Once you have launched Falcon BMS and made through the splash screen, you should get to the following page:
As you can see on the top Menu, you can access several sections:
- Instant Action
- Dogfight
- Tactical Engagement
- Campaign
- Tactical Reference
- Comms
- Logbook
- ACMI
- Theater
- Setup
- Exit
¶ Instant Action
This first item is putting you in a quick setup mode where you can select roughly the threats and overall difficulty.
Once the items selected and location, you'll be sent directly in flight with enemies facing you!
Consider this mode as a “survival” mode…
¶ Dogfight
Dogfight Mode is quite straight forward.
We will not get into all the options here but here are some key principles:
¶ Furball & Team Furball
You're solo or in teams against the others (AI or Players) in a continuous flow (continuous respawn until goal points reached)…
Meaning, been killed or killing others will not reset the round or your loadout.
Points will be counted along the number of kills or Team kills.
¶ Match Play
This is probably the most interesting one.
You will fly against one or multiple enemies (grouped per teams).
You goal is to survive the dogfight with you skills and if killed, you will need to wait the end of the round to respawn.
¶ Tactical Engagement
A tactical engagement in Falcon BMS is a mission or training based scenario.
All missions and trainings are shipped under the /Data/Campaign Folder as *.tac or *.trn files.
You have the possibility to create your own scenarios through the TE Builder (not detailed here).
Once your mission or training selected, select the flag you wish to fly for and commit, this will load the mission map and flights…
Just select the right seat and loadout and you should be ready to fly…
Note:
Tactical engagements are not “dynamic” but scenario based missions.
Missions can have goals but can't run for a long period of time…
¶ Campaign
This page is probably the most used, loved and feared section of all Falcon BMS virtual pilots!
Through this page, you can select 6 different campaigns with different levels of difficulty.
In order to start:
- Check the campaign on the left, select it…
- Then select an airbase on the map for the “team” you'd like to fly for…
- Eventually, select the squadron and commit!
The campaign will start and you will be sent in the middle of a virtual dynamic war!
¶ Tactical Reference
The Tactical Reference is a library of most of the assets you can find in Falcon BMS.
You will find a lot of useful information on: aircrafts, vehicules, boats, missiles, ammuntions, bombs, …
It is especially interesting to check as you can find information on performances, type of guidance, symbology, …
So don't neglect this page!
¶ Comms
Clicking on Comms will show up a “pop-up” that will contain your “phonebook” of multiplayer servers…
By default, you will have only 2 lines:
- Host a Game (IPv4)
- Host a Game (IPv6)
To host a game, you will need to:
- select "Host a Game" (IPv4 or IPv6 depending on your provider)
- Connect to IP Address needs to stay with defaut value
- Change Download and Upload based on you line capacity (in Kb/s)
- Change the IVC accordingly (127.0.0.1 for local IVC Server hosting)
To connect as a client, you will need to:
- If the server is in you list, just select it and connect
Otherwise:
- Click New and change the server Name
- Enter IP in IPv4 or IPv6 format
- Put the amount of bandwidth you wish to use (in Kb/s)
- Enter IVC IP and password
- Save it
- Select again and connect!
Note:
We are not covering here the connection troubleshooting.
There are obviously more steps like opening your ports, setting specific parameters in your config file that might be needed
¶ Logbook
This is often neglected but this is where you can create profiles for your virtual pilot.
Just enter a callsign name, a pilot name, select your voice, squadron and avatar.
Once you save it, the interface preferences in Setup will be bound to your profile…
It is important that you setup this page so you're not the infamous: Joe “Pilot” Viper…
¶ ACMI
This is quite straight forward…
You will be able to review your flight recordings (don't forget to enable it in flight).
This is a legacy tool so we would actively recommend to use tools such as: TacView (Freemium)
¶ Theater
Through this page, you will be able to switch theaters.
IMPORTANT
Be advised that BMS will restart in order to load the theater assets and specific database.
¶ Setup
This section will not be covered here in details but you will find all Falcon BMS parameters that UI will allow you to change:
- Interface parameters
- Sounds
- Controls
- Graphics