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Falcon BMS 4.33.1 has now released - with New Requirements


=VG= SemlerPDX

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UPDATE:
[ Edited Tue Apr 05 2016, 08:03PM ]

 

SemlerPDX =VG= LAN_WROTE ...

The Tommo Falcon 4.0 total conversion modification - Benchmark Sims 4.33 U1 - is now available!
http://www.bmsforum.org/forum/showthread.php?26567-Falcon-BMS-4-33-U1-Full-Installer

(actually released last night, not sure how I missed it - been checking the site nearly 3 times a day for weeks! lol !lazy )

BMS 4.33.1 System Requirements Note:
From the BMS website: "The original Microprose Falcon 4.0 software (not Lead Pursuit Falcon 4.0 Allied Force) is required to install Falcon BMS. During installation, the user can provide the original Falcon 4 CD, a clean F4 installation (or 1.08us) or the CD's contents in a folder on the user's hard drive. It does not have to be an English language version, however, BMS is in English only. NOTE: BMS does NOT install over-top a clean F4 installation, it is completely separate in its own folder (or folder of the user's choosing)"

http://www.bmsforum.org/forum/...(system requirements)
 

 

 


VG FALCON BMS SERVER IS NOW RUNNING THE LATEST VERSION OF BMS 4.33


The wait is almost over for those who had not downloaded Falcon BMS 4.33 before the link was removed for the licensing discussions - in short, an agreement has been reached between the BMS devs and Tommo Inc., the new owners of the original Falcon Series. Soon, the new BMS download will be available - all the details and information can be found on the BMS website here:

"BMS 4.33.1 will release shortly - What you need to know and how to be prepared"
http://www.bmsforum.org/forum/showthread.php?26408-4-33-1-will-release-shortly-what-you-need-to-know-and-how-to-be-prepared


TLDNR - What it all means:
Falcon BMS 4.33.1 will require us all to have fully installed the original Falcon 4.0 - there will be checks during installation and each time you launch BMS. It will again be a standalone version with no connection to BMS 4.33 or 4.32. It will include the first patch to BMS as well promising a few minor improvements. Logfiles and keyfiles will work from 4.33 to 4.33.1 and can be copied/pasted to move your current setup and settings into this new standalone version.

The VG BMS Server will be running BMS 4.33.1 when it finally releases, which should be soon.

Right now, GOG has the original Falcon Series on sale 75% off - that's only $2.49 (US)!! Normally, it's $10 on GOG or Steam, either copy will work (on Steam, it's called Falcon GOLD)
Best to get it now on GOG while the deal is hot - I just bought 3 copies myself, 2 as gifts for later - amazing deal, no idea how long it will last!
https://www.gog.com/game/falcon_collection

 

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That's some of the greatest news in a while when it comes to sims. Quiet some publishers wouldn't have cared and shut down the BMS project.
In my eyes Tommo deserves a little gratitude for making a decision pretty much in our favor. My physical copy is pretty much done for anyways so I didn't hesitate.
Just like Doom, Duke 3D and other classic titles, BMS refuses to die and will be played years from now. These $2.50 (?2.30) are your best investment ever.

Thx Tommo :)
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I see little to ZERO benefit in Tommo causing problems for bms. They have a lot to gain by giving some reason to purchase such old software that sells to a minute market of retro gamers. They are in the business of selling published titles for whatever they can get not developing new product.
I will only thank them if it ever turns out they give legal permission to modify the exe
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I always wondered why BMS team didn't acquire the license from the very beginning, it was their idea and project what is Falcon today, now we have this Company making $$$, instead of BMS. They seen how big it gotten over the years, but it was a smart and fast move!! I'm happy what I have, no need for updates!!!

Cheers!!
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Just for fun, here's the system requirements for the original Falcon 4.0 (gee, I hope I can afford a whole 64MB of RAM so I can play it on "recommended" settings):


Minimum Requirements:
Intel Pentium 166MHz
32MB RAM
175MB HDD space
Windows 95 or 98 with DirectX 5
Monitor 800x600 16-bit color
4x CD-ROM
joystick
DirectX compatible 16-bit sound card.

Recommended Requirements:
Intel Pentium 2 266MHz
64MB RAM
400MB HD space
Windows 95 or 98 with DirectX 5
3D graphics accelerator (D3D or 3Dfx Voodoo)
8x CD-ROM
joystick with throttle
DirectX compatible 16-bit sound card

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The Tommo Falcon 4.0 total conversion modification - Benchmark Sims 4.33 U1 - is now available!
http://www.bmsforum.org/forum/showthread.php?26567-Falcon-BMS-4-33-U1-Full-Installer

(actually released last night, not sure how I missed it - been checking the site nearly 3 times a day for weeks! lol !lazy )
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During installation, the user can provide the original Falcon 4 CD, a clean F4 installation (or 1.08us) or the CD's contents in a folder on the user's hard drive.


Had to install Falcon 4.0 in order to install 4.33.1. Might work with minimal install but went for the full 600mb to be sure.

Don't install U1 over your existing 4.33 as this is a standalone!

Your old USER/CONFIG folder can be copied over, EXCEPT "falcon BMS.cfg"!
This means you'll have to use the launcher to adjust your settings and reapply any tweaks (MFD resolution, FOV, server settings...) manually again. Experienced users can go in with notepad++ and do it all manually which takes about 5 - 10 minutes.

... aaaaand rotate
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SemlerPDX =VG= LAN_WROTE ...

Minrah LAN_WROTE ...

when does the server update to 4.33.1?


A couple hours after they release 4.33.1 !sarc (depending on download speeds of course)



Well, as it turns out, maybe not so fast. My own PC is down, and I'm on my laptop. The VG Falcon BMS Server will updated Friday, or at the latest, it will be running 4.33.1 by Saturday morning (Pacific US Time). This will allow for me to install my replacement CPU cooler today when it arrives, as I need to have access to all my files and I need my client version running to best setup and test the server when I change it over. I will announce it when the server is going down for the procedure.


VG BMS Server will continue running 4.33 through Friday
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*Server is now running BMS 4.33.1 (BMS 4.33 U1) and you can all try to join and fly. The save may need some tweaking, and we'll know as time goes on - difficulty, HQ fragging at certain airbases. For example, I have no HQ fragging at Seosan, Kunsan, and Osan has 1 squadron of F-16 Block 40's not fragged by HQ.

We'll see how it goes, and feel free to post up input here.
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Well, that is the first bug - actually, a big one. Dang it!! It's supposed to be 32-bit, had that selected, launching from the 32-bit launcher, too. Ugh. I'll change it over this evening - just popping in now, don't have the time to restart it just yet - but when i do, it will restart to the last auto-save, so no progress you make right now will be lost.
!dash
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Went flying about an hour after the server came up. AI taxing is still a sight to behold. MiG 23s were behaving normal in a merge and SA-2s launch like hell. Had 1 crash but that problem was on my end.
Just now had a nice flight, with a nice guy and an exotic callsign. OCA Strike, some BVR with scramblers, no visible issues and the kills even showed up in the debrief ;)

Also feels like I got a huge FPS boost, formation flying was never that fun. Don't know if it's the update or the 64bit version.
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TGP, MAV, FLIR... have less of a performance impact after the update. Reverted back to double-res-MFDs (default) and still got more FPS than before, even with MAV/TGP/FLIR open at once. Your mileage may vary but it seems worth spending 30mins re-tweaking some settings. Running on an HD5770, Catalyst 15.7.1 which is like reeeally low-tech these days.

AI is still having its issues. Taxi with AI is impossible, in cruise flight they will randomly change speed, random warps .. you know the deal. Air refueling is perfectly fine. Still think it's better after a restart but as we established months ago, everything in BMS can be just imagination ... lol.
If anybody could capture that warping on tape and post it on YT (or w/e) that would be wonderful. Could aid in finding an answer.

Campaign so far looked pretty good. DPRK didn't loose all air defenses on Day 1 and are putting up a good fight. Osan and Seosan did get hit, but that's why we've got to do some OCA Strikes ourselves.
It may seem like DPRK is gaining the upper hand but I expect some more flights to happen on the weekend to balance things out and not everyone might have had time to update BMS yet.

One annoyance is the change for the radar range buttons. They used to work with both the FCR and the TGP zoom. The manual states the corresponding axis in the real Viper do exactly that, so hopefully this is just a temporary thing.
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