Old Falconeer

[vrv]

Eh... does it ? :-) Honestly, the last thing I want is to start some flow of sour comments, but these "old Falconeers praises" are really annoying in general, especially because they seem to be mostly based on "good old times" and melancholy rather than critical observation.

F4 didn't hold it's own graphically since like 2003.

I look at a piece of ground in F4 and - I'm lost. It all looks the same, grid after grid of the same stuff. Forest alternates with farmland. Forest alternates with snowy mountain. And those nasty squares... Squares, squares, whoever had this graphical concept in mind must have loved squares. One must endlessly consult a map to get some clue because terrain doesn't give any, especially without sea shores.

I look at a piece of ground in LockOn and know... that is the valley behind the Sochi-Adler airbase leading to Krasnaya Polyana. And this is the typical landscape around Maykop. These fields are not square. The placement of forests is natural. No imaginary forester is cutting them into square shapes.

Call me a hater or whatever, I'm not bashing the flight model here (while I suspect the barrel rolls in F4:AF to be a bit arcade :-)) or systems modeling or whatnot - it's solely the graphics.

Stop pardoning those graphics already. It belongs to a time far ago, like a decade or so now. Hitiles did nothing more than add some res to the same old tile in most cases.

Respect to F4 of it's time, respect to your good memories, but please!

P.S. I love you all so much! Really. :-)

Doesn't this post pretty much defeat the purpose of not starting a string of "sour" comments? Graphics aren't the most important thing. If they were I would be flying Air-Quake. Even if Falcon is ancient its still the most realistic F-16 simulator out there and as close as you can get to the real aircraft. A real simmer doesn't care about graphics. Obviously you don't know that much about the Falcon community...I would get a flame suit on. If this aggravates you why post in this thread?

[Kaiza]

A bit off topic, but looks like the ground tiles in falcon are about to get a bit of an upgrade

 

http://www.cleared-to-engage.com/

[GGTharos]

Really? A real simmer does not care about the visuals in a visually-dominated business?

 

A real simmer doesn't care about graphics. Obviously you don't know that much about the Falcon community...I would get a flame suit on. If this aggravates you why post in this thread?

[Zaltys]

Really? A real simmer does not care about the visuals in a visually-dominated business?

 

Probably he meant combat simmer? In all flavors of F4 I never noticed lack of graphics in the heat of battle…

[GGTharos]

Im sure. Don't worry, Falcon has plenty of unrealistic features that people do use ... graphics aside ;)

And if it really is just for the combat, then all that realism is worth diddly ... you can do the same with a reasonably complex fantasy fighter.

[davek1979]

Doesn't this post pretty much defeat the purpose of not starting a string of "sour" comments? Graphics aren't the most important thing. If they were I would be flying Air-Quake. Even if Falcon is ancient its still the most realistic F-16 simulator out there and as close as you can get to the real aircraft. A real simmer doesn't care about graphics. Obviously you don't know that much about the Falcon community...I would get a flame suit on. If this aggravates you why post in this thread?

 

Hey I don't care about flame suits mate. I think I submitted a quote with my post that explains why I reacted IN THIS THREAD.

Graphics SURE AS HELL are not the most important thing, otherwise I would be in the Crysis forums.

BUT real simmer doesn't care about graphics ? Something tells me people would be screaming **** all over the place if Warthog came out utilizing 320x240 VGA 256colors. But hey, graphics are not that important, so why not do it VRV, what do you say ? What resolution are you running Shark at ?

I might not know much about Falcon community, but I know something about Falcon's visuals, hence my post.

[Callsign.Vega]

Graphics do matter. F4's updated graphics aren't too bad at high resolutions. Doesn't A-10C, Blackshark etc use virtually the same terrain engine from Lock on or even based way back on the Flanker series? Not exactly super impressive when compared to F4.

[SlapStik]

Oh boy,,,,, I must be weird, I love Falcon, Lockon, Flaming Cliffs, SB Pro PE......... Give me sims,,,,,, more sims........bwaaahahahaha

 

No need to choose or pick a side in my camp!

[hassata]

What he said

[GGTharos]

Did you make this argument with a straight face? ;)

 

Graphics do matter. F4's updated graphics aren't too bad at high resolutions. Doesn't A-10C, Blackshark etc use virtually the same terrain engine from Lock on or even based way back on the Flanker series? Not exactly super impressive when compared to F4.

[vrv]

I run DCS at 1600x1200 on all high. Go figure. But I meant that graphics aren't the most important thing. When you can have both graphics and realism its perfect. And for it's time F4 had good / great graphics. Besides LockOn, DCS and FSX Flight sims aren't the prettiest games of all time. Sure back in the 90's and later they were but not now. We can turn this into one giant pissing contest if you want.

[nscode]

Any time I look one of those Su-25 cockpit videos I'm impressed at how good things actully look in LockOn. In F4.. if it was any worse, I would thing it was a CLI :D

 

 

/runs for the fire suit/ :D

[GGTharos]

OMG, Asbestos might actually extend your life in this case! :D

[spyda]

if you enjoy falcon one will love DCS a10 :)

[Zaltys]

Oh boy,,,,, I must be weird, I love Falcon, Lockon, Flaming Cliffs, SB Pro PE......... Give me sims,,,,,, more sims........bwaaahahahaha

 

No need to choose or pick a side in my camp!

 

+1

[davek1979]

I run DCS at 1600x1200 on all high. Go figure. But I meant that graphics aren't the most important thing. When you can have both graphics and realism its perfect. And for it's time F4 had good / great graphics. Besides LockOn, DCS and FSX Flight sims aren't the prettiest games of all time. Sure back in the 90's and later they were but not now. We can turn this into one giant pissing contest if you want.

No pissing contest for me, thank you.

But hey, you just said what I said: F4 had good graphics FOR IT'S TIME. I said that first, mama, you remember ? :-) It's just few posts back. I appreciate you saying that again and re-affirming that statement. I really do. Peace bro!

P.S. Did I say I love you all ? :-)

[nemises]

F4:AF was the sim that got me back into simming ... it was the switchology that did it for me...I just love it! having to set up a deployment 5 - 10 minutes prior to weapons release and overflying it half the time because of pilot over-workload ... awesome stuff.

 

For this reason, DCS:BS (and the upcoming A:10c) really really press my buttons also...

 

F4 will always have a special place , but I think DCS has the potential to fully overtake it (not just graphically, but systemically) in the very very near future.

[coolts]

I’ve started playing AF again to give my Cougar MFD's a workout and its great. There is room for both and they both have their strengths and weaknesses. DCS avionics, DCS flight models, DCS damage models, DCS sensors, DCS graphics, Falcon Campaign and immersion, Falcon ATC & comms, Falcon campaign continuity, etc (I can feel a spreadsheet coming on, you have been warned!)

 

Now A-10 may up the ante in immersion for ED games I hope, as that is one thing about Falcon that grabs you immediately, the chatter and feeling of being part of a war. Not easy to replicate otherwise many games would have done that in the past 12 years.

 

However, ED are chipping away at Falcons throne and once they get comms sorted and a proper dynamic campaign then, and only then........yadda yadda

 

Anyway we can enjoy both without going into armed camps can’t we? :)

 

Oh, to hell with it!

 

Amiga’s were better that Atari ST’s and Spectrums were shit compared to C64’s !! :P

 

(Doors clank as coolts retreats into flameproof bunker with fully stocked beer cooler)

Edited August 12, 2010 by coolts

[hassata]

i've downloaded the isreali theatre og ops for af, will give it a go soon

 

http://www.f16e.com/

[davek1979]

I’ve started playing AF again to give my Cougar MFD's a workout and its great. There is room for both and they both have their strengths and weaknesses. DCS avionics, DCS flight models, DCS damage models, DCS sensors, DCS graphics, Falcon Campaign and immersion, Falcon ATC & comms, Falcon campaign continuity, etc (I can feel a spreadsheet coming on, you have been warned!)

 

Now A-10 may up the ante in immersion for ED games I hope, as that is one thing about Falcon that grabs you immediately, the chatter and feeling of being part of a war. Not easy to replicate otherwise many games would have done that in the past 12 years.

 

However, ED are chipping away at Falcons throne and once they get comms sorted and a proper dynamic campaign then, and only then........yadda yadda

 

Anyway we can enjoy both without going into armed camps can’t we? :)

 

Oh, to hell with it!

 

Amiga’s were better that Atari ST’s and Spectrums were shit compared to C64’s !! :P

 

(Doors clank as coolts retreats into flameproof bunker with fully stocked beer cooler)

Look coolts, you can say anything you want, you can proclaim F4 to be the king of the universe and it's fine with me, BUT - and I'm putting this in the most friendly way I'm capable of - DON'T TOUCH THE SPECTRUM. (grrrrr!)

Fighter Bomber was the first sim (arcade ok I know but try to sim something with 48K mem!!!) I ever played and it's the origin of my interest in flight sims. I'm in eternal debt to the fine people at Sinclair Research Ltd. who made it possible. :-)

Edited August 12, 2010 by davek1979

[nemises]

F/A 18 Interceptor on the amiga 500

 

...I can still hear the music now....

[Eddie]

Pah, the mighty Tornado by DiD on the Amiga 500 rules over all. Quite simply the best mission planner ever.

[Steel Jaw]

One thing is a fact about Falcon, be it AF, FF or OF: the terrain sux donkey balls and completely ruins the suspension of disbelief. I now prefer lite weight FC2 and its superior terrain to hardcore Falcon and its puke for terrain.

[Steel Jaw]

Pah, the mighty Tornado by DiD on the Amiga 500 rules over all. Quite simply the best mission planner ever.

 

Concurr, still have it. It ROCKED my world back in the day.

[davek1979]

You guys are talking 17 years ago. I'm talking 23 years ago. I win. :-)