Gunship 2000
Encyclopedia
Gunship 2000 is a helicopter
flight simulator
and is the sequel to Gunship by MicroProse
. It was released in 1991 for DOS
. Amiga
, Amiga CD32
and PlayStation (as Gunship) versions were released in 1993, 1994 and 1996 respectively. An expansion pack
Gunship 2000: Islands and Ice was released subsequently.
Gunship 2000 significantly enhanced and expanded the features and gameplay from the original Gunship. Key areas of change were a move to full 256-color graphics, enhanced terrain and general visuals, the ability to fly multiple helicopter types and finally the ability to command a team of helicopters and their crews.
Gunship 2000 utilised roughly the same format as most of the other MicroProse flight simulators of the time. That is, the player had a profile, chose their combat theatre, and either performed single missions or a campaign. The primary similarity was the randomly-generated 'primary-secondary' mission types where the player was given a primary mission (destroy a target / pickup or drop off troops or cargo / recon an objective) and a less valuable secondary objective that included the same kind of tasks as a primary. The campaign strung these missions together in a 'tug-of-war' system. Victories advanced the player's side towards victory and harder missions, defeat went the other way (though the missions sometimes got harder too).
Initially the player flew a lone helicopter to complete missions, choosing between AH-1 Cobra
, AH-64 Apache
, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
, MD 530MG and UH-60 Blackhawk. As the player's rank increased, the RAH-66 Comanche
and the AH-64B Apache Longbow were unlocked (the 'B' designation is due to the game being designed before the Longbow Apache was in service as the 'D' model). Using less powerful helicopters resulted in a higher mission score, though this had to be balanced with the likelihood of having enough fuel/weapons to complete the mission.
Planning was often an important part of the game: fuel consumption was unrealistically high (which was a good thing in this context), and the player could rarely lift off with full fuel and the best weapons loaded. Also terrain and enemy presence had to be considered (the intel briefing would often tell the player what to expect near targets). Usually a Forward Arming Refuel Point (FARP) was present in the mission. This was important, as the player may have to refuel or rearm during the course of the mission depending on the density of enemy and distance to objectives.
On promotion to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, the player would gain control of several other helicopter wingmen whose helicopters could also be configured to the same extent as the players. Wingmen could remain with the player or be sent off for separate tasks (such as completing the secondary objective), so a great deal of flexibility was present for tactical planning.
and Europe
; the Islands and Ice expansion pack added Antarctica and The Philippines
. Terrain was designed separately for each theatre; for instance, desert really was desert, and not just European farmland painted brown. 2D menus and screens in the game were of high quality, especially the arming screen for the helicopters, which allowed the user to see exactly what weapons were being loaded on the gunship of choice.
Visuals in other areas were about on par for the private flight simulator technology at the time (the later PlayStation version of the game features much better graphics, including full textures on all 3D objects). The helicopter models were identifiable but were not highly detailed. Land vehicles and structures were of mixed quality, with some being a few rectangles and a window, and others sprouting roof mounted machine guns and antennas. Importantly, vehicles could be told apart by shape and features. Other game objects included civilian buildings, billboards and even animals.
Given the computing technology of the time and the survey simulation nature of the game (covering multiple helicopters), Gunship 2000 was never going to be a totally realistic simulation. However, the cockpits were reasonable copies of the real helicopter cockpits, and certain features such as Mast Mounted Sights were present on the smaller scout helicopters. However, avionics and flight modelling was rather generic. Realistic tactics such as nap-of-the-earth
flight and 'pop-up' attacks could be employed on account of the reasonably detailed terrain.
The Gunship 2000: Islands & Ice expansion pack followed on about a year later (in 1992). It added two theatres of war (Antarctica and The Philippines), as well as an innovative mission editor.
Gameplay followed closely on the heels of Gunship 2000, but added unique aspects for the two new theaters as well as a number of additional functions and new player aids, including: in-flight mission changes, air and artillery support, wind and weather (including whiteouts
and magnetic disturbances in Antarctica), maintenance and weapon system downtimes, improved autopilot
, targeting, navigation
, and the addition of a HUD
mission clock.
One of the most innovative features was the mission builder. This tool enabled players to create and edit missions of their own design. Every aspect of a typical Gunship 2000 mission was available for use in the mission builder. It also provided a number of shortcut steps to enable players to quickly create new missions without having to, for example, place every defender on the map one-by-one. Players could even export a standard Gunship 2000 mission into the mission builder as a template for editing. Once completed, mission could be saved for play, editing or free exchange with other players. Very advanced for its day, the mission builder set the tone for many follow on products by enabling players to determine fun by their own standards.
.
Jane's Longbow
and Jane's Longbow 2
, were spiritual successors to Gunship 2000.
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
flight simulator
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
and is the sequel to Gunship by MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
. It was released in 1991 for DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
. Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" , was the first 32-bit CD-ROM based video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom on 16 July 1993, and was released in September of the same year...
and PlayStation (as Gunship) versions were released in 1993, 1994 and 1996 respectively. An expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
Gunship 2000: Islands and Ice was released subsequently.
Gunship 2000 significantly enhanced and expanded the features and gameplay from the original Gunship. Key areas of change were a move to full 256-color graphics, enhanced terrain and general visuals, the ability to fly multiple helicopter types and finally the ability to command a team of helicopters and their crews.
Gameplay
Initially the player flew a lone helicopter to complete missions, choosing between AH-1 Cobra
AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
, AH-64 Apache
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
OH-58 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine, single-rotor, military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. Bell Helicopter manufactured the OH-58 for the United States Army based on the 206A JetRanger helicopter. The OH-58 has been in continuous use by the U.S...
, MD 530MG and UH-60 Blackhawk. As the player's rank increased, the RAH-66 Comanche
RAH-66 Comanche
The Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche was an advanced five-blade armed reconnaissance and attack helicopter designed for the United States Army. The RAH-66 program was canceled in 2004, before mass production began, after nearly $7 billion was spent on the program.During the early 1980s, the U.S...
and the AH-64B Apache Longbow were unlocked (the 'B' designation is due to the game being designed before the Longbow Apache was in service as the 'D' model). Using less powerful helicopters resulted in a higher mission score, though this had to be balanced with the likelihood of having enough fuel/weapons to complete the mission.
Planning was often an important part of the game: fuel consumption was unrealistically high (which was a good thing in this context), and the player could rarely lift off with full fuel and the best weapons loaded. Also terrain and enemy presence had to be considered (the intel briefing would often tell the player what to expect near targets). Usually a Forward Arming Refuel Point (FARP) was present in the mission. This was important, as the player may have to refuel or rearm during the course of the mission depending on the density of enemy and distance to objectives.
On promotion to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, the player would gain control of several other helicopter wingmen whose helicopters could also be configured to the same extent as the players. Wingmen could remain with the player or be sent off for separate tasks (such as completing the secondary objective), so a great deal of flexibility was present for tactical planning.
Visuals and realism
The visuals of the game are significantly better than those of Gunship. For the time the terrain modelling was quite good, with desert wadis and twisting ridgelines being well represented. This was very important for simulating helicopter combat, as cover using terrain is one of the primary tactics. The game had two primary theatres: the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; the Islands and Ice expansion pack added Antarctica and The Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Terrain was designed separately for each theatre; for instance, desert really was desert, and not just European farmland painted brown. 2D menus and screens in the game were of high quality, especially the arming screen for the helicopters, which allowed the user to see exactly what weapons were being loaded on the gunship of choice.
Visuals in other areas were about on par for the private flight simulator technology at the time (the later PlayStation version of the game features much better graphics, including full textures on all 3D objects). The helicopter models were identifiable but were not highly detailed. Land vehicles and structures were of mixed quality, with some being a few rectangles and a window, and others sprouting roof mounted machine guns and antennas. Importantly, vehicles could be told apart by shape and features. Other game objects included civilian buildings, billboards and even animals.
Given the computing technology of the time and the survey simulation nature of the game (covering multiple helicopters), Gunship 2000 was never going to be a totally realistic simulation. However, the cockpits were reasonable copies of the real helicopter cockpits, and certain features such as Mast Mounted Sights were present on the smaller scout helicopters. However, avionics and flight modelling was rather generic. Realistic tactics such as nap-of-the-earth
Nap-of-the-earth
Nap-of-the-earth is a type of very low-altitude flight course used by military aircraft to avoid enemy detection and attack in a high-threat environment....
flight and 'pop-up' attacks could be employed on account of the reasonably detailed terrain.
Expansions pack
Gameplay followed closely on the heels of Gunship 2000, but added unique aspects for the two new theaters as well as a number of additional functions and new player aids, including: in-flight mission changes, air and artillery support, wind and weather (including whiteouts
Whiteout (weather)
Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow or sand. The horizon disappears completely and there are no reference points at all, leaving the individual with a distorted orientation...
and magnetic disturbances in Antarctica), maintenance and weapon system downtimes, improved autopilot
Autopilot
An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
, targeting, navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, and the addition of a HUD
HUD (video gaming)
In video gaming, the HUD is the method by which information is visually relayed to the player as part of a game's user interface...
mission clock.
One of the most innovative features was the mission builder. This tool enabled players to create and edit missions of their own design. Every aspect of a typical Gunship 2000 mission was available for use in the mission builder. It also provided a number of shortcut steps to enable players to quickly create new missions without having to, for example, place every defender on the map one-by-one. Players could even export a standard Gunship 2000 mission into the mission builder as a template for editing. Once completed, mission could be saved for play, editing or free exchange with other players. Very advanced for its day, the mission builder set the tone for many follow on products by enabling players to determine fun by their own standards.
Reception
The game received 5 out of 5 stars in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
.
Sequel and spiritual successors
MicroProse's GUNSHIP! was released in March 2000 and was not as successful, largely due to its unfinished state, arcade nature and the cancellation of M1 TANK PLATOON!, which it was supposed to integrate with. All three of these helicopter titles share some common features pioneered in Gunship 2000, especially the crew management and in some cases, mission structure.Jane's Longbow
Longbow (computer game)
AH-64D Longbow is a realistic PC flight simulator of the AH-64D Longbow. Released on May 31, 1996, this simulation was developed at Origin Systems, Inc. by producer Andy Hollis and director Will McBurnett...
and Jane's Longbow 2
Longbow 2
Longbow 2 is the sequel to the best-selling AH-64D Longbow from Jane's Combat Simulations. Made at Origin Systems with executive producer Andy Hollis and producer Will McBurnett on board, and released on Nov 30, 1997. This sim improved on virtually every level of the first game, and it is...
, were spiritual successors to Gunship 2000.