The continually evolving Falcon 4.0

[radicaldude1234]

For those of you who love this sort of stuff. FreeFalcon is gearing up for another....distribution

Some screens on how Falcon 4.0 looks nowadays:







http://freefalcon.com/forum/view_topic. ... forum_id=2

For those of you who loved the original: I haven't played the original bland, but i venture to guess that its very different from the current modified flavors.

[Losonti Tokash]

I just got the Allied Force rerelease the other day, still muddling through the 719 page manual.

[Oskuro]

I just got a sim-gasm watching those pics.

[darthbob88]

Very nice. How can I get it myself?

[Resinence]

Hmm, the scenery is really starting to look dated now days (though it was lovely when I played the original years ago). Are there any plans to update it? Maybe with satellite imagery/retexture carriers etc?

[radicaldude1234]

This version will be released in the near future.

There will be a terrain texture upgrade a little after that. But completely reworking the terrain engine is only in the realm of discussion at the moment.

[CaptHawkeye]

Woah, i've been out of the Falcon 4.0 loop for a while now. They're actually starting to mod in other playable aircraft like the F-22 and F-15? How about the MiG-29 and stuffz?

[Rogue 9]

I have Allied Force, and while I love almost everything about the game, the control scheme confuses the hell out of me. Just joyriding around in an F-16 is great, but unlocking the missiles would be better.

[Stark]

Is it still standard modern air combat 'BEEEP BEEEP you're dead' stuff? Accurate as it may be, it's boring as fuck.

[Vympel]

Is it still standard modern air combat 'BEEEP BEEEP you're dead' stuff? Accurate as it may be, it's boring as fuck.

I made that mistake with LO:MAC. Beautiful looking game, but boring as hell - only interesting if you're doing guns-only combat, but then it's not exactly terribly realistic.

Il-2: 1946 is loads more fun. I'm still playing that.

[Stark]

Yeah, that's it; LOMAC is a good game, but it's a radar simulator and that's not really what I call fun.

[Julhelm]

There's always the Strike Fighters series.

[radicaldude1234]

Is it still standard modern air combat 'BEEEP BEEEP you're dead' stuff? Accurate as it may be, it's boring as fuck.

Well, when you die, it won't exactly be beep beep. More like BOOOOoomm! your dead.



Unfortunately, since they go for realism, it can be like a radar sim at times. Esspecially with Helmet mounted sights modeled and this guy on the scene:



Thats the problem with all modern air combat simulators that go for realism. Most people who play games like Ace Combat and OverG fighters (They look absolutely gorgeous, though) think that the modern air war is like WWII, except with cooler and faster planes, and missiles that shoot out a little further than guns. Nothing wrong with the guys who like that kind of gameplay, just not the sort of thing the Falcon mods are going for. If you think we're bad, you should see our counterparts, OpenFalcon, whose team has stated they have "switchology" for the sake of having so.

So why go through with it? Well, there are things you can do here that you can't in others. Like, for example, lobbing a JDAM a couple miles to splatter the same SAM site that nailed your buddy a couple missions ago in campaign. That, or see if the Pugachev's Cobra really works in an dogfight (it doesn't).

Of course, you can always just do Dogfight and define the weapons.

but unlocking the missiles would be better

You need to flip the Master Arm switch

[weemadando]

I once played LO:MAC at a LAN. And then was banned from playing it again. Apparently it's not fair if you are the only one with a HOTAS setup who actually knows what radar modes do and how to engage BVR targets.

That said, I also whupped these people at Crimson Skies, Commanche 4 and Heroes of the Pacific, so it could be that they just suck at any flight game.

[Darwin]

I gotta see how this compares to LO:MAC. Does Freefalcon support head-tracking? Has the virtual cockpit improved?

[radicaldude1234]

I gotta see how this compares to LO:MAC. Does Freefalcon support head-tracking? Has the virtual cockpit improved?

TrackIR and FreeTrack are supported, both in the 3d and 2d cockpits (Which is kinda wierd in 2d as it just shifts views rigidly as you turn you head), though the Helmet Mounted Sight is still padlock activated, though you can choose a realistic setting where the target has to be in your field of view before padlocking.

We're trying to get the virtual cockpits to the same level as the 2d cockpits, This was a promotional image from a while back of all the new 3d cockpits that are going to be added/improved:



This one is further along than this last public teaser:


There are new updates, but the other devs will crucify me if I post their development pics here.

This one, will be in the next update:

[Chris OFarrell]

F-22 ownage.

So how DO you model stealth in the game? You could probably set a flag that makes the F-22 invisible to radar, but that would be somewhat unrealistic. On the other hand, having various aspect/range detection solutions would have to be a huge bitch to program.

[Vympel]

Personally, I think bomber games would be more fun to play given today's technology, if we're talking modern flight sim. I'd gladly shell out for a faithfully done Su-17M, MiG-27 or Su-24M simulation, for example. All about blowing up shit on the ground while leaving the air combat to the escorts - sure you might get shot down by the odd fighter, but it won't be the focus of the game - and sneaking up on SAMs shouldn't be as hard.

That's why I'm looking forward to that new LO:MAC based Ka-50 sim that's coming out. It looks fantastic. With any luck, it'll be the DiD HIND of this decade.

[weemadando]

I have always stated my want for a Wild Weasel sim. Doing air defence suppression in a modern environment could be awesome. As long as they actually model ground terrain so you can hide behind hills.

[radicaldude1234]

So how DO you model stealth in the game? You could probably set a flag that makes the F-22 invisible to radar, but that would be somewhat unrealistic. On the other hand, having various aspect/range detection solutions would have to be a huge bitch to program.

The average RCS is set to really really low, so you have to be real close to lock the Raptor up. Theres no aspect detection solutions, just a number value we input into the database.

I have always stated my want for a Wild Weasel sim. Doing air defence suppression in a modern environment could be awesome. As long as they actually model ground terrain so you can hide behind hills.

You can already do that in this game, except the terrain's dated, but still functional. Just load up the HARM in your F-16CJ or F-15E and have a field day with the loads of formidable SAM sites littered around the Korean Theater. In fact, last time I looked at the campaign, thats all the Beagle does on the first day. Careful though, SAMs are no joke in this sim.

[Vympel]

The average RCS is set to really really low, so you have to be real close to lock the Raptor up. Theres no aspect detection solutions, just a number value we input into the database.

I see. Not optimal, but in the absence of aspect detection, the best one can expect in the circumstances. But really, the F-22A is on your side anyway, so yay

Can modern SA-teen series SAMs (e.g. Tor-M1) intercept your PGMs in this upgraded Falcon 4.0?

[radicaldude1234]

Can modern SA-teen series SAMs (e.g. Tor-M1) intercept your PGMs in this upgraded Falcon 4.0?

I haven't noticed, but I don't think so. With people still griping about the effectiveness of the SA-2 in the game, the SA-15 is downright nightmarish, esspecially when flying against airfields. It shouldn't be seen in Korean Theater as NK doesn't have the thing, but it might be in the game.

JDAMs, on the other hand, are modeled in this mod, complete down to inputting GPS coordinates. I know they were Mavericks with a bigger warhead in the previous previous version (FF3, it wascomplete with rocket and optical sensor...have you ever seen a JDAM go supersonic?). But now you can loft that mofo from behind a hill, and run for home. You can also use the JSOW with similiar avionics.

[Kane Starkiller]

Is this a standalone mod or do you need a copy of the original Falcon?

[radicaldude1234]

Is this a standalone mod or do you need a copy of the original Falcon?

Not Standalone. It was made to work over a copy of the original Falcon4, but some have made it work on a copy of Falcon4AF too.

[MKSheppard]

I sort of prefer the Strike Fighters Project 1 series by Third Wire for my simming fix. It's like MS Flight Simulator, but with a fire button.



In the war-torn skies over Europe 1946; a P-82 tangles with a nazi paperwaffen.


Over the skies of Europe 1982; a DDR MiG-21 tangles with an A-10.


F-19 YEAH. BTW; thank Julhelm for that bitchin model man. Yes, our Julhelm of SDN did that model.


A Su-19 interceptor defeats the capitalist pigs who invade the rodinu somewhere in the area between alaska and siberia.


A Royal Navy Hunter flies a strike mission during Operation MUSKETEER against the Egyptians.


During WW3; a MiG-23 scores a kill on a German F-4.


A Taiwanese F-84 scores a kill against a Chi Com MiG somewhere over Taiwan.


A MiG-23 bombs a NATO airfield in WW3.


F11F Tigers stand ready to defend Alaska against the aforementioned Su-19s!


A RAAF "pig" performs a daring low level retarded bomb drop.


Extend Missiles!


Nukey Nukey!

Avonics modelling is a bit over the place; you have a semi-working radar but no good radar bombing modes, etc. It's just a really fun game to fly.