F/A-18 | Janes Combat Simulations
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by FlyingSinger
Janes F-18 is a complex "study sim" and although there are various ways to reduce the difficulty level, it is quite a handful to master.
The mouse-clickable virtual cockpit is great in concept, but there are still a lot of things to learn to click! In addition to the 200 page manual, there is a large keyboard reference card which contains only the majority of the commands in the sim -- there are many "unmapped" commands you can assign to keys if you like."Padlock vehicle" is one that is especially useful for flying carrier patterns.
Features of F/A-18 by Janes include:
- Accurate flight, weapon, and avionics operation (radar modeling is especially detailed)
- Large variety of AA and AG missions (training, single missions, and a branching semi-dynamic campaign)
- Unlike the F-15E, the F/A-18 can carry HARM missiles, giving you some standoff ability against SAM and EWR sites
- Strong treatment of carrier operations including
- catapult launches
- extensive communications
- accurate procedures
- challenging landings
- Aerial refueling by the probe and drogue method is also included (and very difficult!)
- Great atmosphere
- good graphics
- wonderful weather modeling
- dynamic lighting effects
- communications
- detailed cockpit
- Excellent mission builder with a "hidden" campaign builder that was quickly revealed once the program was released
- Good multiplayer capability
Difficulty
JF18 is a complex "study sim" and although there are various ways to reduce the difficulty level, it is quite handful to master.
The mouse-clickable virtual cockpit is great in concept, but there are still a lot of things to learn to click! In addition to the 200 page manual, there is a large keyboard reference card which contains only the majority of the commands in the sim -- there are many "unmapped" commands you can assign to keys if you like.
"Padlock vehicle" is one that is especially useful for flying carrier patterns.
Trapping on the Carrier
Learning to "trap" on an aircraft carrier is one of the real highlights of this game.
It requires precise control of stick and throttle to catch any of the wires, let alone the coveted three-wire. For the ultimate in immersion, practice night traps with all the room lights out, and feel a little of the "pucker factor" that Navy pilots must feel when they start the approach to a tiny smear of lights in the middle of a big black nothing.
The carrier rolls and pitches depending on the sea state, and you must also adjust your "aim point" forward and to the right to account for the carrier's movement and angled deck. Hours of fun! Remember to add power when you hit the deck so you can take off again when the LSO yells "Bolter!"
First Conclusions
All the complexity takes a lot of CPU power and a good 3D graphics card – even high end systems (600 MHz class) may require turning down some details to get a good frame rate.
Hint: Virtual Cockpit detail is a big frame rate killer – it looks ragged, but turn it down to medium or low – there is no 2D cockpit, only the virtual one.
The first release was quite solid for a sim of this complexity (the frame rate was the biggest complaint), and a patch came out fairly quickly to address problems that some had experienced (but not frame rate) and to add a few features.
This is a fitting successor to Jane's F-15, and if you enjoy that sim or Falcon 4, you will surely find a lot to like in Jane's F/A-18.
