Frequently Asked Questions:
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What's so special about the terrain?
AH-64D Longbow has over 20,000 square Km of fully-textured, rolling terrain. All of the terrain is based of real US Geological Survey digital elevation map data. There are no "tiles" used or repeating terrain art, it's all 100% unique. You can easily use terrain features as reference points during missions. In other words, it's real terrain. For the first time ever in a PC simulation, players can use realistic pop-up attacks and terrain masking techniques, just like real Longbow and Apache pilots do. There are several different geographic terrain types to encounter as well. You'll see the snow-capped mountains and scattered farmlands of the Baltic region, steep tropical mountains, coastlines, even the Panama Canal and Panama City in (you guessed it) Panama, the rolling sand dunes of Iraq, and the blistering hot desert of Mesa, AZ (where you get to experience training over the same terrain as real Longbow pilots do).
How realistic is the flight model?
The flight model in Jane's AH-64D Longbow was developed in-house by Origin's aerospace engineering experts along with plenty of input from real US Army Apache pilots. Toward the end of the project, a team of special pilots were also involved in testing this simulation. We can't reveal who they are, but we can give you a hint: they fly real AH-64D Longbow Apaches. The result is an incredibly realistic flight model with options that include settings for Collective, Dynamics, Aerobatics, Ground Effect, Transitional (Translational) Lift, Altitude effects, Weight, Wind and Turbulence. Experience the sensation of flight like never before on the PC!
How realistic are the avionics and battle scenarios?
You can tailor the gameplay to your style, but with the combined resources from Jane's, McDonnell Douglas, US Army pilots, and former military intelligence officers, you can be sure that at full realism, Jane's AH-64D Longbow is as realistic as any non-classified simulation can get. Producer Andy Hollis has a reputation for delivering precision avionics. His last sim, F15 SEIII, received accolades for the avionics modeling and was a classic example of how to do it right. Jane's AH-64D Longbow takes it one step further. In AH-64D Longbow, realism options include Damage, RWR, Targeting, Missile Ranges, Weapons Damage, Audio Warnings and map icons.
What sort of Jane's materials can I expect to see in Longbow?
AH-64D Longbow includes an interactive Jane's Combat Reference guide packed with photos, diagrams, stats and 3D models of all the aircraft, vehicles, amour and air defense systems in the sim. There are several hundred pages of Jane's information in all. Players can also view photos and technical drawing at full-screen. You can look at your mission map, read your briefing and identify key threats, then pull up the interactive Jane's guide and learn more about their strengths, weaknesses and how to identify them on the battlefield.
Does Jane's Longbow have training missions?
AH-64D Longbow features a fully interactive combat training system with tutorial missions designed by the former head of Apache training at Ft. Hood. Everything is covered, from a thorough walk-around to basic flight, instrumentation, Weapons & Sensors and much more. If you want to bypass the 256-page spiral-bound manual, just complete the training program and you should ready to take on just about anything in the sim.
What is the premise for the campaign?
The UN sends forces to the Polish/Ukraine border to defend against threatening CIS (Confederation of Independent States) forces. From the initial recon and surveillance to the final shots, you get to fly missions throughout the course of an entire war. Mission scenarios involve everything from escort duty to surgical strikes, POW rescue missions and much more.
Is there infantry in Jane's Longbow?
Yes, there are both friendly and enemy soldiers in Jane's AH-64D Longbow. Even with all the high-tech air defense systems in place, a shoulder-launched SAM can still be your worst enemy.
Are there any historical missions?
Yes. You can fly real historical missions from 'Desert Storm' (Gulf War) and 'Just Cause' (Panama). All are precisely recreated using the most accurate, up-to-date intelligence information available. Fly them as they were really flown in the A-model (Apache) or twist the history books by taking on Sadam Hussein and Gen. Noriega in a Longbow!
Can I create my own missions?
AH-64D Longbow has a single mission clipboard that generates missions based on your input on variables such as the terrain type, time of day, mission objectives and weather. The mission briefing interface lets you customize your waypoint paths, too.
What if I just want to blow things up?
AH-64D Longbow has an instant action mode geared for pilots looking for fast action and a lot of carnage. Instant action mode will start up a target-rich mission on the currently decompressed terrain map. So, if you've been flying historical missions in Panama and start up instant action, your instant action mission will take place in Panama. By default, instant action mode gives you unlimited ammo and invulnerability, but you can change the realism options to something more challenging if you like. Instant action missions are less realistic than the other missions, but are much more action-packed.
How many missions are there?
Jane's AH-64D Longbow has over 250 missions in all.
Is there a mission recorder?
Yes. You can record and playback missions and start flying from any point in the playback.
Is there any live-action video footage in Longbow?
Yes, you can pull up test flight video footage of real Apaches and Longbows in action. Videos also showcase the radar and avionics systems in the Longbow. Pull up some video to check out the actual maneuvers and avionics, then try the same thing in the simulation. There are also CNN-style news casts throughout the campaign that keep you up-to-date on the war effort.
Does Longbow have a spiral bound manual like ATF?
Yes. AH-64D Longbow comes with an in-depth, 256-page spiral-bound manual packed with all the details on how to play, plus lots of great information from Jane's. If big manuals are not your thing, just try going through the interactive training missions instead. There's also a full-color heavy-duty reference card with a full keyboard layout and all the simulation commands.
Is there and official strategy guide for Longbow?
You bet. The Official Guide to Jane's AH-64D Longbow will be available simultaneously when the simulation is released. The guide is packed with intelligence files, combat tactics, maps and strategies for each mission, AI profiles, articles and excerpts from Jane's, and a whole lot more.
Can I play the Co-Pilot Gunner (CPG)?
AH-64D Longbow is a highly-detailed simulation of what it's like to be a Longbow pilot. In order to maintain the same level of quality throughout the simulation, Jane's Combat Simulations and Origin SkunkWorks focused all available time and energy into creating the best helicopter pilot simulation available on the PC. The CPG could not be implemented to the same level of quality given the development time and resource constraints. However, Jane's Combat Simulation is committed to continued support and research for AH-64D Longbow, so don't be surprised if you see the CPG position down the road.
Can I play Longbow over a modem or network?
Jane's Combat Simulations is committed to upholding a very high standard of quality for any feature available in AH-64D Longbow or any other Jane's Combat Simulations product. Multiplayer is a feature set that we see enormous potential in, but there was not time to deliver these features to the standard we strive for given the current circumstances. Multiplayer is something we want to do (and have already laid the framework for), but we will only do it if it's done right. Although delivering full-featured multiplayer support to our standard of quality would be a monumental task, the same is true for our current version of AH-64D Longbow, so you never know what surprises might lie ahead.
-Jane's