3 new Microprose B17 games

[sevenless]

3 minutes ago, Blitzen said:

Oh I don't know...after all you might get attacked over Holland?

 

Sure, could happen. I'll wait for the reviews. Was no big fan of the original Micropose B17 back then. Too boring for me.

[Trooper117]

Good job they are single player games... if MP was a thing, can you imagine one or two blokes flying a B-17, hotly pursued by about fifty screaming Luftwaffles...

[tattywelshie]

One of the things I'm most looking forward to in this game is, hopefully, a top notch, dynamic career/campaign mode. The original B17 games had excellent very immersive 25 mission careers, where you had supplies to look after, proper recon options of target areas (something I wish BoX had, especially with bombing missions). From what I can remember Microprose have always had extremely well done career modes in past games. 

[Blitzen]

I wonder it it has a multiple player option…not that I will ever utilize it. I do remember one group of friends played a real time P-51 escort missions from England to Germany in the original Il-2 on Friday nights…..no not for me!

[Trooper117]

Single player only... I think the VR version might have co-op though.

[Ribbon]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:10 PM, Trooper117 said:

Can't see me mucking about in that sandbox thing... it has no interest for me. You can already fly around the world in MFS and it's pretty stunning.

As to running, driving around the world, you know where that will end up... it'll turn into a world wide GTA.

If open to steam workshop and capable modders maybe we have chance for newer PTO version.

Won't hype it but i definetely won't bash it....lets wait and see!

Btw why this thread ended up here instead with other games in subsection??

[343KKT_Kintaro]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Blitzen]

On my wishlist ever since the first day!

[Veteran66]

many years ago i play the B 17 Game for the new one i can`t wait

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Images posted last month by Boomerang, but these are better versions:

 

Just like him I don't know what exactly these images correspond to. To an Emil obviously (Bf 109 E) but in what game? The bombers planned for the three "B-17" Microprose games are the B-17, the B-24 and the Lancaster, and none of them faced ever an Emil, or very few Emils, since all three types started bombing the continent as of 1942. Friedrich, Gustavs or Kurfürsts would hhave fit better than an Emil. Has the below Emil been modeled for a game different than any of the three planned "B-17" games?

 

 

 

 

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Hey, I do remember now: a guy who very well knows the Bf 109 variants told me two years ago at unveiling of the two above images, that there's something wrong with the  picture that shows the canopy frame. He told me that, across the canopy, on the left hand side, a machine gun bulge is visible... a trait that is only present in G or furhter variants, not on E variants and sub-variants... nor on F variants and sub-variants. Yet the strengthening brackets are visible on the top front corners of the canopy, a trait we find in all Bf 109 Es. So this is some kind of "chimera" if I may say. Maybe an abandoned 3D model, who knows.

 

 

[Guest deleted@83466]

Way back in the day, I was really in depth into a third party B-17G for FSX. Wonderfully simulated plane, one of the best. Also, if they modeled it correctly, a completely tame, and perhaps a completely boring airplane to actually fly for any length of time once you got it down(imho?). It was one of those FSX planes where you set the old Sperry autopilot and go have a healthy amount of drinks and a movie to entertain yourself, before you reach the destination (kind of like real life travel). I think the fun in the B-17G will be in bombardier position, and in the mission planning, and then perhaps nursing a really damaged aircraft home, against the odds.

[DetCord12B]

Someone posted this via a Discord link. So, here I am...back. Tho' just for this and just for consumer informational purposes. 

 

I worked on a MilSim (Serious Games) project for about eight months as defense contractor utilizing the Outerra engine almost two years ago. Think the VBS series but in a different engine. The world-sim that it (Outerra) provided was unparalleled, at least at the time. Not so much anymore.

 

Outerra as an engine has a whole slew of core problems, most of which were never resolved whilst I was there which eventually lead the company I was contracting for to dump the engine and transition to a SBE, then to UE+, and then to dump the multi-million dollar contract altogether. Outerra looks great on paper and functions well enough at certain altitudes, in specific circumstances, and within certain parameters. However, it has and always has had serious performance related issues. This is a visuals (rendering) related concern to be sure but is primarily relegated to the way it streams (horribly) terrain data. It's so bad. It's akin to a fat kid on a treadmill at a 5% incline. It tends to s&%t the bed and die of a heart attack.

 

My i7 9700K OC'd to 5GHz, 24G RAM, and 2080Ti had serious issues rendering assets within Outerra's base functions.

 

I'm not here to poop on anyone's hopes or dreams for the next iteration of the B-17 franchise, not at all. I just wanna make sure those interested and or excited by recent announcements are taking everything with a grain of salt. I think its also important to remember that the screenshots posted above by Kintaro are renders of assets not made by Microprose.

 

EDIT - I still have access to the WGO WIP utilized for the MilSim app.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by DetCord12B

[Boomerang]

1 hour ago, DetCord12B said:

'm not here to poop on anyone's hopes or dreams for the next iteration of the B-17 franchise, not at all. I just wanna make sure those interested and or excited by recent announcements are taking everything with a grain of salt.

That's fair enough and good advice, best wait and see after the varied engine releases to settle for sure.

VBS3, = Developed by Bohemia Interactive from what I can recall, (military only).

[Lusekofte]

The last B 17 they made was over ambitious and did not work well for me. 
I sure made good use of it, but was more thrilled by the first one. 
I do not mind doing this in 2 D I have relative low expectations for this huge undertaking. 
I think the overhauled one the redux thingy will give me some satisfaction

[343KKT_Kintaro]

8 hours ago, DetCord12B said:

I'm not here to poop on anyone's hopes or dreams for the next iteration of the B-17 franchise, not at all.

 

 

My understanding is that, out of the three B-17 games that are planned by Microprose, only one will use Outerra: "B-17 Flying Fortress The Bloody 100th". The two other games ("The Mighty Eighth Redux" and "The Mighty Eighth VR") won't use Outerra... correct?

 

 

8 hours ago, DetCord12B said:

I think its also important to remember that the screenshots posted above by Kintaro are renders of assets not made by Microprose.

 

 

You mean the set of B-17 screenshots, the set of 109 screenshots... or both sets of images? Whatever sets you talk about, why are they signed "Microprose" if not done by Microprose? A Contractor did this?

 

 

[Boomerang]

2 hours ago, 343KKT_Kintaro said:

My understanding is that, out of the three B-17 games that are planned by Microprose, only one will use Outerra: "B-17 Flying Fortress The Bloody 100th". The two other games ("The Mighty Eighth Redux" and "The Mighty Eighth VR") won't use Outerra... correct?

That's correct Kintaro. Links below inform of development on the right side within the steam pages, (below the community Hub Tab).

There appear to be in game images also within all links.

Links:

https://www.microprose.com/games/b-17-flying-fortress-the-mighty-8th-redux/  (with Direct X12).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2000800/B17_Flying_Fortress__The_Mighty_8th_Redux/

 

https://www.microprose.com/games/b-17-the-flying-fortress-the-bloody-100th/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1752530/B17_Flying_Fortress_The_Bloody_100th/

 

If I was going to guess re the 109's rendered images, the "Redux" version would be my guess, (only because there is more to be announced and it's a revamp of the original).

 

It's interesting the Minimum System Specs appear similar on the Steam Pages:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 750 Ti or AMD equivalent

 

With flight sims more is better, (has potential to encourage better products), all tho there won't be any rush from myself when released, rather sit on the fence for a while on all of them.

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Yup Boomerang, I already knew those links, they are the main information source and reason of my statement. Thank you for the confirmation. Still, maybe we need to be careful with the Outerra engine as DtCord12B said, but only if talking about one game: "B-17 Flying Fortress The Bloody 100th".

 

Other than that, if everything goes well, next year MicroProse will be trading not three but six B-17 games. Let's summarise:

 

1) The original 1992 "B-17 Flying Fortress" (already on sale, remastered for modern operating systems, not updated visuals, visuals are like in 1992)

 

2) The original 2000 "B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th" (already on sale, remastered for modern operating systems, not updated visuals, visuals are like in 2000)

 

3) Another remastered 1990s game, "Bomber 3", not released yet : https://www.microprose.com/games/bomber-3/ (never heard about that one before)

 

4) "B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th Redux" (the game released in 2000, Redux not released yet, remastered for modern operating systems AND visually updated)

 

5) The brand new "B-17 Flying Fortress The Bloody 100th" (not released yet, the one that will use Outerra, apparently not VR-compatible... will this be a multiplayer?)

 

6) The brand new "B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th VR" (not released yet, not uses Outerra, VR-compatible and, again, multiplayer or not?)

 

 

[Boomerang]

20 minutes ago, 343KKT_Kintaro said:

5) The brand new "B-17 Flying Fortress The Bloody 100th" (not released yet, the one that will use Outerra, apparently not VR-compatible... will this be a multiplayer?)

No mention of VR - compatability or Multiplayer via the steam website.

24 minutes ago, 343KKT_Kintaro said:

6) The brand new "B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th VR" (not released yet, not uses Outerra, VR-compatible and, again, multiplayer or not?)

According to the steam website, yes. Online PVP, online CO-op.

Also Direct X10 under Minimal System Requirements. ?

 

The wait has been long, still I'm in no hurry.

I'd like to wait and see if my current hardware is up to the task and let the frontiers go and check things out first. Pulling the pixies from the wall is becoming rather expensive these days.

 

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Thanks for the answer Boomerang.

 

2 minutes ago, Boomerang said:

Pulling the pixies from the wall is becoming rather expensive these days.

 

Pulling the pixies from the wall? Forget the Frenchman in me but, what does this mean?

[Boomerang]

25 minutes ago, 343KKT_Kintaro said:

Pulling the pixies from the wall? Forget the Frenchman in me but, what does this mean?

Made up, of the cuff, Aussie slang, that's aimed at confusing the English speaking cultures even more: Pixies from the wall = Electrical Power from General Power Outlets.

[343KKT_Kintaro]

29 minutes ago, Boomerang said:

Made up, of the cuff, Aussie slang

 

 

From a boomerang... I should have expected that one... LoL. Years ago there were enjoyable Aussie bars in Paris but, sadly... times have changed...

 

PS: I loved the atmosphere but not really the beer. Foster's is poison but this will require further debates in better places than this forum... mmmmmm....

 

 

29 minutes ago, Boomerang said:

that's aimed at confusing the English speaking cultures even more

 

 

Imagine the kind of effet it produces in non-native English speakers like me!

 

 

29 minutes ago, Boomerang said:

Pixies from the wall = Electrical Power from General Power Outlets.

 

 

Still don't get it, sorry. Why should be expensive to pull electrical power from these outlets? Don't we do it for more than 100 years now? Do you refer to the current energy crisis? If so, what's the connection with waiting for the release of a set of PC combat flight sims?

 

 

[Boomerang]

17 minutes ago, 343KKT_Kintaro said:

Foster's is poison

Ohh it's horrible, I wouldn't drink it either.

 

20 minutes ago, 343KKT_Kintaro said:

Imagine the kind of effet it produces in non-native English speakers like me!

Lol, Just harmless humor. Apart of the culture.

 

21 minutes ago, 343KKT_Kintaro said:

what's the connection with waiting for the release of a set of PC combat flight sims?

Keeping up with the tech to "run" them. Sometimes this means upgrading the PC as well and it becomes a rather expensive hobby.

[Irishratticus72]

1 minute ago, Boomerang said:

Ohh it's horrible, I wouldn't drink it either.

 

Lol, Just harmless humor. Apart of the culture.

 

Keeping up with the tech to "run" them. Sometimes this means upgrading the PC as well and it becomes a rather expensive hobby.

Maybe you could get a wee wheel and a Koala with ADHD?

[Boomerang]

Best waiting, same goes with allowing new hardware to mature.

3 minutes ago, Irishratticus72 said:

Maybe you could get a wee wheel and a Koala with ADHD?

AHAHAHAHAHA that's a good one!

 

2 minutes ago, Boomerang said:

with ADHD?

You may enjoy visit over at the Can this be cleared up please thread also.

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Thanks Boomerang for the clarification, I got it now. And, again, sorry for my slow grasp of things.

 

ADHD? This ?

[DetCord12B]

Also wanna state that it is fairly obvious they've done some work (Bloody 100th) with regards to the engine. The proper implementation of AA, scan materials, and especially the water flow sim and render look a lot better. A whole lot better. However, compare the below screens from the Steam page with the ones I posted above of a WIP project that's nearly three years old, one that's using tech far older (almost a decade) than that.

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Zv8XRYX.jpg[/img]

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/iZTAhlg.jpg[/img]

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/KJzI8G5.png[/img]

 

Same blurry terrain, same distance render issues, same weird plastic wrapped coast line wave effects, the same pixelated LoC's (roads) and structures, I mean come on. I hadn't even really taken a close and concerted look at the screens on the Steam page until now and its bringing back all kinds of bad vibes from that project. I'd hate to see the performance stats when it is functioning with one aircraft let alone 20 or 50 or 100 on screen at one time. I also noticed that there isn't a single cloud formation in any of the screenshots on the Steam page either. That's a good thing. They're the ugliest you've ever seen.

 

I'm really interested in the 100th. Just being extremely cautious at this point with regards to the hype surrounding it.

[343KKT_Kintaro]

13 minutes ago, DetCord12B said:

Just being extremely cautious at this point with regards to the hype surrounding it.

 

 

Yup, I understand.

 

On a different note, do not hesitate to remove the forum syntax from your post ("[img]", "[/img]"), the forum itself will automatically display any image which URL is correctly spelt. No "source code" tags are needed.

 

 

[Avimimus]

I suppose this means that the Lancaster sim they were developing is cancelled?

 

[343KKT_Kintaro]

1 hour ago, Avimimus said:

I suppose this means that the Lancaster sim they were developing is cancelled?

 

 

 

Why should it be Avimimus?

 

LAST MINUTE EDIT: sorry Avimimus, I thought you were talking about the plane, but it seems you talk about an alleged "Lancaster sim"... well, in fact there's no Lancaster sim being planned. One of the six B-17 games of MicroProse is "The Mighty Eighth VR". The latter will allow that the player flys three different types: the B-17, the B-24 and the Lancaster. "The Mighty Eighth VR" hasn't been cancelled so far... so I see no reason the Lancaster should be abandoned at this stage. Regards.

 

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by 343KKT_Kintaro

[danielprates]

3 hours ago, Avimimus said:

I suppose this means that the Lancaster sim they were developing is cancelled?

 

 

You mean "valiant effort"?

[Avimimus]

Yes, my understanding was that Valiant Effort was rolled into one of these Microprose titles... and the lack of a mention of the Lanc in this thread made me think it was cancelled or on the backburner.

 

Anyway, thanks for the replies!

[343KKT_Kintaro]

Never heard about that "Valiant Effort" project, thank you guys!

 

PS: if there's no thread for the project, I mean here in the IL-2 forums, section "Other Sims and Games", please do not hesitate to create it yourselves.

 

 

[343KKT_Kintaro]

On 11/13/2022 at 2:42 PM, Avimimus said:

I suppose this means that the Lancaster sim they were developing is cancelled?

 

 

On 11/13/2022 at 6:14 PM, danielprates said:

 

You mean "valiant effort"?

 

 

Hi guys. I just learned that, in reality, the "Valiant Effort" project had been merged with the MicroProse array of B-17 games, and this is why there's a flyable Lancaster in the latter (maybe this was clear to you, but it wasn't to me). My source is the following video but there's something I don't understand: the announced MicroProse games include the Lancaster in "The Mighty Eighth VR", not in "The Bloody 100th", but the guy in this video says that the Sharp End Studio Lancaster has been merged with "The Bloody 100th" (you'll spot this at 7'55'' on the below video). Contradictory? or will the Lancaster be flyable for players in both "The Bloody 100th" and "The Mighty Eighth VR"?:

 

 

 

 

Also, please note that, as said in the above video, the third "WWII miniseries" produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks will be titled "Masters of the Air" (the two first miniseries were "Band of Brothers" in 2001 and "The Pacific" in 2010). Again... isn't there some contradiction too? At 2'39'' the above video mentions the miniseries as dealing with the 100th Bomb Group (3rd Air Force, isn't it?) but the Wikipedia article mentions the 8th Air Force for the miniseries. At any rate the miniseries had gone through many problems, but finally the producers went back to work and the shooting is having place right now. If everything goes well, "Masters of the Air" will be broadcast by mid Spring 2023:

 

 

 

[simfan2015]

I have read the latest issue of PC Pilot. 

B-17, even B-24.. incoming! 

They are into no less than 5 related Bomber projects. Really worth checking it out. 

It is coming at the end of next year! 

[Blooddawn1942]

I've seen in LinkedIn, that Jason is now producer by Microprose. To good to be true! ?

[simfan2015]

If Jason is really working for microprose on the b-17 sims we have a lot to look forward to. They need him, nobody could ever be more qualified to make microprose a succes like he did for il-2! 

I have to pre-order the B-17 sims now ... I am sure. 

Edited January 7, 2023 by simfan2015

[Lusekofte]

1 minute ago, simfan2015 said:

If Jason is really working for microprose on the b-17 sims we have a lot to look forward to. They need him, nobody could ever be more qualified to make microprose a succes like he did for il-2! 

I have to pre-order the B-17 sims now ... I am sure. 

We do not know what project he works on. But I guess it would make sense he has some involvement 

[Trooper117]

OFGS... I knew this was going to happen.

The project he is working on is yet to be announced... The B-17 stuff has already been announced, so it's not that.

Already the rumour mill is in full swing.

[Bonnot]

 

Forget  me  Not........