System Requirements for Strike Fighters 2 Series. January 20, 2010 at 8:27 AM. System Requirements OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP Processor: 2.0 GHz or faster. Strike Fighters 2 is a PC game (Combat / Flight Simulator) that primarily centers on a fictitious conflict in the Middle East between the Kingdom of Dhimar and the Empire of Paran from the late 1950s to the early 1970s.
Developer(s) | Third Wire Productions |
---|---|
Designer(s) | Tsuyoshi Kawahito |
Engine | Strike Fighters |
Platform(s) | Windows |
Release | April 2009 |
Genre(s) | Flight simulation |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Strike Fighters 2 : Vietnam is a Windows game (Combat / Flight Simulator) based on Wings Over Vietnam set during the Vietnam War over South East Asia, and covers the time period between 1964 and 1973.
The game includes a wide variety of jets and weapons which can be employed in various mission types such as MIG-CAP (MiG combat air patrol), strike, air support, Iron Hand, and reconnaissance.The game is based on the Strike Fighters: Project 1 engine and was developed by Third Wire Productions.
Although it can be installed as stand-alone, this title can also be installed merged with Strike Fighters 2 to provide a wider selection of stock airplanes to fly and fight against.
Background[edit]
Strike Fighters 2 : Vietnam is a vastly enhanced simulation based on Wings Over Vietnam and released in 2009. The game was primarily rewritten to work on Vista and Windows 7 but this also means the game can take advantage of Microsoft's DX10/11 graphics engine. Although sticking to the 'Lite' tag as previous Thirdwire games the developer has improved the flight models, and Artificial Intelligence to the point that the series is moving towards more realistic simulation with every iteration.
Gameplay[edit]
Despite the 'Lite' tag, a fair amount of realism has been built in; 1960s-style bombsights are simulated rather than modern computer-aided aiming reticules. Dive bombing and level bombing techniques have to be worked out by the game player if they are to have success at completing missions.
During a mission the player will fly in a flight of aircraft in which the computer-controlled planes keep in formation as you fly to a target. This flight can be issued commands; attack other aircraft or ground targets, fly home if they are damaged, or jettison their drop tanks. As you fly many other computer-controlled aircraft will be up in the air and can be viewed as they engage in dogfights or bomb targets.
The player can select a campaign from either Operation Rolling Thunder (1965 to 1968), Linebacker I (1972) or Linebacker II (1972) which are similar in name and aircraft involved to the actual campaigns from the conflict.
Single Missions are also available, which can be customised to allow the player to practice with specific aircraft and weapons.
External links[edit]
References[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Strike_Fighters_2:_Vietnam&oldid=854650582'
(_Kael_)
...weapons and wargames
A-10As loaded for combat
About meI'm a casual videogamer and part of my time is dedicated to sims. Combat sims. No civil flight for me, I like to fly an Il-2 Sturmovik, command a submarine, lead a squad on Sahrani. By chance I discovered Third Wire Productions Inc.. Buying a videogame from some lone website? Not Steam? No multiplayer? No CD/DVD? After doubting for some time, I jumped. Boy, am I glad.
The game is reviewed on an AMD Phenom II X4 805 Processor, 2.5 GHz rated@ 5.25 GHz; 4 GB RAM; Win Vista;64bit; AMD Radeon HD6870; Dolby 5.1 surround; Logitech 2.4 cordless joystick; TrackIR5
About the history of the game
Thirdwire is a small independent company which started with the release of Strike Fighters Project 1. Although reception of that game wasn't all that good, the game was quickly patched and improved to a 'flight sim lite' with a number of fans. Other games appeared, one of which was Wings Over Europe. The number of fans and modders grew steadily.
However, development wise Thirdwire hit a ceiling with Microsofts release of Windows Vista. Pre-Vista, multiplayer was supported through a feature which MS abandoned (MS Directplay). Besides that, if the series was to grow, it needed to be able to work with DirectX 10 and up. At that point Thirdwire decided to start a new series, Strike Fighters 2. In this new series, most notably multiplayer was dropped, graphics improved (like high res cockpits with working dials and meters) and a zillion other chances were implemented.
Strike Fighters 2 Europe was released and over its predecessor it gained the A-7D Corsair II as flyable plane plus a number of AI planes, while only loosing the AI operated B-52 Stratofortress.
Technical; download, installation and such
Download and installation was a breeze. The shop led me to the online payment and after that it directed me to the download center. Here, my e-mail address in combination with the password I received upon paying gives me my personal download page, where all games and expansions are listed which I've bought so far.
Thirdwire says you can do unlimited re-downloads, re-installs and the games are DRM free, so no hassle with keys, authorizations and whatever. You can backup your own games whenever you want. Or you can just revisit your download page when you need a fresh version.
Patches are free to download. Since one of the last updates the game now features a web based update function, meaning when you start your game it will tell you a new update is available and ask you if you want to update. Great! At the time of my writing, the last update was from July 2013, so it's safe to say the SF2 series is still supported well.
Also great: both my Logitech Freedom 2.4 Cordless Joystick and TrackIR 5 were automatically identified and working off the bat. Well, the joystick needed some optimization, but Fire 1 and Fire 2 along with stick, thrust and 'pedals' (turning your stick for the 2.4) were all working.
It's all good and easy.
Story
In flightsimming, I believe both World War II and the Modern War are the most covered subjects. Thirdwire digresses from that mainstream, by producing a flightsim series firmly set in the Cold War period.
Strike Fighters 2 Europe, specifically, is all about alternate history. The Third World War. What if Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising or sir John Hackett's The Third World War: August 1985 came to pass and the Cold War went hot?
SF2:E has 3 stock campaigns. All three start with what was feared, at the time: a Soviet invasion in West Germany. Only the start date (and thus: planes and technology) differs per campaign. One starts WW-3 on October 26, 1962. The second on August 21, 1968. And the last on September 18, 1979. Besides that, there's an expansion which adds another campaign to the game, start date November 17, 1956.
In this light flightsim you're a NATO combat fighter pilot stationed in West Germany. The Soviet tanks start rolling over the German border under cover of their Migs and other planes. And it is your job to stop them. Depending on the campaign and plane you choose, you'll be flying combat air patrol missions, close air support, interdiction, interception, and a whole lot more.
Il-28 Beagle over an airfield. The Beagle was operational from 1950 to 1980
Lite...
So,... this is a 'lite' flightsim. That means what, precisely?
For me, it means the joy of combat fighter action, without all the hard and boring details and the necessity of studying. Looking at the flightsims I've played:
in DCS: A-10C Warthog (review here), so far I've never successfully landed a plane. The manual is MANDATORY.
in IL-2 Sturmovik, I managed to get the plane on the runway in one piece, after several tries. The manual is a BIG HELP.
in SF2:Europe you can take off and blast away. I landed my F-15 Eagle on my first try. The manual increases your gaming experience. It is OPTIONAL.
In the F-15 Eagle cockpit, night landing. The lit up runway in the low right corner
Does that mean this game is on par with arcade games like Blazing Angels II? No. You will stall and crash your plane if you don't know what you're doing. This is a flightsim.
I read somewhere that the philosophy behind the SF2-series was to make a game which uses realistic flight models and weapon performances, but simplified radar and weapon operation. This leaves out the 'chores' of being a pilot and concentrates on combat flying.
Again, comparing DCS:A-10C and flying the A-10A in SF2-Europe: in the former, firing your AGM-65 Maverick at a tank takes about a 13 step process, including things like 'Slew the TGP over your target. Designate with TMS Up Short, then create an SPI (Sensor Point of Interest) by using TMS Up Long'. Ooo-kay. In SF2-Europe, you select your Air2Ground weapon, you select your ground target and you fire!
Also, looking at the key bindings for this game tells you this is a proper flightsim. Besides your joystick you'll need a number of keys that will scare away the faint of heart (or the arcade players). You'll need to operate your flaps, speed brake, landing gear, wheel brakes, break chute and more, besides being able to set up things like your ripple and ripple interval (how much bombs you drop when you press fire and how much time between each drop)
In short, flying is good and easy. Good on realism, easy on controls.
Cold War technology
So this game focuses on the alternate history of Soviet Union invading West Germany. This means, unlike many 'Modern War' jet flightsims, that it's not all that modern. In the 50s, 60s and early 70s, bombs often were lobbed onto target from the jet by diving at the target, much like it was done in WW-II. Later some fancy stuff appeared like the CCIP (Computer Calculated Impact Point), so on your HUD (Head Up Display) you could see where your bomb would hit the ground. Talking about major improvements!
In the same vain, if you play the 60s campaign, you'll have to make sure you're pretty much right behind the enemy plane if you want to have any chance of hitting it with your AIM-9B Sidewinder, one of the first heat seaking missiles. And even then, often nothing will happen. While flying in the early 80s, you can fire an AIM-9L pretty much without aiming and still hit the target.
It really gives you an 'all this new technology is great, but I can't let my life depend on it'. At times (esp. 50s, early 60s) you feel like a WW-2 pilot in a jet plane.
British F-4 Phantom IIs patrolling the northern skies of West Germany
Gameplay
So how does it play?
Flying an A-10A at 1300ft. Looking at a nearby town (using TrackIR)
It plays great! Besides the 3 campaigns you can jump in a pit an start shooting right away by choosing 'instant action'. Between those two, there are numerous missions to choose from and 8 different flyable planes, in a lot of different versions. For example, the F-4 Phantom II has a prominent place in this game (as it did in the Cold War era) and you can choose to fly a F-4C, F-4D, F-4E, F-4F or F-4M. And for many planes you can choose for which country you're flying. Like the picture above, which features British F-4s.Which brings us to graphics. Now, for arcade junkies, graphics are everything. For flight simmers, I believe, less so. That said, all the planes in this game look crisp and beautiful. Lighting is great. Reflection on your canopy and all. Lower marks however for clouds. And even less for terrain. Flying low over land really lowers your immersion factor. On the other hand, dueling in the skies high above is certainly convincing.
Once again, like installation, like flying, also the graphics in this game seem to be good and easy. Let me explain: the terrain detail in DCS: A-10C Warthog is amazing. There's just nothing like it. However, in that game, your rear mirrors (handy in air combat) are default 'off'. As player, you're even warned for a drop in framerate when you turn them on. 'Should I? Should I not?'. In SF2:E the graphics are definitely no match. But here, your rear mirrors are default on. It's something you use in air combat. So it's on. And when you switch them off/on in your option menu, there's no 'are you sure' warning. It just does want you want, without second thoughts. Good and easy.
There are numerous camera views to choose from. One is 'hopping' from one plane (external view, like the wide pics you see in this review) to the other. Either ally or enemy. Another is the viewpoint that follows your just fired missile. Look at the first 10 seconds of my 30sec YouTube clip, to get an impression.
Two things I like especially about this game, which for me offset the mediocre low altitude terrain graphics, is that the campaigns are dynamic and action is not limited to your personal story.
How does that translate in the game? It means that when you fly your mission, dozens of other planes are in the air. At one time I flew over the middle of Germany. When I used the 'view next plane'-button, I found out there was a huge air battle above the sea between dozens of planes. Obviously one side tried to air attack the others fleet, while the other intercepted the strike. Out of my reach to join, I could just switch viewpoints and enjoy it like some action movie. It greatly enhances the immersion factor of the story, when it's not just you and your own enemies in the sky.
Besides that, I've read that attacking enemy airfield lessens your opposition in later missions in the campaign. And that, if you do a bad job in defending your skies against raiding bombers, your supply of weapons slowly dries up.
In the game, both the flight model and damage modeling is great. Zapping from one allied plane to another, I once found a pretty shot up F-4, trying to make its way home. See picture below. What's great too, is the level of AI. Your enemies won't do stuff which in reality they cannot (as in some games). Besides that, they will put up quite a fight, without being flawless or invincible, giving you the impression you're actually fighting other humans, not machines.
The sound is 'as expected'. The intro screen has a (to me) annoying hardcore 80s electrical guitar tune. Ingame, sound effects are good. Voices are crisp.
The cockpits look great, which detail and all. However, a few of flightsims on the high-end of realism have working cockpits. As in: you can mouseclick on any button and it'll work. Not here. Though the dials and gaugers function, for the buttons etc. you need all your key bindings. Personally, I think I prefer it that way. As it means pressing 'B' will engage my wheelbrakes, regardless which plane I fly. With a 'clickable pit' I would have to know where the brakes are, for every plane.
Shot up F-4 trying to make its way home
Community
The Strike Fighters series has a loyal fan base. One of the merits of the game is that Thirdwire always seems to strive to make this series easy to mod. As a result, there a numerous extra skins, planes, terrain, missions etc. to be found and free to download.
Although the game lacks multiplayer, for many (me included) that's not much of a loss. Far most of my gaming time is single player. The Strikefighter community has so far proven to be friendly and helpful. Any questions on Thirdwires forum are quickly answered.
Conclusion
I recommend this game.
It isn't the cheapest, it isn't the most expensive. No DRM hassle, no company trying to zero in on either your PC or your personal info. You buy a product, you get a product, no strings.
Terrain graphics and lack of multiplayer can be a turn off. However, this is compensated by good overall graphics, awesome gameplay. Flying a jet in a believable way, without having to first getting a PhD in flying. Lots of action in a nice theatre which hasn't been covered much by other games. The love of a small company for its product is apparent.
A-7 Corsair II cockpit, ready for take off
![Strike Fighters 2 Strike Fighters 2](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126374937/888749827.jpg)
+ Dynamic campaigns (replay value)
+ Plane graphics
+ Sweet spot between playability and realism
+ AI
+ Populated map (many planes airborne which have nothing to do with your current mission)
+ The 'feel' of it all, as I hope I've described
+ Mergeable with other games (and planes) of the series
+ No DRM
Cons
- Singleplayer only
- low-altitude terrain and clouds graphics
Final results
Graphics , for low altitude:
Sound
Realism
Fun factor
Replayability
Verdict: get it. It's good and easy.
Gameplay, gunsight view: engaging enemy armor with your GUA-8
- 9
- 1.00
- Last edited Fri Oct 25, 2013 4:57 pm (Total Number of Edits: 1)
- [+] Dice rolls