From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 THE MENU SYSTEM 1.1 THE ONLINE GAME MENUS 1.1.1 The Login Screen 1.1.2 The Choose Pilot Screen 1.1.3 The Welcome Menu 1.1.4 The News Screen 1.1.5 The Squadrons Screen 1.1.6 The Preferences Screens 1.1.7 The Audio Screen 1.1.8 The Video Screen 1.1.9 The Controls Screen 1.1.10 The Keys Screen 1.1.11 The Other Screen 1.1.12 The Arenas Screen 1.1.13 The Arena Configuration Screen 1.1.14 The Main Screen 1.1.15 The Secondary Screen 1.1.16 The Physics Screen 1.1.17 The Physics 2 Screen 1.1.18 The Films Screen 1.2 The Main Menu 1.2.1 The Strategic Screen 1.2.2 The Options Screen 1.2.3 The Game Settings Screen 1.2.4 The Visual Aids Screen 1.2.5 The Miscellaneous Screen 1.2.6 The Difficulty Screen 1.2.7 The Limits Screen 1.2.8 The Preferences Screen 1.2.9 The Headquarters Menu 1.2.10 The Change Planes Screen 1.2.11 The Map Screen 1.2.12 The Flight Chat Screen 1.2.13 The Scores Screen 1.2.14 The In-Flight Menu 1.2.15 The In-Flight Chat Screen 1.2.16 The In-Flight Missions Screen 1.2.17 The Audio/Video Screen 1.2.18 The Visual Aids Screen 1.2.19 The Tags Screen 1.2.20 The Flight Data Screen 1.2.21 The Systems Screen 1.2.22 The In-Flight Map 1.3 THE OFFLINE GAME MENUS 1.3.1 Training Missions 1.3.2 The Targets Screen

THE MENU SYSTEM

The interface for Fighter Ace ® consists of several menu systems, each with its own look and feel. They have been created to help you get connected and into the game as easily as possible.

THE ONLINE GAME MENUS

Flying against a multitude of other players from around the world is what Fighter Ace ® is all about. When you click the Play Online button on the Autostart Menu you will take your first step towards the world that Fighter Ace ® has to offer. Following is a detailed list of all of the interfaces that you will encounter in the game.

The Login Screen

The Login Screen contains blank fields for inputting your Username and login Password. You can elect to save this information by putting a check mark in the Save Username and Password box. Keep in mind that this option will allow anyone with access to your computer to fly in your stead. If this is a concern, it is best to input your information manually each time you play.

If, by chance, you cannot remember your account password, click the Forgot Password button. This will take you to the Forgot Password Web Page where you will have the opportunity to create a new password.

The screen also contains a field for Server selection. In the case of multiple game servers being available, a pull-down list box at the top of the screen will allow you to select the desired server. If there is only one server available, however, this box will be grayed out and the proper server will be automatically selected for you.

When you are ready to play Fighter Ace ®, click the Login button. This will take you to the Choose Pilot screen.

The Choose Pilot Screen

After you have successfully logged into your account, you will be shown the Choose Pilot Screen. Here you can create up to five individual pilots for each account. Keep in mind that each of these pilots is a separate and unique entity in the game with separate scores and records.

To Create a New Pilot, simply type the desired name on the line provided and click the Create button. Always remember that there can exist only one instance of the same exact pilot name at any given time. If the name that you selected is already in use, try another.

Choose the pilot that you wish to use by clicking on the name in the Select Existing Pilot box provided. The name that is currently being chosen will be highlighted. If satisfied with your choice, click the Play button and you’ll be taken to the Welcome Menu.

The Welcome Menu

The Welcome Menu provides information about Fighter Ace ® events, and lets you join squadrons, chat with other players and, most importantly, select an arena to fly in.

When you enter the Welcome Menu, you will see a large text display that dominates the screen. Located across the top of the screen is a set of tab controls that will take you quickly and easily to the various screens that are available. Simply click on any tab to access the screen that you wish to select. By default, you will always start on the News Screen where you can keep you up to date on all of the latest happenings in the Fighter Ace ® community.

The News Screen

The first Welcome Menu tab is called the News screen. It contains basic information and tips to help you get the most out of your gaming experience. It also provides all of the latest information on the Fighter Ace ® community.

The Lobby Screen

The second tab located on the Welcome Menu will take you to the Lobby screen. Here you can chat with other gamers who are not currently in an arena.

Located on the right side of the screen is a scrollable text box that displays a complete Player List of all of the other pilots that are currently present.

On the left side of the screen is another larger scrollable text box that contains a transcript of all of the Incoming Messages that have been sent. Simply scroll up to review any messages that you may have missed.

To compose a message, click in the small text line at the bottom of the screen and start typing. As you type, your message will scroll to the left. When you are done, press the ENTER key or click the Send button to post the message.

A check box at the bottom allows you to turn on or off the “player enters/leaves lobby” messages.

The Squadrons Screen

Clicking on the third tab located in the Welcome Menu will take you to the Squadrons screen. Here you can create a squadron, join or quit a squadron or remove a player from a squadron (if you are its original creator). At the top of the screen, you’ll see information about your currently selected pilot, including your Pilot Name as well as the Squadron that you currently belong to, if any.

As you can see, the screen is dominated by two large text boxes. The top box lists all of the Active Squadrons that have been registered. Keep in mind that squadrons with a ‘padlock’ symbol next to them are private and require a password to join.

To select a squadron, click the squadron name. Any and all Notes related to the selected squadron will be displayed in the bottom text box.

There are also seven buttons located on the right side of the screen. Note that some of them are not always available. If no squadron is currently selected from the Active Squadrons list, all buttons will be grayed out.

• Note: All Squad Creation must be approved by the Community Manager.

The Display Members button allows you to see a list of the names of the members of the currently highlighted squadron. If no squadron is selected in the squadrons list, this button is not available. If you wish to exit the list, simply click the Close button to close it.

If you are not already a member of a squadron, the Join Squadron button is available whenever there is a squadron selected in the Active Squadrons list. If you try to join a private squadron, you will be prompted to input the squadron password.

If you are already a member of a squadron, you will not be able to join any other squadron until you have quit the one you are currently in. If you wish to quit your current squadron, simply click on the Quit Squadron button. After clicking it, you will be asked to confirm your actions.

If you are the creator of a given squadron, you have a few more options than an ordinary member. Consequently, three other buttons are available to you: the Remove Member button, the Change Password button and the Change Notes button.

To delete a member from your squadron, click the Remove Member button. This will display a list of current squadron members. To remove a member, click on that member’s name and click the Remove button. When you are done removing pilots from the squadron, click the Close button.

To change the password for your squadron, click on the Change Password button. This will bring up a dialog box that asks you to type in the old password, the new password and the new password again for confirmation. When finished, simply click the OK button. Keep in mind the new password will be required to join the squadron or to change the password again.

Finally, to change the contents of the Notes section that will be associated with your squadron, click the Change Notes button. When the desired content has been entered, click the OK button.

The Preferences Screens

Clicking on the fourth tab on the Welcome Menu will bring you to the Preferences screen. Here you will have the ability to customize the audio and video settings, controls setup, your keyboard preferences as well as other miscellaneous options. To customize your choices, simply click on the tab.

• Note: The Preferences screens are also accessible from the Main Menu.

The Audio Screen

The first tab located on the Preferences screen will take you the Audio screen. Here you make change the audio driver selection as well as adjust the different sound levels for the game.

At the top of the screen is a pull-down list box that allows you to select the Audio driver that will be used by Fighter Ace ®. To change the driver, simply click the arrow on the right side of the pull-down list to access it, and highlight the driver you wish to select.

Beneath the Audio driver list is a pair of sliders that will allow you to set the Audio volume levels for both the special Effects (such as machine guns, explosions, etc.) and Engine sounds. As you move each slider, a sound sample will be played to give you a sense of how loud they will be during the game.

Located beneath the sliders is a check box that allows you to enable or disable the Stall Buzzer, the warning buzzer that sounds when your aircraft is about to stall. To enable it, simply click on the box.

Finally, clicking the Test button will play back all of the various audio effects so that you can get an idea of their volume as they relate to each other.

The Video Screen

The second tab on the Preferences screen brings you to the Video screen where you can set the video driver, resolution as well as various video options that effect game performance.

The first control you see is a pull-down list box, which allows you to select the Video driver that will be used by Fighter Ace ®. To change the driver, simply click the arrow on the right side of the pull-down list to access it, and highlight the driver you wish to select.

Through the next pull-down list box you will be given the opportunity to set the Screen size. The limits are from 640x480 to as high as your video card will support. We recommend setting your ingame video to match your desktop display settings, including the refresh rate. Those using NVidia cards may need to toggle the "Disable Buffer Lock" on the Advanced page of the Video Preferences screen.

*Note: Higher screen resolutions generally mean lower frame rates so be sure to keep that in mind when selecting an appropriate setting.

Next, a series of sliders and check boxes allow you to set various video details. In general, the more details and the higher settings you use, the greater the demand on your system. If game performance is choppy, try reducing these settings to accommodate. The video settings that can be modified are:

Texture quality – Lets you set the level of detail used for the textures within the game.

Number of light sources – Allows you to set the number of light sources used within the game. Besides the sun, other possible light sources include gunfire and explosions.

Object details distance – Allows you to set the distance at which detailed textures are used for any and all objects in the game.

Plane details level – Determines the level of aircraft detail to use.

Propeller disk visible – Determines whether or not the propeller disc is visible from either the cockpit or from outside the aircraft. Click the check box if you wish to enable this functionality.

Terrain details distance – Allows you to set the distance at which detailed terrain textures are used in the game.

Smoke trail length – Allows you to set the length of smoke trails within the game. Keep in mind that longer smoke trails put greater demands on your system.

Advanced shading – This toggle enables the use of advanced ‘Phong’ shading that is available with the newer 3D cards. If this option is disabled, the Glare option is automatically disabled as well. Click the check box if you wish to enable this functionality.

Glare – This toggle allows you to enable ‘glare’ reflections off of aircraft surfaces and other objects in the game. This option is only available when the Advanced shading functionality is enabled. If Advanced shading is indeed turned ‘on’, click the check box to enable this functionality.

At the bottom of the screen is a set of three buttons. The first button allows you to Apply New Video Settings, which will cause the game to reload with the newer resolution or with the newer driver.

If you’ve made changes, but don’t want to keep them, use the Discard New Video Settings button. Keep in mind that if you leave this screen without saving your changes, you will be prompted to save or discard your changes.

The Advanced button grants you the ability to set more advanced options. Normally, we recommend leaving these settings at their default values, but if you are having frame rate difficulties, feel free to experiment with them. The three advanced video options that are available are:

Disable 32-bit textures – Normally, Fighter Ace ® uses 32-bit textures. However, some video card and CPU combinations cannot handle the visual load and need to use 16-bit textures instead. Disabling 32-bit textures can sometimes improve performance, but always at the cost of graphical quality. Click the check box if you wish to enable this functionality.

Maximal texture anisotropy – This setting determines the accuracy of texture application to objects from a distance. With the slider set all the way to the left, objects at a distance will appear blurred and indistinct. With the slider set all the way to the right, objects at a distance will appear sharp and crisply detailed. Keep in mind that game performance will proportionately suffer as you move the slider to the right. If you have a system that is close to the minimum or recommended specifications, we recommend leaving this slider at its default or left-most position. However, if you’ve got a cutting edge system, you can experiment with moving the slider to the right until you find a good compromise that maximizes both clarity at a distance and game performance.

Disable buffer lock – If buffer lock is enabled, which is the default setting, the game draws 2D graphics pixel-by-pixel, requiring more memory that can result in slower 3D rendering. When disabled, the game renders 2D graphics and displays them the same way it does 3D rendered graphics. With some combinations of video cards and CPUs, buffer lock results in faster graphical performance while with other combinations, faster performance can be gained by disabling the buffer. We recommend experimenting with each option to find what works best for you.

The Controls Screen

The third tab located on the Preferences screen accesses the Controls screen and, as you might guess, the controller settings that can be adjusted in the game.

At the top of the screen is a pull-down list box that allows you to select the device you will use for the Joystick.

Underneath the joystick selection are check boxes that allow you to enable the type of Force feedback effects you desire, granted that the joystick installed does indeed support this functionality. Keep in mind that if your joystick does not support force feedback, these options will not be available. Through these check boxes you will have the option to enable Effects, such as a shudder in the stick just before you stall or a shaking in the stick when firing your guns or being hit by enemy fire, Forces, such as real life engine torque effects, locked controls from over-speeding and crosswind forces, and Hand sensor, which determines whether the joystick requires hand pressure or not. Keep in mind that with the latter option disabled, a force-feedback joystick will go limp unless it detects downward pressure. Last but not least, the Sensitivity slider allows you to set the rate at which the joystick will respond.

The next pull-down list box allows you to select the Rudder control device. Beneath the rudder selection box are two sliders that control the rudder Sensitivity and Dead Zone. The Sensitivity slider determines how much the rudder will respond to inputs while the Dead Zone can be used to compensate for a jittery rudder or to prevent accidental rudder application rudder, particularly on three-axis joysticks with a twist rudder control.

*Note: The twist rudder on a joystick is most commonly referred to as the ‘r’ axis. If rudder pedals are used, the axis may be different; such as z axis.

The third pull-down list box allows you to select the device to use for your Throttle control. Beneath the throttle selection is a slider that allows you to set the resolution or Roughness of your throttle for anti-noise purposes. Setting the slider to the right sets the throttle to maximum resolution, which may produce some jitter while setting it to the left reduces jitter caused by noise.

*Note: The throttle on a joystick is most commonly referred to as the ‘z’ axis.

The last pull-down list box allows you to set the control centering behavior of your Keyboard flight controls. The options are:

Self centering – Holding down the key for a flight control causes the controls to deflect in that direction, and when the key is released, the controls center to the neutral position. Keep in mind that this does not mean that the aircraft will return to a straight and level ‘neutral’ attitude, only that the control will not continue to change the attitude of the aircraft. This functionality replicates the behavior of a joystick with centering return springs.

Incremental rudder – This option treats the aileron and elevator controls as ‘self centering’, but treats the rudder as an incremental device. In other words, pressing the rudder key causes a small control change and subsequent repeated key presses cause the control to deflect even further. Releasing the key does not return the rudder to a neutral position, however, but allows it to remain at the level of deflection set by the successive key presses.

Incremental all – This option causes all of the keyboard flight controls to act in an incremental manner and remain in their deflected state until reversed with opposite control inputs. This replicates the behavior of a joystick that does not have return springs that would cause it to return to center.

Underneath the keyboard rudder control selector is a slider that allows you to set the Keyboard sensitivity. This determines how fast the controls will respond to your key-presses.

Located at the bottom of the screen is a test section, which shows the logical values that are being outputted from each control. You can use this functionality to check to see if a control is working correctly as well as how it centers electrically. If a control isn’t working properly, try clicking the Refresh lists button located at the bottom the screen. This causes the game to recheck for the presence and electrical center for each control device.

The Calibrate button was created for older analog gameport devices. Do not use this feature with digital devices as it can produce unexpected results during game play.

Finally, a set of three buttons to the right allows you to test the various Force Feedback effects, if you have a force-feedback joystick installed. They allow you to: Test Spring Forces, Test Slow Force Effects and Test Vibration Effects.

The Keys Screen

The next tab located at the top of the Preferences screen accesses the Keys screen, which is where you can change the various keystroke and button assignments in the game. Every command in the game can be assigned to almost any keystroke or button press. You can assign up to two different keystrokes and/or button presses to each command.

A large scrollable list box dominates the Keys screen. This box displays the name of each command function in the game, grouped by type, along with the keystrokes and/or button presses that are currently assigned to them. A Category pull-down list box at the top of the screen allows you to select the type of commands that will be displayed in the list box. The various types of commands are:

Flying – Command functions that are related to flying the plane such as throttle, rudder, etc.

Sound – Command functions that control sound levels within the game.

Weapons – Command functions related to controlling the various weapon systems that are available in the game.

Views – Command functions related to selecting the various views that are available in the game.

Visual information – Command functions that turn on or off various visual aids such as player tags.

Windows – Command functions that bring up various views and information windows.

Navigation – Command functions related to the map and navigation.

Communications – Command functions that deal with the communications systems in the game.

Replays – Command functions that control the creation of films.

Camera control – Command functions that control the external cameras.

Other – All command functions that do not fall into any of the above categories.

[All of the above together] – Includes all of the groups described above.

Map – Command functions that manipulate the in-game map screen.

Film: Control – Command functions that control the playback of films.

Film: Sound – Command functions to control sound levels during film playback.

Film: Views – Command functions to select the various views during film playback.

Film: Visual information – Command functions that turn on or off various visual aids, such as player tags, during film playback.

Film: Windows – Command functions that bring up various views and information windows during film playback.

Film: Camera control – Command functions that control the cameras during film playback.

Film: Other – All film functions that do not fall into any of the above categories.

[All film keys together] – Includes all of the film groups described above.

All of these control settings are saved as a completely functional control Scheme that can be selected via the pull-down list box located at the top right of the screen. The buttons to the below the pull-down list allow you to manipulate the scheme files.

To change an entry, simply click on the function assignment you wish to change. A dialog will then appear asking you to input the new command sequence. Keep in mind that you can click Cancel to back out at any time.

If you have selected the Default scheme, clicking a command function will bring up a dialog asking you to name the new function scheme. After typing in the name, you’ll be asked to input the new control sequences.

The New button allows you to create a new key assignment scheme. When you click the button, a dialog box appears asking you to name the new scheme. After you have named the scheme, the copy of the default scheme template is loaded into memory and available for customization. Keep in mind that if you try to edit when the Default scheme is selected, the game will prompt you to name the new scheme, thus creating a new key assignment template.

The Save button allows you to save the current scheme settings. If the Default scheme is currently selected or if you have made no changes to the currently loaded scheme, the Save button will be unavailable.

The Save As… button allows you to create a copy of the currently loaded scheme and save it under a different name. When you click the button, you will be prompted to name this new copy of the scheme, just as if you had clicked the New button.

The Delete button allows you to delete the currently loaded scheme. Before a scheme is deleted, you are asked to confirm your intent to do so. If the default scheme is the currently loaded scheme, the Delete button will be unavailable.

The Reload button negates any changes you have made to a scheme since it was last saved. This function will reload said scheme from the hard drive, restoring it to its previously saved state. Before any changes are rejected, you will be prompted to confirm that you really intended to undo your changes.

Located at the bottom of the screen are the Check and Print buttons. The Check button checks the key assignments for duplicate key usage or other problems, while the Print button allows you to print out a ‘quick reference’ sheet to help you remember the assignment of each button. Keep in mind that only those functions that are assigned to a keystroke or button press will be printed.

The Other Screen

The final preferences screen is the Other screen, which gives you access to all of the miscellaneous controls that have not been previously mentioned.

The first control, Save Log allows you to select which logging options, if any, you want in place during gameplay. You can elect to save Chat messages, Event messages, Both or None, depending on your preference. Messages are saved to a text file called gamelog.txt that is accessible through the main game directory.

Next, you can select which type of Log screen you will access when selecting the ‘Log screen’ function in the game. You can select either a 2-part log, which shows event messages on the left side of the screen and chat messages on the right, or a 3-part log, which splits the chat side of the screen into separate friendly and enemy chat buffers.

Last but not least, you can elect to enable or disable the Metric system. Keep in mind that by default, the game will use the more familiar ‘English’ measurement system that is currently being used throughout the United States. To enable the Metric system, simply click on the box.

*Note: Planes will use the selected measurement system instead of using their historical instrumentation system. In other words, you can use feet and mph in a German plane or meters and kph in an American plane. The truth of history has no real bearing, only your preference.

The Arenas Screen

The most important screen in the Welcome menu is the Arenas screen, where you choose a game arena in which to play. Before we go over the contents of the Arenas screen, take a quick look at the very bottom of the screen. There is a check box there labeled make this the default screen. If you check this box, you will be taken directly to this screen every time you start the game in lieu of being sent to the News screen. If you don’t care about the latest news about the Fighter Ace ® community, simply check this box and the game will always begin from the Arenas screen.

On the left side of the Arenas screen is a list of the names of the various arenas that are currently available to players. Clicking on a game arena from the list displays the status and conditions of that arena. This information includes a list of the number of players flying for each country and the various alliances in effect. The two text boxes to the left of the main data display contain more detailed information about the game. The first box is the Settings box which includes a list of extraordinary arena settings, if any, as well as a text description of the arena. The second text box is a text contains a listing of Combat Action, a description of events occurring in the arena so that you have an idea of what you might expect if you join.

When a game arena is selected, the button in the lower right corner of the screen will become available. This is the Join button and will forward you to the selected arena.

Whenever you have an arena selected, you can get a list of players in that arena by clicking the Display Pilots button.

If you are subscribed to Fighter Ace ® and there is server space available, the Create Arena button will also be available. Clicking it opens up the Arena Configuration screen, which allows you to create custom servers for up to 32 people.

*Note: See the section about this dialog box for information on what each option means in terms of game play.

As long as you meet the criteria of a given arena, be it with or without restrictions, you can access the Main Menu of that arena by clicking on the Join Arena button.

Some arenas may require a password, as indicated by the ‘padlock’ symbol next to the arena name. If the arena you want to join is ‘locked’, you will be prompted to input the password before gaining access to that arena’s Main Menu.

The Arena Configuration Screen

If there is server space available and you are subscribed to the game, you are allowed to create a new arena for private or public use. Clicking the Create Arena button launches the Arena Configuration screen, which allows you to specify the parameters for the arena you would like to create.

First, a dialogue box appears asking you to select an existing arena to start from. This allows you to start with a set of features that are already close to what you want for your new arena. Clicking OK gets you to the main Arena Configuration menus.

Keep in mind, on any of the subsequent screens associated with the Arena Configuration screen, pressing the Save button at the bottom right corner will save the settings to a local file. If you started from a local file, you can use the Save As… button if you don’t want to overwrite the original settings. The Create button creates the arena and the Cancel button aborts the process.

The Main Screen

The first page of the Area Configuration screen allows you to set the main arena options. Below are the main options and their significance to the game that is being created:

Game name – The title of your game.

Game notes – A short text description of your game. Think of it as an advertisement for the arena.

Password required – Check if you would like your arena to be password-protected. If enabled, only authorized pilots with the password can enter.

Map – A pull-down list box allows you to select which map to use in your game.

Start on airfield – Determines whether players will start on an airfield or in the air.

Initial ammo loadout – Allows you to specify how much ammunition is to be carried. Possible options are Unlimited, 1 (meaning that the normal load will be carried) as well as a range from 2 to 5 (meaning a multiple of the historical load will be carried).

Initial rockets loadout – If rockets are selected, this option allows you to specify how many rockets to carry. Possible options are Unlimited, 1 (meaning that the normal load will be carried) as well as a range from 2 to 5 (meaning a multiple of the historical load will be carried).

Rockets available on fighter planes – Determines whether or not fighters that were historically equipped to carry rockets will be permitted to do so.

Rockets available on bomber planes – Determines whether or not bombers that were historically equipped to carry rockets will be permitted to do so.

Bombs are limited – Determines whether or not planes will be limited to historically accurate bomb loadouts or if they will have an unlimited number of bombs available.

Bombs available on fighter planes – Determines whether or not fighters that were historically equipped to carry bombs and/or torpedoes will be permitted to do so. Bombs available on bomber planes – Determines whether or not bombers that were historically equipped to carry bombs and/or torpedoes will be permitted to do so.

Fuel usage – Determines how fast fuel is consumed, as a multiple of normal consumption. You can also select an Unlimited fuel supply. Planes on runway can collide – Determines whether or not collision detection is enabled for planes on the runway. When this option is disabled, you can drive through another plane without crashing.

This Assign 2-5 countries section located to the right of the screen determines which teams each country belongs to. Keep in mind that when you assign multiple countries to the same team number, those countries are considered part of the same alliance. Selecting Out for a country means that country will not be represented in the game.

Below this display is a readout of the active alliances. The numbers 0 through 4 correspond to the countries in the order they are listed to the left of the buttons above. A dash separates enemy countries, while allied countries are grouped next to each other. For example, 01-23 means that US and GB are allied against SU and GE, with JP being left out of the game, while 0-1-2-3-4 means that all five countries are represented as enemies of one another.

Different maps, depending on the one chosen, may contain different territory groupings. Assign territories to the countries with the Assign 5 territories pull-down list boxes located near the bottom of the screen. Keep in mind that the map that has been chosen will dictate the amount of territories available. If there are not enough territories for all 5 counties, the unused pull-down lists will be unavailable.

Press the Save button at the bottom right corner of the screen to save the current settings to a local file. If you started from a local file, you can use the Save As… button if you don’t want to overwrite the original settings. The Create button creates the arena and the Cancel button aborts the process.

The Secondary Screen

The second tab of the Area Configuration screen, labeled Secondary, provides access to even more arena configuration options. The settings available are:

Nearest enemy pointer on map – Determines whether or not the Tactical mode of the map display will show a colored line pointing toward the enemy nearest to your position.

Show on radar – Determines which objects, if any, will be shown on the radar display. Possible options are: None, All, Friendly and Enemy.

Allow players to change airfields in game – Determines whether players will be allowed to use the Next/Prev Airfield functions to move between airfields or if they can only change airfields in the Headquarters Menu.

Redouts enabled (near –3G) – Determines whether or not redouts are enabled. Redouts start to occur near –3 G’s.

Blackouts enabled (near +5G) – Determines whether or not blackouts are enabled in the game. Blackouts start to occur near +5 G’s.

Cockpit views only – Determines whether players will be limited to using only the cockpit views or if they can use all of the game views.

Airfields highlighted with country colors – If enabled, each airfield is highlighted in the game with the owning country’s map color.

Target brackets allowed – Determines whether or not players can display a set of brackets around the selected aircraft, which helps the player keep track of targeted aircraft.

Show on map – Determines which plane and scene icons are show on the Tactical map, if any. Possible options are: None, All, Friendly and Enemy.

Show tags on map – Determines which scene tags will be displayed on the map when you mouse over an Icon. Possible options are: None, All, Friendly and Enemy.

Count exit as crash – Determines whether or not exiting the game without being stopped on the ground will be scored as a crash. The entries in the Tournament section allow the arena to be set up as a tournament, with limited lives for players. The entries in this section are:

Tournament mode enabled – Determines whether the game will be a ‘tournament’ type game or not.

Number of lives – Allows you to set the number of lives each player has for the tournament, which is the number of pilot deaths they are allowed before they are no longer allowed to play. Keep in mind that players who cannot play can still watch the tournament as long as Ghosting is enabled. Possible options are: Unlimited and 1 through 10, representing the number of lives a player is allowed.

Ghosting – When enabled, players who have been eliminated from a tournament are still allowed to fly around the game as a ‘ghost’ plane. Ghost planes cannot be seen or interacted with in any way by players still in the tournament.

The Plane tags section located to the right of the screen allows you to determine which tags are displayed next to aircraft during the game. Possible tags are:

Name – Displays the pilot’s name.

Rank – Displays the pilot’s rank.

Distance – Displays the distance between the camera and the plane.

Country – Indicates the plane’s country by displaying the small insignia that is associated with each.

Squadron – Displays the pilot’s squadron ID (if any).

Aces – Displays the number of ‘aces’ a pilot has accumulated (the number of planes shot down without dying or being captured divided by five).

Plane type – Displays the model designation of the aircraft.

The Oxygen section at the lower right of the screen allows you to determine whether oxygen will be needed at higher altitudes as well as the maximum non-oxygen and maximum oxygen altitudes. The entries in this section are:

Oxygen equipment available – If enabled, planes that historically were fitted with oxygen equipment will make it available in the game. Otherwise, no plane has or needs oxygen equipment in the game.

Height limit without oxygen mask – Determines the maximum altitude players can fly without using oxygen. Flying above this altitude without oxygen will kill the pilot.

Height limit with oxygen mask – Determines the maximum altitude at which players can fly, even with the use of oxygen. If a player goes above this altitude, his pilot will die.

The Physics Screen

Clicking on the Physics tab at the top of the Area Configuration screen, will take you to the Physics screen. Here you can set the physics and flight model options to be used in the game. The options are:

Flight model – Allows you to select which flight model will be used in the arena. Possible settings are: Arcade, Intermediate and Realistic.

Wind – Determines whether or not wind is enabled. Wind in the game can cause drift during flight and can cause difficulties during takeoff and landing. A cross wind causes the plane to drift to one side. A headwind will cause reduced ground speed to any given true

Momentum from hits – Determines whether or not the force of getting hit by gunfire or flak is exerted against the airframe, which in turn can throw the plane off course.

External load weight dynamics – Determines whether or not the weight of external stores (bombs, rockets, and/or fuel tanks) is included in your aircraft’s total weight.

External load aerodynamic drag – Determines whether or not the drag induced by any external payload (bombs, rockets, torpedoes or drop tanks) is included in the overall drag of the aircraft.

External load aerodynamic momentum – Determines whether or not the weight and drag of asymmetric payloads will have an effect on flight performance.

Trim tabs – This list box determines the presence and behavior of trim tabs on an aircraft. When set to the Realistic flight model, aircraft are equipped only with their historic trim tabs and trimming must done be manually. If set to Manual, 3-axis, all aircraft will be equipped with rudder, elevator, and aileron trim tabs (whether or not historically accurate), and trimming must be done manually. If set to Auto rudder, manual 2-axis, all aircraft will be equipped with rudder, elevator, and aileron trim tabs (whether or not historically accurate), and the rudder trim is automatically maintained while the elevator and aileron tabs must be trimmed manually. If set to Auto, 3-axis, all aircraft will be equipped with rudder, elevator, and aileron trim tabs (whether or not historically accurate), and all trimming is done automatically. Engine stall due to prolonged negative G – Determines whether or not prolonged negative G-forces, usually due to flying inverted, will cause an engine stall.

Induced drag factor – When the angle of attack (AOA) increases, drag increases accordingly. This slider determines what percentage of AOA-induced drag is actually applied to the flight model. Values for this setting range from 10 to 100 percent.

Critical angle of attack – The critical angle of attack (AOA) is the point at which the AOA is so high that air cannot flow smoothly over the wings. This results in the loss of lift causing a condition known as a “high speed stall”. This slider allows you to increase the critical angle, making it easier to play the game when employing the Arcade and Intermediate flight models. Values for this setting range from 100 to 150 percent.

Fuselage lateral stability – When a plane yaws at high speed, the fuselage acts like a giant sail, trying to eliminate the yaw by forcing the plane to fly straight. This slider allows you to reduce that force, thereby making it easier to yaw the plane when employing the Arcade and Intermediate flight models. Values for this setting range from 30 to 100 percent of the full wind force.

Tail lateral stability – When a plane yaws at high speed, the tail section acts like a giant sail, trying to eliminate the yaw by forcing the plane to fly straight. This slider allows you to reduce that force, making it easier to yaw the plane in Arcade and Intermediate flight models. Values for this setting range from 10 to 100 percent of the full wind force.

Rudder efficiency – To make it easier to control the plane when employing the Arcade and Intermediate flight models, the efficiency of the rudder can be increased. Values for this setting range from a 0 to 75 percent increase in rudder efficiency.

Momentum from gun fire – Determines whether or not the recoil effect associated with firing the plane’s guns will reduce airspeed. This is most apparent when climbing at a point just above stall speed. If the guns are fired in this condition, it is possible for the aircraft to lose enough airspeed to cause a stall. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

Torque effects and gyroscopic momentum – An engine’s torque can cause an aircraft to roll when throttle is applied too quickly. Planes with excessive torque, such as the Mustang or Corsair, can actually flip over on takeoff if throttle is applied too quickly. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

Compressibility enabled – When an aircraft reaches compressibility, the force of the air stream over the control surfaces is such that the surfaces cannot be moved, thus locking the aircraft in its current attitude. This is most commonly encountered when executing a high-speed dive. The only way to pull out of said dive is to reduce the throttle and wait until the aircraft gets to lower altitudes. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

Stall-spin enabled – Spins are caused when one wing of an aircraft stalls before the other one does. This is most commonly encountered when pulling tight turns at airspeeds just above the stall speed. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

The Physics 2 Screen

The last page of the Area Configuration dialog box, labeled Physics 2, allows you to set the physics and flight model options to be used in the game. The options are:

Flaps damage due to overspeeding – Determines whether flaps can be extended beyond their rated speed, thereby damaging them. If this option is disabled, you cannot extend flaps beyond their rated speed.

Gear damage due to overspeeding – Determines whether landing gear will be damaged if it is moved beyond its rated speed. There are three possible settings: off, medium, and full. If you select off, gear cannot be damaged, regardless of the speed at which it is moved. If you select medium, the landing gear will not move if the plane is traveling beyond the rated speed. If you select full, moving the gear beyond the rated speed will damage it.

Damage due to G-forces – This parameter determines whether or not G-forces can rip the wings off an aircraft if it exceeds its rated weight. Each plane is rated for how much weight the wings can hold without ripping off. When G-forces are applied to the aircraft, the effect of the gravity applied increases, which in turn multiplies the weight of the aircraft by the number of G’s. This can cause an increase in weight that is applied to the aircraft to the point at which the wings rip off.

Possible settings for this value are: off, medium and full. If the off setting is enabled, the wings will never rip off. If the medium setting is enabled, the aircraft’s weight can be reduced to anywhere between 75 and 100% of its actual value, indirectly increasing the number of G’s that can be applied to an aircraft with the same given load. If the full setting is enabled, the aircraft will adhere to historical stress limits.

• Note: When Damage due to G-forces is set to medium, the slider will become available, allowing you to determine the percentage of the aircraft’s true weight that is used to calculate whether the wings are ripped off due to excessive G-forces. Values for this setting range from 75 to 100 percent.

Wing damage due to overspeeding – Determines whether or not the wings will randomly rip off the aircraft when the plane is flown at excessive speeds. Keep in mind that historically, different aircraft have different stress limits.

Possible settings for this value are: off, medium and full. If the off setting is enabled, no damage can occur due to excessive speed. If the medium setting is enabled, the aircraft’s maximum safe speed is multiplied by a percentage of the plane’s normal value. If the full setting is enabled, the aircraft will adhere to historical stress limits.

*Note: When Damage due to overspeeding is set to medium, the slider will become available, allowing you to determine the percentage multiplier that will be applied to each aircraft’s speed. Values for this setting range from 67 to 100 percent.

Vertical speed of touch down limit – Determines whether or not a vertical speed limit will be applied when landing. If this setting is enabled, landing gear will collapse if the aircraft drops too quickly.

Soft landing – This slider allows you to set the vertical speed threshold used to determine whether the aircraft lands safely or crash lands. Below this speed, the aircraft will land normally, assuming the landing gear is down, of course. Above this speed, the aircraft will crash or crash land, which allows for pilot survival, depending on the rate of speed applied. Values for this setting range from 591 fpm to 2953 fpm.

Crash – This slider allows you to set the vertical speed threshold used to determine whether the aircraft crashes during a landing attempt. If this vertical speed is exceeded and the Vertical speed of touch down limit is enabled, the aircraft will either crash or crash land, which allows for pilot survival, depending on the rate of speed applied. Values for this setting range from 1,377 fpm to 3,934 fpm.

*Note: This setting should always be set to a greater value than the Soft landing setting.

Taxiing speed limit – Determines whether or not speed limits are imposed on the aircraft when taxiing anywhere but on the runway.

Out of airfield – Determines the taxiing speed limit for areas outside of airfields. Values for this setting range from 4 to 22 mph.

On airfield – Determines the taxiing speed limit on all areas of the airfield except the runway. Values for this setting range from 11 to 45 mph.

Engine damage due to overrun – Determines whether or not engines will suffer damage from overrunning, which can occur when a plane dives at full throttle.

Random engine failure (production faults) – To simulate mechanical failures, this parameter will cause random engine failures in aircraft.

Engine heating – This parameter is used to simulate different modes of aircraft engine temperature maintenance. Possible settings include: None, Auto and Semi-Auto. If the None setting is enabled (always optimal), the temperature of engines is always optimal and over-heating cannot occur, even with excessive WEP usage. If the Auto setting is enabled (throttle decreases automatically), actual engine heating is simulated and cooling flaps are automatically adjusted in order to maintain optimal temperature. However, when the temperature does become excessive, the game will automatically reduces throttle to prevent engine damage. If the Semi-auto setting is enabled (overheating at high throttle only), actual engine heating is simulated and cooling flaps are automatically adjusted in order to maintain optimal temperature. However, if the engine does overheat, it may become damaged.

The Films Screen

The Films screen allows you access to any and all previously saved film for playback. To play a film, simply click to highlight the film in the list that you wish to view and then click the Play Film button. If there is a film you no longer wish to keep, click to highlight it and either press the Del key on the keyboard or click the Delete button.

*Notes: Films are contained in a subdirectory off the game’s main directory named FILMS. Although they are a proprietary format and require the game to playback, they can easily be copied and shared with other Fighter Ace ® players.

Films can be converted to .wmv format to be played on the internet or on a computer that doesn't have Fighter Ace by using a program such as Frapps.

The Main Menu

After you have selected an arena and clicked the Join Arena button, you are connected to the game server and are taken to the Main Menu. The Help button accesses context-sensitive help for the screen you are in. The Lobby button returns you to the Arenas screen. Otherwise, the screen that is access by default is the Strategic screen.

The Strategic Screen

The Strategic screen appears by default when you enter the Main Menu. This screen contains the strategic map and statistics on the countries that are currently in game that will aid you in choosing which country that you wish to fly for.

The Game Map that is located to the left of the screen provides insight into the amount of territory owned by each country. There are two map modes available, Strategic and Tactical. The map is considered Strategic when zoomed out to and Tactical when zoomed in. You can zoom in and out with the + and – magnification buttons that are located above and to the right of the map display. The mouse wheel can also be used to zoom in and out.

When in Tactical, or zoomed in mode, you can scroll the Game Map by placing the mouse cursor over it, and holding the left mouse button down; dragging the map in the direction that you wish to investigate.

One of the most important features of the Game Map is learning to use the Coordinate System. The grid covering the map has letter coordinates across the top and number coordinates down the left side. To find the coordinates of a particular square, trace the column left to the number indicator and across the top to the letter indicator. This will give you a number-letter coordinate that refers to the square, such as 45BA or 9G. 1A is in the upper left corner and increase in number as you move south and letters as you move east, respectively.

If you look at the map at its greatest outward zoom, you’ll notice that the number and letter coordinates are missing. For instance, the letters may go from H to P to X, skipping the letters in between. As you zoom in, the grid will resize to include more complete columns and rows, filling in with those missing numbers and letters.

Icons on the Game Map are used to indicate airfields, villages and factories; resources that are currently being used either for production of aircraft and tanks or for supplying fuel and ammunition to airfields. The color of each symbol indicates the country that owns that specific resource. The default colors associated with each country are

• Yellow = United States (US)
• Green = Great Britain (GB)
• Red = Soviet Union (SU)
• Purple = Germany (GE)
• Light Blue = Japan (JP)

Located beneath the map, a pair of pull-down list boxes allows you to change the color that is assigned to represent the different countries in the game. For most pilots, the default colors are adequate, but this feature allows customization for those who prefer otherwise. To change the color of a country, select the country in the list then select the new color you want to use. Keep in mind that it is possible to assign a color to more than one country.

If you wish to restore the color assignments back to their default, click the Default button.

As mentioned, the Icons that exist on the Game Map show the location of various installations in the game world. Following are the various icons and what they represent

• = Bomber aircraft
• = Bomber airfield
• = Aircraft carrier
• = Aircraft carrier (damaged)
• = Factory
• = Fighter aircraft
• = Fighter airfield
• = Port
• = Rail station
• = Ship
• = Paratroops
• = Tanks
• = Village

When you place the mouse cursor over any one of these Icons, you will see text appear off the right margin. The text tells you the status of the installation; including who owns it, what type of installation it is, its exact coordinates and its supply level.

When the Game map is in Strategic mode, a color ‘x’ will be used to mark your current location. When in Tactical mode, the colored ‘x’ changes to a colored ‘+’ with a white line indicating your plane’s heading and an optional colored line indicating the bearing to the nearest enemy, with the color signifying which country the enemy belongs to.

*Note: Plane plots are only available when in the game. The maps in the menu will not show any planes, except your location using the strategic ‘x’.

Finally, the various ‘dashed’ circles on the map show the areas covered by radar, with the color indicating the owning country. The installation at the center of each circle is the one transmitting the radar signal. All enemy planes will also appear as a colored ‘+’ sign, with the color showing the plane’s country of origin. Planes that are positively identified will be in their country’s colors and unidentified planes appear in white. Keep in mind that if your radar unit has been destroyed or if you are outside friendly radar coverage you will only see the planes that are within visual range of your plane or friendly installations. If a radar installation is destroyed, its coverage circle is changed to a dark almost invisible circle.

To the right of the map is a quick reference overview that details the current status of each country; highlighting the most important information contained in the Game Map. This table shows the number of Players on each side as well as the number of Airfields owned by each country. Beneath is a display showing the Alliances in place, if any. Below that, there is a text box displaying some of the Game action to give you an idea of what to expect in the arena.

The area beneath the map is an overview of the Resources for each country. Resources are used to build tanks and aircraft as well as equip them with fuel and ammunition and represented by Icons within the map itself. The columns representing the separate countries are highlighted to help you quickly identify available resources. In other games, this area will be blank.

To the lower right is a pull-down list box that allows you to select the country you wish to fly for. When you first enter the arena, the first available country is selected by default. Near the top of the screen, the country’s insignia is displayed dictating which country is currently selected.

Once you have selected a country, the Go To Headquarters button becomes available. Click on it to access the Headquarters Menu.

The Chat Screen

The next tab accessible from the Main Menu is the Chat screen. This screen allows you to communicate with other players in the arena over the global chat channel. In other words, both those in the menu systems and those who are currently in the air will receive the message. Keep in mind that you will have no way of seeing messages that are being sent along the lower order chat channels, but anyone in the arena will have the ability to read your global message.

On the right side of the screen is a scrollable list box that displays the list of Players that are currently in the arena, grouped and color-coded according to their selected country. Separating each group of names is a display that contains, in parenthesis, the number of total pilots flying for a given country as well as the country’s tag letters. System operators are listed separately as are players that are in the Main Menu who are not currently flying.

On the left side of the screen is another larger scrollable text box that contains a transcript of all of the Incoming Messages that have been sent. Simply scroll up to review any messages that you may have missed.

To compose a message, click in the small text line at the bottom of the screen and start typing. As you type, your message will scroll to the left. When you are done, press the ENTER key or click the Send button to post the message.

Under the pilots list is the Gag button. If you would rather not read a particular pilot’s messages, simply click to highlight that pilot’s name and click the Gag button. You will no longer receive messages composed by said pilot. A small symbol will also appear next to the name, signifying that the pilot is gagged. In addition, from this point onward, whenever that pilot’s name has been highlighted, the Gag button will be replaced with the Ungag button. To resume receiving messages from a ‘gagged’ pilot, simply click to highlight the pilot’s name, and click the button.

The Options Screen

The next tab located on the top of the Main Menu will take you to the Options screen. These options can only be changed in offline menus designated to do so, therefore the screens exist online for informational purposes only.

The Game Settings Screen

The first tab available from the Options screen is the Game Settings screen. Keep in mind that you cannot change the contents of this screen once an arena is up and running, but the information contained herein will act as a summary of the settings that are currently in effect. The various game settings displayed on this screen are

Game name -The name designated for the game when the arena was created. Game type – The basic type of game used in this arena. Possible game types include: Common, Mission, Private and Training.

A Common game is a publicly accessible dogfight-only arena with no artificial intelligence, or AI.

A Mission game is a publicly accessible Territorial Conquest arena with AI.

A Private game is a user-created dogfight-only arena without AI.

A Training game is a local-only training mission.

Password – Indicates whether or not the arena requires a password to enter. This is only applicable to Private games.

Score – Determines whether or not the scores attained in this arena are added to the global Fighter Ace ® scoring record.

Alliances – Displays which countries are currently allied and which are enemies. A ‘+’ between countries indicates that they are allied while a comma indicates that they are enemies. For example, ‘GB+US, GE’ indicates an arena where Great Britain (GB) and the United States (US) are allied against Germany (GE).

Map – Designates the name of the map that is currently in use.

Paratroopers load – The number of paratroopers that are loaded on a transport as a multiple of the normal load. Possible settings include: Unlimited, Normal as well as anywhere between 2x normal and 5x normal load.

Fuel usage rate – The rate at which fuel is consumed in the game. Possible settings include: Unlimited (meaning that planes will never run out of fuel), Normal, 2x normal fuel usage rate and ½ normal.

Ammunition – The amount of ammunition given to each plane as a multiplier of the normal load. Possible settings include: Unlimited, Normal as well as anywhere between 2x normal and 5x normal load.

Rockets

Fighters – Determines whether or not fighters that were historically capable of carrying rockets will be allowed to do so in the game.

Bombers – Determines whether or not bombers that were historically capable of carrying rockets will be allowed to do so in the game.

Fuse type – Determines the fusing behavior of rockets within the game. This can be set to timed, meaning all rockets will detonate after a fixed period of time if they do not hit something first; impact, meaning that rockets must hit something to explode and historical, meaning that rockets will have either timed or impact fuses depending on the actual historical conditions.

Number – The number of rockets to be carried by a plane as a multiplier of the normal load. Possible settings include: Unlimited, Normal and as well as anywhere between 2x normal and 5x normal rocket load.

Bombs

Fighters – Determines whether or not fighters that were historically capable of carrying bombs will be allowed to do so in the game.

Bombers – Determines whether or not bombers that were historically capable of carrying bombs will be allowed to do so in the game.

Number is limited – Determines whether or not bomb loads are limited to the normal load amounts as designated by plane or if there will be an unlimited number of bombs available during flight.

Torpedoes – Shows whether or not torpedoes are allowed in the arena.

Number is limited – Determines whether or not torpedo loads are limited to the normal load amounts as designated by craft or if there will be an unlimited number of torpedoes available.

Oxygen mask available – Determines whether or not oxygen is required at high altitudes.

Height limit without mask – If oxygen use is indeed enabled, this setting specifies the maximum altitude above sea level that a pilot can fly without using oxygen.

Height limit with mask – If oxygen use is enabled, this setting specifies the maximum altitude above sea level that a pilot can fly with oxygen engaged. Keep in mind that flying above this altitude will kill the pilot.

Redouts from -3 G – Determines if redouts are enabled in the game. If active, redouts will begin to occur at or about -3 G.

Blackouts from +5 G – Determines if blackouts are enabled in the game. If active, blackouts will begin to occur at or about +5 G.

Start on airfield – Determines whether or not the players will start on an airfield or in the air.

Planes can collide on runway – Determines whether or not planes on the runway can sustain damage from collisions. Keep in mind that regardless of this setting, planes in the air will always sustain damage from collisions, which usually results in the destruction of both planes.

Count exit is crash – Determines whether or not exiting the game at any time when not at a standstill on the ground is logged as a ‘crash’.

Must wait to change teams – For security purposes, some arenas may force you to wait for a set period of time before switching teams. This setting determines how much time, if any, must elapse before you will be allowed to join another team.

Bomber AI gunner fire discipline – Determines the conditions under which AI gunners located on bombers will fire. The three options available for this selection are:

Automatic – AI gunners will always determine for themselves when they will fire their guns.

Manual – The player must always manually order the gunners to fire using the Defensive Fire function.

Player selected – The player has the option of setting the gunners to either manual or automatic.

Gunners quality – Three sliders determine the level of the AI for AA (low-level), Flak (high-level) and bomber gunners.

The Visual Aids Screen

The next tab available from the Options screen will take you to the Visual Aids screen. As with the other screens located within the Options screen, you cannot change the contents of this screen once an arena is up and running, but the information contained herein will act as a summary of the settings that are currently in effect. The various visual settings displayed on this screen are:

Show on map – Determines which aircraft are displayed on the tactical map, if any. Possible settings include: None (no aircraft shown on map), All, Friends or Enemies.

Info tags on map – When you position the mouse over the top of an icon on the game map, a description of the scene and its condition can be displayed. This option determines which scenes, if any, will reveal their condition. Possible settings include: None, All, Friends and Enemies.

Point to nearest enemy on map – Determines whether or not a colored line will point to the nearest enemy plane on the map. The line emanates from your aircraft symbol with the color designating the nationality of the enemy plane.

Show on radar – Determines which aircraft, if any, are shown on the strategic (radar) map. Possible settings include: None (no aircraft shown), All, Friends and Enemies.

Visual ranges – These settings determine at what distance from your aircraft each object type (or view type in the case of the padlock view) becomes visible. The following objects or function types can each be set to have their own visual range distance:

fighters – The range at which fighters will become visible.

bombers – The range at which Bombers will become visible.

tanks – The range at which Tanks will become visible.

plane tags – The range at which plane tags will become visible.

other tags – The range at which tags on non-aircraft objects, such as tanks and scenes, will become visible.

Padlock – The range at which you can ‘lock on’ to another plane using the padlock view.

Chat range – The maximum distance at which you can send and receive messages from other players in the game.

Airfields highlighted – If enabled, each airfield in the game is outlined with the owning country’s map color, making them easier to see at a distance.

Cockpit views only – If enabled, you will not be able to use any other view than the cockpit view. This setting is usually enabled only for the most difficult arenas.

Target brackets allowed – Allows player to display a set of brackets around a selected target. This makes it easier to distinguish and track a target when in an area of heavy traffic.

View tags available – Shows whether plane tags will be displayed in the game. Tags employ a specific country’s assigned color to display informative text next to each aircraft in the game. Possible tags are:

country – Indicates the plane’s country by displaying the small insignia that is associated with each.

plane type – Displays the model designation of the aircraft.

rank – Displays the pilot’s rank.

squadron – Displays the pilot’s squadron ID (if any).

name – Displays the pilot’s name.

aces – Displays the number of ‘aces’ a pilot has accumulated (the number of planes shot down without dying or being captured divided by five).

distance – Displays the distance between the camera and the plane.

The Miscellaneous Screen

The third tab available from the Options screen is the Miscellaneous screen. Contained herein is all of the weather and world settings that are currently in effect in the arena. As with the other screens located within the Options screen, you cannot change the contents of this screen once an arena is up and running, but the information contained herein will act as a summary of the settings that are currently in effect. The various miscellaneous settings displayed on this screen are:

Date – Determines the starting date for the arena.

Time – Determines the starting time for the arena.

Time zone – Determines which time zone the arena currently occupies.

Time speed – Determines the rate at which time will pass during the daytime. Possible values range from 1 to 10 times normal rate. For example, if the value for this setting is set to 4, an hour of game time will elapse in 15 minutes of real time.

Night speed – Determines the rate at which time passes during the night. This value is a multiplier of the Time speed value that has been designated above it and serves as a multiplier of that setting. Possible values range from 1 to 10 times the daytime rate. For example, if the Time speed is set to 4, as in the previous example, and the Night speed is set to 2, an hour of game time at night will elapse in 7.5 minutes (twice as fast as the 15 minutes that would elapse during the day).

Latitude – Determines the latitude of the game location as it pertains to the location of astronomical bodies in the sky.

Longitude – Determines the longitude of the game location as it pertains to the location of astronomical bodies in the sky.

Wind – Determines the behavior of the wind as it pertains to the game. Possible wind settings include: constant speed and direction, constant speed and rotating direction or oscillating speed and rotating direction.

Speed – Determines both the constant wind speed as well as the range of wind speeds available when oscillating winds has been selected. When a constant wind speed is selected, a single value is used. When an oscillating wind speed is selected, a range of two values is used. The first value represents the lowest possible wind speed and while the second value represents the highest.

Direction – Shows the direction of the wind if a constant wind has been selected.

Dir.rot.time – If the wind is set to rotating direction, this setting determines the amount of time it will take for the wind to rotate a full 360 degrees.

Oscillat.time – If the wind is set to oscillate speed, this setting determines the amount of time it will take for the wind speed to fluctuate from its lowest to highest values and back again.

Clouds – Determines which type of clouds, if any, are visible in the game. Possible cloud settings include: No clouds, Cumulus or Stratus.

Density – Determines the percentage of sky that will be covered by clouds.

Min.height – Determines the minimum altitude at which clouds will occur.

Max.height – Determines the maximum altitude at which clouds will occur.

Rain – Determines whether or not rain will occur beneath the cloud layer. This option is only available only when Stratus clouds have been selected. Note that on the North Cape map this will cause snow.

The Difficulty Screen

The fourth tab available from the Options screen will open the Difficulty screen. Detailed herein are the various flight model and game difficulty settings that are currently in use in the arena. As with the other screens located within the Options screen, you cannot change the contents of this screen once an arena is up and running, but the information contained herein will act as a summary of the settings that are currently in effect.

The list box at the top of the screen displays the basic Flight Model being employed in the game. Flight models include: Arcade, Intermediate and Realistic. A Reset Defaults button at the bottom of the page restores the defaults for each flight model setting.

Other difficulties settings displayed on this screen are:

Wind forces – Determines whether or not wind is enabled. Wind in the game can cause drift during flight and can cause difficulties during takeoff and landing. A cross wind causes the plane to drift to one side. A headwind will cause reduced ground speed to any given true airspeed. A tail wind will cause an increased ground speed to any given true airspeed.

Momentum from hits – Determines whether or not the force of getting hit by gunfire or flak is exerted against the airframe, which in turn can throw the plane off course.

Gun fire recoil forces – Determines whether or not the recoil effect associated with firing the plane’s guns will reduce airspeed. This is most apparent when climbing at a point just above stall speed. If the guns are fired in this condition, it is possible for the aircraft to lose enough airspeed to cause a stall. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

External load weight dynamics – Determines whether or not the weight of external stores (bombs, rockets, and/or fuel tanks) is included in your aircraft’s total weight.

External load aerodynamic drag – Determines whether or not the drag induced by any external payload (bombs, rockets, torpedoes or drop tanks) is included in the overall drag of the aircraft.

External load aerodynamic momentum – Determines whether or not the weight and drag of asymmetric payloads will have an effect on flight performance.

Engine stall due to prolonged negative G – Determines whether or not prolonged negative G-forces, usually due to flying inverted, will cause an engine stall.

Torque effects and gyroscopic momentum – An engine’s torque can cause an aircraft to roll when throttle is applied too quickly. Planes with excessive torque, such as the Mustang or Corsair, can actually flip over on takeoff if throttle is applied too quickly. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

Compressibility enabled – When an aircraft reaches compressibility, the force of the air stream over the control surfaces is such that the surfaces cannot be moved, thus locking the aircraft in its current attitude. This is most commonly encountered when executing a high-speed dive. The only way to pull out of said dive is to reduce the throttle and wait until the aircraft gets to lower altitudes. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

Stall-spin enabled – Spins are caused when one wing of an aircraft stalls before the other one does. This is most commonly encountered when pulling tight turns at airspeeds just above the stall speed. This option is only available when the Realistic flight model is enabled. If a Realistic flight model is not chosen, it will be unavailable.

Trim tabs – This list box determines the presence and behavior of trim tabs on an aircraft. When set to the Realistic flight model, aircraft are equipped only with their historic trim tabs and trimming must done be manually.

• If set to Manual, 3-axis, all aircraft will be equipped with rudder, elevator, and aileron trim tabs (whether or not historically accurate), and trimming must be done manually.
• If set to Auto rudder, manual 2-axis, all aircraft will be equipped with rudder, elevator, and aileron trim tabs (whether or not historically accurate), and the rudder trim is automatically maintained while the elevator and aileron tabs must be trimmed manually.
• If set to Auto, 3-axis, all aircraft will be equipped with rudder, elevator, and aileron trim tabs (whether or not historically accurate), and all trimming is done automatically.

Realism factors gradually (arcade...realistic):

Induced drag factor – When the angle of attack (AOA) increases, drag increases accordingly. This slider determines what percentage of AOA-induced drag is actually applied to the flight model. Values for this setting range from 10 to 100 percent.

Critical angle of attack – The critical angle of attack (AOA) is the point at which the AOA is so high that air cannot flow smoothly over the wings. This results in the loss of lift causing a condition known as a “high speed stall”. This slider allows you to increase the critical angle, making it easier to play the game when employing the Arcade and Intermediate flight models. Values for this setting range from 100 to 150 percent.

Fuselage lateral stability – When a plane yaws at high speed, the fuselage acts like a giant sail, trying to eliminate the yaw by forcing the plane to fly straight. This slider allows you to reduce that force, thereby making it easier to yaw the plane when employing the Arcade and Intermediate flight models. Values for this setting range from 30 to 100 percent of the full wind force.

Tail lateral stability – When a plane yaws at high speed, the tail section acts like a giant sail, trying to eliminate the yaw by forcing the plane to fly straight. This slider allows you to reduce that force, making it easier to yaw the plane in Arcade and Intermediate flight models. Values for this setting range from 10 to 100 percent of the full wind force.

Rudder efficiency – To make it easier to control the plane when employing the Arcade and Intermediate flight models, the efficiency of the rudder can be increased. Values for this setting range from a 0 to 75 percent increase in rudder efficiency.

The Limits Screen

The final tab available from Options screen will open the Limits screen. Detailed herein are the various limits that can be applied to the aircraft. As with the other screens located within the Options screen, you cannot change the contents of this screen once an arena is up and running, but the information contained herein will act as a summary of the settings that are currently in effect.

The pull-down list box at the top of the screen displays the basic Flight Model that is currently assigned to the game. Possible models are Arcade, Intermediate and Realistic. A Reset Defaults button at the bottom of the page allows you to restore the defaults for each flight model setting.

Other limit settings displayed on this screen are:

Flaps damage due to overspeeding – Determines whether or not flaps can be extended beyond their rated speed, thereby damaging them. If this setting is disabled, the flaps cannot be extended beyond their rated speed.

Gear damage due to overspeeding – Determines whether or not landing gear will be damaged if it is moved beyond its rated speed. Possible settings for this value are: off, medium and full. I

• If the off setting is enabled, gear cannot be damaged, regardless of the speed at which it is moved.
• If the medium setting is enabled, the landing gear will not move if the plane is traveling beyond the rated speed.
• If the full setting is enabled, moving the gear beyond the rated speed will result in subsequent damage.

Damage due to G-forces – This parameter determines whether or not G-forces can rip the wings off an aircraft if it exceeds its rated weight. Each plane is rated for how much weight the wings can hold without ripping off. When G-forces are applied to the aircraft, the effect of the gravity applied increases, which in turn multiplies the weight of the aircraft by the number of G’s. This can cause an increase in weight that is applied to the aircraft to the point at which the wings rip off.

Possible settings for this value are: off, medium and full.

• If the off setting is enabled, the wings will never rip off.
• If the medium setting is enabled, the aircraft’s weight can be reduced to anywhere between 75 and 100% of its actual value, indirectly increasing the number of G’s that can be applied to an aircraft with the same given load.
• If the full setting is enabled, the aircraft will adhere to historical stress limits.

Gradually – When Damage due to G-forces is set to medium, this slider will become available, allowing you to determine the percentage of the aircraft’s true weight that is used to calculate whether the wings are ripped off due to excessive G-forces. Values for this setting range from 75 to 100 percent.

Damage due to overspeeding – Determines whether or not the wings will randomly rip off the aircraft when the plane is flown at excessive speeds. Keep in mind that historically, different aircraft have different stress limits.

Possible settings for this value are: off, medium and full.

• If the off setting is enabled, no damage can occur due to excessive speed.
• If the medium setting is enabled, the aircraft’s maximum safe speed is multiplied by a percentage of the plane’s normal value.
• If the full setting is enabled, the aircraft will adhere to historical stress limits.

Gradually – When Damage due to overspeeding is set to medium, this slider will become available, allowing you to determine the percentage multiplier that will be applied to each aircraft’s speed. Values for this setting range from 67 to 100 percent.

Vertical speed of touch down limit – Determines whether or not a vertical speed limit will be applied when landing. If this setting is enabled, landing gear will collapse if the aircraft drops too quickly.

• Soft landing – This slider allows you to set the vertical speed threshold used to determine whether the aircraft lands safely or crash lands. Below this speed, the aircraft will land normally, assuming the landing gear is down, of course. Above this speed, the aircraft will crash or crash land, which allows for pilot survival, depending on the rate of speed applied. Values for this setting range from 591 fpm to 2953 fpm.

• Crash – This slider allows you to set the vertical speed threshold used to determine whether the aircraft crashes during a landing attempt. If this vertical speed is exceeded and the Vertical speed of touch down limit is enabled, the aircraft will either crash or crash land, which allows for pilot survival, depending on the rate of speed applied. Values for this setting range from 1,377 fpm to 3,934 fpm.

• Note: This setting should always be set to a greater value than the Soft landing setting.

Taxiing speed limit – Determines whether or not speed limits are imposed on the aircraft when taxiing anywhere but on the runway.

• Out of airfield – Determines the taxiing speed limit for areas outside of airfields. Values for this setting range from 4 to 22 mph.

On airfield – Determines the taxiing speed limit on all areas of the airfield except the runway. Values for this setting range from 11 to 45 mph.

Engine overheating – This parameter is used to simulate different modes of aircraft engine temperature maintenance. Possible settings include: None, Auto and Semi-Auto.

• If the None setting is enabled (always optimal), the temperature of engines is always optimal and over-heating cannot occur, even with excessive WEP usage.
• If the Auto setting is enabled (throttle decreases automatically), actual engine heating is simulated and cooling flaps are automatically adjusted in order to maintain optim