PC Action 1996 February/PCA_0296.ISO/up_pa/flight/fstupdat.exe/README.TXT

Text File | 1994-07-25 | 14KB | 282 lines

*******  Welcome to "FST:  WWII."  ********


    *  Table of Contents *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    * Section 1:  Overview
    * Section 2:  Tips for New Flight-Sim Players
    * Section 3:  Notes for Flight-Sim Junkies and FST Owners
    * Section 4:  Technical-Support Tips:  (PLEASE READ THIS IF
              YOU HAVE PROBLEMS!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

** SECTION 1:  Overview **

     With the exception of the graphic front-end in the standalone game,
"FST:  WWII" was developed entirely with Domark's "Flight Sim
Toolkit" software.  We've integrated dozens of new features and
improvements that allow those who own FST to develop their own
detailed and realistic WWII air-combat scenarios, or customize the
ones we've developed.

     Don't own FST?  Don't worry!  Not only can you play all of the
scenarios we've enclosed, but your can also take advantage of your
"FST:  WWII" purchase to get $10 off our full-featured and high-
powered "Flight Sim Toolkit" software and design your own aerial
adventures!


** SECTION 2:  Tips for New Flight-Sim Players **

     If "FST:  WWII" is the first flight-simulation title that you've
played, there are some basic tips to help you get in the air and having
fun:

     1)  Use the "Arcade" or "Training" scenarios first.  The flight-models
(how the aircraft actually perform) are very responsive, forgiving, and
durable in these missions.  In addition, you'll have plenty of
ammunition to take it to the bad guys with.

     2)  Even though the "Arcade" and "Training" flight models are
easier, the basic concepts of fighter combat still apply.  Keep your
speed up, and use the strength of your aircraft to greatest advantage.
Here's a brief list of each fighter's key strengths to keep in mind:

    Mustang:  Very fast.  Make slashing, diving attacks against the
enemy planes.  Don't let them pull you into a turning fight if you can
help it.

    Spitfire:  Great maneuverability.  Tight, high-banked duels are the
Spit's playground!

    Typhoon:  Fast and tough, perfect for attacking ground targets.
Good maneuverability, but use the Typhoon's climbing ability to climb
above the enemy.

    Fw-190:  Small, fast, and durable.  Use the Fw-190's speed and
high roll rate to avoid turning duels with Spitfires.  When in trouble,
DIVE!

    Me-109:  A good all-around performer, but lacking the
maneuverability of the other fighters. The toughest fighter to fight and
win with in the D-Day scenarios.

    Ju-188:  This large, twin-engined bomber survived with its speed,
but still has to slow down to drop a torpedo.  Don't become too
focused on the fighters and hit the ground! Make sure and use your
flaps when making torpedo runs.

    Wildcat:  The Wildcat was outclassed by the Japanese Zero in
speed and maneuverability.  However, it possessed more firepower, and
FAR more durability. Try to dive on the enemy, and take them out with
a good burst.  Forget trying to out-turn a Zero.

    Dauntless:  This bomber was stable and durable, but slow.  Stay
close to other Dauntlesses to combine the protection from each other's
tailguns.  Don't attempt to go into battle as a "lone wolf."  If the
fighters don't get you, the anti-aircraft fire will.  Dive-bombing is the
best way to ensure a hit, and builds up plenty of speed for your escape.

    Devastator:  This torpedo bomber is obsolete, sluggish, and slow.
Torpedo runs in the Devastator are very tough.  Use your flaps, drop
your torpedo no closer than 500 yards or so, and hope for the best!
(ALT-M gives you a "Torpedo's-Eye View" after you drop it.)
Remember 100 knots, and NO MORE than 100 feet of altitude when
you drop the torpedo, or it will malfunction.

    Zero:  This Japanese fighter was fast and maneuverable for its time,
but lacked the heavy firepower and ruggedness of the Wildcat.  Pull the
enemy into turning duels, where the Zero reigned supreme.  Avoid
head-on attacks, and stay away from the bomber's tailguns.

    Val:  Slow and fragile, but maneuverable for its size.  The Val is
much like the Daunltess dive bomber, and the same tactics work with
this aircraft.

    Kate:  A much better torpedo bomber than the Devastator, the Kate
was faster and more responsive.  However, the same tactics apply with
as with the Devastator:  Stay close to your wingmen, don't get too close
to the warships you're attacking, and don't hang around when you've
dropped your torpedo.  In the role of a dive-bomber, the Kate is much
like the Dauntless.

    Don't forget to use your rudder when mixing it up with the enemy
aircraft, or jockeying for a torpedo run.  Real "warbird" pilots relied on
their rudder pedals to pull off the tough shots that meant the
differences between life and death.  Don't rely only on the ailerons to
turn your plane!


** Section 3:  Notes for Flight-Sim Junkies and FST Owners **

    While "FST:  WWII" is intended to be a "fun" flight simulator,
there are a number of realism features that will appeal to the "serious"
simulation fans:

    Damage Effects:  The player's aircraft can suffer damage in different
ways.  The cockpit has a number of instruments that indicate the
damage the plane is taking.  Handling in all three axes can be effected,
as well as the engine's power output.  If the player's aircraft is smoking,
that indicates an engine hit, and an impending loss of power.  The
computer-flown aircraft suffer identical effects.  During the missions,
smoking aircraft will be seen "augering in" when their engines die, or
plowing into the ground when their controls begin to fail.

    Ground Effect:  Particularly applicaple to takeoffs and torpedo
runs, Ground Effect provides a small amount of additional lift that the
player will actually notice.  Don't let a plane's performance in Ground
Effect lull you into a false sense of security.  Once the carrier's deck is
out from under you, things might get hairy!

    Rudder-Roll Relationship:  Players will notice that rudder
coordination is particularly important with the new flight-modelling
computations.  Rudder deflection also induces a roll, precisely as it
does in reality.  The windy conditions of the "Combat" and "Veteran"
scenarios illuminate the importance of the rudder!

    High-Speed Stalls:  It's possible to pull too much aft elevator and
cause the wing to enter a high-speed stall through a drastically-
increased angle of attack.  This is referred to by some as "mushing,"
and can be very dangerous to ground-attack aircraft and dive-bombers.
Don't attempt to bully a plane too much at high speeds.

    Flight Models:  The "Arcade" and "Training" flight models have
been tweaked with much higher thrust, and much lower overall wing
loading than the flight models of the "Veteran" and "Combat"
scenarios.  The easier models are a ball to fly, but still have to deal
with the full computational considerations of the more realistic
versions.  The models of the "Combat" and "Veteran" scenarios are very
faithful to the actual handling and speed characteristics of their real-
life counterparts, but have had the wing loading (Wing Efficiency)
adjusted to provide better climb performance.  While this makes these
flight models less "realistic," it does make them much more enjoyable
to fly.  FST users who wish to tweak these flight models for the utmost
in accuracy should start by reducing the Wing Efficiency of each
aircraft to the 0.5-0.75 range.

     *** WARNING:***

    The new WORLD.EXE editing Tool IS NOT completely
compatible with older FST scenarios, due primarily to the additional
features such as Teams and Bombers that "FST:  WWII" adds.  If you
have a scenario that you've developed with the -OLD- FST
WORLD.EXE editing Tool, DO NOT try to edit it with the -NEW-
WORLD.EXE.  This will result in many of the old scenario's variables
becoming scrambled, and will not run with EITHER version of FST.

    For FST users who wish to edit and run the scenarios from DOS,
the following naming convention is how the game's graphic front end
selects and loads the individual mission files:

    DDAY or MIDWAY is the obvious prefix for each theatre.  The
suffixes are broken into three sections:  Country, Mission, and Skill
Level (A=Arcade, T=Training, C=Combat, V=Veteran.)  For example,
MIDWAY.A1A is the file name for a Midway scenario, (A)merican
Side, (1)st Mission, (A)rcade Skill Level.  DDAY.G4C is the name for
a D-Day scenario, (G)erman Side, (4)th Mission, (C)ombat Skill Level.

    For FST users wishing to adapt their existing FST Scenarios, please
refer to the FORMATS.TXT file in this directory.

    For FST users wishing to experiment with different command-line
arguments while running the FLY.EXE program from DOS, the
enclosed ARGS.TXT file has a number of new switches that allow
considerable flexibility and options in running FST.


** SECTION 4:  Technical Support Tips **

    ? Problem:  The game runs too slow!

    * Reason:  To run in the 640x480 Super VGA mode, your machine
should have an S3, ATI, or VESA-compatible accelerated graphics
card.  Unless you have a fast local bus machine, a non-accelerated
graphics card will run the game too slowly in SVGA.

    ! Solution:  Select the Standard (320x200) Resolution in the
Display Menu. (9)  Additionally, the Options Menu (3) allows you to
toggle the Detail off, providing a "Flat Earth" terrain model without
texture.  While flying the actual simulation, the ESC key will bring up
the Configuration Menu.  The Display selection in this menu allows
you to turn off the horizon shading, further increasing the speed the
game runs at.  Combining all three of these options will enable most
machines to run the game very well!

    ? Problem:  I'm getting the message "Unable to set video mode"
when I try to play the missions.

    * Reason:  The Display options aren't set for your graphics card, or
you do not have VESA-compatible 640x480 display resolution
software installed in your computer's memory.

    ! Solution:  Set the Display options in the game to match your card,
and/or install the proper VESA-compatible software into your
computer's memory BEFORE your run the game.

    ? Problem:  The D-Day scenarios run too slow!

    * Reason:  The D-Day scenarios are HUGE, each one containing an
accurate recreation of the invasion of Normandy and the terrain of
northern France.  A typical mission can have almost 2,000 3-D objects
for the player to interact with!  You can literally fly for an hour without
hitting the "end" of the world.

    ! Solution:  (**Please use this solution AFTER you've tried
reducing the display detail levels as the first Solution recommends.**)
Select the FAST D-DAY missions from the front-end Options menu. These
are simplified versions of the D-DAY missions.  They have nearly all
non-military objects removed to reduce the number of polygons your
computer must process.

    When FAST D-DAy missions have been selected, the game will run
properly, and the speed of the simulation should speed up considerably.
However, if the speed is still too slow for your liking, running the
D-Day scenarios with the Display option set to VGA/Normal will provide
a significant speed increase.

    ? Problem:  I can't get any sound!

    * Reason:  "FST:  WWII" absolutely REQUIRES a 100% Sound-
Blaster compatible card to be able to play digitized sound effects while
flying the simulation.  (Some cards advertise 100% compatibility, but
aren't!  If you get the idea that sound card compatibility is becoming a
virtual tar-pit in the PC game industry, you're right.)

    ! Solution:  FST assumes that your sound card is configured for
IRQ 5, DMA 1, and Port 220H (default settings).  Any other settings
need to be noted by the SETBLASTER command in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Please check the owner's manual of your
particular card for instructions on how to configure it to the
specifications mentioned above.  As a last resort, you can enable your
PC's speaker to play very basic sounds during the game.

    Owners of ProAudio Spectrum sound cards occasionally have
problems with Sound Blaster compatibility.  Depending on the model
and manufacture date of your card, setting the IRQ, DMA, and PORT
addresses can be performed either with jumpers, or through the card's
installation software.  If your ProAudio refuses to play the digitized
sounds in the game, please checkyour card's configuration and ensure
that the proper settings, including the AUTOEXEC.BAT
SETBLASTER option, is correct for Sound Blaster emulation.  This
advice is also applicable for owners of the Reveal and Sound Galaxy
line of sound cards.

    ? Problem:  The game locks up, drops me back out to DOS, or gives
me an "Insufficient Memory" message.

    * Reason:  This is almost always the result of a the computer
system's memory configuration specified in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and
CONFIG.SYS programs.  "FST:  WWII" requires only 330k of
Conventional Memory, and 2 megabytes of Extended Memory.  Very
few machines are unable to provide this.  If your system refuses to run
the game, you should try to reconfigure your system to reduce or
eliminate excessively large RAMDISK or SMARTDRV settings.

    Typing "MEM/C" from the DOS directory provides a detailed
breakdown on your computer's memory status.  If this shows at least
330k of conventional memory and 2 megabytes free, "FST:  WWII"
should have no problems at all.  DOS 6.0 and above contains an
excellent memory configuration program called MEMMAKER.
Running MEMMAKER from the DOS directory is simple, fast, and
can cure many memory headaches.