My joystick doesn't want to calibrate properly.

 Make sure that you have calibrated your joystick in Windows first, and then in Aces High.

If your joystick(s) connects to your computer using a USB port, and you have Windows XP (or later) installed, it is not neccessary to load any additional drivers in order for the joystick(s) to be used in Aces High. You still need to calibrate the stick in Windows first though.

I keep getting the message "Not receiving updates switching to TCP".

This message means your connection is not working properly using the UDP connection method/protocol.

The UDP protocol is generally faster, but less reliable and is the preferred method of communication with your computer.

Loosing UDP, typically, happens when you are running from behind a firewall or proxy of some sort.  It can also happen if your connection fails, as Aces High tries an alternate method of connection.  Or the failure can stem from your anti-virus program.

It can also occur when using a wireless connection as wireless connections are more prone to bit errors in the data stream. Once an error happens, the UDP packet is lost.  This will also cause voice communications to breakup or disaply other anomalies.

If Aces High always does this, but works fine, you likely are behind a firewall that will not let the UDP packets through or your router does not support UDP over NAT.  A common problem with many routers.

My computer intermittently locks up when playing Aces High.

If your Internet connection is through a modem (dial-up), try removing the connection icon from your taskbar.  To do this, uncheck the "Show icon on taskbar" box in your connection settings configuration window.  This generally solves the problem.

The problem can also be caused by resource starvation, other programs firing off in the background and a host of other things.

Resource starvation comes about if you have set the details of the game too high. These included, the game resolution, texture size, any anti-aliasing settings, or in-game slider settings being too high.

It is easy to eliminate the starvation issue. Turn everything in the game back to its basic setting and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then incrementally add back what you removedor changed until the problem is seen again.

For other issues, you can send a DXDIAG output to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a description of the problem. Include what the game shows in the CTRL-I information at the top center of the game screen (at the tower).

I try to run Aces High but only get a white screen.

There are quite a few things which can contribute to this issue. Typically it is driver related. For example, we know the 61.77 driver from NVidia works better with all NVidia video cards from the FX5xxx series and back. The use of a later driver will cause lock-ups, stutters, and a melee of other troubles.

The problem can also stem from having "fast-writes" enabled in your computer system's BIOS ROM for the AGP bus. Particulary if you are using a motherboard which is based on the VIA chipset.

Out of date motherboard drivers (INF files) can also cause this problem.

It could be due to the computer having a multi-core CPU.

If you are unable to correct the problem. You can send us the output from a DXDIAG (Start->Run->DXDIAG) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will be happy to take a look.

How can I improve my framerates?

Here are a few suggestions that have worked for other players:

Make sure that you are not continuously running any unnecessary backgroud programs in Windows.  (One particularly bad resource hogger is "Fastfind" included with MS Office Applications.  Remove it if you see it.)

Anti-Virus programs can also use excess resources, consider checking things such as NAV.exe for Norton Anti-Virus.  You can see what all is running in the background by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del once to bring up the task manager. Windows XP/2000 normally has 19 to 21 processes listed in a fairly clean system.

Use the latest version of DirectX.

Add more RAM to your system, 256MB is really the minimum you should consider having. 512MB is a good number, with 1GB being optimal.

Upgrade your processor. If you have a 2GHz CPU or faster, you should be fine.

Check the video and sound card drivers. In some cases, the latest video card driver wcan cause problems. For instance, for all NVidia cards from the FX5xxx series and older, you must use the 61.77 drivers from NVidia. Using later drivers for those vide cards will cause problems.

Upgrade to a better video card. If your video is built onto the motherboard, it will be a very poor video solution. Virtually any AGP video card will be better than an onboard video solution.

A good sound card can actually improve frame rates by allowing the CPU to do more instead of working hard doing sound. Generally, an AC97 type of sound device is very CPU dependent as is most onboard sound solutions.

Try using a different monitor resolution, some people actually get better framerates at 1024 x 768 versus 800 x 600. Virtually all the newer video cards from ATI and NVidia run better at higher resolutions. Just a note though, a new computer does not neccessarily mean it has a new video card. May OEM computers use video chips/cards which were designed several years ago, but are cheap.

Planes are jumping all over the place (warping).

Try downloading a traceroute utility to test your connection speed.  (At www.pingplotter.com there is a freeware program called PingPlotter.)

Trace to www.hitechcreations.com.  Ideally, your connection should have no more than 250ms ping times to this server.  Also, MAKE SURE there is NO packet loss whatsoever.  If you do see packet loss, post your traceroute to the technical support forum and let HTC contact the appropriate networks.

If you have a Dial-Up (Modem) connection, try calling your ISP and getting their MTU settings and making sure yours match.  To do this, you will have to play around in your registry, for most of us this is NOT a good idea.  Fortunately, MTU optimizing utilities exist and can be downloaded for free on the Internet.  (Make sure you make a backup copy of your registry if you do decide to play with those settings!)

Modem settings can be reconfigued as follows:
Go to Modems in the Control Panel and select properties.  Change your Maximum Speed to the next lowest setting.
Next select the Connections tab and click on Port Settings.  Reset Receive and Transmit buffers to low.
Next click on Advanced (still on Connections Tab).  Uncheck Compress Data under the "Use Error Control" section.
You may have to adjust these settings to find what works best for you.

I get the message "Host connection lost" frequently. (Also Rubber Bullet problems.)

Try downloading a traceroute utility to test your connection speed.  (At www.pingplotter.com there is a freeware program called PingPlotter.)

race to www.hitechcreations.com.  Ideally, your connection should have no more than 250ms ping times to this server.  Also, MAKE SURE there is NO packet loss whatsoever.  If you do see packet loss, post your traceroute to the technical support forum and let HTC contact the appropriate networks.

If you have a Dial-Up (Modem) connection, try calling your ISP and getting their MTU settings and making sure yours match.  To do this, you will have to play around in your registry, for most of us this is NOT a good idea.  Fortunately, MTU optimizing utilities exist and can be downloaded for free on the Internet.  (Make sure you make a backup copy of your registry if you do decide to play with those settings!)

Modem settings can be reconfigued as follows:
Go to Modems in the Control Panel and select properties.  Change your Maximum Speed to the next lowest setting.
Next select the Connections tab and click on Port Settings.  Reset Receive and Transmit buffers to low.
Next click on Advanced (still on Connections Tab).  Uncheck Compress Data under the "Use Error Control" section.
You may have to adjust these settings to find what works best for you.

Aces High crashes with a screen/computer freeze when I try to play behind a firewall.

Firewall software can be configured to restrict Internet access from your computer and access to your computer from the Internet.

It is most probable that Aces High is not frozen, but rather that the firewall is suspending any activity on your computer because of those restrictions.  Check your firewall configuration and verify that Aces High (aceshigh.exe) is allowed access to the Internet at all times (so you can play online in the arenas or in free head-to-head mode), and that it is allowed server status (so you can host head-to-head games).

If your firewall software is ZoneAlarm from ZoneLabs, the popup window that usually appears to ask if Internet access is to be given is masked when you try to go to online arenas or free head-to-head games.   Aces High appears to be frozen, but ZoneAlarm is actually waiting for your answer.   Just type "RY" to instruct ZoneAlarm to let Aces High have Internet access at all times.  You will need to do this everytime a new version of Aces High is installed on your computer.

If you cannot find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact one of the Aces High Trainers in our Help and Training Forum or ask online as there are usually many players that will be glad to help you. You may also contact HiTech Creations through the following email addresses:

Contact Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Billing Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Support Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone Number: 817-431-8840

How much is the subscription to Aces High?

Your account with Aces High is always free and we never ask for any billing information until you use your two week free trial. After you complete your two week trial (one per customer), the game then prompts you as to whether you want to subscribe or not. The subscription is $14.95 U.S. per month (Texas residents add 7.25% sales tax).

What are the countries?

Aces High has three countries that you can fly for:  the Bishops, the Knights, and the Rooks.  They are named after pieces in the game of chess. Bishops are tall and have a diagonal opening in the faceplates of their armor. Knights have a horse's head. Rooks look like a castle battlement.

How do I change countries?

You can change countries by clicking O'Club->Change Country on the clipboard menu.  Select the country you want to change to and you will be moved to an available field owned by your new country. Another way to change countries is to use the ".country X" dot command, where X is 1 for Bishops, 2 for Knights, and 3 for Rooks.  Currently, when players change countries they must stay in their new country for twelve hours before being allowed to change countries again. How do I change Fields?

You can change fields by double clicking on the field number on the map. You may only move to fields owned by your country.   Another way to change fields is to use the ".move X" dot command where X is the field number you wish to move to.

How do I get out of a plane?

The command or facility to exit your plane depends on a couple of factors. If the arena is set to not allow you to exit while the plane is in motion, you have to bail by either pressing the key 3 times, or typing ".eject" in the radio control message bar and pressing . If the arena allows you to exit while moving, the above will work, along with bringing up the clipboard and selecting, "End Flight".

What is convergence and how do I set it?

Convergence is the range at which the stream of bullets from your wing guns meet to form the smallest grouping possible, putting the maximum amount of ammo on a target. Some bullets cause more damage close in than further way, due to the bullet slowing down and losing punch or kinetic energy.  If all of your guns fired parallel to each other, the bullets would spread evenly over the target plane and cause a small amount of damage. If all of the bullets converge on one point on the enemy plane then it causes catastrophic damage at that one point. Without convergence, hitting a wing on an enemy would mean half of the bullets don't impact and those that do make a few holes in the wing and bounce off the metal spars or fuel tank. With convergence, all of the rounds would strike the wing at the same point and several would punch through the wing spar causing it to break and the wing will fall off or bend backward.  At the very least, there will be a gaping hole in the wing and a massive fuel leak. To set your convergence, first click Hangar on the clipboard menu, then click the Set Convergence button on your clipboard.  You will be moved around to the rear of the aircraft, vehicle, or boat where you can click and drag on the convergence points to set them.

I'm spinning around and can't get the aircraft off the ground,what do I do?

Aces High models much of the challenge of taking off in a high performance aircraft.  Basically, there are a number of forces that in a conventional aircraft (such as the P-51D) try to turn the aircraft to the left. First, we have slipstream effect.  Basically, the air doesn't shoot straight back from the prop; it spirals around the aircraft, and strikes the left side of the vertical stabilizer, which pushes the tail to the right, and thus the nose to the left. Second, we have torque.  We all know that torque is due to the fact that since the prop is spinning one way, a force is generated that tries to spin the aircraft as well. Basically, the torque rolls the aircraft left. P factor is caused by the fact that one side of the propeller produces more thrust than the other.  This is because the Angle of Attack (AoA) of the prop blades is based upon their relative wind. At rest, it is equal on all blades of the prop (since the relative wind is coming from the rotation of the prop--and nothing else).  With the aircraft flying straight and level, we don't really have this problem, since the wind component caused by the rotation of the prop is the same on all blades, and since the aircraft is level, the airspeed of the aircraft is going to have the same effect on all of the blades equally.  But, if the AIRCRAFT is at a high AOA, one side of the prop circle is ascending, and one is descending. The problem is, we have airspeed.  So, the descending blade takes a bigger bite of the air than the other blade(s).  Care to guess which one takes the bigger bite? 

The one on the right, which yaws the aircraft...LEFT. The last one (which is a big deal in AH) is gyroscopic precession. We all know (or should know) that a force exerted on a gyro will come out 90 degrees in the direction of rotation later.  So, what this means for an aircraft is this:  when we push the nose down (when we lift the tail), we are exerting a force on the top of the prop disk, which pushed FORWARD.  OK, 90 degrees later (since the prop spins clockwise viewed from the pilot's seat) we get that force back. 90 degrees later is...on the right.  Which again yaws the aircraft LEFT.

So now that we've got the forces down, how do we take off? 

Well, here's a generic procedure: Start engine, use 20 degrees of flaps. Advance engine to 55 InHg MAP (use 45 if you still have problems). Use rudders to track as straight as you can (more on this later). Hold the stick forward. As nose lowers, counter the left yaw--this is a big one too, if you are holding full right rudder while the nose moves, lower the nose slower. As you are level, and at 100 knots, add more power. Key things to remember- -Don't add full power right away. -Don't add full power while you are lowering the nose (this is about the worst thing you can do). -Track straight--here's an easy way how:  follow your Directional Gyro.  It's possible to take off in a real aircraft with NO visual reference if you have to by sole reference to the directional gyro, and the same is true for Aces High. If the runway heading moves left (at all), press the left rudder.  If it goes right, press the right rudder.  You will notice these changes much faster than if you were looking at the runway trying to perceive the changes in heading.  And, since most of the AH fields are on cardinal headings, and the DG turns the "right" way, this is real easy, and takeoffs are easy to keep on the runway with this method.

I've lost my clipboard.  How do I get it back?

Press the ESC key on your keyboard. It is possible to minimize the clipboard and then change your views so the clipboard disappears from view. Pressing the ESC key toggles the clipboard between being minimized and maximized.  If you still can't see the clipboard then try a different view, (F1-F5), and press ESC again then resize the clipboard with the plus and minus buttons on the top right of the clipboard.

How do I move around on the field?

The menu options on the bottom of the clipboard move you to the different field locations.  These options change depending on whether you are on the field or in flight. The small square buttons on the left are the hangar and spawn point locations for your field.  Clicking one of these buttons puts you on the runway or spawn point in your currently selected plane, vehicle or boat with your previously selected ordnance and fuel load. The Tower option moves you to the Control Tower if you are in another field location such as the Hangar or O'Club.  Clicking the Ships option will bring up the interface for Player Controlled Task Groups. The O'Club option moves you to the O'Club where you can change countries, change your game id or set up a squad. The Hangar option moves you to the hangar where you can select a plane, vehicle or boat, change ordnance and fuel loads, set the convergence of your guns, or check your Perk Points. The Roster option will show you all players currently online, their country, rank and squad affiliation. The Options button shows the game setup options on the clipboard and this is where you can map the keys on your keyboard, map the buttons on your joystick and calibrate your joystick to work with Aces High. The Quit button will exit Aces High and return you to your desktop.

How do I move the clipboard around on the screen?

Click and drag on the clipboard "clip" to move the clipboard to a different place on your screen. Or you can click and drag the small arrow on the upper left of the clipboard next to the clip.

How do I change the map on my clipboard?

Right click on the clipboard map and select Clipboard Maps from the menu.

How do I engage wep?

Press P on your keyboard to engage wep.

What are the flaps keys?

Press Q on your keyboard to lower flaps, W to raise flaps.

How do I start a squadron?

From the clipboard menu, select the O'Club option. To form a squad, you just have to invite one player and wait for them to accept your invitation. Squads in Aces High can have from 2 to 32 members.

What is the autopilot key?

Press X on your keyboard to toggle autopilot level, Ctrl-X to toggle autopilot angle, and Alt-X to toggle autopilot climb. When autopilot level is on, the cockpit beacon will be yellow, and autopilot angle and autopilot climb will display a red beacon.  The beacon light is off if no autopilot is engaged.

How do I take a screenshot?

Press Alt-S on your keyboard to take a screen shot. The file will be saved in your [Game installation dir]/Aces High/ directory with the format ahssxx.bmp where xx is the number of the latest screen shot.

How do I use padlock?

Use F11 to toggle on the padlock view.

How do I open my parachute?

Press O on your keyboard to open your chute.

How do I change fuel tanks in mid-flight?

Press Shift-F on your keyboard to change fuel tanks.

What does the 'A' in the fuel indicator mean?

Some of the aircraft in Aces High can have multiple fuel tanks. For example, the P-51D has three internal tanks, they are labeled LW for left wing, RW for right wing and AUX is the tank in the fuselage.  If you load drop tanks, you get 2 more tanks labeled "extern".

At the start of flight you will see an A- in front of the tank name.  The A indicates that you are in Auto mode and the program will select your fuel tanks for you.  It does this by 2 simple rules.

1. Always select external tanks first.

2. Select the tank which will keep your CG (center of gravity) balanced.

When you choose a fuel load it doesn't put 25% or 50% in every tank but loads them with a preset configuration.  That's why unless you load 100%, you don't see the AUX in the P-51D. Pressing Shift-F the first time will take you out of auto mode.  Note the fuel dial only shows a % in a tank, not your total fuel. Pressing Shift-F a second time will select the next non-empty tank.  In the case of an aircraft with only one internal tank and assuming you don't have drop tanks loaded, Shift-F will just be going back and forth from A-MAIN to MAIN since those are the only two modes possible with one tank.

How do I drop my external fuel tanks?

Press Backspace on your keyboard to cycle to your drop tanks (DT), then press B to fire the secondary weapon, which drops the tanks in this case.

What's the difference between a Fighter and an Attack sortie?

Fighter sorties only score air-to-air damage and kills, and Attack sorties score air-to-air and air-to-ground damage and kills.  Please see Scoring in Aces High for a complete explanation of the score system.

Why can't I fly the newest planes offline in Aces High?

Enable the newest planes, vehicles and boats by clicking on the Options, then Arena Setup, then Environment button on your clipboard, then click on Field Settings.  Next, click the Enable All button under the Planes list, then click on the Save button.

How do I get perk points?

Perk points are accumulated by killing enemies and damaging and destroying enemy targets.  Please visit the Perk Points page on our help pages to learn more about earning and spending perk points.

What do the trains and convoys do?

Trains and convoys are built into the terrain to resupply fields and towns.  The trains and convoys can be damaged and destroyed to keep the destination field from being resupplied.  More information about gameplay in Aces High is available on our help pages.

How do I drive the tanks/boats?

First, select a vehicle or boat from the hangar, then move to the driver's position by clicking the H button or a spawn point on your clipboard.  Start the engine by pressing the E key, shift into first gear with the Q key, and push your joystick forward to move.

How do I calibrate my bomber gunsight?

Here are four basic steps to calibrating the bombsight: Enter calibration mode Measure speed by marking a point on the terrain Set the target altitude Exit calibration mode Bombers in Aces High has a detailed explanation of each step.

How do I turn off mouse view control while in flight?

Select Options->Preferences->View Options from the clipboard menu, and uncheck Default to Instant View.