QUESTION: What was the first combat aircraft...

[Brooke]

IMHO, there were a couple of 'bar' setting flight simulators.

I think that the three most-important such flight sims, in order of deployment are:

subLOGIC's Flight Simulator (out in 1980).  The first consumer flight sim, which became Microsoft's Flight Simulator.

Kesmai's Air Warrior (1987).  The first multiplayer on-line combat flight sim.

HiTech Creations' Aces High (2000).  The best multiplayer on-line combat flight sim.

[trotter]

This was my first flight simulator, came out around the same time as the aforementioned Flanker.

F/A 18 Hornet 2.0 for Mac





I remember wanting Flanker so bad, but it was PC only, and I only had a Mac. In my opinion, this generation of games (early to mid 90's) was the first to really tie it all together into modern form:
-Realism (Flight model, cockpits, weaponology)
-3D graphics
-Campaign modes (even if it was just a string of linear missions)

This generation of games very very soon gave way to the games of the late 90's, which were absolutely leaps and bounds better.

I'm talking about the Janes series.





Can you believe that last screenshot is from a 1998 game? Hell, their clouds are better than what we have even now! Anyway, I guess my point is, it's amazing what kind of development can take place in a thriving genre (as flight sims were in the 90's). We went from early 90's Flanker and Hornet, to, what, 5 years later, and the sims are essentially quite modern. I wish the genre wasn't dead currently. Imagine what we would be playing today on even the most modest PC's.

[boomerlu]

2. Red Barron - this game included the ability to customize your own aircraft, update your planes when they historically became available, fly for multiple countries in a semi-dynamic campaign, and get invited to fly with other squads by their historic squad leader.  Nothing has come close IMHO since it's release in immersion and great gameplay. Customizable paint! Come on - that RULED!(Image removed from quote.)

I looked around for some info on Red Baron II/3D after all the hoopla about AH having a WWI arena. Turns out the games as released by Dynamix were terrible, but the community has produced some nice mods, which are apparently playable MMP.

http://www.hellsangels.firstflare.com/main.htm
http://www.fullcanvasjacket.com/index2.html

[Big Rat]

Falcon 3.0 was the first air combat sim I really got into, loved that game and played it for hours on end

 
BigRat

[Jouster]

the original Red Baron was the reason I got a pc in the first place! definately a watershed game.

I remember the magazine ad in Computer Gaming World for Falcon 3.0 where those two guys in the cubicles were playing it, and I wanted it SO BAD. I loved that game!

Air Warrior took all that in to the stratosphere for me, but since the off hour rates were 3 bucks and hour on GEnie, I never played as much as I wanted to.

Honorable mention goes to Aces of the Pacific. Also Gunship on the comodore 64.

[Plawranc]

FINEST HOUR 1989

My first sim, when I was three years old a floppy and a mouse. And some Jerries to send down in flames and off I went.

I am 15 now, Now I FEEL 

[Vulcan]

Vulcan, what is that game, or book, or whatever?

I want to get a copy of that in my library for sure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_of_Aces_(picture_book_game)

There were others as well. Played it as a kid when I was in the Air Training Corp (Air cadets sorta thing).

[pritchy]

I remember something called "Ace" on the C-64.
There was a good batch on the Amiga.  F117, F-15 strike eagle, Gunship 2000, F/A-18 Interceptor, Fighter Bomber, Dogfight etc...

Then I went to university and discovered rugby, girls and beer.  Wasn't aware of any flight sims between 1996 and 2007.  I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across aces high.

Vulcan - I was also in the ATC.  Don't you wish they would introduce a Chipmunk to the training arena!?

[A8HatTrick]

Falcon 3.0 > Su 27 all day, and IT set the bar, and still does my friend with 4.0

B17 Bomber Intellivision

[Corrs]

Top Gun DOS I played on the Tandy 1000



Also had Chuck Yeagars flight sim



Mid 80's I believe

[Ghastly]

the original Red Baron was the reason I got a pc in the first place! definately a watershed game

I couldn't afford one of the IBM PC's I was building at work, but when Sublogic released FS II for the C-64 (1984???), I ponied up and bought my first computer.  All you needed was a little patience (OK, a LOT of patience - the disk would chatter away for something close to 5 minutes to load the program - and it would lock up 1 time in 2 and require a reset to get it to load IIRC) and a vivid (OK, very Vivid) imagination.... 

I wish I still had the thing. 

<S>

[HHBurn]

Probably "jet" for the pc was the first flight simulator I played..(prior to that i was a rpg guy) the one that tied the knot forever was "Secret weapons of the luftwaffe" SWOTL for us vets of the game
The original game had horrify graphics by todays standards but, the damage models and engine tollerances where a great deal more realistic than aces high II.
Was a blast to play and occupied hours of time.

[BlauK]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_of_Aces_(picture_book_game)

There were others as well. Played it as a kid when I was in the Air Training Corp (Air cadets sorta thing).

I also still have those books in my shelf . Have not played it for a while though.

[dhyran]

(Image removed from quote.)

Anyone remeber playing this

Darn, i was realy addicted to that stuff.

My first flight experience was on an Apple II in 1980

i owned a Spitfire game i think it was "Finest hour" on a sinclair Spectrum, a freaking rubber keyboard machine CPU Z80 and 48kb Ram.
 
later i started with F16 via a serial cable, i beat my friend a houndred time flying the Mig vs his F16  , i was gaming the game in 1985  

We drank all night long and also my girlfriend (wife now) flow the F16 somtimes because it was technical totaly fascinating, great graphics on an Atari ST with 1 Mb Ram

After that Red Baron was my favourite, the FM Feeling was great

First time i flown mmo was warbirds in 2000, than WB3 for 7 Years, got great times there with a lot of good Guys, was Trainer, flown 7 years at WB with the >>>Parrots<<<

nowadays AH2 since 2 years flying with a great bunch of good guys in the Loose Deuce Squadron on a 3.0 Ghz C2D with Win 7 and a GTX 275

No doubt, there is nothing better flying with hundreds of people in one Arena! So i hope i will write in ten years about Aces High 3, using 3 Monitors, having a real Pilot carrer Mode,  
So, over the years, the MMO aspect comes more and more into the spotlight, back in ages its tecnical stuff, but nowadays its more and more focused on social bindings which is very intresting to see

lets see, the future is wide open

<S>

dhyran

[JimmyC]

biplane amiga fun addiction