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* AbandonedArea: The original website described both "Redmines" and "Shambhala" as these. For the former: "The Redmines is an old abandoned mining settlement whose name is taken from the red staining on the tunnel walls that make up a vast underground theatre of destruction." For the latter: "A long forgotten outpost that has been shrouded in mystery."
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** "Red Mines" has a rather impressive long, winding mining tunnel network that connects to various parts of the map. There's also a sizable arena underground, with just enough space for a scrap.
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** "Red Mines" "Redmines" has a rather impressive long, winding mining tunnel network that connects to various parts of the map. There's also a sizable arena underground, with just enough space for a scrap.
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* BuildLikeAnEgyptian: "Pharaoahs" features three pyramids connected by a sort of temple or plaza. Notably for the trope, the pyramids and plaza ''are not'' undecorated sandstone. The pyramids have look more like what the Pyramids of Giza would have looked like when they were built, with polished limestone sides and capped with gold. The plaza is lush with water and lined with palm trees, and the obelisks and statues that dot the complex are vivid with colorful paint.
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* BuildLikeAnEgyptian: "Pharaoahs" features three pyramids connected by a sort of temple or plaza. Notably for the trope, the pyramids and plaza ''are not'' undecorated sandstone. As the original website says of this map: "At the centre of a vast featureless desert lies an untarnished vision of Ancient Egypt." The pyramids have look more like what the Pyramids of Giza would have looked like when they were built, with polished limestone sides and capped with gold. The plaza is lush with water and lined with palm trees, and the obelisks and statues that dot the complex are vivid with colorful paint.
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* {{Expy}}: "The Old Gods" is based on Hoi Ling Bay in Vietnam, and initially even went by that name. Of course, the ''real'' Hoi Ling Bay doesn't have a massive temple carved into the side of its cliff faces.
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* {{Expy}}: "The Old Gods" is based on Hoi Ling Bay in Vietnam, and [[https://www.gamesindustry.biz/dogfighter-indie-air-combat-game-gets-free-patch-bringing-new-aircraft-level-and-modes initially even went by that name.name]] during development. Of course, the ''real'' Hoi Ling Bay doesn't have a massive temple carved into the side of its cliff faces.
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* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to the ground or a surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the wall-walk in the walls of "Shangri La" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home, all while reasonably protected by ramparts on either side.
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* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to the ground or a surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the wall-walk in the walls of "Shangri La" "Shambhala" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home, all while reasonably protected by ramparts on either side.
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** Fly in "Shambhala" for at least an hour and you get the achievement "[[TheShangriLa Shangri La]]."
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* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to a ground or surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the wall-walk in the walls of "Shangri La" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home, all while reasonably protected by ramparts on either side.
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* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to a the ground or a surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the wall-walk in the walls of "Shangri La" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home, all while reasonably protected by ramparts on either side.
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* InformedEquipment: Surprisingly averted! Any offensive or defensive item you pick up will appear on your plane until it runs out of ammo or is otherwise consumed.
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* InformedEquipment: Surprisingly averted! Any offensive or defensive item you pick up will physically appear on your plane until it runs out of ammo or is otherwise consumed.consumed--and unlike in many games, ''all'' the items you've picked up are visible on your plane at all times. Collecting the myriad items will leave your plane quite visibly armed to the teeth.
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-->''The most advanced craft in the fleet. Its booster delivers a massive speed increase combined with a fair agility. The canopy cockpit means this craft can go higher than any other but it's weight means it has trouble on steep climbs.''
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-->''The most advanced craft in the fleet. Its booster delivers a massive speed increase combined with a fair agility. The canopy cockpit means this craft can go higher than any other but it's its weight means it has trouble on steep climbs.''
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* AutobotsRockOut: Somewhat curiously given the game heavily draws from the Golden Age of Aviation for its aesthetic, the game's entire soundtrack is hard rock akin to what fighter pilots stereotypically preferred between the 70s and 90s. That being said, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWzJ-boQrfM it's rather good.]]
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* AutobotsRockOut: Somewhat curiously given the game heavily draws from the Golden Age of Aviation for its aesthetic, the game's entire soundtrack is hard rock akin to what rock--the kind of music commonly associated with fighter pilots stereotypically preferred pilots, especially between the 70s and 90s. That being said, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWzJ-boQrfM it's rather good.]]
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* InformedEquipment: Surprisingly averted! Any offensive or defensive item you pick up will appear on your plane until it runs out of ammo or is otherwise consumed.
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* PowerUp: A major part of the gameplay, appearing as either offensive weapons, defensive weapons and abilities, and [=InstaGrabs=] that automatically apply a temporary benefit such as increased maximum speed, unlimited boost, or jamming enemy radar. Pickups spawn throughout the map at predetermined points, but are also contained within shootable barrage balloons that descend from on high. ([[StuffBlowingUp You don't want to fly into one. Or be near one when you shoot them.]])
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Oops.
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** Later the [=KillerBee=] was introduced as OfficialFanSubmittedContent, further maximizing agility and base speed at the cost of poor health and almost no Boost rating.
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** Later the [=KillerBee=] was introduced as OfficialFanSubmittedContent, official fan-submitted content, further maximizing agility and base speed at the cost of poor health and almost no Boost rating.
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* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: Dark Water Studios added some content created by the fan base after release. For example--DPW made the [=KillerBee=], which was mad available on March 17, 2011 with the Aces High update. Another update on June 14, 2011 included the Harbinger and Vanguard.
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* AutobotsRockOut: Somewhat curiously given the game heavily draws from the Golden Age of Aviation for its aesthetic, the game's entire soundtrack is hard rock akin to what fighter pilots stereotypically preferred between the 70s and 90s. That being said, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWzJ-boQrfM it's rather good.]]
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* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to a ground or surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the walls in "Shangri La" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home.
to:
* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to a ground or surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the wall-walk in the walls in of "Shangri La" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home.home, all while reasonably protected by ramparts on either side.
* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: Dark Water Studios added some content created by the fan base after release. For example--DPW made the [=KillerBee=], which was mad available on March 17, 2011 with the Aces High update. Another update on June 14, 2011 included the Harbinger and Vanguard.
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* SprintShoes: All of the aircraft have a Boost ability not unlike nitrous oxide systems used in some aircraft during WorldWar2, albeit exaggerated. The aircraft have varying Boost stats, with some planes capable of intense but brief bursts of speed and others longer-lasting but more subtle speed boosts.
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* SprintShoes: All of the aircraft have a Boost ability not unlike nitrous oxide systems used in some aircraft during WorldWar2, UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, albeit exaggerated. The aircraft have varying Boost stats, with some planes capable of intense but brief bursts of speed and others longer-lasting but more subtle speed boosts.
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** The "You No Take Flags!" achievement for returning twenty flags in CTF references Kobolds in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' and their broken English catchphrase, "You no take candle!"
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** The "You No Take Flags!" achievement for returning twenty flags in CTF references Kobolds in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' and their broken English catchphrase, "You no take candle!"
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* SprintShoes: All of the aircraft have a Boost ability not unlike nitrous oxide systems used in some aircraft during WorldWarTwo, albeit exaggerated. The aircraft have varying Boost stats, with some planes capable of intense but brief bursts of speed and others longer-lasting but more subtle speed boosts.
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* SprintShoes: All of the aircraft have a Boost ability not unlike nitrous oxide systems used in some aircraft during WorldWarTwo, WorldWar2, albeit exaggerated. The aircraft have varying Boost stats, with some planes capable of intense but brief bursts of speed and others longer-lasting but more subtle speed boosts.
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** Kill fifty enemies with the Viper Railgun and you get the achievement "[[[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake, Respond]]."
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** Kill fifty enemies with the Viper Railgun and you get the achievement "[[[VideoGame/MetalGear "[[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake, Respond]]."
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* Expy: "The Old Gods" is based on Hoi Ling Bay in Vietnam, and initially even went by that name. Of course, the ''real'' Hoi Ling Bay doesn't have a massive temple carved into the side of its cliff faces.
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* Expy: {{Expy}}: "The Old Gods" is based on Hoi Ling Bay in Vietnam, and initially even went by that name. Of course, the ''real'' Hoi Ling Bay doesn't have a massive temple carved into the side of its cliff faces.
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Moving to Trivia
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* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: Dark Water Studios added some content created by the fan base after release. For example--DPW made the [=KillerBee=], which was mad available on March 17, 2011 with the Aces High update. Another update on June 14, 2011 included the Harbinger and Vanguard.
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Not to be confused with other similarly-named games such as ''Airfix: Dogfighter'' or ''Dogfighter -WW2-''.
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Not to be confused with other similarly-named games such as ''Airfix: Dogfighter'' or ''Dogfighter -WW2-''.
-[=WW2=]-''.
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* AirstrikeImpossible: If you so choose, ''[=DogFighter=]'' is more than happy to oblige. A number of maps have treacherous, cramped corridors and hidden areas, enough to make any veteran of ''Pilotwings64'' or the ''AceCombat'' franchise feel a stirring in their underpants. Some notable examples:
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* AirstrikeImpossible: If you so choose, ''[=DogFighter=]'' is more than happy to oblige. A number of maps have treacherous, cramped corridors and hidden areas, enough to make any veteran of ''Pilotwings64'' ''VideoGame/Pilotwings64'' or the ''AceCombat'' ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' franchise feel a stirring in their underpants. Some notable examples:
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''[=DogFighter=]'' is a multiplayer ActionGame / SimulationGame developed by the Northern Irish team Dark Water Studios, using Instinct Software's eponynmous Instinct Engine. It's all action and no plot or backstory, pitting piston-engine propeller craft against each other in the usual forms of online multiplayer combat--free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, or CaptureTheFlag. The game also has some single-player modes--such as a "Tournament" mode which challenges players to achieve trophies under certain conditions, and a "Survivor" mode pitting the player against increasing waves of enemy craft.
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''[=DogFighter=]'' is a multiplayer ActionGame / SimulationGame developed by the Northern Irish team Dark Water Studios, using Instinct Software's eponynmous eponymous Instinct Engine. It's all action and no plot or backstory, pitting piston-engine propeller craft against each other in the usual forms of online multiplayer combat--free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, or CaptureTheFlag. The game also has some single-player modes--such as a "Tournament" mode which challenges players to achieve trophies under certain conditions, and a "Survivor" mode pitting the player against increasing waves of enemy craft.
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** The pyramids in "Pharaoahs" have tunnels leading into them, connecting to a central interior point and pool of shimmering water. One of them has a more elaborate interior, with enough space for a dogfight inside. Meanwhile, the temple or plaza connecting the pyramids has a "moat" as well as an underground labrynth.
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** The pyramids in "Pharaoahs" "Pharaohs" have tunnels leading into them, connecting to a central interior point and pool of shimmering water. One of them has a more elaborate interior, with enough space for a dogfight inside. Meanwhile, the temple or plaza connecting the pyramids has a "moat" as well as an underground labrynth.labyrinth.
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* ShoutOutThemeNaming: Many non-player characters have names taken from various flying aces from the World Wars, though often rearranged. For example, Otto Just and Erich Brauneck got their names from German WWI aces Otto Brauneck and Erich Just. Other examples include Arnold Rickenbacker, who gets his name from American WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, and John Bateman, whose name is taken wholly from the epononymous British WWI ace.
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* ShoutOutThemeNaming: Many non-player characters have names taken from various flying aces from the World Wars, though often rearranged. For example, Otto Just and Erich Brauneck got their names from German WWI aces Otto Brauneck and Erich Just. Other examples include Arnold Rickenbacker, who gets his name from American WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, and John Bateman, whose name is taken wholly from the epononymous eponymous British WWI ace.
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''[DogFighter=]'' is a multiplayer ActionGame / SimulationGame developed by the Northern Irish team Dark Water Studios, using Instinct Software's eponynmous Instinct Engine. It's all action and no plot or backstory, pitting piston-engine propeller craft against each other in the usual forms of online multiplayer combat--free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, or CaptureTheFlag. The game also has some single-player modes--such as a "Tournament" mode which challenges players to achieve trophies under certain conditions, and a "Survivor" mode pitting the player against increasing waves of enemy craft.
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!!''DogFighter'' provides examples of:
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[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dogfighter_2010_330px.png]]
[[caption-width-right:330: [-Make it rain red in the wild blue yonder.-]]]
''[DogFighter=]'' is a multiplayer ActionGame / SimulationGame developed by the Northern Irish team Dark Water Studios, using Instinct Software's eponynmous Instinct Engine. It's all action and no plot or backstory, pitting piston-engine propeller craft against each other in the usual forms of online multiplayer combat--free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, or CaptureTheFlag. The game also has some single-player modes--such as a "Tournament" mode which challenges players to achieve trophies under certain conditions, and a "Survivor" mode pitting the player against increasing waves of enemy craft.
''[=DogFighter=]'' [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/42500/DogFighter/ was released on Steam]] back on June 14, 2010. It didn't too badly, generally receiving good reviews from contemporary sources and moving 67,000 copies come October, placing sixth in the top ten most sold Steam games for that month. Over the course of the following year Dark Water Studios released more game modes, maps, and aircraft, including some made by the community. By 2012, Instinct Software acquired the IP rights to ''[=DogFighter=]'' and some of Dark Water Studios' other projects.
Unfortunately, a few years after release ''[=DogFighter=]'''s online playerbase evaporated. There have been attempts to revive it, but if you want to play with others, your best bet will be getting your buddies together for an online match. (Or you can always play with bots.)
Not to be confused with other similarly-named games such as ''Airfix: Dogfighter'' or ''Dogfighter -WW2-''.
----
!!''DogFighter'' provides examples of:
* AirstrikeImpossible: If you so choose, ''[=DogFighter=]'' is more than happy to oblige. A number of maps have treacherous, cramped corridors and hidden areas, enough to make any veteran of ''Pilotwings64'' or the ''AceCombat'' franchise feel a stirring in their underpants. Some notable examples:
** "Red Mines" has a rather impressive long, winding mining tunnel network that connects to various parts of the map. There's also a sizable arena underground, with just enough space for a scrap.
** The pyramids in "Pharaoahs" have tunnels leading into them, connecting to a central interior point and pool of shimmering water. One of them has a more elaborate interior, with enough space for a dogfight inside. Meanwhile, the temple or plaza connecting the pyramids has a "moat" as well as an underground labrynth.
** "Volcano" has lava tunnels filled with powerups which connect to the central chamber of the volcano. The two largest ones have a number of stalactites limiting access, and inside the volcano itself, there's additional pickups under the central platform very, very close to the lava.
* ArtificialStupidity: Their names might invoke famous aces, but [=DogFighter's=] bots don't always do their namesakes proud--
** While enemy bots may be justified in [[RammingAlwaysWorks ramming into you]] if that's what it takes to kill you, when ''your own AI teammates'' do this, it's more than a little annoying.
** If you play Capture the Flag with bots, sooner or later one will crash into a wall or tricky obstacle while carrying the enemy team's flag. You just might get treated to a spectacle of watching the opposing team beeline for their flag in order to recover it ... only to crash, respawn, and repeat ''over and over''.
* BadassBack: Defensive weapon pickups like the Backfire Homing Missiles and Rear Facing Bobcat Shotgun give you the ability to strongly discourage pursuers.
* BuildLikeAnEgyptian: "Pharaoahs" features three pyramids connected by a sort of temple or plaza. Notably for the trope, the pyramids and plaza ''are not'' undecorated sandstone. The pyramids have look more like what the Pyramids of Giza would have looked like when they were built, with polished limestone sides and capped with gold. The plaza is lush with water and lined with palm trees, and the obelisks and statues that dot the complex are vivid with colorful paint.
* ChasingYourTail: A natural outcome for a game about combat between piston engine aircraft. AI opponents, even at their easiest difficulty setting, are ''irritatingly'' good at this.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: At first, "Volcano" might seem relatively harmless as far as ''[=DogFighter=]'' maps go ... but if you linger too long near the surface of the lava in the volcano's core, [[SubvertedTrope you will start losing health]] ''rapidly''.
* ConvenientColorChange: In team games, picking up the Disguise powerup changes your plane's color to that of the enemy's. This ''might'' get bots to ignore you, provided they weren't already hunting you when you got the powerup. There's also a chance that the Disguise powerup will instead make ''everyone'' see you as an enemy, during which your plane takes on a third color scheme entirely.
* DeflectorShields: The Shields defensive pickup temporarily protects a plane from everything except crashing.
* DieselPunk: ''[=DogFighter's=]'' fleet of aircraft are (mostly) piston engine prop planes ... that just so happen to have access to railguns, shields, invisibility, and other really advanced goodies. There's even a bit of CosmicHorrorStory with the map "The Old Gods" and the Black Death.
* TheDreaded: The Black Death is played up as this--a supernatural grim reaper of the skies that kills indescriminately. On the original website, the description of "Volcano" included: "Beware! This is the supposed home of '''the Black Death'''."
* DressingAsTheEnemy: As part of the Disguise powerup during team games, which can (potentially) fool the enemy into not firing on you.
* EternalEngine: "Dirtbox" features a ''massive'' core drill hooked up to four smoke-belching power stations. The original website described this map as "a noisy, tight mess of machinery and dust."
* Expy: "The Old Gods" is based on Hoi Ling Bay in Vietnam, and initially even went by that name. Of course, the ''real'' Hoi Ling Bay doesn't have a massive temple carved into the side of its cliff faces.
* FixedForwardFacingWeapon: The basic Machine Gun and every offensive powerup are fixed and forward-facing. Hellfire Rockets, Seeker Homing Missiles, and the Annihilator Cluster Rocket also fire directly forward. That being said, the missiles (and the Bobcat Shotgun) don't need to hit something dead-on to damage or destroy it.
* FragileSpeedster: There's several different takes on this trope within the lineup--
** The Swift is a classic example of the trope, with both excellent Boost and speed ratings, but little health or agility.
--> ''Sacrifices manoeuvrability for increased engine power. Great boost and great top speed but poor armour. Get in and then get out... FAST!''
** With little health, meager speed, and excellent Boost and agility ratings, the Rockwell puts more emphasis on weak-but-agile instead of weak-but-fast.
--> ''The acrobat. This craft is incredibly manoeuvrable with a solid boost. Suffers from decreased armour and overall speed.''
** The Fleetfoot leans even more into "Fragile Acrobat" territory than the Rockwell, with maximum speed and agility ratings, but poor health and Boost ratings.
--> ''Fast and manoeuvrable but has a very weak boost and low armour. This is a real pilot's craft.''
** Later the [=KillerBee=] was introduced as OfficialFanSubmittedContent, further maximizing agility and base speed at the cost of poor health and almost no Boost rating.
--> ''The most agile craft in the fleet with a good top speed. This agility comes at the cost of a very weak boost and a very low armour rating.''
** Released in March 2011 along with the [=KillerBee=], the [=Angelfire=] focuses on maximizing Boost ability with middling health and agility and low base speed.
-->''The most advanced craft in the fleet. Its booster delivers a massive speed increase combined with a fair agility. The canopy cockpit means this craft can go higher than any other but it's weight means it has trouble on steep climbs.''
* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to a ground or surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the walls in "Shangri La" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home.
* HighUpIceUp: Exaggerated here in ''[=DogFighter=]''. All of the planes stall if they fly too high--or if they fly too slowly or are hit by the Engine Disruptor--but the "service ceiling" is far, ''far'' lower than real life piston engine planes. Once a plane stalls, it ''immediately'' pitches down and plummets toward the ground. The game tells you that you can restart the engine by rapidly tapping Boost, but in practice, you're going to eat dirt before you get the engine running again.
** Of note is that the map "Aces High" takes place high above the ground, at an altitude that would be unreachable on the other maps. Of course, you'll still stall if you try to fly even higher.
* InvisibilityCloak: The Invisibility pickup works this way, as you might guess. It works indefinitely, but firing any weapon, or using any defensive pickup other than the Engine Disruptor, immediately drops the cloak. Similarly, if you're playing CTF and you have the flag, activating the cloak automatically drops it.
* InterfaceScrew: Two [=InstaGrabs=] cause this. The Radar Scrambler disables enemy radar temporarily, while Reverse Controls screws with enemy controls. They can also, like other non-health [=InstaGrabs=], backfire and affect ''you'' instead.
* JackOfAllStats: One plane in particular--the Wingblade--stands out as this, and is even explicitly named as such in-game (as well as being a MasterOfNone). Four star rating for health and speed, three for Boost and agility.
--> ''The Wingblade is a solid all rounder. A jack of all trades - master of none, the Wingblade is a good starting craft for a pilot new to the world of [=DogFighter=].''
* LethalLavaLand: "Volcano," [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as the name suggests]], takes place over ''and inside'' a volcanic island.
* LevelInTheClouds: "Aces High" features four airships and a number of smaller flying platforms parked high over the ground below. So far, this is the only map where planes fly at high altitudes without stalling. (Provided, of course, you don't try to fly ''higher''.)
* LightningBruiser: The Black Death, in pure stats, outclasses other playable craft in every way. It also has better versions of the offensive weapons available to other planes, though it can't pick up refills, and when it appears due to a player picking up its powerup, the Black Death has an invisible time limit before reverting back to a normal plane. The official website put it best--
-->''Power. Speed. Agility. It has it all. If you see this craft, get out of there. Only the bravest pilots can take this craft on.''
* MagneticWeapons: The Viper Railguns are these. Most planes can be brought down in one or two shots, and you can snipe targets from across the map provided you have good target leading.
* MightyGlacier: Several flavors present in the roster--
** The game presents the Samnite as a classic Mighty Glacier, with a maximum health rating, good agility, but middling Boost and meager speed ratings.
--> ''This craft likes nothing better than soaking up damage and laughing at opponents futile attempts to bring it down. A slow moving hulk.''
** While its ''base'' speed isn't bad, the Protofighter has a poor Boost rating and has outright miserable agility.
--> ''The thug. This craft can take a beating and has enough engine power to move its large mass at speed. It does however suffer from manoeuvrability issues.''
** The Badger--a VersionExclusiveContent plane--outdoes the other examples in health rating, at the cost of poor speed, meager agility, and middling Boost ratings.
--> ''Do not be deceived by its scrap yard appearance. The Badger is a brute capable of withstanding even the most terrible beating. This is the juggernaut of [=DogFighter=].''
* MultiMookMelee: The Survivor single-player mode puts you up against wave after wave of enemies, increasing in number and aggression, interspersed with [[WolfpackBoss waves of multiple Black Death planes]]. You get the "Soft Boiled" achievement for reaching Wave 10, and "Hard Boiled" for reaching Wave 20.
** Lone Wolf is a similar single-player mode, except that it's essentially Team Deathmatch where ''you'' are your only team member, facing off against an entire team of enemy bots.
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: You might notice that when AI players decide to hunt you down, regardless of the plane they're flying, they will be able to park right on your tail and blast away. They seem capable of flying slower than the player unfettered by the risk of stalling, as well as being capable of low-airspeed maneuvering the player can't match.
* NitroBoost: If you grab the Unlimited Boost pickup, for a limited amount of time you can Boost as much as you like ... but sometimes the pickup will ''disable'' your Boost instead. There's also the Max Speed Increase pickup, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin ... but will sometimes malfunction and plunge your aircraft into a stall.
* NoPlotNoProblem: No attempt is made to explain the setting of ''[=DogFighter=]'' in-game or on the original website. It's all about the dogfighting.
* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: Dark Water Studios added some content created by the fan base after release. For example--DPW made the [=KillerBee=], which was mad available on March 17, 2011 with the Aces High update. Another update on June 14, 2011 included the Harbinger and Vanguard.
* PoisonMushroom: With the exception of the health-boosting pickups, the [=InstaGrab=] powerups (that is, not the offensive or defensive powerups) have a chance of backfiring on you. If you're close enough you might be able to discern a "poison" [=InstaGrab=] from a regular one, as they will have faint black "zoom lines" similar to what you see with the Black Death powerup. The nastiest one might be the Max Speed Increase's "poison" variant, which ''immediately'' stalls your aircraft--almost always fatally.
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: The Bobcat Shotgun in both offensive and defensive forms (though the defensive version was originally called "Flak" according to the original website's code) are short ranged--but they have a very wide cone of effect, a decent amount of ammunition upon pickup, and can be fired in rapid succession. That gives you the ability to quickly plow through groups of enemies.
* ShoutOut: In the finest of Steam gaming traditions, many of the achievements are pop culture references--
** The "You No Take Flags!" achievement for returning twenty flags in CTF references Kobolds in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' and their broken English catchphrase, "You no take candle!"
** Fly in "Volcano" for at least an hour and you get the achievement "[[Music/ArthurBrown I am the God of Hellfire!!!]]" ([[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 Hi, God of Hellfire!]])
** Fly in "Pharaohs" for at least an hour and you get the achievement "[[Franchise/IndianaJones The Best Digger in all of Cairo]]."
** Kill fifty enemies with the Vulcan Chaingun and you get the achievement "[[Franchise/StarTrek Live Long and Prosper]]."
** Kill fifty enemies with the Hellfire Rockets and you get the achievement "[[Music/EltonJohn Rocketman]]."
** Kill fifty enemies with the Viper Railgun and you get the achievement "[[[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake, Respond]]."
** Killing a hundred enemies (human or bot) as the Black Death nets you the achievement "[[Music/BlueOysterCult Don't Fear the Reaper]]."
** Once you kill a hundred human players, you get the achievement "That My Friend is the Smell of Inevitability," modified from Agent Smith's attempt at a PreMortemOneLiner from ''Film/TheMatrix''.
** If you host multiplayer games for a total of five hours, you get the achievement "Shaken not Servered," a pun on Franchise/JamesBond's famous martini preference.
* ShoutOutThemeNaming: Many non-player characters have names taken from various flying aces from the World Wars, though often rearranged. For example, Otto Just and Erich Brauneck got their names from German WWI aces Otto Brauneck and Erich Just. Other examples include Arnold Rickenbacker, who gets his name from American WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, and John Bateman, whose name is taken wholly from the epononymous British WWI ace.
* SmartBomb: The Engine Disruptor (curiously called "Sonic Burst" in the original website's code) ''immediately'' stalls every aircraft in its radius. Shields are the only thing that protect against it, but it will drop the shield.
* SprintShoes: All of the aircraft have a Boost ability not unlike nitrous oxide systems used in some aircraft during WorldWarTwo, albeit exaggerated. The aircraft have varying Boost stats, with some planes capable of intense but brief bursts of speed and others longer-lasting but more subtle speed boosts.
* QuadDamage / SuperMode: The Black Death pickup transforms your plane into the eponymous Black Death. As The Black Death, you have access to stronger versions of several different offensive weapons (such as a much more rapid firing Viper Railgun, and a Vulcan Chaingun that's like a literal river of bullets) as well as a limitless supply of Hellfire Rockets. The powerup has an invisible timer once picked up--if you're shot down, you drop the powerup for someone else to pick up, but the amount of time available doesn't reset.
* RammingAlwaysWorks: Planes take massive damage, if they aren't destroyed outright, from bumping with or colliding into one another. This often results in a MutualKill, unless one of the planes had the Shields pickup active or had way more health--such as with the Mega Health pickup.
* TryAndFollow: ''[=DogFighter=]'' ''strongly'' encourages tactics like this. Every map has multiple obstacles with just enough space for a daring pilot to navigate through, and they can make for a great way to discourage pursuit. (Provided you don't plow into something yourself.)
* VersionExclusiveContent: Berlin-based publisher Just A Game released a boxed version of ''[=DogFighter=]'' in March 2011. Owning this version is the only way to unlock the Badger; it's not available through other retail versions.
[[caption-width-right:330: [-Make it rain red in the wild blue yonder.-]]]
''[DogFighter=]'' is a multiplayer ActionGame / SimulationGame developed by the Northern Irish team Dark Water Studios, using Instinct Software's eponynmous Instinct Engine. It's all action and no plot or backstory, pitting piston-engine propeller craft against each other in the usual forms of online multiplayer combat--free-for-all, Team Deathmatch, or CaptureTheFlag. The game also has some single-player modes--such as a "Tournament" mode which challenges players to achieve trophies under certain conditions, and a "Survivor" mode pitting the player against increasing waves of enemy craft.
''[=DogFighter=]'' [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/42500/DogFighter/ was released on Steam]] back on June 14, 2010. It didn't too badly, generally receiving good reviews from contemporary sources and moving 67,000 copies come October, placing sixth in the top ten most sold Steam games for that month. Over the course of the following year Dark Water Studios released more game modes, maps, and aircraft, including some made by the community. By 2012, Instinct Software acquired the IP rights to ''[=DogFighter=]'' and some of Dark Water Studios' other projects.
Unfortunately, a few years after release ''[=DogFighter=]'''s online playerbase evaporated. There have been attempts to revive it, but if you want to play with others, your best bet will be getting your buddies together for an online match. (Or you can always play with bots.)
Not to be confused with other similarly-named games such as ''Airfix: Dogfighter'' or ''Dogfighter -WW2-''.
----
!!''DogFighter'' provides examples of:
* AirstrikeImpossible: If you so choose, ''[=DogFighter=]'' is more than happy to oblige. A number of maps have treacherous, cramped corridors and hidden areas, enough to make any veteran of ''Pilotwings64'' or the ''AceCombat'' franchise feel a stirring in their underpants. Some notable examples:
** "Red Mines" has a rather impressive long, winding mining tunnel network that connects to various parts of the map. There's also a sizable arena underground, with just enough space for a scrap.
** The pyramids in "Pharaoahs" have tunnels leading into them, connecting to a central interior point and pool of shimmering water. One of them has a more elaborate interior, with enough space for a dogfight inside. Meanwhile, the temple or plaza connecting the pyramids has a "moat" as well as an underground labrynth.
** "Volcano" has lava tunnels filled with powerups which connect to the central chamber of the volcano. The two largest ones have a number of stalactites limiting access, and inside the volcano itself, there's additional pickups under the central platform very, very close to the lava.
* ArtificialStupidity: Their names might invoke famous aces, but [=DogFighter's=] bots don't always do their namesakes proud--
** While enemy bots may be justified in [[RammingAlwaysWorks ramming into you]] if that's what it takes to kill you, when ''your own AI teammates'' do this, it's more than a little annoying.
** If you play Capture the Flag with bots, sooner or later one will crash into a wall or tricky obstacle while carrying the enemy team's flag. You just might get treated to a spectacle of watching the opposing team beeline for their flag in order to recover it ... only to crash, respawn, and repeat ''over and over''.
* BadassBack: Defensive weapon pickups like the Backfire Homing Missiles and Rear Facing Bobcat Shotgun give you the ability to strongly discourage pursuers.
* BuildLikeAnEgyptian: "Pharaoahs" features three pyramids connected by a sort of temple or plaza. Notably for the trope, the pyramids and plaza ''are not'' undecorated sandstone. The pyramids have look more like what the Pyramids of Giza would have looked like when they were built, with polished limestone sides and capped with gold. The plaza is lush with water and lined with palm trees, and the obelisks and statues that dot the complex are vivid with colorful paint.
* ChasingYourTail: A natural outcome for a game about combat between piston engine aircraft. AI opponents, even at their easiest difficulty setting, are ''irritatingly'' good at this.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: At first, "Volcano" might seem relatively harmless as far as ''[=DogFighter=]'' maps go ... but if you linger too long near the surface of the lava in the volcano's core, [[SubvertedTrope you will start losing health]] ''rapidly''.
* ConvenientColorChange: In team games, picking up the Disguise powerup changes your plane's color to that of the enemy's. This ''might'' get bots to ignore you, provided they weren't already hunting you when you got the powerup. There's also a chance that the Disguise powerup will instead make ''everyone'' see you as an enemy, during which your plane takes on a third color scheme entirely.
* DeflectorShields: The Shields defensive pickup temporarily protects a plane from everything except crashing.
* DieselPunk: ''[=DogFighter's=]'' fleet of aircraft are (mostly) piston engine prop planes ... that just so happen to have access to railguns, shields, invisibility, and other really advanced goodies. There's even a bit of CosmicHorrorStory with the map "The Old Gods" and the Black Death.
* TheDreaded: The Black Death is played up as this--a supernatural grim reaper of the skies that kills indescriminately. On the original website, the description of "Volcano" included: "Beware! This is the supposed home of '''the Black Death'''."
* DressingAsTheEnemy: As part of the Disguise powerup during team games, which can (potentially) fool the enemy into not firing on you.
* EternalEngine: "Dirtbox" features a ''massive'' core drill hooked up to four smoke-belching power stations. The original website described this map as "a noisy, tight mess of machinery and dust."
* Expy: "The Old Gods" is based on Hoi Ling Bay in Vietnam, and initially even went by that name. Of course, the ''real'' Hoi Ling Bay doesn't have a massive temple carved into the side of its cliff faces.
* FixedForwardFacingWeapon: The basic Machine Gun and every offensive powerup are fixed and forward-facing. Hellfire Rockets, Seeker Homing Missiles, and the Annihilator Cluster Rocket also fire directly forward. That being said, the missiles (and the Bobcat Shotgun) don't need to hit something dead-on to damage or destroy it.
* FragileSpeedster: There's several different takes on this trope within the lineup--
** The Swift is a classic example of the trope, with both excellent Boost and speed ratings, but little health or agility.
--> ''Sacrifices manoeuvrability for increased engine power. Great boost and great top speed but poor armour. Get in and then get out... FAST!''
** With little health, meager speed, and excellent Boost and agility ratings, the Rockwell puts more emphasis on weak-but-agile instead of weak-but-fast.
--> ''The acrobat. This craft is incredibly manoeuvrable with a solid boost. Suffers from decreased armour and overall speed.''
** The Fleetfoot leans even more into "Fragile Acrobat" territory than the Rockwell, with maximum speed and agility ratings, but poor health and Boost ratings.
--> ''Fast and manoeuvrable but has a very weak boost and low armour. This is a real pilot's craft.''
** Later the [=KillerBee=] was introduced as OfficialFanSubmittedContent, further maximizing agility and base speed at the cost of poor health and almost no Boost rating.
--> ''The most agile craft in the fleet with a good top speed. This agility comes at the cost of a very weak boost and a very low armour rating.''
** Released in March 2011 along with the [=KillerBee=], the [=Angelfire=] focuses on maximizing Boost ability with middling health and agility and low base speed.
-->''The most advanced craft in the fleet. Its booster delivers a massive speed increase combined with a fair agility. The canopy cockpit means this craft can go higher than any other but it's weight means it has trouble on steep climbs.''
* GeoEffects: If you fly close enough to a ground or surface and use your Boost, you'll find that the meter drains far less quickly ''and'' regenerates faster. In addition to providing cover from enemy fire, this further encourages pilots to run through trenches and tunnels--for example, the walls in "Shangri La" make for an effective way to zip across the map to the enemy flag in CTF games, nab it, and high tail it back home.
* HighUpIceUp: Exaggerated here in ''[=DogFighter=]''. All of the planes stall if they fly too high--or if they fly too slowly or are hit by the Engine Disruptor--but the "service ceiling" is far, ''far'' lower than real life piston engine planes. Once a plane stalls, it ''immediately'' pitches down and plummets toward the ground. The game tells you that you can restart the engine by rapidly tapping Boost, but in practice, you're going to eat dirt before you get the engine running again.
** Of note is that the map "Aces High" takes place high above the ground, at an altitude that would be unreachable on the other maps. Of course, you'll still stall if you try to fly even higher.
* InvisibilityCloak: The Invisibility pickup works this way, as you might guess. It works indefinitely, but firing any weapon, or using any defensive pickup other than the Engine Disruptor, immediately drops the cloak. Similarly, if you're playing CTF and you have the flag, activating the cloak automatically drops it.
* InterfaceScrew: Two [=InstaGrabs=] cause this. The Radar Scrambler disables enemy radar temporarily, while Reverse Controls screws with enemy controls. They can also, like other non-health [=InstaGrabs=], backfire and affect ''you'' instead.
* JackOfAllStats: One plane in particular--the Wingblade--stands out as this, and is even explicitly named as such in-game (as well as being a MasterOfNone). Four star rating for health and speed, three for Boost and agility.
--> ''The Wingblade is a solid all rounder. A jack of all trades - master of none, the Wingblade is a good starting craft for a pilot new to the world of [=DogFighter=].''
* LethalLavaLand: "Volcano," [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as the name suggests]], takes place over ''and inside'' a volcanic island.
* LevelInTheClouds: "Aces High" features four airships and a number of smaller flying platforms parked high over the ground below. So far, this is the only map where planes fly at high altitudes without stalling. (Provided, of course, you don't try to fly ''higher''.)
* LightningBruiser: The Black Death, in pure stats, outclasses other playable craft in every way. It also has better versions of the offensive weapons available to other planes, though it can't pick up refills, and when it appears due to a player picking up its powerup, the Black Death has an invisible time limit before reverting back to a normal plane. The official website put it best--
-->''Power. Speed. Agility. It has it all. If you see this craft, get out of there. Only the bravest pilots can take this craft on.''
* MagneticWeapons: The Viper Railguns are these. Most planes can be brought down in one or two shots, and you can snipe targets from across the map provided you have good target leading.
* MightyGlacier: Several flavors present in the roster--
** The game presents the Samnite as a classic Mighty Glacier, with a maximum health rating, good agility, but middling Boost and meager speed ratings.
--> ''This craft likes nothing better than soaking up damage and laughing at opponents futile attempts to bring it down. A slow moving hulk.''
** While its ''base'' speed isn't bad, the Protofighter has a poor Boost rating and has outright miserable agility.
--> ''The thug. This craft can take a beating and has enough engine power to move its large mass at speed. It does however suffer from manoeuvrability issues.''
** The Badger--a VersionExclusiveContent plane--outdoes the other examples in health rating, at the cost of poor speed, meager agility, and middling Boost ratings.
--> ''Do not be deceived by its scrap yard appearance. The Badger is a brute capable of withstanding even the most terrible beating. This is the juggernaut of [=DogFighter=].''
* MultiMookMelee: The Survivor single-player mode puts you up against wave after wave of enemies, increasing in number and aggression, interspersed with [[WolfpackBoss waves of multiple Black Death planes]]. You get the "Soft Boiled" achievement for reaching Wave 10, and "Hard Boiled" for reaching Wave 20.
** Lone Wolf is a similar single-player mode, except that it's essentially Team Deathmatch where ''you'' are your only team member, facing off against an entire team of enemy bots.
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: You might notice that when AI players decide to hunt you down, regardless of the plane they're flying, they will be able to park right on your tail and blast away. They seem capable of flying slower than the player unfettered by the risk of stalling, as well as being capable of low-airspeed maneuvering the player can't match.
* NitroBoost: If you grab the Unlimited Boost pickup, for a limited amount of time you can Boost as much as you like ... but sometimes the pickup will ''disable'' your Boost instead. There's also the Max Speed Increase pickup, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin ... but will sometimes malfunction and plunge your aircraft into a stall.
* NoPlotNoProblem: No attempt is made to explain the setting of ''[=DogFighter=]'' in-game or on the original website. It's all about the dogfighting.
* OfficialFanSubmittedContent: Dark Water Studios added some content created by the fan base after release. For example--DPW made the [=KillerBee=], which was mad available on March 17, 2011 with the Aces High update. Another update on June 14, 2011 included the Harbinger and Vanguard.
* PoisonMushroom: With the exception of the health-boosting pickups, the [=InstaGrab=] powerups (that is, not the offensive or defensive powerups) have a chance of backfiring on you. If you're close enough you might be able to discern a "poison" [=InstaGrab=] from a regular one, as they will have faint black "zoom lines" similar to what you see with the Black Death powerup. The nastiest one might be the Max Speed Increase's "poison" variant, which ''immediately'' stalls your aircraft--almost always fatally.
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: The Bobcat Shotgun in both offensive and defensive forms (though the defensive version was originally called "Flak" according to the original website's code) are short ranged--but they have a very wide cone of effect, a decent amount of ammunition upon pickup, and can be fired in rapid succession. That gives you the ability to quickly plow through groups of enemies.
* ShoutOut: In the finest of Steam gaming traditions, many of the achievements are pop culture references--
** The "You No Take Flags!" achievement for returning twenty flags in CTF references Kobolds in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' and their broken English catchphrase, "You no take candle!"
** Fly in "Volcano" for at least an hour and you get the achievement "[[Music/ArthurBrown I am the God of Hellfire!!!]]" ([[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 Hi, God of Hellfire!]])
** Fly in "Pharaohs" for at least an hour and you get the achievement "[[Franchise/IndianaJones The Best Digger in all of Cairo]]."
** Kill fifty enemies with the Vulcan Chaingun and you get the achievement "[[Franchise/StarTrek Live Long and Prosper]]."
** Kill fifty enemies with the Hellfire Rockets and you get the achievement "[[Music/EltonJohn Rocketman]]."
** Kill fifty enemies with the Viper Railgun and you get the achievement "[[[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake, Respond]]."
** Killing a hundred enemies (human or bot) as the Black Death nets you the achievement "[[Music/BlueOysterCult Don't Fear the Reaper]]."
** Once you kill a hundred human players, you get the achievement "That My Friend is the Smell of Inevitability," modified from Agent Smith's attempt at a PreMortemOneLiner from ''Film/TheMatrix''.
** If you host multiplayer games for a total of five hours, you get the achievement "Shaken not Servered," a pun on Franchise/JamesBond's famous martini preference.
* ShoutOutThemeNaming: Many non-player characters have names taken from various flying aces from the World Wars, though often rearranged. For example, Otto Just and Erich Brauneck got their names from German WWI aces Otto Brauneck and Erich Just. Other examples include Arnold Rickenbacker, who gets his name from American WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, and John Bateman, whose name is taken wholly from the epononymous British WWI ace.
* SmartBomb: The Engine Disruptor (curiously called "Sonic Burst" in the original website's code) ''immediately'' stalls every aircraft in its radius. Shields are the only thing that protect against it, but it will drop the shield.
* SprintShoes: All of the aircraft have a Boost ability not unlike nitrous oxide systems used in some aircraft during WorldWarTwo, albeit exaggerated. The aircraft have varying Boost stats, with some planes capable of intense but brief bursts of speed and others longer-lasting but more subtle speed boosts.
* QuadDamage / SuperMode: The Black Death pickup transforms your plane into the eponymous Black Death. As The Black Death, you have access to stronger versions of several different offensive weapons (such as a much more rapid firing Viper Railgun, and a Vulcan Chaingun that's like a literal river of bullets) as well as a limitless supply of Hellfire Rockets. The powerup has an invisible timer once picked up--if you're shot down, you drop the powerup for someone else to pick up, but the amount of time available doesn't reset.
* RammingAlwaysWorks: Planes take massive damage, if they aren't destroyed outright, from bumping with or colliding into one another. This often results in a MutualKill, unless one of the planes had the Shields pickup active or had way more health--such as with the Mega Health pickup.
* TryAndFollow: ''[=DogFighter=]'' ''strongly'' encourages tactics like this. Every map has multiple obstacles with just enough space for a daring pilot to navigate through, and they can make for a great way to discourage pursuit. (Provided you don't plow into something yourself.)
* VersionExclusiveContent: Berlin-based publisher Just A Game released a boxed version of ''[=DogFighter=]'' in March 2011. Owning this version is the only way to unlock the Badger; it's not available through other retail versions.
