home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Fanclub Das Freakmagazin 2
/
FANCLUB2.ISO
/
patches
/
falcon30
/
update
/
readme.txt
< prev
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-02-10
|
15KB
|
409 lines
*******************************************************
Falcon 3.0 and Operation: Fighting Tiger
Version 3.04 update
2/9/94
Includes:
Acer BIOS compatibility utility
ThrustMaster's TM-STICK joystick utility
*******************************************************
CONTENTS
--------
UPDATE INFORMATION
Who can update?
Should I update?
WHAT IS ON THIS DISK
F3UPDATE.EXE
F3README.TXT
FALCON 3.04 UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS
PROGRAM FIXES SINCE FALCON 3.03
PROGRAM FIXES SINCE FALCON 3.02
PROGRAM FIXES SINCE FALCON 3.0
TROUBLESHOOTING
Error messages
Manual installation
Manual updating
SPECIAL PROBLEMS - ACER AND TSENG OWNERS
FINDING SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE ONLINE
UPDATING
--------
If you are updating Falcon 3.0, run the Falcon 3.04
update program. Type "F3UPDATE" at the DOS prompt.
This will update any version of Falcon 3.0 to version
3.04.
WARNING: You should complete any campaigns you
intend to finish before updating. The Falcon 3.04
update process deletes all existing squadron files.
OPERATION: FIGHTING TIGER WARNING: Do not attempt to
install Operation: Fighting Tiger after updating to
version 3.04! If you buy Operation: Fighting Tiger
after you update to version 3.04, DELETE EVERYTHING
in your FALCON3 directory and reinstall from scratch
(Falcon 3.0, then Operation: Fighting Tiger, then
the 3.04 update). See the update instructions below.
Who can update?
Any Falcon 3.0 owner can update to version 3.04.
You are encouraged to distribute copies of the Falcon
3.04 update disk to other Falcon 3.0 owners.
Should I update?
Yes, if you have any of the following versions of
Falcon 3.0: Falcon 3.0 (no suffix), Falcon 3.0a,
Falcon 3.0c, Falcon 3.0d, Falcon 3.0e, Falcon 3.01
(Operation: Fighting Tiger) Falcon 3.01.1, (Operation:
Fighting Tiger update) Falcon 3.02, Falcon 3.02.1 or
Falcon 3.03.
Note also that Falcon 3.04 is required in order to
communicate with Hornet 1.01, MiG-29 1.03 or Falcon
3.04. Earlier versions will fail to communicate
properly with Hornet 1.01, MiG-29 1.02 and Falcon
3.04.
WHAT IS ON THIS DISK
--------------------
F3UPDATE.EXE
This disk contains the Falcon 3.04 update. The
F3UPDATE.EXE program performs the 3.04 update for
Falcon 3.0 and Operation: Fighting Tiger.
F3README.TXT
The Falcon 3.04 update program will also place a
file called "F3README.TXT" into your FALCON3
directory. This text file contains important tips
on running Falcon 3.0 as well as a complete listing
of all features added to Falcon 3.0 from its
original release through version 3.02.
FALCON 3.04 UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS
-------------------------------
NOTE: If you downloaded this update, you must copy it
onto a floppy disk before proceeding. The updater
is designed to work from a floppy and will fail
if you try to run it from your hard drive.
1) Install Falcon 3.0 according to the instructions
provided with that game (unless it is already
installed).
2) Install Operation: Fighting Tiger, if you have
it, according to the instructions provided with
that game (unless it is already installed).
3) At the A: or B: prompt (depending on where the
update disk is), type "F3UPDATE."
4) On the screen which appears, you will be given
the choice to "Continue" or "Quit." Select
"Continue" to go on.
5) A warning appears, telling you that all your
squadrons will be deleted if you continue. You
are given the choice to "Continue" or "Quit."
Select "Continue" to go on with the Falcon 3.04
update.
6) The Falcon 3.04 update program now searches your
hard drive for Falcon 3.0. When it finds Falcon
3.0, it says "Falcon 3.0 found in:" followed by
the path to the directory containing your copy of
Falcon 3.0. Edit this path if it is wrong or if
you have another copy of Falcon 3.0 you wish to
update instead of the one found.
7) At the bottom of the screen are four buttons:
"Install," "Search," "View" and "Quit." "Quit"
aborts the Falcon 3.04 update. "View" brings up
this Read Me file. "Search" continues the search
for other copies of Falcon 3.0 by checking other
drives or directories. Select "Install" to
continue the Falcon 3.04 update.
8) The Falcon 3.04 updater will begin updating
Falcon 3.0 to version 3.04. You can abort the
Falcon 3.04 update by pressing CTRL-BREAK.
When the Falcon 3.04 updater is finished, it will
beep. Press any key to exit to DOS.
Type "CHECKVER" at the DOS prompt. You should see
the following line (in addition to other
information, such as whether Operation: Fighting
Tiger or MiG-29 are installed and how much memory
you have available).
CHECKVER V2.01 - Find Falcon 3.0, MiG-29 & Hornet version numbers
Program Version Date Time Size
FALCON3.EXE 3.04 2-07-94 04:19pm 1372999
PROGRAM FIXES SINCE FALCON 3.03
-------------------------------
* 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.
* This new version is fully compatible with version 2.0
of the TM-STICK.COM joystick TSR, developed jointly
by Ken "Stinger" Richardson and ThrustMaster. With
their permission, we have incorporated much of the
TM-STICK code into this update. As a result, you do
not need to load TM-STICK.COM to fix your joystick
problems. If you want the other features of TM-STICK,
however, you will still have to load it. After you
run this update, TM-STICK.COM will be on your hard
drive in the directory that contains Falcon 3.0. See
the TM-STICK.TXT file for information on how to use
this utility.
* 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. In version 1.0, AMRAAMs were jettisoned.
PROGRAM FIXES SINCE FALCON 3.02
-------------------------------
* 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.
PROGRAM FIXES SINCE FALCON 3.0
------------------------------
All the changes from version 3.0 through 3.02 are
listed in the F3README.TXT file which is placed in your
Falcon 3.0 directory by the updater. There are many
significant changes, so read the entire file (we
recommend printing it out for reference).
TROUBLESHOOTING
---------------
If there are problems with the Falcon 3.04 updater,
you will see one of several possible error messages.
These messages are listed below.
Error messages
ERROR - NOT ENOUGH CONVENTIONAL MEMORY AVAILABLE
You do not have enough conventional memory free to
use the Falcon 3.04 updater. This message is
extremely unlikely, since the Falcon 3.04 updater
only requires 250K of free conventional memory to
run. Refer to your Release Notes and Communications
Handbook from Falcon 3.0 for tips on managing your
memory.
ERROR - DISK SPACE NOT AVAILABLE ON DRIVE:
This message will be followed by the path to the
drive and directory to which you are attempting to
update Falcon 3.0. The solution is to make sure
you have enough free space on your hard drive. The
Falcon 3.04 update requires 2MB of free disk space.
ERROR - CANNOT LOCATE FILE (filename) ON DISK
This message will be followed by the name of
whatever disk you are trying to install to or
update from. The word "(filename)" above will be
replaced by whatever file the Falcon 3.04 updater
is seeking. This message appears most often when
the wrong disk is put in the drive. The solution
is to make sure the update disk is in the drive
being used.
If you have the update disk in the floppy drive
and still get this message, write down what file
it is looking for and call Customer Support at
(510)522-1164.
ERROR - INVALID VERSION
This message appears if the Falcon 3.04 updater
cannot find certain files that should exist in a
functioning, legitimate copy of Falcon 3.0.
One likely possibility, especially if you have a
backup copy of FALCON3.EXE, is that the Falcon
3.04 updater is trying to update to a directory
that only contains FALCON3.EXE. If this is so, quit
the Falcon 3.04 update and restart it. When you are
given the option to edit the path it will update
to, type in the path to a full working copy of
Falcon 3.0.
Another possibility is that your FALCON3 directory
has had some of its files removed. In this case,
the solution is to quit the Falcon 3.04 updater,
delete all the files from your FALCON3 directory
(or whatever directory your copy of Falcon 3.0 is
in), and re-install Falcon 3.0 (followed by
Operation: Fighting Tiger if you have it). Then
run the Falcon 3.04 updater.
DATA ERROR READING DRIVE (drive, usually A: or B:)
This message appears if there is a disk error on
your update disk. Call Customer Support at
(510)522-1164 for a replacement disk.
Manual updating to Falcon 3.04
If you are having trouble updating to Falcon 3.04,
you can manually perform the Falcon 3.04 update
using one of the following procedures. Follow the
instructions appropriate to your setup, as different
files are needed depending on what is already
installed on your system.
To update to Falcon 3.04 with Falcon 3.0 and
Operation: Fighting Tiger already installed:
- Insert the 3.04 update disk in drive A.
- At the A: prompt, type the following:
COPY GOPATCH.EXE C:\FALCON3
COPY 304PATCH.RTP C:\FALCON3
COPY CHECKOFT.RTP C:\FALCON3
COPY CHECKVER.COM C:\FALCON3
COPY ASIAPAT.RTP C:\FALCON3
COPY F30RESET.EXE C:\FALCON3
COPY GOPATCH.EXE C:\FALCON3\ARMSDATA
COPY 304ARM.RTP C:\FALCON3\ARMSDATA
C:
CD\FALCON3
- You will now be at a C:\FALCON3 prompt. Type
the following to update to Falcon 3.04:
GOPATCH CHECKOFT
GOPATCH ASIAPAT
GOPATCH 304PATCH
CD ARMSDATA
GOPATCH 304ARM
- The update is now complete. Remove the excess
files from your hard drive by typing the following
(you should still be in C:\FALCON3\ARMSDATA):
DEL GOPATCH.EXE
DEL *.RTP
CD..
DEL GOPATCH.EXE
DEL *.RTP
F30RESET
To update to Falcon 3.04 with Falcon 3.0 only
already installed:
- Insert the 3.04 update disk in drive A.
- At the A: prompt, type the following:
COPY GOPATCH.EXE C:\FALCON3
COPY EPATCH.RTP C:\FALCON3
COPY 304PATCH.RTP C:\FALCON3
COPY F30RESET.EXE C:\FALCON3
COPY CHECKVER.COM C:\FALCON3
COPY GOPATCH.EXE C:\FALCON3\ARMSDATA
COPY PATCHARM.RTP C:\FALCON3\ARMSDATA
COPY 304ARM.RTP C:\FALCON3\ARMSDATA
C:
CD\FALCON3
- You will now be at a C:\FALCON3 prompt. Type
the following to update to Falcon 3.04:
GOPATCH EPATCH
GOPATCH 304PATCH
CD ARMSDATA
GOPATCH PATCHARM
GOPATCH 304ARM
- The update is now complete. Remove the excess
files from your hard drive by typing the following
(you should still be in C:\FALCON3\ARMSDATA):
DEL GOPATCH.EXE
DEL *.RTP
CD..
DEL GOPATCH.EXE
DEL *.RTP
F30RESET
SPECIAL PROBLEMS - ACER AND TSENG OWNERS
----------------------------------------
There are a couple of special hardware problems which
have been reported. The first has to do with Acer
motherboards. The other problem only affects users who
have a video card with the Tseng ET4000/w32 chipset.
Acer and Acros owners
---------------------
Owners of Acer computers, Acros computers or other
computers with Acer motherboards using BIOS version
version 1.2 could not play MiG-29 or Falcon 3.02.
When either game was run, it would simply freeze
with a blank screen.
The solution is to use a small TSR (terminate-and-
stay-resident) program called ACER.COM which we
created to deal with this incompatibility problem.
Running this patch will automatically copy ACER.COM
into your FALCON3 directory.
If you have an Acer with BIOS version 1.2, type
"ACER" before you run MiG-29 or Falcon 3.04. This
will load the ACER TSR into memory, where it will
allow you to play Falcon 3.04 or MiG-29. When
loaded, ACER.COM takes up 768 bytes (0.8K) of
conventional memory. Since MiG-29 requires 603K and
Falcon 3.04 requires 604K of conventional memory,
be sure you have enough free RAM for this TSR as well.
When you are done playing, type "ACER U" to unload
the TSR from memory.
Tseng ET4000/w32 chipset
------------------------
If you have a video card with the Tseng ET4000/w32
chipset, you may experience problems with frequent
white flashing in the simulation. You can download a
specific fix for this video problem from our Customer
Support BBS at (510)522-8909 or from GEnie, CompuServe
or America Online.
FINDING SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE ONLINE
--------------------------------
America Online: Press Ctrl-K for "Go to Keyword."
Then type "SPECTRUM" in the Keyword window. You can
also send e-mail to us at S HOLOBYTE.
CompuServe: Type "GO GAMBPUB" at any ! prompt. Then
select "Section 3" for Spectrum HoloByte. You can
also send us e-mail at 76004,2144
GEnie: Type "M805;1" at any ? prompt. Then select
"Category 18" for Spectrum HoloByte. You can also
send us e-mail at HOLOBYTE.
Internet: Send us e-mail at 76004.2144@compuserve.com.
Prodigy: Check the "Flight Simulators" topic on the
Game Club bulletin board (located in the Game
Center area). You can also send us e-mail at
TKNJ33A.