FRONT PAGE SPORTS: BASEBALL PRO 98 Demo VERSION 1.01 README FILE 5/23/97 ******************************************************************************************* Welcome to the Front Page Sports: Baseball Pro '98 pre-release demo. The demo version of the game will allow you to play in the Arcade and Exhibition modes and will let you go into batting practice. Due to space limitations, you will be able to play just 3 innings of baseball and all play will be in Jacobs Field in Cleveland. The League Management of the simulation is extremely limited in the demo. You cannot create associations and you can only play exhibition games, not actual league games. But, otherwise, you can play around with the various screens and options, such as modifying rosters, proposing trades, changing uniform colors, etc. There is no music in the demo version. For additional information please consult the bb98.hlp file in the bb98demo directory. Enjoy the demo and call 1-800-757-7707 to order the full game, or see your local retailer. ******************************************************************************************* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS II. GENERAL TECHNICAL ISSUES III. GENERAL GAME ISSUES IV. CONTACTING SIERRA I. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS -------------------------------------------------- MINIMUMS PENTIUM 60 WINDOWS 95 (with Windows 95 drivers) 16 MB RAM 2X CD-ROM Sound Card With DAC (Speech Capability) MOUSE 18 MB hard drive space SVGA 256 COLORS RECOMMENDED Pentium 120+ 32 MB Ram 4X CD-ROM Joystick w/Windows 95 driver Accelerated Video Card 16 bit sound card 28.8 Modem II. GENERAL TECHNICAL ISSUES -------------------------------------------------- Installation Instructions To install Front Page Sports: Baseball 98 Demo, run BP98DML.EXE from the directory that contains the extracted files, then follow the on-screen prompts. Disk Space Requirements: The mini version of the demo requires about 31.3 MB of hard disk space. The full version of the demo requires about 41.7 MB of hard disk space. These numbers may vary depending on the actual size of your hard drive. Memory Memory (RAM), can affect the way a program runs in many ways. The lack of available memory, can cause poor performance, errors, and lockups. There are several steps you can take to try and optimize your system's memory. Turn off all programs and utilities running in the background. Many systems come with software that automatically loads into memory upon starting Windows. To check for this, press the and keys on your keyboard all at once. This will access the CLOSE PROGRAMS window. The only program necessary to run Baseball 98 is EXPLORER. If there are other utilities listed in the CLOSE PROGRAM window, you will need to highlight them, one at a time, and click on the END TASK button. This will cause the CLOSE PROGRAM window to disappear. Press again, and continue to END TASK all items other than EXPLORER. If you find that performing an END TASK on a certain item causes your system to reboot, simply make a note of it, and remember not to END TASK it next time. This means that that particular item is necessary for your system to run Windows. Turn off screen savers and wall paper. Right click on the Desktop area, and choose PROPERTIES. Click on the BACKGROUND tab, and make sure that Wallpaper is set to (None). Click on the SCEEN SAVER tab, and make sure that is also set to (None). Then click on APPLY, and OK. If you are using a screen saver other than those supplied by Windows 95, and it did not appear in your CLOSE PROGRAMS window, see the specific documentation on how to temporarily disable it. Try lowering your resolution and color palette. The lowest possible settings are 640x480 resolution and 256 colors. You can change your windows resolution by right clicking on the desktop and choosing PROPERTIES from the menu that appears. Once in the PROPERTIES screen, click on the SETTINGS tab. Slide the lever bar located in the DESKTOP AREA to the right of your screen until the message below reads "800X600 pixels". Then click the button accessing the drop down located in the COLOR PALETTE area to the left of your screen until the message in the window reads "256 color". Click on APPLY and then on OK. Make a bootdisk for Windows 95. To create a bootdisk, you will need a blank 3 1/2 floppy diskette. -Insert the diskette into the A: drive. -Double click on My Computer. -Right click on the 3 1/2 A: drive, and select FORMAT from the menu. -In the FORMAT window, put a dot next to FULL, and a check next to COPY SYSTEM FILES. -Click on START NOW. -Once the diskette is finished formatting, double click on the C: drive in the My Computer window. -Click on VIEW, then OPTIONS. Click on the VIEW tab, and make sure that only the SHOW ALL FILES option is checked. Click Apply, then OK. -Locate the file MSDOS.SYS. Files are listed alphabetically. -Right click on MSDOS.SYS, and select SEND TO. Send it to 3 1/2 floppy (A:). -Answer YES, when asked if you would like to replace the existing file. With the diskette in the drive, reboot your computer. This should be a sufficient Windows 95 bootdisk for most systems. If your system fails to recognize some hardware when booting from this diskette, simply remove it from the drive, and restart. You will need to obtain our trouble shooting guide for more bootdisk information. You can obtain the document Bootdisk Instructions for Windows 95 via fax, CompuServe, AOL or the Internet. See the section on Contacting Sierra for electronic addresses and phone numbers. III. GENERAL GAME ISSUES -------------------------------------------------- Problems and Solutions Problem: In arcade mode, the pitcher always throws to the center of the plate. Solution: Go into GAME OPTIONS screen and click on GROUND RULES. Click on the 'Pitch to Center' check box to deselect that feature. Problem: When pitching in "standard" or "advance mode", the pitch location selection screen does not appear. Solution: Go into GAME OPTIONS screen and click on GROUND RULES. Click on the 'Pitch to Center' check box to deselect that feature. Problem: In 640X480 resolution some of the windows in the BPI (Batter/Pitcher Interface) screen can not be seen. Solution: In some cases, when running in 640X480, the optional game windows will not appear, or will only appear in part. In most cases these windows can be relocated by single clicking on menu bar of the particular window and repositioning it to the desired location. If the window is not on the screen at all, switch your monitor resolution settings to 800X600 resolution or higher. You can change your windows resolution by right clicking on the desktop and choosing PROPERTIES from the menu that appears. Once in the PROPERTIES screen, click on the SETTINGS tab. Slide the lever bar located in the DESKTOP AREA to the right of your screen until the message below reads "800X600 pixels". Click on APPLY and then on OK. Go into the game and position the window(s) that can not be seen in the 640X480 resolution towards the center of the screen. Exit the game and change your windows resolution back to 640X480 Pixels. You should now see the missing window(s) and be able to reposition it to the desired location. Please see the on-line manual for more information about Baseball 98. IV. CONTACTING SIERRA ------------------------------------------------ Sales Services United States Sierra Direct U.S.A. Sales Phone: (800) 757-7707 7100 W. Center Rd. International Sales: (425) 746-5771 STE 301 Hours: Monday-Saturday 7AM to 11 PM CST, Omaha, NE 68106 Sundays 8AM to 9PM CST SIERRA ON-LINE, INC. DOES NOT WARRANTY OR PROMISE THAT THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL WORK WITH ANY OR ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS. SIERRA DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY, EITHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, FOR THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN, INCLUDING ANY AND ALL DAMAGE TO OR LOST USE OF COMPUTER HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, LOSS OF WARRANTIES, OR LOST DATA BY THE CUSTOMER OR ANY THIRD PARTY. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY SIERRA, ITS EMPLOYEES, DISTRIBUTORS, DEALER OR AGENTS SHALL CHANGE THE RESTRICTION OF LIABILITY OR CREATE ANY NEW WARRANTIES. IN NO CASE SHALL SIERRA'S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE SIERRA SOFTWARE PRODUCT. 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THE REDISTRIBUTABLE CODE IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. YOU ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE ACCURACY AND THE USE OF THE REDISTRIBUTABLE CODE. MICROSOFT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE REDISTRIBUTABLE CODE, EVEN IF MICROSOFT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright Sierra On-line 1997