Su 27 has a reputation as a military simulator that is unique in its class. In short, its flight modelling has been second to none, and weapons modelling and AI have been up there with the very best.

With the version 1.5 revision, AI achieved new heights. Enemy aircraft became much more aggressive and more intelligent in their tactics. A pilot who attempts 1V2 will have a difficult time as the enemy perform a bracket. Enemy AI is dedicated to keeping you away from their base … at all costs. ACM manouvers are diverse, unpredictable, and appropriate.

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Version 1.5 also added an extended Mission Editor allowing single missions over several days. Known as the "Complex Long Mission" or CLM, up to 100 day missions became possible. The potential is truly incredible, especially for extended LAN sessions. And LAN play, btw, is where SU27 has had a particular shine: with a dedicated server and an AWACS view multiplayer action is quite spectacular. The AWACS or F10 view gives you information by clicking on the desired item: including plane type, altitude, speed etc.

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So whats all the hype about version two? Simple! Put some very solid multiplayer action together with great flight avionics and weapons modelling, toss in new textured mapped terrain based on de-classified data from Russian satellite imaging, and a dynamic campaign system, improve the avionics and AI even further.... presto! A new and completely state of the art sim!

Flanker 2.0 will feature a semi-dynamic campaign system plus a mission editor/generator. If you like to create your own missions to share or fly with friends, you can continue to do so. If you want to fly in an unpredictable campaign under standard military doctrine a la F4 and imf22, you'll have it.

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Mission Editor

In fact flexibility seems to be the name of the game in Flanker 2.0. SSI intends to offer choices in realism this time around. Padlock choices will be in place, as well as choices in avionics options. This will mean flight modelling superior to 1.5 at the high end, but selectable to a simplified model for beginners. The simplified options will likely extend to radar and targetting as well.

  The shots included here are taken from a system running 3d hardware. All shots were taken at 1024x768 and 32,000 colors. The sim will also run at decent rates without 3d hardware, and in fact is being designed to reach down to the low end Pentium system at 640x480 in 256 colors. Detail levels will be selectable along a number of axes, allowing users to configure according to installed hardware and the frame rate they consider best.

Flanker 2.

COMBATSIM.COM has a very late beta of Flanker 2 in hand and we have spent over forty hours with this sim in the past ten days or so. As a result, we can pass on the latest details, including a scoop that has not yet been reported anywhere else!

Not only will we see full support for the latest bump mapping features of 3d hardware like the coming Matrox G400 and TNT2, but we will also see full built in VOX support and object detail beyond ANYTHING else out there! What effect does bump-mapping have on appearance? Incredible environmental realism.

Carl Norman of SSI said, "When we heard that the Matrox G400 supported true DirectX 6 Environment Mapped Bump Mapping, we immediately thought about implementing new kinds of effects like animated heat shimmers from exhaust fumes, water waves, and more realistical damage effects. The result is surprising and it gives the sim an entirely new realistism."

Yes, this same bump mapping technology is being written into Flanker 2. This means heat shimmers from exhaust and impacts, fully detailed light sourcing and dynamic lighting, incredible reflections and specular highlights. Even dynamic wave effects in water, and bullet impact effects in real time!

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