Hints & Tips

I got sick of finding a server in ASE with my custom filters, remembering it's name/IP#, starting BF, and inputting the info. ASE has provided an "any mod" filter, but you can't connect with it, only search. (They did provide a nice, working Desert Combat filter though) So, I screwed around with ASE and got it working nicely.

At the moment, I'm only pasting the CiS mod and S9RM2 realism mod filter and how to create functional filters for any other mods.

Here's what to do:

-Open ASE
-(top left) click "file", then click "update servers" (adds mods folder to the BF tree)
-Close ASE and find the folder it's located in on your HD (mine is in C:\Program Files\The All-Seeing Eye)
-backup "filters.txt" for safety
-open/edit "filters.txt"
-Scroll down to "Battlefield 1942\Mods\Desert Combat"
-go down and hit enter twice (make space for pasting) after the line "1 if gameId ~!= "desert_combat" remove"
-paste the following lines into the space you've created:

Battlefield 1942\Mods\Soldier9 Realism
JoinTemplate: {EXEPATH} +game S9RM21 +restart 1 +joinServer {address} +isInternet 1[ +playerName "{NAME}"][ +password {PASSWORD}]
Group: BFMODS
Mutex: BFMODS
1 if gameId ~!= "S9RM21" remove

Battlefield 1942\Mods\Conflict In Somalia
JoinTemplate: {EXEPATH} +game CIS +restart 1 +joinServer {address} +isInternet 1[ +playerName "{NAME}"][ +password {PASSWORD}]
Group: BFMODS
Mutex: BFMODS
1 if gameId ~!= "CIS" remove

(They should look exactly like the new Desert Combat filter ASE provided except for the names)
-save "filters.txt"
-Start ASE and use new filters you've created in the BF/mods folder on the tree

btw - To add any other mods in this manner, just edit filters.txt again, change the filter's mod name and then the mod name in the filter code (two places)

PS - I'd back up this new filters.txt as well, as the next filter update may erase what you've added!

Activating a Mod you installed [back] [home]

So, you think you're special? You downloaded a mod from somewhere and you went into a server and it didn't work huh? Too bad. You have to 'activate' it first. In the BF menu go to Multiplayer, Custom Game, and hit Activate on the mod you want to use and play your 'lil heart out. This new system allows you to have several mods installed in your system and use one or none of them.

Cosmetic mods will work when only you have it installed and the server doesn't but for mods that effect the weapons/vehicles you'll need to connect up to a server that has the mod installed. Check the name of the server for a hint as to whether it has a mod installed or not. Sucka.

Attacking a fully manned Aircraft Carrier [back] [home]

What. Are you nuts? You'll get killed. You want to anyway? Okay. Here's how. I hope you remember the golden rule of torpedo bombing, it's about to come in handy.

Coming in at this angle will not give the AA guns much of a shot at you. If you stay torpedo low then they will have an even worse shot. Flying over the deck makes it impossible for AA to hit you. You will be vulnerable to fighters though. It would be nice if you were driving a bomber with a gunner that has a strong stomach and can defend your tail or this might be a short run.

Coral Sea Strat from Subliminal

Just go straight on, high and slow as possible and you'll be able to lay at least 6 bombs on the carrier deck per run. Most people just wait til they are over the planes to drop one or two bombs. What a waste!

This works good if you start getting hits from someone on the AA guns. You stay as huigh as possible and do a tight circle around the back of the enemy carrier crossing the deck behind the communications tower while laying arcing bomb drops once per rotation onto the deck. Even with an AA gunner rotating between side guns he won't be able to hit you very well. A more dangerous variation is a figure eight dropping bombs as you pass back and forth over deck.

First time I played Coral sea I used these two methods and got top score and sunk the carrier in minutes :)

Torpedo Bombing [back] [home]

So. You drop your torpedo on the deck of the ship. Nice shot. That does about 1/2 damage that it would do it you hit the ship below the waterline like you're supposed to. Doesn't work you say? Bullshit private Pyle!

The ships don't displace much water, the bottoms are only maybe 10-15 feet below water (BF scale) and if your plane is pointing down at all, the torpedo is going to go UNDER the ship and hit nothing.

Coral Sea Screenies

B-17 Reign of Fire [back] [home]

Listen close. The B17 is a heavy bomber. It is a really cool vehicle in this game. Everyone wants in it. Everyone. If you are the guy who gets to it first DO NOT TAKE OFF ALL ALONE! Wait until you get at least one person willing to be a gunner. I guarantee if you take off there will be one guy running after you on the runway screaming "Requesting pickup" or "Wait". If you fly the B17 alone you will be shot down and your teammates will hate you forever.

It works just like the other planes. Hold down "W" to accelerate and do not let go. If you slow down at any point you'll fall like a rock. Do not try to climb and turn at once like you would in a fighter or you'll hit a friggin tree. Fly smooth, take wide turns and above all things, stay HIGH.

How high should you fly? More like how high can you go! Fly REALLY HIGH. Remember, you are flying a gigantic target for the enemy. If you fly low, you can and will be shot down by either an enemy plane, flak, stationary guns, a tank or worse, an assault soldier. How embarrassing would that be?!

Fly really high and you don't have to worry about crashing into trees/windmills either. Don Qxiote broke a nose, I think you'll do worse ;)

Don't try and circle over a target and drop bombs, you'll end up flying too low and get killed. Stay high and use your map HUD to navigate. Take wide corners and stay level and in control. The less jerky you fly, the easier it is for your gunners to protect you, the easier it is for you do drop da bombs.

You have 8 bombs that you can drop in a row. Just right click over and over and the bombs, they will go fallin. Best thing is to carpet bomb enemy spawn points/flags for maximum damage.

Stay HIGH! Start dropping as fast as you can, just before you are over the target so that the bombs will be on target. Drop all 8 in a row as fast as you can. Watch those bastards die.

Maps Available in Full Version [back] [home]

Using the Flak Cannon [back] [home]

First of all, a flak cannon is not just a fancy name for a gun with flaky bullets. Now I don't know all the ins and outs of flak but basically when you fire, the shell goes up, waaay up and then explodes into pieces like a grenade. This is why airmen used to wear 'flak' jackets, they were like bulletproof vests to protect them from the flak parts.

Anyway, to use the AA guns you first jump into them (E) and aim ahead of the plane so that the shell explodes near it.

Effective Use of Artillery [back] [home]

As Scout

The scout can use his binoculars to 'paint' a target and call in artillery. The scout needs to select his

binoculars from inventory (#5) and right click to bring them up and then left click to call in artillery. Ideally the scout is lined up with the destroyer's line of fire to make it easier for the destroyer to make aim corrections. Some people say the scout should be close to the target but I disagree because the closer you are to the target, the greater the chance that you will be hit with one of the first few shots as the destroyer 'walks' his fire up to the target. Make it so that in your binoculars you can see the target and the immediate area because then the destroyer can lay fire on nearby targets as well. When you call in artillery, that call is good for about 2 minutes so just keep doing it to keep artillery maniacs like me busy.

As Destroyer or Artillery

You need to be in the rear cannon of the destroyer. Make sure that the destroyer's rear is facing the island so that all of the island can be in your field of fire. Also make sure you're not too close to land because a smart allied force will find you and either bomb you or use the shore cannons on you the further you are from land the higher the arc your shot will take and allow you to shoot 'over' hills and obstacles.

When you hear an artillery request from a scout (this is necessary or this won't work), Right Click and you will get an aerial view of the target location with a set of yellow markers on the horizontal and vertical axis. Notice there is a tiny icon like a white tank. This is your position and the arrow shows where you are facing. If you point this at the center of the crosshair you only have to adjust your vertical bar to get the right height on it. The faded markers indicate where your last shot landed and with a few corrective shots you can hit anything on the island. To "fire for effect" just move your aim slightly to lay a blanket of destruction. Keep in mind that the limits of these aiming bars are the limits of your gun's aim so if you're doing what I'm doing in the pic and aiming waaay up high you're only going to hit the moon, not the island... also in the pic I'm facing the opposite way I should be, the arrow should point to the center of the crosshair and you'll find this makes it easy as hell to be on target in 2-3 shots every time.

Lone Wolf

Can't rely on your n00b teammates? Wanna go it alone? No problem. Spawn as a scout on the destroyer and position it so the rear is facing the island. Stand on the back of the ship where the depth charges are and presto! Do the scouting yourself with the binocs and jump into the gun and start banging away. Your range is limited by how far you are out to sea but it is better than guessing.

Dedicated Server Instructions [back] [home]

Since there seems to be a lot of questions regarding setting up and running a BF1942 Demo server, I have created a FAQ. Enjoy!

Version 2002082002

*The majority of this info is already in the readme (RTFM) but I have condensed it into a specific Server FAQ (with some more detailed info where necessary). Hope this helps :)

1. How do I run a dedicated server without having to enter my info into the DedicatedServer.exe every time?

You need to enter the server config parameters into its config file. The file is called ServerSettings.con, located in Settings folder for the application (usually C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942 Multiplayer Demo\Settings). The DedicatedServer.exe can be used when first setting up the server, then you can manually edit the ServerSettings.con after the first time it is run. See this post from Saracen (thanks!), pub30.ezboard.com/fceandbfcommunityfrm3.showMessage?topicID=1235.topic for a full descrption of the server config file options.

DO NOT USE DedicatedServer.exe MORE THAN ONCE if you do not want to enter your info every time you start the server. You must start the server from a shortcut which starts the game as a server, or start the server as a service (more below), or write a batch file to start the server (FAQ-todo). The simplest method is to modify the shortcut file on your desktop to include the following switches:

+restart 1 +hostServer 1 +dedicated 1

So the Target for the shortcut would look like:

"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942 Multiplayer Demo\BF1942Demo.exe" +restart 1 +hostServer 1 +dedicated 1

Rename that shortcut to something apropriate like 'BF1942 MP Demo Server' and double click it. The server should launch with the settings you entered into the ServerSettings.com file.

2. How do I set the admin password and use remote commands?

You must first set the server admin password at the server console. Get in front of the server/black window and hit the ` key to bring up the console (also called the ~ key). This will take the console out of status display mode (where it shows you FPS) and into entry mode where you can enter console commands. When you get the > prompt, type:
admin.enableremoteadmin <password>
where <password> is any password of your choice that is all numbers OR letters, BUT NOT BOTH AND NO SPACES!

After you have set the password on the server console, you can use the same command from your client when you connect to the server. So, fire up your game and connect to your server. Now open the console ingame with the ` key and issue the following command:
admin.enableremoteadmin <password>
where <password> is the password you set before at the server console.

You should now be authed as an admin and able to issue remote commands. To issue a remote command, use the following command:

admin.execremotecommand "command"
where command is any command you would normally run from the server console. For example, to kick a user number 15 you would issue this:

admin.execremotecommand "admin.kickplayer 15" or to ban player 15:
admin.execremotecommand "admin.banplayer 15"

3. How do I kick/ban people from my server?

Read #2 again if you are not sitting in front of the server/console. If you are sitting in front of your server/console (i.e. NOT remote), then you just issue the admin command right into the console (i.e. game.listplayers and admin.kickplayer <number>)

4. How many users can I have on my server? How big of a connection do I need?

These are extremely rough estimates, err on the high side, and aim for best performance (sure you could get more on less but that's when you get laggy/crummy servers):

'How big' primarily depends on bandwidth. A *good* DSL connection (1.5/768) can handle about 8-10 players MAX. Slower DSL (such as residential 1.5/256) would only be able to support about 4 players at best (same for cable as that is usually 256 to 384 on the upload). If you have a 1 Mb SDSL connection (or 1 Mb on your cable upload) you should be able to support a 12 player server

As a rough rule of thumb, each player requires anywhere from 50 to 80 Kb/sec. You need a *minimum* of a T1 to support a 16 player server, dual T1 (3 Mb) for a 32 player server, and just over 6 Mb for a 64 player server (although that can hit up to 7 or 8 Mb/sec depending on how many people are connecting and downloading maps). Basically you need some serious bandwidth for anything over a 16 player server and it should be dedicated hardware (i.e. it's only a server, no GUI or other apps running on it).

As far as the hardware, here is a rough estimate/guide*:

16 Players = 1 Ghz/128 Mb RAM
32 Players = 1 Ghz/128+ (256 is best)
48+ Players = 1 Ghz/256+ (512 is best)

*thanks to Saracen for these estimates

THE SERVER WILL CONSUME 85 TO 100% OF YOUR CPU. This means YOU CANNOT RUN A SERVER ON AND PLAY FROM THE SAME MACHINE. SERVERS MUST BE DEDICATED FOR OPTIMAL AND PROPER PERFORMANCE.

5. How do I setup NT/2K/XP to start the Battlefield 1942 Server as a service?

WARNING! This procedure involves installing some software and manualy editing the registry. NOT for the faint of heart. I take no responsibility if you fubar your computer while mucking in the registry :) Also, I have only done this on XP, the paths and programs are probably different on NT/2000 so please do not ask me how to set it up on those systems.

First, you will need the two small Microsoft programs in order to set up your service. Instsrv.exe is the program used to create a Windows service, and Srvany.exe is a program that allows almost any other program to run as a service. These files are available in Microsoft's Windows Resource Kit, at various internet sites, or you can just download them both here: http://www.pcisys.net/~pijo/service.zip
Step 1.
Put Instsrv.exe and Srvany.exe in your BF1942 directory.

Step 2.
From the Start button, go to Run, then type cmd. This will open a command window, where you'll need to change to your BF1942 directory by typing cd C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942 Multiplayer Demo , then pressing ENTER
(your path may be different, substitute your local path for this and all following steps).

Step 3.
Type instsrv BFserver "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942 Multiplayer Demo\srvany.exe" and press ENTER. This will create a service called "BFserver". You can substitute a different service name if you wish. If the process is successful, you'll see the following message:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CreateService SUCCESS at creating:

BFserver

You must now go to the Registry and the Services applet in the
Control Panel and edit them as per the instructions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Step 4.
Open Regedit by clicking Start->Run, then typing regedit and pressing ENTER.

Step 5.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\BFserver

Step 6.
In the left pane of the registry window, click on the BFserver key. Then, in the right pane, right-click and choose NEW -> KEY. Name the key Parameters

Step 7.
In the newly-created Parameters key, right-click and choose NEW -> STRING VALUE. Name the value AppDirectory

Step 8.
Repeat Step 7 to create a second new string value. Name it AppParameters

Step 9.
Repeat Step 7 to create a third new string value. Name it Application

Step 10.
Double-click on the String Value "AppDirectory". This will bring up the Modify dialog box. Set the value for AppDirectory to
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942 Multiplayer Demo\

Step 10.
Double-click on the String Value "AppParameters". This will bring up the Modify dialog box. Set the value for AppParameters to
+restart 1 +hostServer 1 +dedicated 1

Step 11.
Double-click on the String Value "Application" Set the value for Application to C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942 Multiplayer Demo\BF1942Demo.exe

Step 12.
Close Regedit

Step 13.
Open the Services application to modify the service settings (in XP, Start->Settings->Control Panel, Double click Administrative Tools, Double click Services). In Services you should see BFserver, double click on it to open its properties. Set 'Startup type' to Automatic then click on the Log On tab. In Log On, check the box that says "Allow service to interact with desktop". You can now click back on the 'General' tab to test the startup of your server. Click the 'start' button and the server should start up.

If it does not, you probably entered something wrong in the registry (path, executable location, etc). Go back through steps 4-12 and make sure eveything is set correctly.

14 If you are using XP, I highly recommend disabling crash notifications. Right click on 'My Computer' and select Properties. Click on the 'Advanced' tab then click the 'Error Reporting' button at the bottom. Select the 'Disable error reporting' option and make sure 'But notify me when critical errors occur' is still checked. Click 'OK' then 'OK' again and that's it!

The newly-created BFserver service should now function as any other system service. If you set it to Automatic, it should always start when the system is booted (and before anyone logs into the system with the rest of the services).

If for any reason you should decide you want to remove the BFserver service, go to Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services. Right-click on the BFserver service and choose STOP. After the service is stopped, open a command-prompt window, navigate to your BF1942 directory, and type instsrv BFserver remove. This will completely remove the service from your system. You can still run your BF1942 server as you did before, as a normal application via the shortcut.

6. How do I setup my server behind a firewall?

If you do not care about (or want) the server being listed in Ga*spy, then you only need to open udp port 14567 into your network. If you are behind a firewall/router that is also doing NAT, you will need to port forward udp port 14567 from your firewall/router to your internal server. On some routers you may also make your server a 'DMZ' host which effectively puts the server on the outside of the firewall. However, please realize that exposes your server
and all of its potentially open ports (and exploitable code) to the rest of the dirty public internet :)

If you do want your server to be listed in Ga*spy you will need a crapload of additional ports opened up (who knows why they need all these ports :P. Here are the ports I have open on my router:
# Gamespy
allow udp range 14567 14570
allow udp 22000
allow udp range 23000 23009
# Gamespy Master Server UDP Heartbeat
allow udp port 27900
# Gamespy Master Server List Request
allow tcp port 28900

In addition you may or may not :) need to open the ports listed in the "Working Around the Firewall / Proxy" section of this Ga*spy page: http://www.gamespyarcade.com/support/firewalls.shtml (thanks to mibsc123 for the link)

All comments, changes, suggestions, and additions are welcome! Please contact me at the address below or on the CE and BF Community forums - cebf.ws

-------------------------------
COPYRIGHT 2002 g8@the.whole.net
"Restecp" to the CE and BF Community - http://cebf.ws Permission is granted to reproduce/repost this FAQ as long as the entire contents and copyright are retained. Please give credit where it's due :)
-----------------------------------------

El Alamein	Operation Battleaxe	Battle of the Bulge

Berlin	Bocage	Gazala

Guadal Canal	Iwo Jima	Kharkov

Kursk	Midway Island	Omaha Beach

Operation Market Garden	Stalingrad	Tobruk

Wake Island

Want to start all mods thru ASE? Read on... [back] [home]

Activating a Mod you installed [back] [home]

Attacking a fully manned Aircraft Carrier [back] [home]

Coral Sea Strat from Subliminal

Torpedo Bombing [back] [home]

Coral Sea Screenies

B-17 Reign of Fire [back] [home]

Maps Available in Full Version [back] [home]

El Alamein

Operation Battleaxe

Battle of the Bulge

Berlin

Bocage

Gazala

Guadal Canal

Iwo Jima

Kharkov

Kursk

Midway Island

Omaha Beach

Operation Market Garden

Stalingrad