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Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Title:AMIGA NOTES
Notice:Join us in the *NEW* conference - HYDRA::AMIGA_V2
Moderator:HYDRA::MOORE
Created:Sat Apr 26 1986
Last Modified:Wed Feb 05 1992
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5378
Total number of notes:38326

1205.0. "Amiga Jet!" by LEDS::ACCIARDI () Mon Feb 29 1988 16:17

    I understand that Amiga Jet! (SubLogic) is now available... only
    a year and a half late, too!
    
    Has anyone bought this yet?  I read of a few bugs reports in USENET,
    but nothing serious.  The graphics are reported to be much faster
    than FS][; in fact, some of the code from the original Radar Raiders
    demo from the dark past was used.
    
    I'm just wondering if I should wait for Interceptor to come out,
    assuming that I don't die of old age first.
                           
    Anyway, we can use this note for comments, praise, gripes, etc.
    
    Ed
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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1205.1Can't wait to try it out...LDP::MCCARTHYThat's a mighty humble bumble!Mon Feb 29 1988 17:025
        I have a copy, bought at lunch, sitting in my car.  I figure it'll
        take up a good part of my evening.

        From  reading the manual, one should be able to dogfight in two
        player mode.
1205.2Analog stick support?LEDS::ACCIARDITue Mar 01 1988 11:1710
    The burning question is:  will Jet! support analog joysticks?  After
    fretting with FS][ and digital joysticks, and then converting to
    analog, I don't think I could survive without the analog stick.
                                                          
    Also, if Jet! looks good (and I buy it) I'd be more than happy to
    help trash any adventurous types (modem mode) that live in the 
    Worcester MA area.  My dogfighting skills are pretty sharp after 
    spending a gigabuck on Genie Air Warrior.
                       
    Ed.
1205.3JET and a Modem...USRCV1::HOLTJWed Mar 02 1988 21:0210
    I have JET and the game is good, however I am having trouble playing
    using the "modem" mode.  The modem is receiving the "AT" commands,
    however, it does not attempt to dial the number.  I happened to notice
    that the JET modem mode does not activate the terminal ready light
    "TR" on my modem.  I know there is nothing wrong with my equipment
    because my modem worked using "FIREPOWER".  Any sugestions??
    
    Thanks in advance
    
    Joe H.
1205.4ReviewHOUSE::FRACTALThu Mar 03 1988 01:268
    
    Just a personal request since this topic is titled "Amiga Jet"....
    
    Can we get a review?????{
    {
    
    -ph
    {
1205.5JET over the Modem!USRCV1::HOLTJThu Mar 03 1988 04:3417
    re. .3...
    
    My modem problem was due to the fact that JET does not activate
    the "terminal ready" on the modem.  To fit ths condition, it is
    necessary to "force" the terminal ready on the modem.  I did this
    by changing a DIP switch. 
    
    Playing JET of the phone is a wild experience!  We played several
    games over the course of an hour.  The graphics are excellent and
    the action is fast even at 1200 baud.  The use of missiles is so
    effective in this game, we chose to play using only guns.  Although
    the solo version is plenty of fun, there is something more rewarding
    in playing against a human controlled opponent.  I recommend JET
    for both solo and remote play.
    
    Joe H.
    
1205.6Bugs Fixed?BONKER::DUPREThe Sherrif of Noting-hamThu Mar 03 1988 14:547

		Do you use an analog joystick with JET and , if so, did
	they fix the reversed X/Y outputs and the range bugs that are
	present in FSII?

						JimBo
1205.7From usenet postingsPUERTO::ALVAREZMiguel,from sunny Puerto RicoThu Mar 03 1988 18:0951
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Path: decwrl!decvax!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!hao!noao!stsci!berry
Subject: Amiga Jet
Posted: 27 Feb 88 19:52:00 GMT
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218
 
Ok, since I haven't seen anyone else comment on it, I'll start.  No, this
is not a review, just some random comments.
 
I've had Jet for almost a week now and am pretty impressed.  Is fast enough
for you to be able to dogfight and actually know what's going on ( In other
words a LOT faster than FSII).  The manual actually mentions that a lot of
the code came from Radar Raiders, and the program looks like it.
 
Lets start with the bad points:
a) It doesn't _quite_ work with expansion memory (I have a 1000 with a 2meg
   Starboard II).  Everything seems to be ok except the 'brackets' that 
   mark SAM sites.  They are trash unless I run a NoFastMem-style program
   before starting Jet.
b) At 50000 feet, your plane stops going up.  It doesn't 'lose air' and nose
   over like FSII, it just stops and sits there, nose up.  I can imagine this
   being a problem if you were trying to avoid a missile by going up, and
   weren't looking at the altimeter (there's no other clue that you're not
   still climbing).
 
Minor gripes:
c) It requires too much 'mousing around' to send a message to another player
   in 2-player mode.
d) It would be nice if the docs described a little dogfighting strategy.
e) I don't think the bomb sights are like real F16 HUD sights (I'll let
   someone else decide whether I'm right or not).
f) You should be able to save your window configurations between games.
 
Good points:
a) The game.  This covers all the little things that a review might describe.
b) Jet does not appear to be copy protected.  I put my original on a shelf
   and have been using a backup, with no ill effects.  Since I put 
   NoFastMem on the backup disk, problem 'a' becomes just an annoyance (though
   it still should be fixed).
c) 2 player mode works very well.  Actually, I don't really notice the 
   difference between using 57K Baud in a direct link and 1200 over the 
   phone. It doesn't seem to need to pass that much data.
 
Anyway, I like it a lot.
 
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Berry                         | UUCP:{arizona,decvax,hao}!noao!stsci!berry
Space Telescope Science Institute | ARPA:   berry@stsci.edu
Baltimore, Md. 21218              | SPAM:   SCIVAX::BERRY, KEPLER::BERRY
    
1205.8california flyers?LRGFMT::COLLUMMon Mar 07 1988 19:437
    Just got it myself. Anyone living in the Bay Area (California),
    Santa Cruz or around there who has this game?  I'd like to give
    the modem mode a try. Other than that, it is VERY addictive. Will
    Interceptor also have a multi player mode?
    
    					Jim
    
1205.9Review and Question16BITS::KRUGERMon Mar 14 1988 00:0037
    I've just been playing with a friend on Jet. Our comments:
    
    Pro:
    
    a) Dogfighting is very exciting and the animation is great.
    b) The windowing system, allowing two separate 3-D views, a map,
    and a radar screen, are very nice.
    c) The sound effects are good too!
    
    Con:
    
    a) There are no reasonable scenarios. You fly up and the planes
    are waiting for you. You can't land because they are firing homing
    missiles. Maybe this could happen in real life (YOU LOSE, SUCKER),
    but it doesn't do much for the game.
    
    b) Progressive difficulty levels only start you at later "waves"
    of enemies. The enemy doesn't get better, there are just more of
    them and they appear closer (also very unrealistic). They just "pop
    up" out of the new Soviet transporter.
    
    c) The planes die after one hit, which is good since they outnumber
    you. It would be much nicer to have a real pilot against you without
    having to fly against a human opponent.
    
    
    Question:
    
    On the ground attack scenarios, we are having a lot of difficulty
    hitting anything. In F-18 mode, we put the circle right on the ship,
    and release at point blank range -- NOTHING. What's wrong? We're
    not seeing brackets, so we will try NoFastMem.... Hopefully that
    will solve the problem. Has anyone else encountered this?
    
    All in all, Jet is a marvelous game for a little while. However,
    the lack of real scenarios makes this a short term video game (although
    an awesome one!) rather than a terrific simulation.
1205.10No trouble sinking shipsBONKER::DUPREThe Sherrif of Noting-hamTue Mar 15 1988 13:4922
< Note 1205.9 by 16BITS::KRUGER >
    
<    Question:
    
<    On the ground attack scenarios, we are having a lot of difficulty
<    hitting anything. In F-18 mode, we put the circle right on the ship,
<    and release at point blank range -- NOTHING. What's wrong? We're
<    not seeing brackets, so we will try NoFastMem.... Hopefully that
<    will solve the problem. Has anyone else encountered this?
    

	I havn't had a problem with this.  Are you able to see the missile/bomb
	in flight after launch?   Also make sure that you are not using any
	magnification because the range on your weapons, the bombs in particular
	, is short compared to the air to air missiles.  You should also have
	at least a 3/4 ths RED circle at launch.

	I don't like the lack of Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) which the
	real aircraft have to disable incoming weaponry.

								JimBo

1205.11SHORT RANGE? I wish!16BITS::KRUGERTue Mar 15 1988 22:277
    No magnification was used. And this is the killer --
    
    Those bombs just go -- like missiles -- right off the radar screen.
    It's ridiculous. You practically crash into the ship, full red circle,
    and the bombs take off for the horizon.
    
    dov
1205.12Smart bombs = No propulsion systemBONKER::DUPREThe Sherrif of Noting-hamWed Mar 16 1988 12:596

	That's odd, is your bombing run shallow or steep?  A shallow run
	is harder to accurately hit a target.

						JimBo
1205.13COUGAR::SMCAFEESteve McAfeeWed Mar 16 1988 13:1012
    
    There was a note from usenet just this morning.  Unfortunately I deleted
    it.  It said something to the effect that in order to get properly
    locked on to a target, it needs to remain within view for approximately
    5 seconds and during that time the plane should be held as steady
    as possible.  Supposedly this is part of the emulation of the real
    thing.
    
    I don't have the game so I'm probably not even talking about the
    right thing...
    
    - steve mcafee
1205.14Jet! is great...LEDS::ACCIARDIMon Mar 21 1988 13:2311
    I picked up Jet! and it is good.  Real good, much better than I
    expected.  The interceptor demo looks better, but with EA, it might
    be another year before it's out.
    
    A friend and I hooked up via modem last night and had a real ball.
    The graphics and sound are fast and furious.  I won't mention my
    opponents name here, since I blew him out of the sky about a half
    dozen times, and I wouldn't want to embarass Roger Beauregard by
    mentioning his name.
    
    Ed.
1205.15what a pal!GILBRT::BEAUREGARDRoger Beauregard SHR1-3Mon Mar 21 1988 13:562
    Thanks Ed.
    
1205.16Jet! and Scholar?LEDS::ACCIARDIThu Mar 24 1988 11:0616
    Has anyone dialed out thru Jet! (modem mode) using a DEC Df224 Scholar
    modem?  I just brought one home the other day.  After struggling
    with it's non-hayes (ugghhhh!!!) command set, I have it working
    just fine with Comm and Handshake.
    
    I've opened the case and forced DTR on, but anything I type into
    the 'Speak to modem' requestor box from Jet! doesn't seem to get
    thru.  Here's what I type...
    
    > ^B  		;no ready prompt returned
    > p8w413884!        ;no response at all from modem
    
    I even copied a 2400 baud serial port setting into a
    system-configuration file on my Jet! floppy.
    
    Puzzled.  Ed. 
1205.17Another Usenet reviewPUERTO::ALVAREZMiguel,from sunny Puerto RicoThu Mar 24 1988 11:1272
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Path: decwrl!labrea!agate!pasteur!ames!necntc!dandelion!ulowell!hawk!rsilvers
Subject: Review of SubLogic Jet.
Posted: 11 Mar 88 20:03:41 GMT
Organization: University of Lowell, CS Dept.
 
 
 
                          Review of SubLogic Jet.
 
 
     Jet has been a much awaited program that was released about two weeks ago
by SubLogic.  I have had it since Monday, march 7th.  
 
     The graphics are incredibly smooth, and very detailed.  It is much faster 
than Flight Simulator-2 and provides more realistic scenery.  If you have 
neither, buy Jet first.  One thing that you will notice if you already have 
Flight Simulator-2 is that most of the keyboard controls are the same.  This 
is very useful, and if you can already fly Flight-Simulator, you can learn Jet 
in under 10 minutes.  One thing that you may notice is that there are no pull 
down menus at all.  Do not interpret this as meaning that it is a port from 
the PC.  It is unmistakably Amiga.  If any program pushes the Amiga to it's 
limits, this is it.  
 
     There are a few interesting features in Jet.  One of them is the missiles-eye view.  After you fire a missile at your enemy, you can hit 'a' and you will 
see what the missile sees right up until it destroys your target.  This view 
reminds me of some on the displays in the tv. show Air Wolf. (Did they have a 
beta release? ;-)  Another neat feature is being able to save views for later 
use.  Lets say that you have the front view set on a wide-angle display, have 
the radar screen in the upper right, and a second view of your plane in the 
lower left.  Just hit SHIFT-[1..0] (any number key) and it will save the view.
Later, just hit that number and it will all pop back up.  
 
     For weapons, you have a choice of AIM-9 SideWinder missiles (heat-seeking,
5 mile range), AIM-7 Sparrow missiles (radar guided, 25 mile range), and 500
rounds of 20mm cannons.  For ground strikes you can also choose air-surface
missiles with a 14 mile range, or optically-quided smart bombs.  The missile
can be locked onto the targets with the heads-up display, and will usually hit
the Soviet Migs. There is also a multi-player dog-fight mode in which you can
connect with another Amiga via a modem or null-cable.  This is a blast.  Human
targets are much harder than the computer-generated ones, plus, the satisfaction
of shooting down your best friend is very gratifying.  When you hit him, he has
a few seconds to eject.  A guy actually comes out with a parashoot, and floats
to the ground.  He will later get a purple heart for being shot down.  (At the
end, you get medals for your victories.)  
 
     When you fly against the computer, you have a choice of a land-based f-16,
or a carrier based f-18.  Other options include dogfighting, or combined air-
land strikes.  The game is scenery disk compatible with Flight-Simulator.  I 
had a lot of fun buzzing the Statue of Liberty in New York.  Can't shoot it
though. (bummer)  
 
     In multi-player mode, I sometimes had a problem with missiles not locking
on.  I originally thought this is bug, but when I cut the baud rate down from
some 57,000 to 19200, it seemed to decrease in occurence.  We were using about
a 30 foot cable.  
 
     To sum it up, this is, if not the best game for the Amiga, at least in the
top five.  I would call it a "must have" to play and to show others what the 
Amiga can do.  The PC version pales by comparison.  This is one program that
should definatly be bought, not pirated.  Programmers this good deserve to get
paid for their effort.
 
 
						--Rob.
 
 
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Robert Silvers.                                                           |
|University of Lowell.            ______                                   |
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