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I suggest you create a directory in your Microprose directory named F4Utilities then unzip F4Patch and F4Reserves into this folder. In this folder create a subfolder named F4Patch. Unzip files 3 - 5 into the F4Patch folder. Create shortcuts for F4Patch and F4Reserves to your desktop. Go into the Falcon4 folder and find the program (included with iBeta's RP 2.0) F4Bubble. Create a third desktop shortcut for this program.
Next run Falcon 4.0 just to be sure you are setup up properly at this point. Add any 3rd party cockpits, graphics, or sounds that you wish at this time. If you skipped the defragmentation of your hard drive earlier because you have a third party defrag utility then the time has arrived to defrag. I have a little trick that I use at this point. I copy a large file into my Falcon4 directory (I use an image.dat file that is about 5MB in size). After my drive is defragmented, I delete this file which leaves a 5MB 'hole' on my hard disk in the Falcon 4.0 area for loading in new Falcon TE's, utilities, and stuff I just forgot to reload before I defragmented my drive. Be sure, if you have a utility like McAfee or Norton and that you optimize your swap file and you place the Microprose folder as close to the beginning of the hard drive as possible.
After your hard drive is defragged, open F4Patch. Use the path command to select the Falcon4_108i2.exe file. A list should appear on the left side of the program window similar to the one shown below (which will no doubt be out of date by the time I post this!) with nothing listed on the right side if you didn't install the iBeta patched exe or most patches already installed if you did.
- (1.07+) Tanker patch
- (1.08+) Dogfight Gunpatch Mk.1
- (1.08+) F4DX
- (1.08+) Logbook fix
- (108i2) Airbase relocation fix
- (108i2) Bubble slider fix
- (108i2) BARCAP fix
- (108i2) Bounce landing fix
- (108i2) Cat III fix
- (108i2) Comms patch
- (108i2) devCreateSurface/CTD fix
- (108i2) Force Feedback fix
- (108i2) GLOC patch
- (108i2) Lineup Charts Printing Utility v2
- (108i2) Logbook fix
- (108i2) MIA 1 fixes
- (108i2) MIA 2 fixes
- (108i2) Mission 29 fix
- (108i2) Moodfix
- (108i2) Moonfix
- (108i2) More clouds in campaigns
- (108i2) Near Labels 5 nm
- (108i2) Near Labels 10 nm
- (108i2) Near Labels 15 nm
- (108i2) Near Labels 20 nm
- (108i2) Nike RWR Symbol fix
- (108i2) Radar cursor speed fix
- (108i2) Recon fix
- (108i2) Resize Bubble in flight
- (108i2) Skyfix
- (108i2) Slow mouse in 3D cockpit fix
- (108rp2) Helo fix for RP2
Fig. 1. F4 Patch by Joel 'Jackal' BierlingI am not going to go into what all these patches fix or change, that is the pervue of the authors and Huntsman. I will identify the patches that are have a significant effect on frame rate as the Airbase relocation patch and to a lesser extent the helo fix for RP2. Sadly, these two and the bubble slider fix may have made the greatest difference in playing Falcon since 1.08i2 was released. At my last count Sylvain Gagnon had 24 patches released in f4p format, MadMax had 2, Poogen had 2, Rob 'Flashpan' Pollard and RIK had 1, BENG7 had 1, Oliver Reichhold had 1, and Marco Formato had 1. There are an assortment of sky color fixes available in f4p format. I believe that cockpits will be enabled next in F4Patch next. A big thanks to Joel 'Jackal' Bierling for envisioning the concept and developing this program. The rapidity with which the Falcon community has embraced it shows how badly it was needed.
Select the patches that you wish to apply. You can read the short descriptions that appear when each patch is selected or peruse the Readme files that are in the F4Patch directory. Click on the ">" symbol to move the patches to the right hand list. Press 'Apply Changes' and acknowledge each modification to complete the patch. Reverse the process, moving the installed patches back to the left, to remove them. F4Patch will not install anything that it cannot remove.
