MiG Alley (video game)
Encyclopedia
MiG Alley is a combat flight simulator
game developed by Rowan Software
and published by Empire Interactive
in 1999. It is a historical simulation which focuses on early jet fighter combat in the Korean War
- specifically, the so-called MiG Alley
in northwestern North Korea
, for which the game is named. One of the interesting aspects of the game is the closeness in overall performance between the main combat fighter aircraft - the MiG-15 and the F-86 Sabre. Another is that the game was one of the earliest in the genre to incorporate a 'dynamic' campaign, in which the player's missions are influenced by in-game events rather than being presented in a predetermined order.
The game features customizable enemy artificial intelligence, which at its higher settings, is very strong for a combat flight simulator. Although developed for Windows 98
, with slight edits to setup files, the game can run on Windows XP
, albeit with no official support for USB joysticks. It can also run on Windows Vista
and Windows 7 without any edits.
The source code
was later released with permission from Empire Interactive, minus the textures and landscape detailing. This was done in the hope that the online open source
community would make a Macintosh-compatible version of the game.
Combat flight simulator
Combat flight simulators are video games used to simulate military aircraft and their operations...
game developed by Rowan Software
Rowan Software
Rowan Software was a British software company focused on the development of computer games. The company was founded by Rod Hyde in 1987 and based in Runcorn, Cheshire. Rowan was best known as a publisher of flight simulators for the PC....
and published by Empire Interactive
Empire Interactive
Empire Interactive was a UK based video game developer and publisher founded in 1987. It was closed under administration on 4 May 2009.-About Empire Interactive:...
in 1999. It is a historical simulation which focuses on early jet fighter combat in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- specifically, the so-called MiG Alley
MiG Alley
"MIG Alley" is the name given by U.S. Air Force pilots to the northwestern portion of North Korea, where the Yalu River empties into the Yellow Sea. During the Korean War, it was the site of numerous dogfights between U.S. fighter jets and those of the Communist forces, particularly the Soviet...
in northwestern North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, for which the game is named. One of the interesting aspects of the game is the closeness in overall performance between the main combat fighter aircraft - the MiG-15 and the F-86 Sabre. Another is that the game was one of the earliest in the genre to incorporate a 'dynamic' campaign, in which the player's missions are influenced by in-game events rather than being presented in a predetermined order.
The game features customizable enemy artificial intelligence, which at its higher settings, is very strong for a combat flight simulator. Although developed for Windows 98
Windows 98
Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
, with slight edits to setup files, the game can run on Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, albeit with no official support for USB joysticks. It can also run on Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7 without any edits.
The source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
was later released with permission from Empire Interactive, minus the textures and landscape detailing. This was done in the hope that the online open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
community would make a Macintosh-compatible version of the game.