How to play

[Aether]

Okay, so 5 minutes into the game, you propely found the same as me: the plane is f***ing hard to fly. So this discussion is for problems anyone has and solutions for these.

[Adam Beckett]

引用自 goss4jc：

I do have the game manual btw. Still can't turn. The controls seem to be broken.

I thought the same thing, but the controls are ok.

You have to release the Tail Breaks AND the Parking Breaks! (Ctrl + T and Ctrl + P)



For those, who have not figured it out yet and are looking in this thread for an answer...

The whole starting procedure of the first tutorial level (Taxi & Lift Off) should go like this:

1. Switch to external camera by pressing F2
2. Adjust your line of sight with LMB. Zoom out more with Numpad -
3. Press M to take over manual control.
4. Decrease Throttle! Before releasing breaks! Important! Or you land in the grass (failure)!
5. Press Ctrl + T and Ctrl + P to release the breaks.
6. Now comes the first tricky part: sloooowly and patiently taxi to the runway (which is right from you). Take your time. You can adjust the speed with [ and ] - you maneuver with B (left) and N (right).
7. Congratulations! You have reached the runway - now take off!

[Nuclear1980]

This is an amazing game. I bought this when it first came out for the PC, together with the M1 Abrams Tank Simulator, also by Microprose. I believe I bought them at Babbage in NYC. I even wrote a review of this B-17 game for Amazon back in 2001 with 61 out of 62 finding my review to be helpful. It's a beautiful game.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2TNU7G1HXNIIR/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00001OWYQ&nodeID=468642&store=videogames

You will need the manual. You cannot fly this without understanding the controls. The game came with a large foldout sheet with the keyboard controls. There is a key (can't remember which) that will auto-start your aircraft and it will go through all the steps on it's own. It'll go through several switches and knobs before you hear the engines turn. Doing a manual start takes about a good 20 minutes. It will auto-taxi and take off for you. This is a simulator first and foremost so the flight dynamics can be brutal.

Once you're airborne, you can speed up the flight time. I do the real-time flight. The fun starts when the flak starts pummeling the skies, and your crew is being torn to pieces. And then once you've completed the bombing run, you'll then have to fly back, with only one engine, a half of your crew wounded or dead. Be patient with this game. Warning...the missions are DIFFICULT if you go full simulator on it. Expect to fail A LOT. You've been warned. :)

[Budge4]

Whenever i speed up time i always seem to lose a few aircraft, bump into each other. Maybe there are certain places i shouldn't advance time? Just after takeoff, when formation is complete, then pilot turns onto target heading seems to be a favourite for a few planes bumping if speed up time.

Also if i speed up time coming back to my own airfield then generally when sim goes back to real time near airfield there are usually a few B17's that have black smoke trailing from all 4 engines (were not trailing smoke before accelerated time) . Not sure if thats normal. Plus had a few collisions on airfield after landing, one plane landed on runway and was taxying back to its stand, next plane landed on grass and ran straight onto taxiway, taxied down taxiway headon into the previous plane coming the other way, major explosion, 2 crews and 2 planes lost, they were on Auto. Am i doing something wrong?

A lot of it seems to be caused by speeding time up, is this a known problem i wonder? Planes on ground hitting each other was just in real time though.

[poppymisty]

i just let the plane fly auto pilot, and then i can just concentrate on the gunner positions and the bombardier when on the bomb run takes alot of the hassle of trying to fly the thing

[Bee Bender]

I have the original manual in front of me, it's 230 pages and then there's a Supplement for the PC that's another 24 pages. Learning this is old school.

[EX_Bravo22]

NOT RECOMMENDED TO PURCHASE! The rudder controls are broken which prevents you from steering the aircraft. Save your money!

[Sulifer]

Lol look guys the controls are not broken. I have played this game for years with various joysticks and never had a problem. You have to understand this game can replicate many things right to the tee if you want it too. And if you start off not understanding how a aircraft actually flies through the air to begin with your in for a hard time. Aircraft do not use their rudder exclusively for changing direction in flight, it's not a car or boat. On the hardest setting you need to apply some rudder, aileron, power and horizontal stabilizer to pull off a smooth directional change without loosing altitude, spinning or stalling. On the easiest settings the game may have autorudder and simplified engine management so all you need to worry about is adding the correct amount of aileron and horizontal inputs and engine power. When on the ground you have to use wheel breaks, throttle and rudder to pull off a good turn. This can be quite difficult since most inexpensive flight sticks don't come with seperate controls for multiple engine. But the game does allow you to control single engine inputs via the keyboard and even 2 engines (on the same side) via the keyboard, it's all in the manual, changes can be made in the Controls Section of the Players Options menu. As for controlling (turning) your B-17 on the ground, keep in mind a full loaded B-17 (crew, bombs,ammo,fuel) weighs in at a hefty 54,000lbs (24,500kg) so it's not going to handle like an Formula 1 car on the ground, you have to think way ahead of when you want to start turning before you actually start turning. Study the manual, look for tutorials on Youtube and pratice. If all else fails when you start a mission your B-17 is setting on the tarmac, go to the radio operators position (6), press the i key, press M for manual control, click on one of the two books (forget which one I think it's Outgoing Messages) inside the book there will be a couple options. Click the "Begin Mission" option, click "M" again to go back to AI control and you can sit back as your AI will get you taxied and into the air.

[Sulifer]

引用自 Budge4：

Whenever i speed up time i always seem to lose a few aircraft, bump into each other. Maybe there are certain places i shouldn't advance time? Just after takeoff, when formation is complete, then pilot turns onto target heading seems to be a favourite for a few planes bumping if speed up time.

Also if i speed up time coming back to my own airfield then generally when sim goes back to real time near airfield there are usually a few B17's that have black smoke trailing from all 4 engines (were not trailing smoke before accelerated time) . Not sure if thats normal. Plus had a few collisions on airfield after landing, one plane landed on runway and was taxying back to its stand, next plane landed on grass and ran straight onto taxiway, taxied down taxiway headon into the previous plane coming the other way, major explosion, 2 crews and 2 planes lost, they were on Auto. Am i doing something wrong?

A lot of it seems to be caused by speeding time up, is this a known problem i wonder? Planes on ground hitting each other was just in real time though.

Well keep in mind if you let the game AI do a lot you can expect some problems. Here are some suggestions.
1). Before a flight check out the course the AI has plotted for you to the target, pay close attention to the waypoints. You may want to adjust any radical direction changes at a waypoint (like a 90 degree or greater change). If you don't the other AI B-17 try to make this course change and get back in formation, more often then not with disaterous results. I do believe in the Bomber Commander and Squadron Commander games you can adjust the waypoints (direction and height).
2). Do not use the Time Skip (ENTER/RETURN) key during anything major approaching (like waypoint changes, bomb runs, landings etc). Instead you can try the mini timeskip (CTRL+ENTER/RETURN) if you still want to speed things up a bit or better use the time compression keys.
3). The black smoke is really nothing to worry about, it's just the AI of those aircraft trying to maintain the landing pattern (pouring on the coals to the engines).
4). AI Collisions happen a lot in this game, but it's not all because the AI seem's to be at times dumber then a bag of rocks. Many times it can be caused there is damage to the B-17 or even to the pilot or co-pilot at the critical moment. The only way that I know you could get around this is by taking manual control of each landing aircraft and landing the B-17 yourself. You can only do this if your playing the Squadron Commanders game.

[rochrist]

Yeah, I remember the auto thing. Any time you do anything that takes your focus away from the pilot, auto would toggle on freezing all the flight controls.

[Ubiquitous]

I am still struggling with the first tutorial. the manual is a complete waste of time:

引用自 goss4jc：

The manual states:

1. You will not be able to see much of the runway from the pilot’s
position (just like the real thing) so you’re advised to stay in outside
view when manoeuvring the B-17 to the runway.
2. Throttle slowly up (+).
3. Unlock your Tailwheel (Shift + T).
4. Use all camera views (especially the zoom in/out functions) to see
where the main runway is.
5. Move very slowly and steer left- right using the Rudder controls
(keyboard or joystick)

This completely neglects to mention, for example, that you need to disable the parking brakes, which already cost me half an hour. Now I can get as far as the runway, but taking-off results in black smoke billowing out of the engines. I read that you need to open the cowling flaps to prevent this, but every time I go to the instrument panel and open the cowling, my joystick and keyboard throttle controls stop working so that I can no longer power-up the engine. Does anyone know what is causing this?

DCS A-10C has nothing on this game...

[sir_vive]

Even after 15 Years, its still on the shelf in my living room. I just stepped over and garbbed the manuals...they are pretty heavy compared to nowadays manuals

[Sherman]

can't even get the plane started... whats the button to make the ai do everything? since they seem to be smarter than i am.

[Manwith Noname]

引用自 Vincent Fettucine：

can't even get the plane started... whats the button to make the ai do everything? since they seem to be smarter than i am.

If you are in a training mission, the AI will not do anything.

If you are in a campaign, you probably need to go to the Radio Operator and choose "Begin Mission" from the left hand book in his instrument view.

[Sherman]

right, and then i cant get the plane started.

[Manwith Noname]

It will happen automatically as soon as you click it. You'll start getting notifications of what the pilot and copilot are up to as they go through the entire start up procedure. I find this is a good time to switch to the navigator and start adjusting my preferred waypoint altitudes when on the single bomber campaign.