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Pacific Fighters

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Simulation
Publisher: Ubisoft

About Judy

As WP's managing editor, I edit review and preview articles, attempt to keep up with the frantic pace of Rainier's news posts, and keep our reviewers on deadline, which is akin to herding cats. When I have a moment to myself and don't have my nose in a book, I like to play action/RPG, adventure and platforming games.

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'Pacific Fighters' - v3.02 Update Patch Available NOW

by Judy on Dec. 7, 2004 @ 10:14 a.m. PST

Get Pacific Fighters v3.02bm update patch off WP (20mb)

Get Pacific Fighters v3.02b update patch off WP (20mb)

Get Pacific Fighters v3.02b common update patch off WP (18mb)

README
Pacific Fighters v.3.02b (3.02bm)

Warning

The current version 3.02b (3.02bm) is not compatible with the previous versions of the game when playing via network. Both the server and client must have appropriate versions of the game in order to connect.

For your convenience we've introduced different version numbers for the stand-alone installation and the joint FB+AEP+PF install.
3.01b - for stand alone PF
3.01bm - for FB+AEP+PF
And of course, the versions 3.01b and 3.01bm are not compatible with each other playing via network.

Notes on the Patch Installation

This 3.02b patch may be installed over the previous 3.01 version. The 3.02bm version can only be installed over the merged PF 3.01m install.

To install the patch, run
1) PF_patch302b_common.exe . Please pay great attention to the installation path name of the folder. This file is common for the both stand alone and merged versions. So you need to type manually the name of the folder where it will be installed.

2) PF_patch302m.exe (PF_patch301bm.exe) and follow the on-screen instructions.

In this version we ask the experienced players to test a new method of running the game again for final results. Both the old and the new methods are available at any time, and are fully compatible online.

If you want to test this new method, after install, run the pf_new.exe (il2fb_new.exe) executable in your PF game folder.

You can always run the game using the tried-and-true old method using the old shortcuts or pf.exe in the game folder. These remain unchanged. The new executable is not added to the start or the autorun menus in this version, but will be added there in the next patch/add-on if enough positive feedback is gathered.

Notice:

Main modifications and fixes

Damage model

Corrected P-40 engine damage model

3D models

More inaccuracies in cockpit gauges are corrected (however several cockpit changes with some levers will be available only in the next add-on due to big size).

FM and aircraft performance

1. Additional individual tuning of flight models and aircraft performance were made for the P-39s, P400, F4U, F6F and some other planes.

Other improvements:

1. Multiplay: Corrected on client side the ships damaged (will be other with add-on).
2. Parafrag bombs explosion changed to an instantaneous fuze.
3. Improved visibility of many ships.
4. Made new optimization for the speech loading.
5. Changed visibility of the planes and objects on the ground.

Notice about item 2: Unfortunately we did it wrong due to wrong initial info. It's why we changed it now when we got the right info. Due to this change the tracks which display these bombs my playback incorrect.

Suggestions and Bug Repots

Please send all suggestions and bug reports regarding Pacific Fighters to PF@1c.ru

Please send all bug reports relating Dynamic campaign (DGen and NGen) separately to dgen@rogers.com

========================================================

Pacific Fighters Dedicated server for 32-128 players.
Version 3.02b

Notes on dedicated server performance.
Please follow the following simple guildelines in order to maximize the number of players on your dedicated server:

- The PC used for the server should be powerful as possible. We do not recommend using machines with dual AMD processors. Note: running the server on some dual Intel CPU machines may affect the server's internal clock due to external bugs outside of our control.
- Server's RAM should be at least 512 Mb.
- We also do not recommend to run multiple instances of the server on one machine. We strongly recommend one server per machine.
- The internet connection available to the server should be as fast as possible and available exclusively to the server machine.
- We recommend to switch off the skin download function if necessary for better and smoother gameplay.

Default player settings for the dedicated server is 128 players. If you wish to change the player limit you can modify it manually by updating the following line in the [NET] section of the confs.ini file:
serverChannels=128
Just change 128 to any number between 1 and 128.

Decreasing amount of players will increase the overall speed and make the gameplay smoother on the dedicated server and all connected clients.

Warning

The current version 3.01 (3.01m) is not compatible with the previous versions of the game when playing via network. Both the server and client must have appropriate versions of the game in order to connect.

For your convenience we've introduced different version numbers for the stand-alone installation and the joint FB+AEP+PF install.
3.01 - for stand alone PF
3.01m - for FB+AEP+PF
And of course, the versions 3.01 and 3.01m are not compatible with each other playing via network.

Notes on the Patch Installation

This 3.01 patch may be installed over the previous 3.0 version. The 3.01m version can only be installed over the merged PF 3.0 install. To install the patch, download and run PF_patch301.exe (PF_patch301m.exe) and follow the on-screen instructions.

In this version we are also offering the players to test a new method of running the game. This new method should increase the game's performance. Both the old and the new methods are available at any time, and are fully compatible online.

If you want to test this new method, install PF_patch301.exe (PF_patch301m.exe) first. After the installation, run PF_patch301_new.exe (PF_patch301m_new.exe). After that, run the pf_new.exe (il2fb_new.exe) executable in your PF game folder.

You can always run the game using the tried-and-true old method using the old shortcuts or pf.exe in the game folder. These remain unchanged. The new executable is not added to the start or the autorun menus in this version, but will be added there in the next patch/add-on if enough positive feedback is gathered.

Main modifications and fixes

Damage model

1. Ships have improved damage model for small unprotected gun mounts. Now when they receive enough damage they can be "shot off". NOTE: this will not affect the ships that were built for the original IL-2 which are still available in the merged install. Only the later ships (cruisers and battleships) that shipped with FB, AEP and of course all PF ships will be affected.
2. B-17E and B-17F damage textures are fine-tuned.
3. The left wing damage model are corrected on the P-63C.
4. Visuals for wing and engine damage model are corrected on the A-20G.
5. Additional thorough testing was performed on damage model physics for most planes. In some cases additional changes were made to the damage modeling.

3D models

1. All currently reported inaccuracies in cockpit gauges are corrected (however several cockpit changes with some levers will be available only in the next add-on due to big size).
2. Pressure gauges are added to the F6F.
3. Graphical inaccuracies in arrestor hooks are corrected on some planes.
4. Additional aesthetical changes which don't affect gameplay are made to some cockpits.

FM and aircraft performance

1. Additional individual tuning of flight models and aircraft performance were made for the F4F, F4U, F6F, Ki-43, Ki-61, A6M, Spitfire, Seafire, SBD and other planes.
Note: Spitfire and Seafire engine overheat model was finetuned as much as possible within the constraints of the current global engine model.

2. Engine cylinder compression and prop pitch modeling was extensively redone, which now results in the planes losing airspeed faster as engine RPM decreases.

AI

1. Many users requested additional control over the ship flak guns. We've added a new ROF(rate of fire) function to the FMB. This function controls the time it takes the ship to reload the weapons. Acceptable values range between 0.5 and 100, where
0.5 - half the historical time (i.e. ships fire twice as fast)
1 - historical reload time
5 - recommended value for lower-end machines.
100 - the absolute slowest reload value possible. You will see virtually no flak with this setting.
Note: this function is a compromise between historical accuracy and the requests of many users who have lower end machines but want to participate in large-scale battles with many well armed ships. Increasing the pauses between salvos will lower the ship flak's calculations during the game and thus introduce increased frame rates.
2. Japanese planes now use also the V formation
3. When the AI plane's aircraft carrier is sunk, it will look for a nearby friendly carrier. In case none are found, the aircraft will attempt to locate a nearby friendly airfield; barring that they will ditch in the water or a nearby island.

Other improvements:

1. Improved water explosion effects.
2. B-25J bomb sight units are changed from metric to imperial.
3. Added fire extinguishers to A-20G and B-25J.
4. Fixed co-op track playback bug.
5. Fixed 3D A6M2 folding wing bug.
6. Fixed rare cases of aircraft raising gear while parked on carriers.
7. Added several stationary planes.
8. Several void.bmps added to several planes.
9. Corrected names and ammo loads for Ki-61s.
10. Removed fire extinguishers from P-38.
11. Corrected take-offs from damaged aircraft carriers.
12. Extensively reworked sinking behavior of ditched planes.
13. Added the ability to use time-delayed bombs against ships.
14. Corrected service dates and designations for some planes
15. Corrected the bug that occasionally appeared in co-op games when using
the No User Loadout option of FMB.
16. Added new skins for B-24, B5N, F4F-4, FM2 and J2M (Thanks Dani Santos)

Dynamic Campaign fixes and improvements

1. Wrong objects in final missions in case of autonomous install
2. Wrong airfield in New Guinea
3. Crashes in mountains in New Guinea.
4. Crash in second Midway mission when using Hard campaign difficulty
5. Collisions of Rufe at Iwo when using High Air Intensity
6. Wrong objects on some maps.
7. Guadalcanal NGen campaign did not work when selecting Hellcats as bombers.
8. Occasional start on water when moving to Iwo map
9. Text corrections
10. All ships now fire in DGen and NGen, but their rate of fire is lower. By default in these campaigns it is 5 times lower, but it can be modified.

To change ship rate of fire in DGen campaigns, add a line to conf.ini

SlowFire=n.n, where n.n = 0.5 to 100.0

To change ship rate of fire in NGen campaigns, add a line to corresponding camapign file, look as an example at /NGen/CampaignCoralSea.dat

It starts with lines:

[$select]
SlowFire:5.1

All ships in this online campaign will have their fire rate 5.1 times slower than original.

10. Iwo, Chichi, Okinawa, Wake operations added to USMC career
11. New Guinea aded to USAAF career.
12. Midway removed as USAAF operation.
13. Some plane choices are changed.
14. P-38 can be used in Japan 1945 operation
15. Marianas operation added to USN and IJN
16. CampaignLength parameter does not affect Pacific maps anymore (otherwise it could lead to very short campaigns)
17. British markings on B-29 in USAAF Japan campaign - fixed.
18. Kates dropping torpedoes to ground in Pearl Harbor - fixed
19. In order to allow planes with arrestor hook to fly from ground bases, it is possible now to use classes file associated with your career. For instance, this is a file from IJN fighter career classesIN1.dat

A6M5A Palau BASE
A6M5B Palau BASE
A6M5C Palau BASE
A6M5A Iwo BASE
A6M5B Iwo BASE
A6M5C Iwo BASE
A6M5A Okinawa BASE
A6M5B Okinawa BASE
A6M5C Okinawa BASE

Syntax:

Plane_code Operation_code BASE (or CARRIER)
This file allows A6M5A and A6M5B which are carrier based planes by default to fly from airfields at Palau, Iwo and Okinawa.

Graphic engine changes

1. Improved icon visibility for ground objects and planes.
2. Improved water effects such as explosions and wakes.
3. Improved water rendering:
a. Decreased tiling with Water = 0
b. Removed noise dots and squares in sun glint for all modes
c. Improved waves and whitecaps with Water=3.
4. Improved multiple visual effects.
5. Removed black dots that sometimes appeared around clouds
6. Improved caching for faster rendering in the Perfect mode

Recommended drivers
As of this moment, the latest recommended WHQL drivers are
ATI cards:
Catalyst 4.11 http://www.ati.com/home/online/CatalystCCCdriver.html
NVidia cards:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_66.93

Additional Notes

1. Missions, tracks and other file names do not allow period, commas and special symbols such as umlauts.
2. When creating squad files for network play, please use these standard country codes to assign your squad to a specific army:

de - Germany
fi - Finland
fr - France
gb - RAF
hu - Hungary
it - Italy
ja - IJA
in - IJN
nn - None
pl - Poland
ro - Romania
sk - Slovakia
ru - USSR
us - USAAF
un - USN
um - USMC
ra - RAAF
rz - RNZAF
rn - RN
du - NL

Creating FMB missions with ships.

If you wish to create missions with ships performing evasive maneuvers simulated with waypoints, please use the following guidelines:

1. Do not make sharp turns in the waypoints, especially for the carriers with the
planes on the deck. This is especially important if these planes must land or take-off during these waypoints.
2. If you wish to make turning waypoints for other ships, then see the item above and please make as many waypoints as necessary to create smooth enough turns.
3. You can currently use this unsupported feature, which may be removed in the future.
- set the group of planes on the carrier by the rules described in readme v.3.0.
- set for this group of planes with only one (take off only!) waipoint, fuel=0, No weapon, Radio Silence.
This way you will have static aircraft permanently sitting on the aircraft deck.

Suggestions and Bug Repots

Please send all suggestions and bug reports regarding Pacific Fighters to PF@1c.ru

Please send all bug reports relating Dynamic campaign (DGen and NGen) separately to dgen@rogers.com

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