWOOOORDS! before Sky Rogue. I've since made several small games such as MEKA-ON!, Weapons, Inc, and Aero Cup, which along with many other small games can be found on itch.io. However, it was the first commercial game I made outside of being employed in another studio. For the first year of its life it was pay-what-you-want as I was just getting comfortable asking for money and started figuring out how taxes and incorporation works. What was the original concept for the game? Is the full game completely different from the original idea? The original concept was to be a "rougelike flight simulator" and I don't think that's changed much at all. The only changes have been in the details of how I approached that concept. I think the most major deviation from the original idea was that I decided to make it more like a "dungeon in the sky" where you fly short open-ended missions one island at a time, because the original plan was to make it an open world with AI commanders generating missions and keeping track of industrial assets which would affect what aircraft you had and what aircraft would get sent out against you. Despite how exciting that might sound, my years of experience told me to scope down from that so that I could manage to actually release the game and release something that wasn't a buggy mess. Is it true that the prototype version of Sky Rogue was designed in 2013 in a single week? Yes, it was a really simple arcade flight sim with only one aircraft (called "aero" in-universe), guided missiles, and infinite waves of enemies. Here's a video of it: An interesting aspect about the game is that there isn’t really a story or narrative that drives players forward, but there are mentions of organizations and states in the Aeropedia entries for certain aircraft and buildings. Is there a hidden story? The game was intended to be story-light from the beginning because I thought a lot of air combat games included storylines that weren't actually any good and often made the game a bit worse as it got in the way of the gameplay. Since the game was a roguelike, we avoided a story-driven campaign mode (though now we have incredible games like Hades to show us how a roguelike can be story-driven). We made content for the game and wrote the Aeropedia entries to provide a narrative context for it, I was inspired by Dark Souls to do that. The context is that you're playing in a near-future world where the icecaps have melted (thus, all of the islands) and the large corporations mentioned in the entries basically control governments and their militaries instead of the other way around. These nations are trying to capture and control what resources they can, but it's kind of a rigged game of infinite warfare. You'll notice that there are still oil rigs in existence, so no one's really learned the lessons about fossil fuels despite being in the midst of climate change. However, practically all warfare takes place via aircraft now, which is convenient for making a flight simulator but also has some inspiration behind it. I think a lot of people see airstrikes as 'stuff fighting stuff' rather than something that kills humans, so it's not nearly as controversial as putting boots on the ground to do similar things. You can "send a message" with a few bombs, but everyone understands sending troops in is a lot more than "sending a message". Sky Rogue sits comfortably in this perspective, you are in the middle of a conflict where the humans involved are literally invisible. When I was a kid growing up in the 90s I watched a lot of military aircraft documentaries like "Wings" on the Discovery Channel. As an adult, I notice something that flew over my head as a kid: when these documentaries talked about the aircraft they avoided talking about the actual role of these aircraft as killing machines, as weapons we should really avoid using at all costs, and focused on their really fascinating technical details, talking about them as sort of engineering problems to solve. They are machines designed to fight other machines, or to destroy real estate and capital assets. The description of each aero is generally inspired by this perspective, of the aero you're flying being a tool and not a weapon. So the game pretty clearly removes a lot of the human element just like that perspective does, and doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that you're flying a killing machine and there are people just like you on the enemy side and on the sidelines as civilians. If I had made a more explicit storyline I probably would have leaned into that more, which is what some of the Ace Combat games have been doing where both sides get completely wrecked and the war is a lose-lose situation orchestrated by a few sociopaths at the top. It's kind of dark, and wouldn't really match the aesthetic of the game, so it would have been pretty difficult. Anyways about the word "aero", I wanted to use a term that had the same feeling as " 'mech " from Battletech, it was an abbreviation which sounded futuristic, reminding you that you're not in the real world, and like something invented inside the game universe by the people actually using these machines. I came pretty quickly to "aero" which is an abbreviation of "aerodyne" which itself is a jargon-y term meaning "heavier-than-air aircraft". I would have never guessed this story setting! I’m surprised. But, by sidestepping the story you’ve certainly avoided weighing down the gameplay. Thinking about it from this point of view, it seems like a factor in Sky Rogue’s easy to pick up and play feeling. Was the game designed to be played in short sessions? The game is definitely designed that way. I don't know if I can really explain why, it just seems like the most natural option. There's probably hesitancy among players in general to even start your game in the first place if it takes awhile to start up and get to the actual "game" part. Your perspective of the Aeros shows up well in the game. It’s natural to just focus on their cool designs and think of how you can use them to defeat the opposing forces. Some of them have memorable designs that even include strategic bombers. Are there any Aeros in particular you think people should try out? The Schwalbe is one of my favourites because it is very maneuverable and fast but is limited in all other aspects, so it really forces you to not take much damage and only use a few basic weapons. The Monarch (can be unlocked after you beat the game) controls in a really weird way because it's acceleration is absurd, and it also has a pretty cool double swing-wing design, I think it's really fun to fly. The Bronco and Puma are "warbirds", prop aeros which are slow but have really good acceleration and low stall speeds and most notably, double mounts on all their secondary weapons. I think this makes them a bit overpowered but since they were added well after the release of the game I think they help add a different kind of experience. Speaking of the double mounts, I was inspired to do that by the modding community. The way weapons work is that each of your three weapon secondary slots has one mount inside it, while your primary has two. The code is not enforcing this constraint, it just fires as many mounts as exist inside a given slot. Modders figured out they could put as many as they wanted, and end up making very overpowered aeros. I followed the "rule of cool" and didn't consider it a bug, especially since people made some really interesting setups with mounts pointing backwards or a B-17 with "special" mounts where the turrets are, so if you mount a tailgun in your special slot you'll have a B-17 decked out with working turrets. Eventually I decided to try it for myself with the warbirds. The co-op gameplay feels like it is such a crucial part of the experience. Was this a planned part of development since the beginning? It wasn't really planned, I just figured that it would be a pretty exciting feature for a game which design-wise didn't have any issues supporting it. I thought it would be pretty easy in technical terms, but of course that proved to be false over the years as a bunch of co-op only bugs showed up. In the end I of course think it was worth it and a great addition to the game. Sometimes players reach out to me via email or Twitter and tell me they played co-op with their friends or kids, I really appreciate hearing that. While doing research we noticed that mods were supported very early in the project’s life, as early as alpha. What motivated that decision? When I was a kid (teenager?) I bought Half-Life specifically so I could play Counter-Strike, which at the time was a mod for Half-Life. Before that, I played a lot of Team Fortress Classic, which was a Quake mod (or "total conversion" in those days). I was also absolutely obsessed with AirQuake, a Quake mod that turned the game into an action flight simulator not entirely unlike Sky Rogue. I also made a few mods myself, like a Yehat Terminator (from Star Control) for Microsoft Flight Simulator '98, some StarCraft maps lost to time, and helped a bit with a Homeworld mod for Freelancer which fizzled out as many collaborations do. So before I ever made games I was very aware of modding and knew that if I made a game where mods made sense, I would want to support them. Do you have any personal favorite mods? I don't like picking favourites, but I would like to point out the RVR-01 and the other mods themed around shmups, because they include custom weapons that made you really overpowered in an interesting way that completely changes the tempo of the game. It ended up directly inspiring the weapons in the core game you can unlock after beating the game. I wanted to add that kind of super fast, shmup-like experience to the game but in a way that doesn't affect the original game, so it's given as a sort of motivation to keep playing, the reward is a new way of playing the game. Other than that, I really like the Swordfish II from Cowboy Bebop, simply because I really like Cowboy Bebop, as well as the Star Fox mod. The Ikea table and Geo Metro mods are also really fun since they inject some humour into the game. I also appreciate these mods because they were really visible and I think helped bring more people to the game. However, I also like the original mods a lot, like the FA-27D Longbow, or Marauder, because they showed how people could copy our style and do unique things with it that weren't attached to a particular franchise or IP. To be honest, though, I like every single mod anyone's created because it means the game we created inspired them to create something in turn. At what point did Fractal Phase start considering a game console release? Was this the goal from the beginning? Then Richard Duck at Nintendo, who had been following the game, reached out in an email and invited us to make the game for the Switch back in 2017.. Since it was the launch year of the console, and it was obvious from the start that it was a huge success, we of course wanted in on it and it was an incredibly good idea in retrospect. The game already had gamepad controls and there's nothing in the design or menus that required mouse controls, so it was already oriented towards console play even if that wasn't an objective. The game was still on Steam Early Access at the time so I wanted to exit Early Access and launch 1.0 before going onto the Switch, so it was great motivation to get that squared away rather than let EA continue indefinitely. Sky Rogue definitely feels like it's best played with KBM or gamepads, but the Steam version of the game can also support flight sticks. Was this something players requested during development? People have definitely requested flight stick support. As a flight sim it makes perfect sense for there to be support, and thankfully because I am using a third-party input library called Rewired, most flight sticks are natively supported. There were actually two shows here in Toronto where I demoed it with a flight stick, at Toronto Comic Arts Festival Comics x Games and the CNE (Canadian National Expo) Gaming Garage. It definitely got some attention. The motion controls on the Nintendo Switch acting as a type of Hands-on Throttle and Stick flight system was an interesting addition. Was this control scheme hard to develop on the Switch? It definitely took some extra effort and tweaking, but it was a lot easier than I expected. The inputs that the gyroscopes on the Joy-Cons provide are really clean, I was expecting to have to smooth out some noise but I never had to. Are you working on any new titles or are you a member of a game studio at this time? I'm currently working full-time for myself (Fractal Phase) on a new unannounced title. I only started doing it a little over a year ago, for the vast majority of Sky Rogue's development I was working for other studios and making Sky Rogue in my spare time. Thanks for taking time to do this interview. I’ve become a big fan of Sky Rogue and continue to play it with many of my friends because it is so easy to access and share with others. About the Interviewer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Back in 2011, the announcement of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (ACAH) shook up the Ace Combat series in a way that impacted it deeply. A significant part of the attempted reboot was bringing the series to the Earth we currently live on. Giving up the fictional world of Strangereal for the more grounded real world, the back story of the new characters and new game also found their roots in conflicts from the past. Of the various media created to support this change, a prequel novel titled "The Last Ace" was authored by Jim DeFelice. Though this novel prominently features the future protagonist of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon as its main character, the title refers to a problematic, veteran pilot the future protagonist once flew into battle with. As mentioned in a previous article about this novel, during a test flight of a modified F-22A nicknamed "Righteous," United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel William "Brass" Bishop found his mind wandering back to his past combat experiences. Briefly recalling his actions in the Second Gulf War (2003) and the military intervention in Libya (2011), his mind settled on his first combat sorties in his military career. Following a mix of skilled flying during training and knowing the right people in the right places, the then lieutenant Bishop was transferred to a squadron that was about to see combat. Bishop's squadron participated in Operation Deliberate Force (1992-1995), a sustained air campaign conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization supporting United Nations Peacekeepers intervening in the Bosnian War (Encyclopædia Britannica). Their sorties consisted of kill-box assignments and close air support at the regulation of the UN against military units of the Army of Republika Srpska (ARS) – described in the novel as "the rump Yugoslavia force threatening the UN-controlled area of Bosnia." The young Lieutenant Bishop flew a General Dynamics F-16 under the command of his squadron leader, Lt. Colonel James "Skull" Scranton. Often only referred to as Skull, he had flown during the Vietnam War piloting F-105 Thunderchiefs for the United States Air Force out of Thailand. When Skull left Vietnam, he had three confirmed aerial victories. Bishop remembered him as a "hell of a pilot," "an old school SOB," "hard ass," and someone he regarded as one of the greatest pilots. It was known that Skull would not only be hard on his pilots but even to the maintainers and the rest of the ground crew. Skull preferred to have the new guy, Bishop, fly as his wingman. Partly to chide Bishop and push him in the old-fashioned method of pressuring someone in every way possible to bring out their best performance. As Bishop recalled, despite the abuse, Skull "[...]was a good teacher: watch what he did, and you couldn't help but learn." As frustrating as Bishop thought his cold demeanor, long silences, and short responses could be, that type of skill and instinct was something special the legendary dogfighters of both world wars once had. For the most part, the story of The Last Ace remains within historical facts in all but one area—aerial combat. In Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, the primary adversary to the future Colonel William Bishop is a former-ace pilot of the Russian Federation with his own ties to the Bosnian War. It was somewhat of an open secret that Russian pilots flew Yugoslavian-owned combat aircraft against UN and NATO forces. This information was hidden from the world to prevent a potential third World War in Europe. In the novel, all of this information was deemed highly classified and remained hidden even decades later. The first air combat encounter came during a search and destroy mission at an airfield. While awaiting clearance to attack a group of Mil Mi-24 Hinds, the two-ship F-16 flight of Skull and Bishop were ambushed by a flight of four MiG-29 Fulcrums. With the Fulcrums flying low, fast, and during a rotation between AWACS aircraft on station in the area, they were able to come within 30 miles of the F-16s before being detected. With no AIM-120 AMRAAMs on their aircraft, the F-16s were at a disadvantage. The ensuing air battle saw Skull taking Bishop through a sharp dive towards the ground to vertically notch incoming R-27R semi-active air-to-air missiles from the Fulcrums. Predicting where the Fulcrums would attempt to flee from after their attack failed, the F-16s throttled up during their dive to maintain speed and energy as they transitioned to pursue the now fleeing MiG-29s, which had lost speed during their course change to leave the area. As Skull and Bishop caught up to the first pair of MiG-29s, coming just into maximum AIM-9 Sidewinder range, Skull advised Bishop to wait for the optimal missile shot, saying, "be patient[...] make every second a lifetime." Seconds later, both F-16s fired scoring kills. Though Skull immediately committed onto the second pair of fleeing Fulcrums despite being in a dangerously low fuel state, that engagement yielded no aerial victories. While Bishop personally questioned the actions of Skull putting himself in danger to score the fifth kill, he never brought it up publicly. A week and a half after the first air battle, Wolf flight had just completed an airstrike when it was tasked with shooting down a pair of ARS-controlled Mi-24 Hinds. After dispatching both helicopters, Wolf flight was informed that a four-ship of MiG-29s were lifting off from an airfield within their vicinity, but they were of no threat. Regardless, Skull ordered the second half of the flight to return to base. Bishop, inquiring about the plan was, was told to follow Skull, and the two began pursuit of the Fulcrums despite only having a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinders per aircraft. Without tasking from the AWACS to do so, Skull was advised that a pair of F-15 Eagles were being vectored into the area to engage the Fulcrums. Skull continued pursuit, declaring that he was attempting to ensure the Fulcrums would not attack other allied forces until the F-15s arrived. With such a significant distance between both groups of aircraft - at a maximum of 50 miles apart at the start of the engagement -, it was unrealistic for the F-16s to close distance to utilize their AIM-9s before they ran out of fuel. However, as the pair of F-16s gradually closed distance, the pressure applied by their presence forced the flight of MiGs to begin separating their formation. A lone MiG-29 aggressively changed course at low altitude and turned to engage Skull and Bishop. The pilot either being inexperienced in air combat or eager to gain a kill of their own. Hoping this would happen, Skull pressed the engagement with the single Fulcrum noting that the pilot fired an R-27R outside of its launch parameters. Commenting on the MiG pilot being "hyped on adrenaline," Skull fired an AIM-9 well outside of its effective range in a head-on approach to the MiG. This scared the pilot and forced them to evade and lose even more speed. Skull rapidly gained altitude as the MiG pilot completed their evasive maneuvers, predicting that the Fulcrum pilot would lose sight of him and gain altitude to spot Skull's aircraft easier. The instinctual flying skills of Skull already had him place high and behind the confused and climbing MiG-29 even before it began its ascent. Though the Fulcrum eventually spotted the F-16, an attempt to dive to the ground at full afterburner still resulted in Skull's AIM-9 proximity bursting into the Fulcrum, forcing the pilot to eject from losing control while in a rapid dive. Scoring his fifth kill and becoming the first American ace since the Vietnam war, the celebration was stifled by the arrival of the rest of the fallen MiG-29's flight. Though they managed to survive the air battle long enough for friendly F-15s to begin their attack, both F-16s were considerably damaged. In particular, Skull's F-16 was heavily damaged by cannon fire from an especially skilled MiG-29 pilot. With his aircraft in shambles and unable to return to base, Skull attempted to eject from the aircraft multiple times but could not due to battle damage. Skull told Bishop to shoot the canopy of his damaged aircraft as his last chance to escape alive. After two sweat-drenched attempts, Bishop was successful in destroying the canopy and enabling Skull's ejection. After confirming the ejection and coordinating the arrival of a search and rescue helicopter, Skull passed words of respect and thankfulness to Bishop, thanking him for his support and telling him that he could finally call Skull "an Ace". As Bishop departed the area to meet up with a tanker aircraft, the rescue helicopter was ambushed by ARS infantry with a shoulder launcher surface-to-air missile. The helicopter was destroyed, killing all on board. Decades later, the older Colonel William Bishop deliberated an offer to lead a NATO-led task force against an African insurgency in 2015. Eventually deciding to take the assignment, his recollection of Skull and his ambitions to be a fighter pilot aided him in this decision. While Bishop thought about whether or not he had achieved his goal in life as a test pilot, he reasoned that Skull achieved his life goal, and it inspired him to do the same: to become the best pilot in the sky. "[Skull] got his fifth kill. He died happy. Fulfilled. The last ace." -Colonel William "Brass" Bishop This article was written with a copy of the transcript for "The Last Ace," the prequel novel to Ace Combat: Assaults Horizon. We would again like to thank the author for sending us this material to discuss this novel further. About the Author Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

"For novice pilots the concept of energy management is often hard to understand, for a novice glider pilot it is vital to understand." I never thought I'd open an article with a quote from a manual, but page six, paragraph one of the World of Aircraft: Glider Simulator manual, just changed that. For big-name flight simulators that focus on civilian aviation, their most significant appeal is usually the sheer amount of aircraft available and massive gobs of terrain that can be traversed. There is a somewhat expected roster of single-engine, multi-engine, turboprop, and jet aircraft that are expected within their rosters. These aircraft are flown between the capital cities of the world, picture-perfect postcard landscapes, and other faraway lands simulator pilots dream of visiting. But along the way, even with all of that, there can be areas lacking within the flight models or the overall representation of aircraft that are just accepted as a compromise. This is why something more specialized like the simulator I'm discussing today piqued my interest. World of Aircraft: Glider Simulator is the first entry in a new flight simulator series published by Aerosoft, developed by the World of Aircraft Team. There are two notable things to discuss before talking about the actual flying. About World of Aircraft First is the scope and intention of the World of Aircraft (WoA) series. This is explained very clearly in a forum post not included on the sales page. As stated by Mathjis Kok, Head of Support and Community Manager for Aerosoft, WoA is a series of standalone casual flight simulators. These low-cost releases do not require bleeding edge PC specs to run smoothly and aren't built to try and challenge established large-scale flight simulators. Instead of eye-watering visuals taking the lead, the priority is on highly accurate simulation of specific flight models. Each WoA release will come with one or two detailed airports or airfields with a broad terrain area of a minimum of 2500 km². The set of aircraft included with each release will follow some sort of specific subject. This entry focuses on gliders, but agricultural aviation, arctic aviation, para jumping, and floatplanes were also mentioned as ideas. I've got nothing against the big sims like X-Plane, Prepar3D, or Microsoft Flight Simulator, but Aerosoft could be on the inside track of developing small flight simulation experiences that would be perfect for beginners. Practical Manual The second notable item is the aforementioned manual for this sim. The way it is written is a prime example of how to simplify accurate information while providing enough detail for experienced fliers to still find useful. Alongside the standard explanations of its settings and control profiles are concise explanations of aircraft control surfaces, energy management for aircraft with or without an engine, an important section on thermals, and what I would call "practical" descriptions for each aircraft. These descriptions not being an encyclopedic record full of historical and development data but user-friendly information that describes flight characteristics, lists of approved aerobatic maneuvers, towing procedures, general aircraft characteristics, and exact numbers for performance limitations. All while maintaining a casual tone. Glider Simulator World of Aircraft: Glider Simulator can be played with keyboard-mouse, gamepads, flight sticks, or Hands-On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS) configurations. While there are pre-mapped configurations available, I chose the Dev Mode setting to custom map everything in my own way. I was unable to use TrackIR or other forms of headtracking and had a few problems with getting my rudder pedals working correctly, but ultimately this didn't detract from the experience too much. As always, remember to check keybinds and assign control axis before flying. Binding keys for zoom and view onto a gamepad or flight stick still work out just fine. Starting with the aircraft roster, there are six aircraft in total: one dedicated tow aircraft (Pzl-104 Wilga), two gliders (LET L-13 Blaník, ASK 21), and even motorized gliders (H36 Dimona, ASK 21 Mi). Each of them is easy to pick up and learn, thanks to the way training is handled. Useful overlays appear in the cockpits of each aircraft while players participate in three to four lessons per subject. As each lesson gradually removes assistance systems putting more control into the hands of the pilots in training, overlays of the controls indicate ideal settings, flight attitudes, and when to activate certain control surfaces by showing colors, numbers, and guiding arrows as visual aids. While only the Wilga and Blaník are available in training mode and in multiplayer, all aircraft can be flown in single-player Free Flight. Generally, this is going to be the go-to mode for a majority of the flying being done around your personal 2500 km² map that recreates an area around Mannheim, Germany, with basic settings for wind speed, direction, and clouds. The available airports include Herrenteich Airfield (EDEH), a very nice grass airfield with multiple aircraft nearby. The second is Speyer Regional Airport (EDRY), a modern airport that shares space with technology museum Technic Museum Speyer - look for the retired Lufthansa Boeing 747-200 and other aircraft among the buildings. Thus far, I've primarily focused on piloting motorized and unmotorized gliders because of personal preference. Many years ago I logged hours in gliders as a part of an aviation program, and since then, I've always had a special feeling about them. The feel of gliders in World of Aircraft: Glider Simulator was familiar to me. The flight performance of the gliders did not feel too far off from reality. There are few things you'll do in flight simulators that are similar to being towed into the sky. The shaking and rattling followed by immediately having to hold formation behind the tow aircraft from the moment the glider is airborne isn't something most flight simmers haven't done in their sims of choice. Coordinating towed flights with others in multiplayer servers further adds to this experience. Even near-perfect controlled landings feel eerily like low-speed crash landings because of how low profile the landing gear is. The sound design of this sim is great. While in the air, humming propellers and whining jet engines are replaced with calm silence. The telltale sounds of varying wind speed and vibrations of the aircraft are just as important as the flight instruments. Because of how relatively slow gliders fly, efficiently flying with coordinated turns, realistic bank angles, and keeping track of your angle of attack is necessary to turn your short hops into long-term sightseeing flights or trying out aerobatic maneuvers. Every maneuver must be intentional to get the maximum performance out of each flight. Gaining altitude is accurately done through successful energy management and the all-important use of thermals. For those that don't know, thermals are columns of rising air formed on the ground by the warming of the earth's surface by sunlight. Gliders can utilize thermals to gain altitude and extend their flight time. The representation of thermals was my biggest concern coming into this sim. More often than not, I'm used to thermals being presented as a type of reliably ever-present source of lift that never moves. This was not the case in WoA: Glider Simulator. The diameter, height, and strength of the thermals have all felt different. More than a few times did I find myself adjusting my turn radius in a bid to continue gaining altitude only for the thermal to unexpectedly dissipate. While circling birds flying in an area can indicate the presence of a thermal, it's no guaranteed ticket to rising thousands of feet into the air. I greatly appreciate this. Whether you're trying to set a new personal altitude record, checking out the landscape full of driving cars and sailing ships, or performing surprisingly robust aerobatics, World of Aircraft: Glider Simulator feels like a good start to a new series. I look forward to the next entry in the WoA series. World of Aircraft could act as a gateway for newcomers to begin their journey into realistic flight simulation and for veterans of the genre to try more specialized types of aviation not prioritized in other simulators. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Something arcade flight games have always had to struggle with is the number of weapons and customizations an aircraft should be allowed to have. It's a fine balance. Too restrictive, and the viability of half the aircraft roster can come into question once end-game aircraft are available. Offering too many choices can allow for so much overlap in performance there's little to no difference between the capabilities of them all after a certain point. Some games have done a better job at this than others, and so far, it seems that Azure Domain is taking a noteworthy approach in this aspect. Azure Domain is a still in development flight game that caught my eye many weeks ago. Initially, what pulled me in was its preliminary story on the Steam store. Humanity is fighting for survival after leaving a dying world behind, nations fighting for a Solar Priestesses and extra-dimensional energy harvested for global extinction. That's a pretty intense setting, to say the least. Gameplay-wise, with Azure Domain still in the pre-alpha phase, there's certainly a lot of room for improvements and adjustments in the future. This is something entirely expected of a title still this early in development, so that's not a black mark against it. Aircraft and weapons are still receiving textures, control schemes are being tweaked and compatibility issues are being addressed, while new content is being created. Refinement will come with time, but something I hope does not change too much is how customization and weapon management are currently implemented. Performance customizations are split into four separate categories: Airframe Modules change the aircraft's flight performance and ability to recharge and maintain a charge for energy weapons. Defense Modules for equipping extra ballistic armor changes to shields to better absorb energy weapon damage and even a threat detection system that temporarily augments aircraft abilities when in danger. Weapon Modules for increasing weapons payloads, changing projectile weapon velocity and firepower, improving laser output, and adjusting bomb timer fuses. Ability, a way to activate a game-changing ability that has a cooldown timer. In the pre-alpha, this is being able to perform mid-mission repairs to armor. Each aircraft has varying amounts of slots for each of these categories, but despite the number of slots, each part's performance enhancement is not game balance breaking. Just putting one part from each category won't convert an aircraft into a super jet. Selecting specific parts in conjunction with particular weapons is the only way to make dedicated builds that favor certain types of combat. This is a welcome change from aircraft modification systems in other games that may have half a dozen maneuverability upgrade parts to be unlocked, but in the end, the final part is so high performance the remaining five are just never used again. Weapons are sorted into three types: bullet, explosive, and laser. These include rapid-firing machine guns, lasers that hit multiple targets at once, guided missiles, unguided rockets, rail guns, and more. There are four classes of hardpoints weapons can be mounted onto: C1 (small), C2 (medium) and C3 (large). The fourth class, Turret, is reserved for Gunship type aircraft. Some weapons, like guided missiles, benefit from being loaded onto larger hardpoints as this enables them to fire missile salvos. The selected weapons can be assigned to fire groups (or just "groups") with specific firing buttons per group. Using mouse wheel scroll while in combat selects the active fire group. For example: In the screenshot above, weapons group 1 has a machine gun pod available on the primary fire button (left click) and pulse laser on the secondary fire button (right-click). Mouse wheel scroll up switches to guided missiles in weapons group 2 which launch with the primary fire button. Aircraft with greater amounts of hardpoints can deploy formidable weapon groups capable of shredding hull sections of airborne capital ships. For example, three machine gun pods backed by a chain laser to destroy fighters or a dedicated close-range weapons group of unguided rockets and scatterguns. It should be noted that any weapons attached to turrets can be fired off-axis from the forward fight path of the aircraft by using free look to aim the turrets at nearby targets manually. The turrets ability to pivot to attack targets also opens up the possibility of broadsiding larger enemies. A consideration in having so much variety is trying to maintain consistent firepower and ensure weapons compatibility within each fire group. For example, assigning an unguided bomb and guided missile on the same firing button would render one of them useless in most situations. Or deploying multiple laser weapons without energy augmentations could drain the aircraft's systems and leave it with reduced performance and defense. It's nice to have to consider the variety of weapons and their functions rather than worry about whether or not the single secondary weapon you can bring would be useful for the entire mission. Within the flight arcade genre, most titles default to either aircraft only carrying a solitary secondary weapon or possibly a pair of secondary weapons with significantly reduced weapon quantity. Though it's still early in development, Azure Domain seems to have found an early strength in its development that could set it apart from others in its genre as it nears release. That's not to say this game has nothing else going for it. Of course, it's easier to check it out for yourself by following the Proud Cipher Media Group, join their Discord to interact with the team directly, and download the pre-alpha for Azure Domain on Steam to get involved. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Digital Combat Simulator World has a broad player base from weekend fliers to professional-style military simulation enthusiasts. As expected of a combat flight sim that emulates blood pumping, G-pulling air combat, there is also a consistent competitive player base. While videos of high profile events like SATAL, SATAC and the Folds of Honor DCS tournament circulate social media groups, these are not the only competitive events that have been run or sponsored. Tactical Air Combat Tournament 21-1 is the newest tournament in the Digital Combat Simulator World competitive community. Running between June and August 2021, TACT is a 6 vs. 6 tournament that is open to new and already established virtual squadrons. The competitive teams that cannot fulfill the 6-player minimum have the option for teams to recruit up to two temporary ("mercenary") pilots to fill the minimum requirement. Not to be confused with an everyday type of player vs. player server setup, this air-to-air only event is forgiving enough to let pilots perform a quick return to base if an internal navigation system error or payload issue arises, but also promotes actively engaging in combat via match structure. For example, once competitors enter the 90 nautical mile combat zone, teams can only either shoot down their opposing side or maintain control of the combat zone with no opposing aircraft within the zone for five minutes. This is taken a step further by requiring pilots to land at the opposing team's airbase, forcing them to fly through their adversaries to land. There are few weapon restrictions, though other specific rules for competitors to follow are related to how electronic countermeasures are modeled in different aircraft, approved attack radar settings, and other known DCS-related quirks and bugs. These are things that veterans of DCS World are aware of and negotiate through conversations in the the TACT 21-1 Discord server. Skyward Flight Media briefly spoke to X-man, one of the primary event organizers, about this event shortly before it began: Hello! We are excited to discuss the competitive side of DCS World with you. Can you tell us about the team behind this event? We are the 64th 'Scorpions' Aggressor Squadron. We formed in May 2019 but many of our members have known each other and flown competitive DCS (and its predecessors LOMAC/Flanker 2.0) for 10+ years. Who are the members of the team running TACT 21-1? Predominantly <64>X-man and <64>Rage. We receive help of course from other 64th members. Is TACT a new event to the DCS competitive scene? Yes. Although it follows a similar format to previous events we have run like SATAC. It is a relatively short PVP event run over 2 months simulating a limited air-to-air skirmish/exercise. Twenty-seven teams have signed up for this event. That's quite a few considering the format is teams of 6 players each. Was this level of turnout expected? Actually no! Many more teams have signed up than expected. It's great to see so many players and teams take an interest in PVP. We have tried to make it more accessible to teams by having a shorter time frame, match rescheduling, relaxed rulesets, and administrative burden, and the use of 'Mercenary' pilots if necessary. How would you describe the teams signing up? Are they veteran competitors? Newly formed teams? Both, of course. It is great to see new squads enter and develop into veterans as they compete. DCS has modules (aircraft) of varying complexity. Not all have clickable cockpits. Why is TACT only allowing high fidelity modules? Whereas before there was little difference between clickable and unclickable modules in terms of actual systems modeling there is now an increasing fidelity gap between the two types of modules. Not only are the high fidelity modules' clickable' but they also have far more realistic systems modeling. This is important for a limited scope PVP event like TACT. We run other events like Op. Meltdown and PG85/PG92 [Persian Gulf' 85/Persian Gulf' 92] where we do have FC3 planes available. On a personal note, I think the writing has been on the wall for a long time regarding FC3. [Eagle Dynamics] can be seen to shift much more attention and development time to high fidelity modules and it seems the lower fidelity stuff will be spun off in a separate game (Modern Air Combat?) How does a competitive DCS mission differ from the usual PVP or PVE mission? I think the rules and schedule are pretty self-explanatory. The difference between PVE/casual server PVP and an event like TACT is that with the former you can quite easily become an Ace in a single session. Kills are easy and relatively cheap. In a focused 6v6 match everything matters and everything counts. In an even matchup, kills are much harder to get and therefore much more valuable. It has been a little over a month since TACT 21-1 started. Now videos of the past matches are being posted on YouTube with VODs available on Twitch for those interested in seeing what DCS competitive level flying looks like. Though there is not an official TACT stream or channel to find all matches, checking the official forum thread will help viewers find the streams they are looking for. Multiple independent streamers have volunteered to stream and commentate on as many matches as they can. With so many different streamers with their own broadcast styles, watching TACT has been interesting so far: Tricker: https://www.twitch.tv/tricky_tricker LowBlow: http://twitch.tv/lowblowttv HerraMisi: https://www.twitch.tv/herramisi TitanFire: https://www.twitch.tv/titanfire_ Maverick: https://www.twitch.tv/104th_maverick Deliverator: https://www.twitch.tv/d3liverator Though Tactical Air Combat Tournament 21-1 is the newest tournament on the scene, the combat and analysis of each match has been both entertaining and educational. The name of this event hints at the possibility of multiple TACT events in the future, which could be beneficial to the competition going forward. Having a consistent and easier to access tournament series like this could help with formation of new competitive teams that go on to challenge other already established tournaments. Take some time to check out TACT 21-1 before it's over. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

As Flight Sim Expo (FSE) 2021 draws near, anticipation for the event continues to build. With many well-known exhibitors, speakers, and sponsors announced, the brief descriptions of events and seminars on the expo's schedule and the recent question and answer live stream seem to be the only things event-goers have to hold them over for now. But this isn't necessarily the case. While Flight Sim Expo 2021 has adapted the event format to include more free and paid online events because of the ongoing impact of COIVD-19 across the globe, parts of FSE 2018 and 2019 were thoroughly recorded in video. For enthusiasts planning to attend this year's expo or people with an interest who want to get a feel for what FSE is, these videos from yesteryear are a good example of what to expect from FSE 2021 in just a few months. While there is plenty of footage of FSE from content creators and media outlets, Flight Sim Expo itself provides many videos directly to viewers around the globe. Available on their YouTube channel are playlists with more than 50 videos from the first and second years of FSE. These include product announcements and interviews with exhibitors live from the expo floor. The length of these videos vary from two minutes to multi-hour presentations - all of them free to view on their channel. Of particular note is the three-part presentation, "Using At-Home Flight Simulation". This presentation was presented by Calum Martin (co-founder of FSElite), Sebastian Knoop-Troullier (FlightX Pilot Experience), and Ethan Hawes (Republic Airlines). These speakers discuss at length the why and how enthusiasts get into flight simulation, how to get into flying online with dozens of other simmers and/or air traffic controllers, and more details about simulation techniques related to briefings, cockpit organization, and flight planning. Explanations of how online flying networks like VATSIM, Pilot Edge, IVAO, EasternHops, and others were also explained. This year's Flight Sim Expo is still on and is still scheduled from September 24th to September 26th, 2021. For people attending for the first time or hearing about this event for the first time this year, one of the easiest ways to see if Flight Sim Expo is for you is watching video directly from the event itself. About the Author Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

In the past few weeks, media of a shiny low poly flight shooter has been particularly eye-catching. 'Aggressor' advertises itself as a Cold War-era focused title that prioritizes air combat and has a proposed aircraft list of unusual composition. Its eyebrow-raising preview screenshots show several unusual aircraft like the XF-107A, YB-35, E-152M, and the Ye-8, for example. Before Aggressor entered early access on July 28th, 2021, Flashpoint Studios, its developer, had released Interceptor II on April 14th, 2018, and a Flight Physics Demo on August 28th, 2020. Each of these releases acting as testbeds for the eventual development of Aggressor. The demo for Aggressor was posted on December 22nd, 2020, on Itch.io, though as of the time of this writing, though the demo no longer represents the current build of the game. After roughly ten months of development, the early access release of the game is now available. That being said, it's important to stress that this is a title at the beginning of its early access phase. Much more needs to be done before it is presented in the form that its developer intends it to be in. Aggressor has launched with two of its three-game modes available in varying degrees. The campaign consists of straightforward missions with easy-to-understand objectives. Split between tutorial, USAF, and USSR, completing these missions gathers more in-game currency for players to purchase more aircraft and weapons. New missions and previously completed missions can be played with any purchased aircraft. While some aircraft do seem unobtainable because of their high cost, this is primarily because of the lack of missions that would yield high credit payouts. Aircraft unlock prices are scaled for full single-player campaigns of dozens of missions. With only six missions currently available for the campaign, even unlocking mid-tier aircraft would be a considerable grind at this time. The same can be said for optional weaponry that is purchased in the hangar. Instant Dogfight mode is the strongest foot forward for Aggressor at this time. The player can set all dimensions of the battle they're about to play. There are seven locations, nine weather presets, time of day settings, altitude spawn height selection, an infinite ammunition option, and side of choice (Blue team or Red team). For the CPU units, the entire aircraft roster thus far is available in this mode, whereas the player is limited to aircraft they have purchased in their inventory. Up to 100 aircraft per team can be spawned, which can result in swirling World War II-style dogfights where avoiding collisions is just as much of a priority as evading incoming enemy fire. Though aerial battles of this scale are more than enough to borderline overload Aggressor and slow the speed of gameplay down to nearly a crawl, even more, moderate-sized engagements of 60 vs. 60 are still as enticing. Furthermore, some of the aircraft matchups possible do allow for some highly unusual engagements. I'm unsure if I'll ever be able to gun down a Mikoyan Ye-8 with a P-51 Mustang while being supported by F-11 Tiger wingmen in any other title at this point. Honestly, at this time, Instant Dogfight seems to represent the overall focus of Aggressor as a whole: multiple short combat engagements that are easy to play back-to-back. Rather than rely on world-building or a complex setting to tie combat segments together, Aggressor is placing the aircraft at its forefront with only a thin slice of information about the objective given to kick off the action. Assuming this does not change later in early access, it could become a title that is known for its quick access to the action. Furthermore, seeing so many location and weather presets backed by time of day changes also demonstrates potential settings for future campaign missions. Dogfights in low visibility conditions were particularly nail biting. This aircraft roster for the beginning of its early access is rather enticing for its inclusion of so many early and mid-Cold War aircraft. Of course, having their exact names and aircraft manufacturers is an entirely different licensing beast that's often better avoided, so here is a near complete list of actual aircraft names with their in-game names in parenthesis: P-51 (Merlin) LA-11 (Claw) P-80 (Comet) Yak-15 (Feather) F-86E Sabre (Scimitar) MiG-15 (Streak) F-86H Sabre (Stream) MiG-17 (Firestreak) F-100 Super Sabre (Superstream) MiG-19 (Thunderball) F-5E Tiger (Tigris) MiG-21 (Spearhead) SU-17 (Gyre) F-101 (Raider) MiG-23 (Werewolf) A4 Skyhawk (Stinger) Su-7 (Critter) F-9 Cougar (Blueray) Su-9 (Grappler) F-11 Tiger (Bolt) F5D Skylancer (Lancer) MiG-29 Fulcrum (Draco) F3H Demon (Greyhound) Sukhoi P-1 (Virtuoso) F-104 Starfighter (Skyrocket) F-20 Tigershark (Tigershark) Mikoyan Ye-8 (Hydra) F-102 Delta Dagger (Dagger) Mikoyan E-152M (Flame) F-16 Viper (Viper) Grumman X-29 (Cutlass) Fictional USSR Eurofighter (Taifun) Keep in mind that this is an arcade flight simulator. While it has a few advanced elements like aircraft damage affecting the flight model, missing aircraft components changing flight characteristics, and realistic amounts of ammunition when infinite ammo is not enabled, the focus is still easy to access action. There are noticeable performance differences between each airframe but do not expect the flight models to be 1:1 to their real-world counterparts. What is especially enjoyable about combat in Aggressor is how frequently air combat relies on energy management and how often turn rates are a deciding factor. This is something that shows up more often in full-fidelity flight simulators or flight sim lites, rather than arcade titles like this one. Aggressor definitely has a way to go to stabilize its current gameplay or add a few key features. There is a learning curve in figuring out how to control aircraft with its default control scheme that is somewhat disorienting at first. Further development of control schemes for keyboard-mouse, gamepads, and flight sticks is needed. A few additions to the user interface would help with situational awareness. Some type of reticle to give a general idea for how far to lead a target would help with ammo preservation in a majority of jet aircraft which do not have high amounts of internal gun ammunition. More clarification on purchasing equipment and loading them onto aircraft would be helpful. Fortunately, the developer behind this game is actively accepting feedback and at work with changes and additions. The benefit of an early access release is further developing the game alongside the players giving their input for changes. Be sure to let Flashpoint Studios know what you think of Aggressor so far, either on Steam, Discord, or Twitter. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

On April 3rd, 2008, the last thing anyone expected from the Tom Clancy brand was a combat focused arcade flight simulator. With well known infantry combat and espionage series like Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell beneath the Tom Clancy name, this was an eye brow raising announcement at the time. When Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. (High Altitude Warfare eXperimental) was released on game consoles and PCs on March 3rd, 2009, its signature game mechanic was the subject of praise and scrutiny by both its fans and media outlets alike. Looking back at this system roughly 12 years later, this some what fantastical video game concept is now the subject of real world military development in 4th and 5th generation fixed wing combat aircraft. The Enhanced Reality System (ERS) is a central part of the gameplay of Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. Both when this game came out and even now over a decade and a half later, ERS is viewed as a function created only for players that are either new to flight games or have very little experience with them. Many of its functions are considered a somewhat “hand holding” level of assistance, but it’s difficult to say that ERS was just a system for unskilled newbies to effortlessly complete combat missions without a challenge. ERS was definitely not some type of easy mode switch that made players invincible, but rather, a mode that provided a wealth of information and more realistic flight control limitations as compared to the mode suggested for more advanced piloting. Enhanced Reality System can be explained by separating it into multiple layers. The flight control layer restricts flight to a more realistic flight profile that people would expect from an arcade flight simulator like this, though it is harder to stall the aircraft because assistance systems are running to help stabilize flight. Furthermore, any damage taken to the aircraft is reduced to a degree, but not to the point where an aircraft can take multiple missile strikes without suffering massive damage. The information layer contains a radar that can be toggled between the onboard aircraft radar and wide area map, Heads Up Display, weapons selection and quantity, current objective information and AI wingman controls. Incoming threats, selected targets and video communications also appear in small video boxes to add visuals to back the on screen text information. The threat layer displays engagement ranges of enemy air defenses or minimum defense ranges of allied units with circles and/or cylinders of various colors showing their detection and engagement areas transposed onto the terrain or airspace. Furthermore, incoming guided missiles are tracked and displayed with red triangles showing their exact position and red arrows indicating the trajectory of the incoming missiles. The final layer, which is the most memorable part of ERS, is the ERS Tunnel. It is a flight path prediction function that can be manually activated by the player. With the press of a button, the Enhanced Reality System calculates flight paths for intercepting enemy aircraft, attacking hard to reach ground targets, outmaneuvering incoming missiles, navigation through difficult terrain and the safest flight paths through even the toughest of air defenses. These flight paths are displayed as triangular shaped gates of various colors, depending on the task selected. Flying through these gates will efficiently take players either to their targets or away from threats. Remaining outside of the projected flight path for too long can result in the path being lost with a new path having to be recalculated. There are some missions within HAWX’s campaign in which activating this system is mandatory to get through certain set pieces of the game’s story, but for the most part activation of this flight path prediction function is completely optional. Furthermore, it is not perfect. Attempting to activate this system too close to the enemy or against highly agile, skilled opposition will cause the ERS to malfunction because it is unable to predict a viable flight path. Simply activating the flight path prediction function does not always guarantee success. This is especially true against incoming missiles, since it is possible for the player to activate the evasive maneuver flight path assistance too late and still be struck by enemy fire. While the Enhanced Reality System certainly provides benefits of stability in flight, damage reduction, clear threat identification and a wealth of possible flight paths to victory, ultimately it still comes down to the player to at least be competent enough to fly through the projected gates at ideal speeds. This is not a type of game mechanic which switches the player to some sort of on rails system that takes complete control from the player and delivers them to the solution while they sit back. The default state of ERS is commonly referred to as “Assistance On”. While it is on, all features and functions mentioned in the previous section are active. Switching an aircraft to “Assistance Off” is advertised as a flight mode reserved for only the most deft pilots willing to take risks for full control of their aircraft. Flying with assistance off is an analog to the concept of disabling a fly by wire system to remove flight control limits applied to an aircraft by its built in systems, allowing pilots to push their aircraft beyond what are deemed as safe limits. In Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. this is portrayed as the ability to perform extreme maneuvers - or as the game refers to it, “drifting”. For reference, present day equivalents would be the angle of attack limiter of Project Wingman and post-stall maneuver system of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. The exchange for this newfound maneuverability is that the in-game point of view defaults to a zoomed out 3rd person view, aircraft radar is hidden, flight path prediction is done away with and the most effective way to evade incoming fire is to outmaneuver them while keeping track of the minimal missile warning cues that appear on screen. Damage reduction is also disabled, meaning that one or two well placed enemy missiles is enough to destroy the player’s aircraft. Frankly, advertising Assistance Off as a type of “true pilot” control scheme is rather inaccurate. Whereas the Enhanced Reality System keeps players within a more believable realm of flight, Assistance Off seemingly throws physics out the window for the sake of a flashy flight style. Modern arcade flight simulators utilizing something similar to ERS Tunnels could be a learning tool for people completely new to the genre, making it easier for them to understand basic combat maneuvering and evasive maneuvering concepts, shortening the amount of time they would need to become comfortable and begin learning more advanced aspects of the game and perhaps of flight in general. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. was successful in implementing this system in a way that was mostly non-intrusive, though again, it was required to complete certain mission sequences. Curiously, despite how forefront the Enhanced Reality System was in the first H.A.W.X. game was, it is noticeably altered and not as frequently seen in Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2. The most high profile changes include the rare usage of the ERS tunnel which was presented to the player only in limited situations. Discussing this subject in 2021 is especially interesting when discussing the Enhanced Reality System in retrospect, as similar concepts have been in development by militaries and aerospace companies around the globe. Of course it was early concepts about the incorporation of augmented reality in current and next generation combat aircraft that inspired what is seen in Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. back in 2009, but seeing real world aircraft in 2021 - like the F-35 Lightning II, Eurofighter Typhoon and the conceptual BAE Tempest - showing off experimental displays that mirror this game is an attention grabbing comparison. For those interested in seeing how concepts of tacti-cool tech from the late 2000s stack up with the bleeding edge technology of the near future, a play through of Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. would be a good way to spend an afternoon. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

As this unexpected Star Wars first-person space dogfighter nears one year since its release, the combat style is still firmly within everything you'd expect from a Star Wars title. Throughout my experience of both casually and seriously playing this title, there are times when you genuinely feel like you're a hotshot space pilot flying through settings similar to your most beloved Star Wars movie or TV moments. Taking down starfighters with blasters at point-blank range, skimming across the hulls of massive warships dropping energy bombs, and even the more game-specific elements that involve launching drones to repair allies and target markers to track enemies aren't too far outside of the "Star Wars experience." But, as an atmospheric pilot that's used to beyond visual range engagements being the bread and butter of aerial combat, there's a noticeable lack of BVR combat. To be fair, that's understandable considering that the true-to-screen Star Wars starfighter combat experience is all within visual range (WVR) combat. Even the use of missiles on film is done with the enemy well within sight. Though, there is an auxiliary weapon in Star Wars Squadrons' action that qualifies as medium ranged combat, which can come in handy against the mighty capital ships players must work together to overcome: Torpedoes. The torpedoes within this game are the slowest moving auxiliary weapon and are hopelessly ineffective against enemy starfighters. But the damage they deal is staggering and can completely change the course of a battle, if they can reach their targets. When viewing the Capital Ship Value document, which is a part of the r/CompetitiveSquadrons Community Knowledge Compendium, it's evident that a single craft deploying these weapons is capable of impairing the shields of a battlecruiser or decimating a vital subsystem on a Star Destroyer almost in just a few solid hits. The damage output that could be achieved by two or more players using coordinated attacks or concentrating fire on a single subsystem could be matched by a single player at a somewhat safer distance. The three torpedoes in question that are capable of these debilitating long-range strikes are: Ion Torpedo: deals high damage to shields (24,000 ion damage), capable of knocking down a full power flagship's shield with two hits. Striking a subsystem with these can disable them for a time but will not destroy them. Proton Torpedo: provides the most damage per torpedo (4,000 hull damage), making it capable of destroying a subsystem with two successful hits from these weapons. Piercing Torpedo: a specialized torpedo capable of slipping through enemy shields while still dealing moderate damage (2,000 hull damage) to the hull and subsystems. The natural adversaries of torpedoes are the shields of capital ships, rocket turrets deployed by support craft, interception fire from laser turrets, and blaster fire from keen human-controlled starfighters that are well versed with their onboard sensors to detect them or notice the faint glow they emit while in flight. Whether you're battling against other human pilots or AI bot adversaries, the battlefield is truly alive in the Fleet Battles game modes. Besides the three primary capital ships and roving corvette escorts exchanging laser and missile fire, non-player-controlled starfighters also crisscross the area. This constant activity in the combat zone acts as a type of cover for the torpedoes as they fly towards their targets. Torpedoes are often overlooked since most players are focused on pursuing their objectives and combating enemies actively maneuvering against them. A lumbering torpedo that seems to be aimlessly wandering through the battlefield is no danger to a highspeed starfighter, so mentally, they become a low priority for players dealing with more forefront threats. While players can launch torpedoes at a minimum of 500 m - the minimum locking distance for most guided weapons - their ability to lock and launch at 1500 m is a crucial strength as long as players remember to remain near maximum distance when launching these torpedoes. Launching them at 500 m is a viable tactic depending on the situation, but at this distance, the ship launching the torpedoes will be well within the range of laser turrets and starfighters defending the capital ships that are most likely already actively firing upon them. The launch of a torpedo at that range will be easy to detect and easy to intercept seconds after it was launched. Again, with most of the action being WVR combat, there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the close-ranged melee to sneak medium range attacks with heavy-hitting torpedoes for surgical strikes against specific capital ship subsystems - which is the primary objective of Fleet Battles. When focusing on maximum range engagements, the only other weaponry in-game that can pair with torpedoes are various types of missiles. These are the less powerful but more maneuverable counterparts to torpedoes that can be used against starfighters as well as larger targets. Pairing missiles with torpedoes can provide an effective one-two punch for players using load-outs specialized in disabling and destroying capital ships over everything else. Quietly destroying half of the systems on a Star Destroyer while tiptoeing around an epic dogfight isn't as hilarious as SPAMRAAMing in a F/A-18C Hornet, but successfully landing heavy hits in key moments to obtain victory makes medium range combat in Star Wars Squadrons worth the unusual approach to its standard combat experience. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

How many times have I watched wingmen and flight leads die because of cloud-fueled impatience? When a thick cloud deck throws off an entire strike mission, the annoyance is palpable. It's almost like the constant circling above the combat area hoping to find a way to break through drives people mad. Before you know it, even an experienced Digital Combat Simulator World (DCS) pilot can be driven to risk it all and dive into the unknown to get their ordinance on target before hitting bingo fuel. More often than not, this results in them crashing into terrain or blindly descending into enemy air defense with expected consequences. The implementation of the clouds into this simulator on April 14th, 2021 truly changed DCS World. As mentioned in a speculative article written two weeks before the addition of clouds, the presence of clouds can completely change air-to-ground operations. The complications clouds can bring to what were once very straightforward strike missions could eventually annoy people to the point where bad decisions may be made in an attempt to rush the mission to get it done. But flying in unprepared or blindly can result in a fast and frustrating death. Here are a few suggestions on dealing with these understandable frustrations after being in these situations a few times myself: EXTENDED MISSION PLANNING It's one thing to see a map, but it's another thing to read a map. Extended mission planning that factors in terrain, altitude restrictions, waypoints, and attack vectors can help counter potential cloud cover problems. Identifying Altitudes: Using the Map layer of the mission briefing or F10 view, identify the terrain in the combat area. Identify the altitude of your target area and take note of the altitudes of the highest and lowest terrain around it. Knowing the height of dangerous terrain and the lowest point you can fly helps navigate cloud-covered areas and IFR conditions. Landmarks and Reference Points: Having a general idea of the landmarks that are around the target is helpful with identification. Knowing where a specific town, river, mountain, or road is can help when peeking through breaks in the clouds or visually scanning the obscured area. Altitude Restriction: Either through internal aircraft systems or making a mental note, set an altitude restriction for yourself when in the target area. Make the altitude restriction the highest known terrain altitude. Remaining above that altitude can prevent crashing into the ground even in low visibility conditions. Air Defenses: Related to altitude restrictions, knowing what type of air defense is in the area is a must in general, but factoring in what type of unknown air defenses may exist in the target area is also a factor in altitude restrictions. Sure, there may be no known surface-to-air missile (SAM) site in the area, but a hidden anti-aircraft gun, thermally guided SAM, optically guided SAM, or MANPADs could be waiting. Add the known engagement range and altitude of certain air defense systems to terrain altitude restrictions. Adhere to altitude restrictions as much as possible. Navigation Waypoints: Use waypoints for more than just marking the target area—set up waypoints for ingress, the target area, and egress. Having a quick reference for entry and exit in combat can be life-saving in IFR conditions. Any other navigation waypoints that can be added will further enhance survivability. Make sure that ingress, egress, and navigation waypoints are set at altitudes that are higher than the lowest altitude in the area, otherwise flying yourself into the ground without realizing it is a possibility. Attack Vector: Related to waypoints. Set one or more waypoints over the lowest area(s) of ground to the target. Program Attack Vector waypoints to have safe altitudes over the low terrain; never set attack vector waypoints to be the same altitude as the ground you are flying over. Only the Target waypoint should have the exact altitude of the target you are attacking. Visualize attack vector waypoints as a digital path you can follow to reach the target. At first, maintain the original high altitude restriction while overflying the attack vector waypoints. If the target area is obscured or you have weapons that require visual confirmation of the target to employ, and you are forced to try lower altitudes to bring weapons onto the target, flying the attack vector waypoints will act as a guide while flying "in the soup" with minimal visibility. If advanced navigation systems are not available, using landmark reference points and remembering the altitudes of terrain in and around the target area will still suffice. UTILIZING MODERN ATTACK CAPABILITIES Pre-Planned Attack: It's not the type of legendary dive-bombing, and flak dodging that gets the heart-thumping, but utilizing known target coordinates is the easiest way to deal with all-weather and visibility limitations. If target coordinates are available for one or more targets before the mission, take the time to input them into weapons and aircraft systems to make the sortie successful under any condition. This is especially true for GPS-capable air-to-ground weapons, which ignore visibility conditions and are guaranteed to strike the exact spot on the planet you've selected, assuming it doesn't hit terrain while in flight and correct weapons release conditions are met. Furthermore, be prepared to input coordinates for a pre-planned attack while airborne if necessary. It's not glamorous, but it's effective. Unguided weapons can also be dropped through the clouds, as long as the target's coordinates are known and input into the aircraft's navigation systems. Targeting Pods: When able, use the advanced optics and positioning information provided by targeting pods (TGP). Their optics allow for better identification at a more extended range, and forward-looking infrared (FLIR) can somewhat penetrate the cloud layer to assist with target identification. Furthermore, location coordinates from these pods can be used for guided and unguided munitions attacks through the cloud layer later. After a target's position has been "locked" by a TGP, assuming the target is not in motion, the attacking aircraft can return to a safer altitude with the target location displayed in its weapon systems for easier attack through the clouds or by other methods. CLOUD BREAKS The most enticing opportunities a pilot will see in these situations are cloud breaks. These gaps in the cloud layer seem to offer fast solutions to obscured target areas, but rather than diving straight in, many things should be considered. Visual Inspection: Before doing a split-s into the unknown, flying above and around a cloud break will allow time for this break to be inspected. Is it high enough from terrain to safely fly-through? Can the target be seen through the cloud break? How far is the target from the cloud break? Will flying through this break lead to higher visibility at lower altitudes? Shoot Through the Breaks: While inspecting a cloud break, if the target can be identified by looking through the break from higher altitudes, launching weapons through the break is the preferred attack method. If diving to lower altitudes into potentially high amounts of air defense can be avoided, do so. Even if this means lowering altitude a bit to shoot through the break at a 45-degree to 10-degree angle, this is preferable to diving through the break completely. In and Out: If descending through a cloud break is necessary, keep time at lower altitudes to a bare minimum. Vector yourself in the direction of the target before descending through the break. Climb back to the safe altitude as soon as weapons are released and prepare for bomb damage assessment (BDA) after the attack. Descend at a Distance: Descending directly above the target area is not a great idea. This type of approach exposes the pilot and aircraft to maximum risk. The aircraft will be carefully descending while within range of air defenses that the pilot cannot visually detect. The safer approach is descending through the cloud deck away from the target area to gain a visual before moving in to attack. This allows for a controlled descent away from threats while maintaining enough distance to establish a visual confirmation onto the target area. JUDGEMENT CALLS Setting aside weapons, systems and planning, everything comes down to the pilot flying the aircraft. Patience: As mentioned in the introduction of this article, patience can be the deciding factor in a successful attack in these situations. Maintain a calm and analytical mindset to solve the problem rather than add to the problem by hurrying the process. It could take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour to figure out whether or not the strike can be safely carried out or if the sortie has to be canceled. When to Attack and When to Come Back: If conditions are not right to hit the target in question, remember that there is a safety limit. Aggressively diving into the situation to force the attack without a clear plan or good attack parameters could result in the heavy damage to the aircraft or the loss of the attacking aircraft. If after an extended time it is evident that the target cannot be hit during that sortie, plan on returning to base and prepare for a second sortie. Use the first sortie as a reconnaissance flight to gather weather data, cloud coverage information, target location information, and potential attack vectors to make the second sortie as effective as possible. There is nothing wrong with living to fight another day. MISSION EXAMPLE Utilizing many of the points discussed above, a quick example of a strike mission has been assembled. Utilizing the Altitude, Map and Satellite layers available in the F10 view, six waypoints have been assembled: Scroll using the arrow to the right to look at all the map modes. Waypoint 01 - AO Assessment: Observing the area of operations from a distance to assess the condition of the target. If no clouds are present, proceeding directly to the Target Waypoint is a viable option. Waypoint 02 - Ingress: If the target has any degree of cloud coverage, proceed to the ingress while maintaining the self imposed altitude restriction. Continue to observe the target area looking for cloud breaks and trying to spot the target area. Waypoint 03 - Attack Vector: The attack vector waypoint should be set to an altitude that is at least 500 feet above the minimum altitude of the target area. On the first pass, maintain a safer high altitude and overfly the Attack Vector waypoint(s). If it is possible to attack the Target Waypoint from high altitude, do so. However, if the target is still obscured by clouds and a visual confirmation of the target is needed to bring weapons onto target, gradually descend to the attack vector altitude while assessing if a lower altitude gives more visibility over the target. Waypoint 04 - Target: A waypoint that marks the general target area or exact target, depending on how many units need to be destroyed. Remember that the Target Waypoint is the only waypoint that needs the exact altitude of the units that need to be destroyed. While flying from waypoint 03 to waypoint 04 search for targets and threats. Assess if the target(s) can be attacked. If they can be attacked, do so. If not, proceed to the next waypoint regardless. Waypoint 05 - Egress: Set the egress altitude back to the safer high altitude that was used in waypoints 01 and 02. Remember that if the aircraft is at low altitude after flying through waypoints 03 and 04, the egress waypoint needs to be directed away from high terrain to prevent any potential collisions with terrain. The use of afterburner to zoom climb away from the target area is highly recommended, remember to use your countermeasures (chaff, flare and ECM) to protect yourself form any counter attack. Waypoint 06 - BDA: It's not the type of legendary dive-bombing, and flak dodging that gets the heart-thumping, but utilizing known target coordinates is the easiest way to deal with all-weather and visibility limitations. If target coordinates are available for one or more targets before the mission, take the time to input them into weapons and aircraft systems to make the sortie successful under any condition. This is especially true GPS-capable air-to-ground weapons, which ignore visibility conditions and are guaranteed to strike the exact spot on the planet you've selected, assuming it doesn't hit terrain while in flight and correct weapons release conditions are met. Furthermore, be prepared to input coordinates for a pre-planned attack while airborne if necessary. It's not glamorous, but it's effective. Unguided weapons can also be dropped through the clouds, as long as the target's coordinates are known and input into the aircraft's navigation systems. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The post-event impression of Flight Sim Expo 2021 is impactful. Though Skyward staff was unable to travel in person to the event because of a last-minute decision related to health concerns, we enjoyed many of the seminars live from September 24th-26th, 2021. Of course, the headline-grabbing events that came out of FSE were related to the big projects and upcoming products from respected companies. Thrustmaster, Turtle Beach, Honeycomb Aeronautical, Laminar Research, Flight Factor, and Lockheed Martin all had considerable panels. The announcement of X-Plane 12, the first military aviation-focused Hands-On Throttle and Stick from Honeycomb Aeronautical, Thrustmaster's the first civilian yoke, and further details on the all-in-one civilian yoke and throttle quadrant from Turtle Beach are the first things that come to mind when discussing Flight Sim Expo 2021. However, this event was more than just a podium for product announcements. FSE 2021 has 30 seminars; each is available as videos on-demand until November 28th, 2021. Obviously, all of those were not product announcement panels. Many panels gave down-to-earth explanations to various aspects of flight simulation for simmers of all levels; from recently started simmers focused on home entertainment to civilian and military aviation industry individuals pushing concepts that challenge the current state of aviation training. I feel as though Flight Sim Expo 2021 broadened my knowledge in many ways while raising my interest in more advanced forms of flight simulation. Viewing this event through the lens of someone that participates in various levels of seriousness in arcade and realistic flight simming, I believe that the benefit of an event like this is to act as a springboard. As something that propels the attendee forward within this particular passion of theirs. Advancing the Mindset of Flight Simulation-Based Training This was a major topic that appeared in multiple seminars in one form or another. As the looming pilot shortage situation continues to build in both civilian and military aviation, the use of simulators to maximize airframe flight hours, increase pilot trainee retention and restructure flight training and the culture around it to incorporate much more flight simulation was a forefront topic for multiple seminars. While flight simulation has been used for instrument training for decades now, the use of flight simulators for primary training is still a contested topic. "Practical Simulator Use as a Training Aid" by Gleim Aviation and "Using PC-Based Simulators for Fun and/or Flight Training" by Ed Valdez (President, and CEO of ProPilot Aviation), gave a professional view of flight simulation training in all levels of civilian aviation. Seeing examples of FAA-approved simulators interwoven with real-world video of skills learned on simulators in action was illuminating. It put in perspective how it is possible to construct high-caliber simulators in smaller venues. In the past, this type of technology was only available in military installations or aviation training facilities. "Can Consumer Flight Sim Impact Real Aviation?" with Nicki Repenning (CEO, Honeycomb Aeronautical), is a seminar probably best known for the new flight sim hardware that was announced at the end of it. But a large portion of this seminar was dedicated to challenging the existing approach to flight training. This was a comprehensive look at flight training from a realistic and straightforward point of view backed by examples of real-world flight training programs incorporating flight simulation to make up at least half of the training syllabus both in the flight schools and from their own home. From the perception of piloting from being sexy and fun to becoming "glorified bus drivers," an emphasis on changing the existing prejudice against flight simulation in training and preparing the next generation of pilots was clear. Nicki Repenning announced The Flight Sim Academy powered by Honeycomb Aeronautical, which aims to establish flight training centers in the 30 largest metropolitan areas in North America. Crown Air Aviation, the EAA, and AOPA have already expressed interest or are involved. It's a bold but achievable concept more should learn about. "The New Era of Military Flight Training" by Major Kinsley "Trigger" Jordan (Chief of Innovation for the United States Air Force) dug deep into how the military is exploring more extensive use of flight simulation and reforming pilot training as a whole. This was an energetic and refreshing voice from the military training perspective. There were many great takeaways from this session, and it showed how the military could and is effectively incorporating flight simulation in arguably one of the most dangerous forms of aviation on the planet. This was further supported by the seminar "Lightning Strikes - Development of the F-35 Flight Demonstration" by Billie Flynn (ICE Leadership and F-35 Test Pilot), who created and flew the memorable debut of the F-35 flight demonstration at the 2017 Paris Airshow. To learn that this demo was designed and flown hundreds of times, primarily in a simulator over the course of nine months with a data-driven approach utilizing information from F-35 engineering teams, was eye-opening. Not only for those watching the display but apparently for personnel in the Lockheed Martin, United States Air Force, and the Pentagon as well. More information on that is provided within the seminar. HOME COCKPIT CONSTRUCTION For many, the idea of a home cockpit is simultaneously awe-inspiring and daunting. A few seminars gave a more casual approach to learning about these systems and the process needed to create them and maintain them. "Your First DIY Home Cockpit Component" by Jon Coughlin (Game Developer, Slitherine Games), was a casual introduction to home cockpit-related fabrication. This is something that I think is needed when home cockpits are discussed since most people only see the finished product. With his game Roger Meatball and a tutorial in constructing the "Mini-Meatball", a homemade instrument representing a fresnel lens optical landing system, it acts as a leap-off point for simmers interested in getting more hands-on with their flight gear. "Home Cockpit Construction" by Pat Fuge (Joinava.org, KSAN Simflite), was one of a handful of seminars that focused on home cockpits, but this was by far the most casual and heartfelt presentation about this subject. This presenter was open about how costly, complicated, and potentially restrictive these elaborate setups can be with easy-to-understand explanations of design concepts for hardware and software needed to make these setups work. This seminar made home cockpit creation easier to understand and more approachable. REVALUATING A START IN FLIGHT SIMULATION As odd as this may sound, sometimes taking a step back to reevaluate how you view flight simulation as a whole is a great way to find a new perspective. "Getting Started in Flight Simulation" by Calum Martin (CEO, Founder of SoFly, Content Director, Co-Founder of FSElite) is geared towards new simmers. Its approach from the ground up started with identifying the wants and needs of a simmer, palatable explanations of the strengths and differences between the three major PC-based flight simulators (Microsoft Flight Simulator, Prepar3D, and X-Plane 11), and information for getting started on where to buy these simulators, resources to enhance them and connect with others and information on developers who continue to support and expand these platforms. There are a few important notes about constructing a PC capable of handling flight simulation in a quality that makes it stable and enjoyable and controls hardware (flight sticks, yokes, rudder pedals, etc.). Setting aside any preconceptions I had about certain sims and viewing them from the mindset of a newcomer has certainly stoked my interest in simulators I may have had little interest in. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Seamlessly transitioning between high-flying dogfights and deep-sea battles is not something I thought would mix well. I can vaguely recall a handful of titles from the 1990s and early 2000s that have tried the concept. The fact that I've forgotten their names by now is probably an indicator of how well they pulled it off. However, a new indie arcade flight simulator seems to have found a way to make the concept work well while incorporating a mindset-shifting assortment of gameplay mechanics for this genre of games. Manta by Psychoclast Software is a still in development title that emphasizes amphibious combat, remaining true to its tagline, "Across the Skies, Through the Abyss" which appears on the official website. This year's Steam Next Fest has been a significant opportunity for Manta to make a lasting first impression with its public demo available as of the beginning of this event and two developer live streams showing the potential of this title to hundreds of people. After a few months of interesting short videos from the official Twitter account, I can personally say that I wasn't disappointed after being able to thoroughly play the demo... despite how many times I failed the mission! But that's less because of game design and more because I approached the game with the wrong mindset. There are three key points to be made here. Manta is set in a sci-fi world with mentions of the antagonist being a Federation and a mysterious Order of the Manta, but let's stay focused on three key points. The Manta This is the titular craft of the game. The Manta-class amphibious biointerceptor is described as only being piloted by human telepaths that establish a psychological link with their Manta. This craft is by far the fastest and most versatile craft in the game, capable of seamlessly transitioning between airborne and underwater. It can carry a wide array of energy and kinetic weapons within the weapon bays of its morphing airframe. The Manta is made up of an organic/biopolymer material that enables the morphing of its shape at will. At lower speeds, the craft becomes wider, flatter, and more circular. While at high speeds, it elongates and reduces its width. The craft can also enter a hover mode and remain stationary. Furthermore, its weapons and defensive systems are described as genetics (specifically alleles). The Manta can be upgraded mid-mission by acquiring technology found on the seafloor, enabling players to change just about every weapon, shield, and other ability the Manta employs. These upgrades are done at the Gene Forge, an undersea dock. Upgrades are necessary to the Manta's success. They are not something that can be ignored without consequence. Some enemies are susceptible to certain types of weapons, and extra armor provides more survivability against the high number of enemies that rove the area of operations. But most importantly, essential components needed to interact with allied forces can be expanded upon. Actively Use Real-Time Strategy This brings up the second point. Despite all of its ability, the Manta is unable to win the day by itself. Not because it is underpowered, but because it is a single craft operating on a relatively large battlefield. It cannot be everywhere at once and complete all objectives on its own while protecting its allies. The enemy deploys flying aircraft carriers, flights of interceptors, fleets of submarines, and attack groups of warships determined to destroy the player's home base. After playing the demo for quite a while, it was clear that I was doing something wrong. I did not begin to have success until I changed my perspective from the usual "lone heroic fighter saves the day" mindset that arcade flight shooters often portray. The first thing that comes to mind when commanding friendly units is mentioned in an arcade flight sim are "wingman commands." Those are quick sets of commands to order computer-controlled allies that follow the player aircraft to attack, defend, change weapons, or other basic tasks. Manta goes beyond this and instead embraces real-time strategy (RTS). In Manta, the RTS portion of the game is significant. This is something that I don't think was easy to portray in the previews up to this point. The Manta-class amphibious biointerceptor has command and control functions, namely the Tactical Display (TD), that enables it to remotely work with the Citadel - the main base that transports the Manta into the combat area. The Citadel can repair and resupply the Manta while also acting as a factory. As the Manta scowers the ocean with visual scanning and sonar to search, it can identify and tag resources needed for unit production. Identified resources appear on the TD. Once marked by the Manta's resource trackers, the Citadel deploys engineering units to build supply infrastructure like mining rings or powerplants, increasing the number of supplies in the Citadel. Fleet weapons and hull designs discovered by the Manta can be assembled in the design tab of the TD to create allied units of various sizes to combat enemy forces. Each design can be saved with a custom name for easy organization in unit production. Assuming there is a sufficient amount of supplies needed for production, all constructed allied units can then be commanded by the Manta using the Tactical Display. Dragging and dropping the icon of one or more allied units into an area will have them move there, whereas dropping their icon onto an identified enemy will order them to attack the unit. Allied units will also naturally fight any enemies that approach them. The number of allies the Manta controls can be increased with command circuit ship upgrades. Actively going out of the way to disengage from combat to build resources, construct allies, and deploy them effectively is the sure-fire way to find success in Manta. Embracing the New Style of Combat Finally, using the amphibian combat style significantly improves survivability. The current gameplay is quite fast-paced in the air, with turn rates so fast that keeping a target in the gunsight is a challenge on its own. Using the lead targeting computer is the only real way to bring unguided weaponry onto target while maneuvering. Detecting incoming missiles in the air is equally problematic. Attempting to predict when they may be launched and acting accordingly is the best course of action, but they're so fast there is always very little time to react. Undersea combat feels like the right amount of slower-paced movement with somewhat realistic game mechanics that use sonar pings to navigate but relying on these pings reveals the player's position. So using them sparingly is preferred, though the wealth of enemies they can spot and resources uncovered make them worth the risk. The Manta being able to dive into the ocean from hundreds of feet in the air while traveling over Mach 1 makes diving into the sea a viable tactic. Escaping enemy fighters by diving into the water, forcing their missiles to slam into the water surface, and counterattacking from behind is amazingly effective. Sneaking beneath airborne enemies and above water defensive positions is very effective in hit-and-run tactics. The ocean is also the perfect cover from enemies while regenerating shields or commanding the allied fleet. Just remember that submerged enemies also utilize this position. Getting attacked by sea-launched missiles is possible, and unseen enemy submarines can creep up onto vital infrastructure. With real-time strategy unit management being just as crucial as the piloting skill of the player, Manta's approach to the arcade flight sim genre is fascinating. With a full game release date listed as September 2022, Manta is in a good position to release as a stand-out title within its genre. With screenshots showing absolutely massive submarines and warship-sized allies flying along with the Manta, I look forward to taking on a squadron of interceptors while commanding battlegroups of my own! About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The trick to surviving waves of enemies is patience colder than the stratosphere. Vertical Strike Endless Challenge (VSEC) is a combat-focused arcade flight game that prioritizes quick access to the action. Released on April 18th, 2017, VSEC was developed by the Rainbow Knights team of Project ICKX, and published by PLAYISM for personal computers (Steam, Playism), and eventually the Nintendo Switch game console (July 4th, 2018). The primary draw of VSEC is its easily approachable quick play session format. Players are thrust into the action with short pre-flight preparation and no commitment to mission objectives or story. After the title screen, Vertical Strike Endless Challenge has the standard video, audio, and control options you would expect. Notable extra options include changing aircraft view from different perspectives like zoom or super wide, changing automatic assist options, gun lead type, target selection priority, and more. Toggling some of these options makes things even more challenging for those that desire it. Vertical Strike Endless Challenge forgoes having a single-player campaign and instead focuses on wave-based combat. The goal of VSEC is to survive as many waves as possible while accumulating points by destroying enemies and minimizing the number of weapons expended. Each weapon launched, or countermeasure deployed costs a certain amount of points. This cost is deducted from the player's final score. Every fifth wave cleared presents one or more enemies with increased difficulty and/or numbers against the player as a final hurdle before the next wave reset. After every fifth wave, the aircraft's weapons are resupplied to a degree in place of having players return to base to resupply. Aircraft selection consists of either the SAF-22 Slayer air dominance fighter or the XSF-3A experimental strike fighter. Both aircraft are based on real or proposed 5th generation stealth combat aircraft. In particular, the XSF-3A is an interesting addition, as the F-3 (or F-X) it is based on has rarely appeared in flight games. Though the SAF-22 is the premiere air combat aircraft for this game and the XSF-3A is better for air-to-ground or anti-ship operations, both are capable of dogfighting well. Each aircraft can carry a maximum of four guided or unguided weapons along with the internal cannon. Standoff dispensers, high mobility infrared missiles, multi-target air-to-air missiles, gun pods, and others. There are 12 weapons to choose from in total, but some of the air-to-ground unguided weapons can be used in air combat with a little aim and finesse. Neither aircraft underperforms in any way. Both are capable of high-speed travel, carry plenty of weapons, and hold their own in turning fights. Maneuverability is noticeably higher at certain speeds, while high speeds also have their uses against long-range missile fire. Learning what the optimum cornering speed for both aircraft is a must for gaining full control over their performance. Each aircraft can turn the angle of attack limiter off, further maximizing its maneuverability in close-range engagements. Skilled players can even pull off low-altitude stunt flying. But of course, the danger of being exposed to medium and long-range threats outside of the tight turns the aircraft would be performing during angle of attack limiter disabled maneuvering. The game is split between Arcade Mode (Anti-Air) and Arcade Mode (Anti-Ship). Arcade Mode (Anti-Air) solely focuses on air-to-air combat. Waves of enemy aircraft attack the player with increasing numbers, different formations, and varying skill levels. Arcade Mode (Anti-Ship) mainly sends warships of various sizes with minimal fighter top cover. Every fifth wave in Anti-Ship includes full-sized battleship(s). Surviving the Vertical Strike Endless Challenge waves while still scoring high with minimal point reduction relies on the player keeping a few essential things in mind. Not overly relying on guided weaponry to destroy all targets will save the most points over time. Generally, the less complex the weapon is, the less cost it will generate. Efficient use of weaponry will save the most points over time. Here are a few examples: using a single short-ranged air-to-air missile to damage an enemy aircraft then finishing it off with the aircraft's cannon or underwing gun pods, using a volley of medium-ranged multi-target missiles to destroy half of a large formation of aircraft, or removing the defenses of a warship with air-to-ground or anti-ship missiles, then following sinking the ship with less advanced weapons like rockets or dumb bombs. Even though weapons are resupplied after every 5th round, remember that they still increase the cost of the player's sortie the moment they are launched. Though non-player controlled allies join the player in combat, they are limited in number. The player will consistently be outnumbered by the enemy and can find themselves evading enemies chasing them while they're busying pursuing a target in front of them. Rather than having tunnel vision and doggedly chasing a single target, being able to latch onto passing, more vulnerable targets of opportunity will keep the player unpredictable and always in motion. Rather than allowing other enemies to settle in behind them for a long time, flowing seamlessly from one target to the next isn't just good for accumulating points faster but also increases survivability. Most importantly, the critical trait players that have cleared hundreds and even a thousand waves of VSEC have is patience. Absolute, unwavering patience. Keep in mind that, like in any wave-based game mode, eventually, the player will find themselves wanting to change the way they fly in combat. After a few dozen completed waves, it's natural to get more daring because of the prolonged success. Like more dangerous head-to-head attacks against enemy interceptors, trying to weave through surface-to-air missiles rather than safely evading them and heavily relying on AoA limiter-off maneuvers for thrills. Honestly, gravitating towards things like this is caused by a little bit of boredom. Players that have the skills to survive at least a dozen or so waves will gradually seek further excitement to maintain their interest. But unnecessary risks are not conducive to record-breaking numbers. Those endeavoring to put up high scores on the VSEC online scoreboard stick to the same tactics and weapons used in every wave. Keeping in mind that they are attempting to set a record, caution and repetition will carry players to victory. Whether players need to listen to their favorite music or podcast in the background to appease creeping feelings of boredom, the path to scoring high on the VSEC scoreboards is very long. Be patient and persevere! For the low cost of 4.99 USD, this entertaining title can be added to the library of anyone looking for either a few sessions of intense air combat or an extended session to see how far their skills can taken them. Project ICKX is an interesting organization from Japan that has developed and produced a multiple arcade flight games for over 10 years. Vertical Strike Endless Challenge is most likely the first game from Project ICKX that people have added to their libraries without even knowing it. Even VSEC has derivatives with voice acting, a light story, a fictional super aircraft, and connections to a software testbed, but that's a subject for another article. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Cheering, jeering and learning from competitors fighting their hardest The first week of the 2021 season for the Squadron Air to Air League (SATAL) is over, and the spirit of competition flies ever higher with the official return of this event. SATAL is a high-profile international tournament for competitive teams and squadrons that fly in Digital Combat Simulator World. The roots of SATAL can be traced back a few years, but to put things in perspective, this year's tournament is presented by Thrustmaster. Past tournaments had co-sponsors like Eagle Dynamics, Black Hog, and Wild Weasel Apparel, with considerable prizes provided by companies like Tacview, Foxx Mount, Buddy-Fox, and Heatblur. The rewards for winners and runner-ups have included hundreds of US Dollars, flight simulation hardware, apparel, and full-fidelity aircraft modules. The tournament is organized and broadcast by DCS World Events (DCSWE), an organization that has hosted multiple competitions of all sizes in Digital Combat Simulator for many years. Led by its knowledgeable and energetic host, M0ltar, the staff of DCSWE includes Alpha-Whiskey creating amazing short videos promoting the tournament, new staff members collecting statistics, and a revolving door of co-hosts that commentate on the action. From an entertainment perspective, the primary draw of SATAL is the team-based combat from its Diamond, Gold, and Silver leagues presented in an esports-style format. The team aircraft liveries showcased during the matches or in teaser trailers called "supercuts" invoke mental images of sports team jerseys. The particularly colorful commentary adds some fun, unpredictable dialogue to what's happening on screen. The multi-screen format used for the broadcasts provides a lot of situational awareness with screens dedicated to the Tacview universal flight analysis tool to provide an overview of the combat area and smaller windows showing the competitor's aircraft and missiles in flight. Visually a lot is going on, with the focus constantly shifting to where combat is in progress. To those with a more analytical eye that are eager to learn something, watching even a few rounds of SATAL can provide a wealth of information. Whether you fly in DCS World as an online-only player-vs-player (PVP) specialist or offline single-player campaign warrior, any information on air-to-air combat is valuable. In the case of SATAL, its viewers are presented with the opportunity to study teams of pilots well versed in aerial combat that train to fly on a competitive level. The incorporation of Tacview data and verbal explanations about what happened during or after a match further enhances the understanding of what spectators are seeing. When I was beginning my journey in learning how to fly in Digital Combat Simulator over a year ago, I referred to SATAL as a way to answer questions I had. Ideas on how to approach beyond visual range combat and samples of effective evasive maneuvers. I wanted examples of the things to do and things to avoid to help wrap my head around combat in DCS World. Because of SATAL's screen format and the forthright explanations of what is happening from the host, I felt as though years of information was casually presented to me. Wingman tactics, valid missile launch speeds and ranges for PVP combat, candid discussions about known bugs, potentially exploited bugs, introduction to concepts like "skating" while supporting a missile, notching active radar homing missiles, multiple examples of how to evade a missile while maintaining high speed, explanations of tactics like setting up a grinder and too many other things to list here. While it's easy to sit back and finger-wag the competitors for not seeing an obvious threat from the spectator's point of view, watching their mistakes and victories closely really helped build up an idea of what does and does not work in the realm of DCS dogfights. Of course, just watching SATAL isn't enough to make you an unbeatable ace, but it's a way to study towards that goal. I started watching SATAL at the start of its 2020 season and since then have seen every matchup into the start of the 2021. I strongly feel as though this is a resource that got me excited about Digital Combat Simulator and the continued refinement of my own skills. While I still primarily fly player-vs-environment (PVE) or mixed PVE-PVP strike missions, the things I learned from watching SATAL and went on to practice on my own have carried over to the sorties I've been flying. Because of this, I've frequently suggested that people watch SATAL for both entertainment and educational purposes. The Squadron Air-to-Air League continues to broadcast on Twitch with recordings of those broadcasts, supercuts, highlight reels, and new skin showcases uploaded to their YouTube channel. The official forum thread on the Eagle Dynamics forum, Twitter account and Discord server are also places that people can get involved and see the latest updates. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

This opinion is probably a decade and a half late, but Over G Fighters is such an excellent flight-sim lite. When I was forced to notch an incoming AAM-4 while I was guiding an AIM-54A before its radar went active, I realized there was much more to this game than expected. However, I specifically find myself interested in a standalone, non-story-related game mode that inspired a developer for a highly anticipated flight sim lite currently in development. When Over G Fighters (June 27th, 2006) was new, I was busy participating in squadron matches and tournaments in Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. The name Over-G had been mentioned in the lobbies between rounds and discussed during chill flights, but I never felt the need to dive into what was always described as a lackluster, slow-paced game. Fast forward 14 years or so, and my interest in this game was piqued after an interview with Why485, the developer of Tiny Combat Arena: "Tiny Combat Arena began as something of a dare from Mike Dolan. The idea was based on an almost throwaway mode from the Xbox 360 game, Over G Fighters." - Why 485. He went on to describe the game mode in more detail. Since then, I've had Over G Fighters on my list of titles from the past to give a serious playthrough. In fact, this statement is the only reason I am genuinely interested in this game for the first time ever. How could it have inspired something like the now sought-after Tiny Combat Arena? To put things in perspective, even though it was released as a console-exclusive, Over-G Fighters does a rather admirable job of being the best combat flight sim-lite on the Xbox 360. Many moderately realistic features make up the core of its gameplay. Realistic hardpoint management, aircraft part damage, fuel burn rates, turn rates, blackouts, red outs, over-stressing the airframe because of aggressive maneuvering, etc. I found it relatively easy to complete entire sorties using the instruments in the cockpit and the general user interface. It is the Arena mode of this game where the magic happens. There is an offline single-player and online multiplayer version of the Arena. Offline Arena Mode This open-ended game mode is a mixture of wave survival, and high score focused. With no set objective, players are free to select any aircraft, choose their own targets and fly multiple sorties going anywhere they wish with the restrictions of a flight simulator. The realistic limits on fuel, weapons, and aircraft performance transform the gameplay from an objective, limited approach to something more free-flowing but strategic. There is no winning by bombing a specific building or shooting down a particular attacker. Wisely choosing engagements, making every weapon count, using altitude and speed advantages to navigate over long distances and still leave enough fuel to return to base and do it all over again defines this game mode. In offline single-player Arena, the player launches from an island near the middle of a massive map. Even taking a fuel-efficient aircraft like a Boeing F/A-18 Hornet or a super cruising Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor is not enough to do a lap around the border of the entire map without some difficulty. There simply isn't enough fuel to cover all of that area, even if you avoid all the hostiles. And let us be clear, there is an overwhelming amount of them. The map images shown below layout the locations of aircraft, airfields, islands, ships and known higher priority targets. Every dot on the zoomed out map (left) is an enemy of some sort (right, zoomed in image). There are roughly six areas that have warships and aircraft loosely grouped together. The groups are defined by the territory they occupy and the general type of aircraft in the area. For example, multiple attackers at low altitudes and United States Navy aircraft over the ocean near warships. Though a majority of the enemies operate in those areas, there are still unexpected opponents that fly wherever they please. Even if you are in combat against Chengdu J-7s, it is still possible to be ambushed by a Lockheed Martin X-35; which happened to me while I was flying a Grumman F-14A Tomcat. Not recommended. Intermixed with these groups are "bosses" like strategic bombers, Iowa-class battleships, stealth aircraft, and AWACS. As enemies are defeated, the player accumulates glory points. The more difficult the enemy is dictates how many glory points are given for defeating them. This further adds to the mission planning in this free-form game mode. This makes interceptor sorties focused on destroying an AWACS near the farthest reaches of the map even more valuable than defeating a flight of fighters singlehandedly. Planning out flight paths to evade patrolling enemies and hitting high-value targets before their escorts swoop in changes the dynamic of offline Arena. Frequently using high speed and high altitude to traverse the map is immensely helpful. Learning how to safely approach the hostiles and when to engage and disengage is the key to success. As glory points are gained, in-game titles like "Green Horn," "Tactician," "Ace Sniper," and "Ultimate" are given as rewards. Achieving higher titles unlocks opportunities to fight big bosses (ace pilots) after certain conditions are met, like destroying a number of a specific type of aircraft in a particular area. Defeating big bosses will unlock their aircraft for the player and eventually lead to yet another game mode to be unlocked. There are few allies to assist the player. Their wingman, who flies an aircraft and weapon loadout decided by the player, can make all the difference in the offline Arena. As their weapons are also limited, utilizing the wingman means more in Over-G Fighters than many other flight games that were also on the Xbox 360. Intelligent use of the wingman includes having them engage escorts while the player attacks high-value targets or setting the wingman to perform air-to-surface strikes with the player flies escort. The offline Arena does have airfields and a carrier battle group that can rearm, refuel and repair aircraft... if you can survive long enough to reach them. The glory points gained will be lost or reduced otherwise. In this regard, running out of fuel far from base is just as deadly as getting hit by a missile. Landing, resupplying, and launching back-to-back sorties are the best ways to earn high amounts of points over time, making survival paramount. While offline Arena ends with either the player's death or manually ending the session, the online multiplayer version of Arena is a somewhat different beast. Online Arena Mode Online, four teams of up to two players each battle to be the last team standing. Each team has an airbase with air defenses, a symbol tower (headquarters), and an aircraft carrier with destroyer escorts. Defeating an opposing team is done by destroying their assets, especially the symbol tower, which removes an opposing team from the match when it is destroyed. Glory points are still collected in online gameplay by defeating other players and computer-controlled units. The destruction of a symbol tower gives an apparently massive amount of points unironically labeled as "Gained more glory points than I can imagine!!!" Intercepting incoming attackers while pressing the offensive against high-value targets is a balance that relies on player skill and coordination. Enemies cannot be found at long distances by pausing the game and scrolling through the map like in offline Arena. The long-range radar shows a general idea of where enemies are, but identifying aircraft and obtaining a radar lock is noticeably harder in online play. Learning each aircraft's strengths and extra functions (and bugs!) is a deep part of the PVP in online Arena mode. These functions vary from aircraft to aircraft. For some, they are simple additions like a hook for landing on aircraft carriers. For others, it's a dogfight mode that allows for guns and missiles to be fired simultaneously, super search radar modes, or radar stealth abilities. In one peculiar case with the Sukhoi Su-33 Sea Flanker, it's learning an exploit that combines disabling the angle of attack limiter while gaining speed on the runway, then performing a Pugachev Cobra during rotation for takeoff, forcing the Flanker to climb in a wholly unnatural way that results in an immediate altitude and speed advantage no other aircraft could match. Unfortunately, this is all I could gather from the multiplayer Arena, but considering this game's age and the unlikely chance for re-release, it's doubtful maximum capacity online lobbies would ever happen naturally. I was able to gather a bit of information and experience in online play thanks to the assistance of RaptorDad86, a flight simulation-focused content creator who has much experience with this game. Thanks to him for supplying me with information about the height of online multiplayer gameplay and even flying with me to help create this article. Newfound Respect and Understanding Even by today's standards, the open ended Arena game modes of Over G Fighters would still be stand out additions in similar flight simulation or flight arcade games. They would be a considerable selling point advertised on social media, crowdfunding projects, pre-orders and video trailers. Thinking back to Tiny Combat Arena's popular 2019 demo builds, the inspiration is evident. But to be clear, it's not just a lazy copy. Tiny Combat Arena's development towards the full-scale game go far beyond the intentions of Taito, the developer behind Over G Fighters. its approach to open-ended flight sim lite gameplay is firmly its own concept that has nods to this game from 2006 but does not plagiarize it. This entire journey to scratch a curious itch about Over G Fighters has sparked my interest in it and the Energy Air Force series which it is associated with. It feels like a new exploration into game console-based flight sim lites is just beginning for me. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

A concept that only a first-person sandbox flight game could execute well. Project Skyscape is a still-in-development game by Flyleap Studios. Its closed testing build has undergone multiple changes in the past months as it prepares for a potential 2021 early access release date. The game describes itself as a jet fighter experience that hits the gap between game and simulator while balancing realism and fun. Its ability to be played in both VR and desktop while having flight simulator-style aircraft systems and the ability to fly and walk around an entire planet freely is ambitious but has been taking shape. I've had the privilege of being a tester for this title for some time. As it is still in development, there are ongoing changes and tests being done, so details on the story, gameplay, flight model and multiplayer experience are too early to delve into for now. However, there is something that has left a lasting impression on me. During a certain part of the story in the game's solo play game mode puts the player in a situation where they must learn the controls of a combat aircraft. Usually, this is where the player is put through some tutorial mission where they destroy a handful of aircraft while being walked through the controls. That or there is a separate set of training missions used to fill this purpose. Instead, Project Skyscape utilizes an in-game gyroscope flight simulator. At first glance, the simulator looks like a standard sit-down machine with the bare minimum amount of equipment. Just a frame, really. But as the player enters it and turns on the battery, its potential is immediately apparent. After the initial rolls and flips using default controls, players are instructed to adjust the controls until they can easily track and destroy virtual targets that appear in the sim's display. Pressing Tab on the keyboard and opening the control menu (CTRL Menu) starts the process. Seeing the entire list of every input, axis, slider, and modifier button that can be programmed is impressive. Especially notable controls include the throttle designator controller (X-axis and Y-axis), head tracker settings, and specific buttons for selection hardpoints, ideal for a weapon selection hat switch. All inputs that would use an axis (like pitch, roll, yaw, TDC, etc.) are backed with assignable curves, dead zones, and input speed adjustments. During testing, I tried a variety of new and old hardware. So far, I've successfully made keybinds for four USB gamepads, four Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) units with a considerable amount of buttons, toggles switches, and hat switches, and two rudder pedals. Even three Thrustmaster MFD Cougars were recognized, though the in-game multi-function displays do not match up to them 1:1 like in Digital Combat Simulator at this time. Keep in mind that Project Skyscape's aircraft have fully-clickable cockpits that can be used with keyboard mouse controls, gamepads, joysticks, HOTAS, and VR touch controllers. Sometimes, parallels are drawn between Project Skyscape and VTOL VR, but physical controller support, customization, and the ability to use these same controls in either VR or desktop sets Project Skyscape apart from its virtual reality tailored contemporary. The seemingly simple gyroscope simulator won't be something listed on a sales page as a must-see feature. It's a training tool that primarily new players will spend a decent amount of time fine tuning their flight experience in while in a safe environment. But using the gyroscope as the first way for players to explore all control options within the game is a concept that only a first-person sandbox flight game could execute well. For more information and updates on this game, see its Steam store page, Youtube channel and Reddit community. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

I appreciate that Heliborne has not relegated flying transports to be anything more than a necessary burden. If there's one type of helicopter that's always underrated, it is the transport helicopter. This is especially true in military arcade flight games. Take a look back at decades of rotary-wing-centric titles, and you'll see that they're primarily about legendary attack helicopters or promising prototypes. If we're going by the "rule of cool," making a game about a high speed, maneuverable heli slinging missiles and rockets at treetop level is an easy choice. But there is a game that gives transports their chance to shine and become welcome force multipliers where attack helicopters are usually king. Heliborne is a military helicopter-focused arcade flight game that is well known for having solid co-op player vs. environment (co-op PVE) and player vs. player experience (PVP). Its roster of helicopters from the USA, USSR, China, Europe, and Russia are divided into three classes. Of them, the transport class is vital for the core gameplay of Heliborne. So much so that it's tough to win without them. With there being over 20 transport helicopters in the game, their usefulness inherently will impact a large part of the gameplay and the game's reception. In PVE, PVP, and single-player, at least half of the reoccurring objectives can realistically only be completed by transports. Objectives call for deploying dozens of infantry to far-flung locations, recovering shot down aircrews surrounded by enemies, and most importantly, interaction with outposts. In Heliborne, capturing and holding outposts is done by ferrying troops from the main base. Whether the landing zone is safe or under fire, transports land to deploy soldiers to operate them at full strength. As casualties accumulate through combat and control over the outposts weakens, additional troops are needed to reinforce and hold. Though the number of troops each transport can hold varies, transports are generally able to capture or reinforce more than one outpost at a time. While the clear downside of losing too many outposts is failing the mission, what is also lost is a secure forward area to operate from. The main base allows players to change their helicopter mid-game, rearm and repair, but it is located far from the frontline. Flying from the combat area to the main base takes a significant amount of time when allies are under attack. There are ammunition and repair crates in the main base that can be sling loaded by transports to forward positions. Carefully landing these crates into the defended landing zones provides allied attack, scout, and transport helicopters a faster means to repair and resupply than flying back to the main base every time. The crates can be destroyed by landing them improperly or destroyed by hostile forces. Placing the crates in allied landing zones is the most orthodox location, but skilled pilots can place them anywhere on the map. A clearing in the jungle, a secluded field, next to a river in a valley - so long as the crates and a helicopter can fit, it is an option. Related to this freedom of movement, transport helicopters can deploy three types of specialized infantry units almost anywhere. RPG soldiers bring rocket launchers with three rockets used for destroying enemy vehicles. Placing them near landing zones enhances their defenses, while landing them ahead of enemies on the move can provide an obstacle or ambush. Anti-air soldiers come equipped with Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPAD) that target hostile helicopters. They are beneficial in player vs. player game modes for denying opposing forces access to certain areas. Finally, Mortar teams provide indirect fire support for scout class helicopters that use mortar observer equipment. Depending on the number of active units, their indirect fire alone is enough to clear landing zones and thin out waves of enemies. When out of ammo or destroyed by enemy fire, these units disappear and need to be redeployed as desired. The common weapons that transport helicopters on all sides of all generations carry are different flavors of machine guns, cannons, and rocket pods. By far, the most valuable weapon they carry is the door gunners. Hostile vehicles and defenses are easy to visually identify, but harder to see enemy soldiers in the terrain are not easy to spot while flying at higher speeds. Usually, a scout is needed to make smaller targets easily visible on the screens of all players by marking them with icons above their heads. Door gunners automatically and independently scan for and attack targets that are unseen even to the pilot. This makes door gunners both great defensive weapons and an easy way to direct allies onto hidden troops by letting them follow door gunner tracer fire. Manual control over the gunner positions can be taken as needed. While cannons and rockets are excellent for attacking soft targets and certain types of armored personnel carriers, it is safe to assume that most of the fighting columns of main battle tanks supported by anti-aircraft units will be done by attack helicopters. In Heliborne, there are plenty of 3rd and 4th generation transports that can equip anti-tank guided missiles like the AT-6 Spiral, AGM-114 Hellfire, and KD-9, for example. But when transport helicopters are employing ATGMs, remaining near the maximum range is best. Though there are specific assault transports, mainly the Hind family, that are represented well in Heliborne as the heavily armored troop transports they were designed to be, they have compromises made to achieve this balance, Such as the reduced number of troops they can be carried. Specific transports can even mount short-ranged air-to-air missiles like the R-60 and AIM-9, alongside MANPADs like Stingers and Iglas for worst-case scenarios. Still, again purpose-built attack helicopters are preferable for these situations. I appreciate that Heliborne has not relegated flying transports to be anything more than a necessary burden. Being able to deliver supplies, capture a landing zone, deploy various types of infantry and still be a part of the front line action makes flying transports a very satisfying experience. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Join a public Digital Combat Simulator player vs. environment (PvE) multiplayer server. Nine times out of ten, you'll be seeing F-16Cs carrying enough cluster munitions to make a B-52 blush, A-10s with more weapons than they have targets, and F/A-18Cs attempting to sink boats, bomb tanks, and outturn aircraft in one flight. It's so commonplace, seeing an aircraft accomplish a single objective with a reasonable loadout is uncommon. Why is that? Where is this need to win the war in a single sortie come from? This question has been on my mind for a long time. I can't help but wonder after having countless missions ruined by a marauding allied aircraft. The dreaded singleton operating in the blind carrying every weapon under the sun. After months of assuming it was just bravado and devil-may-care decisions from random players, I was forced to think about it one day. While flying 100nm back to base because my targets were destroyed minutes before I got in range. While staring at my four useless AGM-154 JSOWs since I had no targeting pod onboard, when I began thinking hard about why this happens so frequently. To the point where I formed an actual opinion. To my surprise, I found myself less annoyed (but still very annoyed!) and more understanding as to why this may keep happening. Open-Ended Design of Most PvE Servers As a combat simulator, DCS missions can become highly complex according to the mission planner's intentions and effort. To the point where specific aircraft and weapons are required, radio channels must be managed, flights have assignments, and a mission can take hours to complete. Very much in the style of community lead missions Spudknocker and the Grim Reapers post on their YouTube channels. Very realistic combat scenarios can be created. But for the most part, public PVE servers are designed to be open-ended experiences that forgo many restrictive mission parameters. These missions are designed to allow anyone in any aircraft to show up and fly as they please. With loose objectives, uncontrolled radio channels, and other mission parameters left up to the players. Any target is on the table as long as you can get there first. Unlimited Resources, Unrestricted Ambition Related to public PvE server mission design, they usually have access to unlimited resources and unlimited aircraft. Both from the primary airfields players spawn from and/or the captured airfields along the way. While having every resource available sounds ideal, having no limits in the simulator also changes players' mindset in preparing for combat. This is why the previously mentioned overloaded aircraft is almost a standard in public PVE. The only thing holding them back is the capability of their enemies, how many weapons and aircraft can load, and the distances they must fly. But even though an aircraft can load tons of munitions, it's not necessarily because they are meant to complete multiple missions in one flight. Expending most of your fuel and weapons on the primary objective then wandering the battlefield looking for any enemy that appears isn't the wisest of choices. All that added drag and weight from weapons being lugged around the battlefield while searching for extra trouble has gotten more than a few overly confident players shot down. And yet, the practice of flying dozens of miles to strike a target then meander off to chase bandits or seek out new areas of operations is a part of the collective mental image of a public PvE server is. In settings where players can have anything they want and fly as they please, over-extending and trying to do too much at once is commonplace. Going it Alone Digging deeper, this urge to try and single-handedly defeat a small army also comes from how the player views themself as flying solo. While public PVE servers can get packed with dozens of players, a high level of pre-mission planning and mid-mission communication between all players is uncommon. Even with all those people around, no communication essentially means they are essentially on their own. It's only with allies you can talk or text with that coordinated operations can be effectively run. Feeling as though they are on their own, they prioritize their own objectives without consulting others, causing the overlap in target selection. This is how a flight of aircraft's well-thought-out attack can be derailed by another pilot's final yolo rush. Time Limits Finally, the amount of time needed to complete the mission or objective is a factor. The average PvE Digital Combat Simulator sortie takes at least an hour to finish, but not everyone always has a few free hours set aside. A single flight may be all that their schedule allows for. Those players are attempting to maximize the potential number of targets destroyed in the one sortie they may fly for the day. Final Thoughts Now, I'm not saying PvE servers need to change the way they operate or that they're bad experiences. I often find myself flying online in PvE scenarios more than anything else. So, while this is clearly not a grand scheme to troll others by disrupting their missions, it doesn't change the fact that it's rather inconvenient. I think I can better understand why the solo players operate the way they do... but at least slow down a bit, type in chat and try to coordinate! Haha! About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Launching from the dawn-soaked sea as night turns to day, with a fresh batch of brews in the cargo hold and distant islands holding unknown potential... this is what "adventure" is, isn't it? Somewhere between the regional airline flights and dodging surface-to-air missiles, the sense of story-like adventure is often missing. There is a shortlist of old and bold titles that dared to fly out of the familiar air corridors of the aviation genre. The Brew Barons from Lifetap Studios feels like it is of the same vein. My first impression of this game comes after roughly 14 combined hours of gameplay between myself and Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos, a second member from Skyward Flight Media. We played both the February 2022 demo featured at Steam Next Fest 2022 and the non-time limited December 2021 closed alpha demo. SETTING AND STORY The Brew Barons puts anyone familiar with flight games into an unusual situation from the start. It begins in a broken down, wingless seaplane that must be slowly floated through a beautiful seaside town to its new home. Starting a flying game without any flying indeed resets expectations coming into the story. The scenic archipelago provides a memorable backdrop for the story and gameplay. Every island looks like it could be part of a resort, looking equally beautiful during its shortened day and night cycle. The ambient life - cars driving, people walking along walkways, planes flying through the air, boats sailing - further adds to the setting. With the level of technology inspired by the 1930s with some influences from Hayao Miyazaki's Porco Rosso, the propeller-driven seaplanes can show off their full capabilities. Being able to land anywhere there is enough water drives home the sense of adventure. While there were some minor references about things happening in North America, there isn't enough to fully explain what's happening in the grand scheme of things - which is fine. What matters the most is the immediate task at hand: founding a brewing enterprise successful enough to run an organization of dastardly pirates out of business and out of the region. TUTORIAL It should be noted that the tutorial is actually pretty long. There is a decent amount of content to learn before the player truly knows all the essential parts of the game. Players are walked through the controls and most of the game mechanics while meeting the first characters of the story and potential customers. Learning how to brew, repair the aircraft, buy upgrades, open a bar, design that bar, bottling your first product, and load up the bar for its first customers; the tutorial doesn't really end until the first brewing contract is completed. Fortunately, all ingredients, contracts, and money earned during the tutorial are retained by its end, making it worth the time. AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT Flight can be summarized as a toned-down flight arcade model. The flight model is physics-based, with certain values tuned to make gameplay enjoyable. For example, while crashing an aircraft is still possible, the player either respawns back in their hangar with the damaged aircraft to begin repairs. A quick reset to an air restart is permitted if the aircraft accidentally touches down on land. But the planes are still represented as prop-driven aircraft. Zoom climbing thousands of feet in a few seconds, 9G turns, and high-speed sustained flight is not an option. When gathering certain materials needed for brewing, planning a low flying pass incorrectly is even more deadly than anything the pirates could throw at you. While water landings are frequent, landing at speeds that are too high or descending into the water too quickly can cause damage to the aircraft. Even somewhat rough landings may not cause a wing to fall off, but the damage will accumulate, causing frequent repairs. Players quickly learn the limitations of their aircraft, even with performance-boosting upgrades. Speaking of which, there are eight categories for upgrades and customizations: fuselage, wings, pontoons, engines, propellers, equipment, ornaments, and paint. Changes in engine performance, maneuverability, high altitude performance, increased ingredient gathering abilities, and new gadgets. The parts can be purchased, built from recovered blueprints, and salvaged from the ocean. THE BUSINESS ELEMENT One of this game's most unusual and appealing aspects is running a business. The three branches of the business element are: ingredient gathering, brewing, fulfilling contracts, and managing your own bar. Ingredient gathering has been gameified enough so that players can use their aircraft to fly through wheat fields using their propeller to chop up wheat. Grapes, honey, apples, potatoes, and other ingredients can be gathered by firing high-powered water guns to knock their ingredients into the air for gathering. Back in the brewery, existing recipes and newly acquired recipes offer a guide for types of drinks that can be created, but the player is free to try concocting anything they can think of. I made a few original recipes that were horrendous, but sometimes I got lucky enough to make a real keeper! All drinks can either be discarded or packaged in customizable bottles to either be delivered to customers or stocked in the player's own bar. Contracts are very straightforward. Flying from island to island has the chance to find new seaside towns with bars that are open to business with a new supplier. They provide contracts for specific drinks in certain quantities and of certain qualities. Brewing those products and delivering them on time and to specification is a way to preserve contracts and keep the player's income stream strong. The player's bar can be customized in different themes, floor plans, wall types, floor types, wood stain, metal stain, chair type, stool type - heck, even smoking and not smoking. Patrons enter the player's bar with new insights into the local culture, story-related information, and other encounters. The patrons will be ordering any drink players keep stocked. While it is somewhat difficult to reach this level in the timed February 2022 demo, the longer play sessions from the 2021 closed alpha permitted me to get to a point where I had a thriving bar and brewery stocked with my own products. This allowed me to spend most of my time exploring and pursuing the story with income passively coming in. I still made it a point to visit other towns and fulfill contracts to further expand my business area as that advances the goal of running those pirates out of town, but the sense of urgency to constantly run multiple brewing contacts at once from customers was very low. I was very concerned that the business element of this game would weigh down the gameplay and player's choices so much there would not be a way to effectively pursue the story. This was not the case. For those not used to business management, it sounds a bit daunting, but it's simplified enough to where after brewing your first drink, the system to brew everything else is the same, with the only difference being ingredients and the number of ingredients used per recipe. COMBAT Of course, the pirates aren't going to take being removed from their self-proclaimed territory without intimidation and combat. Rather than weapons, players will be combating them with non-lethal tools like high-powered water cannons to damage their aircraft and even water rockets. But the focus is on disabling the plane and not killing the pirates wholesale. Combat, when it appears, is still exciting, but this conscious decision from the game developer maintains the overall fun feeling of the experience without taking it to a dark place. A respectable decision. ADVENTURE ASPECTS Beyond the business and tense standoffs, exploring the islands has a lot of extras with it. Listing them off as bullet points may be the easiest way to summarize it: Water landings allow players to sleep on the water for many hours to recover pilot fatigue; no need to return to headquarters all the time. Pilots can also be switched and emergency services like refueling and towing are available. Salvaging sunken ship wreckage with an aircraft-mounted wench allows for recovery of equipment, blueprints, brewing recipes, new ingredients, crates of money, and more. Fishing for sealife to add to recipes. Finding new land-based ingredients only available on certain islands. Finding new towns, shipyards, and other places. Discover notable locations that come with snippets of lore that help expand the player's understanding of the world. CONTROLS, CAMERAS, FIXES Since the closed alpha demo, one of the most prominent problems was in the tutorial. It would occasionally bug itself, making it almost impossible to complete the tutorial, requiring a restart from the beginning. This is something I had happen to me as well. However, I've yet to have this happen to me during a few playthroughs of the February 2022 demo, where I intentionally did the tutorial to see if it would break. Do note that there are comments on social media and elsewhere saying this still happens occasionally. The default camera of The Brew Barons fits perfectly for this game. For reference, I'll call it the Cinematic camera. It focuses on the horizon and provides easy sweeping views needed to see the lay of the land, coordinate turns for landing or ingredient gathering, and generally take in the scenery. However, this camera was not that great in times of combat or when sharp vertical maneuvers were needed. Maintaining a visual of where the aircraft was going became very difficult. After receiving feedback, the developer added a second camera option toggled with a button press that slowly repositions and locks the camera directly behind the aircraft, giving it the familiar third-person view seen in most flight arcade games. Control-wise, I think that this game is better off with either a gamepad or keyboard and mouse controls. As I've mostly flown with a gamepad, I'll focus on that. The default controls for gamepads are undeniably a bit odd. Some functions are bound to rather unusual buttons - this has been a sticking point for some people. A more refined default gamepad layout would be beneficial here, but everything can be rebound to the player's liking. I advocate for always setting control bindings before ever playing a game, so I may be biased in that aspect. Some parts of the control setting menu may need to be reworded, but this is overall minor. Flight sticks or Hands-On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS) controllers do work, but only devices that use a single USB are recognized. According to the developer, advanced HOTAS with multiple USBs are currently being researched to get working. This also applies to players attempting to use rudder pedals, HOTAS, and head tracking simultaneously. In my opinion, not a huge deal since the overall experience was better using a gamepad than when I was using a Logitech X52 or a Thrustmaster T.Flight 4. CONCLUSION With its mix of arcade flight action, approachable business management, an adventurous story, and a fine balance of gamification, there are genuinely not that many titles out there that can match this game's unique energy. I've genuinely had a fun time with this demo, primarily because of how far off of the beaten path it is. The creativeness of what the developer is doing with this title is wonderful. I do recommend trying the time-limited February 2022 demo a few times. Just to play the tutorial, play while skipping the tutorial to explore and another tutorial-skipped playthrough to focus on the business management aspects. For those interested, the Kickstarter campaign is active until March 12th, 2022 with the public demo still available as long as the Kickstarter is active. Our interview with the team developing The Brew Barons is also available for further information. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Have you ever aileron roll a pair of flying cows off your wing while flying through a barn? Well, I have, and let me tell you, the guy in third place did not see that coming. Wing Breakers is a combat air racing game that wholeheartedly embraces absolute chaos. It was designed from the ground up to be over the top, fast-paced, and a little overwhelming as players plow through the racecourses to race for first place. A few parts of this game stand out, in my opinion, so I'll be focusing on those. Thanks to an offer from the developer, Gugila, I was able to fly in the absolutely wild skies of Wing Breakers days before its release on March 10th, 2022. Skyward Flight Media thanks the game's developer for pre-release access. BALANCING COMBAT Air racing games that incorporate combat into their gameplay must always overcome the balance between fighting and racing. Why outrace the others when you can just shoot them down? Why bother out flying the competition if I can outgun them? It's a similar problem that racing/cart games have if the players are given too many weapons or power-up options. In Wing Breakers, the balance of weapons vs. racing has been maintained. The damage output of bullets is limited enough that only multiple direct hits to an aircraft can destroy it - at least a dozen or more hits. Much easier said than done while flying in the chaotic environments of Wing Breakers. Using cannon shells to destroy non-player-controlled enemies, blowing up certain parts of terrain, and disrupting other racers by firing upon them is more useful than focusing on dogfighting the competitors. Guided missiles are relatively easy to dodge with an aileron roll or barrel roll, meaning that they're better used to catch unsuspecting rivals off guard during critical moments. There are Power-Ups that can be acquired mid-race by flying through them, but not all are offensive weapons. Picking up more ammunition restocks a small number of bullets or a single missile, meaning that weapons cannot be reliably reloaded and used throughout the race. Furthermore, the respawn timer for aircraft destroyed is relatively fast. In roughly three to four seconds, downed aircraft air restart a short distance away from where they were shot down or crashed. Choosing to hang back and fire upon other racers is ineffective because of the inability to shoot down the entire field of competition and because the rest of the field will be flying at much higher speeds to gather points and complete the race. Players are better off flying for points and trophy placement than trying to become an ace in a race. AIR RACING The most essential parts of racecourses are the rings and pylons that must be flown through. The green floating rings can be cleared by flying the aircraft through them or partially by dipping most of a wing through the ring's center. Occasionally missing these wrongs can be catastrophic as players may need to turn around completely to fly through a high-priority ring, allowing other racers to effortlessly pass them. This is a harsh penalty, but it keeps the racers focused on racing above all else. The presence of traditional air racing pylons, as seen in something like Red Bull Air Racing, appears purely cosmetic at first. But specific pylons have players gaining further points only if they fly through them under certain conditions. For example, they may require the aircraft to be wings level, knife-edge passes, passing through at certain altitudes, or slalom style weaving from side to side. This curious attention to detail inspired by real-world air racing is welcome even in this extreme setting. Even with all the shooting, bumping, and grinding between aircraft, the results that matter are time, points gathered, and who crossed the finish line. These are all ways to further counter players that would focus on combat over racing. Shooting down multiple aircraft in one race doesn't count for much if you still come in fifth. FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS Wing Breakers has a very arcadey flight model, but that's expected considering the type of flying being done in this game. To expect flight simulator type handling characteristics here would be a bit foolish. Pre-mapped controls include keyboard-mouse, various gamepads, Steam's native controller configuration input, and two flight sticks - specifically flight sticks that only have a single USB. The default controls are the most accessible for anyone, even players new to flight, as they can fly the aircraft with one stick. For example, tilting a thumbstick left makes the aircraft perform a coordinated turn left. Controls more representative to actual flight can be toggled, giving players control over all control surfaces. Interestingly enough, both control schemes have their strengths and weaknesses, but players with simplified controls do not seem to have an obvious advantage in multiplayer. There is a lot of collision with flying cows, racing pylons, bales of hay, piston-driven compactors that try to smash your plane to bits, etc. Because of this, the aircraft in this game are very sturdy, capable of plowing through hoards of combat drones and explosive barrels, but they do accumulate damage over time. Hitting the ground or a building at high speed will force a respawn. AIRCRAFT, CUSTOMIZATIONS There are currently six aircraft in the game, each with their own unique stats, including the amount of ammo and missiles they carry. As they are primarily civilian aircraft adapted for combat, the way weapons, hardware upgrades, and cosmetics are bolted onto the planes is rather comical - they fit the overall aesthetic well. There is an abundant amount of slots for customizations for each aircraft. Categories include Upgrades (jet engines, wing modifications, etc.), Stickers (decals that can be placed almost anywhere), and Extra (smoke generators, bobble head cats on your horizontal stabilizers!). The hangar can also be visually customized with decorations that do not change its functions. If you really wanted to, you could put an obnoxious amount of decals and attachments onto an aircraft to really stand out in a crowd! Aircraft and customizations are unlocked by increasing player rank and completing specific challenges, but the feeling of things being a heavy grind is avoided. There are eight skill levels in the Campaign race mode alone, each with up to 12 races that require players to do specific tasks. Just progressing through the campaign unlocks things without players having to replay a particular race repeatedly to eventually unlock a single item. TRACK EDITOR Aside from the racing, the significant feature that caught my attention is its track editor. Racecourses of any size and level of complexity are possible. The default racecourses were created in the same editor. Rather than be included directly in the game, the editor is available on the game's official website using WebGL. The editor comes with two guides, the ability to place every in-game object anywhere, reshape terrain in any way - everything needed to make quality custom maps. Racecourses created in the editor can be playtested in game before being made available for download to all players that own Wing Breakers. The track editor being hosted on the website is a pretty unusual choice. This makes it possible for people who don't own the game to create and upload their own tracks. Whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but this opens the possibility for hundreds of races to be uploaded in the long term. Wing Breakers is not the type of flight game I usually find myself playing, but the impression it left on me was positive overall. The races are always fast enough to never feel like they're dragging on. The need to fly precisely to avoid danger is thrown aside with all the airborne livestock and aircraft wing slapping going on. There are plenty of moments that leave you giggling at how absurd things get, like coming in third place while your aircraft fireballs across the finish line. It was good to take a step back from the seriousness of flying and just have fun with it. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

The counterattack on Takodana in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens solidified Poe Dameron's position as "one hell of a pilot". In under a minute, Poe's black T-70 X-Wing took down ten TIE fighters while strafing First Order Stormtroopers. Getting as many starfighter kills that fast might be a bit unobtainable in Star Wars Battlefront II (2017), but it's still the best place to experience Star Wars themed combined arms combat. It goes without saying that Star Wars: Squadrons (2020) is the tailor-made pilot experience, but it focuses on space combat against starfighters, warships, space ports, etc. Because of that, Battlefront II continues to be the best place to experience providing close air support (CAS) for ground forces even in the year 2022. Multiplayer Combined Arms Combat Ever since "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" (a.k.a. the 1970s), fans of this multi-decade series have played all types of Star Wars games of various genres and quality. Few have been able to give the same epic battle experience that mimics what is shown in the movies and TV shows. I have nothing but love for the Star Wars Battlefront games of the early 2000s, as they represented combined arms pretty well for the most part. But the opportunities that starfighters had were restricted by which maps or game modes they were available in. This trend continued even into the 2010s with Star Wars Battlefront II. Its important to note that the type of combat we are discussing is only truly available in one game mode: Galactic Assault. There two teams of 20 players each fight in large battles which include the four standard player classes, powered up Reinforcement units, well-known heroes and villains and an assortment of vehicles. Not every map in Galactic Assault has starfighters available, but when they are, a starfighter in the right hands can make a difference in the ground battle. Flight System Overview It's clear that video game developer DICE designed Battlefront II to be very accessible to players of all skill levels. There are similarities in its design and gameplay to their long-running Battlefield series. Within seconds players can be embroiled in deep space skirmishes or planetside battles without having to worry too much about the physics and controls behind it all. This game restricts full control over the roll axis and utilizes automatically coordinated turning: pitch, roll and yaw working together during a single directional input to provide flat, easy to control turns. Even at minimum throttle and maximum turn input, stalling is not possible. Armor and shields regenerate when players are not under attack for a certain amount of time. There is no mid-air collision and friendly fire is disabled. The most complicated things players would need to worry about it throttle inputs for maximum turn rates, managing shield strength and selecting the right system upgrades for the task. A lot more could be said about flight in this game across all game modes, but let's refocus. Map Restrictions Something to remember while providing close air support in Battlefront II is that Galactic Assault maps have a wide horizontal play area but usually not a very high vertical play area. The exact height restrictions differ on each map, but the vertical play area is always smaller than the horizontal play area. For pilots, this translates to more ground attacks at more shallow angles giving them more time on target, but increasing their exposure to counterattack from below. The ideal high angle top attack profile is harder to achieve but is still possible. Pilots using the high angle method will have a very short time on target window before they must pull up to avoid crashing into terrain. Hardware Overview Starfighters come in three variants: interceptors which focus on high speeds and excel at shooting down other starfighters but suffer have low armor. Fighters maintain a nice balance of armor, firepower, and maneuverability. Bombers have high damage output, the best armor, and the lowest maneuverability. That may be how they are generally described, but gameplay and descriptions are two different things, especially when striking ground targets is the focus. Each Starfighter comes with slightly varying weapons systems. The primary weapon system is their blasters which have varying rates of fire and base firepower. Take note that these blasters also have a limited amount of splash damage around them. This splash damage can be utilized to hit even troops hiding behind cover, depending on the pilot's accuracy. Enhancing their ability to fire faster, hit harder or fire for longer periods of time is ideal. Secondary systems include momentary laser barrage bursts, afterburners, droids that repair damage and different types of torpedoes (i.e guided missiles). For ground attack, laser barrages and torpedoes are the best as they provide a substantial extra attack ability. Though torpedoes on starfighters do not lock onto anything but other starfighters, they can be fired without guidance using the on-screen crosshair in the starfighter's heads up display. This essentially makes them unguided rockets that fly along a fairly predictable path. When it comes to starfighter classes, the Interceptor and Bomber classes are the most effective in the ground attack role. Though Bombers do not carry bombs in this game, their high damage output blasters and torpedoes can make quick work of any land based foe. Their high output shields and heavy armor are also a factor. It may be surprising that the lightweight Interceptor was even considered, but its high rate of fire blasters can deliver respectable damage within seconds. Although its light defenses restrict it to quick slashing attacks and its high speed actually reduces the amount of time on target depending on how players approach their targets. The balanced rate of fire and damage output of Fighter class vehicle is formidable in dogfights and against capital ships, but for ground attack its somewhat meandering damage output combined with short ground attack windows caused by speed, distance and altitude restrictions diminishes its effectiveness. Application of Close Air Support Troop Buildup: The most common target for starfighters. Groups of three or more opposing players moving as a squad. The minimal splash damage produced by starfighter blasters will strike all targets within your firing point, making multi-kills more likely to happen. Being able to visually identify and trace their blaster fire helps with target identification. There are very few handheld weapons that can counter starfighters, besides Ion Torpedoes and Ion Turrets. While these launch small guided missiles that can chase starfighters, they are moderately easy to evade. Ion Disruptor Suppression: If the goal of the enemy is to deploy Ion Disruptors to drop the defenses of large assault vehicles like CIS Separatist MTTs, Imperial AT-ATs or First Order AT-M6s, interception of ground forces transporting them is needed. Pilots are able to fly past the front line and promptly fire upon the Ion Disruptors before they are fired. Even forcing the troops carrying them into less favorable position buys precious time for friendly ground forces to reach the troops carrying the Ion Disruptors themselves. Anti-Vehicle: Arguably the primary target for close air support. Whether they are hover tanks or multi-legged walking armored vehicles, starfighters can inficlt substantial damage on them in a short amount of time. Friendly ground forces will often be drawing all of their attention, making them easier to attack. Well aimed unguided torpedoes with damage upgrades are even capable of one-shot destroying vehicles at full health, if you can hit their weak spot directly. Even much larger vehicles like AT-ATs or MTTs, the primary objectives in many Galactic Assault matches, can be attacked with ease from the air at long distance. All of this can be applied to static defenses as well; E-Web Heavy Blaster emplacements, DF.9 anti-infantry batteries, V-232 artillery emplacements, etc. The weapons these vehicles carry can dish out equally high damage onto starfighters, so approaching them while they are actively firing upon you is unwise. Hero and Villain Counter: In this game, players can use the iconic characters of Star Wars to lay waste to all other infantry. With their boosted abilities, special weapons and Force powers, they can spread chaos throughout the area. Starfighters are one of the most effective counters to these characters. The splash damage caused by blasters, laser cannons and torpedoes cannot be deflected or blocked by a Force barrier or a light saber. While characters trained to use the Force will be harder to hit because of their ability to dash quickly and jump far, two or three effective strafing runs will almost completely deplete their massive health pools. Their lightsabers, while intimidating, do give away their positions when they are ignited, making them easier to attack from the air. Other characters that use blasters and are less mobile are generally easier to deal with but are capable of firing back. The most effective Hero or Villain characters against starfighters is actually Leia Organa. Her secondary fire ability not only delivers a moderately powerful single blaster bolt, but this bolt actually tracks targets. The farther the target is from Leia, the more accurate the blaster bolt tracks the target. Because the pilot receives no missile lock warning or missile evasion cues, pilots are usually caught off guard by her. This, strangely, makes her one of the most effective anti-starfighter defenses in Battlefront II. Self-Escort: In Galactic Assault, the number of starfighters available is always much more limited than the other game modes. Pilots providing CAS will need to be able to defend themselves against enemy starfighters before returning to ground attack. Even with a dedicated ally providing escort for the ground attacker, these minimal numbers will force all starfighters airborne to combat one another for air superiority. Being able to destroy walking tanks and strafe Stormtroopers definitely fulfills a lot of big screen movie desires within the players of Star Wars: Battlefront II. Han Solo is famous for saying hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster. The heavy blasters of high speed space craft tend to agree. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

"The best way to test survival game mechanics is to put yourself into a desperate situation." I told myself this after three days of trekking through the forest and foothills—the result of my misjudgment of aircraft fuel quantity and the distance back to my main airfield. I executed an emergency landing in a grass field at dusk. Exiting the aircraft, I saw that the wing was damaged during the chaos. With no tools onboard, I hiked back to my home airfield with only the items on my person and from the storage hold of the aircraft. I didn't have enough energy bars and water bottles to make the long walk back, so how would I survive? I previously discussed Groundfall, an in development open world bush flight simulator, back in April 2021. At the time, Snowcreature, the developer of this title, focused much of their effort on getting online multiplayer working. They were still hammering out how they would re-incorporate survival elements from a previous test build of the game. In late June 2022, singleplayer has been reintroduced, and many survival elements are back in play. It's safe to say that GroundFall has reached a new level of testing. For testing purposes, participants immediately have access to various weapons, a limited initial supply of resources, home airfield, a cabin, and an aircraft. This title has much more development to be done before it is ready for the public. Nothing in this article should be taken as a "final build" representation, but let's discuss what is currently being tested. Survival Equipment and Game Mechanics "Roughing it" is a part of the collective mental image of bush flight. Moving the aircraft into places inaccessible to most aircraft while maintaining a stable food supply and general state of safety even in the most remote areas. Players have to manage their physical fatigue, food, water, and stamina. It's even possible to get an infection from a severe injury. Attempting to explore and build 24 hours a day with minimal rest will also result in eventual death by fatigue. Learning how to pace one's goals while making time to rest properly is the safest way to survive. My most successful testing sessions frequently start by stocking up on supplies and hardware before even attempting to fly anywhere. A few overland treks by foot to nearby cabins before even taking off could also lead to finding rare items like aircraft fuel, repair tools, or other gadgets. Tools and weapons include bows, arrows, knives, spears, axes, and lever-action hunting rifles. All of these have limitations such as wear and tear that eventually causes them to break, throwing them and losing track of them, or in the case of the rifle, how much ammunition is available. Intelligent choices need to be made. You won't be walking around with hundreds of rounds of ammo or arrows on your person, so using precious rifle ammunition on an unsuspecting rabbit may not be as valuable as using it to fight off bears. Foraging for berries is a decent way to keep the player's food and water levels up, but hunting prey like deer offers considerably more food in one go. So far, GroundFall has handled hunting in a very straightforward manner. Each animal provides a certain amount of meat, leather, etc. There are no animations for skinning fur or removing organs, so it's all pretty clean for now. Crafting and Constructing The inclusion of a crafting and survival booklet was a very positive move from the developer. This booklet contains tutorials, crafting recipes for various structures, and workspaces to repair equipment and build more advanced equipment. Even creating new buildings is being tested. Both pre-made designs and custom designs are available. After setting placeholders for walls, porches, windows, stairs, and doors, the structures show how much wood, stone, or other materials are required. With players also able to make new runways, constructing a rather elaborate home airfield is a desirable long-term goal. I had never considered wanting a custom airfield until Ground Fall presented the possibility. I'll find a way to make a complete two-runway airport at this rate! Reaffirming the Value of the Aircraft The flight model GroundFall uses hasn't changed much since the last article I wrote, so I recommend reading that if you have not. But on the subject of survival gameplay, nothing emphasizes the importance of having an aircraft more than losing access to it. A light aircraft's utility becomes more apparent when you are thousands of meters away from the home airfield with no quick ride out of potentially deadly situations. The extra storage and speed of travel aircraft provide are vital—even quick trips just over the next few hills or scouting areas of interest. A flat patch of dirt near a cluster of hard-to-reach cabins or a herd of deer could be the beginning of a profitable expedition. But the fragility of light aircraft is also very apparent. Taking time to orbit the potential landing area and visually inspect it will save players a lot of headaches. The presence of wildlife, boulders, and trees on or near the runway can result in catastrophic damage to the aircraft. Attempting to land from the wrong direction without accounting for the height of trees, hills, or mountains could also lead to a one-time landing gone wrong. Give yourself enough room to go around and try again. Admittedly, at this testing phase, flying long distances is risky because of the inability to carry repair tools or extra fuel within the aircraft. You're at the mercy of RNG to hope you'll find more fuel somewhere along the way at another airfield or in a cabin. Running out of fuel, taking considerate structural damage or outright flipping the aircraft upside down is a death sentence for the aircraft. Feedback from testers will continue to be provided to the developer, but I know I'll be arguing the case for even a one-time use "minor tool kit" to be carried on board the aircraft to at least repair minor or moderate damage. Perhaps an "emergency gas tank" as well. It's great that GroundFall has reached a new phase of testing for its core gameplay elements. There are bound to be many more additions and improvements along the way as the developer continues to bounce ideas off of their testing group. Other features from a previous build are still being reintroduced, including radio for communications and receiving in-game objectives. I look forward to seeing the next level of development in this up-and-coming bush flight simulator. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Flight arcade games that have players purchasing aircraft as the story develops add a thin layer of money management to gameplay. This is mostly true for the first and second playthrough of their single player campaigns. Starting with a small pool of funds and facing an increasing number of enemies, buying a new aircraft for each sortie isn't always the best strategy. Saving up for highly capable late-game aircraft is ideal, but finding the right mix of less capable aircraft to get you there without wasting money is the challenge. I'm of the opinion that in Project Wingman, the MG-29 is by far the best mid-tier aircraft available early in its campaign and conquest mode. This is because of its weapon selection, ability to bring multiple weapon types in the same sortie, great all-around mobility, and an optional maneuverability-increasing part that can extend its usefulness in combat. Unlike most of its appearances in-flight arcade games over the past two or three decades, the MG-29 (patterned after the MiG-29 Fulcrum) is a solid multi-role platform in Project Wingman. With three weapon slots available, it can carry a mixture of anti-air and anti-surface weapons without compromising one for the other; something that the most flight arcade games force players to do frequently. Slot 1 is a dedicated air-to-air slot with active radar homing missiles (MLAA), semi-active radar homing missiles (SAA), or short-range multiple-purpose missiles (STDM). Slot 2 allows for more active radar homing missiles (MLAA), unguided bombs (UGBS), or rocket pods (URS, URBM). The unguided weapons can be used effectively on clusters of surface targets, with the rocket pods doubling as effective weapons against seaborne and airborne warships. Even against the occasional land battleship! Slot 3 can equip further active radar homing missiles (MLAA), small unguided bombs (UGBS) or guided air-to-ground missiles (MLAG, MLAG-2). All of this is available alongside the aircraft's highly effective internal cannon (GUN) and the usual multipurpose standard missiles (STDM). The typical "no compromise" loadout of the MG-29 combines medium or long ranged air-to-air missiles, unguided rocket pods or bombs and multi-target air-to-ground missiles which augment the already destructive internal cannon and standard missiles capable of attacking any target. Being able to carry this mixture of weaponry each sortie or prioritize one role over another depending on the mission highlights the MG-29's flexibility as compared to other aircraft in the game's roster. Whether it's maintaining a mixed loadout to take on any threat during a mission or doubling up on weapons for air battles or dedicated ground support, the MG-29 can handle it. While this aircraft does come with countermeasures to decoy guided missiles, its optional angle of attack limiter toggle is vital in extending its usefulness. Forgoing countermeasures to control the limiter lets players maneuver the aircraft beyond its standard performance ratings for a short time. Being able to quickly tap the limiter to enhance turns, evade attacks, or quickly point the nose and attack superior enemies are a part of the AOA limiter's offerings. Eventually the effectiveness of the aircraft will fall off when combating considerable numbers of superior aircraft. Expert use of the AOA limiter by the pilot will be the deciding factor in late game combat. Finally, the MG-29 is unlocked for purchase rather early in the story, making its entire package very desirable. Completing mission 05 and having enough credits on hand is enough to purchase it outright with all weapons and optional equipment included. Even in Conquest Mode it can be purchased early on though its viability comes into question much faster in this game mode as compared to single player. Mainly because of how rapidly the difficulty in Conquest mode can escalate in just two to four missions. Any attempt to fly the MG-29 long term in Conquest will heavily rely on the pilot's overall skill and expert use of the AOA limiter for defensive maneuvers. In a genre that has portrayed the Strike Eagle, Fighting Falcon and Hornet as the only true multirole platforms, it's great to see the "Fulcrum" finally be a solid contender in the race. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.

Multi-crew capable aircraft are some of the most interesting modules in the Digital Combat Simulator World. Operating a full-fidelity simulated airborne war machine with a trusted second human player is something that DCS can offer in a way few other combat-oriented flight simulators can. This is even more true in a historically iconic aircraft like the Grumman F-14 Tomcat as presented by Heatblur Simulations, which has been recreated in eye bleedingly high quality. But as expected in any multi-crew aircraft, the full extent of their capabilities rely on a competent human crew. In the F-14A/B, having a consistent human pilot and radar intercept officer for every sortie is a rarity. Fortunately, a computer companion has been available since this module's introduction in March 2019. Jester, a computerized radar intercept officer (RIO) is effective enough to let human players fly the Tomcat without a human RIO. Some aspects of Jester are beneficial beyond the on-paper capabilities of the Tomcat, but even now, in 2022, he's not without his limitations and quirks. Some of these quirks can potentially place the aircraft in danger if the players don't figure out how to work with or around them. Consider this a helpful tip article for your average DCS World F-14 Tomcat pilot to work better with Jester in certain aspects. Jester Specific Keybinds Jester's primary control function is the Jester Menu. This circular menu lets the pilot order their computer RIO to interact with dozens of sub-menus for almost every system available in the Tomcat's backseat. It is projected over the center of the player's field of view while in flight. Speaking from the point of view of someone that uses head tracking like TrackIR or OpenTrack, this menu's ability to be controlled with head movements for quick selection is very handy. But there are times when moving one's head up, down, left, and right can be detrimental. Like while visually tracking a maneuvering bandit in a dogfight or opening the menu when not looking straight ahead towards the head tracker sensor. Opening the menu while looking up at an angle or off to the side can result in awkward strained neck movements because of the menu's orientation. Whichever direction the player is looking when they open this menu is considered the "centered" position for the menu. For example, suppose the menu is opened while looking down to the left outside the cockpit while scanning for something on the ground. What would typically be a quick downward glance to select a menu option can turn into odd neck-craning movements to choose menu options. Opening the menu when already looking behind or directly above the aircraft could require large head movements to select options on the edges of the menu. To the point where keeping your eyes on the computer monitor while moving your head at awkward angles can be uncomfortable. Jester does have a limited set of commands that can be bound to specific keybinds or buttons on physical controllers (joysticks, HOTAS, gamepads, etc). There are not enough commands to cover every possible Jester option, but what is available can be utilized in life-saving and frustration-negating ways when used correctly. Take time to check out all possible keybinds in with Digital Combat Simulator open in Options -> Controls -> F-14 Pilot -> Jester AI, but the keybinds of interest to us in this article will be explained per subject. Radar Orientation Reset One of the first things people will think of is how difficult it can be to get him to re-center the radar from one cluster of contacts to a different area. This is something that occurs in various radar modes. Even when aggressively reorienting the F-14 onto new radar contacts, Jester will work his hardest to keep the radar on the initial set of contacts, slewing the radar as far as he can to maintain radar contact on the initial group. While this is all well and good assuming the initial group is the biggest threat, in situations where a new, more dangerous group of contacts appears, having to work against Jester to force him to break contact with the initial group is detrimental. Having to completely break radar contact with the first group by sometimes turning the aircraft so far away from the initial contact group Jester cannot physically keep the radar on them to acquire the new contacts is as dangerous as it sounds. It costs precious time and can allow bandits to close distance, negating the Tomcat's purpose-built beyond visual range advantage (BVR). In a pinch or as a standard operation, using the keybinds as mentioned above to change Jester's radar mode between Range While Search (Jester AI -> Radar- RWS Mode) or Track While Scan (Jester AI -> Radar - TWS Mode) automatically forces Jester to re-center the aircraft's radar straight ahead of the aircraft. While it will take him a few seconds to complete the order, it's a faster and safer alternative in a pinch. BVR Transition to WVR Despite the Tomcat's famed ability to fire six AIM-54 Phoenixes at up to six different aircraft flying at altering altitudes and speeds, the chances of splashing every bandit every time would require the perfect conditions for each missile. Knowing how to transition from BVR to within visual range (WVR) combat is a skill that the F-14 pilot will need to know. Assuming a long-range missile launch failed to hit its target or a close-range bandit has been detected, Jester's commands for Single Target Track (STT) mode can be the difference between landing a quick missile shot a few miles before the merge or better positioning one's self for the inevitable turning battle. This can be accomplished without interacting with Jester's menu when you may be seconds away from entering a dogfight. Ordering Jester to STT lock the nearest confirmed bandit (Jester AI -> Radar - STT Lock Enemy Ahead) is the ideal solution, assuming all aircraft in front of the F-14 have been identified as friendly or hostile (IFF). If Jester may not be able to IFF a nearby air contact fast enough, commanding him to lock any aircraft ahead with STT (Jester AI -> Radar - STT Lock Ahead) is the fastest way to gain a firing solution. But with, this will forgo the IFF process, making it possible for him to lock a friendly. Methods for confirming whether or not the STT locked aircraft include waiting for Jester to verbally IFF them, the pilot using the Tomcat's Television Camera System (TCS) to visually identify, using the pilot's own eyes to identify, communicating with allies, asking a nearby AWACS to declare the status of the locked aircraft or checking the F10 map, if able. Where quick STT lock commands are used, it is strongly recommended also to have Jester's break lock command readily available (Jester AI -> Radar - Break Lock). Following Up on BVR Launches As a side note, the same STT keybinds mentioned above can be used to follow up on successful or near-successful BVR launches. When AIM-54 Phoenix missiles reach their targets and their onboard missile seekers go fully active ("pitbull") and guide themselves to target, the enemy aircraft are usually forced to perform defensive maneuvers once their onboard radar warning receivers alert them of the AIM-54 closing in. If in a favorable position, the attacking F-14 can follow up for a second attack. When confirming that the Phoenix went active, using Jester's command to STT lock an enemy ahead (Jester AI -> Radar - STT Lock Enemy Ahead) will focus the Tomcat's weapon systems and TCS onto the defensive bandit. The benefits of this is the immediate ability to monitor the bandit's movements. If the bandit is destroyed by the AIM-54, it can be confirmed via radar and the TCS system. If it successfully defends, the Tomcat can be positioned closer to the defensive bandit for a more favorable follow up attack and decide what type of missile should be launched to down the bandit. Using the Jester Menu to STT lock a specific numbered Track While Scan (TWS) target is the ideal way to follow up a BVR TWS attack, but in situations where missiles are being exchanged, Jester's quick STT lock keybinds can come in clutch. Manually Switching Between Pulse and Pulse Doppler STT Jester frequently loses radar missile lock when transitioning from Pulse Doppler STT (PD-STT) to Pulse STT (P-STT) when allowed to do so on his own. This well-known problem resulted in an update from Heatblur Simulations, letting players disable Jester's ability to transfer between these two modes through the aircraft's Special Options menu. Without getting too deep into the details, for now, there are advantages and disadvantages to using either mode. PD-STT is best used for attacking a single target at long range but is vulnerable to Zero Doppler Notch. P-STT is more resistant to notching but is best used for short to medium range. For a deeper understanding, I recommend referring to the AN/AWG-9 section of the official manual and Avionics IV: Radar Management in Virtual Backseaters Volume I: F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer by Fly and Wire. Rather than completely doing away with a function of the AN/AWG-9 radar, make use of Jester's toggle command (Jester AI ->Radar - Toggle PD-STT to P-STT) to take manual control. With the pilot having a better understanding of when and if to switch between these two modes, there is at least an option to access these modes when needed. Inhuman Situational Awareness Quirks This isn't necessarily something that can be controlled with keybinds, but it is noteworthy. Jester has the same level of inhuman situational awareness that many other computer-controlled enemy units do in Digital Combat Simulator. This is especially apparent during close-range dogfights and for calling out missile launches. In a dynamic turning battle, Jester does not lose sight of any bandit merged with the F-14 Tomcat. Even in situations where the enemy is attacking from directly below, where it's physically impossible to see them. Jester will continue to guide the player's eyes and flight inputs towards the bandit with consistent position call-outs. This is true even in scenarios/missions that adhere to the most realistic restrictions possible. This includes callouts for missiles launched from aircraft or surface-to-air threats. Jester's warnings about infrared homing missiles are especially life-saving. The assumption is that when Jester calls out a missile it will most likely be hostile. However, he can give false call-outs in certain situations. Because he does not always differentiate the type of missiles launched or if a nearby friendly aircraft fired a missile at a distant target. Occasionally Jester's sudden, panicked instructions to break away and evade are triggered by something that is no factor. Human pilots maintaining at least a basic situational awareness will easily avoid unneeded maneuvering and wasting countermeasures from a false launch alert. For those interested in more information about what's possible with Jester in the air-to-ground attack role, see my previous article on using Jester AI in the Forward Air Controller (Airborne) role. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile.