------------------------------------------------------------------------ Interplay Productions - Virtual Snooker CD Demo - Celeris, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This file contains important information about the Virtual Snooker Demo. ====================================== Configuring the Virtual Snooker Demo ====================================== Place the Virtual Snooker Demo CD into your CD-Rom drive. From the command prompt, type d:INSTALL (where d: is the drive letter of your CD-Rom drive). Follow the instructions to install the Virtual Snooker Demo. When the game is finished installing, type SNOOKER to play. The first time you run the game, a configuration program will allow you to set up your display and sound options. Just follow the on screen instructions to set up your video driver, sound card, and mouse (if necessary). To change your configuration at a later time, simply select the Configure Virtual Snooker item from the Main Menu. Note, the Virtual Snooker Demo will not run under Win95. If you have Win95, reboot your system and hit F4 when Win95 first starts to boot up. This will take you straight to Dos. ========================= Playing Virtual Snooker ========================= The Virtual Snooker Demo allows you to view 3 movies from the full version of Virtual Snooker. To view movies, you simply click on the movie from the Main Menu. Movies that are not included in the Demo have been greyed out of the menus. To play the Virtual Snooker Demo, select Play Virtual Snooker from the Main Menu. This demo allows you to play a 11-point game of Snooker. Although the computer opponent is not available, you can play against a friend on the same computer or use Virtual Snookers net, modem, or serial options. See the in-game Help menus for details on controls and functions used to play Snooker. ========================= Electronic Registration ========================= Please register the Virtual Snooker Demo. Its easy and it gets you all kinds of free stuff: * Save up to 40% off retail prices. * Buy and play our newest releases before others. * Get information about new product developments. ========================== Ordering Information ========================== The full version of this product will be available at major retailers. Mail order is not available in the UK at present. For distribution details please call Interplay Productions Ltd on +44 (0) 1628 423666 or fax at +44 (0) 1628 423777. For information in the US, please call 1-800-INTERPLAY. Look us up at our World Wide Web Site (see below). ================================= Interplay's World Wide Web Site ================================= Interplay's World Wide Web site is an Internet service designed to give you the latest information about Interplay and our products. The site features our demos, upgrades, product information and ordering information. From your Internet account, point your favorite browser to: http://www.interplay.com/ ======================== Memory Managers ======================== The Virtual Snooker Demo does not require a memory manager, but should run ok with all of them in most configurations. You may have problems running the Virtual Snooker Demo with QEMM. To disable QEMM, push ALT while the system is booting. ======================== Sound Cards ======================== The Virtual Snooker Demo only uses Sound Blaster digitized sound for effects during the game. If you have a different sound card, make sure that its Sound Blaster emulation is turned on. Also, make sure that the BLASTER environment variable contains the correct settings. See your sound card's installation procedures for more information. Some older sound card users may not get music when playing the Virtual Snooker demo. ======================== Video Drivers ======================== The Virtual Snooker Demo can be run at higher resolutions with the 3DVX video drivers. The drivers are graphics chip specific. You should choose the driver which provides you with the highest resolution possible and still maintains a rapid update rate. You can turn off the room background or make the window smaller to increase the frame rate. Higher resolution drivers require more video memory. See the Memory Requirements section below. Current revisions of drivers do not check how much memory is on the card; so if it doesn't work, try a lower resolution. If you don't know what chip is on your video card, try using auto-detection in the config program. This program is not guaranteed to properly identify all chips. If you can't run with the driver selected by auto-detection, try pulling out your video card and looking for a name and ID on the graphics chip. The graphics chip will usually be the largest chip on the board. If a chip specific driver does not work, try the VESA Planar Multi Page driver. If that does not work, use the VESA Linear Single Page driver. If all else fails, use the VGA driver. Video memory requirements for drivers: 320x240 VGA driver 256 KB 640x480 3DVX chip specific drivers 1 MB 1024x768 3DVX chip specific drivers 2 MB 640x480 VESA Planar Multi Page 1 MB 1024x768 VESA Planar Multi Page 2 MB 640x480 VESA Single Page 512 KB 1024x768 VESA Single Page 1 MB New drivers will be made available on the Interplay BBS (see below). There are hardware bugs in some early versions of the S3801/805 chipsets. You may see pixels reversed in columns on the screen. The accelerator may not work on some chips. There is no fix for these bugs. The ET4000/W32 Accelerated chip will not work under WINDOWS. If you have a video card with this chip use the non-accelerated driver for Windows. Note that there is a different driver for the ET4000/W32P version of the chip. The ET4000/W32 driver will not work for the P version. If there isn't a driver for your board, let us know by posting a message on the Interplay BBS. If we get a sufficient number of requests for a chip, we'll try to write a driver for it. ISA graphics boards will not be supported because they lack the necessary performance at high resolution. The movie player uses a VESA mode. If you can't play movies and get a message that the graphics mode can't be set, try installing a VESA driver. ======================== Modem Play ======================== The Virtual Snooker Demo supports remote play over telephone modem. If you can't CONNECT or lose connection frequently, you can try changing the modem init string in MODEM.INI. The modem init string currently sends a "Z" command which loads a user defined setting stored in ROM. If this does not work try replacing the "Z" with a "&F". This will load a factory default setting. Some US Robotics modems will need an "&F1" instead of "&F". If you still have trouble the following info may help: Modems need to talk to the Virtual Snooker Demo with hardware flow control and a fixed baud rate between the computer and modem. Check to see if there is an option for setting the communication flow control and/or baud rate between the computer and the modem. Many modems have default setup templates specified by: &F0, &F1, ..,&Fn. One of these may work. ======================= Running under Windows ======================= To play the Virtual Snooker Demo under Windows 3.XX, open a DOS BOX, go to the Virtual Snooker Demo directory and type snooker. Do not try to play the Virtual Snooker Demo under Win95. The demo does not currently support this operating system and will crash. The full version of Virtual Snooker will work in Win95. If you are using Win95, reboot your computer and hit F4 when Win95 first begins to boot up. This will start your computer in Dos mode. ====================== Known Windows Problems ====================== The ET4000/W32 Accelerated Chipset will not work under WINDOWS 3.XX. If you have a card with this chipset use the non-accelerated driver if you are running under Windows. Some older Sound Blaster and Media Vision cards will not function under WINDOWS. If you're having problems getting the sound to work while playing from WINDOWS, and are getting a "sound device in use message", close any application that may be using sound. If you still get the message the problem is a sound driver bug. You can probably download an updated sound driver from your board manufacturer. Creative Labs has a new driver for older Sound Blaster cards. Selecting Sound Blaster sound when configuring Virtual Snooker under Windows may cause the movie player to hang. If you configure Virtual Snooker in Windows and select Sound Blaster, restart Windows before playing any movies. You must hit ESC to bypass the movies at the start of Virtual Snooker. ======================== Known Problems ======================== There is an existing bug with the remote communications code: some users may experience a loss of computer synchronization or complete crashes if the Match Goal is changed after a match has begun. The best way to get around this problem is to change the Match Goal as soon as you connect or to only change the Match Goal between matches. This bug is known and will be fixed for the Full Release of Virtual Snooker. ======================== Technical Support ======================== European Inquiries: Call Interplay Productions on +44 (0) 1628 487752 or fax at +44 (0) 1628 423723. ======================== Interplay BBS ======================== Interplay operates a Multi-Line BBS running WildCat! Software for Customer Support, Questions, and game fixes. The number is 714-252-2822. Modem settings are 300-28.8k, V.32, V.42, 8-N-1. This is a FREE service. After logging onto the Interplay BBS, join the Virtual Snooker Conference, (conference 7). To do this from the MAIN MENU, first type "M" to switch to the MESSAGE MENU, then type "J" for "JOIN," then enter "7" to join Conference 7. Once you have switched to the Virtual Snooker Conference you can (R)ead Messages left by others, (E)nter New Messages to our resident Virtual Snooker Expert, and even download additional trick shots, (if you have the CD-ROM version of Virtual Snooker). To Download Files, join Conference 7 as described above, type "F" for the FILES MENU, and then enter "L" to LIST the available files in this area. ======================== IMPORTANT NOTE ======================== Different File Areas are available depending on which Conference you are currently in. If you're looking for Virtual Snooker files, be sure to (J)oin Conference 7 BEFORE you enter the (F)ile Area. ======================== America Online ======================== From AOL you can e-mail Interplay Customer Support at IPTECH. To reach our customer board in the Industry Connection, press CTRL-K for "Go to Keyword." Then type INTERPLAY in the keyword window. In addition to reading and leaving messages, you can download fixes and demos from the "Software Libraries." ======================== CompuServe ======================== On CompuServe we are located in the Game Publishers B Forum. Just type GO GAMEPUB at any ! prompt. Then select section 4 for Interplay Productions. You can leave technical support questions there. You can also download fixes and demos from Library 4 in the GAMEPUB. The best place for game play hints is in the GAMERS forum, (type GO GAMERS). If you are not already a CompuServe member, you can call CompuServe toll- free at 1-800-524-3388 and ask Representative #354 for a free introductory membership and a $15 usage credit. ======================== GEnie ======================== We are located in the Games RoundTable hosted by Scorpia. To get there, type M805;1 at any ? prompt. Then select "Category 13" for Interplay Productions. Demos and patches are available in the Libraries. ============================================== Prodigy (r) Interactive Personal Service ============================================== You may send e-mail directly to us from Prodigy at ID PLAY99B. ======================== Internet ======================== You can reach Interplay Technical Support over the Internet by addressing e-mail to: support@interplay.com Many Interplay demos and patches are also available at Internet FTP sites. ================================================ Software Use Limitations and Limited License ================================================ This special "11-points-wins" preview version of Virtual Snooker (the "Software") is intended solely for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use. You may not decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the Software, except as permitted by law. Interplay Productions and Celeris retain all rights and title in the Software including all intellectual property rights embodied therein and derivatives thereof. You are granted a revocable, nonassignable limited license to create derivative works of this Software solely for your own personal noncommercial home entertainment use and may publicly display such derivative works to the extent specifically authorized by Interplay in writing. A copy of this authorization, if any, will by provided on Interplay's World Wide Web site, and may also be obtained by contacting the legal department at Interplay at (714) 553-6655. The Software, including, without limitation, all code, data structures, characters, images, sounds, text, screens, game play, derivative works, and all other elements of the Software may not be copied (except as provided below), resold, rented, leased, distributed (electronically or otherwise), used on a pay-per-play, coin-op, or other for-charge basis, or for any commercial purpose. You may make copies of the Software for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use and to give to friends and acquaintances on a no cost noncommercial basis. This limited right to copy the Software expressly excludes any copying or distribution of the Software on a commercial basis, including, without limitation, bundling the product with any other product or service and any give away of the Software in connection with another product or service. Any permissions granted herein are provided on a temporary basis and can be withdrawn by Interplay Productions at any time. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.