ALL THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 38 OF YOUR FIGHTERS ANTHOLOGY MANUAL.
Getting the Players together for Airbase Assualt.
The best option for multiplayer Air Base Assault is four or six people, as two is horribly boring and 8 tends to crash alot. To fly F/A through IP, you need to get an IP number from your computer, whilst it is connected to the internet, (all ABA games are played online, through the internet) Get your Fighters Anthology contacts into a chat on ICQ, or message them, that you want to fly an Air Base Assualt game. Once you are sure you have got 4 or more players, willing to play, determine who has the fastest Connection, as this person should host.
The Fastest Connection:
Who-ever has the fastest connection should host the Game. Lets say, that you as the newbie are not going to host. Makes sence, once you have become accustomed to tagging along, you can always become a host at some later date. To determine who has the Fastest connection, ask around how they are connected to the internet. There are usually three types of internet connection, Your average desktop modem, hooked into your phone line. DSL, or Cable. Preferably, anyone with DSL, or cable should host the game, as their computers can transfer data over the internet to each of the players computers much faster than a modem, thus reducing lag, and increasing game play quality. Having found the willing players, and the person with the fastest connection, ask if the person with the fastest connection will host. We are going to presume they say yes. The Host must now Broadcast his address to the players.
Broadcast of IP address:
The host will find his IP address through his computer and tell you and the other players about to play the game. The host can find his ip, whilst connected to the internet, by double clicking on his 'My computer' icon. He then double clicks on the C: Drive Icon, then he double clicks on the Windows folder. Then he finds the WINIPCFG.EXE file(Windows IP configuration) and double clicks on it, and writes down the IP address displayed. Then broadcasts it to the fliers agreeing to the game.
The IP will consist of four lots of numbers in between dots. An example of an IP address: 209.66.12.32 - as you will need this to connect, have a pen and piece of paper handy, and write this down. Once conformation of IP is verified, simply by reapeating it, or by typing Ready (RDY) wait for the host to tell you to go to IP.
Going to IP:
Before launching the game, shut down any programs, downloads, or internet applications, such as ICQ, MSN Messenger, or any other programs which are likely to transfer data whilst in flight, then, launch Fighters Anthology. Be sure to press the Esc key or space bar, to bring you emmidiately to the main menu. You don't want to keep others waiting while you watch the video!
At the choose activity screen click on Multi, and select the TCP/IP option (See Below).
This will bring you to another screen which is title NETWORK CONNENCTION, if you have not already entered a callsign, enter one in the top left hand corner of the screen by clicking on the box next to where it says Callsign, a screen will pop up, enter your callsign in it (See Below), then click OK.
Now to enter Your Ip, click on the Options tab (See Below)
This will bring you to your Ip screen, where you enter your host's IP (the set of numbers the host gave you before you launched Fighters Anthology). You enter the hosts IP, the same way you entered your callsign, by clicking on the firstbox which has "Host IP adress" written to the left hand side of it, and enter the ip (See Below)
The box below it, in the next paragraph of writing which says "Broadcast address" to the left of the box, is where you may enter another host's IP, if there are many people wishing to play Fighters Anthology, thus, two hosts to cope with the players. Enter the other hosts IP here, if there was one, if there wasn't, just leave it. Click ok, to return to the previous screen.
Connecting:
After a short wait you should see a name appear in the dialog box on the left hand side of the screen. This is your host. Click join (where the mouse pointer is on the screen shot below) to connect with your host (See Below).
You will now be connected with your host, as well as any other players that have joined (See Below). To send a message, click on the box which says 'send a message', type your message, then press ok. Always notify the host of any emergency disconnections you have to make, before pressing cancel. This is because to get the best connection, everyone should re-ip after someone decides they can't play. When someone disconnects, it slows the game down. If host askes everyone to re-ip, you should click cancel and restart the game. This time you won't have to worry abotu setting everything, because you have already done it, and the same host is hosting, so you don't need to change ip. Naturally this is an inconveniance to everyone so make sure you have all programs closed, and won't have to rush off soon.
Now the host presses start, you will move from the dialog screen ready room to an aircraft carrier communications array (See Below). up on the top of the right hand corner you should see a little box, with your name with a little verifying sign next to it. If one person's modem has accidently failed to verify, he is more than likely to be still entering a message, back in the dialog screen. So in other words, don't chat too much! You won't move onto the choose activity screen until everyone has verified.
Now after everyone has verified you will come up to the Janes Choose Activity Menu (See Below).
Selecting Airbase Assault:
Why can't you see Airbase Asault anywhere? Its because Airbase Assault, (A.K.A ABA) is up the top under Multi on this pop down list, is Airbase Assault, the host will click on it, as throughout the game the host will always choose what game, and set the preferances (See Below).
Selecting Airbase Assault will automatically bring you to a screen saying "Choose your side for this mission". Below this will be two boxes, one Blue, with Blue written on it, one Red with Red written on it. This is the time to choose your sides. Usually the agreed format will be left versus the right (lft vs rgt). This means that depending on how your names appear in the chat box on the top right hand side, if your name appears on the left hand side/column of the box you will be blue and if on the right hand side/column of the box you will be red, unless the host specifies otherwise. Always obey your host. once you see that he has chosen his side (you will notice this by his status in the chatbox), otherwise it messes the game up if you choose to disobey and choose whatever side you like. By all means, you can always choose your teams, just ask your host first. You do this by pressing the "`" key, which is to the left hand side of the number "1" in your keyboared, and above your tab key. Press this key, type in the message you want, then hit enter.
Once everyone has chosen their side, it will take you to a screen, you will see two different sides. If you picked blue, the left hand side will have a line of blue boxes, saying Blue North, Blue South, Blue East, and Blue west, you can click on the deploy sign and your name will appear ontop of that tab. Next to each of these are green boxes, saying evacuate, this simply means that if you have changed your mind on what base you want to be based at click on the green evacuate buttonand your name will be removed, you are now free to pick any base you want, on the blue side, so long as your partner/s that are on your side are not already in that room, because then you will not be able to choose that base. The other side will be all grey, these are the options that are not available to you, as this is the red side's airbases. You will however be able to see at what bases they have placed themselves. If you are on the red side, you will be on the right hand side of the screen, the blue side will appear all greyed out. The only difference with the red side is that it has red deploy signs instead of blue.
If you are the host on this screen You will have to pick what theatre you are flying in, this is up the top. Different country's have different types of airbases/carriers, whether they are aircraft carriers or an airfeilds, or both. Most guys hate carriers, as their boats are easy to pick out by the enemy without the use of J-Stars, and on bombs only bombing runs. The host will not be able to progress onto the next screen until all players have have exited from the lobby by clicking on an airbase, and have clicked ok, it is only then that the host can click ok.
After doing this the game will take you to where you choose your aircraft. On the left hand side are the Preferances that ONLY THE HOST CAN SET! The host determines how many aircraft the playes will get, how their bases are defended or not, What will be their support Aircraft, If you are new Go to the Reasons page for A.B.A, it will describe why! He/She can also set whether you revive in the air or not, and whether you get a standard or custom weapon load. On the right hand side there are your personal "in game preferances". You can choose what nationality you want to be, by clicking on the topmost box up the top of the screen, and scrolling through until you find the nationality that you want. You what aircraft you want, please note that if the host said no heavies which he/she is likely to do it means that you are not allowed to use heavy bombers, this means NO B-1, B-2, B-52, Tu-26, Tu-95, TU-160. They do this because the game tends to end very quickely if you do use them. Once you have selected your aircraft, (see my A.B.A reasons page for aircraft to choose) click ok, If you are the host you don't necessarily have to go last, but it is preferable that you do. Once everyone has clicked ok it will bring you to the Breifing Paper screen.
The breifing paper screen holds both Blue and Red objectives, that everyone can see. Underneath blue or red are your mission objectives e.g if you are blue underneath blue it will have your objectives, they are the enemies assets, you are to destroy these assets of the enemies to win, and vice versa. This section is all combined, you don't have wait for everyone to hit ok. Hit ok and it will bring you to the Breifing Map screen.
The Breifing Map screen shows your airbases, and the enemies. Over an airbase will be your aircaft, at which ever base you specified, you will be able to see were the others are place at, and what aircraft they have. Once you have studied your map closely (you can study the map any time during the mission by pressin shift and m at the same time, to get out of it just press F1). Then hit ok this will bring you to the Arming Plane screen.
The Arming Plane screen, is where naturally you define what you want put on your Aircraft, this screen will only work if the host selected a custom weapons load. And Note that is the host saind no standoff missiles, this means no Harpoons Exocets, etc. (by standoff weapons he means long range air to ground missiles). If he does this, it's because he wants to make it a challenge. Just like if he says bombs he means just bombs, no rocket power. To cycle through your airplanes and arm them press the [ ] keys! then hit ok your screen will then go all black with the exception of the dialog box on the top right hand side of the screen, the game will launch once everyone has armed all their planes and have hit ok!
Once all players have hit ok (Making sure the host goes last), Everyone will start in the air in the plane they selected first when they chose their planes.
