1942 - Pacific Air War
Hints and Tips:
---------------
Submitted by: David K.
-= Treat the Current Digital Release as PAW Gold =-
The current Windows releases on Steam and GOG are DOSBox-packaged builds based on the
late Gold/Scenario content rather than the bare 1994 launch version. That matters
because the usable roster expands from ten to sixteen aircraft, the Scenario material
adds U.S. Army and Japanese Army careers plus Philippines and New Guinea missions,
and the game files are already at the late 1.5b code level. Do not apply an old 1.4
patch to a current digital install unless you are deliberately rebuilding a retail
copy.
-= Practice the Mission Type before Starting a Career =-
Pilot Career uses the same basic mission jobs as Single Mission, but career losses
and survival matter. Learn fighter sweep, CAP, bomber escort, base bombing, ship
bombing and torpedo attack in Single Mission first. A player who can land a fighter
but has never practiced a torpedo drop is still unprepared for a career built around
torpedo bombers.
-= Use Autopilot and Quick Cruise for the Long Transit =-
Pacific missions can spend a long time between takeoff and contact. Use Autopilot for
routine navigation and use Quick Cruise from the Pilot Map when you only need to skip
to the combat area. Quick Cruise still consumes mission time and fuel; it is not a
teleport and it is unavailable after combat has begun. Outside Training Mode,
autopilot will not fight or land for you, so take control when the game warns that
combat has started.
-= Do Not Fight a Zero on Its Preferred Terms =-
The early American fighters are tougher, but the Zero is lighter, more agile and a
better close-in turning fighter. In a Wildcat, Hellcat or Corsair, keep speed, use
diving or climbing passes and break away before the fight becomes a flat turning
contest. In a Zero, reverse that logic: close the range, force repeated turns and
deny later U.S. fighters the distance they need for hit-and-run attacks.
-= Cycle Guns When Ammunition Is Limited =-
The default gun setting fires all available forward guns together. Press S to cycle
through All, Primary only and Secondary only when the aircraft has more than one
forward gun group. On realistic ammunition settings, this can preserve the heavier or
more useful battery for a finishing pass instead of wasting every barrel on
long-range snapshots. There is no automatic ammunition counter, so judge remaining
fire by burst length rather than waiting for a cockpit number.
-= Search First, Strike Second in Carrier Battle =-
Carrier Battle is won by information and deck management before it is won by
dogfighting. Search aircraft are unavailable for CAP or strikes until they return, so
use enough planes to cover the likely enemy bearing without stripping the carrier of
combat strength. Once a carrier or major task group is identified, assemble a strike
with escorts while still leaving CAP overhead. A perfect strike launched blind is
usually worse than a smaller strike launched at a confirmed target.
-= Protect Carrier Speed by Scuttling a Cripple =-
A heavily damaged ship can slow an entire task group and make every carrier in it
easier to catch. The Task Group menu includes a Damaged Ships option that lets you
scuttle a cripple. Losing one ship deliberately can be the correct move when keeping
it would reduce the speed of the surviving carrier group.
-= Higher Realism Pays More but Changes the Aircraft =-
Difficulty is assembled from realism options rather than one global slider. Higher
settings raise the score multiplier, but the Realistic flight model also adds engine
overheating, torque, structural failure, trim and dive buffeting. Carrier arrestor
cables are then limited to the rear third of the deck. Increase realism one family at
a time so you know whether a new failure came from flight physics, ammunition,
collisions, enemy skill or another option.
-= Use Flight Films as a Single-Mission Checkpoint =-
Every normal mission is recorded as a Flight Film. A saved film is more than a
replay: load it in the viewer, seek to a useful frame and press Enter to take control
from that point, creating a different continuation. This is a powerful recovery tool
for stand-alone missions, but it does not replace the automatic end-of-mission save
used by Pilot Career.
Current PC Edition and Game Modes:
----------------------------------
-= Current Windows Distribution =-
The current GOG offline installer is version 1.5b and runs through DOSBox. Steam also
ships the late game data, including the 1.5b patch files and Scenario-era assets. GOG
is DRM-free and can be launched offline after installation. Both current storefronts
present the game as a Windows product even though the simulation itself is the
original DOS program running inside an emulator.
-= Main Modes =-
* Carrier Battle - command a U.S. Navy or Imperial Japanese Navy carrier force on the
strategic map, with the option to enter individual 3-D air engagements.
* Pilot Career - fly a continuing career in one aircraft branch; Scenario content
adds U.S. Army and Japanese Army careers to the original naval careers.
* Fly Single Mission - select one historical mission and practice without risking a
career.
* High Scores - review top carrier commanders and pilots.
* Flight Films - replay, edit and re-enter recorded missions.
* Mission Builder - create or modify missions and save them into the MISSIONS
subdirectory.
* Configure Game - assign flight, camera, throttle and rudder controls and configure
sound.
-= Scenario and Gold Content =-
The Scenario expansion adds the land-based Army careers, Philippines and New Guinea
mission sets, six flyable fighters and hundreds of additional missions. It also
introduced the original two-computer modem mode. Gold bundled the base game and
Scenario material. Modern Steam and GOG packages contain the Gold/Scenario game
content, but their storefronts do not provide modern matchmaking or a native online
lobby.
Controls and Flight Operations:
-------------------------------
-= Core Keyboard Flight Controls =-
* Arrow Down - pitch up.
* Arrow Up - pitch down.
* Arrow Left / Arrow Right - roll left / right.
* , / . / / - rudder left / center / right.
* Shift - fire forward guns.
* Enter - drop primary ordnance.
* Backspace - drop secondary ordnance or jettison the external tank where applicable.
* Tab - fire a rocket.
* A - autopilot on/off.
* B - wheel brakes on/off.
* D - dive brakes on/off.
* G - landing gear up/down.
* H - arrestor hook up/down.
* L - cockpit red light.
* N - set nose trim; Alt+N clears nose trim.
* S - cycle forward gun groups.
* [ / ] - retract / extend flaps by one-third.
* Alt+B - bail out.
-= Throttle and Time Controls =-
* Shift+= - maximum throttle.
* = / - - increase / decrease throttle by 10 percent.
* Shift+- - minimum throttle / engine off.
* Number row - direct throttle settings in 10-percent steps, with 0 for 100 percent.
* T / R - accelerate / decelerate time.
* Shift+T - maximum time rate.
* Shift+R - return to normal 1x time.
* Alt+P - pause.
* Q - quit the current mission or Carrier Battle after confirmation.
* Alt+Q - quit to DOS after confirmation.
* F10 - open flight-control configuration.
-= Views, Map and Padlock =-
* F1 - standard cockpit view.
* F2 / F3 - left / right wing views.
* F4 / F5 - left / right shoulder views.
* F6 - external chase camera.
* F7 - external tracking camera.
* F8 - change planes when the current situation allows it.
* F9 - graphics detail controls.
* I / K - move the pilot view up / down; M opens the cockpit map.
* Alt+F1 - Virtual Cockpit in fighters; in multi-station aircraft it changes station.
* Alt+F2 - bombsight in bombers.
* Alt+F7 - free external camera.
* J - lock or unlock Padlock while in Virtual Cockpit; hold controller Button 2 to
keep the locked aircraft centered.
* C - Quick Cruise from the Pilot Map when combat has not started.
-= Joystick and Mouse Setup =-
The original design expects a joystick or mouse for primary flight control and
recommends using both. In Configure Game, assign Primary Flight Control, Camera
Control, throttle and rudder separately. If a modern stick jitters or pulls off
center, run the in-game calibration before changing the flight model. With DOSBox,
setting joystick timing to false is a common modern fix for unstable analog behavior.
-= Takeoff Sequence =-
For a normal runway or carrier takeoff, set at least about 80 percent power, release
the wheel brakes, let the aircraft accelerate and rotate gently. Treat roughly 80 to
90 knots as a broad takeoff average rather than a universal rotation speed; every
type stalls differently. Once clearly airborne, raise retractable gear and clean up
flaps as airspeed builds. The Aichi Val has fixed landing gear and cannot retract it.
-= Carrier Landing Sequence =-
Approach slowly and straight with gear down, flaps extended and the arrestor hook
lowered. Keep the nose slightly high and avoid large bank corrections close to the
deck. In the Realistic flight model, the arrestor wires cover only the rear third of
the carrier, so aim for that zone rather than the bow. After touchdown, cut throttle
and apply wheel brakes. If the approach is unstable, go around instead of trying to
save it with a violent last-second correction.
-= Ditching and Bailout =-
A controlled ditch can preserve a career pilot better than a high-speed crash. For
the safest ditch, reach the water extremely slowly and effectively stall below about
50 feet. For career and scoring purposes, a ditch is treated like a bailout: rescue,
capture or death is then resolved rather than the game treating the impact as a
normal landing.
Weapons and Attack Runs:
------------------------
-= Dive-Bombing =-
Dive bombers work best when the dive is established before release. Use Alt+F2 for
the bombsight and extend dive brakes early enough for them to take effect. The sight
shows dive-angle and altitude guidance; when the drop conditions reach the correct
zone, the release cue turns red. Drop the primary bomb load with Enter, retract the
brakes as you pull out and do not stay in the dive after the bomb is gone.
-= Torpedo Runs =-
The Kate, Devastator and Avenger can carry torpedoes, and the release envelope is not
the same for both navies. For U.S. airborne torpedoes, settle at about 200 to 300
feet and stay at or below 110 knots; their stated maximum range is roughly 6,300
yards. Japanese torpedoes use about 300 to 400 feet and permit up to 260 knots, but
their stated airborne range is only about 2,200 yards. Approach across the target
ship's path, stay perfectly level and release with Enter only after the aircraft is
stable. Japanese weapons are still modeled as much more accurate and reliable despite
the shorter quoted range.
-= The Late Build Removed the Dud-Torpedo Toggle =-
Late 1.5b builds no longer expose the Dud Torpedoes realism option described in older
manuals. On a current 1.5b digital build, do not waste time looking for a missing Dud
Torpedoes switch. Bad release geometry can still make a torpedo fail to hit, so
altitude, speed, level attitude and lead remain the important player controls.
-= Fighter Gunnery =-
Short, close bursts are more useful than long-range spraying, especially with
realistic ammunition. Lead the target rather than placing the sight directly on it,
and use the sun or altitude to control the merge. If a damaged enemy is already
falling, break away and look for the next threat; kill credit goes to the pilot who
did the most damage, not automatically to whoever fired the last round.
-= Rear-Gunner Stations =-
Multi-seat bombers let you change battle stations. Use the rear or dorsal gunner when
a fighter is sitting on your tail, but remember that the pilot station is required
for tasks such as launching a torpedo. Switching stations does not make the aircraft
stop flying, so establish a stable course before leaving the pilot's view.
Aircraft:
---------
-= Original Ten Aircraft =-
* Mitsubishi A6M2/A6M5 Reisen 'Zeke' - Japanese fighter; extremely agile and fragile.
Best in close turning combat.
* Nakajima B5N 'Kate' - Japanese torpedo bomber; stable attack platform with a rear
gunner, but vulnerable without escort.
* Aichi D3A 'Val' - Japanese dive bomber; steady in the dive, fixed landing gear and
strong dive brakes.
* Grumman F4F-3/F4F-4 Wildcat - U.S. fighter; tough and heavily armed, but should
avoid a pure turning contest with a Zero.
* Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat - U.S. fighter; faster and stronger than the early Wildcat
and well suited to hit-and-run attacks against Zeros.
* Chance Vought F4U Corsair - U.S. fighter; fast, powerful and heavily armed, but
high torque and poor forward visibility make low-speed handling and landing
demanding.
* Curtiss SB2C Helldiver - U.S. dive bomber; heavier and more awkward than the
Dauntless, with demanding low-speed handling.
* Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless - U.S. scout/dive bomber; light controls, reliable dive
behavior and forgiving carrier landing characteristics.
* Douglas TBD-1 Devastator - U.S. torpedo bomber; very slow and obsolete in combat,
but stable at low speed and easy to land.
* Grumman TBF Avenger - U.S. torpedo bomber with dorsal and ventral gunners; heavy
but stable on a shallow torpedo run.
-= Scenario Expansion Fighters =-
* Lockheed P-38 Lightning - U.S. Army twin-engine fighter added by Scenario.
* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk - U.S. Army fighter added by Scenario.
* North American P-51 Mustang - U.S. Army fighter added by Scenario.
* Kawasaki Ki-61 'Tony' - Japanese Army fighter added by Scenario.
* Nakajima Ki-84 'Frank' - Japanese Army fighter added by Scenario.
* Kawanishi N1K 'George' - Japanese fighter added by Scenario.
-= Pick the Airframe for the Mission =-
The roster is not a flat progression ladder. Carrier fighters, dive bombers and
torpedo bombers solve different mission types, while the Scenario fighters open later
land-based careers and missions. Do not judge an Avenger by how it dogfights or a
Zero by how much damage it absorbs. The useful question is whether the aircraft's
strengths match the assigned job and the realism options you have enabled.
Single Missions and Pilot Career:
---------------------------------
-= Six Mission Types =-
* Fighter Sweep - clear or reduce enemy air defenses before a larger strike.
* Combat Air Patrol (CAP) - defend a carrier, base or task group against incoming
aircraft.
* Bomber Escort - keep attacking bombers alive long enough to reach and strike the
target.
* Bomb Base - attack a land base with a dive bomber or other bomb-capable aircraft.
* Bomb Ship - attack enemy shipping with bombs.
* Torpedo Ship - attack a ship with a torpedo-capable aircraft.
-= Choose a Career Specialty before the Tour Starts =-
A new career pilot chooses one of three specialties: Fighter, Dive Bomber or Torpedo
Bomber. That choice determines the aircraft job around which the tour is built, so
practice the matching Single Mission family before committing a pilot you care about.
Career pilots also cannot freely jump to another flight position the way Single
Mission pilots can; promotion is required before their flight position changes.
-= Career Survival Matters More than One Score =-
Career turns isolated missions into a tour of duty. The briefing assigns the job, the
pre-flight screen lets you choose realism for that mission, and the game saves career
progress after the mission. Promotions and decorations reward performance, but an
extremely high rank can remove the pilot from flying duty. A heroic mission that
kills the pilot is therefore a very different result from the same score in Single
Mission.
-= Career Does Not Use Flight-Film Checkpoints =-
Flight Films can be used to branch a stand-alone mission from an earlier frame, but
Career missions are not resumable that way. Career state is committed between
missions. If a career matters to you, preserve the underlying pilot data before
experimenting with configuration changes or external file edits.
-= Army Careers Require Scenario Content =-
The original game concentrates on U.S. Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy aviation.
Scenario adds U.S. Army and Japanese Army careers, land-based aircraft and
Philippines/New Guinea content. If a guide tells you the game only has two career
services or ten flyable planes, it is describing the base release rather than the
current Gold-equivalent digital package.
Carrier Battle:
---------------
-= Five Historical Carrier Battles =-
* Coral Sea - May 1942; search and strike before the opposing carriers can interfere
with the Port Moresby operation.
* Midway - June 1942; the battle revolves around finding and crippling the opposing
carrier force while protecting Midway and your own flight decks.
* Eastern Solomons - August 1942; carrier operations are tied to the fight over
Guadalcanal and reinforcement routes.
* Santa Cruz - October 1942; both sides operate under heavy attrition around
Guadalcanal.
* Philippine Sea - June 1944; a later-war scenario with much stronger late U.S.
aircraft and a very different force balance.
-= Know What Each Side Is Trying to Accomplish =-
* Coral Sea - USN: damage the Japanese carrier force and stop the Port Moresby
invasion. IJN: protect the invasion and keep the American force contained in the
Coral Sea.
* Midway - USN: protect Midway and destroy the approaching Japanese carrier force.
IJN: seize Midway while drawing the American carriers into the decisive battle
Yamamoto wants.
* Eastern Solomons - USN: protect the Marines and Henderson Field while crippling the
IJN carriers. IJN: cover reinforcements, help retake Henderson Field and destroy
the American carriers.
* Santa Cruz - USN: prevent Japanese reinforcements from reaching Guadalcanal and
find the enemy carriers. IJN: cover the reinforcement landing while the carrier
force attacks the American carriers.
* Philippine Sea - USN: protect the Saipan operation and destroy Japan's remaining
carrier air power. IJN: use land-based strikes and the Mobile Fleet to cripple
Fifth Fleet and deny the Americans Saipan.
-= Carrier Battle Map Controls =-
* Z - zoom the strategic map in; action pauses while the new scale is selected.
* X - zoom the strategic map out.
* Opening a friendly force information box and its Command Menu pauses battle time
while orders are being issued.
-= Air Search Is a Resource Commitment =-
A search sweep ties up the selected aircraft until the search is cancelled and the
planes return. Set the number of aircraft and the search direction to cover the
likely threat, then launch. If you change range, scope or direction while the sweep
is already out, the order does not take effect immediately; the aircraft have to
return before receiving the new search plan.
-= Keep CAP and Strike Aircraft in Balance =-
Every plane assigned to search or CAP is temporarily unavailable for a strike. Every
plane launched in the strike is absent from carrier defense. Before sending the
entire deck at one contact, check whether the enemy can launch a counterstrike
against an uncovered carrier. A practical strike normally needs the target aircraft,
fighter escort and enough home CAP to survive the return trip.
-= Lead Flight Owns the Strike Altitude =-
Flights inside one strike stay together for mutual support. Only the lead flight's
cruising altitude is directly adjustable; the rest of the strike matches it
automatically. If a strike seems to be cruising at the wrong altitude, edit the lead
element rather than trying to correct every attached flight.
-= Sightings and Reports Can Lie =-
Carrier Battle can simulate inaccurate reconnaissance and battle reports. With those
realism options enabled, a reported carrier may be another ship type and damage
reports may be wrong. Confirm important contacts with continued search coverage
instead of spending the entire air group on one unverified icon.
-= Entering a 3-D Engagement Does Not Replace the Strategic Model =-
When you jump into the cockpit during a Carrier Battle engagement, your flying
matters, but large actions still combine the 3-D result with statistically resolved
damage because the engine cannot represent every aircraft at once. If you abort your
piloting before the engagement ends, the computer finishes the action as though you
had chosen to observe it.
-= Japanese Radio Silence Is Intentional =-
Japanese aircraft do not receive the same in-flight radio messages as American
aircraft. This is intentional historical behavior rather than a sound bug. Do not
troubleshoot missing Japanese radio calls as a broken sound installation unless other
digital sound is also missing.
Mission Builder and Flight Films:
---------------------------------
-= Build the Mission in the Right Order =-
Choose the map area, home base and target before spending time on detailed flight
orders. The late game notes warn that changing home base or target after flights
already have orders can reset those orders. Establish the mission frame first, then
create and position the flights.
-= Mission Builder Limits =-
A custom mission can contain at most 16 aircraft total across both sides. The builder
can also place large naval forces, up to 96 ships. More objects make the mission
harder to read and can reduce performance, so use the extra capacity only when it
serves the scenario rather than filling every slot.
-= Every Attack Mission Needs a Valid Attack Capability =-
Mission type does not automatically make an aircraft capable of the objective. A
Torpedo Ship mission still needs at least one torpedo-capable aircraft, and a bombing
objective needs aircraft that can carry the required ordnance. New flights are also
placed somewhat arbitrarily until you position them; an uncorrected flight can simply
run out of fuel before it reaches the action.
-= Custom Missions Live in MISSIONS =-
Saved custom missions are stored under the game's MISSIONS subdirectory and appear in
the normal Single Mission listing for their mission type. If saving a custom mission
throws old Exit Error 108, check whether the MISSIONS directory actually exists
before changing the mission itself.
-= Preserve the Original Flight Film before Editing =-
The Film Viewer can save edited copies. Give the first edit a new name rather than
overwriting the source film. Once the original reel is replaced, you lose the
untouched record that could have been used to branch the mission again from another
point.
Scenario Add-on and Legacy Multiplayer:
---------------------------------------
-= What Scenario Adds =-
* Six flyable fighters: P-38, P-40, P-51, Ki-61 Tony, Ki-84 Frank and N1K George.
* U.S. Army and Japanese Army career paths.
* Philippines and New Guinea mission content.
* More than 300 additional Single Mission scenarios.
* More than 200 missions designed for original modem play.
-= Legacy Modem Play Is Not Modern Online Multiplayer =-
Scenario's multiplayer was designed for two computers connected through modem or
equivalent serial networking. It supports head-to-head and cooperative missions. The
current Steam and GOG store entries do not expose provider matchmaking or a modern
lobby, so this is preservation functionality rather than a click-to-play online mode.
Running it today requires deliberate legacy serial or DOSBox networking setup.
-= Modem Missions Remove Some Time-Saving Tools =-
During original Modem Play, the Pilot Map and time-compression controls are disabled.
Either player can pause the session with Alt+P, and F9 or F10 pauses both computers
while graphics or controls are being changed. Do not troubleshoot M, R or T as broken
keys if you are deliberately running a modem mission; those limits are part of the
mode.
Cheat Codes:
------------
-= RASTA Cheat Mode =-
Type RASTA during play to enable the hidden cheat mode/menu. The activation word is
dependable, but a trustworthy complete map of every possible submenu key and effect
has not survived with the same confidence. Use RASTA itself and avoid unrelated key
lists that appear to have been copied from other games or mixed cheat archives.
-= Padlock Is a Normal View Feature, Not a Cheat =-
Alt+F1 plus J is often repeated as a cheat-page tracking trick, but Padlock is a
normal Virtual Cockpit feature. In a fighter, enter Virtual Cockpit, center an enemy
in view, press J to lock it and hold controller Button 2 when you want the virtual
head to center on that aircraft. Press J again to clear the lock.
Secrets:
--------
-= Version Check Is Hidden on the Main Menu =-
Press Alt+V from the Main Menu to display the game version. This is the fastest way
to distinguish an old retail installation from a late patched build when
troubleshooting aircraft availability, AI behavior or Scenario content.
-= Quick Cruise Is the Best Anti-Grind Tool =-
Open the Pilot Map and press C to jump the flight forward to the combat area once
cruising altitude is reached. Time and fuel are still consumed and the option does
not work after combat starts, so it preserves the mission rather than bypassing its
logistics.
-= Flight Films Can Rewrite a Stand-Alone Mission =-
The replay system is effectively a branching timeline for Single Mission play. Load a
saved film, move to the frame before the mistake and enter the mission from there.
You can turn a failed torpedo run, carrier approach or dogfight into a second attempt
without flying the entire transit again.
-= Training Mode Gives Unlimited Bombs or Torpedoes =-
Training Mode turns enemy aircraft into non-firing drones and supplies unlimited
bombs or torpedoes. It awards no score and cannot be used for career missions. Use it
to learn dive brakes, bombsight timing, torpedo release and carrier landing without
converting practice mistakes into career losses.
-= Current Digital Packages Hide More Content than the Store Summary Suggests =-
The modern product pages describe the original ten-aircraft naval simulation, but the
installed digital packages include Scenario/Gold-era files and late patches. If only
ten aircraft appear in a particular menu, check the selected service, mission type
and content mode before assuming the six Scenario fighters are missing from the
installation.
Solutions:
----------
-= The Plane Spins or Pulls Hard as Soon as Realistic Flight Starts =-
1. Return to Configure Game and calibrate the joystick through its full travel before
flying again.
2. If you use DOSBox, set joystick timing to false in the provider configuration and
retest before changing several settings at once.
3. Start with the easier flight model, then re-enable Realistic flight after the
controls remain centered and stable.
4. Remember that Realistic flight adds engine torque and trim, so a small left pull
under power can be expected even after calibration.
-= Autopilot Refuses to Fight or Land =-
1. Confirm that you are not relying on Training Mode behavior when flying a normal
mission.
2. Use autopilot only for normal navigation and cruise outside combat.
3. Take control when the game reports combat contact; normal autopilot will not fight
for you.
4. Fly the landing yourself. Outside Training Mode, autopilot does not complete the
landing sequence.
-= Torpedoes Keep Missing or Failing =-
1. Use a Kate, Devastator or Avenger and make sure you are in the pilot station.
2. Descend early and stabilize in low, level flight before the final approach.
3. Approach across the target ship's path instead of chasing directly from behind.
4. Avoid a hard bank or altitude change just before release, then drop primary
ordnance with Enter.
5. Practice the same run in Training Mode if you need to learn the release geometry
without limited weapons.
-= Carrier Landing Keeps Missing the Wires =-
1. Lower gear, extend flaps and lower the arrestor hook before the final approach.
2. Line up straight with the deck and reduce speed early instead of making a steep
last-second descent.
3. With Realistic flight enabled, aim for the rear third of the deck because that is
where the arrestor cables are modeled.
4. Touch down under control, cut throttle and brake. If alignment is already bad, add
power and go around.
-= A Custom Mission Will Not Save =-
1. Exit the Mission Builder without overwriting another working mission if the save
operation is failing.
2. Close the game and inspect the mounted game-data folder.
3. Confirm that a MISSIONS subdirectory exists under the active MPS game folder.
4. If it is missing, create the directory, relaunch the game and save a small test
mission before rebuilding a large scenario.
-= Japanese Aircraft Have No Radio Calls =-
1. Check whether gunfire, explosions and other digital effects are working normally.
2. If other sound works, do not reinstall: Japanese pilots intentionally lack the
American-style radio messages.
3. Troubleshoot the sound system only when multiple digital sound families are
missing or distorted.
-= A Long Mission Takes Too Much Real Time =-
1. Use Autopilot for ordinary navigation until the formation is established.
2. Open the Pilot Map before combat and press C for Quick Cruise.
3. Expect mission time and fuel to be consumed normally even though the transit is
skipped on screen.
4. Take manual control when combat begins, because Quick Cruise and normal autopilot
are not combat substitutes.
-= Digital Sound Is Garbled in the Modern Steam Build =-
1. Back up the provider DOSBox configuration and the MPS game-data folder before
editing anything.
2. Confirm the in-game digital sound device is configured for the emulated sound
hardware rather than repeatedly reinstalling the game.
3. If distortion remains, use the established JEMM memory-manager route: disable
DOSBox XMS, EMS and UMB for the game session, load JEMMEX with a frame at E000,
then launch PAW.
4. Start DOSBox performance around 20,000 to 40,000 cycles and test; increase only if
the simulation is still slow.
5. If you use GOG and sound already works, keep the provider configuration instead of
applying a Steam-specific fix.
Technical Issues:
-----------------
-= Current Digital Build and DOSBox =-
GOG currently distributes a Windows offline installer labeled 1.5b, and both GOG and
Steam run the original DOS simulation through DOSBox. The current packages already
include late patch material. Verify the provider files before installing historical
patch archives over them.
-= Steam Digital Sound Distortion =-
The Steam package can distort digitized effects under its bundled DOSBox memory
setup. The reliable modern repair uses JEMM rather than DOSBox's normal XMS/EMS/UMB
handling for the game session; current DOSBox Staging also supports PAW's JEMM-based
sound route.
-= DOSBox Performance and Joystick Timing =-
If the sim is choppy while the host PC is idle, raise DOSBox cycles instead of
reducing every in-game detail first. A practical starting range is about 20,000 to
40,000 cycles with a dynamic core. For modern analog sticks, timed=false is also a
useful first test when axes jitter or throttle/rudder input behaves erratically.
-= Recalibrate before Blaming the Flight Model =-
PAW was designed around 1990s analog hardware and expects calibration. Move each
assigned control through its full range or use the in-game Calibrate function before
flight. The Realistic model adds genuine torque, trim and stall behavior, so separate
a hardware centering problem from an aircraft that is intentionally harder to fly.
-= Black Screen or Startup Failure after Custom DOSBox Changes =-
Return to a known-good provider configuration first. PAW has unusual expanded-memory
requirements and current sound fixes deliberately replace the normal DOSBox memory
manager with JEMM. Mixing an old EMM386 recipe, a modern JEMM recipe and provider
defaults can produce a non-starting session even when the game files are intact.
-= Steam and GOG Do Not Share a Normal Windows Save Folder =-
PAW does not write to a modern Documents or AppData save tree. Save and configuration
state lives inside the DOSBox-mounted game directory. A provider reinstall or manual
folder cleanup can therefore remove career data if the MPS folder was not backed up
first. Treat the mounted game folder itself as user data.
-= Cloud Behavior Is Not a Backup Plan =-
Current wrapper behavior differs between providers and configurations, and historical
PAW was never designed around account-based saves. Even where a client can
synchronize files, keep a manual copy of the complete mounted MPS folder before
moving PCs, changing DOSBox, testing patches or editing career data.
Reference:
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-= Current Product Scope =-
* Current Windows digital code level - 1.5b on the GOG offline installer; Steam ships
the late patch files as well.
* Current digital content - Gold/Scenario-equivalent game data under DOSBox.
* Original roster - 10 flyable aircraft.
* Scenario addition - 6 more fighters, bringing the practical Gold roster to 16.
* Scenario regions - Philippines and New Guinea.
* Scenario services - U.S. Army and Japanese Army careers in addition to the two
naval services.
-= Mission-Type Lookup =-
* Fighter Sweep - offensive fighter clearing mission.
* CAP - defensive fighter patrol.
* Bomber Escort - protect attacking bombers.
* Bomb Base - bomb a land target.
* Bomb Ship - bomb a naval target.
* Torpedo Ship - attack shipping with torpedoes.
-= Carrier Battle Lookup =-
* Coral Sea - 1942.
* Midway - 1942.
* Eastern Solomons - 1942.
* Santa Cruz - 1942.
* Philippine Sea - 1944.
-= Fast Control Lookup =-
* A - autopilot.
* B - wheel brakes.
* D - dive brakes.
* G - landing gear.
* H - arrestor hook.
* L - cockpit red light.
* S - cycle gun groups.
* Enter - primary ordnance.
* Backspace - secondary ordnance / external tank.
* Tab - rocket.
* M - Pilot Map.
* C - Quick Cruise from Pilot Map before combat.
* Alt+F1 - Virtual Cockpit / station function.
* J - Padlock lock/unlock in Virtual Cockpit.
* Alt+F2 - bombsight.
* F9 - graphics detail.
* F10 - control configuration.
* Alt+V - display version from Main Menu.
* RASTA - enable hidden cheat mode/menu during play.
-= Backup Lookup =-
* Safest backup - the complete active MPS game-data folder while DOSBox is closed.
* Current Steam data root inside the install - MPS\PACIFIC.
* Career-related files present in the current package - pilots.dat and pilots_a.dat.
* Hall of Fame - hallfame.dat.
* Configuration - config.ft.
* Custom missions - missions\.
* Validated modern save editor - none found; use backup and restore instead.
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- All Cheats and Codes inside from the first CHEATBOOK January 1998 until today.
More Infos |
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