Lancaster VR "game"

[Barnacles]

I saw this is available on Oculus store, for free.  The BBC has used a historic report from a war correspondent to create this VR experience. 

 

[w00dy]

WOW this looks good, I have to try this tonight 

 

Langer is only about 50 minutes away from where I live. 

[Feathered_IV]

I've listened to that recording many times over the years.  I never expected to experience it like that.

 

What wouldn't I give for a new addon, Il-2 Bomber Crew

[w00dy]

2 minutes ago, Feathered_IV said:

What wouldn't I give for a new addon, Il-2 Bomber Crew

 

If a Lancaster was in that list, it would be a must buy for me.

[w00dy]

It's also on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/513490/1943_Berlin_Blitz/

 

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

That was some serious recreation of history there...  gets you a bit emotional, eh?

[Talon_]

It's pretty okay but it's got nothing on an IL-2 bomber sortie in all honesty. My favourite part was the flak thumping because I built bass transducers into my chair.

[Lusekofte]

I tried to explain this to a Facebook group, the fact that Bomber command and US bomber groups had the heaviest losses in % of all services, Even counting Omaha Beach and all the other Amphibious landings. They called me a liar. 

Fantastic find, I have heard the audio before, but it give more atmosphere seeing it too

[HagarTheHorrible]

 

"On the night of 3/4 September 1943 BBC correspondent Wynford Vaughn Thomas and recording engineer Reginald Pidsley flew to Berlin on board Lancaster EM-F for Freddie of 207 Squadron, then based at RAF Langar in Nottinghamshire. The photograph reproduced on page seven of this CD booklet shows Pidsley and Vaughn Thomas in front of this aircraft prior to taking off. On this mission the Lancaster was piloted by Flight Lieutenant Ken Letford.

The recordings were edited and broadcast within 12 hours of landing at Langar. The running order of the tracks on the original transcription disc (and thus the sequencing on this CD) is as follows: (1) take-off; (2-4) crossing coast (intercom); (5) oxygen test (intercom); (6) over sea, description of crew; (7) crossing enemy coast; (8) searchlights seen (intercom); (9) approaching Berlin; (10) bomb run, fighter attack (intercom); (11) Junkers 88 shot down; (12) leaving target (intercom); (13) one hour to Berlin; (14) last glimpse of Berlin; (15-16) homeward flight; (17) first sight of English coast; (18) crossing coast (intercom); (19) homeward journey, petrol checked (intercom).

The attack on Berlin on the night of 3/4 September 1943 involved 316 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes, which dropped 'spoof' flares at a distance from the heavy bombers' route to mislead German night fighters. Although both marking and bombing mostly fell short, the industrial area of Siemensstadt was hit, as well as residential areas of Charlottenburg and Moabit. 422 people were listed as killed on the ground. 22 Lancasters were lost. During the war 207 Squadron suffered the fourth highest overall percentage losses in Bomber Command, and the highest percentage losses in 5 Group.

All the airborne actuality recordings included on this CD were made using direct cut acetates, made on portable disc cutters which provided a sound recording that could be replayed instantly. At altitude in a Lancaster bomber, Reg Pidsley had first to place the uncut discs inside his flying jacket to warm them up, since otherwise the ultra low temperatures made the disc lacquer too brittle to cut.

On 3 September 1983 Reg Pidsley was reunited with surviving members of the crew and presented the original recorded discs to the Squadron. Wynford Vaughn Thomas also made a television documentary based on the recording, in which he explained that his voice sounded strange because there was a problem with his oxygen supply. The photograph of Reg Pidsley and Wynford Vaughn Thomas with EM-F Freddie is drawn from the Pidsley archive, and is reproduced by kind permission of Rob Clayton."

 

 

Not my writing, just a copy and paste job.

Edited October 15, 2018 by HagarTheHorrible

[HagarTheHorrible]

I was originally quite dismissive about how accurate it might be when I saw the Horsa gliders doted around but the photo above has a glider in the background.  The only thing wrong with it are the invasion stripes which weren't applied until June of 44.

[Feathered_IV]

11 hours ago, Talon_ said:

It's pretty okay but it's got nothing on an IL-2 bomber sortie in all honesty. My favourite part was the flak thumping because I built bass transducers into my chair.

 

A real life recording from WW2 isn't as realistic as your video game?

[Talon_]

2 hours ago, Feathered_IV said:

 

A real life recording from WW2 isn't as realistic as your video game?

 

The immersion is not as complete - for instance the scale of the terrain is out, causing it to look closer than it should be. The night fighter for some reason is a Bf109 Emil and there is no real sense of movement once the sequence on the runway is over with.

[InProgress]

BBC? surprising that they could make something good.

[skline00]

I also have Oculus Rift and I experienced this Berlin Blitz. Is it as good as Il2 Sturmovik? NO. But it opens the window to many people who want to know more about WWII flying. What a great opportunity to mention IL2 to friends when they say they experienced the Berlin Blitz and would be interested in WWII planes and flying.

 

Good to see the technology advancing to teach history.

Edited October 16, 2018 by skline00

[Diggun]

1 hour ago, InProgress said:

surprising that they could make something good.

Clearly unfamiliar with the BBC in general then.

[w00dy]

I tried this last night and I thought it was very good, to me it showed what a bomber crew went through on a bombing raid in WWII.

 

 I would not call this a game, just a VR experience. It also worked great with my WMR headset.

 

Another VR experience by the BBC https://store.steampowered.com/app/512270/Home__A_VR_Spacewalk/

Edited October 16, 2018 by w00dy

[Fallen_Tyrael]

Makes me wish for a VR Remake of B-17 The Mighty 8th

[HagarTheHorrible]

54 minutes ago, Fallen_Tyrael said:

Makes me wish for a VR Remake of B-17 The Mighty 8th

 

Made me think of that as well.

[Lusekofte]

British and their Humor / attitude. It is gold listening to these guys, their correctness and well British ways. It simply would not be the same with 8. th . 

Magnificent really

[HagarTheHorrible]

I was really impressed with the aircrew headgear and crew animations.

[sallee]

6 hours ago, HagarTheHorrible said:

 

Made me think of that as well.

Found the manual for that game the other day! A hefty tome...

[HagarTheHorrible]

44 minutes ago, sallee said:

Found the manual for that game the other day! A hefty tome...

 

 

Those were the days. 

 

I'm going to have to try and see if I can get my Jetseat (buttkicker type thing) to react to the audio.  As far as I know it's perfectly possible.  So far I've just had to content myself with turning up the volume.  The problem is I need it to react only to the aircraft and flak and not the narrator so it might just be a bit pants.

Edited October 16, 2018 by HagarTheHorrible

[Lusekofte]

9 hours ago, Fallen_Tyrael said:

Makes me wish for a VR Remake of B-17 The Mighty 8th

 

I loved the first one, really nice. You really felt like a Captain tendering your crew

[40plus]

Simply incredible. Thanks for this.

As a side note, I found it interesting that this video played for me when YouTube is in the middle of a worldwide outage. Giggle-bits in the inter-tubes I suppose

[Feathered_IV]

You're right.  It would need a different game and a different developer.  

[J2_Oelmann]

On 10/16/2018 at 2:58 PM, Fallen_Tyrael said:

Makes me wish for a VR Remake of B-17 The Mighty 8th

Better not. I would loose job and family then.....

 

 

[Feathered_IV]

 

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2014 at 1:33 AM, Feathered_IV said:

I would build an RAF Bomber Command title. Not a flight sim, but more a crew simulator.  Singleplayer as Mr Fink says.  Very heavy emphasis on crew interaction.

 

Perhaps a Halifax or Lancaster.  With every interior detail modelled.  The entire game is set inside the fuselage.  The detail inside would be obsessive. You can walk or crawl from one end of the fuselage to the other.  Every dial and control line works.  Every lid opens on every box. 

 

Each mission would be told in a series of dynamically generated "episodes" that save your progress at the conclusion of each and can be continued at leisure.  You start a mission in a

real-time briefing.  Then the ride in the lorry to your aircraft.  Piss on the tailwheel if you like.  The other crew members do.

Enter the aircraft through the fuselage hatch and make your way to the cockpit...

 

That's the end of Part one.  Part two is the Pilot's Tale.  Do your preflight's, start up and taxi out.  Wait for the signal and commence your takeoff run.  Did you do it right?

Each episode of the mission is generated based on your actions in the previous.  You'll need to learn every position in the aircraft to succeed.  If you make it into the air, you level out and ask the navigator for a heading.  The game saves your progress and that's the end of Part 2. 

 

Part 3 is the Navigators tale.  You get the idea now.  This section sees you plotting a course for the first leg of the trip.  The next portions of the mission have your position generated depending on how good you are.  Each time you get a go at being navigator you might wander increasingly off course.   

 

Other parts of the story will have you filling the role of bomb aimer, gunner etc.  You'll get to know each station of the aircraft and the role you need to play.  There would be a heavy emphasis on procedure too.  Say you're the navigator and the mid upper gunner is hit by flak.  The pilot orders you to attend to him.  You must disconnect your intercom, locate the medical supplies, make your way down the fuselage and assist the gunner.  Forget to take a portable oxygen bottle or plug your mask into the wall socket?  That's it for the chapter then and the next episode sees you as tail gunner going to the assistance of two crew members.  Better hope a night fighter doesn't find you at that time...

 

That's the way I'd like my sim to go.  Claustrophobic, technical and very personal.  A real life 8 to 12 hour mission can be played out in 1 to 2 hours via a series of dynamically generated episodes that save at the completion of each and allow the player to continue them at leisure. 

 

 

This demo is probably close as I'll get to my 2014 wish.