Tank Ace Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 I assume that DIF is like Microsoft WWII combat flight simulator? Since it is coming from BF it looks to be good. While you guys are expanding your range of game types. why not make a 1st person shooter? Has that idea ever been brought up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmatt Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Actually, this is not a flight sim like IL2 or Microsofts offerings. It is based on a very famous tabletop game system and is more or less turn based. Hopefully Dan Verssen will be around shortly to enlighten everyone on just exactly how DiF will play out on the computer. Madmatt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirocco Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Here's a link to the announcement: http://www.battlefront.com/products/dvg/announcement.html "Down In Flames focuses on tactical fighter to fighter dogfight combat in World War II. The game is turn based, and the action is resolved through a unique 'action - reaction' game mechanic that allows players to experience the feel of real life aerial dogfighting with a fast paced, easy to learn system." It sounds interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Wonder how different it will be to Big Time Software's old classics like Achtung Spitfire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sitzkrieg Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Matt (or whoever), "Down in Flames" sounds like "Over the Reich" or "Flight Commander 2" in concept. If so, guaranteed purchase here. I loved "Flight Commander 2". Never purchased "Over the Reich" and wish I had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Verssen Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Hello All, My name is Dan Verssen, and Down In Flames is my first entry into the world of computer gaming. I have been designing tabletop wargame since 1989 when Modern Naval Battles was published. The Down In Flames series of card games were published by GMT Games and covered both the European and Pacicifc Theaters of WWII. To briefly describe game play... The Aircraft- Each player begins with a Leader and Wingman. Each plane is rated for Performance (maximum maneuvers you can use at any one time), Horsepower (how many new maneuvers you get each turn), Bursts (how many attacks you can make each turn, and Airframe (how much damage you can take before the plane is damaged or destroyed). The Maneuvers- Offensive maneuvers allows you to either gain an advantageous position on an enemy aircraft, or shoot at him. Reactive maneuvers allow you to cancel the maneuver just performed by the enemy. What gives the system its unique feel is how the Offensive maneuvers can be reacted to by Reactive maneuvers, which in turn can be reacted to by other Reactive maneuvers. For example: The UK player with his trusty Spitfire I fires an "In My Sights" attack on the German player's already damaged Bf-109E. The German player checks his maneuvers and sees that a "Tight Turn" will counter an In My Sights, so he uses it. The UK sees the Tight Turn get played and is not about to let his attack get spoiled, so he looks through his maneuvers and sees that Scissors will react to Tight Turn, so he plays it. The German player is now feeling desperate and reacts with a Scissors of his own... but to no avail, the UK player reacts with an Ace Pilot. The German player looks through his remaining maneuvers, but alas, none will respond to an Ace Pilot. His plane suffers damage from the original In My Sights played, which is more than his plane can take, and he goes Down In Flames! If you have any questions about the game, please let us know. It is a privilege to join the BFC community and I look forward to meeting all of you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanonier Reichmann Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Hmmmm, sounds very different from the old BTS games of Achtung Spitfure & Over the Reich then. More reminiscent of Richtofens War with its optional manouevre cards (although far more realistic than that I'm sure). Looking forward to more information on it. Regards Jim R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some_God Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Its still a little fuzzy to me... I'll wait for the demo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Fang Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 COOL! I for one and really glad to hear about this. I really like the tabletop version. For those who don't know anything about it there's some info here: Rise of the Luftwaffe Eighth Air Force Corsairs & Hellcats Zero! Looks like y'all are getting more of my money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 I am also looking forward to hearing more about it. Count me as another person who immediately thought about Over the Reich and Achtung Spitfire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadkiller Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 Another lemming here who immediately thought of Achtung Spitfire This sounds to be entirely different though. I have no experience with the tabletop game. One question, what kind of tactical map does the game use? Is sounds to be abstracted into zones rather than pinpointing plane locations relative to each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Verssen Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 Threadkiller, Down In Flames (DIF) uses a realtive positioning system. Every leader holds one of five positions relative to an enemy Leader: Tailing (really good), Advantaged (good), Neutral (ok), Disadvantaged (not so good), Tailed (very bad). Your position is indicated by the facing of the aircraft. If your nose is pointing at his tail, you are Tailing. If your nose is pointing at his side, you are Advantaged. Nose to Nose is Neutral. His nose to your side puts you at Disadvantaged, and his nose at your tail places you as being Tailed. Position affects who can shoot, and how many Bursts of attack they can play. You use maneuvers to adjust your positioning and attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadkiller Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 Sounds like fun. Good luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 Dan, Sounds great! Played Rise of the Luftwaffe years ago with friends back in Virginia. Let's just say my air combat maneuvering needed work, but it was fun and quick. Could you please describe how you're going to transfer a card game to the computer? Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saedor Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 I had Rise of the Luftwaffe years ago. Great game, wish I still had it. It's essentially a card game, so no tactical map is used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Axe_ Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 Originally posted by Dan Verssen: I look forward to meeting all of you! Five minutes in the general forum will cure you of that. Anyway, welcome aboard and I look forward to adding two more games to my road-to-divorce wargaming habit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted April 18, 2004 Share Posted April 18, 2004 Originally posted by Axe2121: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Dan Verssen: I look forward to meeting all of you!Five minutes in the general forum will cure you of that. Anyway, welcome aboard and I look forward to adding two more games to my road-to-divorce wargaming habit.</font> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Welborn Posted April 19, 2004 Share Posted April 19, 2004 Speaking of Achtung Spitfire!, I tried to load the game up on my computer this weekend, but the game doesn't recognize that the CD is in drive f:, so it fails. Any way to start the game with it reading the CD in drive F? I assume it is trying to default to drive d. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Verssen Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 Thank you for the 'welcome aboard'! Thank you also for the warning about the General Forum. I poked around there a bit and was curious about what the padlock icons meant. Then I looked at threads. Wow! I think BFC might need to add a flashing red padlock for special occassions. Once we get a few screenshots up it will give everyone a much better idea of what we've tried to achieve, but in the meantime... We've tried to take the basic concepts of DIF and add more to them in every area. Graphically, we have had accurate Lightwave 3D models created for each of the 28 aircraft. Each time an aircraft performs a maneuver a short animation plays to show the action. Also, unqiue animations are played for each aircraft when they take hits or are shot down. For pilot skills, we have added an entirely new section for the RPG aspect of creating pilots for different nations, gaining experience points, and purchasing skills. We have added pilot fatigue, as your pilot flies missions he will accumulate Fatigue Points, that will give him skill penalties, until he has had a chance to rest. The game includes an in-game chat so you can talk with your opponents and allies. Each game will support up to 4 elements of aircraft. We have added the much waited for AI feature that allows the game to be played solitaire. It is our goal to take all the good features that DIF has, and add to them all the possibilities that computer technology provides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 Dan, Thanks for the exciting explanation, and welcome to Bedlam! Does get wild on the boards at times, especially the General Discussion Forum and the Peng thread. Could you clarify your connection with BFC? Who's doing what on this and the WW II naval game? Did you clone Charles, or is there a separate programmer? Be warned, the natives get downright restive when anything takes Charles away from bringing forth the peerless, eagerly awaited new Combat Mission game engine. Welcome to our badly-in need-of-a-new Twelve-Step- program band of wargame addicts, and thanks for your formidable contributions to the noncybernetic aspects of our addiction! Regards, John Kettler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 DIF has its own development team working on it (with Brian Marrs, who is posting here as Bartbert) being the programmer. The MNB isn't even assembled yet, so we cannot comment on this for the moment. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Verssen Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 John, Thank you, it's great to be here! I met up with the BFC guys through email after I downloaded a CM demo. I thought the game was great and offered something new in computer gaming. FPS's are great and all, but how many do we really need released each month . I asked if they would like to publish a computer version of DIF and MNB. In the emails, Martin mentioned he worked with a 'Charles Moylan'. To which I replied, "Not THE Charles Moylan from Big Time Software?!?" It turns out I had talked and emailed with Charles about ten years ago after playing his jet fighter game on the Mac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wings7 Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 Count me in...I will buy them both, sight unseen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Jones Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 This is pretty cool. I've been hooked on DIF since I stumbled across it at Gen Con 5 or 6 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl60 Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 No doubt about it...I will definitely buy both. Two subjects that I love...WW2 air and sea combat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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