I didn't have the XL/XE version of FSII, but I had the ST version and one of the great things was that you could connect two STs using MIDI cables and dogfight in biplanes over the pyramids. We had a lot of fun with that.
The cartridge version of FS2 did indeed only work on the XL/XE series. The floppy version worked on all 48K+ 8-bit Ataris. The 800/400 versions lacked some features from the 64K machines like visible wings and some navigational controls.
My family bought an Atari 800XL in 1984 when I was a teenager, but we only had a 1010 program recorder to go with it. I saved up to buy a 1050 floppy disk drive in 1987, together with Flight Simulator II. I loved the detailed manual and the (very basic) aeronautical charts that came with it and spent literally hours and hours on the sim navigating around. By 1989 I had left home and bought my own 130XE and XF551 setup but was really disappointed to find that my FS2 disk wouldn't load. I think it was to do with the rudimentary copy protection which checked the RPM of the drive, and the 1050 and XF551 must have been different. I never did buy the XL/XE cart but that would have solved the problem. Those initial years of FS2 got me hooked...and from 1991 onwards I switched to PC. The magic combination of FS4 and the FSFORUM community on CompuServe were a very happy time in my life! I still held on to the original 800XL and, more recently in my mid-life retro tech enthusiasm, I have regained a 1050 and FS2 box set so I'm happily back where I started :)
I liked Airsim and Airfight, created by Brand Fortner on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois in the early 70s—same time Bruce Artwick was there. FS was yet another classic case of taking ideas first implemented on PLATO and bringing them to the micros in the 80s. (Another example was Wizardry.)
I always preferred "Solo Flight" on the Atari 8-bits. You had specific missions - fly 80 lbs of mail to Topeka. You had to calculate how much fuel you needed for your weight and distance. And the graphics were pretty good for the time.
Hello. I started using the Sublogic Flight Similator on the Atari ST platform, in 1988 when I purchased a used computer system. It was bundled in with the system, and I considered it to be one of the most enjoyable and interesting pieces of software at that time. Many of my co-workers at Digital Equipment Corporation seemed to be users of that piece of software as well. I may have a version for the 8 bit Atari in some items that were passed on to me, but it has been years since I have even tested to see if my Atari 800 still operates. I enjoyed seeing the screenshots from the various computer platforms that were included in this very well produced article.
I played this quite a bit on my XE. I had two joysticks though, and one had suction cups, so I used a printer lid to hold the joysticks. One acted to control the throttle and rudder while the other controlled the elevators and ailerons. Only had to use keyboard for landing gear, flaps, etc. I don't think I successfully landed that many times, but I've done a lot of takeoffs in it.
Both my best friend and myself eagerly awaited FSII but had to be quite patient for it to arrive in stores in Austria. It was quite expensive but at least you got a heavy box with a thick manual. As all the panel color effects were based on artifacting the panel didn't look as good in PAL reality as it did on the pictures. The artificial horizon was striped black and white. We soon found out that the flying was quite digital as you'd need to pay a lot of attention to the control surface position indication and that any prolonged application of the joystick would result in violent manoeuvres. With a rather staid frame rate there was no way to save yourself from such a predicament with deft counter-maneuvering as you'd always be "behind the airplane". Seeing wire-frame skyscrapers and locating a few lines representing an airport was an adventure nevertheless and we spent quite some time exploring the area. I never tried the cartridge version (though I own one) but saving floppy loading times can't hurt the experience.
I didn't have the XL/XE version of FSII, but I had the ST version and one of the great things was that you could connect two STs using MIDI cables and dogfight in biplanes over the pyramids. We had a lot of fun with that.
Cool! I did not know that.
The cartridge version of FS2 did indeed only work on the XL/XE series. The floppy version worked on all 48K+ 8-bit Ataris. The 800/400 versions lacked some features from the 64K machines like visible wings and some navigational controls.
Good to know!
My family bought an Atari 800XL in 1984 when I was a teenager, but we only had a 1010 program recorder to go with it. I saved up to buy a 1050 floppy disk drive in 1987, together with Flight Simulator II. I loved the detailed manual and the (very basic) aeronautical charts that came with it and spent literally hours and hours on the sim navigating around. By 1989 I had left home and bought my own 130XE and XF551 setup but was really disappointed to find that my FS2 disk wouldn't load. I think it was to do with the rudimentary copy protection which checked the RPM of the drive, and the 1050 and XF551 must have been different. I never did buy the XL/XE cart but that would have solved the problem. Those initial years of FS2 got me hooked...and from 1991 onwards I switched to PC. The magic combination of FS4 and the FSFORUM community on CompuServe were a very happy time in my life! I still held on to the original 800XL and, more recently in my mid-life retro tech enthusiasm, I have regained a 1050 and FS2 box set so I'm happily back where I started :)
I played it on MSX, it was available there too.
I liked Airsim and Airfight, created by Brand Fortner on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois in the early 70s—same time Bruce Artwick was there. FS was yet another classic case of taking ideas first implemented on PLATO and bringing them to the micros in the 80s. (Another example was Wizardry.)
2fps! Good lawd.
I always preferred "Solo Flight" on the Atari 8-bits. You had specific missions - fly 80 lbs of mail to Topeka. You had to calculate how much fuel you needed for your weight and distance. And the graphics were pretty good for the time.
Hello. I started using the Sublogic Flight Similator on the Atari ST platform, in 1988 when I purchased a used computer system. It was bundled in with the system, and I considered it to be one of the most enjoyable and interesting pieces of software at that time. Many of my co-workers at Digital Equipment Corporation seemed to be users of that piece of software as well. I may have a version for the 8 bit Atari in some items that were passed on to me, but it has been years since I have even tested to see if my Atari 800 still operates. I enjoyed seeing the screenshots from the various computer platforms that were included in this very well produced article.
I had this one and never could land it. My uncle was a pilot and started his career landing on carriers, and he couldn't land it either!
But at the time, the graphics seemed a major step UP and we had a blast with it.
I don't remember that cartridge though so I must have had the disk.
I played this quite a bit on my XE. I had two joysticks though, and one had suction cups, so I used a printer lid to hold the joysticks. One acted to control the throttle and rudder while the other controlled the elevators and ailerons. Only had to use keyboard for landing gear, flaps, etc. I don't think I successfully landed that many times, but I've done a lot of takeoffs in it.
Impressive!!
Both my best friend and myself eagerly awaited FSII but had to be quite patient for it to arrive in stores in Austria. It was quite expensive but at least you got a heavy box with a thick manual. As all the panel color effects were based on artifacting the panel didn't look as good in PAL reality as it did on the pictures. The artificial horizon was striped black and white. We soon found out that the flying was quite digital as you'd need to pay a lot of attention to the control surface position indication and that any prolonged application of the joystick would result in violent manoeuvres. With a rather staid frame rate there was no way to save yourself from such a predicament with deft counter-maneuvering as you'd always be "behind the airplane". Seeing wire-frame skyscrapers and locating a few lines representing an airport was an adventure nevertheless and we spent quite some time exploring the area. I never tried the cartridge version (though I own one) but saving floppy loading times can't hurt the experience.