| Flight Unlimited II | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Looking Glass Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Engine | ZOAR engine |
| Platform(s) | PC (Windows 95) |
| Release date(s) | December 12, 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Flight simulator |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: K-A |
| Media/distribution | CD-ROM |
Flight Unlimited II is a 1997 flight simulator video game developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. The sequel to Flight Unlimited, it eschews its precessor's focus on aerobatics in favor of general aviation. Photo-realistic 3D mesh terrain, real-time air traffic control communications and a large amount of non-player-controlled air traffic are used to create a realistic flight environment. A series of flight lessons covers basic flight manoeuvres. Support for IFR flying and approach vectoring is included. Flight challenges provide "missions".
Flight Unlimited II was conceived soon after the release of Flight Unlimited. While the earlier game's designer, Seamus Blackley, had wanted to create a combat-oriented sequel, he was fired after disagreeing with a manager who wanted a more direct sequel. The game was instead designed by Constantine Hantzopoulos, and Blackley's computational fluid dynamics simulation from the previous game, which was too complex to reproduce without his help, was replaced by a simpler "force-based" system. Its "ZOAR" engine was created by programmer James Fleming.
The game was followed by Flight Unlimited III. A fourth, combat oriented game based on the ZOAR engine used in the third and second games, called Flight Combat: Thunder Over Europe, was in development when Looking Glass folded. It went on to become Jane's Attack Squadron, which was released in 2002.
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Like its predecessor Flight Unlimited, Flight Unlimited II is a flight simulator video game: its gameplay is a simulation of piloting real-world airplanes. As with its predecessot, between flying sessions most functions are accessed via an FBO screen representing the inside of a small building. However, this interface is two-dimensional, as opposed to the traversible 3D rooms of the first game. The main cockpit interface is also two-dimensional, allowing mouse control of the radio stack, landing gear, OBS knob, external lights, and throttles. It is viewable in two forms: IFR (full instrumentation) and VFR. In the VFR view, only the top instruments are visible, and more of the view outside the windshield is visible. There is also a 3D cockpit mode.
The game is played in the region of the San Francisco Bay Area, with approximately 13,400 square nautical miles, or 46,000 square kilometers of area covered. Most landforms such as mountains, hills, valleys, and other changes in land height are modelled from geographical data on the region. Most of the buildings, such as houses, are nothing more than flat textures, but some special objects and landmarks, such as bridges, stadiums, etc. are modelled. Some "ordinary" buildings are modelled, but only those over ten stories (according to the back cover of the game box). Unlike the first game, this game does not have a recording feature.
There are 6 flyable planes: the Piper Arrow, Beechcraft Baron, De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver seaplane, Fokker Dr.I triplane (provided by a patch), P-51D Mustang and Trainer 172. All player controlled aircraft have callsigns ending with Lima Golf (LG), for Looking Glass. There are also many other aircraft controlled by the computer, ranging from the flyable ones (except the Fokker), to larger corporate jets, passenger jets, military transports, and (off-duty) fighter craft. These aircraft fly on their own flightpaths around the map and can be the focus of view of the player. The player can be affected by jet-wash from large planes. Most of the larger commercial aircraft have several different skins representing differing companies, several of which parody real airlines. The game allows players to take off from and land on water with a seaplane. The Beaver can land almost anywhere there is water. There are three maritime airfields in the game, for seaplane use only. The AI controlled Beavers do not use the maritime airfields.
Players can set the plane starting point, time of day, rough wind speed, rough wind direction, cloud height, haze, fog and rain. However, the weather system is universal, and does not change over time. The same weather effects will be present throughout the map, throughout play, varying only by height above sea level. Players can set up complex flight plans to aid in navigation, though these are purely optional. The game has pre-scripted missions, often with individual settings and events. These vary greatly, from challenges involving maneuvering and navigation, to sudden system failures, to night missions, strong weather, or a combination. Details of some missions make humorous references to various games or movies, using parodical names, such as Boston Flowers (Austin Powers), or Mox Fulder (Fox Mulder). Several more missions are added by a patch.
The game features a fully functional air traffic control system, with the busiest airfields having some form of control tower, ground control and ATIS systems, each accessible via different radio frequencies. Various uncontrolled airfields may have only a UNICOM frequency shared with some other airfields. Private and maritime airfields have no radio at all. There are also three radar approach controllers, who can give vectors direct guidance, vectors ILS guidance (with the official patch installed), and airport status advisories. The player can also utilise VOR/DME systems for navigation. Players can contact the radio facilities for a variety of services and information. They have to share these facilities, however, as the many computer aircraft also make use of the system. The game also features Pilot Controlled Lighting. At certain uncontrolled airports, the player can dial in the appropriate frequency on their radio, and press a button to broadcast a series of clicks to activate or increase the runway and taxiway lighting intensity. AI controlled craft also make use of the system. Depending on installation choices, there are up to six different voices used by pilots; four male, two female. The player chooses one, the AI controlled planes use the rest. There are four separate voices, for UNICOM, tower, ground, and radar controllers respectively.
The damage system is more sophisticated than the previous game. Unlike the first game, the plane does not simply break into many pieces when it crashes or the airframe breaks under strain. Instead, when the plane structure breaks, it will break appropriately. However, it will only break into four pieces at maximum (front, tail and both wings). This game can also simulate engine and equipment failures. Using the flaps at high speeds can cause them to become stuck in their current position. The left and right wheels of the landing gear on the Baron, Mustang and Arrow can be crushed individually (or both at once) by landing too hard.
Flight Unlimited II was created by Looking Glass Studios, and its development was led by Constantine Hantzopoulos, a designer for the original Flight Unlimited. Hantzopoulos assumed the higher position after the first game's project leader, Seamus Blackley, was fired by a new manager who disagreed with Blackley's plan to create an air combat title rather than a direct sequel.[1] Although Flight Unlimited had been based on aerobatics, Flight Unlimited II's focus was changed to general aviation, as with the Microsoft Flight Simulator series.[2]
The game's technology was rewritten from scratch, with a new renderer, ZOAR, coded by programmer James Fleming. Hantzopoulos stated that Blackley "impressed upon me the importance of that visceral feel of actually flying", but, because of his departure, the physics code had to be completely redone. Blackley's advanced computational fluid dynamics simulation—which, according to Hantzopoulos, was "all black box spaghetti code"—could not be reproduced. Instead, the team used a "force-based flight model" created by programmer Jim Berry, who had previously worked on Falcon 4.0, among others.[2] Multiplayer features were planned, but were cut before release. A patch was planned to introduce them.[2]
The game's terrain textures were derived from black and white USGS aerial photographs taken in 1993, which were then colourised. The textures used approximate to 4 metres per pixel. According to the manual, it was the first game with terrain detailed enough to allow for Dead reckoning navigation. Some out-of-the-way areas use mirrored textures and terrain, but this was presumably for areas the aerial photographs did not cover. AI-controlled planes use lower detailed models than the player aircraft, without any moving parts (such as propellors or control surfaces).
The game received mostly positive reviews from critics. Stephen Poole of PC Gamer US stated the game's predecessor's limited environments did not create a believable flight experience, but wrote, "However, with its exquisite terrain, impressive flight-physics models, and meticulous attention to the details and procedures of civilian aviation, Flight Unlimited II now offers the closest experience to actual flight that you can get on a PC." He praised its air-traffic communication system, which he believed was "so real that it’s almost scary". He summarized, "Flight Unlimited II is so impressive that to even whine about little details shows a shortsightedness that’s all too common amongst us gamers."[1]
John Nolan of Computer Games Magazine stated that, with the new flight model, "The results are generally good, although there are some questionable areas." However, he believed that, "All in all, the flight model is more than adequate for the task at hand, which is to immerse you in the experience of general aviation." He praised the graphics and air-traffic communication, but noted AI glitches with the latter. He summarized, "Overall, this simulation is somewhat above average".[2] Denny Atkin of Computer Gaming World also praised the game's air communications, stating that it drastically increased realism and immersion. However, he noted the game's limited terrain size, and stated that, while its flight physics were "fairly good", they were "not up to the level of Flight Simulator 98". He summarized that game as "a must-have for any general-aviation enthusiast."[3]
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