Lock On Modern Air Combat FULL ISO
Elis Riebow
Lock is a versatile agent. He does well in all, but excels in none. He has moderate health, damage and mobility. Lock could potentially be both a team player and lone wolf. He does best at mid-range, where he shreds most of his opponents. He's not exactly the agent to lead the charge so get behind a Defender. Aim down sights as much as possible in all engagements other than close quarters combat. In close combat, aim for the opponent's head as much as possible, as it makes a huge difference when trading shot-for-shot, something easily done with Lock's high accuracy.
I can't assign anything to the A-10's pylon 6 (center-pylon). It is missing a definition earlier in the file and I don't know how to define it. So don't try to add anything to it or Lock On will crash/lock up when you click mission editor, options etc.
Lock On: Modern Air Combat has been one of the most anticipated simulations in flight sim history--and for good reason. Not only has there been a dearth of serious combat flight sims in recent years, but Lock On has a stellar pedigree (the Flanker series), a highly esteemed development team, and a stable of aircraft designed to thrill any sim fanatic. Does it live up to the hype and hope? Lock On clearly has the potential to be an all-time classic sim, but there are problems in the retail version that will make some want to watch and wait for a patch or two before purchasing.
Lock On's design is extremely promising. It includes the A-10A, F-15C, Su-27, Su-25, Su-33, and three variations of the MiG-29. Each aircraft is simulated with stunning attention to detail and accuracy, resulting in each plane having a very distinct "personality." One of the key strengths of Lock On is that the planes are so different and so detailed that you can spend many hours just learning to fly and fight effectively in a single jet. For example, the A-10 Warthog ground assault aircraft, a plane for which simmers have been clamoring for years, sports relatively simple avionics compared to a modern air superiority jet (for instance, the F-15 or MiG-29). But anyone who expects to climb into Lock On's Warthog cockpit, load up with Maverick guided missiles, find some enemy tanks, and simply push a button or two and watch the missiles mop up the tanks, is in for a major surprise.
Mavericks here aren't magic missiles as they have been portrayed in most simulations. In Lock On, you have to learn what a real A-10 pilot has to learn about weapons deployment with the AGM-65 Maverick. Specifically, you have to learn about how the missile "sees" the ground, the differences in how the TV version and the IR version discerns a target from its background, how to fly to maximize the range at which you can identify and lock on to a target, and more. And that's just the Mavericks. You'll need to do the same for the unguided rockets and the awe-inspiring cannon--all while learning the details of the flight avionics in the A-10 cockpit and how the Warthog handles under various conditions. Then, having developed proficiency with the A-10, you can start all over again in, perhaps, one of the advanced air superiority fighters. Then you can learn the complexities of modern air-to-air radar operation or perhaps how to destroy ground targets in the relatively crude, HUD-less Su-25 Frogfoot. A simulation of any one of these aircraft, at this level of accuracy and detail, would be a must-have for the serious flight sim fanatic. To have all of these disparate jets simulated with such loving care is combat sim nirvana.
Speaking of teaching--this is an extremely complex and realistic simulation, and thus the weak documentation is all the more disappointing. The small booklet included in the box is focused on getting up and running, in addition to showing you how to use the mission builder. The very features that are the strengths of Lock On--the accurate simulation of a wide range of aircraft and weapons systems that are very unique from aircraft to aircraft--require a lot of documentation. It can be extremely frustrating, for example, to finally figure out how to use a highly complex and realistic radar system, only to find yourself stymied at why your missiles aren't locking on to a bogey. Unfortunately, the core program documentation, presented in PDF form, is only fair in helping the novice understand how to effectively use all of the avionics and weapons systems, and, even worse, many parts are incomplete and inaccurate (note: be sure to read all of the readme files for errata). The training missions, which use all text rather than voice-overs, help explain quite a bit, but even with these, the overall documentation falls far short of what's needed to get the most out of Lock On. In fact, in recognition of the need for more documentation, a link on the Lock On home page points to a third-party source that is selling an expanded manual (for about $56 with shipping).
There are more issues that mar what is otherwise a superior simulation. Lock On suffers from numerous bugs, as is unfortunately all too common with such complex games. Some are relatively minor, like options that revert back to their previous settings. Some are serious but may take some time to realize in such an intricate sim--like a bug that causes you to essentially lose control over one aspect of the F-15 radar system, problems with radar sensitivity at low altitudes, odd missile behavior, problems with the padlock system, and more. And there is one absolute showstopper bug for those who haven't yet upgraded to Windows XP. In spite of what it says on the box, the current version of Lock On will not run on Windows 98 or Windows ME systems.
In spite of all of this, the heart of Lock On is a truly great combat flight simulation. When you finally figure out how to effectively get your AGM-65 to lock on to a dangerous mobile SAM unit in the middle of urban terrain; when you finally become proficient at quickly switching radar modes and locking on to an enemy fighter before he even knows you're in the air; when you finally appreciate how much you enjoy the personality of the ugly, crude, but effective Su-25; when you finally realize that you've spent hours and hours enjoying the unique attributes of one aircraft and still have several more to explore; and when you finally and successfully complete a hairy cooperative online mission (online play is very solid), you'll understand that this is a truly special flight sim. Whether you wait for some of the bugs to be ironed out (while this review is based on the initial release, we've seen a 17 meg patch that addresses many of the problems discussed), whether you wait to see what the mod community comes up with, or whether you go ahead and purchase the game now is a matter of how much you're willing to work around its initial problems. While it's a diamond in the rough in its initial release form, there's enough depth and breadth here that there's no doubt at all that Lock On is destined for greatness.
Lock On: Modern Air Combat is a combat flight simulator developed by Eagle Dynamics and published by UbiSoft. The game provides realistic take-offs and landings, and more. Lock On: Modern Air Combat was released on November 20, 2003.
I know that modern radars like the AN/APG-79 in modern combat aircraft like the F/A-18F filter out false alarms with Doppler processing and use what could be called "filters". Could an F/A-18F pilot "lock-on" a single bird using STT (Single-Target Tracking) mode or by using any other radar modes?
Take to the virtual skies for a realistic simulation of flight and combat in one of many modern U.S. and Russian fighter craft. Developed under the working title "Flanker: Attack," this combat flight sim from the producers of 1999's acclaimed Flanker 2.0: Combat Flight Simulator offers virtual pilots the chance to climb into the cockpit of the F-15C Eagle, the MiG-29k, the A-10 Warthog, the Su-27 Flanker, or one of several other real-life marvels of late 20th-century aviation.
The sim offers five standalone missions each for the A-10, F-15, Su-25, and Su-27; players who want to fly the other planes will need to make use of the sim's complex mission editor or wait for other gamers to make new missions available. Each of those four planes is also the centerpiece of a strictly linear six- or seven-mission campaign. For more casual gamers who just want a quick fix, Lock On has six instant-action missions you launch with one click from the main menu (one each for the A-10, F-15, Su-25, Su-27, Su-33, and MiG-29). There's also a "Quick Battle Planner" that lets you set up a whole slew of simple combat scenarios by selecting options from a menu.
Once you're in the air, Lock On's surface appeal is undeniable. Cockpits are strikingly rendered, with loads of working instruments you can zoom in to view in extreme close-up without any loss of detail. You can watch allied and enemy planes, ships, and ground units carry out roles that go far beyond your own particular mission, and the scenery and weather effects are the best in any air combat sim so far.
As the game stands now, though, that beauty often feels skin deep, thanks to a bunch of bugs and questionable design decisions. Among of the most significant problems is the fact that it's very difficult to get an enemy aircraft to show up on radar -- and once you've got a lock, it's extremely tough to hit him. I've been directly behind a big, fat Russian AWACS plane at just a few miles' range and watched it somehow evade three radar-guided AIM-7 missiles and a heat-seeking Sidewinder as I closed in on it. Ubisoft says that counter-measures (radar jamming, chaff, and flares) are all over-done in the release version of Lock On and will be fixed in a patch. (The radar will also be made more effective.)
Lock On: Modern Air Combat is the first true modern hardcore flight simulator since the days of Falcon 4.0 and a direct continuation of the Flanker (1.0/2.0) games. Players get to fly six different aircraft: Mig-29, SU-25, SU-27, SU-33, F-15 and A-10. Comprehensive training missions and wide range of single missions help to prepare to the campaign where the player either helps to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine or advances it. Multiplayer offers head-to-head or a co-op mode through TCP/IP or locally on LAN.
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