Red Baron 3D

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Red Baron 3D

Developer(s)	Dynamix
Publisher(s)	Sierra
Designer(s)	Dynamix
Engine	3-Space 2.0
Release date(s)	November 30, 1997
Genre(s)	Flight Simulation
Mode(s)	Single Player, Multiplayer
Platform(s)	PC, Windows 95/98
Media	CD-ROM
System requirements	Windows 95 or above (Windows XP and Vista are NOT supported)
Input	Keyboard, mouse, joystick

Red Baron 3D (also known as Red Baron II) is a computer game for the PC, developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was released in 1998 and a patch was released the following year, in early 1999. The game featured four modes of play: Fly Now (A quick combat mode); Single Mission which included several missions and a mission generator to create new ones; Campaign mode, which featured one of the only truly dynamic campaigns in a modern flight simulator and which replicated combat on the Western Front of Europe from 1916 through 1918; and a Massively Multiplayer Online Arena version of the sim.

In 1997 Computer and Net Player Magazine named Red Baron 3D the most eagerly anticipated simulation of the past decade.

Red Baron 3D (also known as Red Baron II) was the follow up to the immensely successful flight simulation Red Baron, released in 1990. Shortly after the release of Red Baron II, a 3D Superpatch was released by Sierra to improve several issues. Red Baron 3D is the patched version of Red Baron II but was also sold as its own game. The patch improved the game's graphics and flight model. The graphics engine was improved to include 3D glide acceleration for the 3DFX Voodoo series graphics card. The flight models also received much needed attention.Red Baron 3D or its predecessor Red Baron II also incorporated sound doppler effects in the simulation and ground forces are present in the simulation. Criticism sparked when it was shown that the game would not run on newer computers that used the XP operating system. This flaw, due to advancements and demand in operating system technology, is said to be the bane of the game, as more and more games of today require more and more demanding computer power.

A final patch, version 1.0.7.8, was released shortly after the 3D Superpatch and greatly improved the multiplayer capabilities of the game; increasing the number of players from a maximum of 10 to 76, a massive increase. Red Baron 3D is often seen as the first online sim capable of team play, and the creation of several dozen online squadrons is a testament to the quality of online play in Red Baron 3D.

Red Baron 3D has retained its popularity within the community for several reasons. First, it offered a complete campaign modeling aerial operations from 1916 through 1918 - essentially covering armed air combat from all sides. Second, it was easy to mod - using bitmap images for aircraft skins. Third, and most importantly, the game featured a dynamic campaign which randomly assigned missions to the player and offered a variety of mission types. These included Offensive Patrols, Aerodrome Attacks, Balloon Attacks, Combat Air Patrols, Barrage Patrols, Infantry Attacks, and Defense missions.

A large community of modders grew following the release of Red Baron 3D. A series of complete works was released between 1998 and 2006. The history of the Red Baron series and the Red Baron 3D Community itself can be found in the links below.