falcon 4 AF

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Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 18

i'm new to this forum and it seems like most of the threads here are for FS2004 so i thought i'd start one for falcon 4: Allied Force. :)

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Welcome :)

Tell us a little abouit yourself, and also the game. Is this the community continuation of the old Falcon sim?

Moggy

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 218

Falcon 4 Allied Force is the latest commercial release of the venerable Falcon 4. It builds on the work of some of the leading 'modders' but mainly focuses on being stable straight out the box (which it seems to do nicely). The Balkans campaign is also included. I had the original Falcon 4 but soon tired of trying to keep up with the latest tweaks and mods. I picked up Allied Force recently to give it another go. All I can say is it is an amazing Sim even though it is a rehashed version of an 8 year old program. It runs very smoothly, with no glitches so far. It is quite an experience once you invest the time to learn all the avionics and weapons systems etc etc..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_f4c.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_f4b.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_f4a.jpg

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 18

i live in aberdeen and am a member of the atc. as for the sim, i agree with paul rix, it is an amazing sim once you learn all of the avionics, weapons etc. this takes a while because it dosn't come with a printed manual like the origional did. (you get a pdf file though).

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

I think that's what put me off. It really seemed that to get the best out of the game you needed a full training course of approximately the same length as that for a real F16 pilot. :eek:

Having a job, wife, friends etc I could never see myself having the time for it, so this, along with my natural affinity for the WW2 period, has led me to concentrate on the IL2 series

Moggy

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 232

I agree with Moggy - I still have the original Falcon 4 and never got much further than trying to get my head around the weapons systems. It's good to see new life in an old sim though !

Bruce

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 18

I found some checklists on the web which i found really helpful in learning all the avoinics stuff. Doing a cold ramp start really helps you to get used to where all the controls are.(takes about 15-20 mins though :mad: )

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 218

I was flying some Falcon 4 Allied Force yesterday. I have been playing an ongoing campaign based on the Bosnia conflict. For this mission I was flying with a Danish Squadron from an airfield in Italy. The Mission was to hit a Bosnian airbase. My flight made it's attack runs using Durandal anti runway bombs. After the attack I decided to go and take a look at our handywork (not the smartest tactical move, but fun all the same).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_2006-01-15_10_48_39.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_2006-01-15_10_48_49.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_2006-01-15_10_49_14.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_2006-01-15_10_49_40.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_2006-01-15_10_50_36.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/PaulRix/screenshots/th_2006-01-15_10_50_44.jpg

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 218

Just downloaded the patch. Thanks for the heads up.

On another note, I recently picked up a Track-IR 3 and the Vector Expansion. Falcon 4 Allied Force is amazing using this device. Very immersive.

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 3,328

(Maybe you chaps already knew these F3.0 tricks.)

Some days ago, the first time I saw on TV, the news about the collision of a Greek AF F-16 and a Turkish AF F-16, my first impression was: it reminded me of when I was playing F3.0:OFT.

In OFT, in the Hokkaidou theatre of ops, to (attempt to) avoid a full-scale conventional war between Japan and Russia, the player shouldn't fire at will.
Unless the briefing before a mission, or until the AWACS during a mission, authorised the player to destroy only hostile air units, or only hostile ground units, or only hostile surface units.
If the player, or any friendly AI pilot, violated the ROE, he was deleted from the squadron roster (foxtrot uniform).

But chaotic players like me found ways to destroy Russian units, such as blowing up Russian ground and surface units, and shooting down Russian air units... without violating the ROE.

The trick was: the game ROE governed only guided weapons, such as AAMs. Kills by dumb bombs and the 20 mike-mike Vulcan didn't violate the ROE!
(I was... inspired when some whiskey delta AI friendlies dumped their expensive ordnance, after an enemy SAM radar locked-on them, and the ordnance were still lethal when they hit the ground.)

Thus, during an air-to-air mission, I would command the friendly wingy (wingman) to spread far out, but not command him to engage... because some idiot wingies forgot the ROE, launched their AAMs anyway, and violated the ROE.

After I shot down a bandit with the Vulcan, and if the bandit's wingy launched an AAM at me or my wingy, then the AWACS would probably authorise us to destroy only hostile air units.

Similarly, during a boring CAP or milk-run mission, I would assign another flight of friendlies to accomplish the mission objectives, while my flight, carrying iron bombs (Mk 83 1,000-pounders were my favourite), went to the closest Russian island, and destroyed the hostile SAM launchers and radar, or denied the hostile runways with Durandals.

The Hokkaidou theatre had some hidden or strange items, such as the Gojira chasing a civilian ship, or the random hostile (French) Mirage F1s.

Also, the radio chatter ("Good kill, good kill!") used in the F3.0 opening movies is compiled from the 4 January 1989 dogfight in the Gulf of Sidra, Libya, where two USN F-14s shot down two Libyan AF MiG-23s.

As proof,
ttp://www.atwar.net/content.php?article.138
ttp://www.buddyboys.net/media.shtml
had an audio file and/or a transcript of the radio chatter, but these URLs are now dead links.

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 3,328

Thanks much, dude.

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 13

F4:AF 1.08 patch released

LP have released a new patch - version 1.08.

It is available via the auto-updater or by download from their site: http://www.lead-pursuit.com/downloads.htm

Changelog:
PATCH 1.08 CHANGELOG
====================
Artificial Intelligence

Improved ground avoidance for low altitude flying of AI.
Fixed AI continuing landing pattern when human lead switches from landing waypoint back to route waypoints.
AWACS comms now continue if a package-assigned FAC is shot down.
AI will use rockets more effectively on ground targets.
Made AI more responsive on Weapons Free command for A-G missions - read the Addendum manual for further information about AI handling.
Fixed issue where AI jets spawning on the runway would sometimes taxi onto the grass causing the departure queue to stall forever.
Resolved problem where sometimes AI would sometimes chase after enemy A/C with guns instead of engaging with air to air missiles after a Weapons Free command was given.
ATC gives more time for the player to leave the runway after landing.
Fixed AI taxiing onto the runway without permission because they're going too fast.
Refueling changes (also read the Addendum manual):
Inability of the tanker to refill external tanks fixed.
Large warps occasionally seen in multiplayer refueling fixed.
In realistic refueling model, the AI boom driver now applies forces to help position the thirsty aircraft.
In realistic mode, connecting to the boom now cushions the speed of the refueling aircraft.
In realistic mode, the player must now use the "Done" tanker radio command, the AI no longer does this on behalf of the player.
In simplified refueling mode where the AI is providing throttle assistance, a heavily loaded player jet would struggle to catch the tanker. This has been addressed.
Aircraft in the refueling queue will be ignored by the tanker if they fly away, land or are dead.
Subtle vertical stabilisation added as the refueling aircraft closes in on the tanker.

Avionics / Weapons
Smoke marker rockets for FAC flights won't smoke when exploding in the air anymore.
Fix a bug that caused the RWR to continue chirping when a beamriding missile was switching sensors or lost lock.
Revised ripple bombing: the impact point shown on the HUD now designates the center of the bomb string.
CCIP pipper in 2D cockpit fixed.
Display own bullseye location in the HUD when Bullseye information is turned on (ICP Misc/Bullseye page).
Fixed the 5900lbs limit sometimes imposed on refueling.
Fixes for Helmet Mounted Sighting (HMS) system - read the Addendum Manual for more information.
SAM units work more effectively now. Target selection (previous fixation on the lead aircraft) is improved.
Alignment of radar displays in A-A and A-G modes fixed.
During ramp start do not delay engine start with the need to move throttle.

Data
Improved 2000lb effectiveness compared to 500lb (2000lb slight increase in footprint/damage). Also, two 2000lb GP or PEN bombs will now destroy runway sections.
Improved default loadouts against underground factories. More need for PEN type weapons.
Adjust drag index on center rail with ECM pod or camera.
Slight update on F-16 flight model (small leading-edge flag issue and F-16 block 40/42 weight adjusted).
Added CBU-58/52 to center bay of B-52 (27 count).
Fixed issue where F-117 would be tasked with no weapons on SEAD strikes.
Fixed issue with some aircraft not being able to be destroyed (e.g. Mi-28, C-17, C-5, E-8).
Fixed an issue where landing on an apron would destroy the aircraft (e.g. north-south airstrip).
Fixed a issue where some aircraft would load a rocket launcher with no pylon.
Raised canopy opening angle to 37 degrees for F-16s.

Campaign
Flights won't takeoff from destroyed aircraft carrier anymore. Squadrons with flights that were airborne are being relocated to a land-based airbase and continue to operate from there.
Battalions planned to be stationary should do so more reliably.
Stocks of fuel tanks added to some F-14 squadrons in Balkans.
Fixed mission tasking on strike packages so escorts can be added by the ATO.
On the campaign map, air-to-ground strike missions will now abort less frequently when under attack.
Improved assigning of engineers to objectives.
Engineer units now work more effectively, while adding some dynamics to repair times.
Improved squadron relocation among allied teams.
Fixed squadron relocation under some conditions.
Fixed Balkans Powderkeg reporting stalemate without ending the campaign.
Some other campaign triggers and report strings updated.
JSTARS added to all Korean campaigns.
Fixed some objective settings for Balkans campaigns.
Fixed a couple of units in Korea Rolling Fire that were wrong type for team.
Balkans PAKs adjusted.
Names for batallions, brigades and naval units updated.
2005/2010 campaigns now have different reinforcement schedules to standard-timeframe campaigns.
Adjusted some balancing for 2005/2010 campaigns.
Addressed rare instances of the player aircraft colliding with another aircraft when the player moves from 2D to 3D when joining the flight already in the air.

Cockpit
Fixed wrong TACAN channels on cockpit maps.
Glance forward in 3D cockpit will now cover the whole RWR.
Adjust 2D cockpit light level for NVG mode.
Outside labels are no longer showing in front of the 3D cockpit.

Graphics
Floating buildings fixed.
Give CBU-103/105 proper model/textures.
Fixed self-illuminating light sources (like airbases) being darkened by cloud shadows.
Outside labels are now translucent and fade with distance.

Multiplayer
Support for Hyperlobby added. The bandwidth is now set in the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT screen for Hyperlobby users.
Commanding AI planes to turn on/off radar won't be automatically performed for human wingmen anymore.
Fixed the black object textures for hosts re-entering the 3D world.
Fix floating aircraft on the ground when several clients are connected.
A few more fixes to the debrief.txt: show the correct aircraft type and list flight members in correct pilot slot order.
All players can now hear ATC's Resume Own Navigation radio calls during climb-out.
Fix wrong ATC voices being assigned to airbases.
Sound loops fixed.

User Interface
Allow assigning victory conditions on naval units by right clicking on a unit on the TE map editor.
ACMI data processing progress now displayed on mission exit screen.
Fix for dropped airmobile units not being controllable.
Sometimes music would play at full volume returning to the UI after a multiplayer game, even when music volume was set to zero. This should now be fixed.
Improved listing of rocket kills for mission debrief.

Stability
Several more CTD fixes.

Other
New command line option "-print2file" will print briefing to Briefing.txt file instead of sending it to default printer.
TrackIR can be initialized within 3d simulation in case you forget to start it before starting Falcon. Just ALT-TAB to Desktop, load TrackIR software, get back to Falcon and press ALT-C + T.
Correctly load pilot/patch pictures in Targa (.TGA) format.