Why SimHQ doesn't have a dedicated sub-forum for DiD F-22 Total Air War? I just got it a few days ago (the 2.0 upgrade version, can't give the link until I'm sure it's entirely legal). Graphics and systems operations are nothing to write home about, but the rest are just super! It's probably the most immersive flightsim I ever played. A2A refueling is even harder than F4. Damage modelling (not visually) is very good. A damage can gradually get worse over time. Just because you hit something doesn't mean you'll just blow up, it depends on where you hit. I love the hide-and-seek gameplay. Nothing beats the feeling when you manage to sneak right on a bandit's tailpipe and send an AIM-9X his way. The datalinked SA display is awesome, too. The most unique is the ability to play as AWACS operator. An RTS within a flightsim! Is there no one else out there who think this is awesome? That's about the only reason I think TAW doesn't get it's own sub-forum here.

Don't post the link ,since that's the reason that the previous TAW forum was taken down.
There was a ton of information about the game in there. All gone now.

Aw, I see. Too bad. Thanks for the info. I didn't know there was a TAW sub-forum here before.
I wonder though, if this is not legal, why they didn't bring down the website? It's been around for a long time now. What's the difference between TAW 2.0 and FreeFalcon, for instance? BMS is only slightly different by forcing CD check of the original F4 before install. Other than that it's just the same scheme. Must be a complicated legal issue I can't understand.

Good questions, but as I hope the TAW forum hasn't been deleted and that one day we may be allowed access to the useful information it contains, it's probably best to not annoy SimHQ further by discussing it here.
Try the forum at www.combatsim.com

Wilco. Thanks for the link.

There's no annoyances for perfectly legitimate conversations. Wondering why a sub-forum has disappeared is a good question. Note that just because a site or link hasn't been taken down by The Man doesn't mean SimHQ will be completely free of any liability sharing those links or material.

I was not aware of this 2.0 (now 2.21) update until I read your post, so after a quick Startpage search I found it in a matter of seconds and wow.. impressive! magicalflyer, thanks for letting me know!

As for the copyright issue, yes I can see why TAW isn't mentioned on here anymore as it'd be a shame to shut this mod down. I'm a huge fan of DiD and bought all their games from the beginning, I have the utmost respect for them and they are sadly missed. I don't know who owns the copyright now as Ocean and Infogrames are no more. Then there is the wonderful bonus soundtracks from TFX and EF2000, so technically there could be a problem there but the most obvious copyright breach to me are the pdf books included... wow! It's almost worth getting this for the documentation alone! They go very nicely indeed with the original TAW ring binder manual I have right here in it's original cardboard box. Finally, I can fire up this work of art again!

So thanks again for the heads up, those surprise extra pdf books are absolutely fantastic. I'll have to look out for them on amazon and buy the ones I didn't already have as my way of saying thanks to the authors. Take care and all the best.

The TAW and EF2000 copyright would be with Atari now, which is what Infogrames morphed into. You ask them for any support for EF2000 though, and they just don't want to know.

Apart from the books published by Ocean, there are are the strategy guides by Sim Tech and mission editors by GTT (for TAWBC) and Flying Muffin (for EF2000 Strategic Commander). None of these entities are around to accept payment.

If I remember correctly, at one time either us or another site did get a cease-and-desist from Atari regarding this; I'm not sure now. I know that someone did, and that was enough. We attempted to get the readers to stop linking and stop posting about it. Some did. Some refused. So we had to shut the forum down.

Now, let me just say this, in my personal capacity and not as a SimHQ Staff member:

Whether we like it or not, intellectual property is a major issue in our time. Simply because Atari isn't going after some places that host such a title as the one discussed here does not mean that they won't go after others that are easier to get to. This site is U.S.-based, which makes it much easier for a multinational, wealthy corporation to haul it into court in some forum thousands of miles away from its headquarters and bankrupt a thousand times over the retiree that owns and operates it solely for the benefit of those who love military simulations. That's not so easy when the content is being hosted overseas in a less litigation-friendly environment. Also, some site operators are a little less concerned about losing everything they've worked for years and years to build on a shoestring for the ethereal principle of "free internet games for all" than others are. Perhaps this is the reason why the content is accessible in some places, but not others.

Food for thought, folks.

Good points Cat, well said!



With all due respect sir, I think you may have overlooked the book included in the download by Rebecca Grant (of the RAND Corporation): http://www.amazon.com/The-Radar-Game-Und...9926&sr=8-1 as you can see, Amazon currently have three used on sale with prices ranging from $59.98 at the bottom to $180.51 at the top. I don't know Ms Grant, but I doubt she or the sellers would be very happy about her book being given away for free in the TAW download?

Richard G. Sheffield's 'Jet Fighter School: Air Combat Simulator Tactics and Maneuvers' is of course also included, which I've seen on Amazon selling for as much as $37.71 used, although that's one of the books I already bought back in the late 1980's (along with Sub Logic's 'Jet').