Fighter ACE

It was just a matter of time. Did you really think that Microsoft could ignore the potential of Online Gaming ;...ignore the chance to promote its latest gaming efforts;…ignore the chance to become the leader in yet another area of the ever growing PC world…I don't think so. Hence…The Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone (IGZ), and more specifically as pertains to this review of Fighter Ace. I'll cut right to the chase. Microsoft, despite all of its critics, sometimes does quality, and so goes Fighter Ace. If you haven't heard of Fighter Ace (FA from here on in) it's MS's version of an online WWII air combat simulation bearing much similarity to War Birds, and the Air Warrior series (now owned by Imagic). Although it is currently in its developmental stages, one can play free for a day or subscribe for $1.95/day or pay $19.95 per month. You need only to download the software that contains the game graphics and have a working copy of MS Internet Explorer (IGZ after a year online, still won't work with Netscape yet…..hmmmm). You must also download the IGZ software so as set up your web access to the gaming site. It's worth noting that the IGZ also features many other games such as board games, card games, racing games, such as Cart Precision Racing, and first person games such as Jedi Knight. FA is what's known as a "premium " program that is currently requiring a subscription fee to play. Once you get through all of the downloads, you're ready to roll. If you don't have Explorer just yet, this download will take the longest….the IGZ can be downloaded in 1 Meg or 5 Meg versions. As we were testing a Gold Copy of FA off of a CD, I didn't download the Fighter Ace graphics so I can't report on the size of this download. The object of FA is to fly one of 16 different fighter planes and shoot down whoever happens to be the enemy while avoiding being shot down yourself….simple enough? The combat takes place in arenas that vary in difficulty between arcade-like flight and a more realistic flight model. The arena format is evolving to best suit the needs of those who wish to play. Currently, there exists "Boot Camp" arenas of both the "team" and "free for all" variety that allow only cadet level pilots to fly in. These gentler arenas can be found in both the simple and realistic flight model categories. They serve a purpose, in that the newbie can try out his wings with less risk of being shredded to pieces by the more experienced fliers. In addition, one finds Open arenas that allow all ranks to fly. The FA subscriber obtains a rank determined by his or her performance in battle….the more kills and the less crashes or deaths due to enemy fire, the higher that pilot climbs in rank. One's rank will vary as his numbers do. Once the pilot leaves the ranks of Cadet or Sargent, they must fly in the open arenas as a 2nd lieutenant or higher. He need only decide if he wants stalls, blackouts, spins, etc as found in the Realistic arena or just wants to zoom around with uncanny power trying only to stay alive, as in the Arcade arena. Groups of friends can also play in private arenas that require a password to enter…..all that's needed is a host. Now that you've got the idea, let's break it down in typical GAMEPAD format and see just how good or bad Fighter Ace really is. Our test rig was a PII 266 with Diamond Stealth II and Orchid Righteous, 64 meg of EDO ram and I'm happy to say, a cable modem (you gotta try one if you get the chance). The flight stick used was an MS Force Feedback Pro.

Graphics

No 3DFX or D3D just yet…you will see pixels when flying close to the ground. But as you'll see from the accompanying screen shots, the ground and planes are very well done, as are the various cockpit views. If I had to compare the graphics to another sim's , I would have to pick the Electronic Arts sims such as US Navy Fighters or ATF when run at the 640 by 480 mode, but with much better ground graphics found in FA. As many of you will agree, that's not too shabby for 2D only. I would project that once the kinks are out of FA we will see D3D support. From high above, the ground and airfields are very convincing. The airfields even look great when buzzing the tower or coming in for a landing. Smoke is especially well done with billowing plumes of gray and white, sometimes with fire trailing the injured fighters. These are a give away that this puppy is ripe for the kill….When the injured bird finally does burrow into the ground, the explosion is most satisfying with a flash of fire and smoke. Tracers take on the color of your team or country; they can be both seen and heard zinging overhead. What's more, the aerodynamics of the bullet trajectories are well depicted as the pilot can easily see the waning energy of his machine gun bursts, thus helping to judge the lead on his aiming. Oh…not to forget…parts fly off of your targets as your tracers strike their mark, as long as you're close enough to see them. As for the planes themselves, they are nicely detailed and scaled convincingly. That is, the size seems to correspond to what one might expect given the distance you are from them. It's quite easy to recognize what you're up against once you're within visual range. The cockpit views are stunning and specific to each plane. The clarity is remarkable with all gauges and dials functioning. Views include just exactly what we've come to expect from an off the shelf simulation. Unlike its predecessors such as War Birds and Air Warrior, FA gives us both a virtual cockpit that is smooth as silk and an adjustable padlock view. Yes, there are external views, Virginia, and they are movable and zoomable. That's in addition to the standard static views that are obtained at the flick of a hat button. You want more???? How about a flight recorder that flips on by pressing R- fairly intuitive, no? This can be invoked during flight right before your kill and flipped off when you've wasted that P38 in front of you.

When you exit the program, you're prompted for a file name, as it will be saved in your video library. Not only can you view your prowess as it happened, you can watch it in any view that the game has to offer. (one tape a mission). If you turn your recorder back on before you exit, you'll "tape over" what you had previously taped, just like real life. More??? OK…Control Z grabs a screen shot any time you want and saves it neatly in a screen shot folder in the FA directory. Yes, FA looks good and flies smooth. The pilot can make out seams in the scenery and horizon while turning, however these move right along and don't interfere with the illusion of flight….remember folks, this is an online game. It's easy to forget this however, owing to the high quality graphics and more than adequate frame rate. Were 3DFX graphics put to use here we'd be talking 9 or so. The current state of affairs earns a lower score taking into consideration that this is an online effort that has gone to great lengths to give us most of the features we've come to expect from a full blown sim.

Graphics score-8.5

SOUND

I'm happy to report that FA handles sound as convincingly as it does the graphics. The sound of your fighter's engine revving up is as good as I've heard in a sim featuring prop driven planes. Particularly effective is the sound of the enemy fighter as it zooms past you. Stereo sound effects are put to good use. Looking straight out of the cockpit, the pilot is enveloped in the robust drone of his engine as well as the wind against the glass. Both speakers roar. Look to the left and the left speaker takes over….to the right, the same. Go to an outside view and the wind noise abates, only the engines are heard. Go into a dive and the engine pitch increases- top shelf effects that add to the suspension of disbelief. All is not glory, however, since at present, all planes sound the same. With your eyes closed the P38 sounds just like the Yak….we can't have it all I guess. Gun fire and explosions are just as you would want them. Explosions bear a deep booming resonance that warms the soul, your reward for not losing that bogey's tail. Additionally, the distant sound of dogfights going on around you lends to the sense of battle immersion. Fly over an enemy air strip and a siren right out of a WW2 flick sounds the alarm as anti-aircraft cannon fire riddles your fuselage….ping….zap….pop…. Better get out of Dodge quickly or you become scrap metal fast. Last but not least, the gut wrenching scream that's heard when two planes collide mid-air almost makes you want to do it again, just to hear that scream. Lack of different fighter engine tones and a good but not great machine gun burst kept FA from posting a sure 10.

Sound score-9

But Is It fun…..gameplay and AI

Addicting, frustrating, exhilarating, amusing- pick one since they all fit. Depends how you're doing that day and who you're up against. The only AI you deal with is the aggrivation of anti-aircraft batteries that sense your whereabouts and are awfully good at shredding you to pieces, even when you've achieved considerable separation from the field. The "score keeper" seems to be pretty good at figuring out if you got shot down, crashed, or collided with a fellow player. The rest of the AI is that of your human opponent, no doubt, the most fun. In the "free for all" game you begin air-born and simply look for a plane sporting a name-tag of a color other than yours. You are free to blast away, or if you desire, you may form an alliance with someone to blast away someone else. The four countries represented are the US, the Soviet Union, Germany and Great Britain. When shot down you wait a few seconds and are instantly teleported back into the skies in a new locale and altitude, ready to fight again, your score being updated to post the results of your last encounter. It's shown at the upper right of the screen at all times. Lose your bearings??? In the arcade arena, a G-d's eye view or radar map of the battlezone shows you where the action is. Radar is unavailable in the Realistic arena. In the "team" format, you begin on the ground. Turn off the brakes, rev up the engine, use your rudder to steer onto the runway and take off. Watch out for your team-mates because it's easy to crash into one another if runway courtesy is not exercised. Crash before taking off and your damaged hull will remain on the runway for awhile- a reminder of the error of your ways. Once airborne, head for the action- but beware. If you venture into a hoard of planes of another color without support from several of your own, you'll get wasted fast. It's entirely possible to encounter groups of fighters that know one another and work well in packs. One guy baits you…you lick your chops as he flies a predictable path and line up behind him, only to be hacked to pieces by his buddy that pulled in behind you…humble pie, baby. The FA system tries to even the teams up in number, but often the odds are a bit lopsided. Before you enter an arena you can see how many planes are flying on each team and pick accordingly. As far as numbers go, up to 125 players can participate in any given arena. Most commonly, I've encountered 15 to 45 at any given time in any one arena. Take note….there is always someone to play with. I've tried early AM, midday, late PM (the busiest time) and always found some action. By far, the arcade arena is the most heavily populated….blackouts and lack of radar may increase the challenge, but to be honest, it's hard enough to just not get shot down. There's plenty of adrenaline to be pumped in the arcade arenas. I'd venture to say that if the real WW2 Fighter Aces could have had it this way, they would have jumped at the chance, but the demanding historians can have it their way too….stalls, spins, and torque effects abound in the Realistic arenas, although the flight model here is still more manageable than the likes of the equivalent War Birds arena. A few words about the flight model...While I make no claims of being a "flight model" aficionado, I can shed some light on what to expect. 'Enhanced for playability' would probably best describe it. To be honest, I really didn't notice any great difference between the flight models of the individual planes....subtle at best. One bird seemed to fly like the other. Some planes however, such as the P38, seemed to be able to take more damage before going down. At the realistic level, pulling g's results in the screen blacking out. While in the arcade model, this does not occur. When one turns sharply in the realistic model, altitude can be lost unless the nose is kept up and more throttle is applied- no altitude loss will occur in the arcade flight model. You can stall a plane in the realistic model by trying to go vertical without enough speed, and I was able to put many of the planes into a spin following a stall by tweaking the rudder. By applying opposite rudder and pulling back on the stick I could usually pull out of it. Rudder management in this model requires active centering or trim. In the arcade model, the rudder will center itself. Stalling does not occur in the arcade model and you can do loops until your heart is content. The realistic model also bears more of a 'floating feeling'....that is, the response to the stick is a bit less immediate. Taking off and landing are also more difficult in the realistic model. In the simple model, the plane practically takes off itself, while the harder model requires a steady hand and rudder to fight torque and tipping upon take off. Torque is gently modeled here, however. It's much easier to deal with than in other WW2 sims such as War Birds or Microprose's 1942, The Pacific Air War. These simulations, particularly War Birds, were more difficult to fly when invoking their full flight model. While a hard core flight fan that demands the most in realism may find FA lacking here, I personally enjoyed the relaxed model. While easier than War Birds, the realistic model was still challenging and does in fact require attention to speed management. Yes, it is a simulation, just not a totally realistic one. Still, there's plenty of meat on this bone! Communicating with your fellow players is as easy as hitting "Enter" and typing in a message. One can also elect to send canned messages by hitting "ALT ENTER". Radio channels include: All, friends, and enemies, and is much simpler than the confusing War Birds methodology, in my opinion; somewhat limiting, but certainly adequate. While you can direct your remarks at team members only, you cannot talk with one individual member privately. One other note, there is a gag feature that allows the pilot to lock out remarks made by a would-be heckler…..Most guys and gals seem to play with the right attitude and are in it for the fun. A brief commentary on the game's emotional involvement potential- watch your caffeine intake. If it makes you irritable, beware. Multiple deaths at the hands of the same foe can really make you angry if you start taking it personally. I found myself pounding my desk top on several occasions….almost destroyed a joystick. It is advisable to play while in a decent mood! If you're the competitive type, like myself, you can turn a good mood into a bad one rather quickly. It's one thing to have PC logic beat you; one can blame unfair AI and walk away from it. Let a fellow human pump you full of virtual lead, three times in a five minute span, and feel the hair rise on the back of your neck- so player beware. This emotion can be even more magnified by knowing that you need only 2 more kills to advance a rank. The more you get downed, the further that goal regresses. I was 4 kills away from making 1st lieutenant when I ran into a pack of experienced buddies that took me out no less that 10 times in about 20 minutes….knocked me back to Sargent. I just kept coming back for more, getting madder by the minute. Bottom line, keep a sense of humor and remember those famous words…."It's only a game". One last comment regarding the ever present problem that has plagued online action games of both the driving and flying variety since their inception- warping, the sudden disappearance or jumping of your target due to latency problems with your online connection. In all honesty, I have found it to be minimal in FA. Once you're on someone's tail they seem to stay in view remarkably well. Warping seems to be more noticeable with planes that are off in the distance. Once you get close, they stay there until the outcome has been decided. Well done, Microsoft. Well…..I think you've got the picture. FA accomplishes what it sets out to do. It's fast, fun and easy to jump into.

AI/GAMEPLAY Score-10

Replay

Well….I would think at some point FA could get old. That is, of course, unless other strategic elements are introduced to the game such as bombers, taking over bases or ladder fests where one on one tournaments are arranged to see who is the best. Flying and shooting down other fighters is fun but at $20 per month it could get tiresome, unless variations in play are introduced. I'm sure that if FA takes off (which it seems to have) the developers will expand the format to increase replay value. Please note that the game includes an off-line practice module that allows you to practice your flying skills all by your lonesome in any of the available planes with both flight models. This is good to practice landings, takeoffs and basic flight maneuvers. A few drones would help, however. Flying around with nothing to shoot at leaves much to be desired.

Replay-7.5

Documentation

Online help is excellent. It's well laid out and is formatted to be easily printed. It's brief and to the point and addresses all possible questions. There is also a nice module that has historical info on the featured planes. When you wish to check you stats, a pilot info page will give an accounting of your performance and any other pilot that you happen to have encountered, so long as you can spell his chosen flight name. Thankfully, MS has included a complete list of game key strokes with thorough explanations that is designed to be printed in highly legible form…no hunting for this important info…..it's right there and easy to find.

Documentation-9

Interface/Controls

As expected, the weapon of choice is a good joystick with a hat and some sort of throttle control. Analogue throttle and rudder are supported. The keyboard will work but really! In addition, the mouse can be used to move your views around while flying with a joystick, either in the cockpit or externally…..they didn't screw around did they? Want to remap your control scheme to some other layout other than the default setup?….Can do. A separate module is provided to customize your control scheme. Neat. If you own a programmable stick or throttle, it would behoove you to use that device to configure your viewing scheme as this is probably the most important aspect of game play…..Lose sight and die..(virtually, of course) As of this writing, force feedback is not supported by FA, but since MS produces one of the best force feedback sticks currently available, this feature may not be far behind. War Birds and Air Warrior both feature some form of force feedback support already. The game interface is sheer simplicity. Basically, point and click, almost fool proof. Once you've set up your downloads, FA practically plays itself….you just fly. Having fooled with some of the quirks of War Birds in its earlier days, it was a sheer pleasure to test FA. This simulation is stream-lined as is the MS Internet Gaming Zone……thanks Bill.

Interface/control score-9.5

( Preconfigured stick files would have earned it a 10…small point)

Summary...Should I try it?

The answer to the should I or shouldn't I question is fairly easy. If you enjoy WW2 flight simulations but yearn for a human opponent, then jump in. Fighter Ace is highly accessible, lots of fun and fairly addictive. Microsoft has tried very hard to put forth a quality product that while not original is much more polished than its predecessors. The big question is are you ready to pick up another monthly charge that gets tacked onto the old PC…..I suggest that you give it a look…..The first session is a freebie…..What have you got to lose? Check six...MartyG