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The 'Bandit Bulletin' Archive


»2000 Bandit Bulletin Archive
FA Futures

12-10-2000 - The new airbase skins have been tested with mixed results. Additional help will be needed from Flanker to correct the pallette problems so we can move forward as we are suffering a greenish hue to the concrete pads. Updates will be available in January 2001, as will be out of town until then, so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! CAG out...

FA Futures News

11-07-2000 - Success with new skins continues. All the Aircraft Carriers have been reskinned, but still need additional work before they can be publically displayed. Many IDF aircraft have been completed. Egyptian MiGs and Israelis F-4s have been reskinned and 'cracked' - new shape colors to match the new look. Screenshots will be available in 2001. CAG out..
FA Futures News
10-02-2000 -Iron Eagle has withdrawn his support for the project, but with the original VNFAWING Development Team still backing my work, experimentation has begun on hex editing of the shapes to achive new color combinations on shapes that have proven uncolorable in Sick Puppies shape color editor. Initial testing has given us hope that cracking the shapes will be successful. CAG out...

FA Futures News
09-12-2000 - Successful development of these new high grade aircraft textures (skins) has proceeded well with new polished aluminum skins for upgrade of the aircraft in the orignal VNFAWING Korean War Library. The new skins are not yet finalized & will require additional work, but they have proven to be highly reflective in FA & have added to immersion... Click here to read further...

FA Futures News
08-21-2000 - I have begun working on a new blended texture process for creating new skins for the shape ins FA that allowed detailed skin application. click here to visit the EGroup...


FA Futures News
07-25-2000 - Ironeagle has continued experimentation with advanced cockpit graphcis and had discovered the pallette limitatons of colors for compatibility with night and cloud/fog flight. Future work will be centerd on a new F-16 cockpit and a new F-117 cockpit for future implementation into FA Futures...

» Janes's FA internet resources
FA Futures News
06-11-2000 - With the official disbandment of the VNFAWING Air Wing (online squadrons) as an active online squadron site, the future of the site is now strickly a Flight Simulation Development Site, with the VNFAWING commcenter messageboard being rebuilt exclusively as an update center for future updates on our development work...
Click here to read more...

FA Futures News
05-31-2000 - After discussions with Wrench he has forwarded me some new terrain tiles to test for use in both of our new development theaters. The tiles are based on those found in Falcon 4 with a pallette adjustment to match FA. The tiles look good within the sim at altitude but the pixels are to large for realeastic low level flight and we must find a way to compress the terrain to obtrain true immersion of both altitude and speed. Expect futher updates in teh coming weeks. CAG out...


FA Futures News
04-23-2000 - We have begun experimenting with new skin graphics and new cockpits bsed on some of the readily available graphics from USAF and Falcon 4.0. We have run into pallette issues and are attempting to overcome the issues now. Stop into the Comm Center to see our latest posts. CAG out... Click here to read further...


FA Futures News
03-15-2000 - A new Forum section on the VNFAWING Comm Center has beeen setup to support our project. You can stop in to see posts on our progress and to visit our airwing, which has grown to include an FA Squadron, an EAW Squadron, a JF-18 Squadron, and a Falcon 4.0 Squadron. CAG out... Click here to read further...

FA Futures News
02-28-2000 - After initial discussions with Tango and with Ironeagle, it has been determined that the upgrade for FA is feasible as a project and not only should, but must proceed forward. Initial design will be centered around updates in a theatre by theatre process for each map, beginning with 2 initial projects,

    1) Based on Korea and updating the default map in FA with new textures for both summer and winter, with new elevations, expansion of the terrain (if possible, to encompass Japan and the outer islands on the same map and all of North & South Korea) and the overwriting (for this specific theatre) of all the unused default items that will not be needed or used for this theater...
    2) IDF/IAF Wars encompassing all of the central middle east including all of Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Traq, segments of Iran and Lebanon. Again all un-necessary default items will be over writtenand only theater correct items will be available in the libraries set...
    Expect additional news in the near future on development and a rebuild of the VNFAWING Comm Center board for use in development for the Project. CAG out...

FA Futures News
01-01-2000 - VNFAWING is please to announce the FA Futures Project! This is a full on upgrade of Janes fightes Anthology to a more modern level of graphics, flight models, and weapons capabilites to better compete with the more modern sims such as Falcon 4.0 and the two new titles from Janes, namely USAF and JF/A-18. The project will begin soon with the assistance of the original VNFAWING design team that has already brought us the Falklands/Malvinas and Korea War 1950-53 Libraries.


Falcon 4.0 News
12-14-2000 - I received the following release from the F4Terrain Team. Here are the details...

    The F4Terrain Group is pleased to announce the coming release of the beta 6 version of the Balkan 'Powderkeg' Theater. The is a landmark beta release as the tiling has now been entirely completed.
    Co-Producer Chris "Washout" Carter writes:
    Mon Dec 14, 2000 2:56pm
    Subject: Let the celebrations begin
    Hi All (especially anyone who has helped with tiling),
    The theatre is now 100% tiled!!!! (he says nursing his sore mouse Finger). The last tile was placed this morning at 11:55GMT and is the result of over 700,000 hand placed textures (actually this is a guess, maybe Julian could write a script to count all the sea tiles and subtract that from 1,048,576).
    First let me say a massive 'Thank You' to everybody who has submitted tiled segments over the last year (yes, it has been that long:). This has been a great exercise in international cooperation and would not have been possible without everybody involved (I thought I could do it alone at one stage hahahahahaha) .
    Chris "Washout" Carter
    Our Quality Assurance team is making a final pass over the Balkan Theater to check for any remaining problems. Co-Producer Manfred Nelles is working on the final build of the Balkan Theater Installer as we speak. We have developed an all new and detailed User's Manual. Look for the Balkan Theater the User's manual on the following sites to preview the coming release:
    balkans.falcon40.com
    www.dogfighter.com
    www.simhq.com
    www.frugalsworld.com
    The Balkan Theater features a rich variety of terrain with deep valleys, broad plains, and even sub-tropical islands! Included with the Balkan Theater beta 6 release is a brand new air defense system, a custom te_new.tac designed just for the Balkan Theater, and lots of new airbases and strategic installations to discover. The dynamic campaign is not presently functioning but several of the region's ground and air defenses are in place. The TE building functions in its old familiar fashion. We are hoping that many of you will begin building TEs to experiment with the potential in this new and exciting combat arena.
    Please share your TEs with the F4Terrain Group by mailing them to froglips@noos.fr. They could show up as sample TEs in future builds of the Balkan Theater.
    Happy Holidays and best wishes from the F4Terrain Team!
    ... You can obtain the patch by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
12-12-2000 - Infogrames are about to acquire Hasbro Interactive.

    "Christmas shoppers are not alone in shelling out cash for sizable purchases this season: Infogrames Entertainment together with Hasbro has announced a strategic agreement comprised of three main elements, including Infogrames' acquisition of Hasbro's game business. Also included in the deal is a long-term licensing agreement furnishing Infogrames with the sole rights to create and publish games based on current and future Hasbro properties on all current and future platforms, and the acquisition of the online gaming portal, Games.com."
    Also Hasbro has closed www.falcon4.com, the Microprose Falcon 4.0 Website It appears that Hasbro's official site for Falcon 4 has closed it's doors. There is also no visible signs of Falcon 4 on Hasbro's support pages. Pther sites will still be offering unofficial support for Falcon 4. Many users will also continue to support F4 on the various forums around the web.... You can read more about the Hasbro Aquisiton by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
11-28-2000 - Joel Bierling has released version 3.1 of his F4Patch. Here are the details...

    I'm pleased to announce F4Patch version 3.1.
    There are four parts to this release.
    F4Patch_Standard_31 - Main group of patches
    F4Patch_Cockpit_31 - B1b, F-14, and 5 different F-16 cockpits
    F4Patch_Sound_31 - Sound pack
    F4Patch_Skin_31 - Skin pack -- BRAND NEW!
    The new Standard and Sound downloads are a refresh from version 3.0.
    The Cockpit download is a brand new download that has fixes for the previous 3.0 version and brand new support for the eRazor exe. The Cockpit download for F4Patch 3.x patches Falcon4 to automatically switch the cockpit depending on the aircraft you are flying. Fly the B-1B and automatically get the B-1B cockpit. Fly the F-14 and automatically get the F-14 cockpit.
    Finally, the Skin download is a brand new download for version 3.1. Finally you'll be able to clothe your aircraft with the skin of your choice!
    INSTALLING:
    Follow the directions in the F4Patch_Standard_Readme.txt file
    UPGRADING:
    If you've only used F4Patch 3.0 and _NOTHING_ else, upgrading to 3.1 is simple.
    1. Start the 3.0 version of the package.
    2. Unapply all the patches.
    3. Start the 3.1 version of the package.
    4. Apply the patches you want.
    ... You can obtain the patch by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
11-22-2000 - F4 Realism Patch Group released RP4 & released a "Hot Fix" for it. Details...

    "Although it has been only few hours since the RP v4.0 has been released we discovered that one error has creped in.
    Unfortunately it causes AGM-88 HARM DLZ to not appear on HUD and causes the AI to not engage with HARMS.
    We make mistakes. But we correct them and here it is only 20 minutes from it's discovery
    This last minute fix was to correct a problem with the HARMS flying too far after battery life had run out and they could not detonate. We are amazed amongst ourselves that in this ".dat" file the number "1" got inadvertently changed to "0" thus creating the problem."... You can obtain more patch by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
09-05-2000 - Sim News has posted the this information on the upcoming Realism Patch for Falcon4...

    " Here is just a few:
    1. Separate sensors for all AI planes
    2. Revised radars to differentiate different capabilities, such
    as pulse, conical scanning, pulse doppler, and better model ECCM
    characteristics and track-through-notch capabilities of each radar.
    3. Different RWR capabilities and sensitivity, including ESM type sensors.
    4. Different cockpit vision envelope for AI planes
    5. Working ECM (Sylvain's patch) plus ECM now highlights your position
    6. Internal ECM for some planes, and Sorbtsiya ECM pod for Su-27
    7. AI intercept behavior (Sylvain's patch)
    8. AI weapon selection (Sylvain's patch)
    9. ARH missile launch no longer trips RWR launch warning, which is realistic for such missiles
    10. Revised AI threat reaction to support its own missile in air when it is fired at (Sylvain's patch)
    "... You can obtain the information by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
08-22-2000 - SimHQ released this about some changes at iBeta ...

    "The time has come to facilitate a changing of the guard. Backing during the Falcon 4.0 1.07 patch process, Glenn Kletzky offered his services to Microprose to help manage the "iBeta" process and assist in the resolution of the sim's single and multiplayer issues. After the Alameda labs closed down and the "hex editing" processes started, I started to involve myself more with the formation of the "Falcon 4.0 iBeta Realism Patch team". This team was highly dedicated and showed their mettle during the transition from a testing-only group, to one that managed the entire hex editing development process. I was honored to offer my services as the Executive Producer, overseeing the development as well as participating in thoughtful discussions on military equipment, capability, and performance.
    While the iBeta name became synonymous with Falcon 4.0, many people did not realize that Glenn and myself were actually building a quality assurance company from the ground up. While the company was in the building stages, we continued to support Falcon 4.0 from a hex-editing standpoint. We both loved the genre and respected the sim. The process of managing the RP team gave us much pleasure, especially with the long-lasting friendships that have resulted.
    However, as our company's business grows, we find it increasingly difficult to participate in such activities as it affects our personal and professional time. Our lives have become dedicated to the development of the business, as unfortunately this leaves little time to oversee external projects such as the RP team. As such it has come time for us to hand over the reins to some of the more active members on the team so they can carry the torch in our absence.
    Make no mistake, the RP team will continue - the dedication of the current members is stronger than ever. It will just do so without the iBeta name or our participation. Leo Rogic aka “Apollo11” has been a strong Associate Producer, and I believe that he and others on the team will continue to improve on the data changes within F4. Leo et al will be letting everyone know shortly as to how they intend on proceeding. The next version of the RP is imminent, as we have been working on this continuously since the release of RP 3.0.
    Also make no mistake, this doesn't mean that Glenn or I will be leaving the community either. Military sims have always been our favorite genre, and its basically the reason why we started our company. If anything, this will give us more time to play the other sims and get back into our community-participation mode.
    Thank you to all who have supported this process and us since it started. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you in the community.
    Eric Marlow aka "Snacko" and Glenn Kletzky aka "Sleepdoc" "... You can obtain more information by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
08-06-2000 - Sim News is reporting that eRazor has released Falcon 1.0795 patch.

    This patch is designed to enhance the improvements of v1.079 This patch has many new features. You can read the list of features at Simulation News by clicking here . You can obtain the patch by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
08-05-2000 - CombatSim has posted a news release from the new PMC Tactical Air Wing site
    They are a new Falcon4 site up and running and dedicated to new terrains and teaching us how to make our own with their tutorial. They have info on the Desert Storm terrain and the Vietnam terrain. You can read about it by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
08-05-2000 - Sim News is reporting that eRazor has released Falcon 1.0795 patch.
    This patch is designed to enhance the improvements of v1.079 This patch has many new features. You can read the list of features at Simulation News by clicking here . You can obtain the patch by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
07-25-2000 - Simulation News is reporting that eRazor has released his Falcon 4 v1.079.
    Data on the Patch is below....
    - The (new) configuration file falcon4.cfg is now parsed during startup.
    - Bubble slider setting is now effective .
    - Airbase relocation works now (Controlled by g_bEnableABRelocation in falcon4.cfg).
    - Added possibility to Fly/task any plane in TE and Campaign (requires the changed Validac.act file from IBeta's Realism Patch).
    - Fixed alpha blending bug (Clouds were rendered incorrectly when the "Transparency" option was turned on).
    - Added 2D cockpit support for the 1280x960 and 1600x1200 resolutions.
    - The cockpit loader now recognizes separate 2D cockpits per aircraft. Cockpits for other aircraft than the F16C must be installed in subdirectories below art/ckptart. Refer to the file cockpit.txt for a complete list..
    - The CATI/III switch cockpit extension is now supported (Controlled by g_bEnableCATIIIExtension in falcon4.cfg).
    - Force feedback is back.
    - Cowboy callsign no longer assigned to all F16 flights.
    - CAT I/III checks performed after jettison - also effects the AI because they adhere to cat G limitations. (Controlled by g_bEnableCATIIIExtension in falcon4.cfg).
    - A/A missiles are no longer affected by emergency jettison.
    - Changed GLOC effect to start at 5.5 Gz instead of 3.5.
    - Nike RWR symbol added.
    - Datalink is now operational.
    - Added startup check for proper DirectX 7 installation.
    - Added -cockpitverifier command line switch that enables the display of diagnostic messages for cockpit artists.
    - Added "invulnerability" against cockpit definition errors. The numsurfaces, numpanels, numcursors, numobjects, numbuttons, numbuttonviews and numbuttonviews tags are now ignored and the real amout of object is used. There are several custom cockpits available that contain numerous bugs in these areas causing random crashes with all previous versions of Falcon 4.0.
    - ATC waits 90 seconds after landing instead of 45 before yelling "Clear the runway ...".
    - Added configurable weather realism extensions (Cloud base as low as 100 feet, gusts).
    - The size of the padlock box is now configurable in falcon4.cfg (default 16).
    - The advanced graphics option "Force Multi Threaded" was moved to falcon4.cfg.
    - Command line option "w2kthrottlefix" was moved to falcon4.cfg.
    You can obtain the patch by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
07-18-2000 - Joel Bierling has posted beta 3 of version 2 of F4Patch.
    This includes several new patches for F4 including all of Sylvains latest beta patches. If you haven't already tried Sylvains beta patches then you really want to download this... You can obtain this by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
07-03-2000 - (Frugalsworld.com)eRAZOR has created a patch for Falcon 4 with these features:
    Changes:
    - Support for MPR rendering engine has been dropped completely
    - Falcon is now a native DirectX 7 game (soon DirectX 8)
    Fixes:
    - General DevCreateSurface bug
    - LGB DevCreateSurface bug
    - Shimmering Terrain>
    - Sensor Bank memory leak
    - Chat message memory leak
    - Broken throttle control under Windows 2000
    New Features:
    - Significant frame rate improvements:
    - 2D Cockpit Speedups up to 120%:
    - Hardware Transform and Lighting support (partial):
    - 32 Bit rendering:
    - Anisotropic Texture Filtering (improves terrain image quality a lot):
    - Filtered aircraft and vehicles (ground objects soon):
    - 3D Hardware accelerated UI (including ACMI and Tactical Reference):
    - Support for 3DNow and ISSE processor extensions:
    - Hardware accelerated GM Radar (up to 3x faster):
    - New command line option "-w2kthrottlefix" enables Windows 2000:
    - Workaround for missing HOTAS throttle :
    Unfortunately it is not compatible with any of the other 3rd party patches so it's a case of 2 steps forward and one step backwards...
    Read more by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
06-25-2000 - Joel Bierling has released version 1.4.1 of his excellent F4Patch program.

    This version adds more flyable planes to the fly any plane fix and also adds a fix for the aborts and the crash to desktop errors. You can obtain it by clicking here .


Falcon 4.0 News
06-12-2000 - SimHQ have posted an article on flying any plane in Falcon 4.
    "Click on the Add Package button on the right side of the map and then click on the target. Now you have a Package dialog box to fill out to add one or more flights. I first unlock the takeoff time and set it to at least 15 minutes after the TE mission start time. Then I click the New button and fill out the Flight dialog box. I select A-10 aircraft and in this case it selects the Squadron and Air Base and a Mission Role and all the rest automatically that are satisfactory to me. I hit OK on Flight box and it generates a default mission for me with waypoints and loadout."...
    Read more by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
06-04-2000 - Xis has released his latest beta 1024 x 768 Cockpit for Falcon 4
    "This version corrects the CATI/III switch setting and contains the centre down left and right views, by kind permission of Paul Wilson, updated correct six views, a new Tactical View, the start of an "in cockpit" Tactical Reference of opposing forces, location maps of the major airbases, details of all the TACAN channels, airfield maps and an alternative TOD.LST so that you can read the cockpit text OK at night.". You can obtain it by clicking here .



Falcon 4.0 News
05-31-2000 - (Frugalsowrld.com)Marco Formato & Jeff 'Rhino' Babineau have a new patch
    They have come up with a patch that allows you to fly any plane in Falcon 4 TE's or Campaign. It has always been possible to fly other planes in TE with some fiddling about but this patch allows you to fly any plane in the campaign too and with no fuss. Awesome stuff indeed so now we need some new cockpits. You will need the F4Patch utility in order to install this patch. You can obtain it by clicking here and you can obtain the flyall patch by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
04-24-2000 - iBeta has sent news of next release, Realism Patch 2 for Falcon 4.0.
    Executive Producer's Notes - Realism Patch Version 2.0 - The recent release of the Falcon 4.0 source code was cause for concern here at iBeta. We were not quite sure how Hasbro Interactive would view hex editing and the Realism Patch project in light of the source code release. We have now had the opportunity to clarify these issues with Hasbro, and they send not only their approval to continue the realism patch project, but they fully support users developing edits to F4 that result in an increased enjoyment for their product. It should be clearly stated that Hasbro Interactive and iBeta L.L.C. view the release of the source code as an illegal and inappropriate act, and iBeta will have nothing to do with it. We continue to be motivated to improve upon the Falcon 4.0 product, but only with the knowledge we gain by external experimentation. The edits that go into any iBeta Realism Patch will not utilize any knowledge gained by examining the source code.
    Please be aware, with the bubble changes and the discoveries regarding the unit deaggregation distances (UDDs), there is the likelihood that FPS will be affected. If you choose to adopt the bubble slider EXE, you will have the ability to tone it down the FPS hit two notches, but everyone must understand, the more we turn on, the more it affects the CPU and frames per second. iBeta is quite concerned about FPS issues, and we do not wish to burden current F4 pilots by turning on so much activity that only owners of 1Ghz CPU processors would appreciate it. While there may be slight frame rate hit in RP2, we anticipate turning on even more feature in the future, as F4 should scale right with us for some time to come. You can read further by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
03-19-2000 - The F4 Tournament has begun at the 714 VFTS.
    The tournament is a series of elimination competitions between human pilots in serval types of engagement, including, long rage BVR, mid range (rear aspect only engagements), and short range guns only (again rear aspect only) combat. Check it out by clicking here .
Falcon 4.0 News
02-18-2000 - iBeta has released version 1 of their realism patch for Falcon 4.
    This is from the readme:
    The initial release of the iBeta Falcon 4.0 Realism Patch can best be characterized by calling it a set of base changes that we will use as a jumping off point for further revisions. Many of the modifications employed by this patch address inaccuracies, omissions, and problems with the underlying data. In addition, we have also brought some logical sense to the amour, blast, and damage values - now they are more consistent and (we hope) more accurate. We have also improved the ground unit organization to bring it into a more realistic context.
    Things to Watch For:
    - F4Gs now carry AGM-45 Shrikes and AGM-88 HARMs
    - Ground battles are more realistic - ground units have accurate weapons/loadouts, and are organized according to battle doctrine
    - Bomb blasts, penetration, armor, and damage values are now more accurate across the board
    - Patriot and Nike SAMs are now "awake" (performance will be address later)
    - Formations now work properly
    - AWACs "Vector to" message now works
    - Mig-19 now has radar and AA-1s
    - BLU-27s (napalm) are now designated Mk-77 which is the USAF designation
    - SA-7s are more realistic - they are now impact fused and not proximity fused
    - AA-10 series of missiles behave more realistically due to correct seeker heads now in place
    There is much more to do. Version 1.0 does not address missile performance (A2A, A2G, and SAMs), nor does it modify aircraft performance envelopes. We have also identified ways of allowing more escort flight for the strike missions in campaign, improve AI engagement ranges of enemy aircraft, and correct the "legal" loadouts on all the aircraft. Stay tuned, it will be an enjoyable ride - Snacko... Read more by clicking here .

» Falcon 4.0 internet resources
Falcon 4.0 News
02-08-2000 - iBeta has released a press release.
    iBeta has released a press release about their realism patch for Falcon 4 that is in the works - February 8, 2000 - Denver, CO. - The question has been asked many times "what will become of Falcon 4.0 once the current Microprose team has departed?" Anyone whose been following the wealth of changes that can go on inside of Falcon 4.0 by simply "hacking" the databases knows there is great potential here. But with everyone and his brother offering their "version of reality", how can this be controlled? Even now, we are observing how different versions of reality begin to manifest themselves and the difficulty in trying to keep up "Hex Editing" started as a grass roots effort - players interested in modifying the files of Falcon 4.0 to get more enjoyment from their gameplay experience. Luckily the designers of Falcon 4.0 created a scheme that allowed much of the inner workings to be accessed by modifying the game's text and binary files. Thanks to the innovative and creative discoveries made by those who explored the depths of Falcon 4.0, the Falcon 4 community at-large now has the ability to bring additional immersion to the Falcon 4.0 world...Read more by clicking here .

Falcon 4.0 News
01-28-2000 - The F4 Tournament signup has begun at the 714 VFTS Falcon 4 ladder. Signup today for competition using the 1.08i2 and Gregory Pierson anti cheat program. Click here to visit the ladder site.

Falcon 4.0 News
01-16-2000 - The Delta Hawks Realism upgrade has been released! The Delta Hawks have announced its availablility." Read more by clicking here .

Flanker News

07-22-2000 - Combat Sim is reporting that SSI has informed them that the Flanker 2.5 update will be available this September as an on-line only purchase. Flanker 2.5 is an update for Flanker 2 and will have many enhancements over the current version... Click here to read further.

Flanker News

05-22-2000 - Escuadron 111 (111th Squadron's Su-27 Wing) has posted a new toolkit for changing the skins, cockpit and terrain in Flanker 2. Included is a tutorial and examples on its use... Click here to get the tool.

Flanker News

05-12-2000 - "The first version of the Su25 Frogfoot and Su39 Naval Frogfoot cockpit addons are now available for download. The philosophy behind this cockpit addon is to create the illusion of a different aircraft (namely the Su25 / 39) using the existing 3D cockpit in Flanker 2.02. This cockpit uses custom textures and clever use of colour to achieve this.Used in conjunction with the 'fly Su39' patch (available onsite) makes for exciting Russian style ground attack scenarios."... Click here to read further.

Flanker News

04-30-2000 - Escuadron 111 (111th Squadron's Su-27 Wing) proudly presents its latest project for all the Flanker pilots to enjoy: The Russian Air Force Staff College. Every two weeks a new assignment will be posted and Flanker pilots worldwide are welcome to try and execute it. They will be asked to deploy a wide array of air assets in order to inflict maximum damage to the enemy, following a clearly established set of rules. The first assignment, created by Goran Ivaz "BrzI", is already posted and available both in English and Spanish. Submissions will be accepted until 5/16/00"... Click here to read further.

Flanker News

04-22-2000 - Ham Technologies presents a cockpit enhancement for Flanker 2.02 designed to take full advantage of the technology available on a TNT 2 video board. The project utilised actual images of Su-27 cockpits and custom artwork to provide an accurate and highly detailed supplement to the simulation.... Get the cockpit by clicking here .

Flanker News

04-19-2000 - Gamers Voice has posted a review of Flanker 2 - "Once you decide to fly combat, prepare to be challenged. The AI is good and air-to-air missiles are hard to avoid. If not destroyed outright, you will suffer engine failures, avionics damage, loss of flight controls and other fun stuff. This combined with the realistic flight model can spell disaster for the sim pilot. I once took a near miss that knocked out one engine and damaged the other. I lost airspeed and stalled before I could right my aircraft. It took me about 8000ft to recover and limp back to my base. Whew, my hands still break out into a sweat when I think of fighting for control of my aircraft before I slam into the ground. Of course I could have just ejected but that would have been far less thrilling.".... Read the preview by clicking here .

Flanker News

04-03-2000 - Carl Norman has announced on the forum at the Flanker 2 web site that the patch for Flanker 2 may be released this week - "As many of you have read on the Internet, Mattel Interactive (TLC is a brand) is being sold. That's all I know right now. We've been told to proceed on our current projects, which includes the Flanker products. No decisions have been made that have any negative impact on Flanker. We anticipate that the V2.02 patch will be released this week. It appears to have passed the latest round of testing so it will most likely be out this week, but... No promises. If we find a "show stopper" we'll hold. Let's try and be positive and avoid the many doomers that love to find the negative side to everything online. As Always,Carl
------------------
Carl C. Norman
Managing Director, Novato Studio
Entertainment Division
Mattel Interactive, Inc."...
Flanker News
02-21-2000 - PC Gamer UK have posted a review of Flanker 2. "Instead of being able to fly just the SU-27, pilots can also take to SAM-scarred skies in the SU-33, both of which have been modelled in extraordinary detail. Using an advanced physics model, the aircraft handle as realistically as you'd expect them to, their aerodynamics and performance developed with the aid of Russian pilots. Training missions take you through the aerial ABCs (complete with instructor voice-over), while a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions can be selected from drop-down menus."... Read the preview by clicking here .

Flanker News
02-17-2000 - Flanker2.com has posted a listing of the fixes and features that are planned for the V2.02 patch. Most of these items have already been verified fixed or are being put through testing. Additional bugs and optimization are being worked upon in the next week or two. Once they are convinced this patch is ready, it will be released... Read the preview by clicking here .

» Flanker internet resources
Flanker News
02-14-2000 - The "Ala Su-27 del Escuadron 111 " has just posted a new cockpit made by one of its members: Pampero. It includes some graphical enhancements based on photographs of the real cockpit.... Click here to read further...

Flanker News
02-10-2000 - Thresh's Firing Squad have posted a review of Flanker 2 - "Even veteran pilots have favorite moves; I can think of a few of my own when flying and dogfighting. The AI is no different. It will fight you the best way it can with regard to the capabilities of the aircraft the AI is flying. Don't expect a F-16C to be sloppy and slow to enter a horizontal fight. The F-16 has excellent turning capability. You will need to be at the top of your game to beat an expert F-16 pilot in your Su-27. Of course, the AI can be set at a level to your comfort - Rookie AI is a good place for beginning pilots to start getting into Flanker."... Click here to read further...

JF-18 News

06-19-2000 - Gamezilla has posted a review of Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet - "In F/A-18, you must take off and land on a Nimitz class aircraft carrier. F/A-18 is the most accurate simulation ever of this aircraft and is extremely detailed; however, the campaign system is not fully dynamic. It consists of three phases that will choose your next mission based on your success or failure of the previous mission. The missions are scripted but there is some randomness as to which mission you might receive and there is an element of unpredictability that can occur within a mission. You can play through a campaign and still not see all the missions so there is some aspect of replayability." ... Click here to visit the site...


JF-18 News

06-01-2000 - (from Frugalsowrld.com)A Review of Janes F/A-18 v1.01F by Ryan "Kosmo" Cowley - "The most amazing atmospheric effects ever presented in a flight simulator are brought forth within Jane's F/A-18. Rain, Lighting, Thunder. You will be confronted will all types of weather conditions. Clouds are also nicely done. Upon climb out, you will begin flying through the misty clouds, that will then get thicker and thicker until you can no longer see, and it's a complete white out until you break through the top, where the mist will become less and less until you are above it. The sensation of speed as you whisk past fluffy clouds is unsurpassed." ... Click here to visit the site...


JF-18 News

05-21-2000 - WomenGamers has posted a review of Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet - "The artificial intelligence is the best in any current sim I've seen. When you tell a wingman to do something, he or she does it. When you're fighting other aircraft or SAMs on a high setting, prepare to die if you aren't very, very good. The comms are set up well for one who uses voice-activated software like Game Commander, however if you use the menu-driven system you've got problems when the heat's on. Some of the menus are three and four tiers deep. With detail comes a price." ... Click here to visit the site...


JF-18 News

05-08-2000 - Game Tool Technologies has released an ACMI utility for Jane's F/A-18. Here's their press release - ATLANTA, May 8, 2000 Game Tool Technologies, LLC (Atlanta, Georgia) in conjunction with Lava Systems, Ltd. is pleased to announce the release of its latest flight simulation utility, FA-18 ACMI for Jane's F/A-18. FA18 ACMI is a Windows 9x utility whose main use is to allow players to review missions from a gun camera perspective, allowing review of flight operations for every aircraft in theatre. Players can save missions and save mission tapes. FA-18 ACMI adds functionality originally missing from F/A-18. FA18 ACMI is an OpenGL based application that depicts aircraft and vehicles by accessing F/A-18's mission files as well as 3d models and game skins. FA18 ACMI is fully compatible with 3rd party skins created for use with GTT's other product for F/A-18, Camo Commander. FA18 ACMI is 30 day, fully enabled shareware. Use beyond 30 days requires a $15.00 registration fee. FA18 ACMI may be downloaded from the Game Tool Technologies web site. FA18 ACMI is a part of Game Tool Technologies' TOOLBOX membership subscription plan. Game Tool Technologies, LLC is a leading developer of flight simulation utilities. More information about FA18 ACMI, Camo Commander,TOOLBOX and all our products may be found at the GTT web site also... Click here to visit the site...


JF-18 News

04-08-2000 - (from Frugalsworld.com) Woohoo the patch is out for Janes F/A-18. At last I'll be able to assign the MDI and MPCD push buttons to my Masterpilots. Dang now I'm gonna have to spend ages programming the damn things.... Click here to read further...



JF-18 News

04-03-2000 - (from Frugalsworld.com) CJ Martin posted the following message to the newsgroup this morning regarding the upcoming patch for Jane's F/A-18 Super Hornet - "Good news! The much anticipated patch for Jane's F/A-18 has cleared it's final hurdle at EA, and should be posted "real soon". I don't know where it will be posted first, or what the link will be yet. I just wanted to give everyone a quick update as to where we are at. I'll post the final readme later today in a separate thread. -CJ"... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

03-27-2000 - Furball Magazine has posted an article by Roger Hagerty. In this article, entitled "A Prophead's Experience," Roger, writes about his experiences with Jane's F/A-18 and DI's Super Hornet - "I looked around the cockpit and felt very much like I do when I pop open my car hood and look at the engine. Just what I was looking at and what all those buttons and switches are for was unclear. Still, I knew that is what all the real cyber jet jocks would be doing, and I wanted to at least feel like one of them. So, taking a guess, I tapped "E," assuming the engines would start as they do in nearly all of my other games." ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

03-20-2000 - Fritzdog's F/A-18 Resource Center has posted their FA18 Art Manager for Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet - "I am proud to say that Datajack and I have completed the FA18 Art Manager and it is now available for download. We are both very excited about how well this has turned out and we hope you enjoy using it as much as we have enjoyed making it. Datajack and I live about 1500 miles apart and this was truly a collaboration over the internet. Many emails have been exchanged over the past two weeks and a lot of ideas exchanged on how to create the best product. I think the result was well worth the effort." ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

03-15-2000 - (From Frugalsworld.com)C.J. Martin posted the draft patch readme to the news group."As promised, here is the DRAFT readme for the upcoming Jane's F/A-18 patch. Testing is going well, and hopefully we will be releasing this patch within the next couple of weeks. Note the readme does not cover ever single thing tweaked in the patch, only the major items. -CJ" ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

03-08-2000 - Furball Magazine has posted a mini review of Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet - "Jane's F/A-18 is an exceptional air combat simulator. The graphics are outstanding, the flight modeling is superb and if you've ever wanted to get a taste of just how complex flying a state-of-the-art fighter can be, this is the sim for you. There are multiple displays or MDIs (Multipurpose Display Indicators), a myriad of buttons and controls to contend with and, of course, there is the HUD (Heads Up Display). This game is definitely not a wise choice for those unfamiliar with complex simulations." ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-27-2000 - GamersVoice has posted a review of Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet - "While not a pilot myself, I have read in several newsgroups that real Hornet pilots feel the flight model is dead on. If you really want to enjoy every minute detail of being a Hornet jockey, then you enjoy the nicely done manual explaining every facet of operation from radar modes to carrier ops. Fortunately for those of us that do not have quite so much leisure time, there are options to shorten the learning curve by using simplified avionics along with audio and visual cues." ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-20-2000 - GameSpy have posted a review of Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet - "Flight simulators, and in particular combat flight simulators, have perpetually pushed the limits of each generation of PC gaming system. The more complex the flight models, the more CPU-cycle hungry the sim becomes. The richer the environmental and visual models, the more the sim demands of your video hardware. And, until recently anyway, having either of these influence the other was pretty much just a dream." ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-18-2000 - Dogfighter have posted a Janes F/A-18 review by Dusty "Redwolf" Rhodes. - "There are many aspects to look at as far as this sim's replayability is concerned. For the multiplay community this sim will be around for a while and, as an example, my virtual squadron and I had twelve people in Roger Wilco with eight of us flying Jane's F/A-18 just one week after release of the sim. There was little to no lag and both Roger Wilco and the sim worked flawlessly which is a very good sign as this is an area that people look at carefully when they decide whether or not to keep a sim for the long term." ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-17-2000 - CGO has posted part 2 of 2 of their Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet Mega Strategy Guide. - "One big advantage the Super Hornet has over other fighters is its first big turn, i.e., its ability to get its nose around quickly ("instantaneous turn capability.") To achieve this, begin the turn at about 325 knots, hold down the G limiter button (the "y" key in the default keymap), and perform a maximum turn with the nose slightly below the horizon." ... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-10-2000 - CGO has posted part 1 of 2 of their Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet Mega Strategy Guide. "Mission success or failure more often than not depends upon successful mission preplanning. Consult the briefing map to determine if any air-defense threats lie along your ingress and egress route, using the map filters to display SAM threat ranges. If your flight route lies within one of these circles, move existing waypoints or create additional ones to bypass high threat areas."... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-09-2000 - GameProWorld have posted a review of Janes F/A-18 SH - "There are some performance issues to deal with. The program requires much more than the recommended CPU. Much of F/A-18 involves flying in cooperation with other Hornets, but the more planes you add to your flight, the choppier the game gets. Users will find that reducing the overall detail in graphics settings will increase performance. I also experienced consistent lock-ups when completing single and campaign missions. Even after I eliminated some memory-resident applications from Windows, the problem persisted.".. Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-08-2000 - Sim Arena has posted a detailed review of Janes F/A-18 Super Hornet. - "For all the button pushing, system lovers out there, bow to your new master. Jane's F/A- 18 will enslave you with the incredible depth of its detailed radar, avionics and weapon delivery systems. Air to Air radar includes a controllable Pulse Repetition Frequency, optional Non Cooperative Target Recognition, an area for displaying Angle-Only-Tracks (for jammed targets), Multi-Sensor Integration (data feed of targets from the E-2C), a RAID option for sorting targets in tight formation, and a whole host of other neat features I'd never heard of. You can even track airborne targets with the Advanced Targeting FLIR!" ...
Click here to read further...


JF-18 News
02-05-2000 - SimCombat has posted a review of Janes F/A-18.- "F/A 18 takes flight COMMS and control to a new level, with a diversity of communications that surpass anything yet seen. There are three different controllers on the deck who will give you instructions, and once off the deck you are passed on to yet another controller. This is already a lot of communications, but in the midst of all this you will also hear calls from other flights. It's a bit overwhelming until you are outside the marshall area, but it contributes greatly to immersion."... Click here to read further...


JF-18 News

02-04-2000 - Flight Simulator Magazine (a European based website) Has posted a review of Janes F/A-18 in English. - "The addition of newer, GPS-guided weapons, such as the Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) and the JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition weapons system are extremely accurate and very effective against a wide array of targets. These weapons, with the "old standbys" like the AGM-65 Mavericks, the Mk.80 series of "Iron" bombs and newer, extended-range versions of the Harpoon and SLAM-ER, make the Super Hornet a very potent, very flexible strike fighter." ...


JF-18 News
02-03-2000 - GamePower have posted a review of Janes F/A-18. - "While the designers opted not to depict the many different types of aircraft handlers scurrying about a carrier's flight deck, they more than made up for it with a remarkable portrayal of modern-day naval aviation. In fact, virtually every important aspect of carrier operations has been modeled in exquisite detail, from taking off and landing aboard a pitching flight deck to acting in concert with other elements as part of a lethal strike package."...
JF-18 News
02-01-2000 - CGO have posted a review of Janes F/A-18. - "Despite the sophisticated avionics, though, F/A-18 isn't like the point-and-click F-22 simulations. The Jane's team has modeled nearly all the appropriate aircraft systems in exacting detail, complete with realistic capabilities and limitations. The sophistication and realism of this modeling becomes very evident when you point your jet right at an enemy fighter and see nothing on the radar--with the realism turned up, there are numerous systems to learn to get the most out of the sim." ... Click here to read further...


» JF/A-18 internet resources

JF/A-18 News
01-26-2000 - From the award-winning creators of Jane's F-15, Janes F/A-18 is a stunningly realistic PC simulator for the US Navys newest front-line carrier strike fighter, the cutting-edge F-18E Super Hornet. The Super Hornet is a carrier-based multi-role attack fighter capable of striking almost anywhere in the world, thanks to the global range of the US Navy's carrier strike forces and the increased combat radius of the new Super Hornet. Earlier versions of the F-18, launching from carriers in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, decimated Iraqi positions in operation Desert Storm and were immortalized in countless Hollywood productions. Featuring a bigger weapons load, faster top speeds, a stealthier radar signiture and countless technological advancements over it's predicessors, the F/A-18 Super Hornet will lead US carrier-launched air assaults well into the new millinium... You can Click here to visit the site...


JF/A-18 News

01-25-2000 - Gamespot has published a review of Janes F/A-18 Superhornet. Jane's F/A-18 succeeds in being a superb flight simulator without being truly exceptional in any specific area. - Bruce Geryk... You can Click here to visit the site...

USAF News

04-03-2000 - Wargamer has posted a review of Janes USAF. "My first thought when I started playing this game was that it reminded me entirely of Janes Israeli Air Force, but after a little flight time, the differences quickly became apparent. There is no more terrain shimmering, the flight models are excellent (aside from the joystick bug), and USAF offers detailed avionics. Considering myself to be a hard-core flight simmer, the flight models for the F-15, F-16, and F-22 felt familiar, based on my past experience with other flight simulation PC titles. Avionics have been simplified, but not dumbed down to the point where radar targets show up instantly on radar, and line-of-sight plays a big role in locking on to ones target." Visit the site by clicking here ...
USAF News
02-26-2000 - USAF Central have posted 3 new missions for USAF. The mission names are "USAF vs F4", "Darkstar" and "Nuke it Out". These missions are available for download now and definately worth a look if you are a fan of this excellent sim.


Janes USAF News

02-12-2000 - GameSpot UK have posted a review of Janes USAF. "USAF pushes the envelope by taking on several generations of air combat. Planes and missions come from Vietnam, the Gulf War, and the near future, creating a broad canvas of action rarely seen in a flight sim. You can fly in the F-15, F-16, F-22, F-117, F4, MiG 29, F-105, and A-10, plus some variations on these. This diversity serves as a sort of history lesson on the development of jet combat, as you go from the fast gunfights and rudimentary radar of the F-105 and F4 to the hi-tech stealth precision of the F-22. All three eras (past, present, and future) are ably served by full-blown campaigns illustrating the many roles of air combat." Click here to read further...

» Janes USAF internet resources


Janes USAF News

02-01-2000 - Game Tool Technologies, LLC (Atlanta, Georgia) is pleased to announce the release of its latest flight simulation utility, Camo Commander for Jane's USAF Camo Commander (USAFCC) is a Windows 9x -utility designed to work with Jane's USAF. The applications main use is to allow active switching of the aircraft color schemes between the default schemes shipped with the game and a number of alternative schemes.
USAF Camo Commander ships with 10 different aircraft schemes, including F-16, F-4E, F-15, A-10 and F-105 schemes. USAF Camo Commander is written to an open standard that will accept any user created set of airplane skins if compiled according to methods described in the application. GTT has also embedded the ability for gamers to directly connect to the USAF skins library at Limech's Jane's Web site. The files in the Limech skins library are pre-formatted to work directly with Camo Commander, allowing gamers to quickly download and install new skins as other players create them.
Camo Commander is 30 day, fully enabled shareware. Use beyond 30 days requires a $15.00 registration fee. GTT has also created a special web coupon for registration of USAF Camo Commander. Users who register USAF Camo Commander may also register Camo Commander for Jane's Israeli Air Force for just 3 dollars more. USAFCC and IAF Camo Commander may both be downloaded from the Game Tool Technologies web site.
USAF Camo Commander and IAF Camo Commander are part of Game Tool Technologies' TOOLBOX membership subscription plan. Game Tool Technologies, LLC is a leading developer of flight simulation utilities. More information about USAF Camo Commander, IAF Camo Commander, TOOLBOX and all our products may be found at the GTT web site... You can Click here to visit the site...


Janes USAF News

01-18-2000 - EA Janes has released another patch for USAF. This patch fixes may issues with USAF including the over sensitive joystick issues that seemed to still plague USAF for so long. Patch 1.02F can be found at the GTT web site... You can Click here to visit the site...









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