Release Date: September 28, 2005
"Down in Flames" is a very unusual game about the fierce air fights that took place during the Second World War. The author of this production is Battlefront, known for its strategic series "Combat Mission" and "Strategic Command".
DiF is a game that has the feel and flavor of dogfighting in a simple to learn but hard to master card game format. Gameplay is a fast, action-packed, and centers around the unique blow-by-blow Action/Reaction game system . Because of this, you get to maneuver on enemy aircraft, shoot them down, watch as they react to your actions, and get to respond with your own maneuvers and reactions, all in an intriguing easy to play and yet realistic game system.
However, DiF is not a flight simulator. While aircraft capabilities and movement are modeled, the focus of the game is on the immediate action and excitement of dogfighting, not the excessive number crunching and flight physics.
The heart of the DiF system is its Action/Reaction maneuver system. Some maneuvers will initiate an action such as improving your position or shooting at an enemy, other maneuvers will react, and still others can do both.
Attacks are measured in how many bursts are used to make the attack and how many points of damage the attack will inflict if successful. An “In My Sights 1:2” uses 1 burst and will inflict 2 points against the target’s Airframe rating if not countered. An “Out of the Sun 1:2” would do the same, but is much more difficult to counter by the targeted plane.
Aircraft have an undamaged set of stats and a damaged set of stats. A plane starts out undamaged and at its full capabilities. After it has suffered some damage it is reduced to using its damaged stats. If it suffers still more damage it is shot down.
Extra Features...
- In addition to the dogfighting we have added With time, pilots gain experience. You get to command several pilots from each of the four different nations: United States, , United Kingdom, and Japan. Each of your pilots gains experience points for damaging and shooting down enemy fighters. They also get points for escorting friendly bombers and shooting down enemy bombers. You get to spend these points on skills for the pilot.
- Skills will give your pilot advantages by giving him special abilities, extra cards, more bursts, or even reduce the capabilities of the enemy pilots he is facing.
- Experience points also “unlock” the more advanced aircraft from that nation. Every pilot starts out by flying the lowliest planes and can earn enough points to fly the best that nation had during the war.
- As your pilots rack up successful missions they will also go up in rank, which is a great means of determining how successful a pilot has been in his career.
- By performing heroic deeds in a mission your pilots can also earn medals specific to their nation.
Platforms:
PC Windows
Developer: Battlefront.com
Publisher: Battlefront.com
Age restrictions: none
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List of Game Expansions for Video Game:
Expansion
September 22, 2006
Strategy
Down in Flames: Eastern Front is an addition to the original aviation strategy "Down in Flames. The main attractions of the enlargement certainly include the addition of two completely new sides of the conflict (Russia and Poland) and numerous improvements and novelties in the options available earlier.