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Molnibalage's Free Falcon 5 movie
Free Falcon 5 In-sim screenshot
Improved explosive effects
Basic carrier operations are modelled
F-18 Carrier approach
F-16 3D Cockpit

Free Falcon is a free community addon to the original Microprose Falcon 4.

As of 17th January 2013, Free Falcon is officially dead with the FreeFalcon.com forums down. Aragorn (Ara) posted an offical message from Anthony "Ranger822" Thomas of the Free Falcon team on the BMS forum [1] on the 19th January 2013 that the Free Falcon project was shutdown due to "the time has come where FreeFalcon has nothing more to contribute to the community". Ranger822 advised Free Falcon did not enough active contributors and had lost the current source code.

Contents

Version 5

Version 5 of Free Falcon was released on the Free Falcon forums on the 28th February 2009 by the Free Falcon development team. A hotfix was released on the 4th June 2009 that included stability fixes. A full point release was released in October 2009, version 5.3. [2] This version of Free Falcon is regarded as more stable than subsequent versions. The final version of Free Falcon was version 6 [3]

Free Falcon 5 added:

  • New intro movie using the game engine
  • improved graphics including particle effects and new lighting effects
  • full 6 DOV Track IR support
  • included 800x600 Touchbuddy Touchscreen profile with Inflight, Ramp and Taxi startup profiles
  • improved avionics
  • data edits to flight model, weapons and campaigns settings
  • AI improvements
  • multiplayer CTD (crash to desktop) fixes
  • voice communication
  • better explosions including debris and smoke effects
  • JDAM and JSOW weapons
  • IFF
  • -port command allows clients to specify multiplayer port
  • clickable 3D cockpit
  • new 2D and 3D cockpits
  • new aircraft models and skins including the Tornado and Phantom
  • fly many additional planes including the F/A-18, SR-71, An-2, F-22 and Eurofighter


Version comparison

Free Falcon has a huge list of new features and graphical enhancements. These currently come at the cost of stability. Version 5 is buggy with occasional crashes to the desktop and some issues in-game.

Aeyes has released a comprehensive payware F/A-18c pack for Free Falcon including new cockpits and model changes.

Support

  • The PDF manual (FF5.0 Manuals.pdf) is located in the DOCS directory of your Falcon installation once you have installed Free Falcon.
  • Support for Free Falcon is available on the Free Falcon forums at www.freefalcon.com (free forum registration required).

Original Free Falcon 5 installation instructions

  1. If you already have an existing install of Falcon you want to use later, make a backup of the registry key HKLM\Software\Microprose. The reason being that Free Falcon 5 will change the registry values and the new values will be incompatible with the existing installation. You will need to use the old registry information to play the existing Falcon installation.
  2. it is apparently possible to use either the original Falcon 4 or Allied Force as a base install. These are the install instructions for the original Falcon 4.
  3. It's best to start with a clean install of Falcon 4. If you don't already have Falcon 4 installed, install the original Falcon 4 from the original CDROM. Accept the default installation directory of c:\microprose\falcon4.
  4. Download the Free Falcon 5 installer (1.15 GB) (See download links below).
  5. Install Free Falcon 5, you will require 3 GB of free disk space, you will be prompted whether you want to delete the existing Falcon installation. WARNING - If you do choose to remove the existing version of Falcon, it will remove ALL the FALCON4 files including your flight logbook and the Microprose registry keys including any other Microprose game registry information in that location.
  6. The install will default to C:\PROGRAM FILES\FREEFALCON5 it is recommended you do not install under Program Files, but instead install in under the root of the drive, eg C:\FREEFALCON5.
  7. Install the version 5.3 update
  8. Once the installation is completed you will be prompted to run the simulation.
  9. If you have a widescreen monitor and wish to run widescreen resolutions, to see widescreen options in the Graphics menu in Falcon you will have to modify the Free Falcon shortcut by suffixing the shortcut with -hires so the shortcut has the properties: 
"C:\FreeFalcon5\FFViper.exe" -hires

Installation to version 5.5.5

  1. Install Free Falcon 5.5 do not install HiTiles (file 5.5_Install.rar)

[4]

  1. Install Free Falcon 5.5.5 (file FreeFalcon_5.55.exe)

[5]

  1. Install Free Falcon Cockpits (file FreeFalcon5_Cockpit_Pack.rar)

[6]

Free Falcon 5.5.5 fix list (from http://www.freefalcon.com/forum/content.php/124-FreeFalcon-5.5.5-Upgrade?s=81f58f1a1f42d4e3f2d5b85b3a31b28c)

  • Returns the Theater specific Squadron Stores files.
  • New Terrain files with leveled Air Bases.
  • Fixed the F-22
  • Role score changes and additional weapons for the F-16CJ
  • Changed the minAlt for AI to 1000' via Falcon4.cfg
  • Upgraded Viggen model and skins.
  • UI improvements
  • Campaign file improvements and corrections.
  • Weepop's Kneemap improvement.
  • MiG-23 RWR correction.
  • Flag corrections for Units.
  • Added some SEAD weapons and role scores to the Red Side a/c as requested.

Version 6 installation instructions

  • If you using a other Version as Windows XP, install to C:\FreeFalcon6, not NOT to c:\Program Files
  • Run the FreeFalcon 6 installer with Administrative rights.

Links

Links now inactive following Free Falcon shutting down:

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