A.R.S.E.

Any ARSEs still got the original Falcon 4 CD and willing to lend it to me please? Need to borrow one to install the new Falcon BMS (an exicting update of the original Falcon 4).

Would be much appreciated.

smith

Is that Falcon 4.0 Allied Force or another title?

If so, I have the CD and can send it down for you to use.

Thanks Rots, but its the original Microprose F4, not Allied Force that works. Thaaks for offering all the same.

smith

No worries mate. Bummer I don't have the original!

I may have tracked down an exe by 'other means' - i'll try it out tonight (after extensive virus scans...).

I have the disc but it's away in storage at the mother in law's, unfortunately.

I'm a Falcon 4.0 tragic.

I have a few copies at home, together with pretty much every mod since the Realism Patch Guys and 1.08.

Drop me a PM Smiss and we can arrange details.

Thanks Durrie. I'll try it with the 'naughty' version first. I only need to point the installer to the exe file i think. This is for Falcon BMS - have you checked it out? I tried Free Falcon a while back but it had issues with Nvidia that stopped me enjoying it. BMS on the other hand has been updated to DX9 and looks great and is apparently stable.

I'm going to try to install it this weekend.

smith

OK, no worries Smiss, let me know if it doesn't work and I'll shoot you the disk.

I liked the BMS patches from the start and I can't believe they've continued to work on it and released v4.

I'll try to load it up this weekend, but I'll have to see if I remember how to tweak all my rig profiles from Allied Force. Apparently BMS4 has a heavily re-worked keyfile and that will play havoc with my stuff.

When we get it all working, we'll have to try out the online and see if it really is that stable

Great idea! Man I have to learn this again from the ground up! Got it installed - a breeze - and it looks so good and runs so well for me! Five minutes setting the stick up and loaded a basic fly about TEC. Pics below - I'm very impressed!

It's got bloom! And AA works! It's pretty! It's got self-shadowing in the cockpit!

EEK! You're flying a D?

Are those Hi-Tiles as standard? I saw a trailer video and the launch, smoke trail and splash effects look pretty good. Flare and Chaff even got re-worked.

Dunno - it's what default gave me for the "handling" TE. I was mildly surprised when I saw the passenger!

Hi-tiles are default, no need to mod the hell out of it! I plan on getting more stick time this weekend.

Neat youtube vid here: [youtube] [/youtube]

Yeah, saw that. Nice video.

I got it loaded up on the weekend and took it for a spin. Very nice. The flight model has had a major overhaul and is alot less "fixed" if you know what I mean.

The collection of Reddog's kneeboard materials, airfield/approach charts etc is a nice touch.

Dunc's DX Cougar profile didn't do it for me though. It was a bit flakey with held keys, so I'm going to have to resurrect Jagstang's BMS 2.0 files and tweak them for the new keyfile. There's always something. MDF's work nicely and my old sidewinder gamevoice system for in-game voice commands seems unchanged.

I still managed to shell out my engine flying through a debris cloud though.

It takes a lot of reading to get up to speed with BMS. I notice quite a few things changed as I'm working through the training TEs, including that they now have a propoer training range for A-G stuff.

I'm still struggling a bit with the ICP (once I leave the steerpoint display on the DED, I'm stuffed if i can get it back again), DED and programming the data cartridge so that targets and steerpoints show up properly.

The most frustrating TE I'm finding is the navigation and time on station one. I'm trying to follow the steering and speed cues but last last I was wandering about, heading to what seemed like SP 3, miles away (couldn't see a diamond anywhere on the HUD) when I got a bingo fuel warning. Had to turn around and because I had earlier been checking whether a new X-52 profile was working and had cycled my gear at about 400 knots (!) so I had to 'land' (fireball) without gear.

Messy but fun. I know what you mean about it feeling less like its on rails. I like the flight model and haven't had any issues with it (no deep stalls yet), but man it's floaty on landing. Got to get the speed down!

smithcorp wrote:The most frustrating TE I'm finding is the navigation and time on station one. I'm trying to follow the steering and speed cues but last last I was wandering about, heading to what seemed like SP 3, miles away (couldn't see a diamond anywhere on the HUD) when I got a bingo fuel warning. Had to turn around and because I had earlier been checking whether a new X-52 profile was working and had cycled my gear at about 400 knots (!) so I had to 'land' (fireball) without gear.

The tadpole in the HUD should give you the cue as to the direction of your selected SP rather than hunting for the diamond. The diamond might be below your field of view and your HSI should flash/highlight the current SP. Also, the lower right of the HUD gives you distance to the selected SP as does your manual HSI when switched to NAV.

During Campaign, I always change my Time on Station time to 1 minute in the flight plan before launch. That way, you don't suffer the penalties for wandering too far from the SP and failing the requirement.

Not sure which Steerpoint DED page you want, but you can always move your DCS switch to the left for return (RTN) to the default page which shows current SP top right, and/or then press ICP button 4 - STPT for more detail.

Not having functioning gear does make landing difficult

I've got the original Special Edition release that had a complete flight manual in a folder at least 3 inches thick from memory. You can have it if you want Smiss.

I think F4 was the last game I got that had a proper chunky arse manual. I miss those days...

Yep, it looks heaps better than it used to. I have navigation (in terms of time on station, progressing steerpoints etc) and landing down now; and have worked out how to make air to air kills with guns and sidewinders using 'dogfight' mode. Next is some A-G with bombs, rockets and guns and then back to some more air to air with the more tricky radar modes; then to learn how to refuel from an air tanker and I reckon I can start a campaign...

Wasn't in the office myself but I'm reliably informed it hit the post today smiss.

Funny thing f4 I had it since release and must've installed it half a dozen times. Never really played it though, it always felt so sterile to me and I guess I'm not a big viper fan.

Thanks Jamo - tops! I can't explain it yet, but to me it feels hugely immersive rather than sterile.

Haha - that Jamo's a top bloke!

FrugalsWorld is back up and not a mention here Smiss? For shame. You even posted in the Mig Alley forum....Mig Alley!

I got a notification that someone had posted in a thread I'd subscribed to (in 2006). I click the link in the email and lowe and behold....FW in all its glory!

http://www.Frugals-World.com for those that didn't know, like me. Your old username and pw should work. Mine did.

My apologies! It's good to see it back, though its not as active as it used to be. Such a surprise that my original login from 4 years ago worked. if only they can restore all the great articles.

The 4th (and probably final) patch/update for Falcon 4 BMS 4.32 is now out and available from the BMS forums.

smith