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F e a t u r e The Australian International Air Show, Part II |
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This year's 2001 Australian International Air Show was hot . . . both in temperature and hardware. As we learn from our newest contributor, Dr. Simon Ng, the Australian International Air Show is, in fact, one of the world’s great air shows, with enormous industry and public support tied to a history spanning twenty-five years. In Part I, Dr. Ng covered the fighter aircraft on display at Avalon; in Part II, he shows us the rotary wing aircraft, bombers, and transport workhorses that were strutting their stuff.
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F e a t u r e Unsung Heroes, Part III - Eight Titles Covering Air, Land, and Sea |
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This three part series by Aaron "Spectre" Watson is a tribute to those people who extend the longevity of combat simulations through their tireless work and skillful creations of skins, mods, utilities, and tweaks from which we all may benefit.
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F e a t u r e Pilot Perspectives and Aviation Museums |
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Military aviation museums, whether static displays or still flying, are our only tangible link to an heroic age the likes of which we'll never see again. These museums are an important legacy that deserve our support and patronage. But static displays and even vintage warbirds that fly are only part of the formula that keeps the past alive. What really animates these displays are the first person accounts of what actually happened to the pilots and crews of these aircraft. In this article, Len "Viking1" Hjalmarson introduces us to some of the world's great aviation museums and ties it all together with the accounts of one bomber crewman and two fighter pilots.
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T r a d e S h o w Game Developer Conference 2001 |
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The Game Developers Conference, now in its 15th year, provides an independent forum for expert developers from around the world to share ideas, build skills, and learn about the latest tools and technologies. Guest speakers, tutorials, and a job fair were the main attractions, but there was also over 130 exhibitors showing off their latest hardware and software to the world's best and brightest game programmers. Our Mark "Specter" Starrett files this report on the hardware and software that was on display for the attendees to peruse between guest speakers and tutorials.
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F e a t u r e Unsung Heroes, Part II - FS:SDOE & EAW |
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Sites like COMBATSIM.COM have spent many years dissecting and evaluating the sims we all love to play. But what about those tireless, private individuals who spend countless hours extending the playability of our beloved simulation titles with their tweaks, hacks, skins, mods, utitlities and add-ons? This three part series by Aaron "Spectre" Watson is a tribute to those people who extend the longevity of combat flight simulators. In Part II, Aaron takes a look at the unsung heroes of Fighter Squadron: Screamin' Demons Over Europe and European Air War.
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F e a t u r e The Australian International Air Show, Part I: The Greatest Show Off Earth |
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This year's 2001 Australian International Air Show was hot . . . both in temperature and hardware. As we learn from our newest contributor, Dr. Simon Ng, the Australian International Air Show is, in fact, one of the world’s great air shows, with enormous industry and public support tied to a history spanning twenty-five years.
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F e a t u r e Unsung Heroes Part I |
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Sites like COMBATSIM.COM have spent many years dissecting and evaluating the sims we all love to play. But what about those tireless, private individuals who spend countless hours extending the playability of our beloved simulation titles with their tweaks, hacks, skins, mods, utilities and add-ons? This three part series by Aaron "Spectre" Watson is a tribute to those people who extend the longevity of combat flight simulators. As well, as a result of this series, we will be wanting your input for a new category of awards for these unsung heroes.
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C o m m e n t Abandoned Fortress? |
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With almost equal numbers of supporters and detractors of B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th!, sales of this title are labouring under the uncertainty. Sure, the title has some serious technical difficulties, but patches can fix many of these issues. And yet, such serious technical glitches alone cannot explain the diametrically-opposed opinions toward this title we see in the community. Upon closer inspection, it seems much of the criticism is due to the dashed expectations of those who feel the phrase "flight sim" doesn't apply to this game. From where could such a conflict in expectations arise? Our Jim "Bismarck" Cobb does a little content analysis and finds that the advertising medium is not necessarily the right message.
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F e a t u r e Falcon 4.0 Virtual Battlefield Report |
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FLASH TRAFFIC: THE WAR IS OVER! In this virtual battlefield report, Stefan "Bluefire" Linke of the 1st G.U.N.S. Richthofen's Command Air Group, gives us a debrief of the thrilling victory he and others from around the world experienced together in this long campaign. As Stefan tells us, "It took nine months and 113 stages to finish this campaign against DPRK, Russians and the Chinese." In the final flight, a raid on a Pyongyang nuclear reactor plant, fourteen pilots from seven nations and four squadrons were engaged in the final stage which led to victory.
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F e a t u r e In Search of Prop Sim Grail - Part II |
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In this second and final installment of Len "Viking1" Hjalmarson's quest for prop sim grail, he covers Virtual Pilots and Morale/Personality Factors, Communications and Wingmen Interaction/Control, Integration of the Ground War, Graphics and View System, Padlock and Views and Situational Awareness, and Multiplayer. Even if you are a casual prop combat simmer, this two-part series is a helluva good (and educational) read; so get yourself a cup of coffee, take off your shoes and settle back and enjoy.
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F e a t u r e In Search of Prop Sim Grail - Part I |
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Now that we have safely arrived in the new millennium, and with some great new simulations in the offing, it's time to consider the state of affairs in combat prop simulations. As someone has said, to know where you're going you must first know where you have been, and then where you are. Len "Viking1 Hjalmarson assesses where we have been, where we are, and then uses the latest intel on coming WWII simulations to consider where we are headed with respect to military prop simulations.
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C o m m e n t Tomorrow Now! |
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Jim "Twitch" Tittle does his best impression of Susan Powter (complete with bleach-blond crewcut) and yells "Stop the insanity!" in this article where he asks the burning questions on all our minds: Why, as they exist today, are PC's somewhat of a cruel joke and we gladly pay for the grief? Why do we have to buy new hardware so often? Why doesn't my new entertainment software run right?
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F e a t u r e Carl Norman of SSI Speaks Out |
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There was a time when combat simmers, on the whole, were a respectful group who were thrilled when game producers and developers would respond to their queries on the usenets and message boards. Lately, however, we've seen a growing contingent of evermore demanding and strident simmers who become enraged if the creators of sims don't reply immediately to their every concern. Recently, SSI's Carl Norman made a post replying to the indignant, albeit well-meaning, demands of some within the Flanker 2 community. What Mr. Norman wrote was a candid and illuminating response as to the realities today's sim developers and producers face these days. Perhaps, if more people in the community read his response, we will all do a better job of treating the producers (of the games we all love) with the respect they deserve.
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C o m m e n t a r y An ASP Model For Serious Computer Gaming |
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Microsoft Active Server Pages for serious gaming? No, silly, ASP as in Application Service Providers. In this week's commentary, David Harrison, presents his case for why he thinks the ASP approach to game development and distribution would be a good next step in the evolution of serious games.
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F e a t u r e The Best Combat Flight Sims of 2000 |
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What a year! It’s safe to say that the year 2000 was a benchmark year in flight simulations. With 3D accelerators coming of age and the arrival of the AMD Athlon as a true PIII class processor, gamers have never had it so good! Len "Viking1" Hjalmarson takes you through a review of the best in combat sims of Y2K: Aces High, B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th!, Battle of Britain, Enemy Engaged: Comanche vs. Hokum, and Jane's F/A-18.
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C o m m e n t Manual Walkin'-Talkin' Blues |
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Guess who's read one too many lousy manuals? Jim "Bismarck" Cobb rhapsodizes about the sad shape of game manuals.
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F e a t u r e Indie Corner: Wargames |
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Join our newest contributor, Peter "Zhukov" Pawelek, as he examines some of the exciting developments from independent/small-scale computer wargame publishers.
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R e v i e w GameShark Cheatware |
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Even simmers so devoted that they have permanent goggle marks around their eyes will, on occasion, kick back and play an adventure or action game, Yet those darn tricks can slow a guy up. "GameShark" provides quick and easy answers.
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E v e n t FALCON 4.0: Operation "TIGERSPIRIT" |
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Somewhere, in an inconspicous home called "The Bunker" in Stockton, California, a unique Falcon 4.0 LAN Session based on the RP 4 patch took place.
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C o m m e n t a r y The Future of Military Simulations |
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CNET's Gamecenter editors and others have argued that military simulations are too complex and expensive to survive. Are they right? Join Len "Viking1" Hjalmarson as he challenges this all too prevalent point of view.
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E d i t o r i a l IMHO: Chips in the Back Of Their Necks |
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After weeks of attempting to gain the perspective obviously shared by 99% of other reviewers, Bob "Groucho" Marks yanks the lid off of the sinister plot behind the CFS2 love-in craze. Remember, Groucho is equal time.
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F e a t u r e Simulation For Real: Air Combat USA |
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Think that you are the top dogfighter on your block? Are you truly BAD? Take a pleasure cruise with Bob "Groucho" Marks and see how it's done with real G-forces. Your flying Ferrari is waiting. Check in at the first SIAI-Marchetti SF-260 on the ramp. Let's rock!.
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F E A T U R E Ultimate Homebrewed Cockpit - Pt. 4, The Face-lift Begins |
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The fourth installment in the Ultimate Homebrewed Cockpit series: "The Face-lift Begins" is the gettin' to work phase of the project. |
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Editorial Single Player Multiplay – The v8th Ops Phenomenon |
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From the ashes of Hasbro Interactive's announcement of the cancellation of multiplay in its upcoming B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty Eighth, a collection of stalwart members emerged, each one reeling from the shock of the devastation, yet looking at this new landscape not as a wasteland, but instead as a blank canvas upon which a new doctrine could be established. This new philosophy is called "Single Player Multiplay."
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E d i t o r i a l IMHO: Combat Sims & Xmas |
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COMBATSIM.COM's own Bob "Groucho" Marks attempts to understand the thought processes (or lack thereof) involved with a certain Big Toy Corporation's hardwired need to meet a pre-Christmas simulator buying frenzy of dubious existence. And yes, names are named.
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F e a t u r e ECTS 2000 |
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ECTS is a great trade show. It is not as overwhelming as E-3 nor as small as some of the regional shows. COMBATSIM.COM's Kurt "Froglips" Giesselman visits all the hot spots and uncovers the latest hardware and software.
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F e a t u r e A Visit to Saitek |
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In his second article in his Traveling Gamer series, Kurt Giesselman visits Saitek Industries in the UK. During his tour, Saitek unveils their PCDash 2, and a variety of new sticks currently under development.
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F e a t u r e Visit to Razorworks |
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Blockbuster is certainly a good description of Razorwork’s most recent combat helicopter simulation, Enemy Engaged Comanche vs. Hokum. As a participant in the closed beta test before its release in Europe, Kurt Giesselman visited the Razorworks studio in Oxford, England. | ||
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F e a t u r e An AeroGeek Enters the Hall of Kings |
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For those afflicted with terminal aviation mania, the last week in July sees the Center of the Known Universe to shift to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the EAA Airventure airshow. Bob "Groucho" Marks had the opportunity to make the pilgrimage this year, and makes his report. | ||
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F e a t u r e Source Code, Hex Editing, & File Hacking Explained |
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In light of our recent articles by Bob "Groucho" Marks on the latest patches and add-ons made for Falcon 4.0 as a result of the leaked source code, we thought that a primer on source code was in order. Join Raul "Datajack" Rodriguez as he explains exactly what Source Code is, its power, and how it differs from Hex Editing and File Hacking. |
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F e a t u r e Falcon 4 Plus |
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From the magic at iBeta to the Falcon 4.0 Turbo Mod, Bob "Groucho" Marks takes a look at the new Falcon 4.0 post 1.08 patch, and the amazing number of 'home brew' mods the Falcon 4 community have cooked up. | ||
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F e a t u r e SDOEWAR Report |
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SDOEWAR was created to offer those flyers who long to be a part of something bigger than a quick dogfight, or even a simple co-op mission an avenue to do that. In SDOEWAR, your successes and failures will have a direct impact on how your side fares in the war. As SDOEWAR correspondent Gregor Veble reports, the Axis forces have the upper hand. | ||
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F e a t u r e A Visit to Guillemot |
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Kurt Giesselman visited Guillemot in France a few weeks ago. The scope and quantity of their new products under development is somewhat staggering. Two new HOTAS/joystick lines, a new flight yoke, new game pads, plus their lineup of video products is just the short list that is most interesting to COMBATSIM readers. | ||
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F i c t i o n World War III |
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Adam Yoshida's popular World War III story takes us on a journey back to 1979 when the US and the Soviet Union were formidable enemies. His fictional scenario is written from a historical narrative point of view. Published with permission, Part 2 - Operation Central Run. | ||
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F e a t u r e SDOE War |
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There is something in the works by the SDOE community called SDOE War - Virtual Battle. Gregor talks with Roger Hagerty, the event coordinator, about this exciting on-line event and the dynamics it involves. | ||
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F e a t u r e Flying the New Falcon4 Online |
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With the latest patches from iBeta and a host of other custom made enhancements, flying Falcon4 online can be a difficult process when everybody has a different standard. Kurt Giesselman identifies the current problem and attempts to lead Falcon4 pilots to a standard with his guide to flying Falcon4 online. | ||
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F e a t u r e Going to The Forums |
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COMBATSIM.COM's forums are a veritable cornucopia of information, knowledge, and humour. As Gregor 'Gecko' Veble tell us, however, entering into any well established forum environment without a basic understanding of the potential dangers is not unlike running blindfolded through a minefield. | ||
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H u m o u r A Scramble in Time |
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Many of the EAW'rs know about the hilarious misadventures of Feldmarshall Edwin Rommel (aka Pieter Cronje), written in "Germlish", in our European Air War forum. Recently, in real life, Pieter was busted at his workplace for spending too much time on our forum. Because of this unfortunate turn of events, Pieter had no choice but to write one last installment about the Feldmarshall in which he was sent to jail by his superiors for misconduct. Well, we couldn't go without our Germlish fix so we asked the Feldmarshall if he might put pen to paper and construct a series of stories for all of us to read. This he did, and boy did he come up with a real doozy of a storyline: The New Misadventures of Feldmarshall E. Rommel in a story called A Scramble in Time.
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F e a t u r e Talk to Me! |
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Kurt "Froglips" Giesselman examines several on-line chat applications as online communications have progressed dramatically over the last year. With Battle Comm making the transition to freeware, and programs like Roger-Wilco included with some new simulations (Flanker 2.0), the choices for Internet communication software for cooperative and head-to-head game play are broader and more effective than ever. | ||
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Game Developers Conference New Products are Announced! |
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Our reporter at the GDC has all the latest information on the makers and shakers in the gaming industry! | ||
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Feature: What's in a Flight Sim? |
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Gregor "Gecko" Veble has written us an article regarding the features currently being included in flight simulations, and how these features affect the game play and immersion factors. Gregor has some interesting responses from some well-known simulation development team members. | ||
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Overview: Software Angels |
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Rowan Software's, Rod Hyde, reports back and gives us an overview of the Software Angels survey and forum we ran in last January. | ||
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Feature: What's in a Flight Sim? |
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Gregor "Gecko" Veble has written us an article regarding the features currently being included in flight simulations, and how these features affect the game play and immersion factors. Gregor has some interesting responses from some well-known simulation development team members. | ||
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Feature: Falcon 4.0 Force on Force |
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Tom "Saint" Launder has written an excellent feature regarding the capabilites of the TE editor in Flacon 4.0. Saint has experience testing F4 with the super folks at iBeta, and he has put his knowledge to good use by sharing his "Force on Force" way of playing Falcon 4.0 with us, which uses prescripted scenarios for the DPRK forces. | ||
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Feature: The Future of USB Flight Controllers |
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We take a look at the current and future HOTAS flight controllers, as well as address some of the concerns regarding USB controller compatability in relation to flight simulations. | ||
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Feature: The European Air War Family |
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COMBATSIM.COM's forums have recently cracked the 100,000 post mark, and our EAW category has a community that is truly second to none. One of the forum's regulars, Edwin Rommel, has given us an insiders view as to why this particular forum and community continues to be one of our most popular. | ||
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Feature DOTD Press Release: Kringle Defensive Systems |
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Due to continuing tensions around the globe, Santa's job of delivering toys has become more hazardous than ever. Therefore, it is the duty of the DOTD (Department Of Toy Delivery) to inform the nations of the world that any actions taken against Santa Claus will be met with extreme force. | ||
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Feature Euro Flight Sim Convention |
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The European Flight Sim Convention was held in Birmingham on December 4th and 5th. All the latest releases of flight sim software and hardware were on hand, and the big name producers were strutting their stuff. | ||
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Feature Sim Survey: Reader's Choice |
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Last week we asked you what you would like to see from Rowan next year: a revisitation of WWI, or a Battle of Britain simulation. When I checked the next day more than 2/3 of almost 2900 respondents stated clearly that they would prefer a WWII simulation. | ||
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Feature MiG Alley: "Boots" Blesse |
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Recently I met Major General "Boots" Blesse, the author of "Check Six," and had a chance to hear some of his life stories as well as to chat with him afterwards. His experiences help make sense of the MiG Alley campaign and offer unique insight into the tactics of the time. | ||
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Feature Head Mounted Displays |
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HMD is an acronym for Head Mounted Display, which is a set of goggles or a helmet with tiny monitors in front of each eye that generates images seen by the wearer as being three dimensional. A true HMD includes a device for tracking the users head movements and orientation. | ||
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Feature F16 Simulator |
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For one to enjoy Falcon 4 to its ultimate potential a HOTAS and even maybe some quickshot MFDs are necessary. If one wants to take on the challenge and excitement, he/she can build their very own home built sim cockpit. | ||
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Feature Flight Modeling in Sim Design |
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"Flight model" summons the desire of every simulation advocate and nay-sayer to muster their personal wealth (or dearth) of accrued information and passion regarding the accuracy and validity of any given flight simulation's true worth. | ||
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Feature Simulation Developers on T&L vs. Fill Rate |
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We asked simulation developers how they feel about the divergent directions in 3d hardware. Their answers are illuminating. | ||
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Feature Home Built Cockpit |
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I was normal, once. Really. I'm not quite sure what happened to me. I used to be perfectly content to protect the skies of the free world, sitting in my office chair at my desk, lining up a lethal deflection shot... | ||
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FEATURE Big Bear II LAN Meet |
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On my arrival Thursday at the Youth Hostel in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, I found - to my surprise - the entire squadron operational. The network was up and running (solid as a rock), people were flying and in awe of Flanker 2, the meet was in full progress. | ||
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FEATURE MiG Alley: Sinuiju Defense |
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Flying for the other side in MiG alley we look over the shoulder of the defender as he fights off an attack from F86 Sabres. | ||
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