NOVALOGIC has come out with a twin pack military flight sim combo that really hits the non-hard-core crowd with a bullseye. Bubba "MasterFung" Wolford and I decided to team up and jointly review this sim. Bubba chose his favorite mount, the Viper, leaving the Soviet built Fulcrum for me. In our two pass handling of Nova's new sims, I will review the MiG-29 and give the broad brush on the overall features, and Bubba will fly the F-16 and supply the finer brush on the "realistic" modeling aspects.

So for now we will say our goodbyes to our friend Bubba and depart onto our MiG-29 checkout flight. Being a Su27-Flanker diehard, sliding into the powder blue cockpit was old hat (or should I say helmet?). Altitude in meters, speed in mach or KPH, and familiarity with those East block weapons will scare the timid. For those with a desire to do homework it's great fun. I have found that there is a particular appeal to a subset of the virtual pilots that actually prefer Soviet built aircraft.

Well- OUR day has come again. What's more, for those of you that share my bent for multiplayer sims, this flight sim combo is right down our MiG alley.

Classic modern matchup in Glasnost: Viper and the Fulcrum.

While we have by now all seen Falcon4, Jane's F15E, Flanker2, iF18 CSF and other cutting edge flightsims; let's not get caught up in comparing Nova's new release with that high level of sophistication (a.k.a. hard-core). While Nova claims F-16 MRF to be modeled after the Lockheed simulator, and the MiG-29 Fulcrum to have been crafted under the consultation of MiG test pilot Yuri Prikhodko, these are NOT high fidelity flight models (FM), avionics and weapon systems. What we do have here is a solid mid range sophistication flight sim in company with the likes of: Jane's IAF, Jane's Fighters Anthology, F22 TAW, iF16, etc.

The MiG-29 Fulcrum armed and hungry

Graphically, MiG29 has handsome looks, as can judge yourself from these pictures. I have an Intel P2-300 with a CL 12mb Voodoo2 3D accelerator system. What really took me by surprise was that the canopy has cockpit reflections on it, and still the frame rate was silky smooth, up high or down low. Usually its very hard to get a sense of speed on the hard deck, especially without a lot of ground objects like trees for reference, but it comes together nicely. This makes terrain masking and canyon running fun.

As for terrain, there are the following to choose from: savannah, jungle, glacial, desert, steppe. With mountains, valleys, bodies of water, plains and airports; there is plenty of scenery and realistic terrain that the real MiG sees in differing theaters of operation.

Dogfight at 2 o'clock high, note canopy reflections

The other graphical features are: fog and haze effects, cloud layers with transparency, smoke, vapor trails, sun glare, rocket motor smoke. MiGs graphical weaknesses are in its implementation in explosions, visual damage, tracer streams, HUD displays and cockpit graphics. The result, however, is a fast running and visually appealing combination that works very well for this sim.

When developers put together flight sims, they have to make a lot of tough design trade-offs. With Jane's IAF, we saw a sharp and crisp 2D cockpit art, but a shimmering terrain at low level flight due to the photo-realistic satellite technology. Here in MiG we see a 3D not-so-sharp cockpit, but a smooth low level 3D rendered terrain.

I do believe that both make for excellent high altitude terrain graphics, its down low where you have to choose between realism versus pixelization and resolution effects. It's great to have both done for us by different game developers; we learn a lot about technology this way. (Did you ever wonder if Israel's enemies might make use of IAF as a strike practice simulation being that it has accurate satellite terrain mapping? Can you imagine Sadaam in his bunker with his tricked out computer flying Back To Bagdad or IAF?) Oh well, I digress…

7 o'clock view of weapons and canopy direction markers

On to weapon systems modeling. The weapons are detailed enough to allow visual identification which has now become a standard. Note the bug in the picture with the wing loadout. The port side wing is not attached to the plane. (Usually it's the weapons that magically hang from their hard points).

On the positive side, this same picture shows the orientation markings on the canopy while you are scrolling around in the virtual cockpit. We can also see the good high altitude graphics, canopy reflections and our AI wingman. When you're employing your air2air weapons, you will have audible tones for the seekers. If you get hit by gun fire, you will hear the pings against your ship.

Damage modeling is done at a level where you lose some performance, lose targeting systems and have the warning horn blaring. Not high fidelity here, but better than the one hit, then KABOOM days of the past. Missiles behave within advertised ranges and can be out-maneuvered with proper use of spoofing, beaming, ground masking, speed and angels..

Fulcrum's cockpit in its sky powder blue splendor and simplicity

The MiG-29 cockpit is spartan to say the least. It sports a mixture of analog and digital displays very similar to what the 1970's vintage F-14 Tomcat utilizes. Updated MiGs have made more use of MFDs, but that's not what we see here. The radar is also very simply modeled. This is in part due to reality and in part due to to the mid level target of sophistication of this sim.

The simpler radars within Soviet aircraft compared to NATO equipment is largely due to a fundamental difference in air combat strategies between West vs. East block doctrines. Ground Controllers play a very big role in Soviet tactics, as we learned in Korea and Vietnam. The Soviet concept is to employ hit and run tactics, and to launch a massive wall of missiles from ground based controllers. This accounts largely for the big difference between the aircraft, missiles, radars, and pilot training. (NATO pilots are given much more ACM training and freedom in their engagements, thus the highly complex radars in the aircraft).

The scrollable virtual cockpit with its mix of analog and digital avionics

The cockpit has functional gauges, button, knobs and levers but they are not mouse clickable. This is a result of having a 3D modeled cockpit, not just a virtual cockpit for padlocking or scrolling purposes. As a result, no 2D sharp avionics with user manipulatable gadgets unto iF18 or Jane's F15E, another indicator of mid range sophistication.

The padlock does work great with minimal fish eye distortion which helped me to keep the MARK1 eyeball tracking system functional in a knife fight with Vipers. Note too, that the Fulcrum has the INFARED Search and Tracking system that allows very stealthy tracking and launching of IR missiles within 11 km. This is as close as Soviet fighters really would allow themselves to get to their enemies. The GSh-301 30mm cannon is really a last line of defense or for air2ground attack. It's not a bad idea when you consider that one of the best laws of missile avoidance is to not be detected and to stay out of weapons kill zone.

Full cockpit view at night.

Artificial (AI) wingmen and adversaries are what I would say are adequate to make you feel you're not out there alone with drones, but they are not tough adversaries like the ones I have faced in Flanker or F15E or even WW2 Fighters. The good news is that they do not perform as wing-beciles (a DOCACE coinage) that do aerobatics or are mirror images of the leader. They operate reactively, unless told to attack, with a very limited command vocabulary.

Other than for using them up as a higher form of countermeasures, I don't have much use for AI wingmen. Since this is NOT a good habit to learn, nor is it realistic, this is why I very much prefer human intelligence - HI, a Spann'age? 8^) When it comes to the bad attitudes I've had to put up with on occasion on internet, then I would rather have AI. This leaves the AI adversaries in MiG-29 to be on the easy to medium skill level.

NovaWorld and Janes CN: Dawn of a new day for free online multiplayer arenas?

Flight modeling is another area of mediocrity in MiG-29. You can pull the >26 degrees of AOA that is usually a hard limit in NATO fighters to get you out of a jam temporarily and very precariously. This will also enable the MiG pilot to do the tail slide and cobra maneuvers - not recommended while fighting for your life.

Control surfaces like the rudders, flaps, speed brakes and afterburners all are nicely done. If you lose too much smash (speed or energy), you will stall and even get into a horrendous flat spin that not even Tom Cruise can eject from. The ugly side is that there is very little resemblance to reality in the turn rate (best at 650 kph), landing hardness (way too easy) and climb rates.

On the other hand, I did sense a bit of inertia modeled into the roll and pitch axis'. The hard core types will cry out "arcade", but I think the modeling is fine for SRM dogfighting and BVR. It's in the guns only phone-booth knife fights which demand real flying skills where this sim will fail the diehards. I'll keep my Flanker for that experience.

Weapons loadout GUI for offline gameplay

The Weapon loadout screen that can only be used for offline game play is a well thought out interface that briefly explains what each weapon is, and where it can be mounted on the MiG-29. It also allows you to view the weapon for identification, and even rotate the plane for a better look around. Simple and elegant (K.I.S.S. axiom - Keep It Short & Simple). You gotta love it.

While the weapons offered in this sim don't comprise the exhaustive list that can be loaded up on a MiG, you have what you'll need for Air2Air or Air2Ground missions. I've given you West Block pilots an idea of how they match up with East Block weapons. Note that while Soviet made missiles may not have the range of their counterparts, they can often be fired up to 40 degrees off bore - or even mounted rearward facing (not in this sim). This makes them respectable indeed!

What has not been modeled in MiG-29 but is with Su27 Flanker, are the SHELM (helmet mounted targeting system), and radar guidance fed to the 30mm cannon, both of which are actual systems in the updated MiG-29M. (Yet another indication of the mid level sophistication factor in Nova's sims. SSI's Su27 Flanker had these and mirrors back in '95). By the way, what has happened to rear view mirrors since the advent of 3D graphics?

MiG-29 Weapon Loadout and NATO approximate equivalence:

Like F-16 MRF, MiG-29 has a dozen single missions and 5 linear campaigns. The single missions are narrated in a way that makes them useful for training. The campaigns are designed such that the outcome of the previous mission affects the next. Note too, that the targets you destroy in the first campaign mission will be destroyed in the next (yeah!). This is true for many aspects of the campaign (including the existence of AWACs, etc.). Pilot statistics and rank promotions are tracked so that you can return to an unfinished campaign another day.

Off-line single mission editor and options menus

The mission editor (only solo play, no MP support) gives a wide variety of terrain as well as a variety of airborne and ground objects to choose from. This feature will extend the offline game play, since users can make up their own scenarios and share them. To create a challenging mission, you will have to set the AI settings to high, and deploy opponents in waves, emphasizing numerical superiority. One of the great things in Nova's sims is that they allow your damage and weapons to be replenished upon a safe landing. This allows you to continue in a war beyond your single sortie loadout.

Tactical map view while fighting online at NOVAWORLD

Multiplayer online testing included: KALI/IPX, TCP/IP, and NovaWorld. What I did not test was LAN or modem-modem land line connectivity, but if she flies over KALI/IPX it is usually a slam dunk for LANs. Paying Ma Bell just isn't practical unless your adversary is within your local area - even then you only have a 2 ship MP setup. I've played F16 vs MiG over KALI/IPX and over TCP/IP and they both work very well to about 4 - 6 players depending upon your connection rates and stability. Faster is better as the server game host. And as expected, plane warping is worse on ISB than the direct connects. Over ISB, I was unable to get into a close formation. (This did not affect the ability to dogfight or get target hits).

NovaLogic has set up a virtual Integrated Battle Space (IBS).. The scenarios supported are DEATHMATCH and RAW (Raptor Air War). Deathmatch is just an area with airfields and air to air battles everywhere. You can join in as squadrons versus squadrons, or play just you versus the world.

RAW is really just base defense. You get A2A and A2G weapons with AWACs. The object here is more detailed and fun, IMHO. You want to knock out the other side's eyes by killing their AWACs and to destroy the enemy's base. This will end the battle and everyone has to join again. It is key that you learn to use the tactical map, text chat, use of the "p" key for the list of players and the "q" key for the list of your squadron mates. Then you can see the name of the player you have locked onto in your HUD.

Deploying in strike and cap flights in a cooperative manner is what makes RAW fun. If it were to be more realistic, I would ask one side to be Soviets in MiGs and fly Soviet doctrine, and have the other side in Vipers flying Nato doctrine. Might make for great squadron gameplay.

Currently there are a quite a few online bugs, but none of which are game stoppers. A couple of bugs include: loss of missile motor smoke, ability to score a missile kill after the enemy has auguered, and others. It was also said that the F22 Raptor would also be within the same battle space, but has not as of yet. NovaWorld automatically updates your online software and keeps improving on a day by day basis. One word of advice, use the AOL browser for online connecting over the default browser. Connections are more readily had.

NovaLogic Shoots for the Moon

To sum it all up, NovaLogic's F-16 MRF & MiG-29 Fulcrum is a really great medium level of sophistication flight sim that should appeal to the larger sector of flight simmers that don't like reading inch thick manuals. It sports bare bones manuals, a good glossy keyboard reference foldout, excellent 3D graphics, good sound FX - including Russian voice mode, fast virtual cockpit, working avionics, mediocre flight model and AI, modest mission editor, very basic solo and campaign missions, and very excellent multiplayer support.

I would have to say that Nova has a real solid sim here when you consider it's target market is probably the lion share of pilots. Its not the realistic sim it advertises in its literature, but its a really FUN sim. To make it more realistic, I think it's up to the virtual pilots themselves to more accurately role play.

Sim Scores:

• Sim Sophistication Level - mid range
• Multiplayer Support 90 % - Lacked MP mission editor
• Off-line support / Mission editor 85%
• Graphics 85%
• Cockpit 80%
• AI and FM details 80%
• Pucker/fun factor 90%
• Bang for the buck value 95%

I want to give a special thanks to Bubba for taking that ugly Viper, and to that online pilot at ISB named Viper ^1^ who unselfishly spent his time to fly online with me to get some great shots.

Till we meet in the skies, Check Six