Play The Ancient Art Of War In The Skies Online

The Ancient Art of War in the Skies is a combat flight simulator released in 1992 for MS-DOS. It was developed by Evryware and published by MicroProse Software. The game presents a strategic and tactical simulation of aerial warfare, viewed from a third-person perspective during combat sequences.

Players command air forces across various campaigns, which include both historical and fictional scenarios. The primary objective in each campaign is to achieve victory by destroying the enemy's flight force, bombing their capital city, or depleting their resources and morale over time. Strategic decisions on the campaign map directly influence combat readiness; for instance, destroying enemy factories can delay their ability to produce new aircraft. The game also includes an editor, allowing for the creation of additional custom campaigns.

When opposing forces engage, the perspective shifts to a side-scrolling combat screen. In these sequences, players actively control their aircraft. During dogfights, the goal is to maneuver and shoot down enemy planes. In bombing runs, players must time their bomb release accurately while avoiding anti-aircraft fire. These combat phases can also be resolved automatically by the computer, with the outcome influenced by the statistical skill level of the virtual pilot and the strategic conditions set prior to the engagement.