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 RB REAL The Realism Patch    Copyright (C) 1996 by Joe "the Maverick" Scoleri

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            You are given permission to freely distribute the files
        in this archive so long as none of them are altered or removed
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 Call The Maverick's QUODTEGITUR BBS for the latest RBHex files (209) 223-1590
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*** AN IMPORTANT WARNING ***

    Please, before installing any patches in Red Baron, take the time to
back up your files in case of unforseen loss or damage...  I have been
"customizing" the Red Baron software for over three years now but because
of the nature of hex-editing and patching software in this manner you
use these utilities at your own risk.  (That having been said, this 
technique has already been used successfully in a Red Baron tournament
on Compuserve and nobody lost their hard drive over it!)

    Also, if you are UPGRADING an earlier version of the patch or replacing
a tournament patch, please run the uninstall batch file for the old patch
before copying the new patch to your Red Baron directory.



< WHAT NOW, MAVERICK? >

    Ok, I'm guilty!  Another Red Baron patch...

    RB REAL collects my realism patches into one easy to use patch and
adds a couple new ones.  There are at least three good reasons for doing
this:  First, you don't have to have the batch files for a dozen patches
cluttering up your directory.  Second, you can switch back to your previous
configuration by running just one batch file.  Third, the RB REAL patch
allows you to easily exchange VCR tapes by noting that they were created
with the RB REAL patch!



< WHAT'S NOT HERE? >

    RB REAL only modifies aircraft performance data and the in-flight
messages.  The patch does not correct historical inaccuracies in the
campaign game.  The patch does not add flex guns to fighters since the
method I devised for adding them is not of sufficient accuracy to justify
their inclusion in a "realism" patch.  The patch also does not add the
M1.C. Finally, the patch does not alter the standard aircraft colors.

    These options can still be added by using the appropriate patches
AFTER you have installed RB REAL.  Any campaign patches you want to use
should also be installed after installing RB REAL.  Any changes made
by RB COLOR will not be affected by the installation or removal of the
realism patch.



< INSTALLATION >

    IMPORTANT:  Always run the uninstall for old copies of RB REAL or
RB Tourney patches BEFORE installing the new realism or tourney patch.

    It is suggested that you install RB REAL on a fresh copy of Red Baron.
However, the program automatically saves your current configuration and
should install right over whatever you are running right now.  PLEASE
BACK UP RED BARON BEFORE INSTALLING THIS PATCH IN CASE OF UNFORSEEN PROBLEMS!

    Copy all of the patch files (_RBR000.OFF - _RBR018.RB, RBEXPERT.EXE,
RBR-INST.BAT and RBR-UNIN.BAT) to your Red Baron directory.  The DOS file
DEBUG.EXE must be in your path or in the Red Baron directory.

    To install, run RBR-INST.BAT.  The batch file will create the subdirectory
RBRBACKUP under your Red Baron directory and copy your original files to
that directory.  Please make sure you have about 1 Meg of hard disk space
free to make sure all of your files are backed up.  After your files are
backed up, the patch will execute a number of debug routines to adjust the
aircraft performance values.  Finally, the patch will run RB EXPERT (more
about that later.)

    To remove the patch, run RBR-UNIN.BAT.

    To install RB EXPERT without installing the patch, just run RBEXPERT.
To restore your default in-flight messages, run RBEXPERT RESTORE.
    


< CHANGES >

    RB REAL makes the following changes to your Red Baron aircraft data files:

    RBR001 is the unpack utility that will extract the fresh aircraft data
files that will be modified by the patch.

    RBR002 alters the rear gunner field of fire for the Bristol, DH4, Junkers,
RE8, Roland, Rumpler, Gotha and Handley.  The rear gunners can now fire at
lower angles (approximately 3 degrees below horizontal) forcing you to attack
from below.

    RBR003 gives the N28 its historical twin Vickers configuration.  The
drag factor is raised somewhat to give a more historical airspeed reading
for this configuration.

    RBR004 gives the SE5 dual tracers.  (If you do not desire dual tracers
on the SE5, you may delete this file.)

    RBR005 reduces the firepower factor of the guns on all recon and bomber
aircraft to compensate for their unnatural accuracy.  The firepower factor is
reduced by 1/2.  (See RBR019 for Handley firepower.)

    RBR006 is one of three firepower patches for the fighters (RBR016 and
RBR017 complete the modifications described in this section.)  I did a
review of the firepower factors assigned to all fighters and came up with
the following new decimal rankings:

    1392 - High effectiveness twin gun (new rating)
    1300 - Normal twin gun (previously all twin gun fighters)
    1028 - High effectiveness single gun (previously N11, Halb, and E.III)
     900 - Normal single gun (previously N17 only)
     800 - Reduced effectiveness single gun (previously most all single gun)

    The new ratings are applied as follows:

    1392 - SE5
    1300 - All other twin gun fighters
    1028 - Airco, N11, Halberstadt, Fokker E.III
     900 - All other single gun except Morane
     800 - Morane

    The assignments were made based on the following factors:  rate of fire
(early Spandau much higher than Vickers) and presence of interrupter gear
(which would further reduce rate of fire so N11 and Airco have a slight
advantage since they didn't fire through the propeller arc.)  According to
that rationale the SE5 should get a slight bonus above other twin gun
aircraft and I have scaled the new ranking according to one gun firing
though the propeller arc and one gun mounted on the top wing.  Because the
Morane interrupter gear was especially crude at times, it was assigned a
lower ranking than the other single gun fighters.

    RBR007 is the new wing strength value for the SE5 and D.VII.  These
aircraft no longer have indestructible wings.  See also RBR015.

    RBR008 reduces the size rating of the bomber and recon aircraft, making
mid-air collisions a little less likely.  All are modified except the
Gotha, Junkers, and Handley which remain the same because of their
extraordinary size.  The Roland and BE2 are modified by RBR009.

    RBR009 reduces the size rating of the fighter aircraft in order to
make the mid-air collisions a little more realistic.  The BE2 and Roland
are given the same value as a fighter because they are closer in size to
the fighters (37' or less wingspan) than to the bombers (40' or over.)

    RBR010 increases the ceiling of the N28 to 18,000 feet.

    RBR011 allows all fighters that would not spin to exhibit mild spin
characteristics if mishandled.  Aircraft affected are the Albatros D.II,
D.III, and D.V, Fokker E.III, D.VII, and D.VIII, Morane, Pfalz, SE5,
Pup, SPAD VII and SPAD XIII.

    RBR012 causes all rotary engine fighters which did not exhibit torque
effects to have mild torque effects.  Aircraft affected are Fokker D.VIII,
Pup, Nieuport 11, and 28.

    RBR013 gives the Roland its historical 360 degree flex gun field of fire.

    RBR014 sets the D.VIII wing strength at a reasonable value (as weak as the
other weak aircraft, no longer ridiculously weak.)

    RBR015 is the new wing strength value for the SPAD XIII.  Although it is
no longer indestructible, it has a slightly higher value than that given to
the SE5 and D.VII due to the especially hardy nature of this aircraft.

    RBR016 sets the SE5 firepower value (see RBR006.)

    RBR017 sets the Airco firepower value (see RBR006.)

    RBR018 gives the Albatros D.V the same field of fire as other fixed
gun fighters (it had a slightly wider field of fire for some reason.)

    RBR019 reduces the firepower factor of the guns on the Handley.  This
aircraft is given a slightly higher value than the other recon/bomber aircraft
because it had twin flex guns mounted.

    RBR20 reduces the target size value of the Junkers J.I to reflect the
heavy armor, and thus reduced vulnerability, of this aircraft.  The target
size is 1/2 the normal.


< RB EXPERT >

    The final change made by the realism patch is the installation of
RB EXPERT.  This utility modifies your in-flight messages to reflect the
actual limited knowledge of a pilot rather than the enhanced knowledge
given by the standard Red Baron prompts.

    For instance, there is no longer a message announcing "Scratch one
enemy aircraft."  Instead, it will be up to you to determine if your foe
is going into a death spiral or starting a wingover.  You will not be
warned of aircraft damage, you must monitor your instruments (fuel, tach
and oil pressure.)

    Two realism compromises were made for playability/entertainment reasons:
there is an announcement given when you shoot down an enemy ace (everyone
likes to know when this happens) and there is an announcement when your
flight leader is downed so that you know that you can give commands to
the other members of your flight.

    I was inspired to write RB EXPERT after shooting down a fighter at
extreme range.  When the "Scratch one..." message came up on the screen
I thought "There's no way I could tell that from all the way out here."
After manually editing the messages as a test, I decided to write this
utility to automatically change the messages.

    If you don't wish to use RBEXPERT with the realism patch, simply delete
or rename RBEXPERT.EXE prior to installing the patch.  RB EXPERT can also be
installed by itself without using the realism patch as described in the
Installation section above.


< RED BARON LIVES! >

    I bought Red Baron back in 1990 and thoroughly enjoyed it in 16 colors
on my 286-16.  The program also inspired me to move up to VGA.  Six years and
50 megahertz later, I am still enjoying the playability and expandability of
this flight sim.  Thanks to Damon Slye and his Dynamix team for developing this
immensely entertaining program, and for permitting us to tamper with and,
dare I suggest, improve their work.  RB REAL has been my standard configuration
for playing Red Baron ever since I developed it a few months back, and I don't
intend to switch back!  I hope that RB REAL will convince you to find room for
both Red Baron MB and Red Baron II on your hard drive for years to come!
Maybe then the flight sim publishers will realize that expandability and
playability are a hell of a lot more important than pretty pictures...

                                                The Maverick


"Find the enemy and shoot him down.  Anything else is nonsense!" ---

                                                Baron Manfred von Richthofen

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This program created by: Joe "the Maverick" Scoleri, [CID 70671,1524]
                                                     [AOL ThMaverick]

  Please contact me on my BBS (209-223-1590), or through AOL/Compuserve e-mail
          if you have any RED BARON modification suggestions or ideas.

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            All original material Copyright (C) 1996 by Joe Scoleri
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