Article Type: Feature
Article Date: June 1, 2001
In this column I hope to explore the world of add-ons and enhancements for those classic combat sims we've all grown to love. It is a follow-up, of sorts, to my series called "Unsung Heroes", in which I explored the selfless acts of the few to benefit the many combat sim fans around the globe.
With these days of lean to slim pickings in the new combat simulations department, breathing new life into older sims is a necessity for sim fiends like me. I hope to have a new installment every two weeks where I will look at the web sites where these folks post their latest add-ons and utilities for these older sims. In this first installment, come with me as I reacquaint myself with Electronic Arts's Jane's USAF.
I bought this title back in 1999 when it first came out. As a veteran of the organization by the same name, I had been really anticipating the release of this title. I had not purchased the previous title developed by Pixel, Jane's Israeli Air Force, as the demo was not to my liking. USAF looked like a winner because it included eight flyable jets ranging from the Vietnam era to the near future's F-22 Raptor.
Certain limitations kept me from really getting into this particular title. Recently, however, I saw a few things on a message board that intrigued me, so I decided to re-install it and give it another shot. Also, when I first got it, I was running a P2-300 with 2 SLI'd VooDoo 2's. Now I run an Athlon 600 with a 32 MB ATI Xpert 2000. I also had an older un-patched version, but quickly upgraded to 1.02F. Then the fun began!
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Euro-Camo Mud Hen  |
When I checked the search engines for "Jane's USAF," I found lots of neat add-ons have been created for this sim: A plethora of new skins, and a third party skin installer called "Camo Commander". This was put out by Game Tool Technologies; unfortunately, they seem to have thrown in the towel as GTTWeb.com has disappeared. Thankfully, there are other interesting applications available, many of which are based upon tweaking the Admin.ini file.
Add-ons & Utilities
Some folks, like Brad (of "Brad's ADMIN.INI v6.0" fame), concentrate on a single jet. He has discovered and enabled ninety-nine weapons specific to the F-15E Strike Eagle. There was a problem with weapons load-out screen graphics, but the admin utilitiy proffered-up all kinds of righteous additions to the Mud-hen's arsenal!
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| 99 Weapons for the Strike Eagle! |
I would recommend against using the bmp's, as they thrashed my load-out screen, making it unusable. I had to un-install, then re-install the simulation to get it to work again. You can find Brad's ADMIN.INI utility here.
Others like to be era specific, as with Hamm’s teachings on the Vietnam era, and how to properly place objects for authenticities sake. Pre-made missions and interesting items for Operations LineBacker I & II can be gleaned here.
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| Great info for `Nam specific scenerios. |
The Fan Sites
Several VERY helpful folks personally helped me get back in the air in USAF.
I have found that Tyler McFly is probably the most helpful USAF advocate I have seen. He prowls around the USAF boards, looking to assist stranded newbies, and has always been helpful. He has some very nice skins and utilities at his site, including a keyboard chart he scanned in, Camo Commander for USAF, as they are no longer on-line, and the correct way to get a skin to install, as the included instructions will not work. I would recommend stopping here first for any new USAF fliers.
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| Skins, info & Great Utilities. |
Mitch's site is the most updated I have come across, and is the repository of the most advanced Admin file currently available. It is based on the work of the one individual who seems to have come to grips with the Admin.ini, and the developer's tool that accesses it, the DME. Jupiter has found out how to unlock three new aircraft, (see pictures below), and 142 new ground objects. As the README for this file is a little sparse, I will have to assume these items were already in the sim, and Jupiter discovered how to make them available to the mission creator interface, the easily accessible UME. Jupiter is an elusive, though gifted, individual. I have tried to contact him to get information on his creations, but only have a website that he seems to webmaster for a little town in England.
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| Keeper of the newest (German) Admin file V7.0 |
The three jets pictured below are easily add-able, and look great in the eye-candy filled environment that is USAF. The ground objects include numerous well known landmarks from New York and San Francisco. The Empire State Building, Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium, the Golden Gate bridge and many more! Mitch's site is very nice and hosts the best you can find for USAF, bookmark it soon!
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| Fly the X-32 JSF in USAF! |
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| French made Rafales slicing the air. |
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| An S-37 Berkut and a Su-27. |
As you may have guessed, I am still not smitten with the newest iterations for USAF. The good points have been exploited and enhanced greatly; namely, the beautiful graphics. The less than adequate components, such as the bobbing tankers, the having to bounce into different airframes to complete some missions, may be remedied via a consortium of the best tweakers who go by the name of "The USAF Development Team." Their site has a list of various AI attributes that have been gathered, and may be hacked for the benefit of all in the near future.
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| Focal Point for the future? |
My personal peeve of having the user created missions count for nothing toward, or against, the pilots career still eludes everybody. If the geniuses that have contributed greatly thus far continue to create enhancements for USAF it will grow even longer legs and be around for quite some time.
