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          Ί                  Aces Over Europe                      Ί
          Ί             Version 1.0 Release Notes                  Ί
          ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ

MANUAL CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS

     A. Page 180:  Pilots may bail out at any altitude, but the danger of 
        injury or death increases as you near the ground.  Bail out 
        at low altitude only if there is no other hope.  Bailing out at
        high speed is also very dangerous.
 
     B. Page 182:  Hitting ESC or Q to end a mission no longer gives a 
        zero score to your mission.  It still is very dangerous, however, 
        to use these keys to leave when enemies are around.  Expect high 
        losses if you choose to do so.
        
     C. Pages 188:  The mission recorder now has a preferences screen
        that can be accessed using F10.  This screen is identical to the 
        screen as shown on pages 182-183 in the manual.  It will allow 
        you to reset your preferences while replaying a vcr file.  This 
        can be very useful when replaying a file made on a slower or 
        faster machine or to experiment with the effects of detail 
        levels.                

     D. Page 189:  The mission recorder supports two new keys, S and 
        keypad +.  When in full screen view (after pressing ESC) S can
        be used to start and stop the progress of the tape, while the 
        keypad + key can be used to advance one frame at a time.  These 
        keys make editing your vcr files much easier.

     E. Page 187: AOE has no score "cap" so the top score you can achieve 
        is limited only by your abilities.  To prevent players using 
        unlimited ammo from having a scoring advantage, only the original 
        ordnance load will score points.  For instance, if your aircraft 
        is loaded with R4M rockets and you attack a bomber stream, you 
        will be awarded points only for the bombers destroyed by the 
        first volley of 24. Subsequent volleys, which are available only 
        because ammo is unlimited, will not yield any increase in score.
        Targets and aircraft destroyed will always count toward victory
        conditions, however.

     F. HIDE MENUS.  The B key will now hide some menus to allow you to 
        view several of the artwork screens.  Pressing B will bring the 
        menu back, as well.

     G. CUSTOM VIEWS. In addition to the preset views, custom external 
        views can be created and saved.  To create an additional view, 
        position the external camera where you want it and simultaneously
        press the CTRL key and one of the function keys (i.e. CRTL-F1).  
        To switch to that view, press the ALT key along with the function
        key you used to save the view (i.e. ALT-F1).

     H. CH FLIGHTSTICK PRO (R).  Because of the design of the Flightstick
        Pro, it is pressing Button 1 and Button 2 simultaneously will 
        not zoom the "camera" in or out in the external view or in the 
        VCR.  To achieve this, press Button 2 while holding the space 
        bar.

     I. HINTS and TIPS are included near the end of this file.


SCREEN SHAKE

        For added realism a screen shake has been added to simulate hits
        by enemy fire and buffeting in near-stall conditions or when 
        reaching excessive speed.  While we have attempted to make this 
        feature compatible with all systems, a few graphics cards,
        particularly high speed graphics accelerator cards, may have some
        problems with the screen shake.  In order to solve any problems
        you may encounter we have included a short program to modify
        the screen shake, should you find it necessary.  You may be able
        to solve your problems by minimizing the severity of the shake.  
        To do this type:

                shakemed <enter>

        If you are still experiencing problems, the screen shake may be
        disabled by typing:

                shakeoff <enter>

        If you wish to restore the screen shake to its default settings
        type:

                shakeon <enter>

JOYSTICKS

        The Joystick drivers for AOE have been rewritten to better 
        support faster machines.  However, if you still experience 
        problems, consider the following possible causes:

     A. Multiple joystick ports.  If your system has more than one card 
        with joystick port(s) the ports may conflict with each other.  
        Most often the joystick ports in a multi-function card or sound 
        card are in conflict with each other or with the port on the 
        dedicated game card.  In this case one card must be disabled or 
        removed.  Most cards with joystick ports provide instructions to 
        disable the conflicting port(s); consult your card's user manual 
        for detailed instructions or contact your hardware 
        manufacturer/dealer for further assistance.

     B. Multi-function ports and speed.  Multi-function cards with 
        joystick ports and sound cards with joystick ports on them are 
        often not fast enough to support some of the newer, high speed 
        processors.  We strongly recommend that you add a 
        speed-adjustable joystick card if you are using a fast computer 
        system. 

     C. Make sure to recalibrate your joystick periodically.  If your
        joystick begins to get slightly out of calibration, your joystick 
        movements will not move control surfaces properly, and will
        result in a decrease of aircraft performance.       

     D. For the convenience of Thrustmaster (R) WCS MkII owners, we 
        have included a download file to program your MkII for AOE. The 
        file is called AOE.ADV.  Copy it to your MarkII directory and 
        load it into your Mark II WCS by typing:
      
                DOWNLOAD AOE.ADV <enter>

        and following the onscreen instructions.  This file will 
        program your WCS to mirror the origninal WCS, as shown on
        page 181 in your AOE manual.  Please note that if you are using
        the FCS with your MkII, you must have "Joystick 1" selected
        as FLIGHT in the plane controls in the AOE preferences screen and
        have the HAT switch on your MkII set to DIGITAL. 

DISK COMPRESSION

        AOE has been tested carefully with various disk compression 
        software utilities, and should install and run from compressed 
        drives.  If you are experiencing difficulties, the problem will 
        most likely be traced to one of two problems:

     A. Low memory.  Some disk compression utilities use conventional 
        memory to load drivers for support of the on-disk compression.  
        Since AOE requires approximately 600k of conventional memory to 
        run, this may be the source of your problem.  Make sure no 
        unnecessary TSRs or drivers are being loaded, or use the boot 
        disk option in install to create and run from a boot disk.  

     B. Not enough disk space.  AOE files are compressed, and will take
        approximately 8 MB of UNCOMPRESSED disk space to install 
        (although they will take less space on the disk once installed).  
        This may translate to as much as 16 MB or more of free disk 
        space, depending on the compression ratio you have set for the 
        compressed drive.

BACKING UP CAREERS AND HIGH SCORES

        High single mission scores, high career scores, and the career 
        roster are saved to files named Topmis.dat, Topace.dat, and 
        Roster.dat, respectively.  These files can be copied to a 
        different directory or floppy disk to ensure you don't lose the 
        records of your stunning victories.

FLIGHT MODEL AND COMBAT HINTS

        Many changes have been made to the flight model since Aces of the
        Pacific.  Some of these changes include: more severe stalls, 
        spins, more accurate modeling of the effects of flaps, gear and 
        flap damage at high speeds, "ground effect," more accurate top 
        speeds and ceilings, more accurate stall speeds that vary by 
        aircraft type, more accurate modeling of mass and drag from 
        ordnance, and more realistic acceleration.  Because of these 
        changes, as well as the introduction of new weapons, mission 
        types, and other features, we offer you the following hints on 
        gameplay:

        Some planes are almost impossible to spin.  Others spin 
        altogether too easily.  A good pilot learns his plane's spin
        characteristics under safe conditions, rather than in the middle
        of a dogfight.

        The first time you get in a spin you may have some difficulty
        recovering.  To recover easily, center your joystick, apply 
        rudder opposite to the direction of your spin, and then pull up
        gently once the stall light goes out.  Spins near the ground 
        are deadly -- don't ignore the stall buffet if you can't afford 
        to spin.

        Ordnance and drag -- Ordnance (bombs, rockets, drop tanks, or
        external guns) mounted on your plane will degrade your 
        performance.  Dogfighting with bombs under your wings puts you at 
        an extreme disadvantage.  External guns may give you incredible 
        firepower, but the cost in performance can make living to use it 
        very tough.

        Scramble Missions -- Your planes are often loaded up with 
        ordnance, ready to go out on a different mission, when enemy 
        aircraft are sighted.  If you are flying single missions, or are 
        the flight leader in a career, you can change the ordnance in the 
        preflight options screen.  If you aren't the flight leader, be 
        prepared to jettison the ordnance, or fight at a tough 
        disadvantage.

        Rockets -- The GR-21 rocket is actually a mortar round, and 
        fires up, away from your aircraft.  Learning to lob it into a 
        bomber formation can be very tough.  You may be given this rocket 
        for ground attacks or anti-shipping attacks.  A player who can 
        hit tanks with the GR-21 has reason to be proud.
        
        R4M rockets, on the other hand, are very powerful weapons.  
        They fire all twenty-four rockets in a salvo, so pick your shots 
        well. They also have an arming distance to prevent you from
        being caught in your own blast.  If they aren't exploding, you
        may be too close.

        Both rockets do blast damage, and you get credit for bombers 
        destroyed in the blast, and both may force bombers to break 
        formation, making them easier targets.

        Medals and promotion -- Medals are awarded solely on the number
        of "kills" your pilot has.  Promotions, on the other hand, are 
        based on how well you pilot has been achieving his mission goals.  
        Some pilots may be heavily decorated, yet not promoted, while 
        others move quickly through the ranks without ever receiving a 
        medal.  It is entirely dependent on your playing style.  

        In any mission type there is a possibility that enemy
        fighters may be over or very near your base.  This is especially 
        true for the German pilots.  Aircraft sometimes seem to come out 
        of nowhere, so stay alert.

        Remember, the Me-262 is not built for dogfighting.  Your 
        advantage is speed.  Do hit-and-run tactics instead of getting
        into a turning war. This may take some practice to perfect.

        Top speed varies by altitude.  You may find yourself being 
        outrun by a "slower" aircraft if his top speed happens to be at 
        an altitude where your aircraft performs badly.  For instance,
        the Spitfire has a rated top speed that is 31 mph faster than the 
        Fw-190A, but at under 5,000 feet it is only 2 mph faster than the 
        190A, and at over 30,000 feet the Spit can be as much as 100 mph 
        slower than the 190A.

        More ground targets now have machine gun fire, and there are 
        often flak tanks mixed in convoys.  Be careful.

        You can score far more points if, instead of merely autopiloting
        home after achieving your mission, you patrol and attack ground 
        targets that present themselves.  This can be a great way to 
        improve your score on an uneventful Escort Bombers mission.  
        But be sure to watch your fuel, and conserve a little ammo in 
        case there are enemies on your return path.

MANUAL INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

        If you are experiencing difficulties trying to install Aces Over
        Europe using the INSTALL program, you may be experiencing a 
        hardware confilct.  Try typing:

        INSTALL -m                      
 
        This will allow you to manually select the sound card you are 
        using.  In case of the unlikely event this does not work, Dynamix 
        has included a set of Manual Installation Instructions that 
        should allow you to install the program properly.  These
        instructions are entitled MANAOE.TXT and can be found on disk #1
        of your original Aces Over Europe disk set.  You may view and/or 
        print out the file by using any MS-DOS text editor, any 
        word-processing program, or the following TYPE commands: 

        TYPE MANAOE.TXT |MORE <ENTER> to view the document through MS-DOS

        TYPE MANAOE.TXT >PRN <ENTER> to print the document on your 
                                     printer 

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

        If you have problems with running AOE, refer to page 202 in the 
        AOE manual.  We have thoughtfully included a fairly detailed 
        techinical reference section that we hope will address your 
        problems.  If you continue to have difficulties, contact our 
        Technical Support Department:

        US                              UK
        Sierra On-Line                  Sierra On-Line Limited
        P.O. Box 800                    Attention: Technical Support
        Coarsegold, CA 93614-0800       Unit 2, Technology Centre
        Attention: Technical Support    Station Road
                                        Theale, Berkshire RG7 4AA
        Monday-Friday                   United Kingdom
        8:15 a.m.- 4:45 p.m. 
        Call (209) 683-8989             Monday-Friday
        Fax (209) 683-3633              9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
                                        Call (44) 734 303171
                                        Fax (44) 734 303201

ADDITIONAL CREDITS

        We need to take the time to thank several people whose 
        contributions to AOE were not mentioned in the regular credits:

        TESTERS
                Duri Price
                Robert Harrington
                Daewha Kang
                Sam Nicols

        TRANSLATION MANAGER
                Norm Nelson

        TRANSLATORS
                Barbara Beyer
                Kai Brinkmann
                Mireille Wheeldon

Aces Over Europe
Copyright (C) 1993, Dynamix, Inc.
