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- Achtung Spitfire DEMO
- Copyright ⌐1997 Big Time Software, Inc.
-
- developed by BIG TIME SOFTWARE
- published by THE AVALON HILL GAME COMPANY
-
- Full program version available in software stores by late
- August 1997! It's a "hybrid" CD-ROM that contains
- versions for Macintosh, Windows 95, and Windows 3.1 all
- on one disc.
-
- Please check the Big Time website for more information, software
- updates, and more!
- http://www.bigtimesoftware.com
-
- Please note that we've made every effort to keep the size of this
- demo as small as possible while retaining the quality of the
- program effects and graphics (it normally comes on a CD-ROM
- packed with hundreds of megabytes of code and data and video)! But
- to keep this demo small we had to cut out several of the larger
- features of the full version like historical film clips and some of
- the high-fidelity music. Sorry about that!
-
- * * * *
-
- IMPORTANT! This demo comes as a ZIP archive that must be
- unzipped with the "-D" option to preserve directory
- structure! Achtung Spitfire will not work unless you
- unzip with "-D".
-
- * * * *
-
-
- INTRODUCTION
- Achtung Spitfire is a turn-based strategy game of air combat over
- western Europe during the first half of World War Two, 1939-1943,
- with special emphasis on the classic Battle of Britain in 1940.
- You can fight single air battles, fly historical missions, or serve an
- entire tour of duty (tours of duty are disabled in the demo). Take
- command of one fighter in a dogfight or a whole squadron of front-line
- airplanes through the early years of the war.
- All of the pilots and airplanes under your command have unique skills
- and characteristics that affect how they fly in combat. In the campaign,
- you select the pilots and weapons and make coordinated battle plans. You
- choose the tactical maneuvers in swirling dogfights. This is not a
- flight simulator: you do not need fast reflexes with a joystick. All you
- need is tactical smarts.
- Note: Windows 95 users should turn off their "task bar" because it will
- obscure parts of the game window.
-
- TUTORIAL: SETUP
- This tutorial will get you playing a dogfight as quickly as possible.
- After the opening animations, you will see the Office screen. Follow the
- nine steps listed here to start a scenario.
- 1. Click on Set Skill Level picture.
- 2. Click on Lieutenant (easiest level).
- 3. Click on door for New Game.
- 4. Click on the French air force poster (in the middle).
- 5. Click on Dogfight button. You will fight a single air battle.
- 6. Click on Twin Engine Duel. Use the scroll bar to move through the list
- (note that most choices have been deactivated in the demo). Click Cancel
- to return to the Office screen.
- 7. Click on OK to accept.
- 8. Select opponent of your choice.
- 9. Click on OK to start the dogfight.
-
- TUTORIAL: BATTLEMAP
- Dogfights take place on the Battlemap. In each game turn, both sides'
- forces will move and fire on the map. All aircraft move and fire at the
- same altitude (unless you are playing at the General skill level).
- NOTE: Because of the need to save disk space in the demo, the sky
- background will "tile" on screens larger than 1024x768 pixels.
-
- 3-D Battlemap
- There are three ways to scroll the 3-D isometric Battlemap:
- 1. Move your mouse cursor to the edge of the screen and the map will
- autoscroll in that direction.
- 2. Click on the scroll buttons at the bottom left corner of the screen.
- 3. Click on the 2-D Radar View. The Battlemap will center on the point
- where you click.
-
- 2-D Radar View
- The small, gray rectangle shows the screen border of the Battlemap. The
- dots represent aircraft and targets: Blue dots are friendly aircraft,
- red dots are enemy aircraft, green dots are ground units, and the white
- dot is the selected aircraft.
-
- Description Panel
- Place the mouse cursor over any part of the screen and a description
- will appear in the panel.
-
- Pilot Experience Level
- No Star Recruit (poorly trained)
- 1 Star Green (well-trained but inexperienced)
- 2 Stars Regular
- 3 Stars Veteran
-
- Pilot Characteristics
- Icons will appear under the pilot's experience level indicating his
- special characteristics, if any.
- Keen Eyes: Gives your squadron a better chance of spotting the enemy
- first so you can decide whether to fight or run (only applicable in Tour
- of Duty). Icon does not appear on Battlemap.
- Hero: A morale booster for your men (superman). Only applicable at the
- Colonel and General skill levels.
- Crack Shot: An accurate shooter.
- Ace: Has shot down five or more enemies in his career. Gives various
- combat-related bonuses.
- Gifted Flyer: Able to squeeze extra performance out of his airplane.
-
- Armed Weapon Icons
- Click on the weapon icon you wish to arm: Guns, Rockets or Bombs. The
- icon is brightly lit when armed. Note: In most air-to-air battles, you
- only have guns, so no rocket or bomb icon is displayed.
-
- Game Scales: 100 yards per unit of range on the Battlemap; 4.1 seconds
- per game turn.
-
- Change Zoom
- You can toggle between a zoomed-in and zoomed-out view of the map by
- selecting the "Change Zoom" item from the Battlemap menu at the top of
- the screen.
-
- TUTORIAL: HOW TO MOVE
- When it is your turn to move, the computer prompts you by selecting one
- of your aircraft. The selected aircraft is floating (jiggling) on the
- screen, and a movement path of red arrows extends from it. You can also
- click on another friendly aircraft to move it instead (unless playing at
- the Colonel or General skill levels). Aircraft that have not moved yet
- have blinking white dots on them.
-
- Movement Path
- There are four ways to change an aircraft's movement path:
- 1. Click and drag the Flight Stick right or left (you can climb and dive
- only in the General skill level).
- 2. Click and drag the cursor on the Battlemap in front of the airplane.
- 3. Click on the left or right Fine Motion buttons underneath the Flight
- Stick (or press the "<" or ">" keys respectively).
- 4. Click on an enemy airplane to automatically select a path that offers
- the best chance of attacking it.
- After choosing a path, click the Go button (or press the spacebar), and
- the airplane will move.
-
- Throttle
- Click and drag the throttle up or down (or turn the aircraft) to change
- its speed for the next game turn as shown on the Speedometer. To use
- Emergency Power, push the throttle all the way forward until the red
- lamp is on. To brake, pull the throttle back until the Brake light is
- on.
-
- Click on the Switch to Weapons button (or press the backspace key) if
- you want to view your aircraft's weapons before it moves.
-
- TUTORIAL: HOW TO FIRE
- Sometimes you will see red crosshairs appear over enemy airplanes as you
- adjust your flight path. This means your flight path is taking you to a
- position where you can fire at one of those enemies. The numbers on the
- crosshairs range from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) and indicate how good a
- shot you can get.
- Most of the time you must move before firing. However, there is one case
- when you may fire before moving: if an enemy is in front of you and
- facing you (this allows you to return head-on fire). The target
- crosshairs will be larger than normal to indicate this.
- If there are any crosshairs on the screen (i.e. chances to fire at
- enemies) the game will pause. You may: Click on a crosshair to fire, OR
- click on the Hold Fire button.
-
- Safing Guns
- Before you fire, you may want to click on particular guns in the weapons
- display to "arm" or "safe" them. You may want to "safe" a gun, for
- example, if you are trying to save precious heavy-cannon ammunition
- while still using your regular machine guns. The German Bf 109
- fighters will use this technique often╤it is less important for most
- American fighters which only have one type of gun, the .50 caliber
- machine gun.
-
- END OF TUTORIAL: You are now prepared to dogfight. Check the online
- database for strategy tips for particular aircraft. Good luck!
-
- BOMBING & STRAFING
- Some aircraft may carry bombs in addition to their guns. The number and
- size of bombs carried affects the aircraft's performance and speed. When
- released, bombs take a few game turns to impact. Many will miss the
- target, and some will miss widely. In general, bombs are powerful but inaccurate.
- To drop a bomb, the active aircraft must meet these prerequisites:
- Ñ May not turn greater than 6G, but flying in a straight path greatly
- improves accuracy.
- Ñ Must be banked upright.
- Ñ Target must be within a range of 10 (altitude not included).
- Ñ If playing with altitude (General skill level), must be below 10,000
- feet and in level flight or diving. A vertical dive gives best accuracy.
-
-
- Click on a crosshair to release bomb, OR click on the Hold Fire button.
- Click on a bomb icon to arm or safe it.
- You may only use one weapon type per move. Click on "Bomb" to select
- bombs or "Gun" to select guns (or press the enter/return key).
- To jettison an aircraft's bombs or rockets, select "Jettison External
- Armaments" from the Pilot menu.
-
- Strafing
- You may also fire at ground targets with your guns╤just like firing at
- airplanes. Smaller guns are less effective against tanks (20mm or larger
- cannon are much better).
- When playing at the General skill level, you must be level or diving to
- strafe, and at low altitude (altitude is considered part of the "range
- to target"). Below 1000 feet will achieve reasonable accuracy (300 feet
- is best).
-
- COMBAT MISSION
- A Combat Mission simulates an entire mission from takeoff to landing.
- Your group of aircraft takes off from its home base either on a patrol
- or on a flight toward a main target. The group often encounters enemies
- along the way╤so you have to fight your way in and out in a series of
- battles, but you don't know who you will run into, if anyone.
-
- Air encounters
- Visual contact with the enemy begins at a distance and is reported to
- you by your pilots and shown by historical video footage. Combat may or
- may not ensue depending on your decisions.
- First Spot: One side will spot the other side first, and this gives the
- spotter the ability to decide whether to engage or avoid contact. This
- is a powerful advantage. Pilots with "keen eyes," airplanes with good
- cockpit visibility, and large size of enemy airplanes (i.e., bombers)
- help gain "first spot."
- When you spot enemy airplanes, the number and type of airplanes reported
- to you is not always accurate. For example, your pilots may say they see
- five Me 110s when in fact there are six 110s and two Bf 109s.
- Escape/Pursuit: If your group fails to gain "first spot" and is attacked
- by enemy airplanes, you will be given the choice to escape or fight. If
- you attempt to escape but fail, the enemy will be right on your tail in
- a highly advantageous position, so escape attempts can be risky. Faster
- airplanes obviously have an advantage.
- If you do gain "first spot," you have the choice to attack or avoid
- contact. You will be told the "o'clock" position you occupy relative to
- the enemy. "Twelve o'clock" is in front of the enemy, while "six
- o'clock" is to his rear. If you choose to fight, your airplanes will
- make an attempt to get further to the rear of the enemy before the fight
- begins. The enemy may or may not spot you before combat begins. If he
- does, he will maneuver to face you. Thus the positioning of your
- airplanes when you enter combat may be different from the "o'clock"
- position reported to you when you first spotted the enemy.
- If you enter combat you will play out the combat much like a dogfight
- scenario. Any of your airplanes that survive the combat (including those
- that safely disengage from combat) will return to the mission map to
- continue the mission. Note that reinforcements for either side can often
- arrive during a battle, so keep your eyes open!
- Sometimes the defenders are surprised by the attackers. In this case,
- the defenders are not allowed to maneuver on their first move (the
- computer moves them straight ahead). Surprised airplanes with damaged
- radios may not maneuver for two full moves.
- Because bombers have so many crewmen looking in all directions, it is
- nearly impossible to surprise a group of bombers and their escorts.
- Thus, the escorts are able to (somewhat) restrict the angle of approach
- for the interceptors.
-
- Head Home or Break Off
- If your group gets clobbered early in the mission, you might consider
- clicking on the Head Home button to abort the current mission and redraw
- your mission path as a straight line home. The group may still encounter
- the enemy, but the mission will be shorter.
- Alternatively, you may wish to send home only certain elements of your
- group (such as the heavily damaged aircraft). Click on the Break Off
- button and select the aircraft you wish to return home. These will move
- as a separate group in a straight path home while the remaining aircraft
- will continue on with the mission.
- Both the Break Off and Info screens provide information about your
- group's aircraft, including each aircraft's maximum speed, percent of
- ammunition remaining, percent of damage and whether the pilot is wounded
- or his oxygen system is out.
-
- Mission Altitude
- If playing at the Major skill level or higher, you may select a flying
- altitude for your group. If your group has broken into two or more
- separate groups, you may select a flying altitude for each group (click
- on the aircraft icon of the group you wish to select). Altitude is given
- in increments of 300 feet.
- To change a group's flying altitude, click on the up or down adjustment
- buttons. The group will climb or dive in place until it reaches the
- desired altitude and then continue on its mission path.
- Some airplane types have ceilings that are higher than others. Also,
- keep in mind that some airplanes fight better at either high or low
- altitude (see the online Airplane Database for performance data).
- Airplanes that lose their oxygen systems are forced to fly no higher
- than 13,000 feet.
- When flying "on the deck" (i.e., at 300 feet╤the lowest possible
- altitude), you are less likely to encounter enemy airplanes because you
- are hard to track on radar. This can be useful if you are beat up and
- trying to sneak home.
-
-
- BATTLE OF BRITAIN MISSIONS
- (NOTE: In the demo, the one mission scenario available to the British
- and German is of this type)
- This shows a closeup view of southeast England, roughly covering the
- 11 Group (Keith Park) region. Your airplanes start out grouped at home
- airfields. To take off, click on the TAKE OFF button. A screen will
- appear, asking you which airplanes you wish to launch.
-
- Once the airplanes are in the sky, click on a destination. For the
- British player this will usually be an area to patrol or a spot
- intersecting the path of an attacking German group. If your planes
- get close to a German group, you will (usually) enter combat. The
- German player will usually want to click on a target to bomb. When
- the planes arrive at the target they will attack (and unless you have
- Do17s or He111s, you will get the chance to "dive bomb" which means
- the attack will be handled at the combat scale - and is usually much
- more damaging). Exceptions are Dover and London, whose balloon barrages
- prevent dive bombing.
-
- To switch control to another group of airplanes, just click on it.
- To land, click on an airfield. (NOTE: If another airplane group
- occupies the airfield you want to land at, a click will switch control
- to that group. Since you want to land, not select the other group,
- hold down the SHIFT key when you click on the airfield. This will
- "override" and order a landing).
-
- The game keeps track of fuel in the Battle of Britain missions, for
- both Germans and British. When a British group runs low on fuel, it
- will no longer be allowed to intercept enemy airplanes (so you may as
- well land). German groups that run low on fuel will AUTOMATICALLY
- find themselves in poor initial positioning when encountering enemy
- fighters, as they lack sufficient fuel for full-power maneuvering.
- So it's not a good idea to stick around when you're low on fuel!
- (This affects Bf 109s primarily).
-
- Upon landing, pilots will rearm and refuel. Pilot fatigue and airfield
- damage increase the time required. (Exception: German pilots who are
- not part of a tour of duty squadron will be removed from the game upon
- returning to base. They are allowed only one sortie each).
-
- Operation Sealion (the invasion of England) will be launched in late
- September 1940 if sufficient damage is dealt to the following targets:
- London (most important), British shipping, Thameshaven, Dover. (Not
- available in demo).
-
- In a tour of duty, the screen where you "arm" pilots really just decides
- who is on "active duty" for that day. Pilots removed from active duty
- will get more rest than those who stay active, even those who do not
- actually fly that day.
-
- British Player Notes:
-
- The British player will see radar reports of incoming raids on the
- righthand portion of the screen. WARNING! These reports are not
- always accurate! Damage to radar stations will delay the arrival of
- reports. Generally it's a good idea to intercept the enemy from a higher
- altitude, but if you come in too high (or low) you may fail to gain
- visual contact and will be forced to turn around and land.
-
- Biggin Hill is not part of your sector. You can land there but your
- fighters don't get priority and therefore tend to take longer rearming.
-
- Try to attack Germans "out of the sun". See the display at the bottom
- center of the screen. This gives you automatic surprise over the
- German group.
-
- German Player Notes:
-
- Radar stations are difficult to damage from level bombing, so generally
- can only be knocked out by accurate dive-bombers. They repair quickly
- (often overnight) but can be kept out of action for the day by a hard
- early-morning attack. The German player will notice he suffers fewer
- fighter attacks during the remainder of the day if he damages the radar
- stations first.
-
- Your groups are more likely to be attacked when they have weak fighter
- escort, but less likely if damage has been dealt to British airfields.
- Sending out several (3 or more) German groups can "saturate" the defenses,
- making each group somewhat less likely to be attacked.
-
- You can try to catch the British when refueling. If you've just been
- intercepted by several British groups, or one large one, then for the
- next hour or so you'll find that fewer British fighters are available
- to intercept you (generally speaking). So right after some big combats
- is a good time to launch a new strike (and makes diversionary tactics
- including fighter sweeps worthwhile).
-
- English ships will _briefly_ appear on the map from time to time. Strike
- them fast before they slip away! Level-bombing is useless against ships.
- Only dive-bombing will score hits (so don't send the Do17 or He111). It's
- more accurate to drop bombs from the front or rear of a ship (along its
- length) than from its side.
-
- Level bombing is somewhat more effective from lower altitudes, but bombers
- travel more slowly down low, making the trip longer (and therefore more
- dangerous).
-
-
-
-
- TOUR OF DUTY
- This feature, which links missions together covering 1939 to 1943, is
- disabled in the demo version.
-
-
-
- SKILL LEVELS
- Achtung Spitfire includes five skill levels. The first two, Lieutenant and
- Captain, are considered "training" levels. Major and Colonel skill
- levels are complete games and offer the best compromise between realism
- and gameplay (they are not just "part way to the real thing"). The
- General skill level is for hardcore gamers.
-
- Lieutenant
- This is the easiest skill level. You should start here and work up when
- you are ready. Firing arcs are widened and engine power is boosted for
- easy play. Flight hazards do not take effect, so feel free to "turn and
- burn" with no fear of crashing.
-
- Captain
- The Captain skill level uses realistic firing arcs and engine power (the
- "boosts" of the Lieutenant level are removed) and introduces banking,
- slips and skids.
- Banking: In addition to choosing a movement path for your airplane, you
- now also choose how to bank its wings. The banking display shows how
- your wings will be banked at the end of your move. You now have to think
- ahead to your next move, because it is easier to make a quick turn in
- the direction your wings are already banked. For example, if you think
- you will want to make a left turn on your next move, then leave your
- wings banked left on this move. Turning in a direction opposite to how
- your wings are banked takes longer because your airplane first has to
- bank in the opposite direction.
- To set your bank, click on a banking button. Note the blue and yellow
- "arcs" placed around the small reference airplane display. These
- indicate the bank angles you have to choose from: yellow is the selected
- bank, blue are the alternates. Some airplanes bank more quickly than
- others.
- Your choices of possible bank angles are often limited by the bank speed
- of your airplane (which varies by type) and the movement path you have
- set. For example, often when you make a hard left turn you will not be
- able to end such a move with a bank to the right╤you will have to remain
- in a left bank.
- Slips and Skids: The flight stick now allows moves that have small
- sideways shifts without changing the facing of your airplane, especially
- in the direction in which your wings are banked.
-
- Major
- The Major skill level adds ammunition burst-length control, stalls,
- spins, high-G turns, altitude on the combat mission map and blind spots.
- Burst Length: You can choose three lengths of firing for your guns.
- Click on the bullet icon on the aircraft's weapons panel and notice how
- the numbers on the red crosshairs (on targetable enemies) change.
- (Note: for the purpose of saving disk space, the demo version
- "animates" each type of shot the same way. In the full version of the
- game you will see and hear the varying burst lengths as you use them).
- Snap Shot: A quick 1-second shot. Useful if you are low on ammunition or
- to conserve it when taking a poorly angled shot. Recruit (no star) and
- Green (one star) pilots may not use Snap Shots.
- Burst: A normal 2-second burst. This is the most efficient use of
- ammunition. Recruit pilots may not use Bursts.
- Blaze Away: A full 4-second burst. Generally a waste of ammuntion, it
- also risks your guns jamming.
- Stalls and Spins: If your airspeed drops too low, your airplane will
- "stall" (this will be indicated on the speedometer). You will not be
- allowed to maneuver or fire guns until you have regained enough airspeed
- for controlled flight. Your airplane may go into a spin and change
- direction or even crash, so be careful!
- A warning message will appear if you try to make a move that would cause
- a stall, and you will have the option to try again.
- High-G Turns: Watch your G Meter below the throttle as you adjust the
- flight stick into very tight turns. The G indicator will show red
- instead of green (6G or 8G) whenever there is a risk of damage to the
- airplane or pilot.
- Airframe Stress: 8G turns will risk damaging the wings of your airplane.
- The more stress damage you accumulate, the more vulnerable you become to
- suffering more of it. For example, after the first stress damage from an
- 8G turn, then from that point on any 6G or 8G turn can potentially cause
- more damage. If you suffer enough wing stress damage your airplane will
- break up (but you will be warned before making any moves that risk
- destruction).
- GLOC (G-induced Loss Of Consciousness): 8G turns risk your pilot losing
- consciousness from the magnified force of gravity drawing blood away
- from his head. Recruit (no-star) pilots may not perform 8G turns, but
- risk GLOC from 6G turns.
- No Firing from 8G Turns: An 8G turn is considered an "emergency"
- maneuver and takes all of your pilot's energy and concentration. As
- such, the firing of guns during an 8G turn is not allowed.
- Altitude at Mission Scale: See the Combat Mission section for a
- discussion of mission altitude when flying across the map of northwest
- Europe.
- Blind Spots: Any enemy aircraft that is not visible to a pilot (for
- instance, directly behind him) will not appear on the battlemap or radar
- screen. The online Airplane Database rates aircraft types for Cockpit
- View and Blind Spot.
-
- Colonel
- Airplanes now move in a strict order of sequence, and all airplanes move
- before anyone is allowed to fire. Furthermore, airplanes now fire in
- reverse order of movement, so the airplane that moves last will fire
- first, etc.
-
- General
- The General skill level adds climbs and dives at the battlemap scale.
- The flight stick can now move up and down for dives and climbs. The "O"
- and "L" keys also nudge the stick up and down respectively.
- There are five vertical "facings": level, climb, vertical climb, dive,
- and vertical dive. These are pictured by the small reference airplane in
- the banking display.
- In order to shoot at enemies you must be pointing at them vertically as
- well as horizontally. For example, if you are in a vertical climb, the
- enemy must be above you (and almost directly so). Keep this in mind as
- you maneuver.
- You are limited in how many "vertical facings" you can change per move.
- For example, to get to a vertical climb from level you must first climb.
- Then on the next move you will be able to pull further up into a
- vertical climb.
- Loops and Vertical Rolls: An airplane can change facing (flip over) by
- pulling into a vertical climb or dive and rolling on its axis. To do
- this in the game, dive (or climb) until you are vertical (it may take
- two moves or more to get to that position). Then, while you have got the
- stick pushed all the way up (if diving) or down (if climbing) move the
- stick left and right and you will see the red movement arrow on the map
- changing facing as though your airplane is turning in place.
- Note: we recommend you use the Computer Suggests Moves feature from the
- Options menu when playing at the General skill level.
-
- INTERNET PLAY
- Achtung Spitfire may be played over the internet, too. One player will
- host the game and the other player(s) will join it. The host must first
- connect to his Internet Service Provider using his own software (usually
- SLIP/PPP, or click the "internet" icon on Windows 95). Users of Windows
- 3.1 need their own Winsock loaded (check with your Internet Service
- Provider if you have questions).
- Once the host is connected, he then starts the game program and chooses
- a Dogfight scenario. You may play any Dogfight scenario over the
- internet, including Design Your Own, but not Combat Missions or Tours of
- Duty. The host will see the following window:
- After choosing the port number and clicking OK, the host will see a
- Waiting window. He then needs to provide the other player(s) with the IP
- address and Port Number shown in his window.
- To join an internet game, you must connect to your Internet Service
- Provider before starting the game. Then click on the Join Internet Game
- telephone in the Office screen. You will be prompted to enter the host's
- IP address, host's port number, your nickname and a note to the host.
- After all the players have connected, the host clicks the Play Game
- button. The players will then choose sides. At the beginning of a
- multiplayer game over the internet, one player per side controls all the
- airplanes. He uses the "Transfer Airplane to Internet Wingman" item from
- the Pilot menu at the top of the screen to give control of the selected
- airplane to one of his teammates.
- While the dogfight is raging, players may use the Network Radio Window
- from the Special menu at the top of the screen to send messages.
-
- GAME MENUS
-
- File
- Save Game Alt+S
- Stop Game returns you to the Office screen.
- Quit Alt+Q
-
- Pilot
- Suggest a Move Alt+M
- Adjusts the flight path to what the computer thinks is the selected
- aircraft's best move.
- Disengage Alt+D
- If the battle is going badly for you, you might decide discretion is the
- better part of valor and wish to disengage from combat. Move your
- airplane so it is at high speed and pointing away from all enemies (this
- may require a few moves). Then choose "Disengage" from the Pilot menu.
- If you are far enough away from the enemy, your airplane will be removed
- safely from the battle.
- Full Squadron Disengage
- As "Disengage" but applies to all of your aircraft.
- Jettison External Armaments
- i.e. bombs.
- Bail Out
- Use in moments of extreme stress.
- Quickly Finish Combat Alt+W
- The computer will take over all moving and firing and quickly finish the
- combat. You may regain control at any time by clicking the mouse.
- Transfer Airplane to Internet Wingman╔
-
- Battlemap
- Change Zoom Alt+Z
- Sky Background Alt+K
- Faster Movement Alt+F
- Show Altitude Color Code Circles Alt+C
- Draws a circle beneath each airplane. The border of each circle is
- colored according to its altitude relative to the selected airplane: red
- means above, white means co-altitude, blue means below. The inner part
- of the circle is colored according to nationality.
- Show Altitude Values Alt+A
- Show Relative Altitudes
- When checked, shows relative difference in levels to the active airplane
- (+/-). Otherwise, the "Show Altitude Values" feature shows actual
- altitude levels.
- Autoscroll
- turns battlemap autoscroll on/off.
-
- Options
- Computer Suggests Moves
- The flight stick is automatically positioned in what the computer thinks
- is your best move.
- Cursor Help-turns description feature on/off.
- Indicate Phases With Message╤only applicable at Colonel and General
- skill levels.
- Control Stick Locks-Only applicable at General skill level. When
- selected, the control stick only moves in one dimension (either
- horizontal or vertical) at a time. This is helpful if you like to set
- your altitude first, and then swing the stick left and right while
- keeping the altitude constant. If this option is off, the stick moves
- freely.
- Sound On
- Background Battle Music-Macintosh and Windows 95 only.
-
- Special
- Show Airplane Database Alt+B
- You can also Control-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) on any
- airplane on the battlemap to bring up its database.
- Show Network Radio Window Alt+R
-
- AIRPLANE DATABASE
- Most of the Airplane Database items are self-explanatory but here are
- some that are not:
- Rate of Roll: How quickly the airplane can change bank.
- Sustained Turn Drag: A measure of how much the airplane decelerates when
- turning. This can be offset by a powerful engine (see the acceleration
- rating). Lower numbers are good for dogfighting.
- Hit Points: How much damage the airplane can take before going down.
- Snap Turn: A measure of how quickly the airplane can change heading in a
- turn. Higher numbers indicate quicker turns.
-
- Click on Done button to return to main program.
-