getting in the air quickly

[museum install]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and I really need your help.

We're using the Pacific Fighters game in a kiosk in a WW2 museum. The kiosk has three game stations. Station 1 is a stand alone in single player mode. Station 2 and 3 is set up for 2 player, so the two people can fight against each other. We would like to set up the game so it starts and you are ready to go, either in the air or ready to take off. Does anyone know how to do this?

thanks

[SlipBall]

With the game running at all time's, the museum vistor would select the "refly" he would then be in the air, or on the ground ready for take off, depending on the mission that is currently loaded. When he/she is finished he would press the "Esc" button on the keyboard. Then he or she would select "quit mission". The next visitor would have to again select the "refly" to start his turn. For the station 1 & 2 competition playing, I'm not sure how to set up a server, maybe someone else here will advise you. Great idea you guy's...good luck!


edit: also I was wondering if you have old aircraft on exhibit

[vanderstok]

I would suggest loading a (multiplay) dogfight game. This way you can always start over again very quickly without reloading the game since the player can respawn.

So for the two PC networked setup I would suggest one of the two starts a dogfight multiplayer mission and the other connects to this machine (type in it's LAN Ip address). If you select a map with airstarts anybody can just hit "refly" (after crashing or bailing out) and off you go. You could do this the whole day long.

Same goes for the single PC setup, but remember there will only be one aircraft in the game then.

If you want a specific mission made for this, just PM me and I can make you one...

[museum install]

Thanks for the quick replies!
I should have mentioned we're not going to have a keyboard set up in the kiosk. If we need to we'll have a track pad for mouse functions. What we're really trying to do is set up a macro or something to do the set up steps automatically in order to get the game going quickly without much input from the player.

I'll try to put up a photo of some of the stuff we're doing for the museum.

BTW, the museum is the actual USS Lexington. She's been retired to Corpus Christi, Texas where she is a museum.

http://www.usslexington.com/

[KG26_Alpha]

I know some one in the area that could come and set that up for you.

[SlipBall]

Wow the Lexington!...IL-2 on the Blue Ghost

[vanderstok]

You might want to use something like this. I have a similiar device and it's enough to (re)start IL2 Pacific Fighters with:



When running the dogfight multiplayer game as described above the user would only have to use the "esc" key to enter the menu and then use the trackball to select "refly" and off you go.

When buying such a numeric keypad, make sure it has the "esc" key, not all of those devices have them...

If you don't want a keypad at all.... I'm not sure how to get out of the game/restart? Would have to investgate further...

[Thunderbolt56]

This is going to sound blasphemous to most (hell, it does to me to a degree as well), but in a public area like that that will recieve the entire gamut of patron from simple museum viewer to true miltary/aviation enthusiast and every age possible, it may be wiser to wait and see if there will be a possibility of using some iteration of Warbirds of Prey for console...

I know, I know, but still. If I think about my own setup at home, I get agitated if one of my family members even sits at my pc. I'm fortunate that they all have their own pc's so I can justify the obsessive compulsive possession, but just getting everything setup, running smoothly and keeping it so, while second nature to me, could be a daunting task if I'm following behind a few dozen different users each day with differing levels of respect for pc components, controllers etc,.

I admire your desire and would love to see something like that at the different museums I frequent annually too. Either way, good luck with it.


TB

[vanderstok]

What if you used a dogfight server that rapidly changes missions, ie every few minutes? There would be no need to hit "escape". If someone crashes he/she will have to wait for the server to restart the game. The mouse wil be needed to select an aircraft and hit "fly", but ppl would not be able to go to the main menu and change things (or exit the game completely).

How about start in the air next to an aircraft carrier and see if one can land? (difficulty settings set to easy). You do need some control so a joystick with a number of buttons and integrated throttle would be necessary. Bolt it to a desk, together with a legenda for the buttons (gear down/up, aresting hook up/down etc.).

[museum install]

Originally Posted by vanderstok

What if you used a dogfight server that rapidly changes missions, ie every few minutes? There would be no need to hit "escape". If someone crashes he/she will have to wait for the server to restart the game. The mouse wil be needed to select an aircraft and hit "fly", but ppl would not be able to go to the main menu and change things (or exit the game completely).

How about start in the air next to an aircraft carrier and see if one can land? (difficulty settings set to easy). You do need some control so a joystick with a number of buttons and integrated throttle would be necessary. Bolt it to a desk, together with a legenda for the buttons (gear down/up, aresting hook up/down etc.).

We can program buttons on the joystick or include an extra button on the console that is set for "escape", that's actually pretty easy. Our biggest challenge is getting the player to a scenario without going through all the set up, choosing a mission and base, choosing planes, etc.

We have another kiosk that is dedicated to carrier landing. We call it "Landing". We are using MS Flight Sim to land an F/18. MS Flight Sim has a "kiosk mode" that allows a good amount of customization. The game starts with you in the cockpit on approach to a carrier. We've customized the joystick buttons for gear, brakes and tail hook. It works really well. Too bad MS must not believe in guns because there is no shooting in their sims.