by Leonard (Viking1) Hjalmarson
Click for a larger image...
We finally received a pre-beta of Red Baron II. Standard disclaimers apply: features seen in the beta may not be present in the release version, and other features may be added. Since this is a beta some things are not working or not complete.
Test System:
- AMD K6 233 with 1 meg cache
- 4 gig Cheetah SCSI 3 Hard Disk
- 64 meg of SDRam and 32 meg cache
- STB Nitro 3d with 4 meg
- AWE 64 Sound Board output to Jazz 3d stereo
- 17" MAG monitor
- TM gear
- Saitek gear
- CH gear
Install
The only way that Dynamix can follow a release like Flying Corps is to do it better. This translates into some gargantuan effort being invested in the development of Red Baron II. The delays in release have not been due primarily to problems in development so much as to a determination to make the successor to the original Red Baron worthy of the name.
Many betas come packed with serious install bugs, but I had no problem with this one at all. It asked for 100 meg on my hard drive and an 80 meg swap file. I expect there will be more install options in the release version.
After install I was asked to calibrate my joystick under DX5, but I bypassed that option since my joystick calibration didn't work the last time I tried it, and I'm not certain that I want to reinstall DX5. No matter, it worked flawlessly although I think my throttle response was limited slightly.
On executing the sim I was treated to a very nice intro that is at least as good as the F16 Fighting Falcon introduction and it sets the feeling tone very nicely. But what surprised me was the main menu screen. Sierra has added a very nice variant in the form of an animated main menu screen.
If you will notice the two biplanes circling directly below the "M", this is actually an integrated AVI file. Its a nifty and impressive feature that turns this opening menu screen into a kind of virtual screen saver! Quite cool. Not only do the two aircraft perform an aerial ballet, the mist drifts around and you feel like you are watching them dance in real clouds. The CAMPAIGN and PREFS configuration screens also come with their own background and animation, and sound will also be added to these screens. Personally I like this innovation very much. It reminds me of the first time I saw the new JANES animation intro for Longbow; it simply spoke of quality in production.
RBII in this pre-beta ran in a 640x480 window. My main screen was at 800x600 and 64K colors. It seemed very stable and the color depth is great. Neil Haldar, the producer of Red Baron II, tells me that the release version MAY allow higher resolutions, but 3d hardware support will NOT make it to this initial release, possibly following later.
Enough for introductions, lets meet the main characters. I chose a Balloon Busting mission from the Single Missions menu and launched into the sim without even checking the readme or the key list. (Yeah well, some things are predictable in this life...!) This brought me to a briefing screen which listed the details of my objectives and flight details and takeoff time. When I clicked the chart I was presented with a waypoint list and a flightplan map. The next page displayed the formation for cruising and for approaching target, and the final page was a recon photo. Nicely done!
I launched into the sim and managed to find the main view keys while flying and as for weapons... not too many choices! Check that, when I hit my pickle button I was surprised to see.... AIM 120s dropping off the rails! No, check that too, this ship was armed with rockets! Hmm, this is interesting... I pulled up on the six of my squad mate and.... ball of flame! I don't recommend this during the campaign... =)
When you select Single Mission flight possible objectives include balloon busting, defending your own balloons, bomber escort, patrolling front lines, and taking on enemy ground troops. General scenery objects include farm houses, farms and fences, and cities and towns. Since this is a dynamic environment you will also encounter targets of opportunity and then be forced to make tactical decisions based on risk assessment and potential for other problems created by using up ordnance designated for other targets. When your mission is complete you will receive a detailed debrief which will tell you who hit what when and what damage was inflicted on each member of your flight by whom. This includes damage taken by flak, hand guns, and over stress on the air frame.
You Can Fly!
Furball! Click for larger image..80K.
The dynamic environment will likely be a strong suit for Red Baron II. The ground war is integrated into the overall AI and ground activity is apparent. Objects are frequent, more so than in Flying Corps unless the Gold version ups the ante considerably. Some of the objects you will encounter include trains, bridges, hangars, cars and trucks, tanks and troops, AAA units, etc.
Enough of the Single Missions, I clicked on CAMPAIGN and was taken to a new screen. A record book popped up in the middle of the configuration screen to allow entry of personal data. The book is a nice leather covered book that feels very right for the period. After a moment the first page turned to display some introductory information, then the first page flipped and I was allowed to enter or select from various information: I entered my name, selected my national affiliation, squadron and rank, and chose a picture. Then I closed the book. (When the book closed a wav files plays the sound of the page turning. Are you getting the feeling that attention to detail will be a highlight of this sim?)
Next I selected Squadron Ops and another book appeared and fluttered open. The insignia of Squadron 23 greeted me, and I clicked on the next page to see an index of aircraft. Here is a shot from that second page:
I turned back a page and then clicked on the cover and the book closed with a thump! Hmm, pretty cool...
I then clicked on PAINT but I was not allowed to enter this module since I hadn't achieved enough rank yet. So I deleted the .dat file and changed my rank to MAJOR. This allowed me into the module which seems very intuitive but does not yet include any bitmaps so I couldn't try the paint feature. Since RBII will be connectable out of the box it will be cool to be able to form a squadron and fly with your custom insignia against other squadrons. And if you have that peculiar ACE bent, you can design a decal to call your own and take on the best of the bunch.
Options listed under the CAMPAIGN section include these:
- Personal Record
- Squadron Ops
- Intelligence
- Challenge
- Next Mission
- Realism Setting
- MAIN MENU
- QUIT GAME
Clicking on Squadron Ops brings up another batch of options:
- Kill Board
- Pilot Dossiers
- Squadron Info
- Transfer
- Paint Plane
- Campaign (back to the main screen)
- Main Menu (back to the start screen)
- QUIT
Clicking on Intelligence brings up other options:
Clicking on Intelligence Reports after entering the campaign mode brought up a video sequence. The setting was the same as the MAIN MENU above, a black and white photo of a briefing room full of WWI pilots seen from the back. At the front of the room was a projection screen on which flickered an old movie of a 1915 era battle tank. The dark room flickered while the tank rolled on the screen, and the Flight Commander narrated while he called on pilots to be aware of this new technology and offer aid to troops when tanks are spotted...Apparently there will also be teletype reports offering the latest information gleaned from the front lines and other sources.
Clicking on Ace Dossiers brought up another leather bound book so that I could read about the better enemies I might encounter. Clicking on Challenge brought up an option screen including View, View Flight Plan, Fly Challenge and Realism Setting. However the option was not yet functional.
From the main screen you can also view objects you will encounter in the sim. You can pan around objects and rotate them, and you can also view specifications for various machines.
Gameplay, Graphics, Sound etc.
As above, the first thing I did in this sim was blast a wingman. Damage modelling seems to have received as much attention as the interface, which is a good sign! Fire, explosions, and damage seems important to the game designers, and whether you take on an opponent in the air or shoot up a tent on the ground, the effects are impressive! My second experience with damage was cruising and admiring the scenery when suddenly I heard gunfire and my airplane lurched to the right. Next thing I knew I was minus a wing and heading steeply for terra firma. As I sought in vain for the eject handle the ground rose sharply to meet me. When I smacked into the ground the aircraft shattered but the main frame remained intact and I watched while the torque of the still turning engine caused it to roll along the ground while flames spread. Whew!
Smoke and clouds are good despite lack of hardware support. As in many sims these days the sky is quite beautiful; dawn and dusk flights will likely be spectacular. The terrain is fine but not the photo appearance that Flying Corps has achieved. In fact there is something quite unique about the texture engine, and not having seen it before in Sierra's A10 simulation it strikes me as very different. But its certainly an acceptable look and object detail is fine throughout.
Light source shading is present as well and its impressive to watch a dogfight with AP full on (see below) and watch the changing shading as a wing turns toward the sky. The cockpits are cool, and they look ALMOST like photographs. The instrumentation is particularly nice.
Go to Part II to read about Views and the Mission Editor....
© 1997 - 2000 COMBATSIM.COM, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated September 3rd, 1997