Vectronix 2/VECTRONIX2.iso/FILES_06/PP06.ZIP/PP06.MSA/F16COMBT.DOC

Text File | 1989-09-17 | 14KB | 268 lines

F-16 COMBAT PILOT

Man, you really want to print this file out... which is why it's in 80
columns and not 40- so you have to change res, who cares?

Rob Northen... your best attempts are useless if you use them over and over
again! Cracked by The Alien, 6th July 1989. Updated on the 12th. Packed on
the 17th of September. Thanks to Colin K. for the original!

For you single sided dropouts... to get the game back onto two disks...

Format your two disks with 10 sectors, 80 tracks and put these files on disk
one...

AUTO folder containing F16COMBT.PRG
(the file in the AUTO folder on this disk named F16_LOAD.PRG is only for use
with this menu- and must be the first program in that folder!)
MAPS folder containing MAP3.MAP, MAP4.MAP, MAP5.MAP, MAP6.MAP, MAP7.MAP and
                       MAP8.MAP
PICTURES folder containing ADATA1.RX1, ADATA2.RX1, ADATA3.RX1, WDATA1.RX1,
                           WDATA2.RX1, WDATA3.RX1 and WDATA4.RX1
and in the root directory T.PRG


...and on disk two...

MAPS folder containg MAP0.MAP, MAP1.MAP and MAP2.MAP
PICTURES folder containing MAIN1.RX1, MAIN2.RX1, MAIN3.RX1, MAIN4.RX1,
                           PROMO.RX1, TITLE.RX1, CREDIT.RX1, REPAIR.RX1,
                           WEAPON.RX1 and COMPLETE.RX1
and in the root directory, PROG.PRG, PANEL.DAT, CHRSML.DAT and CH4PT.DAT

There won't be much space on disk two so save log files, etc. on disk one.

The Game
--------
Once you've loaded the game you'll see the crew room. Various areas of the
screen are clickable:

Window... demonstration mode: a continuous demo.

Computer... control configuration: two options; default is to use joystick 1
for control, keyboard for throttle. The other option is to use a joystick in
the mouse port as an alternative, more realistic, throttle control.

Weapon chart... weaponry details: some pretty pics!
Aircraft chart... aircraft details: ditto.

Pilot... quickstart: your aircraft is place at the end of the runway, fuelled
and armed with a selection of ordinance. No pilot's log is active.

Filing cabinet... pilot's log details: load a new log here.
Briefcase... recall game: load a saved campaign file and continue a war here.

And the door leads to...
MISSION SELECTION
There are five missions...
Scramble:   intercept and destroy incoming MiGs.
Tankbuster: destroy enemy tank battalion(s).
Hammerblow: attack enemy installations; airfields, SAM sites and EW sites.
Deepstrike: cripple enemy by destroying factories, power stations, bridges,
            fuel depots etc.
Watchtower: check out enemy installations at low altitude for the guys in
            intelligence.

Once you've completed all five missions successfully, the centre of the
pentagon is filled with a new icon: Operation Conquest. This is a full blown
war, with you as commander of various airfields. More about that later...

Having selected a mission you'll see the map screen. A map takes up most of
the screen (amazing!) and various icons are spread along the bottom and far
right of the screen. Starting at the top right there's...
WEAPONS... weapon loading screen: click on the weapons you want and put them
on the aircraft. At the bottom of the screen are three areas where you can
store your favourite loads and load them back instantly. To the left of these
is an icon which gives you what the ground crew think best. Far right is the
exit icon. Left of that is the icon used to clean the aircraft of all weapons.
More details on the weapons available later...
MET OFFICE... choose your weather conditions: wind, cloud, day or night? No
problem! Not available in Operation Conquest; that's the real thing, and no
real pilot has control of the weather!
TAKE OFF... guess what!

Along the bottom of the screen are some more icons...
COMMAND (Operation Conquest only)... from here you order airfields to attack
targets you select; click on the airfield number, then click on an enemy
target. That airfield will launch a single F16 to attack that target.
MISSION (Normal missions only)... this tells you your mission objective(s).
TARGETS... here you can force the various targets on the map to be displayed-
selectively; e.g. if you only want to see SAM sites, that's no problem.
REPORT... the latest report from the guys at intelligence. Take it with a pinch
of salt- by the time you're in the air, those reported interceptors may have
gone, and any suspected targets will probably have moved.
WEATHER... details the weather conditions at present.
WAYPOINT... here you can choose your flightpath to the target(s). Your start
point is the intersection of the two red lines, your target's (if it's a
normal mission) co-ordinates are at the bottom of the box displayed. You have
5 waypoints available. See the description of the UFCP later for details.

OK... having done all your preflight stuff, click on TAKE OFF. After a short
wait the cockpit will appear. First thing to get out of the way is the IFF
(Identification Friend or Foe) code. Normally you type a word from the manual
in. Not any more! Type ANYTHING in- even one letter- and press RETURN. Now
you're ready to roll!

Time to tell you the keys, eh?

F1, F2, F3: change MFDs (Multi Function Display)... cycle thru various displays:
Air to air radar (Yellow line in the middle) , Air to ground radar (green lines
fanning out), Artifical horizon, Infra red imager (blank most of the time, it
will display a target when a Maverick is locked on), Map, stores display or ILS
(Instrument Landing System) display.

MFD types:

Air to air modes: there are three modes available...
TWS (Track While Scan): a medium range (30m) search radar. Up to 10 targets can
be displayed, range in miles is in top left corner, altitude in 1000's of feet
is in the top right, bearing is in bottom right. A roll bar is superimposed on
the display as with all air to air modes to enable orientation when looking
down into the cockpit. Targets are red for hostile, green for friendly, yellow
for currently selected hostile target.
STT (Single Target Track): same as TWS, but you have locked on to a single
target, which turns into a diamond, with no other targets displayed. Return to
TWS mode by either destroying the target, moving so it goes off the edge of
the display or unlocking.
ACS (Air Combat Scan): a short range STT mode with targets of greatest threat
locked on automatically. Range 10m.

Air to ground modes: two modes...
GTR (Ground Target Ranging): the A-G version of TWS, range 10m.
GTT (Ground Target Track): A-G version of STT.

Moving Map:
Your aircraft is positioned in the centre and it's bearing is shown as a red
line superimposed on the image.

Stores:
Symbolic representations of your payload are shown along with the amounts of
each weapon left. Chaff and flares are also shown.

Artificial horizon:
Pretty useless as there is a conventional one on the cockpit panel anyway...

Flight data:
IAS: Indicated Air Speed. Important values are 50kts, NEVER exceed that on
grass, and 300kts- NEVER exceed that with undercarriage down. Also displayed
on the left of the HUD and top right in mach.
ALT: Altitude. Stay below 500ft to avoid enemy EW radar. Also on the right of
the HUD.
VSI: Vertical Speed Indicator. If it's red, you are descending, green you are
climbing. Also shown on a tape indicator between MFDs 2 and 3.
HDG: Heading. Also on the top of the HUD, and the right view in the cockpit.
FUEL: Fuel remaining in pounds. Also shown on the top right gauge in the
cockpit.

F5: change UFCP (Up Front Control Panel) mode. Cycle thru Airfields, Waypoints
and targets.
F6: change UFCP target. Cycle thru individual airfields, waypoints or targets.
To get to a target, match your bearing with the target's. Distance and ETA
are also displayed.
The UFCP also has six lights to it's left. From the top left to right...
ATARS pod active, LANTIRN pod active, radar active,
ILS active, Autoland active, UHF transmitter active.

F7: autoland. Can only be used when ILS display is showing two yellow lines,
undercarriage is down and you're not too close to the runway. To land without
using autoland or GCA (see below), keep the yellow lines centred in the middle
of the display all the way- watch how the autopilot does it!
F8: turn ATARS recon pod on. Use when over the target of a Watchtower mission.
F9: select radar target. Cycles thru available targets.
F10: lock on to radar target. Only really necessary for AMRAAMs and as a visual
aid.
CONTROL + ESC: abort mission. Aircraft is classed as lost unless you abort
BEFORE entering the IFF code- which is why I left that bit in, even though it's
otherwise redundant.
BACKSPACE: airbrakes. Only available when in the air! Mega realism here...
TAB/Q: cycle thru weapons.
T: Transmit to airfield tower. When on ground, asks for clearance to take off,
when in the air, asks for clearance to land.
G: Request GCA (Ground Control Assistance) for landing manually. Tower will
guide you in the long, slow and safe way.
U: Undercarriage up/down. For obvious reasons, unavailable on the ground!
P: Pause/unpause.
D: Dogfight mode. Sets MFDs to a typical configuration for air to air combat,
and turns off pitch bars on HUD (Head Up Display).
H: HUD on/off. If you fly with it off, you're crazy!
K: Pitch bars on/off. Best to have them on when flying low as they give you
instant visual confirmation of your pitch/roll status.
B: Wheelbrakes. Hold down to apply brakes.
SPACE: fire currently selected weapon.
CURSOR KEYS: select view from cockpit. Hold SHIFT down at same time to lock
view in place.
C: dispense chaff.
F: dispense flare.
J: hold down with F to jettison a fuel tank/un-needed fuel or with A to
jettison everything.
CONTROL + E: Eject. Not to be used lightly- only eject in level flight over
friendly territory.
KEYPAD CONTROLS:
4/6: Bank left/right.
2/8: Pull up/down.
1/3: Left/right rudder.
+: throttle up (hold SHIFT at same time to slam throttle open).
-: throttle down (hold SHIFT at same time to slam closed).
(And when using the menus, cursors can be used instead of the mouse with INSERT
for selecting and SPACE as the equivalent of RETURN in GEM alert boxes.)

Right... now you know the keys, press T to ask for take off clearance. Now open
the throttle to about 70% and taxi out of the hangar and onto the runway. Slam
the throttle open and pull up at 130 knots. Press U to retract the undercarriage-
making sure you heard the wheels retract- and you're away! Time to go bust some
ass!! The cockpit display is explained in a seperate program on this disk,
COCKPIT.PRG.

WEAPONS:
AIM-120A AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile): use against MiGs
within a 20 mile range. Further away and performance rapidly deteriorates.
AIM-9M Sidewinder: short range AAM, more reliable at close range and
lighter than AMRAAMs. Maxium range 10 miles, but 5 is more realistic and 3
is most lethal.
AGM-88A HARM (High speed Anti Radiation Missile): single mounting on wing
hardpoints- use against enemy EW (Early Warning) radars. Maximum range 10
miles, effective range same.
AGM-65D Maverick: infra red version, use against hot targets such as tanks,
without LANTIRN pod, range is limited to 5 miles maximum. Targets must be
'pickled' (locked on) by pressing fire when the target is centred on the
display (diamond will appear), and only then can it be fired.
AGM-65E Maverick: laser version, use against anything either illuminated by
friendly infantry or your LANTIRN pod.
MK-82 Snakeye: retarded bomb, use against hard targets such as factories. The
advantage with the Snakeye is that it can be used at extremely low altitude-
small fins pop open on the bomb after release, slowing it's descent and
allowing the parent aircraft to clear the blast area before detonation.
MK-83: standard 1000lb bomb. Do not release below 2000 ft, or blast will
damage your aircraft.
MK-84: 2000lb bomb. Same release rules as MK-83, but makes a considerably
bigger mess when it detonates!
DURANDAL: anti runway weapon. The DURANDAL drives into the runway on impact,
burying itself, and then explodes upward creating a massive crater.
LANTIRN: an all-round good piece of kit, this! Has a built in laser
designator so your aircraft need not rely on friendly troops to illuminate
a target. Also gives night vision within the area of the HUD and provides
extra guidance for most ground attack weapons up to point of release.
ATARS: a new (very new!) recon pod. Use on recon missions (Watchtower), but
NEVER jettison it! Don't want the commies getting THIS piece of hardware!
FUEL TANK: for use on long range missions, jettison when empty or bring it
back to cheer up the stores chief!

BUGFIX: The original of the game is IMPOSSIBLE to complete! This is because
you are promoted TWICE instead of once after completing your first campaign.
So when you were in the top squadron and it tried to promote you, crash!! Now
I've fixed it so you only promoted once. To the programmers: this is what you
did wrong...
(code at TEXT+$1C2FE in PROG.PRG)
    ADDQ.W    #1,TEXT+$11EB2
    MOVE.W    TEXT+$11EB2,D0
...which means you increment the squadron twice; once in the ADDQ and then
later on, when manipulating D0! D0 is then put back having been incremented
accordingly, so... double promotion! Swap the instructions with each other
and everything's fine!

Also on this disk is a copy of the pilot log editor- the offical genuine
etc. etc. version! (Different Ace, by the way... one of the reasons I
changed to Alien.) It's in the F16_EDIT.OR folder. The DOC file with it
lists some more bugs...

ALIEN.LOG is my pilot log- all hard won, no use of the editor!