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e-Warbirds User's Manual
Copyright (c) 2000 Species Studios
server: eWBserver@gmail.com
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revised January 07, 2004
Table of Contents
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I. Introduction
1. How It All Works
II. Getting Started
III. Basic Flight Instructions
1. Entering the Combat Arena
2. Basic Navigation
3. Example: Putting It All Together
4. Combat
5. Bailing Out (Leaving the Combat Arena)
IV. Communication
1. Radio
2. AirMail Internal Mailing System
3. Squadron Communication
V. Daily Combat Reports
1. Sample Daily Combat Report
2. Reading The Combat Report (What does it all mean?)
VI. Staying Informed
1. Newsletter
2. Aircraft Specifications
3. Player Rankings
4. User's Manual
5. Player's Locations: Radar
VII. Managing Your Account
1. The "Manage Account" Command
2. Changing Your Aircraft
3. Changing Your Name
4. Changing Your Password
5. Changing Your PIC
VIII. Advanced Flight Instructions
1. More Flight Controls
2. Advanced Maneuvers
3. Piloting Sequences
4. Firing Sequences
IX. Squadrons
1. Joining a Squadron
2. Creating a Squadron
3. Managing a Squadron
I. Introduction
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Welcome to e-Warbirds, the PBeM game of World War II Air Combat. This manual will be your guide to getting off the ground and into the action.
1. How It All Works
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When you first join e-Warbirds you will be in the hanger.
Once you enter the combat arena you will begin to receive Daily Combat Reports. The Daily Combat Reports will give you information on your Location and Vector and information on other aircraft within visibility range. Daily Combat Reports also contain information on Combat Actions that have been taken as well as Damage Reports.
After Receiving your Daily Combat Report look it over, study it, and finally decide what you are going to do. Then, you will send a flight controls e-Mail message to the e-Warbirds server. Within the message will be all the commands to pilot your aircraft for the current turn. A single turn represents 10 seconds of real combat time. Your commands will be processed along with commands from all other players, and a new Daily Combat Report will be sent to you showing the current situation and the consequences of your actions.
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II. Getting Started
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To join e-Warbirds send an e-Mail message to eWBserver@gmail.com with the word SIGNUP in the subject line. Use the following commands in the text of the e-Mail to set up your account.
Pilot Name:Your Name -Used to specify your name or callsign (hearafter reffered to as "alias").
Password:Your Password -Used to set your password. DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSWORD. Passwords ARE case sensitive.
Pilot ID:XX -This command is used to set your unique 2 character Pilot Identification Code (or PIC). PIC's are used as a shorthand way for other pilots to identify you. XX can be any two characters as long as the PIC you choose isn't already in use by another player.
Plane Name:Your Plane's Name -Used to specify your Plane's Name.
Plane Type:X -Where X is a number corresponding to the plane you wish to fly. See below for instructions on obtaining the current list of aircraft.
The following is a sample sign up request:
To: eWBServer@gmail.com
Subject: SIGNUP
-------------------------------
Pilot Name:Capt. John Doe
Password:dday
Pilot ID:JD
Plane Name:Dirty Bird
Plane Type:2
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III. Basic Flight Instructions
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This section of the manual is an essential guide that will get you out of the hanger and into the action.
1. Entering the Combat Arena
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All e-Warbirds players are either in the Hanger or in the Combat Arena. All new players begin in the Hanger. In the Hanger you may change the type of aircraft you are flying.
When you are ready to enter Combat you must send an "EnterArena" command to the e-Warbirds server. To do this send an e-Mail message to eWBserver@gmail.com. In the subject line type EnterArena, then a colon, then your alias, then another colon, and finally your password (for example: EnterArena:Capt. John Doe:dday). When the server receives this command it will automatically place you in the battle at a random location, with a random heading and altitude, moving at 3/4 of your plane's maximum speed.
2. Basic Navigation
-------------------------
This section will teach you the basic commands needed to navigate. To fly your airplane you must use the "FC" command (short for Flight Controls). To use the FC command send an e-Mail to the e-Warbirds server (eWBserver@gmail.com). In the subject line type FC, then a colon, then your alias, then another colon, and finally your password (example: FC:Capt. John Doe:dday). In the text of the FC type the commands which will be used to pilot your aircraft.
The following will show a command, an explanation of the command's function, and an example of each command. All of the following commands are used in FC messages.
Throttle:x
The Throttle command increases or decreases your throttle to x%. x must be a number greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 100.
Example: Throttle:80
Climb:x
The Climb command increases your desired altitude x feet above your current altitude. After sending your FC message, the e-Warbirds server will change your current altitude based on your desired altitude (For Example, if your true altitude is 3000 ft and your desired altitude is 6000 ft, your aircraft will begin to climb to 6000 ft).
Example: Climb:2000
Dive:x
The Dive command decreases your desired altitude x feet below your current altitude.
Example: Dive:500
Level
The Level Command sets your desired altitude equal to your current altitude, thus making your plane fly level.
Example: Level
Set Heading:x
The Set Heading command sets your desired heading to x degrees (where x is 0-359 degrees. If x is more than 359, it will be translated to be a number 0-359). The e-Warbirds server will change your current heading based on your desired heading. Your heading can be set to any number between 0 and 359 but here are a few common headings and their equivalent directions: 0 = North, 45 = Northeast, 90 = East, 135 = Southeast, 180 = South, 225 = Southwest, 270 = West, 315 = Northeast.
Example: Set Heading:90
3. Example: Putting It All Together
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The following is an example of the use of a FC message to navigate.
To: eWBserver@gmail.com
Subject: FC:Capt. John Doe:dday
-----------------------------------
Throttle:100
Dive:300
Set Heading:225
The above FC message sets Capt. John Doe's throttle to 100%. It then sets his desired altitude to 300 ft below his current altitude. Finally, it sets Capt. John Doe's desired heading to 225 degrees (Southwest).
4. Combat
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In order to fire on an enemy aircraft, it must be in front of your aircraft and relatively close to your altitude as well as within the range of your guns. Once you have positioned your aircraft to point at your target you are ready to fire your weapons.
To fire your guns at a target you must put an "Engage" command in your FC message. To do this type Engage, then a colon, then the two character PIC of the target aircraft (example: "Engage:JD").
When the e-Warbirds server receives this command it will calculate the difficulty of the shot based on the target's speed, altitude, and relative position to you. Basically, if the target is very close, directly in front of you, and moving slowly, it will be a very easy shot. If the target isn't directly in front of you, and moving quickly out of the line of sight of your guns, your guns will not hit the target as easily. After calculating the difficuly of the shot, e-Warbirds will roll dice to decide if the shot is a hit or miss. If it is a hit, dice will be rolled once again to determine where the target aircraft was damaged.
The firing arc on you aircraft is 40 degrees. The maximum range of your guns is 2 kilometers. Your aircraft will move and fire continuously throughout your turn. If at the beginning of your turn you don't have a decent shot at an opponent, but you think you will by the end of the turn, go ahead and take the shot. You may end up scoring some hits. If you begin the turn with a good shot on an opponent, try to keep him in your sights to inflict maximum damage.
There are six locations in which an aircraft can be damaged. The locations are the Engine, Left Wing, Right Wing, Fuselage, Control Surfaces, and Fuel tank. Below is a description of the effects of sustaining damage to a given location.
Engine: If your Engine is hit, you will begin to lose speed.
Left and Right Wings: A Wing Hit makes it more difficult to gain altitude.
Fuselage: A Fuselage Hit does not affect your aircraft's performance.
Control Surfaces: A hit to the Control Surfaces of an aircraft makes the aircraft more difficult to control.
Fuel Tank: If the Fuel Tank is hit your aircraft explodes in mid air and is automatically destroyed.
If an aircraft takes 3 or more hits to any one location or if an aircraft takes 5 or more total hits, the aircraft is destroyed. Once your aircraft is destroyed you will be sent back to the Hanger where you will be able to enter the Combat Arena once again.
For more information on combat techniques, see Chapter VIII, Section 4: Firing Sequences.
5. Bailing Out (Leaving the Combat Arena)
---------------------------------
If at any time you decide you wish to leave the Combat Arena and return to the Hanger simply put the words "Bail Out" in your FC message. If your plane is undamaged you will return to the Hanger with no penalty. However, if your plane has sustained damage the Bail Out will be treated as though you were shot down.
If you are damaged may bail out with no penalty if there are no planes are within visibility.
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IV. Communication
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This section deals with the various methods of communicating with other players. Radios are used to talk to a single player, or your own squadron. To talk to all players, it's best to post on the message board.
1. Radio
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Radios are used to transmit messages from a single plane to another single plane. Radio commands are used in Flight Control (FC) messages. To initiate a radio transmission use the command "Radio Transmission" then a colon followed by the 2 character PIC of the player to whom you are sending the radio transmission. Underneath the Radio Transmission command type in the message you are sending. After the message type the words "End Transmission".
In the following example, Capt. John Doe sends a message to his buddy, TG, asking for some help.
To: eWBserver@gmail.com
Subject: FC:Capt. John Doe:dday
-----------------------------------
Radio Transmission:TG
Hey TG! I'm having some problems with a P-38.
Can you give me a hand?
End Transmission
(Note: The "End Transmission" command is EXTREMELY important. Without it the server will not recognize that your radio message has ended and will not see any following commands.)
2. AirMail Internal Mailing System
---------------------------------------------
AirMail is used to forward an e-Mail message to a player by using his or her PIC. To use the AirMail system, send an e-Mail to eWBserver@hotmail.com with the word "AirMail", followed by a colon, followed by the PIC of the player you wish to AirMail in the subject. Then put your message in the text of the e-Mail.
3. Squadron Communication
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There are two ways of communicating with your squadron: Squadron Radio, and Squadron Message Boards. To use Squadron Radio place the following command in an "FC" or Fly-By-Reply message:
Squadron Radio Transmission
Type your message here.
End Transmission
Squadron Radio sends messages to all members of your squadron who are in the Combat Arena.
To use Squadron Message Boards send a message to the server with the words "Post Squadron Message" then a colon then your name then another colon and finally your password. In the text of the message type the message you wish to post. When a new message is posted the message board will automatically be sent to all members of the squadron.
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V. Daily Combat Reports
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Each day that you are in the Combat Arena, you will receive a Daily Combat Report. The Daily Combat Report is your key to visualizing the battle around you. It contains all the information you need to pilot your aircraft and "see" enemy aircraft.
1. Sample Daily Combat Report
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Below is a example of a Daily Combat Report. An explanation can be found in the following section of this manual.
NAVIGATION:
Your P-51 is on a Heading of 0 degrees (North) at an Airspeed of 550 kph ( 340 mph). Your current Altitude is 3000 feet. Your current Location Coordinates are 0.0, 3.06. Current desired Heading is 0 degrees. Current desired Altitude is 3000 feet. Throttle is at 100%.
COMBAT REPORT:
Rounds missed target.
You have damaged Capt. John Doe.
Rounds missed target.
Rounds missed target.
Rounds missed target.
You have damaged Capt. John Doe.
DAMAGE REPORT:
Damage to Engine: 33%
Damage to Left Wing: 33%
Damage to Fuselage: 66%
WEATHER REPORT:
Current Visibilty is 20 km ( 12.4 miles). Ceilings are at 9000 ft.
AIRCRAFT WITHIN VISIBLE RANGE:
Aircraft sighting to your left, 10 O'clock. Messerschmitt Bf 109 piloted by Capt. John Doe (JD) is at a Bearing of 311 degrees (Northwest) at an Altitude of 5000 feet. JD's Bf 109 is headed North moving at 496 kph ( 307 mph). JD is at a Distance of 0.8 km (0.5 miles), located at -0.6, 3.58
2. Reading The Combat Report (What does it mean?)
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The following explains each section of the Daily Combat Report.
Navigation: The Navigation section of the Daily Combat Report contains information about your aircraft location and vector. Your Heading is the direction your plane is facing. Your Airspeed is the speed at which your aircraft is moving in kilometers per hour. Your Altitude is the height in feet that your aircraft is located above the ground. Your Location Coordinates is your location on the X, Y grid. Your Desired Heading is the heading towards which your plane is turning. Your Desired Altitude is the altitude to which your aircraft is attempting to dive or climb to. Your Throttle is the percentage of fuel you are pumping into your engine. If your Throttle is 100% your engine will be going as fast as possible. If your Throttle is 0% your engine will not be providing any power at all. Commands for changing your Desired Heading, Desired Altitude, and Throttle can be found in Chapter III, Section 2: Basic Navigation.
Combat Report: This section of the Daily Combat Report contains all the current information on Combat related items. It will tell you whether your shots hit or miss. It will also tell you if you are being shot at. Also, if you shoot someone down the Combat Report will let you know.
Damage Report: This section is fairly straight forward. Basically the Damage report tells the percentage of damage to each major component.
Weather Report: This section contains information on current weather conditions. Visibility is how far you can see. The Daily Combat Report will only give information on aircraft within the Visibility range. Ceilings are the maximum altitude at which the aircraft may fly.
Aircraft Within Visible Range: This section lists all aircraft within visible range. First it will tell you the "O'Clock" position of the aircraft. For example, 3 O'Clock is 90 degrees to your right, 6 O'Clock is directly behind you, 9 O'Clock is 90 degrees to your left, etc. Next is the Bearing of the aircraft. The Bearing is the compass direction towards the aircraft. Next is the aircraft's Altitude, Heading, and Airspeed. Finally the Aircraft Within Visible Range section tells the distance to the aircraft and the aircraft's Location Coordinates.
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VI. Staying Informed
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In e-Warbirds information is your greatest ally. Whether you need to know the stats on that Bf 109 that just dove at you from nowhere, or you're wondering just how good that other player is, the commands discussed in this chapter will tell you how to find what you want to know. This chapter covers obtaining information using e-Warbirds built in e-Mail commands, however most of this information can also be found on e-Warbirds website, https://www.angelfire.com/rpg/ewarbirds.
1. Newsletter
---------------------
The e-Warbirds Newsletter is the place to find out about all the current e-Warbirds events. To obtain it send an e-Mail with the word "News" in the subject line. The Newsletter is also sent out automatically every few days or when there is a major announcement.
2. Aircraft Specifications
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It is important to know the capabilities of enemy fighters as well as the specs for your own aircraft. To obtain a current list of statistics for all aircraft within e-Warbirds send an e-Mail with the word "Aircraft" in the subject line. You can also find a current list at www.angelfire.com/rpg/aircraft.html
Each aircraft has different attributes. These are explained below.
Aircraft Number: This is the number used to identify the plane when choosing to fly the aircraft, or switching from one aircraft to another (see Chapter VII, Section 2 for instructions on switching from one aircraft type to another).
Aircraft Type: The manufacturer and designation of aircraft.
Top Speed (kph): The fastest the aircraft will fly when flying level (note: an aircraft can exceed it's top speed if it dives).
Acceleration (kph/sec): Kilometers per hour the aircraft will accelerate each second (note: each turn represents 10 seconds of real time).
Rate of Climb (fpm): The fastest speed at which the aircraft will gain altitude in feet per minute.
Turning Rate (Degree/sec): The number of degrees the aircraft will turn in a second.
Number of Guns: The number of guns the aircraft is armed with. The more guns an aircraft has, the more likely it will be to hit it's target. Also, an aircraft with many of guns can do more damage than an aircraft with relatively few.
3. Player Rankings
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To obtain a list of all players ranked in the order of most victories to fewest, send an e-Mail to eWBserver@hotmail.com with the word "Rankings" in the subject line. The Player Rankings will tell you the rank, name, PIC, number of victories, number of defeats, and the rating of all players. The rating of a player is found using the following formula:
Rating = # of Player's Victories/(# of Player's Victories + # of Player's Defeats)
4. User's Manual
---------------------------
From time to time this manual is updated. To obtain the most recent version send an e-Mail to the server, eWBserver@hotmail.com, with the word "Help" in the subject line.
5. Player's Locations: Radar
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To receive an approximation of all player's locations send an e-Mail to the server with the word "Radar" in the subject line. Radar is useful for finding players that are outside of the visibility range and for getting an overall "picture" of the battle.
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VII. Managing Your Account
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Several aspects of your account information may be changed. This chapter will explain how.
1. The "Manage Account" Command
----------------------------------------------------
The "Manage Account" Command is used to change all aspects of an account. To use it send an e-Mail to the server with the subject line "Manage Account:Name:Password" (using your name and your password). In the body of the e-Mail message will be commands to tell the server exactly what to do. These commands will be explained in detail in the following sections of this chapter.
Below is an example of how to use a Manage Account message.
To: eWBserver@hotmail.com
Subject: Manage Account:Capt. John Doe:dday
------------------------------------------------------------
Change Plane:13
2. Changing Your Aircraft
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If you want to fly a different aircraft than the one you are currently using you must first be in the Hanger. If you are in the combat arena you must bail out or be shot down before you can change planes. Once in the hanger, use a "Manage Account" message with the command "Change Plane:X" where X is the number corresponding to the aircraft you wish to fly.
3. Changing Your Name
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Name Changes must be executed while in the hanger. To change your name use a "Manage Account" message. Within the message type the command "Change Name:New Name" where New Name is the name you wish to change to.
4. Changing Your Password
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You may change your Password any time you wish. To change your password use a "Manage Account" message with the command "Change Password:New Password" where New Password is what you wish to change your password to.
5. Changing Your PIC
-------------------------------
To change your PIC (Pilot Identification Code) use the command "Change PIC:XX" (where XX is your new PIC) in a "Manage Account" message.
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VIII. Advanced Flight Instructions
--------------------------------------------
This Chapter deals with a few different ways of flying. The commands in this chapter will give you a few different options than those offered in Chapter III. Try them out and see what works best for you.
Here's a few more commands that can be used in FC's and Fly-By-Reply's to control your aircraft:
Right:x -Sets your desired heading x degrees clockwise from your current heading.
Left:x -Sets your desired heading x degrees counterclockwise from your current heading.
Set Altitude:x -Sets your desired altitude to x.
Throttle Up:x -Moves your throttle up x%.
Throttle Down:x -Moves your throttle down x%.
2. Advanced Maneuvers
--------------------------------
There are two pre-programmed advanced maneuvers: the Immelmann and the Split S. The Immelmann, a maneuver which was named after the World War I German Ace, Max Immelmann, is basically a half loop up followed by a half roll. The second Advanced Maneuver, the Split S, is basically a half roll followed by a half loop down. Simply put the Split S is an upside down Immelmann.
Both maneuvers result in a 180 degree change in direction. An Immelmann will cause your aircraft to gain altitude and lose speed. In a Split S your aircraft will lose altitude and gain speed. The 180 degree change of direction occurs at the very end of your turn (Note: you can fire 1 shot after the change of direction by saving a shot until the last second using Firing Sequences; Chapter VIII, Section 4). Remember to set your heading to the heading you want to be on after the Immelmann/Split S is performed. Failing to do so can lead to unpredictable results.
When performing an Immelmann you run the risk of stalling. Beginning an Immelmann at too low of a speed or trying to gain too much altitude can cause a stall. General rule of thumb: If your aircraft is at half or less of it's maximum speed, you may want to think twice before attempting an Immelmann.
To perform an Immelmann or Split S, put "Immelmann" or "Split S" in your flight controls message.
3. Piloting Sequences
------------------------------------
Piloting Sequences allow you to manually control your aircraft during each second of a turn. Begin the piloting sequence by putting "Piloting Sequence:" in your flight controls. Following the piloting sequence command is a string of characters; one character for each second of the turn (10 altogether). The following characters can be used:
R = Hard right
L = Hard left
r = slow right
l = slow left
- (dash) = straight
A hard turn changes your direction by the maximum turn rate of your aircraft. A slow turn changes your direction by half the maximum turn rate of your aircraft.
Example:
Piloting Sequence:LLL--rrR--
"Piloting Sequence:" can be abbreviated as "PS:".
4. Firing Sequences
------------------------------------
Firing Sequences work similarly to Piloting Sequences. They let you control when and what weapons you fire. To use a Firing Sequence put "Firing Sequence:" followed by a string of characters in your flight controls. There should be 10 characters altogether. The following characters can be used:
G = Fire gun
C = Cannon
- (dash) = Fire no weapons for 1 second.
Here is an example of a Firing Sequence:
Firing Sequence:--GG-C-GG-
You can only fire each of your weapons once per turn. "Firing Sequence:" can be abbreviated as "FS:".
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IX. Squadrons
-----------------------
Squadrons provide a way for you and your buddies to fly together as a team. e-Warbirds automatically keeps track of a squadron's Victories and Defeats.
1. Joining a Squadron
---------------------------------
To join a squadron you must know its Join Password. Once you know this, send an e-Mail with the words "Join Squadron" followed by a colon followed by the Squadron's Name followed by another colon followed by the squadron's Join Password. Once e-Warbirds processes your "Join Squadron" command, both you and the squadron's Captain will be notified.
2. Creating a Squadron
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If you want to be a Captain of a squadron, you must create it yourself. To do this send an e-Mail with the words "Create Squadron" followed by a colon followed by your name followed by another colon followed by your password.
In the text of the "Create Squadron" message type the following commands:
Squadron Name: Squadron name goes here.
Edit Password: Put the password that will be used to manage the squadron here.
Join Password: Put the password that will be used by other players to join the squadron here.
The following is an example of a Create Squadron message:
To: eWBserver@hotmail.com
Subject: Create Squadron:Capt. John Doe:dday
-----------------------------------
Squadron Name:Those Guys
Edit Password:changeme
Join Password:heyjoinmysquadron
3. Managing a Squadron
--------------------------------------
Before creating a squadron, it is essential that you know how to manage a squadron. This section deal with everything you need to know to run your squadron.
To change different aspects of your squadron you must send an e-Mail message to eWBserver@hotmail.com with the words "Manage Squadron" followed by a colon followed by the Squadron's Name followed by another colon followed by the Squadron's Edit Password. In the text of the message put the commands to edit your squadron. The commands that can be used are described below.
During the course of the game, you may find that certain members of your squadron are no longer wanted. To remove the player from your squadron use the "Kick" command in a "Manage Squadron" message. To use the "Kick" command type "Kick:XX" where XX is the two character PIC of the player you wish to remove.
After kicking a player out of your squadron, you will probably want to change the Join Password so that the player will not rejoin your squadron. To do this type "Change Join Password:newpassword" (where newpassword is the new Join Password you wish your squadron to have) in a "Manage Squadron" message.
It's a good idea to change your squadron's Edit Password from time to time. to do this type the words "Change Edit Password:newpassword" (where newpassword is the new Edit Password you wish your squadron to have) in a "Manage Squadron" message.
After a while your squadron's Message Board may become rather lengthy. To remedy this put the words "Clear Message Board" in a "Manage Squadron" message.
The following is an example of a "Manage Squadron" message:
To: eWBserver@hotmail.com
Subject: Manage Squadron:Those Guys:changeme
-----------------------------------
Clear Message Board
Kick:TG
Change Edit Password:editme
Change Join Password:pleasejoinmysquadron!
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