The simple version is a cut-down version of the previous basic one.
In order to make an installation that was as small as possible. I deleted files from the basic version that were never going to be used.
I was responding to a request from my colleagues to make an equivalent of the GoG 1.2 release, but with features of the UAW160 in it such as multi-skins and seasonal terrain sets.

The basic set loaded pretty quickly, (over night) and installed with no issues. I assume that I should not delete it and download the simple version?
How do I access the multi skins and seasonal terrain sets? the menus appear to be pretty much the same as the 1.2 version from GOG.

They are built in. When you are in the air put on wing-leveller (shift-A I think on a US keyboard- mine is French).
Then hit F9 to view the different planes and you will see the different markings.


you can see the "9K CD" and the "9K JR" and other different markings in this screenie

The season is determined by the mission date, and the appropriate terrain is loaded.

Thank you MrJelly. Does the “large” version add a lot more in terms of single player campaigns and graphics?

The simple version has one theatre, one planeset, 30 skin and flight model folders and two versions of the "eaw.exe"
The full version has more versions of the "eaw.exe", a heap of theatres, planes and plane-sets with file managers to allow the users to make selections for offline and online games.

Running the "DSP20thJuly2022.exe":


I have selected the default European theatre and plane-set and the 2nd December 2021 New Map exe.

Thanks, I will be asking for specifics when I get to a pace with decent internet. Does the 1.6 large set ( I hope I said that right) also have additional campaigns?

You might want to transfer your questions to the 1.6 sub forum from here on.

Roger.

What do you mean my "campaigns"?

For example the default EAW 1.2 has a tile-set and a target set for the European Theatre of Operations (ETO). This is a "theatre".
When 1.2 was released it came with carmpaign files. This allowed the player to choose a career in the ETO. This is often referred to as a "campaign"

Modders have made several additional theatres, such as Malta, Spanish Air War, South Pacific Air War, Midway, the Balkans, etc.
In some cases they included campaign files so that the user could fly careers. However, not all theatres have associated careers.
So I am asking if you mean "theatre" or "career" when you use the word "campaign" in your question.

This question came up in another thread, maybe the one that was deleted, so I'll answer it again.

SPAW is the only add-on campaign with historically accurate dates, squadrons, targets and other bits and pieces representing a different theater of operation.

You can fly two campaigns rather than three in the default EAW theater, 1942 (Guadalcanal) and 1943-44 (South Pacific).

It took the combined effort of four members of the splinter group "ModSquad", in cooperation with the Coders Group, a year to produce.

In addition, with the introduction of the 1.6 Aircraft Inventory planesets, you can fly planes in the theater from 1939 to 1947, thus introducing plenty of "what-if" scenarios if you are so inclined.

When I say campaign I am thinking of a set of missions within a theater. When I think of career I think of an additive process that tallies kills, promotions and medals across campaigns. In my question, I was referring to campaigns.

You are referring to theatres.
In my last screenie you can see 25 theatres available for selection on the left hand side with a scroll bar, and there are more if I scroll down.

I don't want to go down the rabbit hole of semantics but words matter.

A theater refers to a geographical area of conflict.

Campaigns and careers refer to the same thing. A player starts a set of missions within a certain time period, usually at a low rank and works their way up the ladder while tallying points for both air and ground victories. Then, based on the player's abilities, his side gains victory or defeat.

For example, in SPAW, you are immersed in the South Pacific THEATER and you can then select to play a CAMPAIGN as either a Japanese or American pilot in one of two time periods.

Of course you also play in single mission mode where you set up the parameters for that one mission.

The term "campaign" is the confusion here. It's best to call it "Pilot Career", as the game does. Pilot careers are played out in various geographical locations referred to as "theaters". Because of much hard work by many, EAW has a large number of theaters, and with them are also more pilot careers.