[comp.sys.atari.st] Their Finest Hour

mg20+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Paul Greelish) (01/16/91)

Hey fellow Atarians, I'm back from break.

I got "Their Finest Hour", the Lucasfilm simulation of the Battle of
Britain, while on break. After reading umpteen very favorable reviews of
it, I could barely wait to get back to my computer here in Pittsburgh
(it's a little big to lug home, especially with the monitor) to play it.
It *DID* cost me $39 plus tax, but it's worth it. The level of detail is
amazing-- graphics are awesome, gameplay is fluid and "realistic", and
you can fly any one of eight planes on either side!

Enough advertising. I have a few questions about it; maybe someone out
there can answer them so I don't have to write Lucasfilm Games Co.

1. The reference card included says that "certain sound and graphic
enhancements appear only if your ST has 1MB or more." I have a 1MB
1040ST, but am wondering if *MORE* enhancements would appear if I had
better than 1MB. For instance, although the graphics are *REALLY* good
(especially considering that sometimes better than 20 points of view are
being computed), the sound is, well, just OK. I don't think it's
digitized. After playing Falcon, I got used to digitized sound. The
machine guns in Their Finest Hour just go "snick snick snick", not
"ratattatta tatta tatta" (you get the idea) like they do in Falcon. If I
had more RAM, would I have better sound? (I can't test this myself, no
one around here has an ST.)

2. Does anyone detect a "quick IBM port" feel to the game (i.e. the
sound, and some of the graphics?) I hear they develop most everything on
IBMs now (grr!!!), so this happens a lot.

3. Is there any way to approach a German medium bomber without getting
your butt shot off?

Thanks,

______________________________________________________________
|\    /|
|  \/  |  ike Greelish
Carnegie Mellon U. undergrad, professional writing major
quote: "Do not attend this school."
stupid disclaimer: My opinions are.

whitcomb@aurs01.UUCP (Jonathan Whitcomb) (01/16/91)

In article <UbYpBpC00VIAJCgVRi@andrew.cmu.edu> mg20+@andrew.cmu.edu 
(Michael Paul Greelish) writes:

[Raves for Lucasfilm's "Their Finest Hour" deleted]

>1. The reference card included says that "certain sound and graphic
>enhancements appear only if your ST has 1MB or more." I have a 1MB
>1040ST, but am wondering if *MORE* enhancements would appear if I had
>better than 1MB. 

I have a Mega 2, and I've seen the program on a 1040 STE, and didn't 
notice any differences (actually, the colors were better on the STE,
but that may be the result of my 1985 monitor).

>2. Does anyone detect a "quick IBM port" feel to the game (i.e. the
>sound, and some of the graphics?) I hear they develop most everything on
>IBMs now (grr!!!), so this happens a lot.

I dunno.  It looks great to me... so what if it's a port!  I just hope
they continue supporting the ST.  I really hope they port the new
"Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" game.

>3. Is there any way to approach a German medium bomber without getting
>your butt shot off?

Very carefully.  The best thing to do is fly the bombers yourself.  This
way you'll get a feel where their blind spots are.  Then attack them
from these angles.  My favorite technique is to come in head on about
1500 feet below them, wait for them to get directly overhead and then 
pull straight up and roll 180 degrees.  This gives you a great shot
at the underbelly for a long time ('cause your airspeed drops as you
climb).  Don't try this with an ME-109 on yer butt tho...

Cheerio!

-Jonathan
*********************************|||**********************************
Jonathan Whitcomb                ||| UUCP: <...!mcnc!aurgate!whitcomb>
(919) 850-6231                  / | \ 
Raleigh, NC                    /  |  \  ******Save the ST!!!******