Air Conflicts

Welcome to Air Conflicts!

Air Conflicts is an arcade flight simulator game set in World War II, featuring the aircraft of this period and historically inspired missions. The emphasis is on intense dogfights, daring bombing raids and exciting aerial missions.

In the Single Player game you can play on three sides: Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe and Red Army Air Force. Just like in a real war, you only get one chance to get it right - if you fail the mission the campaign will continue regardless.

In the Multiplayer game, you can battle for control of the skies with up to seven friends in either Deathmatch, or Team Deathmatch modes.

1. Create Your Identity

The first thing you need to do is enlist as a pilot in your chosen Air Force:

·          Click on an entry in the Pilot Roster.

·          Enter your Pilot’s name.

·          Select which Air Force you wish to fly in.

·          Select how difficult you would like the game to be.

Once you have made your decision, press Continue to go to the Main Menu.

If you need to get to back the Pilot Roster at any time, choose Back from the Main Menu. You can also delete a pilot from the Roster here if you so wish.

2. Main Menu

The following selections are available from the Main Menu:

• Campaigns: Start a Single Player game. See Section 3: Campaigns.

• Multiplayer: Start Multiplayer game. See Section 4: Multiplayer

• Pilot Info: Pilot statistics including time in the air, enemies shot down, number of player crashes and a campaign summary. You can also see any medals you have won displayed here.

• Options: Here you can set options to do with the graphical and player control systems as well as in-game sound. For more information on Options, see Section 5. Options

• Gallery: See pictures and statistics of all the planes used in the game.

• Credits: See the names of the brave men and women who brought you this game.

• Back: Pressing Back will take you to the Pilot Roster screen. Here you can create new Pilots, review the career of existing Pilots and Delete (let’s call it Retire) Pilots who are no longer required.
  
  

 

3. Campaigns

Choose Your Campaign

This is where you will be able to choose a campaign and fight for the Air Force you have chosen. When you click on Campaign you are presented with a list of the available Theatres of War.

You will be shown an outline of your orders should you accept the assignment. Press Continue to play the chosen Campaign, or Back to see a different one.

Choose a Mission

Once you have chosen a Campaign, you will be presented with a list of available Assignments and Missions. When you click on one, the central area will show a brief Description of your choice.

The most important piece of information in the Description is the Mission Type. For instance, if this says "Tactical Bombing" you will be aware that an aircraft with bombing capabilities is required.

The current date is shown to the right of this, so that you may keep a track on where you are in the timeline of the War. Even if you fail a mission, time moves on – just like in real life!

You may also look at your available aircraft in the Hangar. This will show you the number of each type of aircraft at your disposal.

When you are happy with your choice of Assignment or Mission, click Continue and choose which aircraft you would like to use. Remember that if you lose your aircraft it is gone for good, so choose your craft carefully. If you are successful on your mission you may be awarded additional birds for your hangar.

Click on Continue again to see your final briefing.

If you are unhappy with your choice of aircraft or mission you can click on Back to change your decisions. Once you are happy with everything, click on Continue to start the mission.

Good luck, Pilot!

Types of Assignment

Assignments are basic tasks which can often be attempted more than once, over the space of different months.

There are three basic types:

• Patrol: a routine patrol over a particular area. You may encounter enemy planes or units, in which case you will receive new orders.

• Air Superiority: scramble to engage enemy fighters with the goal of achieving or maintaining air superiority over a particular region.

• Manoeuvres: training exercises, or practice activities. The objectives may alter if you take a fighter instead of a bomber or fighter-bomber.

The following are the recommended planes for each type of Assignment:

Types of Mission

Missions are more complicated sorties, reflecting specific objectives in the current Campaign, and often based upon real historical events. They are more dangerous and difficult than Assignments, and generally can only be attempted once (but there are exceptions).

There are five basic types:

• Tactical Bombing: targeting battlefield units.

• Strategic Bombing: a bombing run to destroy important targets behind enemy lines. When flown with a fighter, this becomes an Escort Mission.

• Interdiction: a mission to destroy enemy infrastructure, supplies or communications.

• Air Support: protecting allied units from enemy planes and ground units. Enemy aircraft are usually the priority targets.

• Prevent Bombing: an attempt to shoot down enemy bombers.

Success in a Mission can influence the progress of the Campaign and mean that new Missions become available. Failure will generally not end the Campaign, however – you are not the only person fighting on the battlefields, and the other troops may come through even when you do not.

Wherever possible, genuine Mission codenames have been used.

The following are the recommended planes for each type of Mission:

Ending the Campaign

A Campaign comes to an end if:

• You successfully reach the last month of the Campaign

• You have no aircraft left in your hanger

The only way to fail is to run out of aircraft. Success or failure in individual Missions will never end the Campaign. 

 

4. How to Play

Controls

Game can be played with mouse, keyboard or joystick (chosen in Options).

Control	Mouse	Keyboard	Joystick
Directional	Move Mouse	Arrow Keys	Move Joystick
Machine Guns	Left Mouse Button	Space	Joystick Button 1
Drop Bomb	Right Mouse Button	Alt	Joystick Button 2
Fire Rocket	Middle Mouse Button	Enter	Joystick Button 3 or Space
Camera Angle	Arrow Keys	A, W, S Keys	Arrow Keys
Bomb Targetting	Down Arrow Key	D Key	Down Arrow Key

 

Control	Key
Accelerate	Shift
De-accelerate	Ctrl
Gear Up/Down	G
Automatic Takeoff	. (Fullstop Key)
HUD On/Off	H
Freind or Foe Markers On/Off	J
View Objectives	Esc

 

Screen Layout

Radar Icons

Allied aircraft

Enemy aircraft

Allied targets to defend

Ground targets - either a building or vehicle

Waypoints or secondary targets

Leaving the Battlefield

During the Mission, if you fly too far from the battle a red arrow will appear, along with the message, "Continue on this heading to withdraw..." The red arrow points in the direction you should head to stay in the battle.

If your aircraft has taken too much damage, it is advisable to withdraw. If you withdraw the aircraft you took on the mission will be fixed, refuelled and put back into your hangar, ready for service in a future mission.

If, during the mission, you should run out of ammo you can land at your airfield for reloading. Exercise extreme caution when turning, taxiing and taking off.  

Mission Results

When the current Mission or Assignment is complete you will see a Mission Summary screen. This screen lists your Statistics, Medals and any New Airplanes awarded. There will also be a stamp showing whether you have passed or failed the mission.

In the bottom left, you can see your Service Record, which shows you how well you are doing in the eyes of your superiors.

When you have finished reviewing the Summary click on Continue and you will see the Dispatches related to your Mission.

Dispatches

At the end of each sortie you will receive a copy of the report from your commanding officer regarding the success (or otherwise!) of your squadron’s Mission or Assignment.

If your Service Record has suitable advanced, you will receive a promotion, and if your performance in the field was exceptional you will also receive medals.

If you crashed your aircraft the Dispatch will report whether you survived or not. There’s a good chance you will find that your Pilot is a born survivor…

Finally, the dispatches will inform you of anything important taking place in the war. This may help you judge which Missions or Assignments to choose for the next month.

5. Multiplayer

Choosing A Plane

Before you set up a Multiplayer game, be sure to choose what you’re going to fly. Click on the name of the aircraft to change the selected model. Each click takes you to the next Air Force (RAF, Luftwaffe or Red Army Air Force) and a different plane.

The Air Force you select will only affect the game if you will be playing a Team Deathmatch.

When you have selected the aircraft you want, you can choose the camouflage you want. This may help in hiding your plane either against the ground (from above) or against the sky from below. Or you may prefer to show your full Air Force regalia with pride!

Creating Game

To play in Multiplayer mode, one person must Create The Game, effectively becoming the Air Conflicts server (or Creator). The Creator gets to choose from the following options to generate the level everyone will play in:

• Scenery: Choose from one of the game locations over which to battle your friends.

• Weather: Choose from Sunny, Snowy, Rainy, Sunset or Night.

• Season: Choose either Summer or Winter.

• Time Limit: Choose how long the battle will go on. Options are 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes.

• Game Mode: Select either Deathmatch (all players are against each other) or Team Deathmatch where everyone who picked the same side (RAF, Luftwaffe or Red Army Air Force) joins forces against the other sides.

Once all these options are how you would like (and remembering that the Game Creator must also choose her plane), click on Create to start the game.

When a new player connects to your game, you will see a notification of this at the top of the screen.

 Connecting To A Game

To connect to a game that has already been created, either type an IP address, if you know it, or click on the Connect button. A list of existing games on your  LAN will be displayed. Click on the game you want to join.

If the connection fails for any reason you will be returned to the Multiplayer options screen. Check you have the right IP Address or just click Connect again.

6. Options

When you have finished changing Options, click on Apply. To leave the Options screen without changing anything simply choose an option from the Main Menu.

Graphics

• Resolution: Choose the resolution best suited to your system resources and monitor; usually this will be the same as for your desktop.

• Texture Depth: This can be set to 16 or 32 bit. Default setting is 32 bit. You should only need to alter this setting if your system is struggling to display the game smoothly or if loading takes too long.

• Texture Detail: Choose from Low, Medium or High. Default setting is Medium. High will give the most detailed view of your surroundings. If game loading takes a long time change this to a lower setting.

• Draw Distance: This determines how far away objects are first drawn. Default setting is slider set to maximum (far right). Reduce the Draw Distance if your machine is struggling to display the game smoothly.

• Tree Detail: This setting determines how much detail is put into the trees on the landscape. Default setting is slider in centre. Reduce the Tree Detail if your system is struggling to display the game smoothly.

• Detailed Models: This setting will change how the aircraft and other vehicles in Air Conflicts are displayed. Default setting is Enabled.

• Shadows: Determines whether the game should display shadows for Player's aircraft. Default setting is Enabled.

• Special Effects: This setting determines whether explosions and similar effects are displayed. Default is Disabled.

• Crosshair: This setting will display or remove the crosshair for the aircraft you pilot. Default setting is Enabled.

 

Controls

• Sensitivity X Axis: This setting determines how quickly your craft turns through the X Axis (left and right). Reduce this setting if you are swinging about a lot, or increase it if the aircraft feels too sluggish. Default setting is two thirds over to the right.

• Sensitivity Y Axis: This setting determines how quickly your aircraft turns through the Y Axis (up and down). Reduce this setting if you are swinging about a lot, or increase it if the aircraft feels too sluggish. Default setting is two thirds over to the right.

• Invert Y Axis: This setting determines whether moving/pressing Up moves your aircraft’s nose up or down. Default is Disabled.

• Control Mode: This setting changes between Mouse, Keyboard and Joystick when you click on it. Notice that the X and Y Axes Sensitivity will change depending on the Control Mode to reflect the differences between mouse/keyboard/joystick. Default setting is Mouse.

Sounds

• Sound: This setting turns on or off the Sound Effects for the game.

• Music: This setting will turn on or off the Music for the game.

7. Credits

 

Project Manager

                Peter Nagy

 

Programming

                Peter Adamcik

 

Art

                Simon Meszaros

 

Additional Art

                Daniel Sklar

                Martin Miklica

                Dusan Kerekes

                Michal Macak

 

Game Design, Game Text and Manual

                 International Hobo (Ltd)

 

International Hobo Team

                Chris Bateman (Team Leader)

                Neil Bundy

                Richard Boon

 

Music

                Peter Pikna

 

Sound Effects

Clockwork Production

                Sean Kolton

 

Special Thanks

                Elesgal, HUB, SleepTeam

                Denis et Blazka

                Hawk Soft for HawkNL

 

Air Conflicts

 3DIVISION & Games Farm, s.r.o.

©

2010

 

Ranks: Royal Air Force

Service Record	Royal Air Force Rank
Non Commissioned Officers
0	Aircraftman 2nd Class
50	Aircraftman 1st Class
100	Leading Aircraftman
200	Corporal
400	Sergeant
700	Flight Sergeant
1,000	Warrant Officer
Commissioned Officers
1,500	Pilot Officer
2,000	Flying Officer
2,500	Flight Lieutenant
3,000	Squadron Leader
3,500	Wing Commander
4,000	Group Captain
5,000	Air Commodore
6,000	Air Vice-Marshal
7,000	Air Marshal
8,000	Air Chief Marshal
9,000	-
10,000	Marshal of the Royal Air Force

Ranks: Luftwaffe

Service Record	Luftwaffe Rank
Non Commissioned Officers
0	Gefrieter
50	Obergefrieter
100	Hauptgefrieter
200	Unteroffizier
400	Feldwebel
700	Oberfeldwebel
1,000	Oberfeldwebel
Commissioned Officers
1,500	Leutnant
2,000	Oberleutnant
2,500	Hauptmann
3,000	Major
3,500	Oberstleutnant
4,000	Oberst
5,000	Generalmajor
6,000	GeneralLeutnant
7,000	General
8,000	Generaloberst
9,000	Generalfeldmarschall
10,000	Reichsmarschal

Ranks: Soviet Red Army Air Force

Service Record	Red Army Air Force Rank
Non Commissioned Officers
0	Krasnoarmeyets
50	Yefreyto
100	-
200	Mladshiy Serzhant (Junior Sergeant)
400	Serzhant
700	Starshiy Serzhant (Senior Sergeant)
1,000	Mladshiy Leytenant (Junior Lieutenant)
Commissioned Officers
1,500	Leytenant
2,000	Starshiyi Leytenant (Senior Lieutenant)
2,500	Kapitan
3,000	Major
3,500	Podpolkovnik
4,000	Polkovnik
5,000	General Major
6,000	General Leytenant
7,000	General Polkovnik
8,000	Marshal Aviatsiyi (Air Marshal)
9,000	Glavnyy Marshal Aviatsiyi (Supreme Air Marshal)
10,000	Marshal Sovyetskogo Soyuza (Marshal of the Soviet Union)