******************************************************* 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.