Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    
    Ok, the question I've been waiting to ask:
    
       What does flight simulator do?  (I understand it simulates flying
    a plane, but is it a game or what?)
    
    Steve
    

    Boy, Steve you must live in a cave! :^)  Flight Simulator was
    originally written by Microsoft for the IBM PC in 1984.  Versions
    were later done on the C'64 & Atari 800*.
    
    Basically, you are in the cockpit of a Piper Cherokee, with all
    functional instrumentation.  You can take off and land at 80 airports
    in the USA.  The game runs in real-time, so a New York to Boston
    flight would take around an hour.  Or, you can slew to your destination
    to speed things up.  The simulation is very realistic, with multiple
    views from the airplane.  The game includes NAV1, NAV2, and VOR
    type flight modes.  All elements of aircraft control are present,
    including landing lights, carb heat, etc.  It is very realistic.
    
    My old boss is a pilot, and he swore that it was just like real
    flying.  If you descend to fast, your carb can ice up and stall
    the motor!
    
    There are also scenery disks available, so you can fly around the
    Prudential building, if you like.
    
    The game has now been ported to the Mac, ST, and Amiga.  The options
    now include a Lear jet.  The ST notes claims that the color graphics
    are stunning.  I have not seen the Amiga version yet, but I have
    heard from others that the animation is much smoother, thanks to
    the blitter chip.  I also heard that the Amiga version uses 32 colors
    for scenery, but I can't comment until I see my version.  Of course,
    the Amiga version uses sampled sound for the jet engines.
    
    Flight Simulator is supposedly a must have for every PC owner.

    Flight Simulator is also used to test for compatiblity of PC clones.
    It does lots of nasty stuff to get reasonable speed animation out
    of the PC hardware.
    
    -dave

    Was it not developed first for APPLE/II in the early eighties by
    SubLogic Corp. I know the the C64,APPLE/II and Amiga ver. is!

    Actually, Bruce Artwick first wrote a simpler version for the Apple
    ][.  Microsoft then contracted with him for the PC version.  He
    then founded Sublogic, and the other 8-bit ports came from Sublogic.
    
    Thanks for jogging my memory.  Bruce Artwick is considered a
    programming genius, and deserves full credit.  I was amazed that
    FS][ ever ran on a 48K Atari or C'64.  They were damn good versions,
    also.  At least as good as the PC version.  Hopefully, the 68000
    versions will be the best yet.  And hopefully, the Amiga version
    will be the best of the best.
    
    By the way, I understand that the Amiga and ST versions can communicate
    with each other thru the serial ports!!

The Memory Location has sold out:  24 copies in two days.  I forgot
to ask when they might get some more in.

    Well, I got it.  I am fairly impressed with the simulation, but
    frankly, the graphics are not up to Amiga capabilities.  There are
    only a few colors, and the graphics shapes are pretty crude.  Where
    it really shines is in the smoothness of the animation, and the
    digitized engines are pretty good too.
    
    There are a ton of objects in the standard scenery, (Statue of Liberty,
    Golden Gate, Twin Towers, etc...).  Lots of options on setup, too.
    
    Definately the best FS version I've seen yet, but not really in the
    league of 'Defender of the Crown' or 'Marble Madness'.  What is
    interesting is that the Amiga version will definately fly in sync
    with the ST version thru the serial ports.  I wonder if the programs
    are in fact identical?  (This would infer that the blitter is not
    used), hence the small pallette of colors.  The docs state that
    SubLOGIC has developed the "68000 Precision Graphics Drivers" (Sounds
    like a dance team), so I think this may be a direct port.  I find
    it hard to believe that the ST version could scroll the scenery
    as good as this one though.  Oh well, I'll just have to check out
    the ST version.  I have flown the Mac version, and the scrolling
    was really choppy, not much better than the 8-bit jobs.  
    

    I'll let you know how it works modem to modem. Gonna try it tonight
    with a friend who has the ST version.
    
    Paul

    Re: Sampled Sound
    
    What sound do you get when you slam into the side of the TransAmerica
    Building?  Do they add the sounds of screaming passengers?
    
    Aren't computers wonderful?
    

    re: .9
    
    When you crash into the TransAmerica building ther are no special
    effects ( I tried it ).
    
    	Maybe something for the next version ??
    

    re: .9--There aren't any passengers in the Cub anyway.
    You can do your own screaming for the pilot.
        John Sauter

    Has anyone tried (or succeeded) in getting FS][ to multitask?  I
    would love to run the game in interlaced mode, and I installed 'SETLACE'
    on a working backup copy, but the program seems to disable all other
    tasks as it runs.  My boot screen is in interlaced mode, but then
    the program kicks back into non-interlaced.
    
    I have modified the startup-sequence to 'Run' setlace and 'Run'
    loader, but to no avail.
    

    I'm a tad nervous about attempting to copy my copy of FSII but I'm
    even more nervous about using my only copy (I've been flying my
    little a*s off for the last 3 days) so could you please tell us
    if you had to do anything out of the ordinary to copy it.  It sounds
    like it's rather protected to me, judging by some of the unusual
    non DOS-like sounds it makes as it boots.
    
    Having fun buzzing the Oakland Bay Bridge,
    Gary

    I used 'MARAUDER' set at standard copy parameters.  It copied the
    program on the first try in about 45 seconds.  I hate to use my
    master disk on a program that has lots of disk access!!

    The protection is on Sector 30 if that helps. If you do attempt
    to copy it, the copy will run as a demo only.

        This may only apply to one drive Amiga owners but beware none the
    less.  The other night I was trying to save some situations to a
    disk.  (Had a neat approach that I wanted to keep shooting.)  On
    the prompt I reached for the drive button, I accidentally hit a
    key in the process.  The drive started spinning as the FSII disk
    (My original) came popping out.  With panic in my heart and sweat
    on my palms, I rebooted.  Da-da-da-dum.  The disk refused to validate.
    It did boot, however and the simulation actually ran.  The catch
    is, that it will no longer do saves.  Very strange situation.  I
    fully expected the disk to be totally trashed.  Very bizzare.  Anyway,
    before I get all kinds of lectures on not using originals let me
    say that I just hadn't gotten around to buying a copy program. 
    The whole idea that such a thing should be necessary is repugnant
    to me.  I guess I put it off in protest.  Taught me a lesson, eh?
    All is not lost, however.  A friend who has both FSII and Marauder
    made me a copy that appears to do saves.  In the meantime, I'm dreaming
    up a good letter to Sublogic about copy protection and their silly
    disk swapping scheme which I will include with my check for $5 (Sigh!)
    for a new *official* disk.  Pains me to send them money for it,
    but I'm so addicted to this damn thing and I really feel like I
    should have a *real* disk.  Call me old fashioned.  Anyway, the
    next software purchase on my list is Marauder II.  I don't intend
    to get stung again.  G*ddamn protection wars! :-(
    
    Veteran_computer_person_who_should_have_known_better,
    Gary

I'm using FS ][ on a PAL system. You may know that a PAL Amiga has more 
vertical lines ( screen is 320x256 i.o. 320x200 dots). Being the windows of 
FS][ regular windows I'v tried to set up a composite screen with 3D1, 3D2, MAP 
and Instrument Panel on DIFFERENT areas of the screen ( not overlapping). 

To have those extended lines you must run K1.2. I only have ALFA version and 
it doesn't work with FS][ (Horiz. coloured lines sliding on the screen).

Does anyone know if FS][ works with Beta or Gamma K1.2 ?

    I received my OFFICIAL KS & WB 1.2 on November 24, and FS][ works
    just fine.  I hope CBM gets them out overseas pretty soon, but a
    lot of dealers in the USA have run out of copies, and are waiting
    for more to come in.

    I got a copy a few days ago.  What a difference from the Mac version!
    The animation is so smooth.
    
    I just read in the usenet that there are some known bugs in the
    program...something to do with no ILS in the San Fransico area.
    They commented that SubLogic was less than helpful with info about
    updates.  They said that they released the product with a few known
    bugs (including green clouds) because of pressure from those who 
    really wanted it, even though it wasn't ready yet.                         
                                                                 
    As for the GEM style interface...I really wish that they had used
    the Amiga interface instead.  And as noted earlier, I really wish
    that they had used more of the Amiga's graphics capabilities.
                                                      
    Has anyone tried hooking two systems together yet?  My brother has
    an ST, I should try it with him.  I wonder if moving HIS mouse will
    slow MY system down? ;-)
    
    See you flying around the Hancock tower....
    
    Randy