The reincarnated Microprose is busy publishing new titles with some interesting indie developerse and working away on some projects of their own including a B-17 focused sim experience that they have been talking about for some time now. In an announcement yesterday, they noted that their team is now working closely with the 100th Bomb Group Foundation who are now collaborating on the project. Here’s what we know!
Authentic details on focus
I don’t think anyone outside of the developers themselves know exactly what Microprose is cooking up for their B-17 related title. They announced previously that they were working with Valiant Effort and their efforts to bring a Lancaster experience out and now they have announced this new collaboration with the 100th Bomb Group Foundation.
According to the announcement, the collaboration gives the developer team access to books and primary source materials that will help lend and air of authenticity to the project. Historically based flight sims and video games in general tend to always benefit from more accurate experiences and the last twenty years of flight sim community groups have shown that there are a great many people out there who will notice if the details are all wrong.
MicroProse’s CEO, David Lagettie wrote in the announcement the following:
Stories of harrowing combat from the brave members of the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ group are vast. We have many books and primary source materials at our disposal that will help to recreate missions with a historic level of detail. Thorpe Abbotts airfield, the home of the 100th Bomb Group during the war, will be recreated with each building and local landmark in their place. Flying over the English countryside will look and feel like the conditions of how those B-17 aircraft operated.
David Lagettie
That sounds really interesting even if we don’t exactly know what Microprose is building with their spiritual successor to the original and very popular B-17 game – The Mighty Eighth which released way back in 1992.
The announcement also comes with these two concept pieces (or maybe screenshots?).
Stormbirds 
I would love to see a sequel to B-17 – The Mighty Eighth, especially as it was originally announced to support VR as well.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
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Yeah that seems to be what they are building. I’m curious to see if it’s going to get more sim like with its flying or simplify that and focus on the rest of the experience.
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I’m hoping for a somewhat simplified flying experience, with a focus on campaign and crew management. Much like the two previous titles.
My fear is a study sim, with only extremely historically accurate missions actually flown by the 100th.
Whilst that has appeal for sure, and would on its own be an eye opener to what these kids went through, I fear it won’t have much replay value.
Somewhat simplified gameplay, and a campaign engine where I can choose targets and run “the bomber war” is what appeals to me. Like both previous B17 titles, and the silent hunter submarine games.
I’d hate to spend hours getting ready, and get shot down because a wrong engine setting made me slide out of formation,
Just my 2 cents…
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I wouldn’t hold your breath for anything to materialize anytime soon, or years for that matter. I’d take any screenshots/renders provided by Microprose with an extreme grain of salt.
Microprose started developing the sequel to B-17 over a year ago, and by developing I mean they “hired” some 3D artists to render cockpits and external models and post them to social media. They never created terrain, weather systems, flight models, avionics, damage modeling, ballistics, anything. Hell, they didn’t even have an engine to build upon and incorporate all of these components into if they had. Just renders via Twitter…
Then Microprose’ PR or their HH department came upon Valiant Effort, a very, very, early WIP sim likely happened across via a random Google search, probably by the same people that didn’t purchase the models seen in the renders from Turbosquid. 🤐 Some behind the scenes talks take place and…BLAM! Sharp End Studios becomes Microprose Canada. Seriously, that’s how it happened.
A group of us have been deep-diving and following this since it was announced.
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/52720-bomber-focused/?do=findComment&comment=1080237
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