Miscellaneous
Installing and Patching Falcon 4.0 - Allied Force

Version History:

Since the release of Falcon 4.0 by Microprose in late 1999 there have been extensive modifications made to the game by the community. Normally, when you bought Falcon and tried to run it "out of the box", it didn't work correctly. Several patches were then published, the last official one being 1.08us by Microprose. Then, a new "upgraded" version of Falcon was published, called Super Pack 3. A new era then commenced with the release of the next version in the Super Pack series .... Super Pack 4! This was followed by an update which raised the install version to SP4.1. Since then a number of mods and alternate versions have been released with a variety of added features to enhance the Falcon experience. However, in an effort to maintain the multiplayer stability, the Wildcats settled on the latest SP release ....SP4.2.

However, with the commercial release of the latest iteration in the Falcon series, Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, the Wildcats have chosen to move to this latest version.

Below is a detailed set of instructions for installing the simulation to meet the squadron standard.

PLEASE NOTE: This installation guide is by no means the definitive guide to installing Falcon 4.0: Allied Force. However, as stated above it is the method that is utilised by the 69th Wildcats.

ALSO .... There is a wealth of knowledge, opinions and guides available from the community in the various forums. Feel free to visit them for additional information on this and any other topic. Above all, if you have any problems or questions with installing and patching Falcon, please contact a squadron member. We are more than happy to help.

SO, Now that we have covered how we got to this point, lets get started ....

Before you start your installation and patching of Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, you will need the following:

  • Minimum System requirements:
  1. Windows® 98 / ME / 2000 / XP
  2. Pentium® 4 1.5Ghz or AMD Athlon® 1.2Ghz (recommend: Pentium® 4 2.4Ghz or AMD Athlon® 1800)
  3. 1.5Gb Free Hard Disk Space (plus 500Mb for Windows Swap File)
  4. 4x CD-ROM Drive, 100% Windows compatible mouse, keyboard and joystick
  5. 1024x768 resolution capable colour monitor
  6. 64Mb 3D accelerated DirectX® 9 compatible Video Card (recommend 128Mb)
  7. DirectX® version 9.0b or higher compatible sound card
  8. 56Kbps ("hardware") modem for multiplayer options (recommend: DSL/Broadband)
  9. DirectX version 9.0b (included) or higher.
  10. As a general rule of thumb, make sure you have the latest Windows updates (including Windows XP Service Pack 2 and following updates), and latest drivers for your other hardware (graphics card, sound card, joystick controller...)
  • Falcon 4.0: Allied Force retail CD-ROM

Now that you have all you need lets get started:

  • Defrag your Hard drive:
    • This will keep the Falcon installation on a huge continues "chunk" of your partition.
  • Insert the Falcon AF CD:
    • Follow the on screen instructions and install the simulation to your desired location.

  • Configure you Install:
    • Once you have completed your install, Start the simulation and select "Logbook" to create a new pilot. Once you have completed this, select "Setup" and configure the simulation. If you have any questions regarding this step, please contact one of the Sqn members.
     
  • Check for Updates:
    • Prior to completing this step, check the forum and news page, or contact one of the other members, to confirm the current version that the squadron is operating on. If an update is required, run the BF Ops Updater and update your install to confirm that you have the latest version.

  • Optional packages:
    • With the release of Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, as with previous versions, there may be a multitude of additional (optional) packages that become available as the simulation develops.
     
  • NOTE: Download and installation of extra "Skins", "Sounds", and "Cockpits" or other packages that may become available is optional unless it is decided that the Sqn is to adopt a particular package as part of the standard install. Please refer to the instructions contained within the packages that you download for installation. Most of these additions should be considered Client-Side changes but if you have any doubt please contact someone from the squadron.

    As a pilot you are responsible for what you fly. That means that if you have tested and can guarantee any patches, cockpit art, etc will cause no effect on other pilots, you can use whatever you like to make your flying experience more enjoyable. Only you can see what you run. However the Wildcats, and for that matter most if not all other squadrons, will not tolerate any pilot causing problems for others due to non-standard installations.
    Also be aware that just because the simulation successfully connects to another computer does not mean that there are no conflicts. There are many data corruption issues that show up in the game due to conflicting or non-standard Falcon installations and configurations that are not immediately obvious.


You're ready to fly!