Space Shuttle - How Accurate?

[Fretwobbler]

EDIT - in the game manual, the designers commented that in order to achieve the missions you had to do *almost* as many operations, button switches, operations, etc, etc, as the real thing. Technically, its virtually indistinguashable from the real thing, or so they say

 

They only left things out because NASA didnt tell them everything when they were developing it.

 

Any Space Buff would love it!

[Fretwobbler]

although I don't know that it would be very exciting to play.  

 

..Al

 

Spot on Albert! At normal speed and with no AI assistance it takes 4 hours just to taxi to the launch zone

 

 

 

I need the edit button back!

[Shannon]

There was like a Buzz Aldrin's Race To Space strategy game that came out when the Amiga and ST were out.

 

I remember it being fairly sophisticated. Dunno if it had any shuttle missions or the like though.

[Rob Mitchell]

As you know the Space Shuttle was designed in the early-middle 1970s with updates in design with the replacement shuttle (what's its name?). The pilot controlled everything.

 

In the 1990s a program was developed for use on a on-board laptop to simulate landings while in orbit. So they would practice with this program interfaced to the controls. And that laptop would allow the space shuttle to fly and land itself.

 

Now that would be the program to get.

 

Other programs: There is a DOS based program to simulate a lunar landing using the LEM. It requires practice to make a successful landing.

 

How about a Saturn V simulation? Now that would be a blast!

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Big Player]

BP, you can borrow my manual sometime if you need.

 

Thanks for the offer. I can't even play Space Shuttle right now since my 2600's power supply that was on the fritz finally blew out and I'm using my 7800. It's really tough to fly the shuttle without the main engines.

 

(Yes, it is ironic that I posted earlier about being able to land the shuttle with the auxiliary engines. )

[vb_master]

Off-the-topic question here - what OS do they use on space shuttles? For sure if they used Windows, they'd be pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete all the time (refrence to a The Screen Saved show).

[StanJr]

 

Thanks for the offer.  I can't even play Space Shuttle right now since my 2600's power supply that was on the fritz finally blew out and I'm using my 7800.  It's really tough to fly the shuttle without the main engines.  

 

 

I've got a back-up power supply you can use as well. No man should be without his VCS.

[Rekrul]

(As an aside- I vaguely recall the Space Shuttle being announced for other platforms, possibly the Commodore 64. Did it ever make it onto other systems, or just the 2600?)

 

It came out for at least the C64. It was pretty much the same as the 2600 version.

 

I watched it and it didn't look that way to me, but that host always could make the most exciting computer game seem like the most boring thing ever created.

 

I know what you mean! I think the only thing I ever saw him get excited over was some third party add-on for an old version of Word Perfect (I think) that let you change the tabs in only 22 steps rather than the normal 26 steps (yes, that's sarcasm. I forget how many steps it took, but it seemed like a lot for this product that was supposed to make things simpler).

 

 

Have Space Shuttle simulations ever been released for anything else, not including ports of this title to other game consoles and computers?

 

The above mentioned Space Shuttle was also available for the Amiga. It was so complicated that I never managed to successfully make it into orbit.

[Fretwobbler]

It was so complicated that I never managed to successfully make it into orbit.

 

Do you not get AI assistance on the AMiga version

 

On the PC version there are varying levels of assistance, the greatest of which directs you how to do every operation and you can therefore execute missions flawlessly.

 

Its a while since I played it, but from what I rmember it does get impossible ,even with all the help, when you have to start deploying satelites with the robotic arm.

 

Re-entry was always a problem as well, but achievable with the AI help.

[Rekrul]

Do you not get AI assistance on the AMiga version

 

I'm not sure, I didn't have the instructions for it. Also, I don't think I ever got it to work under 2.x of the OS, so I didn't play it much.

[Godzilla]

There were a few amiga space shuttely games, but the activision 2600 one was not ported to the amiga.