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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Gaming => Topic started by: ikaruga on December 31, 2009, 10:25:30 AM

Title: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: ikaruga on December 31, 2009, 10:25:30 AM
Hi all,

As I'm studying game development in 2010, I plan to program a (free) remake of some popular Amiga flight sim. In my experience as Amiga user, I think the most popular one was F-18 Interceptor, also helped by the fact it came in the bundle with many A500s sold. Am I right? :)

And I wish a great 2010 for all!
--ika
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: NovaCoder on December 31, 2009, 10:35:46 AM
Tfx
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: bloodline on December 31, 2009, 10:38:45 AM
F/A-18 interceptor. I still play it in UAE sometimes :)
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: mingle on December 31, 2009, 10:41:40 AM
Yup, F/A18 Interceptor was probably the best known and also one of the best to play - full stop!

The 'feel' was spot-on. It might not have been the most technically accurate (but most of those type of sims can be yawn-inducing), but it was the most playable by far.

I think TFX was the most up to date sim, but since it needed a pretty powerful system to be any good, I doubt it was very popular and it wasn't released until the late 1990s (from memory!)

Mike.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Tension on December 31, 2009, 11:03:12 AM
F15 Strike Eagle
F16 Combat Pilot
F19 Interceptor

God I miss MicroProse
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: guest7146 on December 31, 2009, 11:04:20 AM
You just don't get games like these anymore do you? I bought an XBox360 and I expected there to be a whole load of really cool flight simulator games for it, but to date I have not found even one!

These modern games that come out have absolutely breathtaking graphics and some of them also have good gameplay, but there is definitely something missing from today's games as well.  You just don't get games like the ones we used to!

I'd like to see modern versions of games like Gunship, F/A18 Interceptor, Frontier Elite, Cannon Fodder, and even some adventure games - you don't get decent versions of those these days either.

Maybe this is something the Amiga platform could rectify, given the right resources!!!

That said, the Amiga was always more a creative machine than a gaming machine for me.

Remember when computing was fun?
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: rvo_nl on December 31, 2009, 11:24:58 AM
most popular for me was f15 strike eagle II. a wonderful game that's easy to get into. of the later games, coala and tfx are ofcourse excellent.
 
@ikaruga: you didnt state on what platform you are programming your remake. if its amiga, consider porting some flightsim that was never released on amiga instead :)
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Lockon_15 on December 31, 2009, 12:24:30 PM
"Most popular" translates into "stuff runable at stock A500".
F/A-18 Interceptor is second to none.
 
Anyone arguing on that must be joking.
Or have a severe neural issue.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: paul1981 on December 31, 2009, 12:55:54 PM
I think Reach For The Skies is one of the best Amiga flightsims....realistic aerodynamics/feel too.  The pc version was awfull though.  Another realistic one was AV8B Harrier Assault....superb flight model as well, and lot's of fun flying through heaps of flak, and it had a really good campaign....highly underrated in my opinion....and as for running it on an A500 it was definitely a no go!  Needs 030/50 minimum to be playable.
I thought Gunship2000 was superb also, along with CAP.

Can anyone remake Indy500 please or patch it?  I think it must use the blitter for the graphics because it still has a poor framerate regardless of the power of the cpu.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: ChaosLord on December 31, 2009, 02:39:52 PM
wings!
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: B00tDisk on December 31, 2009, 02:47:35 PM
Falcon was far and away a better game, but F-18 Interceptor was the most popular.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: lionstorm on December 31, 2009, 02:55:19 PM
F18 interceptor is probably the most known...

then F29 retaliator, fighter bomber and Falcon.
for chopper, it is probably Gunship then thunderhawk.

the others, specially from microprose are IMHO less known (F15 strike eagle, F-19 stealth bomber, combat air patrol (this one from psygnosis AFAIR))
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: desantii on December 31, 2009, 03:16:24 PM
I agree, liked F-18 but the numer of "wasted" hours on Gunship....
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: danwood on December 31, 2009, 03:23:43 PM
Quote from: AppleHammer;535531


I'd like to see modern versions of games like Gunship, F/A18 Interceptor, Frontier Elite, Cannon Fodder, and even some adventure games - you don't get decent versions of those these days either.

Maybe this is something the Amiga platform could rectify, given the right resources!!!

That said, the Amiga was always more a creative machine than a gaming machine for me.

Remember when computing was fun?


Have you got the new version of Monkey Island from Xbox live?  Amazing!  Le Chuck's Revenge is due in the new year too.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: J-Golden on December 31, 2009, 03:52:14 PM
Quote from: AppleHammer;535531
You just don't get games like these anymore do you? I bought an XBox360 and I expected there to be a whole load of really cool flight simulator games for it, but to date I have not found even one!


Look up Stormavic and Ace combat.  The Ace Combat stick is the way to go too...
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: ikaruga on December 31, 2009, 08:21:15 PM
Thanks for all the replies, people! :)

As a flight sim buff I've bought and played many flight sims in the Amiga during the early 90s.

F18 Interceptor was very playable and had a good 'feeling', I think it's very well remembered. Had also only 5 simple missions which should be not that hard to develop... The biggest challenge will be to model the terrain of the San Francisco Bay Area.

By the way, in 1997 through 1999 I've worked in an Amiga Space Sim project as graphic artist, it had the working title "Lambda Sector" and at one point we almost got a deal with a famous (at the time) Amiga games publisher. It was looking mightly impressive, a Wing Commander clone but with full 3D graphics and effects that looked like Playstation's Colony Wars or PC's Independence War Edge of Chaos titles. I got some alpha 060/AGA versions in my Amiga but a PPC/gfx card version was also programmed. The project died when the lead programmer departed, to work in Futuremark, makers of the 3D Mark benchmark software (and now a space-themed game called Shattered Horizon). Lambda's website is still online after 10 years: http://www.illuvatar.demon.co.uk/lambda/vision/LScan.html
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: trekiej on December 31, 2009, 08:35:09 PM
A-10 and I believe AH-64 Apache
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: B00tDisk on December 31, 2009, 09:35:23 PM
Quote from: ikaruga;535603
Thanks for all the replies, people! :)

As a flight sim buff I've bought and played many flight sims in the Amiga during the early 90s.

F18 Interceptor was very playable and had a good 'feeling', I think it's very well remembered. Had also only 5 simple missions which should be not that hard to develop... The biggest challenge will be to model the terrain of the San Francisco Bay Area.

By the way, in 1997 through 1999 I've worked in an Amiga Space Sim project as graphic artist, it had the working title "Lambda Sector" and at one point we almost got a deal with a famous (at the time) Amiga games publisher. It was looking mightly impressive, a Wing Commander clone but with full 3D graphics and effects that looked like Playstation's Colony Wars or PC's Independence War Edge of Chaos titles. I got some alpha 060/AGA versions in my Amiga but a PPC/gfx card version was also programmed. The project died when the lead programmer departed, to work in Futuremark, makers of the 3D Mark benchmark software (and now a space-themed game called Shattered Horizon). Lambda's website is still online after 10 years: http://www.illuvatar.demon.co.uk/lambda/vision/LScan.html


Man.  12 years back.  That was only 3 years after I sold off my Amiga but I recall seeing Lambda Sector and thinking "If they get this together it'd be worth buying an Amiga to run!"

Any chance it'd see the light of day?
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: ikaruga on December 31, 2009, 09:57:10 PM
Quote
Man. 12 years back. That was only 3 years after I sold off my Amiga but I recall seeing Lambda Sector and thinking "If they get this together it'd be worth buying an Amiga to run!"

Any chance it'd see the light of day?



Hi B00tDisk!

I'm still actively engaged in indie game development, and so this is not impossible, if there's a demand...although space sims are rare nowadays... except for massively multiplayer ones (Eve Online, and upcoming Star Trek Online). This reminds me that I started making a couple of spaceship models for  Explorer 2260, anyone know what happened with that project?  There's a site frozen in time one decade ago here: http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetEFoE/explorer/main.html
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Andeda on December 31, 2009, 10:50:01 PM
Wings is on of the best games ever
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Andeda on December 31, 2009, 10:51:10 PM
Quote from: ChaosLord;535547
wings!


Yes, wings is one of the best games ever..
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Lockon_15 on December 31, 2009, 11:15:13 PM
Almost forgot...a grasp of hardcore later implemented in Falcon 3.0/4.0
F-16 Combat Pilot by Digital Integration
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: kvasir on December 31, 2009, 11:33:13 PM
I always liked Birds of prey (http://hol.abime.net/121), though wished it had a null/dial-modem linkup. Perhaps something like that with TCP multiplayer support? Air Warrior (http://hol.abime.net/3218) comes to mind, too..
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: EgillSkallagrimsson on December 31, 2009, 11:38:29 PM
Quote from: ikaruga;535612
Hi B00tDisk!

I'm still actively engaged in indie game development, and so this is not impossible, if there's a demand...although space sims are rare nowadays... except for massively multiplayer ones (Eve Online, and upcoming Star Trek Online). This reminds me that I started making a couple of spaceship models for  Explorer 2260, anyone know what happened with that project?  There's a site frozen in time one decade ago here: http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetEFoE/explorer/main.html
Those screenshots on the Lambda site look amazing. If it were to be completed I know that I'd buy it. I'm a sucker for space sims.:)
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: AmigaMance on January 01, 2010, 12:50:10 AM
Quote from: ikaruga;535524
Hi all,

As I'm studying game development in 2010, I plan to program a (free) remake of some popular Amiga flight sim. In my experience as Amiga user, I think the most popular one was F-18 Interceptor, also helped by the fact it came in the bundle with many A500s sold. Am I right? :)

And I wish a great 2010 for all!
--ika


 It is not clear to me whether you intent to program a remake for the Amiga or another platform. Could you elaborate.
 As a side note, "most well-know" doesn't mean best at any case!
 The most realistic flight simulator (since flight simulation is all about... simulating the flight dynamics of a plane) that you can get on Amiga is Birds of prey amd it is my favourite. JetPilot looks technically advanced too. Air warrior is also realistic but iirc, there are no missions etc, in single player mode.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Pyromania on January 01, 2010, 12:54:28 AM
@EgillSkallagrimsson

I remember Lambda too, it will be missed.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: matthey on January 01, 2010, 02:04:35 AM
I still have the Lambda demo on my hard drive. What a great space engine! Amazing graphics and works on a variety of Amiga hardware. I would rather see Lambda completed than a flight sim.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Amiduffer on January 01, 2010, 02:41:01 AM
Oh yeah, if you can remake F-18 Interceptor with more missions than the original limited ones, then you would have a sure fire seller.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: JimS on January 01, 2010, 03:21:28 AM
I remember F/A18 as well, but I was thinking of Sublogic's flight simulator. Sort of the great granpappy of Microsoft's Flight Simulator 98, or whatever the current incarnation may be.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: ikaruga on January 01, 2010, 03:58:57 AM
Quote from: AmigaMance;535633
It is not clear to me whether you intent to program a remake for the Amiga or another platform. Could you elaborate.


Portability will be possible and desired, but initially x86/Mac/iPhone using a cool free development kit called Unity3D.  It would be great if something like that existed for Amiga (a game engine with usability comparable to a good authoring software).

Quote

 As a side note, "most well-know" doesn't mean best at any case!
 The most realistic flight simulator (since flight simulation is all about... simulating the flight dynamics of a plane) that you can get on Amiga is Birds of prey amd it is my favourite. JetPilot looks technically advanced too. Air warrior is also realistic but iirc, there are no missions etc, in single player mode.


That was deep, indeed Birds of Prey was good and comprehensive, 40 planes, neat campaign and missions. And Jet Pilot is extremely hardcore, with interesting airplanes from the 60's.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: SamuraiCrow on January 01, 2010, 04:34:00 AM
Quote from: ikaruga;535650
Portability will be possible and desired, but initially x86/Mac/iPhone using a cool free development kit called Unity3D.  It would be great if something like that existed for Amiga (a game engine with usability comparable to a good authoring software).

Unfortunately porting Unity3D to the next-gen Amigas would require a source-code license for Unity which would probably cost more than the professional license at $1499 USD not to mention it would need better graphics drivers than any non-next-gen system has. :(
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: ikaruga on January 01, 2010, 06:10:20 AM
Quote from: SamuraiCrow;535652
Unfortunately porting Unity3D to the next-gen Amigas would require a source-code license for Unity which would probably cost more than the professional license at $1499 USD not to mention it would need better graphics drivers than any non-next-gen system has. :(


Yup, but maybe a simpler way would be just to generate exes that are Amiga-compatible (not needing to port the Unity3D editors and all that). Also, things change, for example, some time ago the Unreal engine costed hundreds of thousands, now its free (for non-commercial development, but my one is non-commercial anyway).
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: lionstorm on January 01, 2010, 01:53:15 PM
Tornado was also quite realistic.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: SKAN on January 05, 2010, 04:39:12 PM
I have fond memories of Fighter Bomber, but dunno why! :)

Oh, btw: LAMBDA SECTOR!!! I drooled on the demo quite a bit! Now THAT would be a nice (space) flight sim! ;)
I hope you seriously consider picking it up again sooner or later... :)
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Daedalus on January 05, 2010, 04:56:25 PM
Quote from: kvasir;535623
I always liked Birds of prey (http://hol.abime.net/121), though wished it had a null/dial-modem linkup. Perhaps something like that with TCP multiplayer support? Air Warrior (http://hol.abime.net/3218) comes to mind, too..


Ooh yeah, I LOVED Birds of Prey. Had an analogue joystick to use it and once you turned off the "easy" mode that was on by default it was a fantastic game to play, and sometimes quite unforgiving. Coupled with being able to fly something like 30 or 40 planes (albeit with the same cockpit graphics) and even a chapter in the manual about the physics of flight, I reckon it was one of the most detailed from a flying point of view and for me at least, about the right level of realism.

The terrain was a little bit lacking however...
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: T3000 on January 05, 2010, 10:42:53 PM
I'd say the Falcon series. One of my favorites. I also enjoyed Their Finest Hour: Battle of Britain, F-117A Stealth Fighter and the obvious, Gunship. Played it since the C=64 days. One title that I own, but haven't been able to get to run is Mega Fortress.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: darkage on January 06, 2010, 03:22:54 AM
Quote from: SKAN;536550
I have fond memories of Fighter Bomber, but dunno why! :)


Ditto!   Must be that funky intro with the rock music :)

Also 110% agree with F/A-18 Interceptor.   Intro music gave it a topgun feel. haha and those carrier landings!! whao!
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: fishy_fiz on January 06, 2010, 06:40:28 AM
Most popular would probably have had to have been Interceptor, but my personal favorite was Gunship2000, although I was never a big flight sin guy so didnt play many. Having said this though this thread has gotten me in the mood to play a flight sim. Does anyone know of any 68k flight sims that use rtg please ? Im an amithlon guy so have no chipset emulation. I can use 68k euae on os3.9 if need be, but Id prefer to avoid it if possible.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: koaftder on January 06, 2010, 07:57:14 AM
Man, flight sim 2 by sub logic. wtf. Rocked that mess on my a1k back in like '88.

'88, I'm feeling old. Hahah! Not as old as some of y'all! Born in '80!

Good times!
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Tomas on January 06, 2010, 12:27:14 PM
There was also one called jetpilot. I have only barely tested it since my amiga was too slow for it.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: zipper on January 06, 2010, 02:04:59 PM
Quote from: Tomas;536734
There was also one called jetpilot. I have only barely tested it since my amiga was too slow for it.


Every Amiga is; it runs decently on UAE.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: runequester on January 07, 2010, 04:25:07 PM
Interceptor is a classic but I liked Combat Air Patrol better as a game.

Does Wings count? :)
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Chieftain on January 07, 2010, 04:39:25 PM
Jet Pilot, well known for two things; being insanely realistic (90% plus of the real thing) AND for being insanely sluggish unless you have an 040 or 060...
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: zipper on January 07, 2010, 05:12:13 PM
Quote from: Chieftain;536922
Jet Pilot, well known for two things; being insanely realistic (90% plus of the real thing) AND for being insanely sluggish unless you have an 040 or 060...


Even with 060 it did between 4 and 12 fps...
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: tasmanian guy on February 25, 2010, 11:55:29 AM
Combat Air Patrol was awesome, after you released the bomb, you could pilot it straight on to the bulls eye, eg down a chimney stack!
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Venkman on February 25, 2010, 12:22:12 PM
All I ever really played on the Amiga was flight sims.

Wings
Knights of The Sky
F19 Stealth Fighter
F117-a Nighthawk
Gunship
Gunship 2000
B17 Flying Fortress
F15 Strike Eagle II
Their Finest Hour
Reach For The Skies

I had lots more than this, but these were my favorites.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: DrDekker on February 25, 2010, 01:04:19 PM
I used to enjoy F19 Stealth Fighter too - if that could be recoded to work on an A1200 with an 030 accelerator (no need for any fancier graphics) - I'd buy it!
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: AJCopland on February 25, 2010, 01:35:14 PM
Knights of the Sky, I used to love that game, also you could play it over a null modem serial cable!!!! Absolutely fantastic fun.

Everyone's right about the lack of flight sims for consoles. I think Ace Combat survives and gets sequels because it seems to have the console market too itself
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Tahoe on February 25, 2010, 03:05:56 PM
Nobody here mentions ProFlight, released through HiSoft. I believe it was one of the most realistic Tornado flight sims on any platform of the day.

That also made it very hard even taking off with the thing.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: koaftder on February 25, 2010, 03:30:55 PM
(http://www.volny.cz/havlikjosef/galery/amiga_fsII_3.gif)
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: AJCopland on February 25, 2010, 04:17:33 PM
Quote from: koaftder;545095
(http://www.volny.cz/havlikjosef/galery/amiga_fsII_3.gif)


Does anyone else just see alternating light and dark grey lines?
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: khals on February 25, 2010, 05:35:56 PM
It's more of a strategy game than a flight simulator, but Armour Geddon II rocked! :biglaugh:
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: B00tDisk on February 25, 2010, 05:47:18 PM
F18 Interceptor was probably the best-known, but for my money Falcon was the better sim hands down.  Two expansion disks, head to head (null modem or dialup) play...it was just great.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: AJCopland on February 25, 2010, 06:26:35 PM
Quote from: khals;545108
It's more of a strategy game than a flight simulator, but Armour Geddon II rocked! :biglaugh:


Armour Geddon I / II were both brilliant, I wish Psygnosis (now SCE Studio Liverpool) would ressurrect that one. Yet another title that you could play with NULL modem serial cable.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: tasmanian guy on March 08, 2010, 11:24:15 PM
Quote from: AJCopland;545115
Armour Geddon I / II were both brilliant, I wish Psygnosis (now SCE Studio Liverpool) would ressurrect that one. Yet another title that you could play with NULL modem serial cable.

I have fond memories playing Knights of the Sky, Armour Geddon I and Falcon AT over null modem cable with my step dad (rip).  Great days!:)
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: DyLucke on March 09, 2010, 12:23:25 AM
Wahahahahah!

SKYCHASE!!!!!!!!!

No, seriously, i loved F-18 back in time, later TFX and JetPilot, but they were quite slow on a 030 /50...
Wings was AWESOME as all Cinemaware games, not really a simulator itself, but a kind of crossover.
Title: Re: What is the most well-known Amiga flight sim?
Post by: Bonus Round on March 18, 2010, 12:05:49 PM
I think F-19 Stealth Fighter was the best modern flight sim on the Amiga.
Birds of the Prey was great too,but the low frame rate made it quite painful to play on a normal A500.

But my personal favourite was a futuristic flight sim called "Embryo".
It was made by Beyond Arts and published by Black Legend.
Though it was more like a shoot'em up than a flight sim.