To: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) From: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) Reply-To: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) Sender: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) Errors-To: postmaster@onion.rain.com Return-Path: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) Precedence: bulk Bcc: falcon3-outgoing Subject: Falcon3 Digest V5 : I35 Falcon3 Digest Volume 5 : Issue 35 Mon Jan 3 23:04:25 PST 1994 Compilation copyright (C) 1994 Jeff Beadles Send submissions to "falcon3@onion.rain.com" Send add/drop requests to "majordomo@onion.rain.com" Archives are available via ftp from onion.rain.com [147.28.0.161] and mirrored on cactus.org in /pub/falcon3 Today's Topics: Returned mail: Cannot send message MAILER-DAEMON@iconet.ICO.Olivetti.C More on Joystick calibration "Greg Stelmack" ; Thu, 30 Dec 93 15:52 PST Message-Id: Date: Thu, 30 Dec 93 23:30 PST Sender: falcon3@onion.rain.com (Falcon 3 list) To: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) From: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) Reply-To: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) Errors-To: postmaster@onion.rain.com Return-Path: devnull@onion.rain.com (Falcon3 Mailing list) Precedence: bulk Subject: Falcon3 Digest V5 : I32 Falcon3 Digest Volume 5 : Issue 32 Thu Dec 30 15:52:46 PST 1993 Compilation copyright (C) 1993 Jeff Beadles Send submissions to "falcon3@onion.rain.com" Send add/drop requests to "majordomo@onion.rain.com" Archives are available via ftp from onion.rain.com [147.28.0.161] and mirrored on cactus.org in /pub/falcon3 Today's Topics: CF-18, SH F18 bonnet@cr2a.fr (Christophe Bonnet) ...and *poof*, I was in Panama! Bryan Cass SoundBlaster configuration and F3 c-kolar@uiuc.edu (Christopher Kolar F/A 18 add-on primoz.marolt@uni-lj.si WAIS library access knutson@cactus.org (Jim Knutson) Comms mode in 3.02 Justin Hawkins Re: Comms mode in 3.02 Kris Ong Re: Bosnia Jeff Beadles Falcon3.03/Mig-29 1.02 patches avai Jeff Beadles ------------------------------------------------------------ From: bonnet@cr2a.fr (Christophe Bonnet) Subject: CF-18, SH F18 Boys, I don't know how we European folks could wait until the release of SH F18 here (usually 1-2 months after USA...). To just add a point about differences between USA'F18 and CF-18: I think the only external visual difference is the search light which is placed under the left side of the cockpit, and could light up an area left of the plane. This is used during visual contact intercept at night to identify targets. Of course, this is not of much use if the boggie is not cooperant (ie does not fly straight and level 8-)...) Christophe "Rafale" Bonnet ------------------------------- From: Bryan Cass Subject: ...and *poof*, I was in Panama! I have worked my way up to day 10 on my first campaign and was winning in Kuwait! So last night I decided to practice a little BFM in Red Flag after bumping up the enemy logic level to Cadet. I did a few 1X1H2H and 2X2H2H, the missions that came with the game. When I went back to the main screen and selected my Fighting 10th squadron. The theater was Panama! So I committed anyway and tried to fly a CAP mission. All of the ground units and targets are from the Kuwait theater, but the terrain is from the Panama theater. I couldn't even taxi down the runway - the plane kept sinking into the ocean! Is this a known bug? I had to move the squadron back to the Kuwait theater, which of course, wiped out my campaign. BTW, I bought a video called "Top Gun: The story behind the story" with Randy Cunningham describing some of his dogfights in Viet Nam. Good information, but rotten sound and video quality. Does anyone know of a similar, but better quality, video? I really like his descriptions of how he maneuvers to get on the enemy's tail, since I have no idea what it's like to fly a fighter jet. I went out and bought a 1:48 scale F-16 model the other day; you know, model glue, little Testors paint jars, etc. I haven't built a model in 20 years - I love this stuff! I'm hooked. Bryan ------------------------------- From: c-kolar@uiuc.edu (Christopher Kolar) Subject: SoundBlaster configuration and F3 Hello all. I posted this to c.s.i.p.g.flt-sim but did not get a response, so I thought that I would bother you with it here. My Angelic wife bought me a SoundBlaster 16 for Christmas and F3 has never been so good. Right now I am running things without any tweaking and with both Speech and F/X set to soundblaster on the system config screen. Is this the optimal way to run F3 with a soundblaster, or are there any secrets that I should know about. Thanks in advance, and happy New Year to all you readers. --chris -- /////\\\\\/////\\\\\/////\\\\\ The University of Illinois Christopher G Kolar at Urbana-Champaign Cognitive Flexibility Laboratory Internet: c-kolar@uiuc.edu Center for the Study of Reading NovaNET: chris / mfl / nova ------------------------------- From: primoz.marolt@uni-lj.si Subject: F/A 18 add-on Hi! I am interested, how detailed is the carrier modelling in this latest SH simulation? Does it include catapult takeoff? LSO? Will (is it allready?!) there be some traffic on the carrier deck? All those people perhaps? :) What about refueling in the air? And, will the simulator provide realistic bad weather conditions (unsteady deck perhaps) ? Thank you for all information...Oh, and if you have allready been talking about this, please tell me where I can find this old messages. Bye, Primzi primoz.marolt@uni-lj.si ------------------------------- From: knutson@cactus.org (Jim Knutson) Subject: WAIS library access I just received confirmation from the directory of servers that my WAIS library sources have now been updated. If you were having problems before (past month or so), you should try again. In addition to the falcon3 and flight_sim libraries, I've created an IHHD library for those interested in doing doing head-to-head over the Internet. The IHHD library is not limited to flight sims. I've also expanded the flight_sim library somewhat. Apparently, I wasn't indexing my entire collection of information. This has been fixed, so now there's probably more than you ever wanted to know. Eventually, I will try to organize this stuff into a more presentable fashion using gopher. This will end up being similar to an online and current version of "The USENET Guide to Falcon 3.0", but with expanded information (covering most flight sims). I had originally planned on allowing boolean expression searches using freeWAIS, but ran into search problems with it, so there will be no boolean search expressions until a more robust freeWAIS is available. For those who are without Internet access, but would still like to use the service, there is a WAIS mail server. Send email to waismail@quake.think.com with the text 'help' as the message body for more information. Now for the mandatory blurb on WAIS. WAIS is the Wide Area Information Service. It's like an online library where you select the library you want to get info from and then search for titles that contain specified keywords. The titles returned to you are shown in "relevance" or most significant order. You can then choose which articles you want to read. To use this service, you can use the email interface as explained above, or use a local wais client such as swais, xwais, or waisq. Lastly, you can telnet to quake.think.com, login as wais and use their swais client to lookup the information. Jim Knutson | | knutson@cactus.org --=oOo=-- cs.utexas.edu!peyote!knutson + Check Six! ------------------------------- From: Justin Hawkins Subject: Comms mode in 3.02 Hi All I have a few questions about comms mode. I am using F3.02 with a friend via a null-modem cable, and maybe in the future via a modem. (so he doesn't hafta drag his computer round :) Generally it works well, but for a few things: 1) How can I eject? Is it impossible while linked? If I am hit am I doomed to wait till I hit the ground? 2) How can we end it gracefully? At the moment the only option seems to be while at the next mission briefing to press alt+x, but this hangs one computer, and the mission records don't seem to be saved properly. If the other computer hits alt+x I can still wiggle the mouse around but thats it. 3) What is the best bps speed for null-modem play? We only have 8250 UARTS in that com port, this leads me to beleive that 38400 is the maximum reliable link, but what have others experienced. Ta all. - Justin ------------------------------- From: jay.lee@msbbs.mn.org (Jay Lee) Subject: Bosnia The copy of the 'Bosnonian' (is that correct tense?) theatre I ordered (from the same fellow who put up MigLibya and F3-Chad) came this week. With X-mas, I only had time to load it, and run it once. I just tooled around a bit while my flight went about their business. Found some beautiful mountain ranges. Be lovely to dogfight in 'em. Unfortunately RF_FALC (his utility to map Red Flag theatres) still doesn't work. I included info on this digest, and how to subscribe, along with my address, but it appears he doesn't use the net.. Pity. A post from last week indicated that the F/A-18 modelling will include Bosnia. In any case, for $6, I consider the theatre I picked up to be a bargain. I asked the local Software Etc. jackals about SH's F/A-18, and all the guy could figure out was that it MAYBE cost $79, and is for the Mac. Something wrong with this story? We can hope. j ------------------------------- From: Jeff Beadles Subject: Re: Comms mode in 3.02 Justin Hawkins wrote: > 1) How can I eject? Is it impossible while linked? If I am > hit am I doomed to wait till I hit the ground? In comms mode, you can't. The "flight leader" can use "Alt-Q" to quit the mission however. > 3) What is the best bps speed for null-modem play? We only > have 8250 UARTS in that com port, this leads me to > beleive that 38400 is the maximum reliable link, but > what have others experienced. I would think that 38.4kb is pushing it for non-16550-like comms. Hooked on network play, and getting ready to load Hornet! (yeah!) -Jeff - -- Jeff Beadles jeff@neon.rain.com ------------------------------- From: Kris Ong Subject: Re: Comms mode in 3.02 | | Hi All | | I have a few questions about comms mode. I am using F3.02 with a | friend via a null-modem cable, and maybe in the future via a modem. | (so he doesn't hafta drag his computer round :) Generally it works | well, but for a few things: | | 1) How can I eject? Is it impossible while linked? If I am | hit am I doomed to wait till I hit the ground? | I never did thik about that... | 2) How can we end it gracefully? At the moment the only | option seems to be while at the next mission briefing | to press alt+x, but this hangs one computer, and the | mission records don't seem to be saved properly. If the | other computer hits alt+x I can still wiggle the mouse | around but thats it. I believe it's alt-q to end mission. And the caller has to be the one doing this. | | 3) What is the best bps speed for null-modem play? We only | have 8250 UARTS in that com port, this leads me to | beleive that 38400 is the maximum reliable link, but | what have others experienced. | Well, if your speed is limited, tou could always use the f302comm if you're using 3.02, and f231comm if you're using 3.02.1 Kris. - -- krismon@quack.kfu.com I get by with little help from my kongo@hip-hop.sbay.org friends. Prodigy: GRTV13B --Lennon/McCartney (don't we all wish that's true.) ------------------------------- From: Jeff Beadles Subject: Re: Bosnia >I asked the local Software Etc. jackals about SH's F/A-18, and all the guy >could figure out was that it MAYBE cost $79, and is for the Mac. Something >wrong with this story? We can hope. I just bought "Hornet" (That's what SH is calling the Falcon3 add-on for the F/A-18) at Egghead for $35.88. It (according to the box) comes with the Bosnia theatre, and works with both F3 and standalone Mig-29. -Jeff - -- Jeff Beadles jeff@neon.rain.com ------------------------------- From: Jeff Beadles Subject: Falcon3.03/Mig-29 1.02 patches available In the archives on onion.rain.com (and soon on cactus.org): /pub/falcon3/programs/f303.txt /pub/falcon3/programs/f303_1.arj /pub/falcon3/programs/f303_2.arj This is the patch that comes with the Hornet upgrade. Enjoy, I'm gonna go flyyyyy! -Jeff - -- Jeff Beadles jeff@neon.rain.com ------------------------------- [[ End of digest Volume 5 : Issue 32 ]] ------------------------------- From: "Greg Stelmack" Subject: More on Joystick calibration Well, to fix my joystick calibration problems I went out hunting for a Thrustmaster ACMI card. Since no one in the area carries them, and I was impatient to get my Hornet in the air (and my brother his MiG-29), I settled for a CH GameCard 3 (figuring its quality would be comparable to the ACMI). For the first time ever, the plane on the calibration screen actually went to the upper-left-hand corner! And all the way to the lower-right! OK, now things were cooking. However, I then had a huge dead zone. This makes it fun, as the aircraft is slow to respond, you tend to jam the joystick over and end up inverted. I then noticed that when I calibrated, the marker hit the corner long before the joystick did. So, I stopped moving the stick when it got to a corner. In other words, I only moved the stick enough to get it to the corner. Then I played. Things worked beautifully! You have to have a light touch as you are dealing with only about half the normal travel, but there is no dead zone and a smooth progression out to the extremes. I finally have decent joystick control (although I would like the full travel). So, if you're having stick problems: 1) Get a better gamecard. I don't know if the ACMI allows full travel, but the CH GameCard 3 works with the limited travel. 2) Try calibrating as above and see if it helps. Someone else suggested: 3) Move to the opposite corner of where calibration tells you. I'm going to try this one tonight to see if it gives me full travel. -- Greg Stelmack (Greg_Stelmack@mta03.sbi.com) -- Salomon Applications Developer, BTO Tampa -- (813) 558-6189 ------------------------------- From: "Greg Stelmack" Subject: Hornet impressions Some quicky Hornet impressions now that I have my calibration problems worked out: I love my 12 missiles! Six Sidewinders + six AMRAAMs + fuel-tank is great. Not needing to mount an ECM pod. Carrier-landings are neat to watch (it'll be a bit before I try one). IFF-light up-front! Much easier than listening for the tone. The new navigational system. Compass super-imposed over the map. Much better navigation. The don't like: Short legs. Remember those fuel tanks. The F/A-18 has always been my favorite plane; it's so nice to have a sim that does it justice. Now if I can just get a strike mission to try out its ground attack capabilities... -- Greg Stelmack (Greg_Stelmack@mta03.sbi.com) -- Salomon Applications Developer, BTO Tampa -- (813) 558-6189 ------------------------------- From: slb512@trainserv.fastc.wpafb.af.mil (stuart butts/taai/75033) Subject: Re: Hornet: I like, I hate > From: MORGAN@WVUGEO.WVNET.EDU > Subject: Hornet: I like, I hate > I like: > The flight model. Aside from Air Warrior (can I get info about the > 666 th or other Internet squads?), the flight model of the Hornet > is the best I have felt in a long time. It feels like a cross > between Mig 29 and Falcon 3. When banking, I can almost feel the > side slip and need for opposite rudder or stick back. I hope this doesn't sound too picky, but if SH modeled the F/A-18 properly, you shouldn't need to use the rudders when rolling at low AOA (less than 25 deg). The flight control system is designed to make it a "feet-on-the-floor" aircraft, meaning that rudder, aileron, and horizontal tail deflections are programmed to give you a coordinated roll. At high AOA you will need to feed in rudder to increase the roll rate. I'm not sure why the FCS programmers didn't just do this themselves. > The rudders are cool in that in straight and > level flight they don't just yaw the aircraft. They tend to start > a cork screw flight if you don't use ailerons (sp?) also. GREAT, they finally figured out that rudder deflections do cause rolling moments, although in the F/A-18, and F-16 for that matter, at low AOA the rudder to aileron interconnect will keep you from rolling very much. - Stuart ================================================================================ E-Mail: slb512%server3@fastc-issu.wpafb.af.mil slb512@trainserv.fastc.wpafb.af.mil Please send E-mail messages to both addresses or I may not see them for days. :) ================================================================================ ------------------------------- From: slb512@trainserv.fastc.wpafb.af.mil (stuart butts/taai/75033) Subject: Re: F3 Landings > From: rogers@sol.instrumental.com (Bob Rogers) > Subject: F3 Landings > The F3 manual shows a racetrack landing pattern, which I find difficult to > maintain; the autopilot uses a different pattern. What's the purpose of > the pattern(s), and what kind of approach do real Falcon drivers use? There are 2 basic landing patterns used in the USAF for fighter aircraft, the overhead and the straight-in. The overhead pattern is the racetrack one you refer to. The straight-in, as the name implies just has you line up on the runway a few miles out and drive it in. As far as purposes go for each pattern type, the overhead allows you to stay close to the field and do lots of touch-n-go's if you want to get in some landing practice. The straight-in allows you to do formation landings. From the standpoint of real aircraft, the overhead is more challenging, but also much more fun to fly. For sims, I usually just shoot a straight-in, since landing is pretty boring in them, IMHO. - Stuart ================================================================================ E-Mail: slb512%server3@fastc-issu.wpafb.af.mil slb512@trainserv.fastc.wpafb.af.mil Please send E-mail messages to both addresses or I may not see them for days. :) ================================================================================ ------------------------------- From: jstewart@cs.nps.navy.mil (Jeffrey Stewart) Subject: gamecards Got a question for the gurus. I just got F3.02.1 and am condsidering getting a CH Flightstick. Can I plug it into the gameport on my I/O card or do I need a spcecial gamecard? I'm running a 486/50 w/ 8 MB of RAM and an ATI Graphics Ultra+ w/ 2 MB of memory. Thanks. Jeff ------------------------------- From: intgp1!bash@uunet.UU.NET (Thomas W Basham +1 708 979 6336) Subject: Re: Hornet: More thoughts, bugs >1. Joystick routines. Beating a dead horse I know, but the subtle The joystick routines have gotten progressively worse since F3. I found that when using the release version of Hornet I get max right roll with the stick fully deflected, but max left roll with less than 1/3 travel. Makes it damn near impossible to fly straight and level. >For 44$ (the cost of a complete sim) I would hope SH would be truer >to carrier ops. SH was probably going for the quick kill to make just a little more money off the existing F3 engine. To do what you (and I) would like to wrt carrier ops probably required mode development bucks than they wanted to spend. It's the same old "migs over your runway as you takeoff" bug. >3. In Kuwait, there is that little island just to the north where Sounds like the same "friendlies wipe out the badguys before you get there bug." 8-( Climbing on my own soapbox: >It has many merits, true. But I am so damn tired of getting >something new just to get flustered by things that any beta tester >worth his or her salt would pick up on in a heart beat. I don't Having done testing for a lot of different companies I've found that having a beta testing team and actually listening to them are two different beasts. Most game companies still don't acknowledge how large the "hard core" sim market is. >Well I have put my soap box away. All I can say in closing is, >when do we get the HRNT101.exe patch??? I suspect you're going to find little enthusiasm at SH to provide a bug fix at this point. Salvation, if it comes, will be from the multitude of hackers out there. Tom "KC" Basham ------------------------------- From: mcoyne@acs.bu.edu (Michael Coyne) Subject: H1.0 I've noticed some of the problems with Hornet1.0 that others have: - Excessive roll rate. The F-18 is way too sensitive in the roll axis. Is this realistic? I doubt it. The Viper and the 29th won't roll nearly as fast at full joy- stick defelection as the Hornet will at half deflection. (generic game card and Ch FS) - Amphibious tanks. All sorts of enemy forces (in Panama) located in the ocean. Oh well. At least I can successfully attck and destroy them. - Planes drive off deck. This is neat but kind of annoying. I am also a little annoyed that: - Only Hornets land on the TR. The F-14s don't. Furthermore, even the manual indicates that the TR carries 24 F-14's, 24 F/A-18's, 10 A-6E's, 4 KA-6D's, 4E-2C's, 4EA-6B's, 10S-3A's, and 6 HH-60H's. With the exception of the Hornets and the Tomcats, (correct me if I'm wrong) none of these other aircraft are even included in the add-on, much less can be observed landing or taking off from the TR. On the positive side: + The update included w/Hornet fixed all my joystick problems with MiG29! + The addition of carrier landing is great. It took a few hours of practice, but I can now land on the carrier using the realistic flight model. Despite the roll rate problem, the Hornet handles MUCH better for landings than the Viper. It's actually VERY EASY to make a runway landing with it. I've always had trouble landing the Viper, but the Hornet and the 29th are not bad at all. I'm actually glad that SH released Hornet despite its bugs. It's a really great add-on anyways. These should be fixed in a future patch though. Moreover, adding the other types of aircraft would make it more realistic. I also like the idea of adding in-air refueling. Now I'm just waiting for the F-15E, F-14, and Su-27 add-ons. - Mike "Mustang" Coyne mcoyne@acs.bu.edu ------------------------------- [[ End of digest Volume 5 : Issue 35 ]]