by Leonard Hjalmarson
- Ground War Integration and AI
- Flight Modelling and Dynamics
- Physics Modelling
- Strategic Control: Theatre Commanders and AWACS
- New Weapons and Platforms
- Training and Tutorials
- Hardware 2000
Ground War AI
EF2000 was a fantastic simulation and broke some new ground in graphics and in the incredible "being there" feel of the dynamic environment. But that was 1996, and this is 1998! What will we see this year?
DiD have not been resting on their laurels and Total Air War will bring us a new campaign AI in the form of WARGEN II, integrating two dynamic AI components seamlessly into one: Smart Tanks and Smart Pilots. "SmartTanks" will bring the ground war into the virtual battlefield. Many pilots complained that the air to ground and ground to air war was the missing dimension in EF2000. DiDs response is to include a real ground war, with even trains and automobiles involved in the action. Interdiction of supplies will now become a critical mission goal, and supply routes will be busy with vehicular traffic. Roger Godfrey comments:
"We have a fully functioning ground war. The Tanks fight each other on the battlefield, trains travel around the desert (on train lines), trucks travel down the roads, SAMS trundle around taking pot shots at enemy aircraft and AAA snakes into the sky. This is great stuff for Close Air Support missions. Now the F22 would rarely be used for CAS but the game allows you to fly CAS missions as and when you like. Of course the other aircraft will perform CAS using SmartPilots as well so don't be surprised if you see A10's smashing T-80's to bits or EF2000's performing Wild Weasel."
The development of the "SmartTanks" module parallels Digital Image Designs work in this area. For almost two years they have been on a ground warfare simulator for the military, making use of their advances in terrain data as well as their work in night vision technology. DiD will eventually release a separate simulation based on the ground warfare experience. Do you smell an integrated battlefield? If "TANK," the code name for their ground war simulation in development, is eventually united to TAW, we will have an integrated virtual battlefield compliments of DiD!
In the meantime, FN2 and Falcon 4 may be as close as we come this year. Strategy Plus reported last year on F4 that, "The AI is detailed in other ways, too. Assume you fly a successful mission against a bridge vital to an enemy tank battalion’s route of march. When the tanks can’t cross, they won’t sit like motionless morons and wait for some ace with a wingload of Mavericks to light up their life. Their commander, Comrade CPU, will immediately try to find another way to cross the river and achieve the objective. Similarly, if you elect to deviate from your mission orders and take out North Korea’s Illustrious Leader in his palace, there will be repercussions. At the very least the tank battalion will achieve its objective and get new orders. The tanks may overachieve and do serious damage to the allied cause. Your attack might cause immediate intervention by Chinese forces."
The ground war in F4 models approximately 40,000 objects. If every bridge has three sections this number might be higher. Repair and replacement rates will also be realistic. Microprose is very big on the ground forces ability to repair bridges with engineer units, so much so that there is an entirely separate programming team working on this who don't care about the flight sim: their sole interest is in a realistic ground war!
In Flying Nightmares II sighting rules are unique. What is not detected by ground or air forces will not show up on the commandants strategic map. A Harrier could make multiple passes over a forest and not spot an infantry squad, where a Cobra in the same air space might spot them. Of course, if the infantry choose to fire on an air unit their risk of detection increases greatly! AI units even have "hide" and "evade" AI which makes them difficult to spot.
The strategic game in FN2 revolves on elements like this since players will use ground troops to ID targets for their Harriers. Computer controlled units include M1A1 tanks, LAV-25 armored personnel carriers and artillery batteries. AI air units include Avenger and Hawk air defense units, EH-60 jamming helos, E-2C Hawkeye AWACS, LCAC hovercraft and utility helos. AI ground forces include infantry, engineers, and special forces units. Remotely Piloted Vehicles will be powerful reconnaisance assets. AI units will automatically attack a significant threat, but the commander will have the power to overrule these tactics and assign other targets. Specially equipped helicopters can be sent in with electronic jamming equipment to disable enemy communications.
We even heard late last year that FN2 will allow a certain number of players to man AAA posts around critical bases. This is a lot better than waiting on the sidelines to fly a mission, and it adds another ground breaking element to the human to human interaction of FN2.
