Digital Integration's

Version 1.2

Patch release: 17 October 1997
Win95 version

Feature list:

• Frame rate increase of approximately 15% to 20%!
  We have optimised every last shred of F-16 to wring as much speed as possible from the game running on any Pentium-class processor.
• Feature-rich "check six" view implemented.
  The "check six" view aids situational awareness by allowing virtual pilots to look 180 degrees to the rear. F-16 implements this realistically as either a 'left-shoulder' or 'right-shoulder' view, in either 'quick' or 'sticky' mode. Full details are contained in an accompanying Readme file.

Details

Frame rate increase

Several key routines have been re-written in assembly language, with resulting optimisation better than that obtained from a compiler.
Advantage has also been taken of the pipelining and instruction caching available to Pentium-class processors. While this gives incrementally better performance on these processors, it unfortunately means that from version 1.2 onwards, F-16 will no longer work on the 486 family of processors.
The cloud system has been updated and now leaves a smaller impact upon frame rate than it did previously.

We have stated that the overall increase is around 15% to 20% "across the board". By this we mean that the frame rate increase differs according to processor type and visual detail settings, however, that percentage always remains accurate. For example, a Pentium 100 running F-16 with maximum visual detail may have clocked up 4 or 5 frames per second with the release version of the game. With v1.2's increase this figure should increase by approximately 1 frame. However, a higher spec machine which previously produced a frame rate of, say, 18fps should now see an increase of 3 or 4 frames per second.

To re-iterate, the benefit you see will depend on the framerate your machine could previously achieve. Whatever happens, though, you will definitely receive that 15-20% increase.

"Check six" viewpoint

"Check six" functions by allowing pilots to look 180 degrees to the rear over either their left or right shoulder. From this viewpoint, pilots will see the dorsal surface of their aircraft and be able to view, with some obstruction from the ejection seat and tailfin, their entire rear aspect.

In addition to the left and right view, "check six" works in two modes - Quick and Sticky. Quick view shows the rear aspect only for the length of time which you depress the view key. Sticky mode locks the rear aspect view until you switch back to a front view.

Controls for the check-six view are as follows: