Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Dowding on November 23, 2000, 08:48:00 AM

Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Dowding on November 23, 2000, 08:48:00 AM
It arrived this morning.

I haven't played it yet - it's my brother's and I'm going through to his flt tomorrow to see what it is like.

 (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: TheWobble on November 23, 2000, 09:19:00 AM
AAGGHHHH I LOVE YOU!!!
 
Tell details about it!!
dirty nasty little details!
wait type it slow, its more sexy that way.....
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Dowding on November 23, 2000, 09:24:00 AM
Wobble you freak!  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)

I'll let you know tomorrow - all I can say is that the manual looks good.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Snoopi on November 24, 2000, 12:29:00 AM
Dowding:

I am now very jealous and because of that..
I NOW...HATE YOU...

 (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)


Regards,
Snoopi
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Dowding on November 24, 2000, 06:37:00 AM
I still haven't played it ( (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/frown.gif)) but there is a full colour reference card showing all the cockpits of the game.

Unbelievable detail!!!  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif) It seems as historically accurate as can be, down to the yoke in the P-38 cockpit and the German on the dials. The B-17 cockpit is simply awe-inspiring.

Can't wait to play it.  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Saintaw on November 24, 2000, 10:22:00 AM
AAARGH, My copy is only due on the 5th of December.... pffffft...
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Fishu on November 24, 2000, 11:58:00 AM
I bought B17 I long time ago, and I am not gonna pass II  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
I hope it will be such great game as first version was in its time.
B-17 just looks so beatiful  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)
(I like F more than G.. it looks nicer without nose turret and with green paint)
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Snoopi on November 24, 2000, 12:20:00 PM
B.T.W.  
 www.microprose.com (http://www.microprose.com)  site has been hacked.

check it out

Discovered this yesterday
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: -duma- on November 24, 2000, 01:24:00 PM
Good at hacking maybe, but lousy poets...
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: skernsk on November 25, 2000, 08:09:00 AM
Dowding I read an article that mentiomed the game needs a VERY fast computer.  Was it pretty smooth?  Will a guy need a mini-cray to play it?
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Snoopi on November 25, 2000, 12:19:00 PM
skernsk:

Go to
 www.bombs-away.net (http://www.bombs-away.net)


Check their board.
It has lots of details from many people who now have it.
Including the performance on various machines.


Regards,
Snoopi
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Wilfrid on November 25, 2000, 01:27:00 PM
I have it. Unfortunatley, I only have

AMD K6-2 400mhz
256Mb SDRam
Geforce 2 GTS 32mb

so it runs painfully slowly, even at 800x600 16bpp.

The ground tiles pop up slowly, changing resolution from very blurry to not so blurry. FPS drops to about 5 when flak is in the air, or there are enemy fighters about. The sound stops totally as you change gunner position. There are bugs. In all, not very immersive  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/frown.gif)

This is after all of a days playing mind you, so your milage may vary....


Wilfrid
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: TheWobble on November 25, 2000, 06:14:00 PM
*blows snot bubble out of left nostril in disgust*
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Snoopi on November 25, 2000, 07:42:00 PM
Wilfred:
Some have reported on the Bombs-away site that it is O.K. on their systems which have the same power as yours.

Check the site for a thread dealing with performance for various configs at that site.

One guy who is notoriously fussy and has been complaining before, is now very happy and is, it  seems, in love with B17-2.
Most posts I have seen say it is very immersive.

It may a driver or config issue for you.
As you say mileage may vary. Good Luck !
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Dowding on November 26, 2000, 06:23:00 PM
I managed to play it eventually, and Wilfrid is right - it needs a Ninja Bastard PC.   (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)

I used:

PIII 450
128 Mb RAM
TNT 2 Ultra 32 Mb

I had to run it at 800x600, 16 bit and have alot of the detail turned down (the 'speed' setting) eg. ground detail, cockpit shadows, environmental effect. It was still a bit jerky.

The graphics are, however, simply astounding. I only had time to fly a couple of quick missions, most of them in 109s/190s. And the P47/B17.

The tracer looks absolutely superb - just like the 'wavy' tracer seen in original gun camera films. WAY better than the tracer in AH - perhaps they could have this one day. Have you ever seen that camera footage of a B17 attacked from directly astern? Where the ball turret is completely immobile and is pointing almost directly down. In it, the LW pilot strafes up and down the wings, and bits fall off as well as smoke and the 'flash'. I don't exagerate when I say it is exactly like that in the game, except that it is in colour. Quite shocking really.

The smoke trails are very good. The damage (i.e. holes) appear where you shot (I tried this by shooting another B17 while in the turret of another B17   (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)). You can go to the different B17 compartments and see the crew modelled in very smooth 3D, and they react to any instructions you give (like changing positions or going to help a wounded comrade). It really is very good.

The FMs seemed ok, but I felt the fighters seemed a little more forgiving than those found in AH (although a wheels up landing in a 109 seemed much harder than in AH). I'm pretty sure I had the historical FM enabled.

Having been used to AH, I found it fairly tricky to spot other planes, through the haze and varying light levels. There might be an icon option, but I didn't see it.

My brother says he started playing a squadron campaign and he says you have to assign crew members to the various schools (ie. if you don't train your co-pilot properly, he'll be pretty crap if your pilot gets killed).

I've only scratched the surface, but it seems to me to be a bit good.   (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)

[This message has been edited by Dowding (edited 11-26-2000).]
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: TheWobble on November 26, 2000, 06:46:00 PM
It sure ruins a game when you see all these nice screen shots taken at 1600x1200 with all the trimmings on. and then they have the audacity to tell you that the minimum system requirements is a p2 300 with 64 mb of ram and an 8mb vid card, of course if you read the RECOMMENDED system requirements you realize that you need some kinda humongo ubersqueak cray, and that will only get you to 1024 x786.

I have an Athalon 800 with 256 mb ram and a Geforce2 gts and i bet i will be lucky to hit 1024x786 with respectable frame rates.

Just goes to show ya that anyone can make an awsome looking game, where the challenge is is makeing it so that will will run nicley on average joe's computer.
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: -lynx- on November 27, 2000, 05:43:00 AM
Stuff average Joes - I'll crank up my 600e to click at 133MHz and pray that V5 will handle FSAAx4 (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)

------------------
lynx
13 Sqn RAF

[This message has been edited by -lynx- (edited 11-27-2000).]
Title: I have in my hands B-17 II...
Post by: Wilfrid on November 27, 2000, 05:55:00 PM
Hi,

Thanks Snoopi, I regularly lurk on Bombs Away but hadn`t got round to checking the trouble shooting pages. I manually set the swap file, turned most of the graphics down and now it takes less than a second to change gunnery position  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)

As for the rest, What Dowding Said. Surface needs scratching a bit more! Although when my number 3 fort wingman copped a flak burst in the cockpit, dropped back (pilot & co-pilot dead) and slammed into a trailing fort, wiping out both crews I thought "Hmmm I like this game!" Sorry if my previous post was a bit negative.

I`m sure that by the time we euros have finished bug testing it, you yanks will have a blast playing the final version  (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/biggrin.gif)


Wilfrid