This is the first in a series of articles about the Digital Image Design (DID) simulation EF2000, a simulation of the Eurofighter Typhoon. The simulation boasts an excellent dynamic campaign and fidelity such that DID was commissioned to create a TIALD simulator followed by flight simulators for the military and British Airways. An excellent sim that deserves to be enjoyed by older, current and future flight sim fans.
However there have been a large number of releases of EF2000 and corresponding patches, so working out what you have (or want) and the patches required isn't straight forward without some research. These articles should help you navigate the various options you have, to play this sim on modern or legacy hardware.
This first article covers the various retail releases and available patches.
EF2000
The original version of EF2000 was released in 1995 for DOS. Developed by Digital Image Design Ltd and published by Ocean Software Ltd.
This can be considered v1.0 of EF2000, although when quitting the game a short message indicates it's v1.40 created by Col (possibly Colin Bell as he is credited in this version). The readme file is taken from the cd. To disambiguate it from other versions and releases, this will be referred to as EF2000: Original.
There were 2 patches released for EF2000: Original, the v2.02 patch and the v2.04 patch.
v2.02 patch
The v2.02 patch was also known as the EF2000 Midlife Upgrade 2.02. The changes are extensive and include enhancements to:
AI controlled aircraft.
Weapons and combat.
Damage.
Flight envelope.
Campaign.
Multiplayer.
Keys and controls.
JTID colour.
The 'running-in' experience.
Minor changes to other aspects of the simulation.
Thrustmaster joystick changes.
This patch only seems to have been released for the english language version of the game. It can be found at the Internet Archive. The readme file for this patch is identical to the v2.02 section in the v2.04 patch readme below. This isn't a recommended patch as it was superseded by the later v2.04 patch.
v2.04 patch
The v2.04 patch was the last patch released for EF2000: Original in two variants. It came as a file replacement patch to patch EF2000 Original from v2.02 to v2.04, replacing an executable file, for the english language versions only. This patch doesn't include any enhancements just bug fixes according to the readme file.
There is also a v2.04 cumulative patch available in english, french and german variants. This patch includes the bug fixes and v2.02 enhancements. The cumulative patch should be the only one needed, applied to a clean install of EF2000: Original.
Until the release of TACTCOM this was the defacto standard for EF2000.
These patches are only recommended if you wish to play the original EF2000 without the TACTCOM upgrade or GFX+ patch. All language variants of these patches can be found at the Internet Archive.
EF2000: TACTCOM
The TACTical COMmunication (TACTCOM) upgrade was a commercial product released on a single cd in 1996, developed by DID and published again by Ocean. It was not a standalone product and required a copy of the original EF2000. The enhancements provided by TACTCOM included:
A new brushed aluminum interface.
New tactical maps.
Mission planning.
Difficulty, detail, and player rating changes.
Enhanced situational awareness.
Weapons and radar.
Enhanced debrief.
A2A mission editor and multiplayer.
SmartView and other view enhancements.
Connectability with modem, net play, and direct serial connection.
v2.04 patch bug fixes and v2.02 patch enhancements.
For an in depth review of TACTCOM check out this CombatSim review. The readme file is taken from the TACTCOM cd
.
There were two patches released for TACTCOM, a french/german only TACTCOM fix patch and the GFX+ upgrade patch.
TACTCOM fix
A patch for french and german language versions only, it fixed what DID described as 'the' modem problem, it was not required for english language versions. This patch can be found at the Internet Archive.
GFX+ upgrade patch
This is a 3d graphics upgrade patch for the DOS version of TACTCOM (and equivalent releases), it is not compatible with EF2000: Original or Super EF2000. It has two options for Verite Rendition and 3dfx Voodoo chipsets, adding hardware driven smoke and fog effects and anti-aliasing as well as more ground objects to the sim.
This patch has english, french and german language variants and all of them can be found at the Internet Archive.
With the release of the EF2000 Reloaded application, the 3dfx version of EF2000: Original with TACTCOM (or equivalent release) became the preferred version for modern hardware.
EF2000: Evolution
Released in 1996, EF2000: Evolution is a combined EF2000: Original and TACTCOM upgrade distributed as a two cd package for the DOS platform.
Patches
This version was released before either of the TACTCOM patches, but is compatible with both patches (see TACTCOM fix and GFX+ upgrade patch above).
Super EF2000
Released in 1996 for European audiences only, Super EF2000 (also known as EF2000: Special Edition) is a redevelopment of DOS EF2000: Original with TACTCOM upgrade for the Windows 95 platform, distributed as a single package.
The graphics/sound have been converted to use the DirectX libraries and the documentation has been converted into online Windows 95 help documents. Due to these changes this release is incompatible with the GFX+ Upgrade patch.
Super EF2000 fix patch
There is a single patch for the french/german versions only. It is a small file replacement patch with no associated readme so it isn't clear what this patch enhances or fixes. It can be found at the Internet Archive.
EF2000 V2.0
The final release was EF2000 V2.0 in 1997 for the US only. It is a comprehensive release featuring four different versions of EF2000. It includes:
EF2000 V2.0 for DOS (equivalent to EF2000 Original with TACTCOM upgrade or EF2000: Evolution).
EF2000 V2.0 for 3DFX (equivalent to EF2000 Original with TACTCOM and 3DFX GFX+ upgrades or EF2000: Evolution with 3DFX GFX+ upgrade).
EF2000 V2.0 for Rendition (equivalent to EF2000 Original with TACTCOM and Rendition GFX+ upgrades or EF2000: Evolution with Rendition GFX+ upgrade).
EF2000 V2.0 for Windows 95 (equivalent to Super EF2000).
There are no patches required for this release.
EF2000 (BT Wireplay distribution)
A version of EF2000 distributed on the BT wireplay service, a modem based multiplayer matchmaking and gaming service. It is believed this may have been a multiplayer only version of EF2000, distributed via the service.
The BT wireplay service was sold off and shutdown in 2014, although EF2000 may have removed from the service at an earlier date. Due to the defunct nature of this release, it won't be considered any further.
Installation & patching strategies
This should not be considered a set of instructions, it is merely a strategy with a list of installation media and patches required to create a specific version. It should be used to obtain the required cds (and convert them into cd images if you prefer) and any patches required.
The next article will discuss the process of installation and patching.
EF2000: Original only:
Install EF2000: Original from cd or cd image.
Install v2.04 patch (using appropriate language).
EF2000: Original and TACTCOM upgrade:
Install EF2000: Original from cd or cd image.
Install EF2000: TACTCOM upgrade from cd or image.
EF2000: Original, TACTCOM upgrade and GFX+ patch:
Install EF2000: Original from cd or cd image.
Install EF2000: TACTCOM upgrade from cd or image.
Install GFX+ patch (using appropriate language).
EF2000: Evolution:
Install EF2000: Evolution from cd or cd image.
EF2000: Evolution and GFX+ patch:
Install EF2000: Evolution from cd or cd image.
Install GFX+ patch (using appropriate language).
Super EF2000 (Windows)
Install EF2000: Special Edition from cd or cd image.
Install EF2000: Special Edition patch (if required, using appropriate language).
EF2000 V2.0 (DOS without 3dfx graphics)
Use the 'Full Installation for DOS' option (DOS installer) from cd or cd image.
EF2000 V2.0 (DOS with 3dfx graphics)
Use the 'Install for 3DFX' option (Windows installer) from cd or cd image.
EF2000 V2.0 (Windows)
Use the 'Install for Windows 95' option (Windows installer) from cd or cd image.
And finally...
Hopefully this clarifies the various releases and patches of EF2000 and how to find them. This should allow you to find the required components to create a particular version of EF2000. In later articles I'll discuss, creating an appropriate installation and how to use it with the EF2000 Reloaded app, DOSBox and PCem.
Good hunting!
Very good research and documentation work.
The only website where patches for different versions of EF 2000 are clearly explained.