Age
of Wonders II: The WizardÆs Throne
V1.1 û README
July 2, 2002
Thank you
for purchasing Age of Wonders II! This document will assist you in getting the
best experience from the game. It also contains last-minute information that
was not able to make it into the manual.
á
Contents
ááááááááááááááááááááááá
3. Contacting Technical Support
6. Resuming
a LAN or Internet Game
9. Web Links
OS:
Windows(R) 98/ME/2000/XP
CPU:
300MHz
RAM: 64
MB (128 Recommended)
Free Hard
Disk Space: 250 MB
Video:
DirectX8 Compatible 4MB 3D Video Card
Sound:
DirectX8 Compatible Sound Card
Age of
Wonders 2 starts in Hardware Rendering Mode. On machines that do not have
DirectX 8 or higher, or the latest video drivers installed, theá program may have trouble running. Either
download the latest drivers, or set AoW2 to start in Software Rendering with
AoW2Setup.
Problem: The Game does
not Start Properly.
The game starts with a black screen, has redraw
problems, instantly crashes or crashes after scenario setup.
A)á Make
sure DirectX 8.0 or higher is installed.
B)á Download
the latest Drivers for your video card from the manufacturerÆs site. Here are
some popular video card manufactures:
╖ááá http://www.ati.com
╖ááá http://www.3dfx.com
C)á Close
all background Applications before running the game. Some programs can
interfere with Age of Wonders 2.
D)á Disable
the option ôAllow Resolution Changesö.
E)á Make
sure your monitor can display the required resolution.
Problem: Slow Performance.
When the game runs slowly on your computer, you
can try the following options to make the game run faster:
A)á Close
all background Applications before running the game. Programs like Virus
Scanners, Security Programs and Internet Applications can be memory and
performance hogs.
B)á Run
the game at a low resolution, using the AoW2Setup program
C)á Set
the Game to æMediumÆ or æLowÆ detail, using AoW2Setup. This will reduce some of
the more demanding graphical effects.
Problem: Crash when using <alt-tab> for
task-switching or when resolution-switching.
Game can crash or displays a black screen. This
usually happens in hardware-accelerated mode on some graphics cards.
A) Download the latest Drivers for your
video card from the manufacturerÆs site.
B) Disable the option ôAllow Resolution
Changesö for in-game crashes.
C) Run the game in ôSoftware rendering
modeö, using the AoW2Setup program.
D) Change desktop to 16 bit color
depth.
Problem: No sound
A) Try toggling "DirectSound"
off/on in the game or with the AoW2Setup program.
B) Make sure you have the latest
version of DirectX installed.
Problem: Editor instability, or game
instability when running in Windowed mode.
Some video cardsá conflict with AoW2 when the desktop is set to 24 or 32 bit color
mode.
A) Change desktop to 16 bit color
depth.
B) Run the game in ôSoftware rendering
modeö, using the AoW2Setup program.
Problem: The game interface graphics corrupts
If you have ôanti-aliasingö enabled in your video settings, turn it off.
Problem: AoW2 fails to install properly.
Reboot, and disable all background tasks before running the installer.
ôZip Magicö has been confirmed to sometimes conflict with the AoW2 Installer.
What ports need to be opened to play AoW2 behind a
firewall?
WindowsXP's internal
firewall does not require any ports to be opened. Other Firewalls need ports
6073 and 2302. AoW2 may not work reliably on a shared internet connection.
Take Two
Interactive Technical support can be reached by phone at 410-933-9191 and via
email at support@take2baltimore.com The tech support hours of operation are
Monday through Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm EST.
Technical
Support Supervisor
Sydney F. Saunders IV
Technical
Support Representatives
Dave Thomas
Katie Young
Matthew Baros
Mykl Ranere
Patty Saneman
Stacey Sharpe
Andre Liggins
[New
Features]
-Extra
ôBeginnersö Campaign Difficulty added.
-Surrender
added to Options Menu
-Objectives
added to Options Menu
[Fixes]
-Crop Fields regrow after casting
spells like ôEvil Woodsö and ôPoison Woodsö.
-Ability
levels from higher unit ranks no longer reset when loading a saved game.
-Swapping
Artifacts now updates Unit Statistics immediately.
-Charge
Info Incorrectly listed +2 ATT instead of +2 DAM
-A
rare AI lockup and Spirit crash
-The ôCö
Center Location and ôHö next Hero shortcuts now work.
-Machines
now join on their own.
-ôCall/Resurrect
Heroö now checks max heroes setting
-Casting
ôPoison Plantsö no longer erases bridges.
-ôStatic
Shieldö now correctly gives Lightning Strike.
-Tactical
AI no longer walks onto Flee Hexes.
-Tactical
AI Wall Attacking is improved.
-Tutorial
Ice Crossing made clearer
-A
rarely occurring slowdown during Tactical Combat is fixed.
-Tactical
Combat AI Spell casting is improved.
-Ambient
SFX now sound better.
-ôResurgenceö
Spells and Items now properly resurrect a unit after death.
-Ranged
attacks which kill their targets now give proper event text.
-Diplomatic Trading takes offer into
account when checking for available mana/gold
-Building Queue is cleared after AI
takes over city
-Flee arrows at the top edge of the
Combat Map are now visible.
-Abilities which take control of
enemy Units (like Seduce) now give Experience when successful.
-When the last enemy is a Possessed
Unit, killing it no longer ends the Combat.
-Floating Units can no longer walk
over obstacles.
-Markmanship now gives bonuses to
non-physical ranged attacks as well.
-Non-physical abilities now show
to-hit event info based on RES.
-Combat Spells now have event info
when selected.
[Balance]
-ôTower
Guardö now only fires for the first 5 Rounds of Combat.
-Random
Damage is now more likely to do an "average" amount, with
minimum/maximumá Damage rolls being more
rare.
-Fairy:
Concealment added.
-Leprechaun:
Taunt added
-Magic
Servant: Strike added
-Fire
Crossbow: DAM 7 (was 5)
-Hurl
Stones: ATT 7,á DAM 5(was 6,7)
-Shoot
Javelin: DAM 10 (was 7)
-Venomous
Spit: DAM 9 (was 6)
-Fire
Bolts: DAM 7 (was 5)
-Frost
Bolts: DAM 7 (was 5)
-More
Hero Experience needed at higher levels.
á(Level 10 to 20:á 50 instead of 40)
á(Level 20 to 30: 70 instead of 50)
-Swarm DAM
5 (Was 1)
-Corpus DAM
8 (Was 5)
-Combat Spells now do from 50-100%
of their DAM.
-Healing
Spells now restore from 50-100% of their maximum.
[Editor]
-Validate
Map Button now works.
-FrameRate
disabled by default (F9=Toggle)
-Desert no
longer listed twice in NewMap
-ArmyDlg
Edit button fixed/Add button removed
-HeroDlg
add/remove items fixed.
-Item/Hero
Libraries are now saved
-Customize
Wizard crash fixed
In an
E-mail game, each human player takes a turn and then sends the Scenario's saved
game file to the next human player in an E-mail file attachment. Play by E-mail
(PBEM) games require Internet E-mail access.
When
starting an E-mail game you should fill in the PBEM settings using the Email
Settings Option.
Local
E-mail Address
Specify the E-mail address you use on your Age
of Wonders 2 computer to send and receive E-mail. The Local E-Mail address is
in the common username@provider.com format.
SMTP Server
For Age of Wonders to automatically send email
attachments, your Internet Service Provider's SMTP server name needs to be
specified. If you are not sure what your provider's SMTP name is, you can look
it up in the configuration window of your E-mail program.
ááááááááááá Microsoft Outlook Express
ááááááááááááááááááááááá Go to the Tools/Accounts
Menu
ááááááááááááááááááááááá Select the E-mail
account you will be using for PBEM
ááááááááááááááááááááááá Click properties and see
the Servers Tab
ááááááááááááááááááááááá
ááááááááááá Netscape Communicator:
ááááááááááááááááááááááá Go to the
Edit/Preferences Menu
ááááááááááááááááááááááá Under Mail &
Newsgroups see Mail Servers
If this didn't help you can contact your
Internet Service Provider, they will be able to tell your SMTP server name.áááááááá
Attachment
Directory
Specify the directory you use for incoming
E-Mail attachments.á Age of Wonders 2
will look in this directory for incoming PBEM games sent to the Local Email
Address. Some mail programs automatically save attachments to a specified
directory when they come in, others require you to manually save the
attachments.
ááááááááááá
Starting a
PBEM game
The person starting the PBEM session uses New
Game in the PBEM Scenario Menu. The setting up of a scenario is similar to a
regular Hot Seat game (only Classic Turns mode is available).á At least 2 human players need to be defined
for PBEM games. After pressing the Start button you will need to specify the
PBEM Game's name and the E-mail addresses of the people involved.
Continuing
a PBEM game
When you wish to continue playing a PBEM game
already in progress, you can do either of the following:
1) Save the PBEM game to a directory manually
using your emailáá program, and then
loading it in Age of Wonders 2 using the "Load Game" button.
2) Have Age of Wonders 2 check your email for
PBEM games, using the "Check Email" button in the "Email
Game" menu. Age of Wonders 2 will check the attachment directory for PBEM
games. This option only works for E-mail programs that automatically save
attachments.
Once a
valid PBEM game is found, your turn will begin. When you complete your turn by
pressing the "End Turn" button, Age of Wonders will send the PBEM
game to the next human player so that they may play their turn. This process
continues until the game is completed.
á
When an LAN
or Internet game is interrupted for any reason, the following process allows
you to continue your game where you left off:
Enter the Age of Wonders 2 LAN or Internet
Scenario Setup Screen as you would if you were starting a new multi-player
game. When prompted to choose a Scenario to play, find the save game you wish
to continue playing multi-player, and select it, and reassign the players to
their wizards.
If the game ended without being saved, players
can use the "Autosave.asg" file to recover the game, as long as
players haven'tá played another game in
the interim. Save games are stored by the game iná the ...\Save\ directory.
á
Lists last
minute manual changes and corrections.
Spells
Blazing
Comet Attack 18, instead of 10
Deatháá Rayáááááááááááááááá Damage
6, instead of 8
Stoningááááááááááááááááááááááá Attack 10, instead of 8
Suffocateáááááááááááááááááááá Damage 6, instead of 4
Deep
Fissureááááááááááááá 2-8x damage vs
structures
Tremorsááááááááááááááááááááá 2-8x damage vs structures
Fire Stormááááááááááááááááá Attack 12, instead of 7
Abilities
Entangleááááááááááááááááááááá Attack 12
Unitsááá
Titanáááááááááááááááááááááááááá Willpower added
See also
the Patch Changes Above.
F1áááááááááááááááááá = Help/Tutorial
F2 or
CTRL-S = Save game
F3 or
CTRL-L = Load game
F4 ááááááááááááááááá = Toggle Hexagon Grid
F5 ááááááááááááááááá = Windowed display
F6 ááááááááááááááááá = 800x600 display
F7áááááááááááááááááá = 1024x768 display
F8áááááááááááááááááá = 1280x1024 display
F9 ááááááááááááááááá = Toggle Frame rate
'C'áááááááááááááááááá = Center View on selected
object
'N' or '.' ááááááááá = Next Party/Unit
'P' or ','ááááááááááá = Prev Party/Unit)
'D' ááááááááááááááááá = Party/Unit Done Toggle
'M'áááááááááááááááááá = Move Selected Party/Unit
'G'áááááááááááááááááá = Party Guard Toggle
Space áááááááááááá = Next Event
'H'áááááááááááááááááá = Next Hero
'O'áááááááááááááááááá = Observe Opponents
'A' ááááááááááááááááá = Toggle Magic Domain
PgUpáááááááááááááá = Map Level Up
PgDn ááááááááááááá = Map Level Down
Home áááááááááááá = Center View on wizard
CTRL-E or
CTRL-ENTER = End Turn
'+' áááááááááááááááááá = Zoom in
'-'áááááááááááááááááááá = Zoom out
'0' áááááááááááááááááá = Zoom 100%
CTRL-'F'áááááááá = Toggle Bilinear Filtering
CTRL-'R'ááááááá = Toggle Hardware/Software rendering
Tab ááááááááááááááá = Chat (Multiplayer only)
Mouse Wheel
= Zoom
Mouse Wheel
Button = Set Zoom to 100%
Editor
only:
F5áááááááááááááááááá = Raise Terrain
F6áááááááááááááááááá = Lower Terrain
╖
http://www.ageofwonders.co.uk
- the official Age of Wonders II site, for news and updates on the game.
╖
http://www.take2games.co.uk - site of the publisher
╖
http://www.triumphstudios.com/ -
official site of the developers
╖
http://aow2.heavengames.com/ - the
central AoW community site, includes forum frequented by the developers
╖
http://www.poptop.com/ - provided development
assistance on AoW2
╖
http://www.stratosgroup.com - site of
manual writers
╖
http://www.gamespyarcade.com/ - meet
AoW2 players for internet games