Burning Question-- Does everybody land the shuttle?

[des]

Binary Star does all the software for the big expensive simulations. You can tell they are expensive, because no place on their website do they say how much their software is, and they don't sell to individuals anyway. But back when they also made this really cheapo software called Precision Approach. This is what I have (supposedly) because Jim, the guy I am working with, claims is the best landing software available-- most like the shuttle-- not graphically. It has maybe 8 colors. I saw it once, and still can't get my copy to work. It has quite a learning curve, the manual is maybe 35 pages of text file.

Their website for fun:
http://www.binarystarltd.com


--des

Visual inspection showed that the doors were closed.

Trust me guys when I saw this Binary Star the software that SC uses is full of bugs they have had issues with Payload bay doors since my group in x-mas camp of '03 tested it out.

[Hotdog]

I have a CDROM copy of Precision Approach, circa 1993-94. It came bundled with a Eurofighter combat flight sim from the same era. It is the exact same software that used to be in the Rocket Center's shuttle landing sims before they upgraded to "Discovery Final Approach".

I haven't tried to run Presicion Approach in years and I'm not sure if it will work on a Windows XP system without some kind of DOS emulator...

[des]

It won't run native on anything later than Windows 9* boxes. There is an emulator program called DosBox, and it runs on that. Actually better in some ways as you can use a USB joystick. It also runs at the right speed (there might be problems trying to run it on a Pentium of any sort, as it might go down too fast to actually land (barring perhaps some kind of CPU slower downer- that's a technical term btw).

My copy of Precision Approach (second copy) has certain files corrupted. I found a disk repair program, so we'll see.


--des

I have a CDROM copy of Precision Approach, circa 1993-94. It came bundled with a Eurofighter combat flight sim from the same era. It is the exact same software that used to be in the Rocket Center's shuttle landing sims before they upgraded to "Discovery Final Approach".

I haven't tried to run Presicion Approach in years and I'm not sure if it will work on a Windows XP system without some kind of DOS emulator...

[Hotdog]

thank you, good info! makes me want to put together an older PC for the sole purpose of running older programs such as Prescision Approach, Shuttle, and Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space!

[des]

No problem.

I have a Windows 98 box and that's all it's for really. (I also have Open Office on it so that I can do work at home-- so maybe I will.) I also have a few other games on it. (Normally I run a Mac).

I found Shuttle and got it going today (thanks to a un-zip program). I couldn't figure it out, so I will really need the directions. I also have a freeware slower downer called, "CPU grab". I haven't looked at it, so I'll let you know later. I'm sure I'll need it as this computer could actually run Windows NT.

Precision Approach has a LONG set of directions. Actually printed them out so they are gadzillions of pages-- and got Bad copy pro runnign so I can scan the disk, but can't find PA now! I know it is somewhere...
These things aren't exactly easy! (I have Fly, and the manual looks like a real flight manual. These aren't games in the usual sense!!
I never read manuals-- so I'll have to break precedent.

BTW, you could run DOS Box on a modern computer. It is Open source and runs on everything including Linux and Mac. That said, I couldn't get it running on my Mac. I think this is another read the manual thing. My understanding now is that there is a bit more to it than installing and running it!

So good luck. At camp we are also using something called MacMECO. This is a simulation of Mission Control until MECO. It is very detailed. Very cool thing with chintzy graphics. It actually runs in emulation on my newer Mac (1992 program I think). http://ois.unomaha.edu/maverick/training/meco2.htm

There is a nice site with space simulators-- it is much more than that as well.
http://www.hobbyspace.com
http://www.hobbyspace.com/Simulators/index.html



--des

thank you, good info! makes me want to put together an older PC for the sole purpose of running older programs such as Prescision Approach, Shuttle, and Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space!