ASTRAWARE | palm os products

Biplane Ace Information

Current released version: 1.20 - 1st September, 2002
Current release expires: never
Feedback to: Larry Dyde (larry@astraware.com)
Game Info: http://palm.astraware.com/ace/
Recent update headlines: Improved compatibility with new devices and faster loading

Copyright (c) 1999,2000,2001,2002 Astraware Ltd.
All rights reserved.

Introduction

Europe, 1917 - The Western Front; Brave young pilots battle it out for mastery of the skies! Armed with machine guns and protected only by canvas and wood, they pull death-defying aerial acrobatics to gain the crucial advantage. Bank, roll, loop, then Dakadakadaka! Belching thick black smoke, the shattered biplane spirals towards the ground and another pilot bales out and parachutes to the ground, shaking his fist and vowing to wreak revenge on his adversary!
Astraware Biplane Ace gives you a top-down view of all the action. You take the part of one of the prospective 'flying aces' trying to earn fame and renown by battling against pilots from around the world. Twist and turn, duck and weave and when you're on your opponent's tail let the machine gun rip!
Features:
* Full colour or greyscale graphics
* Intelligent computer opponents getting increasingly hard to shake off
* Aircraft wrap over the edges of the screen making a challenging and absorbing game
* Control of roll and speed: bank your 'kite' to turn and gain the advantage
* Sound effects as you shoot, damage and destroy your opponent
* Two player head-to-head dogfighting over IR.
* High score board
* Smoke, fire, clouds, parachutes, a picturesque backdrop and all the eye candy you'd expect from an Astraware game.

If you enjoy Biplane Ace, please take the time to enter a review at PalmGear HQ, Handango or EuroCool.

How To Install

Use an extractor program such as WinZip on the PC or Stuffit Expander on the Mac to get at the Biplane Ace files. Install the game by double-clicking the prc file.

Use the HotSync button as usual to install the game onto your handheld.

Now run Biplane Ace and tap the screen to play the game!

If you've got any queries about Biplane Ace or the registration process, first check out our frequently asked questions page on our website (you must be connected to the internet to access this). If this doesn't help, get in touch with us at support@astraware.com. If you've got any questions (or suggestions, we love those) about the game itself, please get in touch with us at the email address at the top of this page.

Known Problems with Hacks

Biplane Ace graphics and gameplay push the capabilities of your palm to its limits! To do this, we've had to make direct use of much of the hardware of your machine. While this causes no problem for most users, we've had reports from a few users running lots of hacks that the game reports memory problems - even when there is plenty to spare.
Since many hacks also try to use the same hardware calls, sometimes they might be incompatible. If you get the memory error, and you know that you've got enough space, then try de-activating your hacks one by one until you can narrow down which are causing the problems. So far, we have had confirmed reports that Padlockhack and Switchlock, Teal Echo and ScreenWriteHack seem to be incompatible with Biplane Ace.

Speed Up Hacks
There are quite a few hacks available ( Afterburner, Tornado, etc) which allow you to change the speed your main processor runs at. At the expense of some battery life (about 20% less) your palm can run faster by overclocking. This does not cause any problems wit h Biplane Ace, and many users use these hacks to make the game run faster (or slower) than normally allowed by the standard speed settings.

Playing Biplane Ace!

Install and run the game on your Palm.
Tap the screen to start a game.

(Datebook) Left | (Phonebook) Right | (Up) Faster | (To Do List) Fire | (Memo pad) Fire
(Down) Slower

The control buttons can be fully customised if you wish, by selecting the 'Controls...' menu option!

Once you start the game, you will see two aircraft climbing from the ground. The one one the left is yours! (Colour users will see their plane depicted in red, greyscale users will see that their craft is unmarked. The opponent's plane has a bar on each wing to help you identify!)

As soon as they reach their maximum height, the fight is on! You must twist and turn by using the left and right buttons, and try to get behind your opponent! As soon as you do, shoot, and your machine gun should cause damage to the enemy! If you need to make a tighter turn, try slowing down, and you'll turn just a bit quicker to get an edge! When you need to make up ground, press the 'faster' button and push your engine to higher revs.

As more and more damage gets done to either plane, smoke will pour out. If you take either two or three hits, the smoke will be grey and white. If you take another hit, your engine is damaged and you will get thick, oily black smoke pouring out! One more hit, and you're done for - only option left is to bale out before your plane explodes.

Any pilot who is downed, parachutes safely to the ground and quickly procures another plane - and then its back up into the skies to do battle once more!

If you take out an enemy three times, he is replaced by another pilot, who knows a few more tricks. You'll find that the later pilots are quite adept at out-flying you - even though you both have the same type of aircraft! You'll have to learn to use the 'faster' and 'slower' button to keep up with them.

Two Player IR Dogfighting

Instructions for Playing a Two Player Game
1) Make sure the IR ports on the two machines are in line.
2) Select 'Host IR Game' on one machine then select 'Join IR Game' on the other machine. If the connection fails try leaving an re-entering the game on both Palms.
3) Play the game as normal (making sure the IR ports stay lined up), the first player to be shot down three times is the loser.
4) If the connection is lost an icon will be shown in the top left of the screen and it if is not restored the game will be abandoned.

Tips for a good connection

- Use the slowest machine for the the HOST machine.
- If the CLIENT lags behind the HOST try turning off the clouds or background on the CLIENT OR turn on the clouds and background on the HOST.
- If the plane on the CLIENT jumps backwards or seems to slow down then rush ahead occasionally try turning on the background or clouds on the CLIENT OR turn the clouds or background off on the HOST.
- Try using different game speed to find the one that works best, if the CLIENT rushes ahead then using a faster game speed can help. If the CLIENT constantly lags behind then try using a slower gamespeed. You must change the game speed on both machines since they will both run at the speed of the lowest setting.
- By finding a suitable combination of speed, clouds and background on both machines you can maximise the game performance.

Registering

If you downloaded the game straight from the internet, from Astraware's web pages, or from one of the popular Palm download sites, then your copy is in 'Demo' form. Demo

means that you can play 10 games for free, and then decide whether to register it or not. After these games are up, the program will display a short message before each game.

In Demo form, you can play 10 games of Biplane Ace for free, as you decide whether you like it or not. After these games are up, the program will display a short message asking you to register or purchase a full version from a shop!

If you beam a demo to someone else, and they also like the game, then they can register it either by purchasing a copy from a local store, or by purchasing online.

Registering Online:

For those that like the speed and convenience of buying of the internet, when you register for the game, you'll get a key which will unlock the game and remain valid for future 1.x upgrades. Go to the web page at http://palm.astraware.com/ace/
for more details.

You'll need to know your HotSync ID which you can find by running Biplane Ace, and going into the menu, and selecting the 'register' option. Your HotSync ID (or username) will be filled in for you below.
When you register, Astraware will generate a key based on your ID, which will normally be sent out by email within 48 hours of you registering. When you receive your key, go to the same register option, and enter the key into the space provided.

Astraware Products

You can find out about Astraware and the product range we have for the Palm-powered platform by visiting our website at www.astraware.com/.
Here are our top products at time of writing:

Astraware Palm Packs
GameHouse Games Pack 1 | Get shuffling with Nisqually, blast those blocks with Collapse and test your word power with TextTwist!
GameHouse Games Pack 2 |
It's A Blast! Shooting Pack | Let out your tension with some target practice with Astraware's collection of great screen-tapping games!
Palm Games Pack 2001 | 4 games for under $25 - save over 25%
PopCap Games Pack | PopCap Games are sweeping the web, and now Astraware brings the top games to the Palm
Astraware Palm Games
Abysma | It's a race against time as you attempt to fill in the puzzle pieces before the descending bar of doom!
Alchemy | Turn lead into gold in Astraware's addictive PopCap puzzle game!
Astro Defence | Defend your city from the asteroid threat!
Atomica | Make Molecules in Dr. Atomica's Laboratory in Astraware's addictive PopCap puzzle game!
Bang! Bang! | Backyard blasting fun
Bejeweled | Bejeweled is a Palm version of the incredibly popular and addictive online game by PopCap
Big Money! | Coin collecting fun in another Pop Cap classic!
Biplane Ace | Dogfight against rival fighter pilots
Bounce Out | Brain bending ball matching action
Bzzz! for Palm | Fly-catching action for the Palm
Collapse! | Tap matching blocks in this simple but frantic GameHouse game.
Elixir | Collect valuable elixir from a stack of capsules without upsetting the balance in this ultra addictive game from Trixiam Studios.
Eye of Horus | Unleash your magical powers with this Astraware puzzle game.
Galaxy Ranger | Be a Galaxy Ranger, Save the Universe!
Gem Drop | Gem dropping, jewel matching fun
Glinx |
Mad Gab | ...It's not what you SAY, it's what you HEAR!
Mahjongg | Relax your mind with the most authentic Mahjongg solitaire game for Palm-powered handhelds
Mars Needs Cows | The challenging PopCap puzzle game of animal abduction!
Mummy Maze | Escape the maze and outsmart the mummy in this great PopCap game!
Nisqually | Make lines of blocks to clear the screen and complete the level
Noah's Ark | Save pairs of animals from the rising water in this great PopCap game!
Police Range | Police Range is a fast game of reactions, dexterity, accuracy and good judgment!
Round Up | Marble Moving Madness
Seven Seas | Ship Ahoy! Blast pirates with a broadside and navigate through dangerous waters, in this PopCap puzzle game
TacTic | A twist on the classic Tic-Tac-Toe game pits you against the brain
Text Twist | Juggle letters to make as many words as you can in a limited time!
Zap!2000 | Arcade gaming on the Palm has never looked so good!
Zap!2016 | The essential showcase for your 16-bit color Palm
Astraware Palm Applications
e.Guide | Your essential TV episode guide for Palm
Timetable | Know whats when with Timetable!
Timetable Plus | The essential tool for teachers and students, with assignment tracker
Timetable Pro | The essential tool for teachers and students

Release Revision History!

Release 1.20 : 1st September, 2002

- Updated to use latest Astraware Libraries
- Change to code system to reduce cheating.
- Improved compatibility with new devices.
- Faster loading

Release 1.15 : 5th February, 2001

- GamePad support added
- Improved the 'flow control' routines to make two player games much smoother.
- Improved AI at later levels - enemies continue to shoot and fly harder!

Release 1.1 : 1st January, 2001

- Two Player IR dogfighting enabled.
- Minor bug fix (two pilots crashing at the same time would swap planes!)

Release 1.0 : 7th December, 2000

- First Public Release
- Beta Timeout removed

Feedback

If you've got suggestions about how to improve Astraware Biplane Ace - or with reports of any problems you've had, then please contact us!

Biplane Ace enquiries/feedback: ace@astraware.com
Registration problems: registrations@astraware.com
General Astraware enquiries: feedback@astraware.com

Legal

Astraware Ltd takes no responsibility for any adverse effect that this software could cause to your machine or the data on it: backup important data before using Biplane Ace. Biplane Ace is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. Biplane Ace is licensed, not sold.

You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble this software.
Astraware’s and its suppliers’ entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at Astraware’s option, either (a) return of the price paid, if any, or (b) replacement of the product that does not meet the warranty and which is returned to Astraware with a copy of your receipt. This warranty is void if failure of the product has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement software product will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is longer. These remedies are not available without proof of purchase from an authorized source.

Written permission must be obtained before distribution of this game, either in demo form or full form, through any online or offline methods.

Copyright (c) 1999,2000,2001,2002 Astraware Ltd..

Astraware and the planet logo are trademarks of Astraware Limited. All rights reserved.