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CONTENTS

INTRO
About The Two Official Patches | German or Japanese EAW CD's

v1.20 PATCH
Installing | Compatibility | Flight / Damage Model | Loadout | Particle | Graphics | Views | Difficulty / Settings
Sound | A.I. | Ground | Controls | Missions | Multiplayer | INI Entries | Modders Information
v1.2 Updater File List

 v1.10 PATCH
Installing | Compatibility | Flight / Damage Model | Loadout | Particle | Graphics | Views | Difficulty / Settings
Sound | A.I. | Ground | Controls | Missions | Multiplayer | INI Entries | Modders Information
v1.1 Updater File List

v1.00 CD

HISTORY OF RELEASES

-+-

1.1 VS 1.2
Pro's | Testimonials List | Bullet Drop | Damage Models | Flight Model | Bomber Gunners | A.I. Aggressiveness
Fighters Shooting and Aiming | About v1.0 | EAW Versions and FM/DM Add-Ons | Dual Installs

1.1 EXE OVER 1.2
About Naming Your Game EXE

About The Two Official Patches:
The official 1.2 patch includes everything from the official 1.1 patch (everything that the programmers wanted to keep. Some things introduced in 1.1 were apparently changed or removed in 1.2.) Presumably, 1.2 keeps the more desirable things, gets rid of the undesirable, and introduces a number of further improvements.

The EAW 1.2 patch supersedes 1.1. The bottom line is that it is NOT necessary to install the 1.1 patch first. If you want to run EAW 1.2, all you have to do is run the single 1.2 patch.

German or Japanese EAW CD's:
You can apply the English v1.2 patch over installs of these EAW CD language types. The CD will become English and have all the proper Art.

v1.2 EAW Team - Official MPS Patch Release (August 12, 1999)

- Special Thanks to Chris, Brandon, Martin, QA and the Beta Testers for making 1.2 happen…
We did go through one-by-one the hundreds and hundreds of emails, suggestions and petitions to our customer support, the newsgroups and message boards, so I hope we covered what most people wanted. Coming
soon! (6/25/1999 -Chris Coon).

eaw v1-2.exe (released Aug 12 1999) 5.73MB
eaw v1-2f.exe (released Aug 12 1999) 5.73MB
eaw v1-2g.exe (released Aug 12 1999) 5.73MB
eaw v1-2i.exe (released Aug 13 1999) 738kb
eaw v1-2s.exe (released Aug 12 1999) 5.73MB
 

INSTALLING

-Have a clean install of v1.0 or v1.1.
-Place the patch program in your EAW folder and run it. (You may have to run it as an administrator)

Compatibility:

• This revision primarily improves some multiplayer lag and warping problems, but there are also some new features and functionality.

FEATURES/Fixes/Enhancement/Improvements/Changes

Flight/Damage Model:

• Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: No tweaks to flight models in aircraft performance, just some armor values and revisions to bullet characteristics.
• Bullet and Armor Values Rebalanced: Bullet modeling has been adjusted, so in general bullets have more power (somewhere between V1.0 and V1.1). Additionally, Hurricane, 110, 410 and He-111 lethality and/or armor values were rebalanced. (some armor lowered compared to v1.1).

Loadout:

• none

Particle:

• none

Graphics:

• Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: graphical tweak in visibility if you are in a high-res mode, so now planes will properly appear as tiny dots sooner than in 640x480.

Views:

• New HUD feature: For easy identification of flight positions for wingman or squad leader.
  Next to the plane type in the targeting HUD, a * character will appear (e.g. *Bf-109) if that aircraft is your wingman, or a # if he is your squad leader. To change these characters, add "WingmanChar=42" and "LeaderChar=35" to the [EAW] section of the EAW.INI file, replacing these default numbers with the desired ASCII code.

Difficulty/Settings:

• none

Sound:

• none

A.I.:

• AI Enhanced: Combat tactics have been improved; Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: more vertical or turning
  fights as applicable, less split-S. It is tough to balance so-called "fuzzy" logic, with all the different factors and variables involved in their decisions (accomplishing their mission, protecting their wingmen, staying away from clusters of enemy, etc). Most of the adjustments made were in the aggressiveness of lining up for a shot "now" versus maneuvering to get extra close. I think before (this patch), there was too much maneuvering and maybe not enough shooting.
• Improved gun usage for AI aircraft. Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: That was mostly a tweak, their decision process when to use cannons. Some of the AI skill levels were a little too conservative.
• Tailgunners: Tailgunners are now properly affected by G-forces, and aren't always as accurate. It is still dangerous to park yourself behind one, though.

Ground:

• none

Controls:

• Ending Campaign Missions: After you bail out, ditch the plane, or land and shut off the engine, you are now properly asked if you wish to exit. If you choose to stay, you can use F9 or other view keys to watch the rest of the action. Press Escape when you want to leave.
• Program Stability: A crash bug involving ALT-N and some other stability issues were fixed.
• No changes to ForceFeedback in this patch.

Missions:

• none

Multiplayer:

• Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: Various code optimizations throughout, but the main focus has been on the network code for handling lag and warping. No real adjustment to DX6, though the new patch does utilize DirectPlay in DirectX6 a little better than the older method for improved networking.
• Multiplayer Lag and Warping: These problems have been reduced, and a respawn/framerate bug has been fixed. Lag and warping can still occur, though, so choose your multiplayer sessions wisely. The faster the host's connection, the less warping everybody else will have and the faster the host's framerate will be. Also, the number of planes in the air will affect lag and warping, so if the host has a slow modem make sure (for example) that everybody picks the same plane type (or two) to minimize the number of extra squadrons created. See below for advanced host settings.
• Version and Data checks in Multiplayer: You will not be able to launch a multiplayer game unless everybody has the same version of EAW (V1.2). Also, the aircraft flight data on each machine is now encrypted online and compared to everybody else's, so if anyone has different modifications or different data than your own you will get a warning message. If everybody has the same modifications, though, you will not get the warning and will be able to launch.
  Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: unfortunately, because of the popularity of modified aircraft, we had to put in this patch a process in multiplayer mode to check everybody's data against everybody else's. It will now only let multiplayer games launch if everybody has the same--either all original EAW flight models or all with the same modifications, but not a mix (sound add-ons aren't affected).
  This is the only fair way to do it, so that players aren't flying different aircraft models in online play that might give them an unfair advantage. But more importantly there were technical (warping) issues if there were differences, so we had to put it in. The data checks are encrypted, so I don't think anybody can modify aircraft without getting detected.
• Ending Multiplayer (Coop) Missions: If your plane is destroyed, you bail out, or you are killed, you can jump into the next available AI plane in your squadron by using the "Jump to next plane" (ALT-J) key. ALT-J will not work if your plane is still flyable, or if there are no AI planes remaining. (Or, if the host has "AllowRespawn=0" set--see below). In any case, you can remain in the world and watch everyone else with the view keys. Press Escape to exit.

INI Entries:

Additionally, there are four new commands recognized in the EAW.INI file. This file is in the games main folder (usually found in your Program Files/Microprose/European Air War/ folder; open it with Notepad or another ASCII text editor). They are experimental, however, so are not officially supported.

• ExtraSquads=3
  Add this under the [EAW] section to create extra-large battles in most missions. The value can range from 0 (normal amount), to 5. The best values to try are probably 2 or 3 for a maximum number of planes in the air but still relatively balanced on both sides. Values of 4 and 5 tend to create encounters with more friendly aircraft than enemy, so the enemy usually retreat sooner and you don't get attacked as often. The ExtraSquads instruction isn't officially supported however, because it could lead to a somewhat unbalanced dynamic campaign, especially toward the end of the war. But, it does tend to make encounters bigger and more intense.
  
  Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: if you choose this option to create larger battles, say 100 of your guys versus 100 of them with several waves of bombers, support or interceptors in a small area with no major framerate hit. Things are more chaotic and intense, but not as much 1-on-1 dogfighting. It's unsupported because it's possible to throw the dynamic campaign off balance in a full career (you will have less personal influence on the outcome, and you might get 200-versus-6 mincemeat encounters toward the end of the war), but (otherwise) you do get a lot more action especially in single missions.
   
• AllowRespawn=0
  Alt-J command can now be suppressed. Traditionally, in team battles such as escort missions, we were able to transfer to another ally AI aircraft by Alt J key command when our aircraft became unable to fly. However, in 1.2, it is possible for the host to suppress this by setting "AllowRespawn = 0". Add this under the [Network Options] section if you are the host of a multiplayer coop session and want to prevent players from jumping into a new plane after dying or bailing out (default is 1). This option doesn't appear in the session details screen when everyone first connects, though, so make sure everybody understands before you launch that they only get one plane and one life (but can still stay and watch the action if they get shot down).
   
• StartOnGround=1
  When doing team warfare without the AI ​​plane, you can choose "full realism" to start from the ground base and return home. Now if you put this under the [Network Options] section it will allow everybody in a multiplayer coop session to start on the ground. (Caution: This is not fully tested, and may cause strange results! Also, with no time acceleration or ALT-N you will have to fly the mission in real time. EAW will try to pick the closest bases to the target, though). While sitting on the ground, all of the enemy plane icons will show up on the map, but once you lift off they will disappear and you will have to rely on ground control or your own reckoning to find them. The mission type will be what the host selects in the multiplayer screen for his side; the opposite side will have the corresponding opposite mission. And as usual, players who select the same plane type will be put in the same squadron at the same home base. The destination target area will be what the host most recently chose in the Single Mission Setup. Thus, to select a specific target city as the host, prior to starting the multiplayer session go into Single Mission, pick the same year, plane type and mission type you'd like for multiplayer, pick a target city, then exit out and start the multiplayer session. As with AllowRespawn, you should make sure all participants know they will be starting at home base instead of in the air, since they will not see this setting in the options screen.
  
  Chris Coon of MPS EAW Team: starting on the ground in a multiplayer coop is new, Starting on the ground (StartOnGround=1) is more for the hardcore enthusiasts or online squadrons who want to run a full session from start to finish. You can't accelerate time or ALT-N, so you have to fly it in real time, and everybody and everything (including bombers you might be escorting) start at their base.
  
  EAW will try to place everyone at bases as close as possible to the target area, but with the randomization for different missions you may have to fly 30-45 minutes until you get to the action. Or for example, if you are intercepting bombers you may want to sit on the ground until the enemy gets closer. Any AI support squadrons at your base or others will wait too, until you takeoff.
  
  While you're sitting at your home base, your map will show where everybody is (friend and enemy) to let you time your departure, but once you take off the enemy icons will disappear and you will have to rely on ground control to find them as before.
   
• NoAI=1
  Put this in the [Network Options] section to remove any AI planes from human squadrons in coop sessions. Note, however, that without AI planes you will not be able to respawn regardless of the AllowRespawn setting. (team mayhem option WITHOUT AI-planes is possible, but an "unsupported" new feature). Team warfare possible without AI machine; Until now, choosing missions such as fighter sweep or bomber escort has always been a joint strategy with the AI ​​machine, but now you can omit the aircraft.

The following settings are for advanced users used to hosting multiplayer internet sessions. No adjustments should be needed in most cases, especially for a LAN or cable modem connection, but you can change these values anyway to optimize performance, by adding them to the [Network Options] section. Ideally, you should have a connection speed of about 10K baud for each player in a coop game, or less for Total Mayhem. This is a very rough value, though, dependent on the number of planes in the air, as well as factors like how close everyone is to everyone else.

• SendTimeout=50
  Maximum length of time (in milliseconds) that EAW should expect to wait for the modem to accept the next packet. If it takes any longer, it assumes the send buffer is overflowed and begins scaling things back. If this value is too low, it may scale back too much and players will get more warping. If the value is too large, the host may not correct for buffer overflows and could get long pauses in the framerate.
• OverflowWait=70
  Length of time (in 70ths of a second) that the host will stop sending packets when an overflow occurs, to let the send buffer clear. This value can be lower (or zero) if buffer overflows are just occasional, but if your system always gets long pauses, this value should be around 50-100. If the value is too large, packets will not be sent as efficiently as possible, and players may see more warping.
• SendIncrease=5
  Length of time (70ths of a second) to increase the time interval for plane updates if the send buffer overflows. If this value is too low, EAW won't adjust its send rate in response to bandwidth problems very much, and if it's too high it may overreact to a single situation (such as when 80 planes suddenly merge) and cut back too much, causing more warping for other players.
• ExtraPacketDiscard=10
  When information changes for an aircraft, but it is almost time for the regular scheduled update, EAW may discard the change and just wait for the regular send to save an extra packet. This value is a multiplier for how close in time to the regular update to wait and just combine the two. It is multiplied by the overflow adjustment intervals that have been made so far, so if you have good bandwith (zero overflow), it will always send these extra packets which reduces player warping. If you have poor bandwidth it will send fewer if any of these extra packets, proportional to how bad the connection is. Lower this to reduce warping on players' machines (but possibly hurt your framerate), or raise it to improve your framerate (but possibly increase warping on players' machines).
  
  -Remove these from the INI to restore them to the default values (stored internally).

MODDERS INFORMATION

To be determined by the community....

eawv1-2 Patch Files (These are the files patched by the Official v1.2 Updater):

3D.CDF 		4,895,593 	12/15/1998 14:27
d3d.dll 	130,560 	12/17/1998 14:30
DATA.CDF 	1,433,420 	12/21/1998 11:29
eaw.exe 	1,430,016 	7/29/1999 15:24*
EXTRA.SPT 	3,924 		4/13/1999 17:54*
FLT.CDF 	39,540 		12/31/1998 15:59
FONTS.CDF 	1,067,664 	12/16/1998 13:01
grb_031.snd 	105,644 	12/15/1998 11:36
Menu_eng.cdf 	37,876 		12/22/1998 19:55
readme.rtf 	44,954 		7/26/1999 10:38*
TEXT_ENG.CDF 	168,743 	1/8/1999 11:13*
V1.1 Details.rtf 16,801 	1/10/1999 21:35

*Files that v1.2 patch update. Other files are the same as v1.1
Note: Individual files with-in the CDF files are not patched, 
but rather the entire file is replaced.

[END v1.2]

v1.1 EAW Team - Official MPS Patch Release (January 8, 1999, January 11, 1999)

Patch Special Thanks: The EAW Team would like to thank the following for their help and support in regards to the patch: Microprose U.K. QA team, Mike Dubose, Chrispy Bowling, Andrew Luckett, Gabe Turk, David Vandervoot, Mike Dunn, Rrevved, Andy Hess, Ravi "Raaavi!" Mehta, Karen Ffinch & Matt Ployhar.

The EAW patch (V1.1) is undergoing final testing at QA, so it should be ready for posting within a couple weeks! (It'll be about a 5MB download) (posted: 12-22-1998 --Christopher Coon EAW Team)

eaw v1-1.exe (released Jan 11 1999)
eaw v1-1f.exe (released Mar 5 1999)
eaw v1-1g.exe (released Mar 4 1999)
eaw v1-1s.exe (released Mar 9 1999)

"The 1.1 patch is a MUST for anybody flying EAW...it is a great set of fixes and improvements to an already great sim. It doesn't make it "a whole new sim," but certainly adds to its reply value and fixes some aggravating bugs that detracted from the title as a whole." --John "Spoons" Sponauer , Jan 1999.

INSTALLING

-Have a clean install of v1.0.
-Place the patch program in your EAW folder and run it. (You may have to run it as an administrator)

Compatibility:

• Game balance issues have been addressed, stability has been increased, various bugs have been fixed, some joystick and keyboard problems have been corrected, and AI has been enhanced among other things.
• Problem with the game not recognizing CD-Rom drive with drive letter "Z" is fixed.

FEATURES/Fixes/Enhancement/Improvements/Changes

Flight/Damage Model:

• The flight modeling of some of the aircraft have changed a bit...
• Realistic Bailouts: You will now free-fall for a period of time before your chute deploys, though it will still deploy automatically. Depending on the plane's orientation and speed when you bail out, there is also a chance you may hit the tail of the plain during egress, injuring yourself and delaying the opening of the chute or even destroying it (or your capability to pull the ripcord). Ideally you should be as slow (under 200-250 mph) and as level as possible, and in any case at least a couple thousand feet above ground before you attempt to bail out.
• Bailouts are modeled more realistically. Bailing out is not a sure thing anymore...it's best to slow down, get some altitude, and stay level. When you bail out, you will see yourself separating from the aircraft, followed by some tumbling freefall, and then (hopefully) a sudden tug from your chute. If your chute doesn't open, get ready for a tumbling ride down to Mother Earth.
  Jump out of your 262 going 400 MPH + at 200 ft, and not only will you die, but you'll have a nice view of your ballistic path to the ground, with wind rushing by your ears and everything! This is followed by a brief image of you splattered over the ground, followed by a small dust cloud.
  Depending on the aircraft's orientation, speed and G-forces (level and slow is best), there is a chance for parachute failure, or for various levels of injury (hitting the aircraft) during egress. Once the parachute deploys successfully, the game will continue, so you can use F9 or F12 to toggle between different aircraft and watch the rest of the mission unfold. When you are finished, press Escape to exit.
• Realistic Ditching (Gear-up landing): You can now more easily survive a belly landing. You will still take damage as you slide on the ground, though, so try to be as slow and level as possible when you hit. Don't let a wingtip to touch the ground either.
• Combat Flaps: The P-51 and P-38 are now equipped with combat flaps that you can deploy at speeds up to 350-425mph, using the same key as the regular flaps (F key). For all other aircraft, make sure you retract your flaps above 250mph, or they may be damaged.
• Flaps can no longer be deployed at high speed. Exceptions are P-38 and P-51, which are equipped with combat flaps that can be deployed at speeds up to 350 mph IAS (P-38) or 425 mph IAS (P-51). Non-combat flaps will suffer damage if they are not retracted above 250 mph IAS.
• Automatic Leading-edge Slats are added to Bf.109, Bf.110, and Me.262, making them slightly less prone to enter accelerated stall.
• Some stalls are now harder to get into.
• New "wing-leveler" autopilot mode is added. This function (SHIFT-A by default) will maintain current altitude, heading and speed. The original Autopilot still functions as before.
• Blackout and redout effects are reduced.
• Bomb blast radius and blast lethality are increased. They have been improved and now cause a fairly believable amount of damage, including to yourself....no more dropping bombs at 100 ft. and living to tell about it!
• Armor values for bombers are increased slightly, so they are harder to shoot down than in v1.0.
• Landing sound will now play correctly when the gears touch the ground.
• P-38's engine torque was adjusted to allow flying with only one engine.
• Ground collision is revised to better permit gear-up landings (ditching).
• Bullet physics are more realistic at long range (i.e. less destructive power, though a lucky shot in the right place can still do a lot of damage).

Loadout:

• none

Particle:

• none

Graphics:

• A fix to show the pilot in a parachute.
• 2MB Voodoo Texture Limit: This setting is no longer needed, for those who had to change it to 2MB. You can change it back, if this applied to you.
• Voodoo-2 2MB texture boundary bug is fixed; you'll no longer need to limit the texture memory to 2 MB.
• A bug relating to 3d object loading, which would sometimes cause the game to crash when going into the armament board, is fixed.
• Problem with virtual cockpits on cards not supporting 8-bit textures (such as Riva 128) is now fixed.
• Problem with some virtual cockpit textures not drawn in correct color during dawn/dusk/night mission is fixed.
• Problem with some virtual cockpits lamp lighting up the outside left wing is fixed.
• The yellow band on Bf.109G-6 external color, more common on the Eastern Front than the Western Front, is removed.
• Problem with the artificial horizon in Spitfire virtual cockpit is fixed.
• Cockpit lamp in static cockpit now works properly when running the game in GLIDE mode.
• Menu screens "flickering" on certain video cards is fixed in general.
• Higher Screen Resolution (Unsupported) See the eaw.ini topic below.

Views:

• Continuing after Bailout, Landing or Ditching: If you are still alive in a regular mission, you will be asked if you wish to exit. If you choose No, you can use the various external view keys (like F9 or F12) to jump around and watch the other aircraft in action as the mission continues without you. When you are finished, press Esc to exit as usual.

Difficulty/Settings:

• When flying with Realistic gunnery, damage modeling at long ranges has been reduced. That's not to say that it's impossible to score kills out far, but it's harder. These changes do not apply if Realistic Gunnery is turned off.

Sound:

• A bug in music loading, which would sometimes crash the game at the debriefing screen, is fixed.
• "Out of ammo" repeating wingmen speech message you hear in v1.0 when a wingman is out of ammo, bug is fixed.
• American bombers in some cases speaking with a British accent is fixed.
• takeoff and landings, which is now represented by a sound that represents the tires screeching.

A.I.:

• AI pilots will now properly perform ground attacks when ordered.
• Ground control and AI squad leader use better logic for ordering retreats. (and "mission accomplished/failed" messages, e.g. on bomber intercepts).
• Bombers defensive logic is improved. Tail-gunners have improved bogey-tracking ability making stern attacks are a bit trickier now, and dive-bombers use proper evasive maneuvers when attacked.
• Bomber Escort and Bomber attack AI is improved. Escorts will try to stay in more strategic positions during combat, and attackers will be more aware of the escorts.
• Retreating enemy AI will no longer attempt to land if under attack.
• AI rocket aim point adjusted for better accuracy.
• Ground control uses better vectoring and bogey-spotting logic. Much better about getting you where you need to be.
• AI aircraft in the patch will use their aircraft much more effectively. Some new maneuvering tricks.
• General dog fighting AI is adjusted to take more advantages of individual aircraft's capabilities.
• AI and autopilot landing logic is improved, though don't trust your life on it if your aircraft is damaged.
• Friendly AI isn't always as "green" when starting out, and learn from experience more quickly.
• This version made the Split-S the defensive maneuver of choice for the AI. In fact, this was heavily overused to the point of being rather tiring. Very rarely the AI would fly into the ground, it would be because they're not pulling out of their dive in time.

Ground:

• none

Controls:

• Wing Leveler Autopilot: This new function (shift-A by default) will toggle the wing leveler, which will hold your current altitude, speed and heading. Note that if you are not in stable flight (e.g. too slow to hold your altitude), the wing leveler may adjust the speed or altitude slightly to try to achieve stability. You may use this command in both single and multiplayer mode.
• Game sometimes hanging when using Alt-N at low altitude is fixed.
• Game sometimes losing keyboard/mouse input focus is fixed.

Missions:

• British 1943/44 Campaign will no longer run out of targets and exit to desktop with "Unable to find Campaign Target" message.
• British 1943/44 Campaign Squadrons will have the correct supply (fuel tanks, bombs, rockets) available when Limited Supply is ON.
• 1940 Campaigns with Campaign Length LONG and Limited Aircraft/Supply settings ON will now receive replacement/resupply correctly.
• 1940 German Erpro. 210 Squadron will receive more bombing missions.
• Targets in liberated Europe will now show up correctly as Allied targets instead of German targets, and German bombing missions against these targets can now be completed successfully.
• The enemy patrol placement is adjusted to increase the chance of encountering them during Fighter Sweep missions.
• The enemy bombers starting position is adjusted to give more time on Intercept missions.
• The mission rating ("terrible/poor/average/good/excellent") system now allows good ratings even on failed missions.
• The campaign difficulty setting no longer affects starting AI level as much for friendly AI pilots. (previously, they would mostly start out at "green" level if HARD campaign is selected). This also improves general friendly AI levels.
• On Single Mission Parameters clipboard, target range is now displayed in correct unit (km for German, mi for US/UK)

Multiplayer:

• Changes that MPS has introduced to multiplayer EAW. It's now much more manageable for smoothness.
• Two new options have been added to the multiplayer game setup start screen: Loadout and Weather.
• New Loadout weapon selection, (bombs, rockets, or none)  This eliminates those pre-patch problems when you were tasked to bomb a target and not armed with bombs!
• Weather settings have been added..
• The game will now continue. Missions will no longer end immediately after completing the objective. The game will now last until both sides have moved some distance away from each other, separated and are no longer in close contact.
• The radio menu should now correctly gray-out positions occupied by human teammates. To issue orders to human wingmen, use the chat function instead.
• Mission accomplished message is now sent to all players correctly.
• The problem that would cause a virtual slide show when a player dies and was respawned has been fixed.

INI Entries:

• A way to increase screen resolution to 800x600 and beyond has been added. Edit your eaw.ini file, Use My Computer/C:/Program Files/Microprose/European Air War (if you used the default directory setup) to find and open this file.

  EAW now recognizes higher resolution settings in the EAW.INI file:

  Specifically the "Width=" and "Height=" settings. Your video card needs to have enough Frame Buffer Memory to support any new settings, otherwise you will get an error message when trying to fly a mission. If this happens, you can always restore the settings to the default 640x480.

  Some settings you may wish to try are 800x600 (many video accelerator cards should support this--also try D3D mode if you can't get it to work in Glide), 1024x768 (higher-performance boards, or dual Voodoo II's, for example), or 1280x1024. If you get the error message, try the next lower setting.

  The performance tradeoff is negligible when setting a higher resolution, compared to what you get in increased visual sensation. Airplanes are no longer dots until they get close; you can make out the type of airframe at a much greater distance now. In fact, it's tricky....you will find yourself setting up a shot, only to realize that the target airplane is much further away than you thought. Also until you've watched a large bombing mission in 1024x768, you haven't experienced EAW at its finest.

  Direct3D rendering is as smooth, if not smoother, than the Glide rendering at these higher resolutions. This is good news for TNT video cards. A single 12Mb Voodoo2 works well also.

  Limitations of changing resolution:

  -The viewing area will not be the same as it is in 640x480, depending on the resolution setting. 800x600 mode will have slightly more viewing area, while 1024x768 mode will show slightly less.

  -There is no loading progress screen (the fuel gauge screen), though the mission will still load as before.

  -Static cockpits are not available--you are automatically switched to the virtual cockpit.

  -Text (subtitles, HUD data) are proportionally smaller, so you may need to squint at the higher settings.

  -On some systems, 800x600 appears to cause a backlog of undrawn data that can clog the system and slow everything down, which will also cause the sound to distort or crackle. 1024x768 doesn't seem to have that problem, though--switch to that mode if you encounter this problem, or return to 640x480.

  -Target selection for the HUD (next/previous targets) may not recognize targets at the edges of the screen--wait until they're closer to the center to select them.

  -If you push the settings further, like 1600x1200 or beyond, the edges of some views may not render correctly (stray triangles), plus the "fisheye lens" effect becomes more pronounced. For this reason you should stick to 1280x1024 or probably 1024x768 for the best results.

  -The main benefit, of course, is a sharper resolution and better ability to see targets at further distances, which many people prefer and requested. It is an unsupported enhancement because not all video cards support it, and EAW really wasn't designed for those modes, but it is an interesting enhancement nevertheless.

   

MODDERS INFORMATION

To be determined by the community....

eawv1-1 Patch Files (These are the files patched by the Official v1.1 Updater):

3D.CDF 		4,895,593 	12/15/1998 14:27
d3d.dll 	130,560 	12/17/1998 14:30
DATA.CDF 	1,433,420 	12/21/1998 11:29
eaw.exe 	1,411,072 	1/11/1999 18:43
FLT.CDF 	39,540 		12/31/1998 15:59
FONTS.CDF 	1,067,664 	12/16/1998 13:01
grb_031.snd 	105,644 	12/15/1998 11:36
Menu_eng.cdf 	37,876 		12/22/1998 19:55
readme.rtf 	35,003 		1/8/1999 00:18
TEXT_ENG.CDF 	168,738 	1/11/1999 09:58
V1.1 Details.rtf 16,801 	1/10/1999 21:35

Note: Individual files with-in the CDF files are not patched,
but rather the entire file is replaced.
 

[END v1.1]

-???? ?? 2006
EB games sells a downloadable version of the game.
New Custom Installer only works on a Win 9x operating system.
EAW Downloaded from EB Games:
If you purchased the 183MB download setup install file program from EB Games back in 2006/2007, this installer program will not run under any operating system other than one of the Win 9x operating systems, even when setting the compatibility tab for the installer program. You will need to be able to install EAW (using the Full Install option) on a Win 9x system, then burn the resulting EAW folder to CD or DVD. Take the disc to your system running Windows 2000 or Windows XP and copy the EAW folder to your hard drive.

-August 2005
...the EAW game community "officially" obtained the full source code...shortly after, the early Code Group was formed.

-???? ?? 2004
Infogrames (Atari) sells a 179MB/(180MB) downloadable version of the full game, 30 min trial.
New Custom Installer only works on a Win9x operating system. You can set in WinNT versions, a shortcut compatibility setting for WinME to get it to install.
Apparently, Infogrames (Atari) has made a deal with some online store to sell downloadable versions of some of their titles. However, what was discovered is they have added additional authentication and file validation code to the exe and numerous resource archives in the downloadable versions of EAW. It effectively prevents you from using most of the community mods and add-ons available.

-???? ?? 2004
The CD (German version) is missing the Flight School HTML files and folder.

-January 11 2002
Atari re-release ("Hero").

-June 8 2001
Infogrames re-release, (Budget).
The CD Installer was modified, some text in the manual was changed. This release lacked the physical Quick Reference Guide and User Manual but came with it on the CD, along with the official MPS v1.2 patch and official Art Kit.

-December 2000
A complete Japanese price revision version will be released.

-???? ?? 2000
Hasbro (Smile&Buy) release (German)

-July 24 2000
Hasbro re-release, (Classic Series)

-September 1999
'Complete Japanese' version released (EAW Ver1.2J).
It is a complete Japanese version based on the English version Ver1.2.

-August 16 1999
Japanese Demo released.

-August 13 1999
v1.2 Italian update released
Known Bugs: When ESC is pressed to exit the mission, press the Y key instead of the S key to confirm the exit.
When configuring the game keys, to confirm the change press the J key instead of the S key.

-August 12 1999
v1.2 patch will be announced / released. (It is the final official MPS version EAW.)
Various options in the Net game were added, and the level of the AI performance was raised.

-August 4 1999
EAW Paint Kit!! release announcement.
Paint your own plane exteriors, cockpits and terrain. Please note that modifying the EAW art files is an unsupported feature. This Art Kit is Not for the German version of European Air War.
A kit that can create and change textures such as exterior of the body, cockpit, landscape file

-March 26 1999
Final Official  MPS EAW Support FAQ  text.

-January 1999
Ver1.1 patch will be announced / released.
Will come with High resolution support, flight model changes etc.... were made.

-October 31 1998
European Air War Ver1.0 CD Box released.

-July 22 1998
European Air War DEMO published....the final version of EAW, [will be] arriving this Fall (1998).

-???? ?? 1997
EAW Press Release Text. (Later)
(EAW to be in stores),....announced for Spring 1998.

-???? ?? 1997
EAW Press Release Text.
....Expect to see European Air War in stores during the 1997 holiday season!....

-???? ?? 1996
2nd EAWTeam to start work on game?.

-???? ?? 1995
Start of Development of game.
 

This section talks about the differences between the two official popular versions of the game. Back in the early 2000's era it was popular to change up or have dual installs of v1.1 and v1.2. Not many people used v1.0. If your interested in finding out how the A.I. does behave in the older version, this section is for you. It will also explain very briefly how to use either multiple installs of the game or a single install, with an older version placed over a newer version. For manual installation instructions of the game see my Install Help document for more information.

Below is the Good and Bad of the two official, un-modded MPS versions of the game. (and for a list of fixes and updates that each patch provides, See above in this help document).

Pro's summary of the two versions:

1.2 = You have the "extra squad" feature in the eaw.ini file
1.2 = You stay alive (A.I. is dumbed down)
1.2 = You can have Ground Starts
1.2 = Some important Multiplayer features and fixes added

1.1 = Bomber gunners hit you, just about every time
1.1 = Fighter pilots hit you almost all times
1.1 = The Pilot in your cockpit is hit often (blood)
1.1 = Your Gun lethality is heavily reduced and more armor on Bombers
1.1 = Enemy is very aggressive and accurate at aiming

Testimonials List:

 

• With v1.1 the Escort Mission's bomber group would be attacked during their penetration into European air space. Pressing Alt+N would not position you at the start of the bombing run as with v1.2 but rather at the location of the next encounter. In v1.2, these attacks seem to only occur upon the final approach to the target's IP and Alt+N delivers your bombers to the target area unmolested. These early attacks, of v1.1, always made it more difficult to arrive at the target with more then half of the bomber group still intact and the trip back home was not without incident either.
• 1.1 randomly chooses if you are intercepted or not on ground attack missions. I just flew a train busting mission in (non spinning) Me 110s without getting intercepted at all (and all without tweaking and cheating). The flak was rather tough, though, it cost me two Zerstörer.
• Version 1.1 is not perfect, by any means. AI planes pull impossible stunts, and other minor annoyances. Also, I should have mentioned that your wingmen may not jettison their bombs, but the bombs have no effect on the AI flight model-- so it's no big deal (at least that's what I've been told).
• In v1.1 the overall fell is more realistic and immersive in my humble opinion. It depends a lot on what you want from the simulation. The feeling of being there (v1.1) or quick and furious action in a target rich environment (v1.2).
• When you attack a bomber in 1.1 and make it smoke, the bomber leaves the formation, breaking left or right which I think is more realistic than staying on the same course and getting slaughtered.
• A bug in v1.1 where there are strange loud bang sounds whenever a plane is killed. It seems to be tied to the Aircraft Explosion sounds.

Bullet Drop

• A LOT more bullet drop in 1.1 as opposed to 1.2: that means that you have to improve your deflection skills and get in close to score the kill. This drop off was indeed fixed with v1.2 and it allows the average pilot to make better shots.

Damage Models

• With 1.1 all the planes, specially the bombers can sustain a lot more of damage than in 1.2 and are very hard to shoot down.
• In v1.1 Friendly AI seems to fly in a "holding pattern" until you tell them to engage then they really go at it!
• 1.1 still gives you the aggressive AI but makes shooting down bombers less of a cakewalk
• EAW-1.1 is absolutely more demanding. it's MUCH harder to score a kill.
• In v1.1 it cuts your scoring in half.
• In v1.1 the flaps don't damage from high speed.
• In v1.1 bailing out is always possible without killing the pilot, no matter the angle or speed of your plane.

Flight Model

• In v1.2 it drives me crazy seeing AI do a violent, energy bleeding, evasive maneuver, followed almost immediately by a rocket vertical climb which puts it above me after I have zoomed back up to plan my next attack. And then hang on it's prop - at 60/70 mph - for several seconds, nose over without stalling or spinning, and immediately execute another miraculous evasion.
• If you are using EAW v1.2 you will notice a general lift degradation for all aircraft over v1.1. For the British types this is unimportant because they could generate enough surplus lift already. For pre v1.2 many people criticized Spitfire modeling because it was to hard to fly without constantly blacking out or even get some wings ripoff. The solution was just throttling back a little. For German and some American types the changes introduced by v1.2 made them struggle to simply fly, don't mention dogfighting. Now is hard to blackout in a Spitfire.
  A quick fix to restore the balance to v1.1 levels is by simply reducing all aircraft mass to 90% of initial values, keeping all the other benefits brought by v1.2. You need to be a Modder with special tools to do this.

Some virtual pilots prefer to have an installation of EAW with 1.1 eaw.exe running on top of the 1.2 patched game. This is for Offline single player use only, well mostly.

This will allow you to experiment with a separate single installation of a sorta half arse update, by copying an old v1.1 eaw.exe over the v1.2 exe. This is because the properties that most people seem to want from 1.1 are contained only in the eaw.exe file. (Such as harder programmed AI).

So after patching your EAW game with the official v1.2 patch, you can place just the 1.1 exe into the 1.2 install by overwriting the newer eaw.exe with the older version.

The game will then use the updated FM/DM data (and other files) of v1.2 but re-introduce the v1.1 A.I. programmed behavior contained in the exe...

NOTES:

About Naming Your Game EXE:
Its ideal to have only one run able eaw.exe in your game folder, so if you remember from the old Win9x/ME methods of renaming the eaw.exe to something else and running it seemed to worked fine. However on newer Windows OS's this will remove any compatibility fixes that the Windows OS applies to it, thus causing problems and headaches for you. So don't have more than one game executable with any other name than "eaw.exe" in the game's main folder.

If you wanted to, you will be able to go back to 1.2 by placing a 1.2 eaw.exe over the old one and delete any saved games as I think they are not compatible.

[END]