0
This FAQ is by Kristoffer Ongbongan
(krismon@neuromancer.hacks.arizona.edu). Any and all comments,
questions, corrections, flames, etc. are always welcome.
1.0 The Falcon 3.0 Mailing List
2.0 FALCON VERSION HISTORY, PATCH FILES AND UPGRADES
2.1 FALCON 3.01: OPERATION FIGHTING TIGER
2.2 FALCON VERSION INFORMATION
2.2.1 Version 3.05 changes
2.2.2 Version 3.04 changes
2.2.3 Version 3.03 changes
2.2.4 Version 3.02.1 changes
2.2.5 Version 3.02 changes
2.2.6 Version 3.0e and version 3.01.1 changes
2.2.7 Version 3.0d through 3.0a changes
2.3 MIG 29: DEADLY ADVERSARY OF FALCON 3.0
2.4 MIG-29 VERSION INFORMATION
2.4.1 Version 1.04 changes
2.4.2 Version 1.03 changes
2.4.3 Version 1.02 changes
2.4.4 Version 1.01 changes
2.5 Hornet: Naval Strike Fighter
2.6 HORNET VERSION INFORMATION
2.6.1 Version 1.02 changes
2.6.2 Version 1.01 changes
2.7 Falcon Gold
3.0 FALCON UTILITIES
3.1 UTILITIES FOR FALCON 3.0D - 3.01
3.1.1 FALCONER
3.1.2 F3MAPS
3.1.3 FALCCALC
3.1.4 F3PAD
3.1.5 FCE - Falcon Campaign Editor
3.2 UTILITIES FOR FALCON 3.02, MIG-29 FULCRUM, AND F-18 HORNET
3.2.1 KEYBOARD COMMANDER CORPS UTILITIES
3.2.2 Ken `Stinger' Richarson's SIMPAK Utilities
3.2.3 TM-STICK
4.0 WHERE TO GET PATCHES AND UTILITIES
4.1 SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4.2 FTP.K9.COM ANONYMOUS FTP ARCHIVE AND MIRRORS
4.3 TRADE CENTER BBS and other SIMNET nodes
4.4 COMPUSERVE GAMEPUB FORUM (library 3)
4.5 ELECTRONIC BATTLEFIELD SERIES FAQ FTP SITE
5.0 FALCON REFERENCE MATERIAL
5.1 FALCON 3.0: THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK
5.2 FALCON 3: THE OFFICIAL COMBAT STRATEGY BOOK
5.3 FALCON 3.0 AIR COMBAT
5.4 FALCON3: AIR COMBAT TRAINER
5.5 FIGHTER COMBAT: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT
5.6 FALCON3 WAIS LIBRARY
5.7 Falcon 3 Modem Bible
5.8 Electronic Battlefield Series WWW page
6.0 UNDOCUMENTED FEATURES
6.1 INCREASING AIRCRAFT DETAIL LEVEL
6.2 UNDOCUMENTED KEYS
6.3 EXPLOITING THE HIDDEN LANDING CAPABILITIES OF YOUR F-16!
6.4 THE GOD'S-EYE VIEW IN FALCON 3.0 (DEBUG MODE)
6.4.1 SOME HOT SPOTS WORTH LOOKING AT IN THE FALCON 3.0 WORLD
6.5 SAY "CHEESE" -- THE BUILT-IN SCREEN SHOT FEATURE OF FALCON 3.0
6.6 A FEW OTHER HIDDEN FEATURES WORTH MENTIONING...
7.0 OTHER FAQ'S
7.1 FALCON 3.0 HIGH FIDELITY FLIGHT MODEL
7.2 COMMON BUGS
7.2.1 COPY LEADER BUG
7.2.2 WINGMEN WON'T LAND AT ALTERNATE FIELDS
7.2.3 MAKING THE MUD MOVE: AIR-TO-GROUND BUGS
7.3 AVOIDING SAMS
7.4 FALCON 3.0 SQUADRON LISTINGS
7.5 GUIDE TO WINGMAN RADIO TRANSMISSIONS (COMPLETE AND UNCENSORED!)
7.6 FALCON AND SCSI PROBLEMS
7.7 OS/2 AND FALCON
8.0 THANKS (in no particular order)
1.0 The Falcon 3.0 Mailing List
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Last updated: 12 November 94
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Hi! You are now on the Falcon 3 mailing list.
Submissions may be sent to "falcon3@falcon3.k9.com". A uucp path
would be "...!uunet!falcon3.k9.com!falcon3"
The email sent to this address is sent directly to the list.
If you have any questions, problems, (or want to talk :-) send
them to "jeff@k9.com"
Also, there is an archive for this mailing list.
Here's the information on accessing the falcon3 archives for back-
issues.
Archives for the list are available via anonymous FTP.
The archives are located on ftp.k9.com [147.28.0.161] in
Note, that most often, direct access to ftp.k9.com is not
available. There is a mirror on the site
cactus.org:/pub/falcon3.
Later,
-Jeff
- --
Jeff Beadles jeff@k9.com
Keeper of the Falcon 3 mailing lists
2.0 FALCON VERSION HISTORY, PATCH FILES AND UPGRADES
The release of Falcon 3.0 in December, 1991 was accompanied by
many bugs that Spectrum HoloByte has addressed in a series of
software bugfix patches. The patches to the original Falcon 3.0
program were released as versions A, C, and D.
Spectrum HoloByte has also released an add-on campaign disk for
use with Falcon 3.0 called Operation Fighting Tiger. Falcon 3.0
modified by the addition of OFT is referred to as Falcon 3.01. A
bugfix patch to Falcon 3.01 has been released as version 3.01.1.
In July, 1993, SH released a second add-on product for Falcon 3.0
called MiG-29, Deadly Adversary of Falcon 3.0. To maintain
compatibility between the various versions of Falcon 3.0, OFT,
and MiG-29, SH released a patch called version 3.02 which
upgrades any version of Falcon 3.0 or OFT to a common standard.
Soon afterwards, SH released the patch for MiG-29 and Falcon, to
upgrade to 1.01 and 3.02.1 receptively.
Around this time, the MiG-29 stand alone was released, which
fused the MiG-29 add-on with the scenarios of Falcon 3.0.
In December, 1993, SH released a third add-on product for Falcon
3.0 called Hornet: Naval Strike Fighter. To maintain
compatibility with the various versions, a patch was included for
updating Falcon 3.0 and MiG-29 to 3.03 and 1.02 respectively.
Soon afterwards, SH released the patch for Hornet, Mig-29 and
Falcon, to upgrade to 1.01, 1.03, and 3.04 respectively. These
are the latest versions as of this writing.
For Falcon 3.0 owners who did not decide to purchase the OFT
campaign disk, SH made an E patch available which included many
of the new features introduced in OFT. However, version 3.02 was
released almost immediately after version E. As a result, patch E
was never made widely available, and has in virtually all
respects been superseded by version 3.02. Current shipping
copies(new) of Falcon 3.0 contain version 3.0E. Its mention in
this FAQ is for the sake of completeness.
Earlier this year Spectrum Holobyte released Falcon Gold CD.
Which contained Falcon 3.05, MiG-29 1.04, Hornet 1.02, Operation
Fighting Tiger, and Art of the Kill. This is the same software
that comes on the disk, but on CD, it can be installed on the
hard drive or run from the CD.
All patches are cumulative (for example, version D includes all
software changes from patches A and C, installation of OFT
includes all changes from version D, and installation of version
3.02 brings any previous version to a 3.02 standard). You can
tell which version you have by looking at the title screen, which
is the screen with the pilot looking over his shoulder at the F-
16. The version number appears on the bottom of the screen as,
for example, V3.0C. Additionally, starting in version 3.02, SH
includes a CHECKVER.COM file which, when run, displays which
versions reside in the directory.
FALCON 3.0
Designation Date & Comment
-------------------- ----------------------
3.0 12/91
3.0a 1/92 (bug-fix)
3.0c 3/92 (more bug-fixes)
3.0d 6/92 (still MORE bug-fixes)
3.0e 7/93 (equal bug fix status as 3.01.1)
3.01 7/92 (Operation Fighting Tiger)
3.01.1 9/92 (the bugs strike back, but are fixed)
3.02 7/93 (compatibility with MiG-29 1.0)
3.02.1 9/93 (minor bug-fixes to match MiG-29 1.01.1)
3.03 12/93 (compatibility with Hornet: Naval Strike
Fighter 1.0, MiG-29 1.02)
3.04 2/94 (more bug-fixes and match with Hornet 1.01,
MiG-29 1.03)
3.05 10/94 (some more bug fixes and to match Falcon
Gold, Hornet 1.02, and MiG-29 1.04)
Version 3.05 is the latest as of this writing.
MiG-29: Deadly Adversary of Falcon 3.0 (Falcon 3.0 add-on)
MiG-29 (stand-alone version)
Designation Date & Comment
-------------------- ----------------------
1.00 Original release 7/93
1.01 9/93 (bug-fixes)
1.01.1 10/93 (compatibility with Falcon 3.02.1)
1.02 12/93 (compatibility with Hornet 1.0,Falcon 3.03)
1.03 2/94 (compatibility with Hornet 1.01, Falcon 3.04)
1.04 10/94 (some more bug fixes and to match Falcon
Gold, Hornet 1.02, and Falcon 3.05)
Version 1.04 is the latest as of this writing.
The original MiG-29 release required Falcon 3.0 (since it used
RTPatch to patch the versions and add/modify the Falcon files).
The stand-alone version was released around October 1993.
HORNET: NAVAL STRIKE FIGHTER
Designation Date & Comment
-------------------- ----------------------
1.00 12/93 (original release)
1.01 2/94 (bugfixes and compatibility with MiG-29
1.03/ Falcon 3.04)
1.02 10/94 (some more bug fixes and to match Falcon
Gold, Falcon 3.05, and MiG-29 1.04)
Version 1.02 is the latest as of this writing.
Latest copies of stand-alone Falcon made after 8/93 conform to
version 3.0e.
There was never a version 3.0b of Falcon, since pirated copies
infected with a virus were being passed around as "Falcon 3.0b"
Spectrum decided to rename their next patch after 3.0a to 3.0c.
Whether you have Falcon 3.0, OFT, and/or MiG-29, and/or Hornet
make sure you have the latest patch version. In addition to
fixing bugs, the patches add game features omitted from previous
versions. These changes are documented in README files supplied
with the patch files. It's also desirable to run the most recent
version if you want to find other players for modem play, since
the game must be at the same version on both PC's for the
connection to succeed.
The process of upgrading to any version of the game causes all
squadrons you've formed and any tapes you've recorded with the
ACMI to be unusable with the new version. You may want to finish
any campaigns in progress beforehand.
Upgrade patches to Falcon 3.0D, 3.01.1, and 3.02 can be obtained
from Spectrum HoloByte, or downloaded via anonymous FTP from
FTP.K9.COM or its mirrored sites. Refer to section 4.0 of this
FAQ for instructions.
2.1 FALCON 3.01: OPERATION FIGHTING TIGER
Operation Fighting Tiger is a commercially-available campaign
disk add-on product for Falcon 3.0. Installation of OFT will
upgrade Falcon 3.0 to version D standards, and include its own
enhancements, bringing it to version 3.01.
The improvements to Falcon 3.0 made available in OFT, such as new
wingman commands, improved TWI codes, landing aids, new radio
messages, etc., can be obtained by non-OFT Falcon 3.0 owners by
applying the version E or 3.02 patches.
Additions unique to the Falcon 3.01 OFT add-on disk include:
- New campaign theaters: Pakistan, Korea, and the Kurile
Islands
- New plane types: MiG-31 Foxhound, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, J-7
Airguard, Q-5 Fantan, the hypothetical Russian UMF (unmanned
fighter), F-5 Tiger, Mistubishi F1, and the FSX, an advanced
version of the F-16.
- New missions: Anti-ship, train-busting, and others
To fix bugs found in OFT, Spectrum HoloByte has released a patch
file called 3.01.1. Refer to section 4.0 for instructions on how
to obtain the patch file from SH or via anonymous FTP from
FTP.K9.COM or its mirrors.
2.2 FALCON VERSION INFORMATION
These is the list of the changes made by the patches, taken
directly from the readme.txt distributed with the patch.
2.2.1 Version 3.05 changes
* If your joystick was calibrated incorrectly in version 3.04,
you could pull more than 9.9 Gs. This problem is now fixed.
* Sometimes the plane would unexpectedly roll left in version
3.04. This problem is now fixed.
* You will now be assigned to an appropriate air base in the
Bosnia theater. Your wingmen will no longer crash into mountains
when taking off and landing.
* Campaigns now last longer than two days in the Bosnia theater.
* Your wingmen will be more aggressive in engaging enemy planes,
especially when returning home.
* TM-STICK (developed by Ken "Stinger" Richardson and
ThrustMaster) has been updated in version 2.1 to work with Falcon
3.05. In addition, TM-STICK 2.1 works with earlier versions of
Falcon 3.0. For more information on TM-STICK, please read TM-
STICK.TXT.
2.2.2 Version 3.04 changes
* Some users reported a problem where the views would switch
around without any user input. This no longer happens.
* Serious joystick control and calibration problems found in
version 1.0 have been fixed. The joystick inputs are now linear,
and there is a "null zone" of 20% of the stick's travel. What
this means is that the plane will react evenly to gradual
increases in stick pressure, and that slight movement of the
stick near the center point will not cause the plane to jerk
around.
* AMRAAMs are now available in communications play.
* When you press Ctrl-K (to jettison all stores), you will still
keep your wingtip missiles, even if they are AMRAAMs.
2.2.3 Version 3.03 changes
* Several users reported a problem where if you create a
squadron, take off and return, create another squadron, take off
and return, then try to fly another mission with the first
squadron, the game would crash with a message saying "Fatal
Error! Cannot Create File!" This was related to the number of
planes in a squadron and has been fixed.
2.2.4 Version 3.02.1 changes
* Problems with joystick calibration are now fixed.
* The coolie hat problem when switching between cockpit and
scroll lock views has been fixed.
* Some users reported difficulty with rolling right. This problem
is now fixed.
* Some users reported problems with pitching upward when in any
outside view. The problem was that the plane would not go beyond
30 degrees upward pitch until the player switched back to an
inside cockpit view. This problem has been corrected.
2.2.5 Version 3.02 changes
* The blackout/redout model has been upgraded. Blackout and
redout conditions are defined by pilot G tolerance, maximum
blackout duration and degree of control over the plane during
blackout.
Flight Model G tolerance max. duration control
------------- ----------- ------------- -------
Simplified 300% normal 1 second normal
Moderate 200% normal 1 second none
Complex 150% normal 15 seconds none
High Fidelity normal 30 seconds none
To recover from blackout or redout, center the flight stick. If
you continue to pull the stick, you will remain blacked out until
you release it.
Blackout and redout may seem rather sudden under the new model.
Increasing your G load gradually instead of suddenly will greatly
extend this onset time. Your pilot's G tolerance decreases over
the course of a mission due to the cumulative strain of
repeatedly pulling high Gs. As a pilot's G tolerance decreases,
blackout and redout will occur more suddenly and at lower G
values.
* In the OPTIONS menu there is a new selection called G ONSET.
There are four settings: No Effect, Moderate, Difficult and
Realistic. These settings refer to the likelihood of blackout due
to rapid G onset. G onset defaults to Moderate.
Blackout can be caused either by continuous high Gs or by sudden
G onset (such as going from 1 to 10 Gs instantly).
At the No Effect setting, G onset has no effect on blackout. At
the Moderate setting, the effects of G onset on blackout are
slight. At the Difficult setting, G onset plays a major part in
determining blackout conditions but not as much as in reality. At
the Realistic setting, blackout from rapid G loading is as likely
as it is in reality.
* The joystick calibration routine now includes coolie hat
calibration for the ThrustMaster Flight Control System.
* Version 3.02 supports CH Products' FlightStick Pro. On the
System Setup screen, you can now choose the FlightStick Pro as
your control device.
* The "coolie hat" on the ThrustMaster and CH FlightStick Pro
control views in Falcon 3.0. The coolie hat view controls are:
back=Padlock View, left=Left View, right=Right View,
forward=Forward View. If you are already in Forward View,
forward=heads-up (Scroll Lock) View. The coolie hat functions
built into Falcon 3.0 override any other coolie hat programs
(such as F3COOLIE, Pilot's Edge, etc.) you may have installed.
Occasionally, there may be a conflict between Falcon 3.0 and
third-party coolie hat programs which can make the game crash. Do
not use any TSRs or other programs that read or reprogram the
coolie hat when playing Falcon 3.0.
* The Padlock View shows some new information. In the upper left
corner window is the target identification, followed by the range
to target in nautical miles (NM). The range now shows tenths of
miles. Next is your altitude above ground level (AGL) and
airspeed in knots. The airspeed shown is in knots true airspeed
(KTAS). Last is the current load factor (in Gs).
In the upper right corner window are three new indicators. As
always, the warning "REAR" appears if the target is behind you.
Beneath this, the indication "BRK" now appears if your speed
brakes are on. Just below the "BRK" indicator, the indication
"AB" comes on if your afterburner is engaged.
* The ECM model has been changed to be more realistic. Instead of
consistently jamming radar or always breaking radar lock, there
is now a continuing battle between ECM systems and fire control
radars. The result is that a plane using ECM will occasionally
still get locked up, but only for a few moments. Likewise, if you
are tracking a plane that uses ECM, your radar lock will be
broken and re-established over and over again as your fire
control systems battle the target's ECM.
* Menu bar selections are now saved.
* All animations have been disabled when in communications mode
to prevent timing conflicts.
2.2.6 Version 3.0e and version 3.01.1 changes
The following changes were introduced as part of Operation:
Fighting Tiger (both versions 3.01 and.01.1) and Falcon 3.0e.
Night mode
* The night mode has been darkened to make it more realistic and
more exciting for certain types of missions.
* Stars have been added at night and can be seen in actual
astronomical positions.
* Visual contact will be made at a shorter distance at night.
Objects
* U.S. insignias have been added to the F-16.
* The F-16 cockpit glass is now a clear gold instead of an opaque
blue when looking at an F-16 from the outside.
* Lights have been added to the wingtips of the F-16, and they
turn on when the landing gear is down.
Sound and music
(krismon@neuromancer.hacks.arizona.edu). Any and all comments,
questions, corrections, flames, etc. are always welcome.
1.0 The Falcon 3.0 Mailing List
2.0 FALCON VERSION HISTORY, PATCH FILES AND UPGRADES
2.1 FALCON 3.01: OPERATION FIGHTING TIGER
2.2 FALCON VERSION INFORMATION
2.2.1 Version 3.05 changes
2.2.2 Version 3.04 changes
2.2.3 Version 3.03 changes
2.2.4 Version 3.02.1 changes
2.2.5 Version 3.02 changes
2.2.6 Version 3.0e and version 3.01.1 changes
2.2.7 Version 3.0d through 3.0a changes
2.3 MIG 29: DEADLY ADVERSARY OF FALCON 3.0
2.4 MIG-29 VERSION INFORMATION
2.4.1 Version 1.04 changes
2.4.2 Version 1.03 changes
2.4.3 Version 1.02 changes
2.4.4 Version 1.01 changes
2.5 Hornet: Naval Strike Fighter
2.6 HORNET VERSION INFORMATION
2.6.1 Version 1.02 changes
2.6.2 Version 1.01 changes
2.7 Falcon Gold
3.0 FALCON UTILITIES
3.1 UTILITIES FOR FALCON 3.0D - 3.01
3.1.1 FALCONER
3.1.2 F3MAPS
3.1.3 FALCCALC
3.1.4 F3PAD
3.1.5 FCE - Falcon Campaign Editor
3.2 UTILITIES FOR FALCON 3.02, MIG-29 FULCRUM, AND F-18 HORNET
3.2.1 KEYBOARD COMMANDER CORPS UTILITIES
3.2.2 Ken `Stinger' Richarson's SIMPAK Utilities
3.2.3 TM-STICK
4.0 WHERE TO GET PATCHES AND UTILITIES
4.1 SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4.2 FTP.K9.COM ANONYMOUS FTP ARCHIVE AND MIRRORS
4.3 TRADE CENTER BBS and other SIMNET nodes
4.4 COMPUSERVE GAMEPUB FORUM (library 3)
4.5 ELECTRONIC BATTLEFIELD SERIES FAQ FTP SITE
5.0 FALCON REFERENCE MATERIAL
5.1 FALCON 3.0: THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK
5.2 FALCON 3: THE OFFICIAL COMBAT STRATEGY BOOK
5.3 FALCON 3.0 AIR COMBAT
5.4 FALCON3: AIR COMBAT TRAINER
5.5 FIGHTER COMBAT: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT
5.6 FALCON3 WAIS LIBRARY
5.7 Falcon 3 Modem Bible
5.8 Electronic Battlefield Series WWW page
6.0 UNDOCUMENTED FEATURES
6.1 INCREASING AIRCRAFT DETAIL LEVEL
6.2 UNDOCUMENTED KEYS
6.3 EXPLOITING THE HIDDEN LANDING CAPABILITIES OF YOUR F-16!
6.4 THE GOD'S-EYE VIEW IN FALCON 3.0 (DEBUG MODE)
6.4.1 SOME HOT SPOTS WORTH LOOKING AT IN THE FALCON 3.0 WORLD
6.5 SAY "CHEESE" -- THE BUILT-IN SCREEN SHOT FEATURE OF FALCON 3.0
6.6 A FEW OTHER HIDDEN FEATURES WORTH MENTIONING...
7.0 OTHER FAQ'S
7.1 FALCON 3.0 HIGH FIDELITY FLIGHT MODEL
7.2 COMMON BUGS
7.2.1 COPY LEADER BUG
7.2.2 WINGMEN WON'T LAND AT ALTERNATE FIELDS
7.2.3 MAKING THE MUD MOVE: AIR-TO-GROUND BUGS
7.3 AVOIDING SAMS
7.4 FALCON 3.0 SQUADRON LISTINGS
7.5 GUIDE TO WINGMAN RADIO TRANSMISSIONS (COMPLETE AND UNCENSORED!)
7.6 FALCON AND SCSI PROBLEMS
7.7 OS/2 AND FALCON
8.0 THANKS (in no particular order)
1.0 The Falcon 3.0 Mailing List
All subscription requests concerning mailing lists on host k9.com
(including falcon3) are handled by an automated server.
To subscribe to falcon3, send the following in an email message
to "majordomo@k9.com":
subscribe falcon3
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to the falcon3 list.
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subscribe falcon3 other-address@your_site.your_net
To find out more about the automated server, send the following
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help
If you feel you need to reach a human, send email to
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Here's the general information for the falcon3 list:
Last updated: 12 November 94
************* *************
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
You MUST send your submissions to "falcon3@falcon3.k9.com" for
the list.
You MUST send your requests for add/delete to
"majordomo@k9.com" in the form of "subscribe falcon3".
************* *************
Hi! You are now on the Falcon 3 mailing list.
Submissions may be sent to "falcon3@falcon3.k9.com". A uucp path
would be "...!uunet!falcon3.k9.com!falcon3"
The email sent to this address is sent directly to the list.
If you have any questions, problems, (or want to talk :-) send
them to "jeff@k9.com"
Also, there is an archive for this mailing list.
Here's the information on accessing the falcon3 archives for back-
issues.
Archives for the list are available via anonymous FTP.
The archives are located on ftp.k9.com [147.28.0.161] in
Note, that most often, direct access to ftp.k9.com is not
available. There is a mirror on the site
cactus.org:/pub/falcon3.
Later,
-Jeff
- --
Jeff Beadles jeff@k9.com
Keeper of the Falcon 3 mailing lists
2.0 FALCON VERSION HISTORY, PATCH FILES AND UPGRADES
The release of Falcon 3.0 in December, 1991 was accompanied by
many bugs that Spectrum HoloByte has addressed in a series of
software bugfix patches. The patches to the original Falcon 3.0
program were released as versions A, C, and D.
Spectrum HoloByte has also released an add-on campaign disk for
use with Falcon 3.0 called Operation Fighting Tiger. Falcon 3.0
modified by the addition of OFT is referred to as Falcon 3.01. A
bugfix patch to Falcon 3.01 has been released as version 3.01.1.
In July, 1993, SH released a second add-on product for Falcon 3.0
called MiG-29, Deadly Adversary of Falcon 3.0. To maintain
compatibility between the various versions of Falcon 3.0, OFT,
and MiG-29, SH released a patch called version 3.02 which
upgrades any version of Falcon 3.0 or OFT to a common standard.
Soon afterwards, SH released the patch for MiG-29 and Falcon, to
upgrade to 1.01 and 3.02.1 receptively.
Around this time, the MiG-29 stand alone was released, which
fused the MiG-29 add-on with the scenarios of Falcon 3.0.
In December, 1993, SH released a third add-on product for Falcon
3.0 called Hornet: Naval Strike Fighter. To maintain
compatibility with the various versions, a patch was included for
updating Falcon 3.0 and MiG-29 to 3.03 and 1.02 respectively.
Soon afterwards, SH released the patch for Hornet, Mig-29 and
Falcon, to upgrade to 1.01, 1.03, and 3.04 respectively. These
are the latest versions as of this writing.
For Falcon 3.0 owners who did not decide to purchase the OFT
campaign disk, SH made an E patch available which included many
of the new features introduced in OFT. However, version 3.02 was
released almost immediately after version E. As a result, patch E
was never made widely available, and has in virtually all
respects been superseded by version 3.02. Current shipping
copies(new) of Falcon 3.0 contain version 3.0E. Its mention in
this FAQ is for the sake of completeness.
Earlier this year Spectrum Holobyte released Falcon Gold CD.
Which contained Falcon 3.05, MiG-29 1.04, Hornet 1.02, Operation
Fighting Tiger, and Art of the Kill. This is the same software
that comes on the disk, but on CD, it can be installed on the
hard drive or run from the CD.
All patches are cumulative (for example, version D includes all
software changes from patches A and C, installation of OFT
includes all changes from version D, and installation of version
3.02 brings any previous version to a 3.02 standard). You can
tell which version you have by looking at the title screen, which
is the screen with the pilot looking over his shoulder at the F-
16. The version number appears on the bottom of the screen as,
for example, V3.0C. Additionally, starting in version 3.02, SH
includes a CHECKVER.COM file which, when run, displays which
versions reside in the directory.
FALCON 3.0
Designation Date & Comment
-------------------- ----------------------
3.0 12/91
3.0a 1/92 (bug-fix)
3.0c 3/92 (more bug-fixes)
3.0d 6/92 (still MORE bug-fixes)
3.0e 7/93 (equal bug fix status as 3.01.1)
3.01 7/92 (Operation Fighting Tiger)
3.01.1 9/92 (the bugs strike back, but are fixed)
3.02 7/93 (compatibility with MiG-29 1.0)
3.02.1 9/93 (minor bug-fixes to match MiG-29 1.01.1)
3.03 12/93 (compatibility with Hornet: Naval Strike
Fighter 1.0, MiG-29 1.02)
3.04 2/94 (more bug-fixes and match with Hornet 1.01,
MiG-29 1.03)
3.05 10/94 (some more bug fixes and to match Falcon
Gold, Hornet 1.02, and MiG-29 1.04)
Version 3.05 is the latest as of this writing.
MiG-29: Deadly Adversary of Falcon 3.0 (Falcon 3.0 add-on)
MiG-29 (stand-alone version)
Designation Date & Comment
-------------------- ----------------------
1.00 Original release 7/93
1.01 9/93 (bug-fixes)
1.01.1 10/93 (compatibility with Falcon 3.02.1)
1.02 12/93 (compatibility with Hornet 1.0,Falcon 3.03)
1.03 2/94 (compatibility with Hornet 1.01, Falcon 3.04)
1.04 10/94 (some more bug fixes and to match Falcon
Gold, Hornet 1.02, and Falcon 3.05)
Version 1.04 is the latest as of this writing.
The original MiG-29 release required Falcon 3.0 (since it used
RTPatch to patch the versions and add/modify the Falcon files).
The stand-alone version was released around October 1993.
HORNET: NAVAL STRIKE FIGHTER
Designation Date & Comment
-------------------- ----------------------
1.00 12/93 (original release)
1.01 2/94 (bugfixes and compatibility with MiG-29
1.03/ Falcon 3.04)
1.02 10/94 (some more bug fixes and to match Falcon
Gold, Falcon 3.05, and MiG-29 1.04)
Version 1.02 is the latest as of this writing.
Latest copies of stand-alone Falcon made after 8/93 conform to
version 3.0e.
There was never a version 3.0b of Falcon, since pirated copies
infected with a virus were being passed around as "Falcon 3.0b"
Spectrum decided to rename their next patch after 3.0a to 3.0c.
Whether you have Falcon 3.0, OFT, and/or MiG-29, and/or Hornet
make sure you have the latest patch version. In addition to
fixing bugs, the patches add game features omitted from previous
versions. These changes are documented in README files supplied
with the patch files. It's also desirable to run the most recent
version if you want to find other players for modem play, since
the game must be at the same version on both PC's for the
connection to succeed.
The process of upgrading to any version of the game causes all
squadrons you've formed and any tapes you've recorded with the
ACMI to be unusable with the new version. You may want to finish
any campaigns in progress beforehand.
Upgrade patches to Falcon 3.0D, 3.01.1, and 3.02 can be obtained
from Spectrum HoloByte, or downloaded via anonymous FTP from
FTP.K9.COM or its mirrored sites. Refer to section 4.0 of this
FAQ for instructions.
2.1 FALCON 3.01: OPERATION FIGHTING TIGER
Operation Fighting Tiger is a commercially-available campaign
disk add-on product for Falcon 3.0. Installation of OFT will
upgrade Falcon 3.0 to version D standards, and include its own
enhancements, bringing it to version 3.01.
The improvements to Falcon 3.0 made available in OFT, such as new
wingman commands, improved TWI codes, landing aids, new radio
messages, etc., can be obtained by non-OFT Falcon 3.0 owners by
applying the version E or 3.02 patches.
Additions unique to the Falcon 3.01 OFT add-on disk include:
- New campaign theaters: Pakistan, Korea, and the Kurile
Islands
- New plane types: MiG-31 Foxhound, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, J-7
Airguard, Q-5 Fantan, the hypothetical Russian UMF (unmanned
fighter), F-5 Tiger, Mistubishi F1, and the FSX, an advanced
version of the F-16.
- New missions: Anti-ship, train-busting, and others
To fix bugs found in OFT, Spectrum HoloByte has released a patch
file called 3.01.1. Refer to section 4.0 for instructions on how
to obtain the patch file from SH or via anonymous FTP from
FTP.K9.COM or its mirrors.
2.2 FALCON VERSION INFORMATION
These is the list of the changes made by the patches, taken
directly from the readme.txt distributed with the patch.
2.2.1 Version 3.05 changes
* If your joystick was calibrated incorrectly in version 3.04,
you could pull more than 9.9 Gs. This problem is now fixed.
* Sometimes the plane would unexpectedly roll left in version
3.04. This problem is now fixed.
* You will now be assigned to an appropriate air base in the
Bosnia theater. Your wingmen will no longer crash into mountains
when taking off and landing.
* Campaigns now last longer than two days in the Bosnia theater.
* Your wingmen will be more aggressive in engaging enemy planes,
especially when returning home.
* TM-STICK (developed by Ken "Stinger" Richardson and
ThrustMaster) has been updated in version 2.1 to work with Falcon
3.05. In addition, TM-STICK 2.1 works with earlier versions of
Falcon 3.0. For more information on TM-STICK, please read TM-
STICK.TXT.
2.2.2 Version 3.04 changes
* Some users reported a problem where the views would switch
around without any user input. This no longer happens.
* Serious joystick control and calibration problems found in
version 1.0 have been fixed. The joystick inputs are now linear,
and there is a "null zone" of 20% of the stick's travel. What
this means is that the plane will react evenly to gradual
increases in stick pressure, and that slight movement of the
stick near the center point will not cause the plane to jerk
around.
* AMRAAMs are now available in communications play.
* When you press Ctrl-K (to jettison all stores), you will still
keep your wingtip missiles, even if they are AMRAAMs.
2.2.3 Version 3.03 changes
* Several users reported a problem where if you create a
squadron, take off and return, create another squadron, take off
and return, then try to fly another mission with the first
squadron, the game would crash with a message saying "Fatal
Error! Cannot Create File!" This was related to the number of
planes in a squadron and has been fixed.
2.2.4 Version 3.02.1 changes
* Problems with joystick calibration are now fixed.
* The coolie hat problem when switching between cockpit and
scroll lock views has been fixed.
* Some users reported difficulty with rolling right. This problem
is now fixed.
* Some users reported problems with pitching upward when in any
outside view. The problem was that the plane would not go beyond
30 degrees upward pitch until the player switched back to an
inside cockpit view. This problem has been corrected.
2.2.5 Version 3.02 changes
* The blackout/redout model has been upgraded. Blackout and
redout conditions are defined by pilot G tolerance, maximum
blackout duration and degree of control over the plane during
blackout.
Flight Model G tolerance max. duration control
------------- ----------- ------------- -------
Simplified 300% normal 1 second normal
Moderate 200% normal 1 second none
Complex 150% normal 15 seconds none
High Fidelity normal 30 seconds none
To recover from blackout or redout, center the flight stick. If
you continue to pull the stick, you will remain blacked out until
you release it.
Blackout and redout may seem rather sudden under the new model.
Increasing your G load gradually instead of suddenly will greatly
extend this onset time. Your pilot's G tolerance decreases over
the course of a mission due to the cumulative strain of
repeatedly pulling high Gs. As a pilot's G tolerance decreases,
blackout and redout will occur more suddenly and at lower G
values.
* In the OPTIONS menu there is a new selection called G ONSET.
There are four settings: No Effect, Moderate, Difficult and
Realistic. These settings refer to the likelihood of blackout due
to rapid G onset. G onset defaults to Moderate.
Blackout can be caused either by continuous high Gs or by sudden
G onset (such as going from 1 to 10 Gs instantly).
At the No Effect setting, G onset has no effect on blackout. At
the Moderate setting, the effects of G onset on blackout are
slight. At the Difficult setting, G onset plays a major part in
determining blackout conditions but not as much as in reality. At
the Realistic setting, blackout from rapid G loading is as likely
as it is in reality.
* The joystick calibration routine now includes coolie hat
calibration for the ThrustMaster Flight Control System.
* Version 3.02 supports CH Products' FlightStick Pro. On the
System Setup screen, you can now choose the FlightStick Pro as
your control device.
* The "coolie hat" on the ThrustMaster and CH FlightStick Pro
control views in Falcon 3.0. The coolie hat view controls are:
back=Padlock View, left=Left View, right=Right View,
forward=Forward View. If you are already in Forward View,
forward=heads-up (Scroll Lock) View. The coolie hat functions
built into Falcon 3.0 override any other coolie hat programs
(such as F3COOLIE, Pilot's Edge, etc.) you may have installed.
Occasionally, there may be a conflict between Falcon 3.0 and
third-party coolie hat programs which can make the game crash. Do
not use any TSRs or other programs that read or reprogram the
coolie hat when playing Falcon 3.0.
* The Padlock View shows some new information. In the upper left
corner window is the target identification, followed by the range
to target in nautical miles (NM). The range now shows tenths of
miles. Next is your altitude above ground level (AGL) and
airspeed in knots. The airspeed shown is in knots true airspeed
(KTAS). Last is the current load factor (in Gs).
In the upper right corner window are three new indicators. As
always, the warning "REAR" appears if the target is behind you.
Beneath this, the indication "BRK" now appears if your speed
brakes are on. Just below the "BRK" indicator, the indication
"AB" comes on if your afterburner is engaged.
* The ECM model has been changed to be more realistic. Instead of
consistently jamming radar or always breaking radar lock, there
is now a continuing battle between ECM systems and fire control
radars. The result is that a plane using ECM will occasionally
still get locked up, but only for a few moments. Likewise, if you
are tracking a plane that uses ECM, your radar lock will be
broken and re-established over and over again as your fire
control systems battle the target's ECM.
* Menu bar selections are now saved.
* All animations have been disabled when in communications mode
to prevent timing conflicts.
2.2.6 Version 3.0e and version 3.01.1 changes
The following changes were introduced as part of Operation:
Fighting Tiger (both versions 3.01 and.01.1) and Falcon 3.0e.
Night mode
* The night mode has been darkened to make it more realistic and
more exciting for certain types of missions.
* Stars have been added at night and can be seen in actual
astronomical positions.
* Visual contact will be made at a shorter distance at night.
Objects
* U.S. insignias have been added to the F-16.
* The F-16 cockpit glass is now a clear gold instead of an opaque
blue when looking at an F-16 from the outside.
* Lights have been added to the wingtips of the F-16, and they
turn on when the landing gear is down.
Sound and music