Jet Pilot (Preview)

                       To be published by: VULCAN

Flight  sims on the Amiga have been a bit sparse recently so when I heard
of this new sim I just had to find out more.

-<FEATURES>-

- Two aircraft types, the Lockheed F-104 and English Electric Lightning
  both with full 360° bitmapped cockpit.
- Ten full-screen bitmaps (menu, radars, etc).
- Large overscan display to cover the entire screen.
- High-res-laced display supported (not on this demo).
- The Amiga's narrator.device is used for radio communications.
- The mouse is used extensively for easy control of the program.
- Interactive screen manual for quick access during flight.
- Operational performance data can be displayed in graphical form to 
  make direct comparisons between different aircraft types (this is for
  the more technically minded).
- 27 airfields in the UK, western Europe and Mediterranean.
- An extensive range of navigational aids with map.
- 20 or more demo missions.
- 60 or more missions for practise, exercise and combat.
- Weather, atmospheric conditions and time can be changed.
- Ground controlled approach.
- Ground controlled intercept.
- Air combat manoeuvering.
- Dissimilar aircombat training.
- Missile practise firing.
- Most performance parameter are within 10% or better of the real 
  aircraft.
- Up to 255 aircraft can be activated (this requires 4MB Fast RAM).

So it sounds good no?

Well whats it play like I hear you ask?
Good  question but before I give you my view you can download a demo from
AmiNet, Vulcan's home page or any good BBS (Channel X BBS).

The  demo  plays very well on my set up which is an A1200/030 with 10megs
of  ram.   The  frame  rate  is  acceptable,  and  for  those with slower
processors  there  are  the normal options of setting the texture mapping
etc.   Also the screen can be set from lores to hires and even interlace.
So  those people out there with fast Amigas can get full detail in a nice
hires interlace screen.

Sound is a bit sparse, but then there isn't much to hear in a jet but the
roar  of the engine.  A novel idea has been used to implement speech into
the  game using the narrator.device that came with workbench 1.3/2.x.  So
the  'tower'  talks  to  you,  yes  talks,  but the problem is the speech
although  understandable  its  a bit fast like the guy speaking is trying
for a new record in speed speaking.

First  impressions  are  that the Amiga has just got a new awesome flight
sim and Tornado might just lose its crown.

There  will  be  a full review as soon as Jet Pilot is released and I can
afford to buy it...  Hint Hint Vulcan ;-)

Ben Gaunt

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