April 21st, 2019
Classic Review -EuroFighter 2000
from Digital Image Design
For years we've been treated to simulations of almost all of the modern fighting aircraft the combined US armed forces can throw at any aggressor. We have been treated to so many F16 simulations that it is to hard to remember the exact numbers. Three very successful F15 simulations, the Harrier, F14 Tomcat, the Apache helicopter, and even the Vietnam-era A6 Intruder had its chance to please an air-combat simulation lover over the years.
What is starting to be a growing trend is to offer some of the opposition's and allied aircraft in a simulated air-combat environment. This started a while back with Spectrum Holobyte's Mig29 Fulcrum, and has recently been continued with SSI's SU27 Flanker. Accurate sims of two of the United States' deadliest adversaries. One of the best and most underrated allied aircraft simulations ever made was Tornado from DI (Digital Integration), a simulation of the RAF flown British Tornado low-level tactical fighter/bomber, also just as notable, TFX from Ocean and DID (Digital Image Design). TFX is a simulation of three aircraft: the US F117A Stealth Fighter, US Lockheed F-22 Superstar, and the Eurofighter 2000 (a revolutionary design concept adopted by the British,Italian, German, and Spanish military intelligence to have a tactical advantage against any aggressors' attacks on any of the European NATO countries or partners).
Actually, the Eurofighter is the high tech sports car of modern air to air combat, with an altitude level speed of Mach2 and an air to air combat radius of 500 nautical miles. You don't want to be on the receiving end of the kickoff when the Eurofighter gets the advantage. By the time the EF2000 project is complete (the year 2000), the EuroFighter will primarily be an air to air defense weapon, though its secondary use can be air to ground because of its stealth characteristics and highly maneuverable & light airframe.
It's been a while since Ocean and DID brought us the award-winning TFX, but a lot of people still prefer it to other sims released around the same time such as Microprose's F14 Fleet Defender, because (among other things) it was one of the first sims to allow in-air refueling. In the past, DID has developed military training flight simulators for the British Royal Air Force, a primary reason that they have an edge over the competition. Now Ocean and DID are back again with EF2000, their all-new simulation of the EuroFighter 2000 aircraft. This time they've focused all their attention on one aircraft to produce one of the best sims of any modern combat aircraft on the PC today.
GRAPHICS
With a beauty all its own in the visuals department, only Flight Unlimited and what I have seen of Dynamix's new Silent Thunder can compare to the detail of the EF2000's terrain (at a distance) in both 320X200 VGA and 640X480 SVGA modes. 640X480 SVGA with full details can be accomplished with a 120 mhz Pentium without even a slight performance drop. On a 60 mhz Pentium, SVGA with low details is acceptable, and a decent VLB 486 DX4-100 can accomplish 320X200 with full details without a hitch.
EF2000's 320X200 VGA mode of EF2000 looks incredibly nice, much better than any other 320x200 sim I've played in the past. While sitting in the cockpit, you can look down and see the heads-down display, along with your hands on the stick and throttle. When used with a pair of Virtual I/O I-glasses, EF2000 becomes even more immersive and realistic. VR mode is only 320x200 because all of the headgear available today can't do better than that. While a monitor display looks better than the glasses, the freedom to look all around easily is key when you've got a hostile on your six. The only other game I found this to be useful in is MechWarrior II for DOS and the Ghost Bear Legacy add-on.
In all resolutions, missile launches are a sight to see, with rocket trails so real-looking you can almost smell the smoke (if you could open the canopy that is). Beautiful SVGA coastlines and mountain peaks are scattered about the various combat zones in EF2000. If you ever wondered what Flight Unlimited would be like in a modern combat aircraft, EF2000 is the answer. In some missions you can fly right over cities and airstrips at night when they're all lit up. This looks so stunningly real you could swear you're sitting in an actual airplane. Just as in most newer aircombat simulations, there are a number of different views available to fly and watch the action from in EF2000.
The usual HUD and cockpit views are available, but a few other interesting cinematic angles are used in EF2000. One view has the camera positioned right over the outside fuselage looking almost over the shoulder from the outside of the cockpit, and the any-plane view where you can see any of the aircraft in the air. You could sit back and watch a squadron of Mig 29 Fulcrums' close in on a C130 Hercules (or watch whatever any other aircraft happens to be doing). As I was returning from a mission once, I got intercepted by a few hostiles and lost part of my right wing in the encounter. From one of the outside views the charred wing looked so photo-realistically real that I try to get my wing blown off almost every time I play now. Limping back with 1.5 wings looks so cool, though it doesn't exactly make landing any easier.
Just be prepared to sport the muscle to accommodate EF2000 in SVGA. It would be safe to say a properly equipped 100Mhz Pentium with at least 16MB RAM and a fast PCI video card can handle EF2000 with all details. For VGA with full details, a good DX4-100 with 8-16MB of RAM and a fast VLB or PCI video card can handle EF2000 very acceptably. On a 60mhz Pentium, 640X480 w/low details will work, but 320X200 w/full details gives better performance.
The machines used to review EF2000 are as follows:
SOUND
Even EF2000's music is top notch, though it can't compare to the pulse pounding soundtracks of USNF or MechWarrior II. The sounds of launching missiles, and dropping ordinance, and all of the various SFX throughout EF2000 were just as pleasing as in Mech2 and USNF GOLD. Afterburner even had that pleasant feeling and sound (you'll know what I mean if you have a Thunderseat).
In EF2000 you are also treated to lots of radio chatter and wingman communications. All are done with a European accent, and a lot of the messages are helpful in gaining air superiority and taking total control of the mission at hand. While waiting to take off, you'll even get a weather report from the tower before they inform you that its alright to take off. The great sound effects combined with the nice music accomplished just the right balance that only such classics as USNF GOLD and the MW2 products could lay claim to before.
The sound cards we used to review EF2000 are as follows:
There were no installation or sound quality problems with any of these cards.
GAMEPLAY
What you must remember about the EuroFighter 2000 is that it does not fall into the same category as the F16 or even the SU27, both were developed and went into service in the late 1970s and early 80s. The EF2000 will be put into service in the year 2000, and is expected to have a service life of up to 35 years. The EF2000 sports a total fly-by-wire system, meaning that for the most part you could probably not fly one manually. The plane can almost fly itself, but it does need a good trained pilot to accomplish its missions.
One of my favorite things to do in EF2000 is taking off. Taxiing down the runway, positioning yourself at the end of it, and letting all that power lose is something that other aircombat sims will have to try and top for some time to come. The only problem I noticed with EF2000 is a noticeable rudder bug. No matter how many times I tried to calibrate them, the plane still drifted to the right a little while taxiing, with All of the rudders we tried EF2000 with.
Being in the cockpit of the EF2000 rolling down the runway full throttle with head-bobbing motions jolting you in your seat, and seeing the ground pass by at incredible speeds is an experience unmatched by ANY aircombat sim EVER! That's another interesting feature. When pulling high G's you will not only hear grunts, but when pulling to any direction too fast, your head will bob to emulate the effect of a roll or dive.
Options offered by the main EF2000 menu are:
QUICK COMBAT gives you 12 great missions to jump right in to. They are very specific, like intercept, air-to-air, and air-to-ground missions. As each mission is completed, you will end up with a score based on your actions. If you reach a high enough score you will be sent automatically on to the next mission. The whole Quick Combat mission structure is essentially like a mini-campaign, which can be played in any order. That makes it much more enjoyable than most "Instant Action" missions in most other sims.
The SIMULATOR is broken down into the following choices.
In FREE FLIGHT mode you are set free to fly over one of 12 realistic areas with Glaciers and Mountainous terrains that look photo-realistic (at a distance). These flights include scenic tours around Sweden, the Baltic States, St. Petersburg, etc.
BASIC TRAINING is designed to familiarize you with the basics of the EF2000, with the choice of taking off, landing and refueling as your tasks.
WEAPONS TRAINING will help familiarize you with the various weapons systems and ordinance the EF2000 can launch, deploy or shoot. If I were unfamiliar with a Maverick, I could pick the maverick mission. It will then set me up with a ground target and some basics on how and when to deploy the Maverick, and give me way points to follow to find my target.
AIR to AIR COMBAT gives you a choice of many different combinations of air to air conflicts, like one-on-one with an F16, three-on-three with MIG29's, and a number of other scenarios, all in a quick get-up-and-go dog-fighting environment.
GROUND ATTACK gives you a number of different ground assault missions to jump into and drop ordinance or spray rockets on opposing ground forces and targets of strategic importance. There are eleven different targets to choose from like Bridges, SAMs, Carriers, etc.
ADVANCED TRAINING consists of four missions: Escort, AWACs, Intercept, and Scramble.
CAMPAIGN mode in EF2000 is taken care of by WARGEN, which is the AI war generator created by DID. WARGEN is in control of 10,000 objects in the over 4,000,000 square km of real mapped terrain. That makes 1000 aircraft, 2000 ground units, and 500 ships (plus 6500 other objects). The campaign mode is designed to prevent any campaign from ever being the same.
The MULTIPLAY option only offers Network play and NO null-modem or modem support, though there are rumors of a patch for modem play (don't quote me on that).
CONTROLLING THE EUROFIGHTER 2000
EF2000 supports the Thrustmaster FCS MKII and the CH Flightstick Pro with rudders and seperate throttles in the calibration menu. Configuration files for the Thrustmaster F16 FLCS are also included on the CD.
We used the following sticks and devices with EF2000 to test for compatibility:
None of the above sticks and devices gave us any problems. The sticks I used most with EF2000 were the CH Combatstick (as a CH Pro), Suncom F15E Eagle, and Sidewinder 3D Pro worked fine with its twist-action rudders and throttle. Due to its ease of use, the F15E Eagle is a great tool for EF2000. I used the CH Throttle together with most of the sticks and had no problems. At first I though rudders weren't working, but it turned out they do. The problem is that the EF2000 doesn't use them in flight due to its speed. They are only functional on the ground to help taxiing, which the Addendum pamphlet clearly states.
My personal favorite configurations for EF2000 are the CH F16 Combatstick or CH Pro, CH Throttle, and Thrustmaster RCS Rudders; and the F15E Eagle, CH Throttle, and Thrustmaster RCS Rudders. EF2000's manual is also very well laid-out and informative, which informs not only about the simulation, but about the history of the aircraft itself.
What is starting to be a growing trend is to offer some of the opposition's and allied aircraft in a simulated air-combat environment. This started a while back with Spectrum Holobyte's Mig29 Fulcrum, and has recently been continued with SSI's SU27 Flanker. Accurate sims of two of the United States' deadliest adversaries. One of the best and most underrated allied aircraft simulations ever made was Tornado from DI (Digital Integration), a simulation of the RAF flown British Tornado low-level tactical fighter/bomber, also just as notable, TFX from Ocean and DID (Digital Image Design). TFX is a simulation of three aircraft: the US F117A Stealth Fighter, US Lockheed F-22 Superstar, and the Eurofighter 2000 (a revolutionary design concept adopted by the British,Italian, German, and Spanish military intelligence to have a tactical advantage against any aggressors' attacks on any of the European NATO countries or partners).
Actually, the Eurofighter is the high tech sports car of modern air to air combat, with an altitude level speed of Mach2 and an air to air combat radius of 500 nautical miles. You don't want to be on the receiving end of the kickoff when the Eurofighter gets the advantage. By the time the EF2000 project is complete (the year 2000), the EuroFighter will primarily be an air to air defense weapon, though its secondary use can be air to ground because of its stealth characteristics and highly maneuverable & light airframe.
It's been a while since Ocean and DID brought us the award-winning TFX, but a lot of people still prefer it to other sims released around the same time such as Microprose's F14 Fleet Defender, because (among other things) it was one of the first sims to allow in-air refueling. In the past, DID has developed military training flight simulators for the British Royal Air Force, a primary reason that they have an edge over the competition. Now Ocean and DID are back again with EF2000, their all-new simulation of the EuroFighter 2000 aircraft. This time they've focused all their attention on one aircraft to produce one of the best sims of any modern combat aircraft on the PC today.
GRAPHICS
With a beauty all its own in the visuals department, only Flight Unlimited and what I have seen of Dynamix's new Silent Thunder can compare to the detail of the EF2000's terrain (at a distance) in both 320X200 VGA and 640X480 SVGA modes. 640X480 SVGA with full details can be accomplished with a 120 mhz Pentium without even a slight performance drop. On a 60 mhz Pentium, SVGA with low details is acceptable, and a decent VLB 486 DX4-100 can accomplish 320X200 with full details without a hitch.
EF2000's 320X200 VGA mode of EF2000 looks incredibly nice, much better than any other 320x200 sim I've played in the past. While sitting in the cockpit, you can look down and see the heads-down display, along with your hands on the stick and throttle. When used with a pair of Virtual I/O I-glasses, EF2000 becomes even more immersive and realistic. VR mode is only 320x200 because all of the headgear available today can't do better than that. While a monitor display looks better than the glasses, the freedom to look all around easily is key when you've got a hostile on your six. The only other game I found this to be useful in is MechWarrior II for DOS and the Ghost Bear Legacy add-on.
In all resolutions, missile launches are a sight to see, with rocket trails so real-looking you can almost smell the smoke (if you could open the canopy that is). Beautiful SVGA coastlines and mountain peaks are scattered about the various combat zones in EF2000. If you ever wondered what Flight Unlimited would be like in a modern combat aircraft, EF2000 is the answer. In some missions you can fly right over cities and airstrips at night when they're all lit up. This looks so stunningly real you could swear you're sitting in an actual airplane. Just as in most newer aircombat simulations, there are a number of different views available to fly and watch the action from in EF2000.
The usual HUD and cockpit views are available, but a few other interesting cinematic angles are used in EF2000. One view has the camera positioned right over the outside fuselage looking almost over the shoulder from the outside of the cockpit, and the any-plane view where you can see any of the aircraft in the air. You could sit back and watch a squadron of Mig 29 Fulcrums' close in on a C130 Hercules (or watch whatever any other aircraft happens to be doing). As I was returning from a mission once, I got intercepted by a few hostiles and lost part of my right wing in the encounter. From one of the outside views the charred wing looked so photo-realistically real that I try to get my wing blown off almost every time I play now. Limping back with 1.5 wings looks so cool, though it doesn't exactly make landing any easier.
Just be prepared to sport the muscle to accommodate EF2000 in SVGA. It would be safe to say a properly equipped 100Mhz Pentium with at least 16MB RAM and a fast PCI video card can handle EF2000 with all details. For VGA with full details, a good DX4-100 with 8-16MB of RAM and a fast VLB or PCI video card can handle EF2000 very acceptably. On a 60mhz Pentium, 640X480 w/low details will work, but 320X200 w/full details gives better performance.
The machines used to review EF2000 are as follows:
- Micron 120Mhz Pentium w/256k cache and 24MB EDO RAM
- Pentium 100Mhz w/256k cache and 16MB RAM
- Packard Bell 60Mhz Pentium w/256k cache and 16MB RAM
- Packard Bell 60Mhz Pentium w/256k cache and 8MB RAM
- Packard Bell Overdrive 486DX4-100 w/512k cache 16MB RAM
- Packard Bell Overdrive 486DX4-100 w/512k cache 8MB RAM
SOUND
Even EF2000's music is top notch, though it can't compare to the pulse pounding soundtracks of USNF or MechWarrior II. The sounds of launching missiles, and dropping ordinance, and all of the various SFX throughout EF2000 were just as pleasing as in Mech2 and USNF GOLD. Afterburner even had that pleasant feeling and sound (you'll know what I mean if you have a Thunderseat).
In EF2000 you are also treated to lots of radio chatter and wingman communications. All are done with a European accent, and a lot of the messages are helpful in gaining air superiority and taking total control of the mission at hand. While waiting to take off, you'll even get a weather report from the tower before they inform you that its alright to take off. The great sound effects combined with the nice music accomplished just the right balance that only such classics as USNF GOLD and the MW2 products could lay claim to before.
The sound cards we used to review EF2000 are as follows:
- SB AWE-32 Value Editon
- SB 16 Value Edition
- Packard Bell SB-compatible Sound Card w/Wave Blaster add-on
- Gravis Ultrasound w/1MB
There were no installation or sound quality problems with any of these cards.
GAMEPLAY
What you must remember about the EuroFighter 2000 is that it does not fall into the same category as the F16 or even the SU27, both were developed and went into service in the late 1970s and early 80s. The EF2000 will be put into service in the year 2000, and is expected to have a service life of up to 35 years. The EF2000 sports a total fly-by-wire system, meaning that for the most part you could probably not fly one manually. The plane can almost fly itself, but it does need a good trained pilot to accomplish its missions.
One of my favorite things to do in EF2000 is taking off. Taxiing down the runway, positioning yourself at the end of it, and letting all that power lose is something that other aircombat sims will have to try and top for some time to come. The only problem I noticed with EF2000 is a noticeable rudder bug. No matter how many times I tried to calibrate them, the plane still drifted to the right a little while taxiing, with All of the rudders we tried EF2000 with.
Being in the cockpit of the EF2000 rolling down the runway full throttle with head-bobbing motions jolting you in your seat, and seeing the ground pass by at incredible speeds is an experience unmatched by ANY aircombat sim EVER! That's another interesting feature. When pulling high G's you will not only hear grunts, but when pulling to any direction too fast, your head will bob to emulate the effect of a roll or dive.
Options offered by the main EF2000 menu are:
- Quick Combat
- Simulator
- Campaign
- Multiplay
- Credits
- Quit
QUICK COMBAT gives you 12 great missions to jump right in to. They are very specific, like intercept, air-to-air, and air-to-ground missions. As each mission is completed, you will end up with a score based on your actions. If you reach a high enough score you will be sent automatically on to the next mission. The whole Quick Combat mission structure is essentially like a mini-campaign, which can be played in any order. That makes it much more enjoyable than most "Instant Action" missions in most other sims.
The SIMULATOR is broken down into the following choices.
- Free Flight
- Basic Training
- Weapon training
- Air to Air Combat
- Ground Attack
- Advanced Training
In FREE FLIGHT mode you are set free to fly over one of 12 realistic areas with Glaciers and Mountainous terrains that look photo-realistic (at a distance). These flights include scenic tours around Sweden, the Baltic States, St. Petersburg, etc.
BASIC TRAINING is designed to familiarize you with the basics of the EF2000, with the choice of taking off, landing and refueling as your tasks.
WEAPONS TRAINING will help familiarize you with the various weapons systems and ordinance the EF2000 can launch, deploy or shoot. If I were unfamiliar with a Maverick, I could pick the maverick mission. It will then set me up with a ground target and some basics on how and when to deploy the Maverick, and give me way points to follow to find my target.
AIR to AIR COMBAT gives you a choice of many different combinations of air to air conflicts, like one-on-one with an F16, three-on-three with MIG29's, and a number of other scenarios, all in a quick get-up-and-go dog-fighting environment.
GROUND ATTACK gives you a number of different ground assault missions to jump into and drop ordinance or spray rockets on opposing ground forces and targets of strategic importance. There are eleven different targets to choose from like Bridges, SAMs, Carriers, etc.
ADVANCED TRAINING consists of four missions: Escort, AWACs, Intercept, and Scramble.
CAMPAIGN mode in EF2000 is taken care of by WARGEN, which is the AI war generator created by DID. WARGEN is in control of 10,000 objects in the over 4,000,000 square km of real mapped terrain. That makes 1000 aircraft, 2000 ground units, and 500 ships (plus 6500 other objects). The campaign mode is designed to prevent any campaign from ever being the same.
The MULTIPLAY option only offers Network play and NO null-modem or modem support, though there are rumors of a patch for modem play (don't quote me on that).
CONTROLLING THE EUROFIGHTER 2000
EF2000 supports the Thrustmaster FCS MKII and the CH Flightstick Pro with rudders and seperate throttles in the calibration menu. Configuration files for the Thrustmaster F16 FLCS are also included on the CD.
We used the following sticks and devices with EF2000 to test for compatibility:
- Thrustmaster FCS MKII
- Thrustmaster F16 FLCS
- Thrustmaster RCS Rudders
- CH Flightstick Pro
- CH F16 Combatstick
- CH Throttle
- CH Pedals
- CH Pro Pedals
- MS Sidewinder 3D Pro
- Suncom F15E Talon
- Suncom F15E Eagle
- CH Gamecard III
- Thrustmaster ACM Gamecard
- Sound Blaster 16 Value edition gameport
- Joyswitch
None of the above sticks and devices gave us any problems. The sticks I used most with EF2000 were the CH Combatstick (as a CH Pro), Suncom F15E Eagle, and Sidewinder 3D Pro worked fine with its twist-action rudders and throttle. Due to its ease of use, the F15E Eagle is a great tool for EF2000. I used the CH Throttle together with most of the sticks and had no problems. At first I though rudders weren't working, but it turned out they do. The problem is that the EF2000 doesn't use them in flight due to its speed. They are only functional on the ground to help taxiing, which the Addendum pamphlet clearly states.
My personal favorite configurations for EF2000 are the CH F16 Combatstick or CH Pro, CH Throttle, and Thrustmaster RCS Rudders; and the F15E Eagle, CH Throttle, and Thrustmaster RCS Rudders. EF2000's manual is also very well laid-out and informative, which informs not only about the simulation, but about the history of the aircraft itself.
EF2000 is the perfect balance of total modern aircombat atmosphere, visuals, and sounds that can only be compared to the likes of US Navy Fighters Gold & Silent Thunder Alpha in overall feel of the environment, and the realism of EF2000 simulating the flight model of the actual EuroFighter 2000 as well as SSI's SU27 simulates the flight model of the actual SU27 Flanker! Add to that an artificial intelligence that deals with setting up campaigns that will never be the same. The only downsides to EF2000 (as I see them) are NO modem support, a minor rudder bug, and a few other minor bugs and annoyances.
The ability to either jump in an shoot down hostiles without a second thought (for a novice), or the ability to feed the hunger of a hardcore flight simulation enthusiast makes EF2000 enjoyable for novices and veterans of simulated aircombat alike.
RATINGS
Graphics 95%
Sound 94%
Gameplay 92%
Total 92%
The ability to either jump in an shoot down hostiles without a second thought (for a novice), or the ability to feed the hunger of a hardcore flight simulation enthusiast makes EF2000 enjoyable for novices and veterans of simulated aircombat alike.
RATINGS
Graphics 95%
Sound 94%
Gameplay 92%
Total 92%
This is another oldie but goodie. Originally published at PCME.com in 1996.