Combat Flight Simulator 3 - Patch v3.1 *eng*
Update Installation Notes
NOTE: Currently, only the English version of the update is available.
This English update only works with English versions of the game. If you have a
Nordic, Traditional Chinese or Korean version of the game, you have English
code and can use this English update. If you have a German, French, Italian,
Spanish or Japanese version of the game, this English update will not work. We
will be posting localized updates for those five languages near the end of
February.
We strongly recommend that you use Microsoft DirectX 9.0, released in December,
in conjunction with Combat Flight Simulator 3. This version of DirectX fixes
cross-compatibility problems that surface in the version of DirectPlay
originally shipped with Combat Flight Simulator 3.0. DirectX 9 also contains
some fixes that improve multiplayer performance. To get the latest version of
Microsoft DirectX, please go to http://www.microsoft.com/directx.
Before downloading and installing the update, please read these release notes.
Update Installation: Installing the update requires 30 megabytes of space on
your PCs hard drive. Backups of files that have changed are stored in a folder
called "Backup" in your Combat Flight Simulator 3 directory. If the CFS3 Update
has been successfully installed on your machine, you can remove this backup
directory to reclaim the space occupied by the Backup folder.
Note: Installation of the Combat Flight Simulator 3 update installs a new
configuration profile, which enables CFS3 on more machines. This configuration
profile is stored on a per-user basis. If you have more than one user account
on the PC where you run CFS3, you will need to install the CFS3 update under
each account for the appropriate configuration changes to take effect.
Cancel Button: During the update process, a Cancel button is available that
allows you to stop the installation process. Clicking Cancel will stop the
installation of the update, but may leave Combat Flight Simulator 3 in an
incomplete state. You will need to either restart and complete the installation
of the update, or reinstall Combat Flight Simulator 3 to ensure that the
simulation functions properly.
Custom Aircraft: If you have installed any add-ons which have changed the list
of aircraft that came with Combat Flight Simulator 3, you may be unable to
install the update. If this is the case, you will see an error message during
update installation stating that certain original files could not be found. To
work around this error, please restore the original Combat Flight Simulator 3
aircraft files; you may need to uninstall and reinstall Combat Flight Simulator
3 to do this.
Uninstalling the CFS3 Update: There are two methods to uninstall the CFS3
update. The recommended method is to simply uninstall and reinstall Combat
Flight Simulator 3. This will ensure that Combat Flight Simulator 3 is restored
to its original state.
Another method of uninstalling the CFS3 update is to use the
automatically-created backups of files that are modified during the update
process.
To use the backup files:
1. Locate the Backup folder within your Combat Flight Simulator 3 folder. On
most machines, this is located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat
Flight Simulator 3\Backup.
2. Find the unpatch.bak file located in this folder and rename it as
"unpatch.bat."
a. Right-click the unpatch.bak file and select Properties from the menu.
b. Type unpatch.bat where the filename unpatch.bak is displayed.
c. Click OK to close the Properties window
3. Double-click the renamed unpatch.bat file.
4. Locate your Combat Flight Simulator 3 folder.
5. Rename "cfs3configdatabase.txt.bak" to "cfs3configdatabase.txt".
Fixes and Improvements in Combat Flight Simulator 3.1
Below is a list of improvements and fixes that have been made in the CFS 3.1
update.
Artificial Intelligence
- Artificial intelligence (AI) pilots now perform level-bombing. If you are
leading a flight of level bombers, the AI bombers in your flight mimic your
commands. They open their bomb bay doors when you do, and release their bombs
when you do. All-AI flights also do level-bombing flights on their own.
- There is now a wing-level autopilot. Press Ctrl Shift A to set the autopilot
to fly on the same heading, with the wings level. You can use this to supercede
the fly-towards-waypoint artificial pilot that is invoked when you switch to a
gun station.
- In version 3.0, gun pods and bomber gun turrets would occasionally fire by
themselves if an enemy aircraft was nearby. This has been fixed.
- AI pilots now jettison their drop-tanks in combat situations.
Aircraft
- More than eight virtual cockpits are now supported. (Note that this fix
requires that modelers export aircraft using a new version of the Gmax plugin.)
- P-51B and P-51D virtual cockpits have been improved.
- Gun limits for the Ju-88 have been widened.
- The B-26 aircraft has been re-designated as a level bomber, and uses level
bombing tactics.
Damage and Guns
- You can now hit other aircraft with your guns if you are within 50 yards.
- Trim response is now gradually decreased in response to elevator damage (as
opposed to being completely disabled if there is any elevator damage.)
- B-26 elevator and Me-262 damage capacity have been increased. Muzzle
velocity for guns is now taken into account.
Gameplay/General
- A very rudimentary in-flight map has been implemented. Press M (the in-game
briefing key) to display it.
Note: this map only shows the location of your aircraft. It does not show
where other AI or human flights are.
In-flight map keys are as follows:
] or Zoom in
[ or - Zoom out
C Center on player
, Zoom to fit mission items
Arrow keys Pan map
- Padlock no longer switches to the next target when the aircraft you are
targeting has been destroyed. Instead, you return to the forward-looking view.
- The CFS3 movie now plays when you start the game.On a limited set of
configurations, the movie may not play appropriately because applications
assume control of the playing of movies. These configurations display a black
screen. Press any key to skip the movie.
- Bomber gun-turret reticules are now better aligned with bullets fired from
turrets.
- In version 3.0, the game would crash if the currently-selected aircraft was
removed from the game. This has been fixed.
Multiplayer
- Several security (anti-cheat) fixes have been made.
- There are now hit sounds when you are hit by other players.
- A "Lock" icon is displayed on password-protected games in the game list.
- In version 3.0, when you respawned in a mission you would sometimes not have
control of the aircraft. This has been fixed.
Performance
- Some algorithms for managing memory have been changed to reduce stutter.
Controls
- Force Feedback responses have been improved.
Configuration
- The Intel 845 and Intel 830 chipsets are now supported.
- The ATI Radeon 9700 is now properly identified on Windows ME machines.
- Improved configuration support pages are available. See [CFS3
directory]\help\config\configsupport.htm for an up-to-date list of recommended
drivers and manufacturer links.
cfs3updateeng.exe
