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#4347779 - 03/30/17 02:20 AM Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 *****  
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- Ice Offline
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Falcon 4 BMS 4.33.X is the best version of the venerable Falcon 4.0 F-16C simulation to date. Bringing in modern "features" such as a fully-working, fully-clickable 3D cockpit with working gauges while still retaining the depth of Falcon 4.0 all for the low, low entry price of $0.00/£0.00/EUR0.00 (BMS only, price dependent on your location of course), it is no surprise that it is attracting people from the I-got-no-clue-how-to-do-the-Falcon-dance new pilots to those who've spent a few months/years with the various other flavors of Falcon (OF/FF/AF) and are giving the sim "another chance" to those who've flown Falcon 4 for over a decade and can recite checklists in their sleep.

However, the install procedure for Falcon 4 BMS can be quite confusing. First of all, the BMS installer will look for a complete Falcon 4.0 install. Yes, the original one, so Falcon 4 Allied Force will not work... and this is where most people get confused. One change that happened after 4.33 is that a new company, Tommo, acquired the IP rights to Falcon and where BMS 4.32 only required a Falcon 4.0 .exe file to be present, BMS 4.33 now requires a complete Falcon 4.0 install and will check for the presence of this install each time BMS is started. Here's a quick guide to show you what you need:


[Linked Image]




Thanks to Tommo, Falcon 4.0 can now be purchased through Steam, GoG, or Retroism. Steam sells Falcon 4.0, Falcon, Falcon A.T., and Falcon Gold individually or you can buy all of them in a bundle called the Falcon Collection, GoG only sells the Falcon Collection, while Retroism sells both Falcon 4.0 and the Falcon Collection.

I'd like to again thank Reschke for giving me a good deal on a physical copy of Falcon 4.0 with the binder! Thanks Reschke!! winner



NOTE: If you are new to Falcon or have been gone for a long time, if you're confused or have any questions, please skip down to the FAQ post in this thread for some commonly-asked questions. Best to get these out of the way now.


Another common source of confusion is the installer and Update process that BMS is using. It is quite unique and difficult to use at first, though it kinda makes sense after a few Updates smile So here is the install process that I hope will help new pilots get from "WTF?!" to "OMG, this RAWKS!" in as short a time and as pain free as possible.

So here's how to install Falcon 4 BMS:

1. Sign up on the official BMS forums

2. Download and install 7-Zip and qBitTorrent
[Linked Image]



3. Download the Base + U1 Installer, the Update 2 Installer, and the Update 3 Installer. The Base+U1 Installer and the Update 2 Installer have direct download links available courtesy of E-HAF but the Update 3 Installer does not. I strongly recommend downloading (and seeding!!) via the .torrent files anyway as this ensures you do not end up with a corrupted download and you are also helping the BMS community by distributing the files via peer-to-peer. I recommend qBitTorrent for all your .torrent needs! I know some of you may have apprehensions with regards to using .torrents (piracy!! viruses!!), I will leave the safety and security research up to you. Suffice to say that if you get your .torrent file from a reputable source (in this case, the official BMS forum post by Dunc), there's nothing to worry about. Another advantage of downloading via .torrent is that you can get the latest updates as they come out.... as you can see, Update 3 isn't available yet as a direct download despite being released almost 3 months ago!

Once the downloads are complete, you should end up with three files
[Linked Image]



4. Unzip the U1_Setup installer as shown
[Linked Image]


It will take some time to unzip and you should end up with a file structure looking like so
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



5. If you look inside the /data folder, note that Update 1 comes in 4 parts
[Linked Image]



6. While we un-zipped the U1_Setup file, there is no need to unzip the next two. Double-click on the U2_Incremental file to apply Update 2
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



7. Note that the installer by default looks at this folder
[Linked Image]


Make sure it is pointed to the correct directory and folder. Click the BROWSE button and make sure you point it to the correct folder, as highlighted here
[Linked Image]


This is how it should look afterwards. Note the folder structure should end in \Falcon_BMS_4.33_U1_Setup\Falcon BMS 4.33 U1 Setup\. Click INSTALL to continue
[Linked Image]



8. If you don't have Falcon 4.0 installed yet, this error window will pop up
[Linked Image]


Just go ahead and close it. This is what Update 2 has applied to the base installer
[Linked Image]


Checking the /data folder, we can confirm that Update 2 has been added
[Linked Image]



9. Continuing on, double-click on the U3_Incremental file to apply Update 3
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



10. Again, the installer will look at the C:\ drive by default
[Linked Image]


Make sure it is pointed to the correct directory and folder. Click the BROWSE button and make sure you point it to the correct folder, as highlighted here
[Linked Image]


This is how it should look afterwards. Note the folder structure should end in \Falcon_BMS_4.33_U1_Setup\Falcon BMS 4.33 U1 Setup\. Click INSTALL to continue
[Linked Image]



11. The error window will pop up again if you don't have Falcon 4.0 installed. Just go ahead and close it. This is what Update 3 has applied to the base installer
[Linked Image]


Checking the /data folder, we can confirm that Update 3 has been added
[Linked Image]





CONGRATULATIONS!! You now have an installer that will install the Base game and Updates 1-3!

matrix mycomputer salute


- Ice
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4347780 - 03/30/17 02:21 AM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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Now that you have your installer ready, let's go ahead and install Falcon 4.0. You can purchase Falcon 4.0 via the online stores I've linked above, or if you're one of the lucky ones with a physical disc, you can install Falcon 4.0 from that and continue. There is no need to patch Falcon 4.0 at all, there is no need to start up Falcon 4.0 for BMS to be installed or for it to work.... of course if you want to try out the original game, then by all means! biggrin


For this example, I am using a copy of Falcon 4.0 purchased through GoG. In this version, Falcon 4.0 is "hidden" under the Falcon Gold bonus items.

12. Go to your GoG library and select Falcon Gold
[Linked Image]


Click on MORE, then select BACKUPS & GOODIES
[Linked Image]


Click on FALCON 4.0, this will start a download of the game's installer
[Linked Image]



13. Once done, locate where the installer has been downloaded and install Falcon 4.0
[Linked Image]


As BMS only checks for the PRESENCE of Falcon 4.0, it does not matter where this game is installed. Feel free to install it on your slowest hard drive
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



14. Once Falcon 4.0 is installed, you are ready to install BMS. Double-click on the Setup file to begin
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]


Select where to install BMS. I have mine installed in a separate SSD. You will want this on your fastest drive for obvious reasons.
[Linked Image]


The installer will then verify the integrity of all files as well as check for previous versions of Falcon 4.33. This normally takes a few minutes. If this is the first time you are installing Falcon BMS, the area under CURRENTLY INSTALLED will be blank, otherwise it will be populated by whatever you have installed.
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]


Continue with the installation
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



15. Select whether you want shortcuts or not. You do. biggrin
[Linked Image]



16. Start up BMS!
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



17. If you want to double-check what version of Falcon BMS you have installed, take a look at the lower-right corner of the 2D menu. BMS 4.33.3 should read Falcon BMS 4.33.3 (x86/x64) Build 16068
[Linked Image]





CONGRATULATIONS!! You have now installed BMS 4.33.3!! You have also learned one of the dances of Falcon! Enjoy! dancinfools

matrix mycomputer salute


- Ice
#4347782 - 03/30/17 02:30 AM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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FAQ

Here I will list answers to questions asked by new Falconeers... while some may seem silly, do remember that Falcon is different from most games available today and it's very easy for a new simmer to be confused.

  • There is no need to buy BMS. It is provided for free by the BMS dev team. You can only get it via download, there is no CD available.
  • There **IS** a need to buy Falcon 4.0.
  • You **CANNOT** buy BMS from Steam/GoG/Retroism or anywhere. You **CANNOT** buy Falcon 4.0 from the BMS team.
  • Please download BMS only from official sources or officially-provided direct links. You are free to ask and there are members of the community who can give direct links to privately-uploaded copies of the installers, but if you get a virus or if things break, you're on your own. Please do not complain about broken installers that you've downloaded from un-official sources.


  • BMS is not a MOD for Falcon. Well, not in the common understanding of the term. BMS can run by itself and does **NOT** need the Falcon 4.0 .exe or the Falcon 4.0 install. The BMS devs have chosen to include these requirements to satisfy the current IP holder of Falcon, Tommo.
  • BMS does not need to be installed where you installed Falcon 4.0. You can install Falcon 4.0 on your 5TB 5400RPM drive alongside your backups and movies and pictures, then install BMS on your 500GB M.2 NVMe drive.
  • **DO NOT** uninstall Falcon 4.0 even after you've installed and ran BMS. BMS will check for the presence of Falcon 4.0 each time it starts... if you delete/uninstall Falcon 4.0, you'll have to install it again.
  • **DO NOT** delete your \Falcon_BMS_4.33_U1_Setup folder... you will need this to install/apply future Updates.
  • For those installing from a disc, you do not need the FULL install. BMS will run even if you only do the MINIMUM install option.
  • BMS does not need to be "added" on the Steam library to run.
  • Feel free to express your thanks to the BMS devs in the official forum, but they do not accept donations of any kind. Instead, you are encouraged to donate to a charity of your choice. Or find ways to "pay it forward" to the simming community.



- Ice
#4347788 - 03/30/17 04:34 AM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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Wow Ice, fantastic guide. If someone thought installing BMS was daunting, your guide takes you right through it step by step. Great work ! thumbsup


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4347796 - 03/30/17 05:57 AM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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Another thing I've seen is that folks removes the base install files.

Do
Not
Remove
Your
Falcon BMS 4.33 U1 Setup
Folder.

When/if update 4 arrives you need to add that, probably, small file to your setup folder - so you can apply it to the game folder.
(seen people having to download the whole pack again when update 2 arrived)

#4347797 - 03/30/17 08:19 AM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: theOden]  
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Originally Posted by theOden
Another thing I've seen is that folks removes the base install files.

Do
Not
Remove
Your
Falcon BMS 4.33 U1 Setup
Folder.

When/if update 4 arrives you need to add that, probably, small file to your setup folder - so you can apply it to the game folder.
(seen people having to download the whole pack again when update 2 arrived)


I'll be adding to this tutorial once Update 4 arrives... nothing to worry about. They can delete their installer and it'll only mean they'll have to download it again. Might be a good learning experience as well.


- Ice
#4347798 - 03/30/17 08:20 AM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Originally Posted by Talon
Hey Ice,

That was an awesome guide. Well done, man.

--T


Originally Posted by DBond
Wow Ice, fantastic guide. If someone thought installing BMS was daunting, your guide takes you right through it step by step. Great work ! thumbsup


Thanks guys! Been getting a few new simmers on the BMS forums so I thought I might as well do this. Much easier to point them to this thread rather than re-hashing everything for each new simmer. biggrin


- Ice
#4348047 - 03/31/17 11:30 AM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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Just wanted to say thanks to Talon for deleting his earlier post biggrin He managed to snipe the 3rd spot and him taking his post down allows for my 3 posts to follow each other.... small thing, I know, but I'm weird in some ways.

Thanks Talon!


- Ice
#4350059 - 04/09/17 05:19 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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Cuco Offline
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Ice, thenks for this great tutorial. I had everything going right until everything started to go wrong!!! Ehen I got to step 14, I got a message saying "The registry entry points to a folder that does not contain a valid Falcon BMS 4.33 U1 install. Please restore..." I tried Regedit and couldn't find what the message requested, so I'm stuck now. Do you have any suggestions, or anybody else, please help!!!

Thanks in advance,

Cuco
San Juan, PR

#4350064 - 04/09/17 05:35 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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The only thing that I can see that should give that error at this stage (14) is that you're trying to install one of the updates and not the 4.33.1 installer. Is that possible?

Perhaps I am missing something obvious. This is Ice's territory smile

Welcome to SimHQ Cuco.

Last edited by DBond; 04/09/17 05:36 PM.

No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4350068 - 04/09/17 05:42 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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DBond, I just downloaded from somewhere a reg file to solve the problem I had with the Falcon BMS, I could finally install it, after, I think, more than six months of trying. Ice's excellent and thorough tutorial in this post really explained it all. Now comes the big, big problem for me... flying the darned Falcon... hehehe.

Thanks DBond, and to Ice, "You da man"!!!

Cuco
San Juan, PR

#4350071 - 04/09/17 05:47 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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I'm guessing you had an old install of BMS? Refer to Dunc's post in the official BMS forums.

Long time lurker, I see... first post after 6+ years? smile Welcome!


- Ice
#4350191 - 04/10/17 12:39 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: Cuco]  
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Originally Posted by Cuco
I could finally install it


Outstanding. Yes Ice, a long time silent running smile Must be a subsimmer


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4370387 - 07/21/17 05:38 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: theOden]  
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Originally Posted by theOden
Another thing I've seen is that folks removes the base install files.

Added! smile

And pics fixed.... no thanks to Photobucket!


- Ice
#4473064 - 05/05/19 02:36 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: - Ice]  
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ICE

I know that you are banned on the DCS forums (for what I am not sure), but for your faithful followers, do you intend to update your Helios\Yama64 profile to the new 4.34?


Trackir4, Win10 Pro 64Bit, Intel(R) Core™ i5-2500 3.30 GHz 6M Intel Smart Cache LGA115 , GigaByte GA-Z68XP-UD4 Intel Z68 Chipset, DDR3 8GB Ram,AMD Radeon HD 6950 2GB GDDR5 16X PCIe Video Card, Main Monitor 1 on left 1920x1080 Monitor 2 on right 1280x1024
#4473083 - 05/05/19 04:51 PM Re: Starting with Falcon 4 BMS 4.33 Update 3 [Re: sobe]  
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Originally Posted by sobe
ICE

I know that you are banned on the DCS forums (for what I am not sure), but for your faithful followers, do you intend to update your Helios\Yama64 profile to the new 4.34?


http://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4449278/re-newbie-guide-to-a10c-essentials#Post4449278


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