The return of MicroProse!

Microprose is planning a fourth game The Mighty Eighth, a B-17/B-24 simulator
We are honored to announce to you, our fans, that MicroProse is working on a brand new The Mighty Eight title for Virtual Reality.
The Mighty Eighth will be a VR-first project (but also playable with no VR enabled) in which you will be able to play with 9 other friends (or AI crew) as you work together to survive the war and accomplish your missions.
Drop those bombs on the right spot, guide your crew through long drawn out day, or the dark, moonless nights, keep your airplane in touch with the rest of the squadron and HQ as you monitor radios and communications. Defend your Flying Fortress by keeping those enemy fighters away from you and your squadron mates. Pilot or co-pilot this beast under a massive amount of stress – and enemy fire, but don’t drop out of formation or you’re a sitting duck.
The new Mighty Eighth is not just a game. It’s an experience from a different time where young men grew faster than they should and saw things no man should see. And YOU will be put right in the middle of the action.

Lots of detail:
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Well, I will say this much: if even half of these games turn out as well as promised, I will definitely grow to like this new MicroProse. And that's exactly the way it should be: proving themselves through their work, not merely by buying a logo.

(yes, fine, I'll admit it. Twenty years have passed, but I still haven't gotten over the experience of being tremendously excited about a CinemaWare revival, only to be hugely disappointed by everything that followed. So for this new MicroProse, I want them to succeed, but they ain't gonna win me over until I've played a couple of released games)
 
I guess that I'll have to talk to my dad -- I remember how he and I played Gunship, Airborne Ranger, Formula One, and the Silent Service games.
 
F-15 Strike Eagle on the Commodore 64 was my first taste of combat flight sim, that and Huey. DCS World could use some competition to keep them on the straight and narrow.

Still, with how much I've invested in Eagle Dynamic's baby it'll be interesting what else MicroProse have to bring to the table as time marches on. I suddenly have an urge to play Cold Waters again.
 
Lots of memories! Silent Service, Gunship were played around the clock in our house. My favourite was F-19 Stealth Fighter. That fat glossy manual, it was awesome. I remember climbing as high as possible and watching the sky turn darker...
 
Microprose was the developer that marked my adolescence even more than EA / Origin with Wing Commander.

F-15 I,II,III getting promoted and awarded with medals was pretty cool at the time.
F-19
F-117
Gunship
Gunship 2000
Airborne Ranger.
Civilization.
Task Froce 1942
Master of Orion I and II.
Colonization.
1942: The Pacific Air War.
Grand PRix 2,3
Falcon 4.0
Star Trek: Klingon Honor Guard


With a little help of Wikipedia.
 
Wow, HGreat news! thats a real nostalgia trip.
Gunship 2000, what a game.
And X-COM Interceptor, the intro is stuck in my mind.
 
Too bad that he flight engine wasn't all that great. That one could have been a really awesome game.
It had some really good ideas, even on the logistics side with having to organise missile supplies and replacement ships, having to escort your own freighters etc. agreed the flight engine was a little mediocre though.
 
Ha, completely forgot about XCom Interceptor. I enjoyed it probably more than it deserved. I agree that it had great potential.
 
Wowza! This is quite something. I had a few Microprose titles I played for hours on end.


The Geoff Crammond GP series was amazing as an F1 sim. As for BOTF... I don't think there has been a more immersive Trek title. Final Unity is an excellent adventure game in the old Sierra / LucasArts point and click quest mold. Really good stuff.
 
Wowza! This is quite something. I had a few Microprose titles I played for hours on end.


The Geoff Crammond GP series was amazing as an F1 sim. As for BOTF... I don't think there has been a more immersive Trek title. Final Unity is an excellent adventure game in the old Sierra / LucasArts point and click quest mold. Really good stuff.

Oh wow, Grand Prix 2 and BotF were also games of mine. Don't have too much memories about Grand Prix 2 but I really liked BotF!
 
Grand prix 2, what a game! I think that was in the box of stuff I gave to the NVGA in Nottingham (well Sheffield now)
So easy to crash though.
 
😲 If you liked early Microprose flight simulators like F-19 Stealth Fighter, Harrier Jump Jet, and F-15 Strike Eagle . . .

Tiny Combat Arena by Microprose
"Description
Tiny Combat Arena is an approachable flight combat simulator sporting a stylized look and various game modes. Dogfight your way in the arena and in quick action or craft your own scenarios and take part in a vast war with objectives and friendly armies to support.

What is the experience of Tiny Combat Arena?
Tiny Combat Arena is a labor-of-love combat flight simulator that aims to strike the perfect balance between a simulator and an approachable, customizable, air combat experience. All executed in a stylized look representing a fictional Cold War-era conflict.

Sim-lite combat flight model
Tiny Combat Arena is all about the fun factor of flying, dogfighting, and close air support. Simulation elements are added to the game in service of creating engaging and deep gameplay, never just for the sake of realism. Easy to learn mechanics, such as knowing that firing a missile from high altitude will boost its range, create a new range of tactics for you to explore.

You are in charge
It's your job to arm your Harrier (the first plane available). Missiles, cannons, bombs; choose your specific loadout for every mission.

Quick Mission Builder
Tiny Combat Arena lets you jump in and fly by quickly assembling various missions.
You can just have a placid stroll around some beautiful scenery or create missions with dogfights, strike objectives, and ground units to support.

Arena mode
Plan your moves on the strategic map; pick objectives, identify threats and choose which units to support and where to make a difference.
There is a real war going on around you and you will actively participate with perceivable results (or lack of!).

Detailed and useful database
The in-game database is there not only to give the players detailed statistics on vehicles, aircraft, and weapons but to also give guidance on how to approach different tactical situations."

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I must say Tiny Combat Arena reminds me much more of "A-10 Cuba!" than the Micropose simulators at the time. If anyone remembers that gem. Which is a good thing as the MacOS version of A-10 Cuba! and A-10 Attack! were the perfect balance of simulator and fun which I don't think any one else has ever matched. Even now!
 
About MP games, Carrier Command 2 was released a couple of weeks ago, and... it's a perfect game if you're in the type of interface simulation stuff or, ideally, if you have a bunch of like-minded friends. TLDR, you're in command of an unmanned aircraft carrier fighting another such CV in an archipelago where each island has a factory for different equipment you can use, defended by units hostiles to both carriers. The bridge is full of interactive consoles and buttons which are the only way to command stuff:

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Navigation, aircraft loadout and orders, remote control of the drones, all kinds of maps, control over each of the carrier's weapons, etc, done through such screens, à la Star Trek bridge simulator games. Definitely enjoyable, and you can fly your drones or control your amphibious vehicles directly with one of the consoles:

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At this point, though, some balance issues, logistics bugs and pathfinding problems are hampering a bit the experience, but it's definitely an enjoyable one as you get the aerial vision from a drone, mark the targets and call missile or artillery strikes in a way very reminiscent of actual footage. The really promising stuff - that I haven't tested, though - is the cooperative multiplayer mode, where you can actually fight as a crew instead of running from one station to another. Combine this with VR compatibility and that could make for a great time for those inclined.
 
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