The focus of gameplay is on low-level attacks of tactical targets, over ground and sea. Missions include air strikes on a wide range of targets including warships, subs, trains, tanks, airfields, and factories. Other mission types add variety, and include Patrol, Intercept, and Strategic Bombing.
Theater of Operations
Missions are set in the Western European Theatre, primarily in Western France, Western Germany, and the Low Countries. Sea-based missions are flown over the English Channel and North Sea off the European coast.
The Western European landscape is recreated in detail using Mad Doc Software’s next-generation rendering engine. Over 1 million square miles of terrain have been modelled, using high resolution ground textures and accurate digital height elevations. Numerous buildings and structures, from smaller dwellings to huge industrial complexes and notable landmarks, have been meticulously modelled. Hundreds of villages, towns, and cities along the flight path have also been modelled, along with railways, roads, rivers, and airfields. The typical mission starts near the objective, or the player can jump instantly to the next objective. Hard core sim players have the option to fly realtime between waypoints,.
Missions and Multiplayer Game Play
Jane’s Attack Squadron offers single missions, campaigns, quick missions, and training missions. Campaigns combine single-style missions, and put the player in the role of squad leader, while quick missions allow the player to set a few parameters and jump into the fray. Training missions cover basics (takeoff and landing) and attack maneuvers (such as dive-bombing and using rockets and torpedoes).
The game also includes robust multiplayer support for up to 8 players via LAN or TCP/IP. Multiplayer options include deathmatch style Dogfights.
Aircraft
Jane’s Attack Squadron will feature up to 14 flyable aircraft. Each has an accurately modelled 3D cockpit with fully functioning dials and gauges. The game also boasts one of the most detailed aircraft damage systems in any aircraft simulation. Each aircraft is composed of multiple components, each being completely damageable and many which can also break off. Bullet decals also appear in the exact location of bullet strikes, ensuring that battle damage will never look the same way twice.
Signature aircraft are the top WW2 fighter-bombers, such as the American P-38, P-47, and P-51, as well as the German Fw-190, Me-262 and Bf-109. Some medium and heavy bombers also appear, including the American B-17 and the German Ju-88.
Land and Sea Targets
Jane’s Attack Squadron provides the user with an unparalleled ground attack combat experience for a prop sim. Features range from tanks fighting each other on the battlefield, to battleships conducting shore bombardment, to FLAK and Ant-Aircraft guns firing back at the player.
Military vehicles include a variety of tanks, jeeps, and trucks that traverse the battlefield and make ripe targets for strafing, bombing, and rocket attacks. Artillery guns provide indirect fire on the battlefield while smaller caliber AA guns threaten lower flying aircraft. Going in low to take out enemy ground targets is a harrowing experience!
The Jane’s Attack Squadron world is populated with numerous mission targets, both tactical and strategic. Ground targets include factories, landmarks, trains, airfields, fuel and ammo dumps, villages, V2 sites, and bridges. Each structure has detailed multiple levels of damage with corresponding smoke and fire effects.
Battleships, destroyers, subs and merchant ships also populate the Jane’s Attack Squadron world. Naval ships can conduct shore bombardment, and also attack other naval targets. The challenge is real - if the player fails to take out a destroyer in time, it can actually sink the ships of a friendly convoy.
Xicat Interactive is a worldwide leader in the interactive entertainment software industry. The profitable company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, USA, with offices in London, England and Zurich, Switzerland, the company publishes award-winning computer and video games for the PlayStation® game console, PlayStation® 2 game console, Nintendo® 64, Nintendo® Game Boy® Color, Sega® Dreamcast™, and personal computer platforms. Visit their Web site at www.xicat.com