Quest for Glory IV - Shadows of Darkness - PC Floppy Version Patch to Update to Version 1.1a January 10, 1993 INTRODUCTION This diskette or archive file contains the necessary files to update your copy of Quest for Glory from version 1.0, 1.0a or 1.1 to version 1.1a. This update corrects several problems described below. PLEASE NOTE: IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES YOU MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH THIS PROGRAM, IT WAS NECESSARY THAT WE MAKE REVISIONS TO THE PROGRAM THAT WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THE USE OF PREVIOUS SAVED GAMES. WE SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE. CONTENTS This diskette or archive includes the following files: README This file README.BAT Batch file to display this file PATCH.EXE The patch utility program PATCH.RTP A file containing all patch data INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS To update your game, copy these files into your game directory (e.g. C:\SIERRA\SHADOWS), and then from within that directory, type PATCH and press Enter at the DOS prompt. The patch utility will first scan to insure it is updating the correct files, and then it will automatically install all modifications, including new files. This utility will report its progress, and provide appropriate messages if any errors are encountered. ABOUT THIS UPDATE This game is one of the first of a new generation of Sierra products based on an exciting new 32-bit architecture. Version 1.0 was tested extensively prior to its release, in the same fashion we have successfully tested our earlier 16-bit products. However, the special requirements of 32-bit software make advanced products like this more sensitive than previous 16-bit products to specific system configuration related issues. Thanks to the feedback from initial customers, we have been able to identify and solve all known system specific issues. At the heart of these issues is a third party "DOS extender" that provides this game with 32-bit access to extended memory. Included in this patch is an updated version of this DOS extender, with fixes for numerous customer reported problems. Sierra has tested this version extensively with this game to insure compatibility and proper operation. This update also includes other corrections which should eliminate problems with the sound cards under certain system configurations. It also solves the occasional problems encountered when saving and restoring games in certain situations. Game-specific problems that were fixed include: * Polygon problems, to include "purge is not a selector for glory", have been fixed. * Fatal "Assertion Failure" during saving has been fixed. * Fatal at the Monk's Tomb has been fixed. * Fatal at the Thieves Guild main safe is fixed. * Fatal when Restoring from the Burning Gypsy death message has been fixed. * Fatal lockup when Ego is caught by Ad Avis has been fixed. * Fatal in the swamp, when jumping from hummock to land, has been fixed. * Saved game size and restore time has been decreased. Also, many cosmetic changes have been added to help improve the look and feel of the game. A patch to fix importing problems is not included with this disk, but is available for downloading from the Sierra BBS, CompuServe, GEnie and America On-Line. You can also request the patch from the Sierra Technical Support Department. Quest for Glory - Shadows of Darkness Version 1.0 Release Notes ============================================================ This file contains some additional last minute tips and information that didn't make it into your game manual. If you are experiencing any difficulties playing the game, check this file for anything that may apply. ------------------------------------------------------ A NOTE TO ILLICIT USERS If you have not purchased your own copy of this game, please do so. We have worked extremely hard to produce a game that we feel is truly worth the purchase price. If you feel it is not, you are welcome to take advantage of Sierra's return policy. ------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS I Basic Requirements for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS A. DOS Requirements B. WINDOWS Requirements II Installation Instructions A. DOS Installation B. WINDOWS Installation C. Running SHADOWS OF DARKNESS D. A note about Save games III Sound Card Information A. 'I am not getting all the sounds I expect from SHADOWS OF DARKNESS!' B. Configuration for Sound Blaster and compatible cards in DOS C. Notes for Pro Audio Spectrum sound cards in DOS D. MIDI Sound modules in DOS E. Base and Extended level sounds in WINDOWS F. Music in WINDOWS: Setting the MIDI MAPPER IV Technical Help A. Setting the BRIGHTNESS in the game B. ERROR MESSAGE: Byte Can't Be Allocated C. ERROR MESSAGE: FATAL-Unable to find Mouse Driver D. ERROR MESSAGE: DOS/4GW Professional Fatal Error: Loader Failed - Insufficient Memory E. Freeing memory in DOS F. Freeing memory in Windows V Sierra addresses and phone numbers ------------------------------------------------------ I. Basic Requirements for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS ------------------------------------------------------ A. DOS Requirements - IBM PC or compatible with a 386 processor or higher - 4 MB of RAM - A hard disk with at least 15 MB free space - A VGA graphics card - A Mouse or Track ball - MS-DOS 5.0 OR ABOVE Supported Sound Devices: Sound Blaster, Adlib, PAS Plus/PAS 16, Roland MT-32 and compatible, Microsoft Sound System, General MIDI B. WINDOWS Requirements - IBM PC or compatible with a 386 processor or higher (We recommend a 486 processor) - Windows 3.1 running in 386 ENHANCED mode with a 640X480 256 color VGA display driver installed - 4 MB of RAM with a Virtual Memory Swap file configured for 4 MB - A hard disk with at least 16 MB free space - A Mouse or Track ball - MS-DOS 5.0 OR ABOVE - All sound cards are supported when the proper manufacturer supplied drivers are loaded into Windows ------------------------------------------------------ II. Game Installation ------------------------------------------------------ A. INSTALLING THE GAME FOR DOS Insert the Disk #1 into your floppy drive and type the drive letter, example: A: [ENTER] At the prompt (A: or B:) type: INSTALL [ENTER] You can change options or accept default options. ------------------------------------------------------ B. INSTALLING THE GAME FOR WINDOWS To run in windows you must run the Windows SETUP program. Start Windows and select "RUN" from the Program Manager. Example: B:\SETUP The Windows install will copy over all the files that are needed to run the game in Windows. ------------------------------------------------------ C. RUNNING THE GAME For DOS: From the directory in which you have installed SHADOWS OF DARKNESS, type: SHADOWS [ENTER] For Windows: Double click on the icon for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS. ------------------------------------------------------ D. A NOTE ABOUT SAVE GAMES Games saved while playing under DOS cannot be restored under Windows and vice versa. If you play the game for awhile under DOS or Windows and then decide to switch to the other, you must restart from the beginning. If you do not know which one you prefer, we recommend playing the game under DOS. ------------------------------------------------------ III. Sound Card Information ------------------------------------------------------ A. No sounds or reduced sounds There are several possible causes of this problem. Our INSTALL program will usually select the proper sound configuration for your system but it will occasionally confuse a 16 bit sound card with a Roland MIDI device. Run the INSTALL program and make sure that SHADOWS OF DARKNESS is set to use the appropriate sound hardware that is installed on your system. The volume levels of some of the more recent sound cards are adjusted using a software 'mixer' program. Some software applications will actually change these level without returning them to their original setting. If your are not able to hear all of the sound effects in SHADOWS OF DARKNESS, you may want to run the mixer program for your sound card to make sure that all of the volume settings are at a comfortable level. If you are using a BOOT disk to start SHADOWS OF DARKNESS, you may need to add a sound driver to the CONFIG.SYS on your BOOT disk. The CONFIG.SYS on your C: driver should contain the proper command to load your sound driver but your sound card manual will give you full instructions on setting up your sound card's driver. ------------------------------------------------------ B. SOUND BLASTER/THUNDERBOARD INTERRUPT SETTING IN DOS Each time you start the game, it scans your hardware to determine the proper interrupt configuration for your sound card. Depending on your system configuration, and the other devices installed, this process may not always be successful. The result is distorted or missing digital audio sounds, very slow game speed, or game lockups. This is most likely to happen when using a mouse connected via a bus interface. If you experience any of these symptoms, you can explicitly set the sound card interrupt using the BLASTER environment variable. The Sound Blaster and Thunderboard drivers will first look for the interrupt setting in the BLASTER environment variable, and only attempt the autodetection if it is not found. The BLASTER environment variable is usually defined via a SET command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. It should look something like this: SET BLASTER=A220 D1 I7 This specifies the I/O address, DMA channel, and interrupt line for your sound card, and is used by many products to determine this information. You can determine the setting of all your environment variables by typing SET at the DOS prompt. You can display the current value of the BLASTER variable by typing ECHO BLASTER at the DOS prompt. If you already have a BLASTER environment variable set, make sure the values correspond to the actual hardware configuration of the card. Refer to the card's reference documentation for more information. If you do not currently have a BLASTER environment variable, you should set one according to your sound card's configuration. The only value required by Sierra games is the interrupt line. If your sound card is configured for interrupt 7, the following command will insure that this game will properly determine your sound card configuration at startup: SET BLASTER=I7 This command should be added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so it will run each time your computer is started. Refer to your computer's documentation for more information on the SET command, environment variables, and the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. ------------------------------------------------------ C. PRO AUDIO SPECTRUM USERS IN DOS If you are using a Pro Audio Spectrum 16 or Plus card and experience problems during the game, re-run the INSTALL utility from the game directory and select "Sound Blaster" as your audio device. Selecting Sound Blaster will utilize the PAS card's built-in Sound Blaster emulation for digitized audio effects. If you are using a Pro Audio Spectrum Plus sound card, you will want to run the 'SB_ON' program before you start SHADOWS OF DARKNESS. You should do this each time you play the game to ensure that you are getting the best possible sound. ------------------------------------------------------ D. MIDI SOUND MODULES WITH THE DOS VERSION The DOS installation program for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS will automatically default to General MIDI for Music if you have an MPU-401 adapter card in your system. This is fine as long as you really have a General MIDI device. However, if your sound module is not General MIDI compatible, the music will not sound right. If you have a Roland MT-32, LAPC-1, CM-32, or CM-64, you should choose the MT-32 Music option. Roland Sound Canvas, Roland SCC-1, Roland RAP-10, Yamaha T3 or any other compatible General MIDI device owners should be fine with the default General MIDI option. ------------------------------------------------------ E. WINDOWS SOUND: Base or Extended levels The Windows install will ask you if you want to install for BASE or EXTENDED level sound. BASE level sound runs on channels 13 through 16 and is used for sound cards like Sound Blaster, Pro Audio Spectrum, Adlib, or any FM Yamaha 3812 type card. EXTENDED level sound runs on channels 1 through 10 and is used for cards like the LAPC-I, MT-32, SCC-1, Sound Canvas, Turtle Beach MultiSound, or any General MIDI device. ------------------------------------------------------ F. MUSIC SUPPORT IN WINDOWS: SETTING UP THE MIDI MAPPER If you are not getting all the sounds that you are expecting through your Windows program, it may be because the MIDI Mapper is not setup for your sound card. The MIDI Mapper program is located in the Window's Control Panel which is located in the group "Main." The MIDI Mapper provides filtering and changing of musical events to allow music to sound similar on all hardware. NOTE: If you have not installed the Windows drivers for your sound card, you will not see a MIDI Mapper icon. Refer to the instructions from the card manufacturer to properly install the card and Windows drivers. If none of the MIDI Mapper's available selections work properly with your sound card, you may want to create a new MIDI Mapper selection. You can create a new MIDI setup by selecting the "Setups" radio button then click on the "New" button. You will be presented with a new window: Enter "SHADOWS" for the Name and "SHADOWS OF DARKNESS MIDI" for the Description of this new MIDI setup. You will then be presented with a rather ominous looking screen with lots of options. You will want to click on the field for channel 13 in the column Port Name. Click on the down arrow in this column to bring up a list that contains names of sound devices. Try using Adlib if it is available. If it is not, try one of the others that include 'FM' or 'VOYETRA' in the description. You may want to refer to your sound card documentation to be sure that you are using the correct driver. Repeat the same steps for channels 14 through 16. When you are finished, click on "OK" and indicate that you wish to save this new setup. If your game sounds are still missing or they sound 'funny', try editing the MIDI setup you have just created by using the MIDI Mapper's edit screen and select a different driver for sound. If the music does not sound optimal when playing SHADOWS OF DARKNESS through Windows, you may want to consider running the game in DOS. This decision will depend on what kind of sound device you have. If you have one of the Base Level sound cards listed elsewhere in this README file, you should run the game in DOS for the best possible music. If you have an Extended Level sound device, then you can enjoy optimal music in Windows or in DOS. ------------------------------------------------------ IV. Trouble Shooting and Technical help ----------------------------------------------------- A. SETTING MONITOR BRIGHTNESS LEVEL On some monitors, you may find the video brightness to be a little too dark for your tastes. If this is not due to the brightness control setting on your monitor being set too low, or you do not wish to change this setting, it is possible to change the default brightness setting in the game configuration file. To change this setting, edit the file 'RESOURCE.CFG' in the game directory using any text file editor, such as the DOS EDIT program (just type EDIT at the DOS prompt). Go to the line that says 'brightness = 0', change the 0 to a 1 and save the file to the game directory. If this is still too dark for you, try 2, 3 or even 4 for an extreme increase in brightness. ------------------------------------------------------ B. BYTES CAN'T BE ALLOCATED If you are receiving the message: "x NUMBER OF BYTES CAN'T BE ALLOCATED" To correct this problem, edit the file 'RESOURCE.CFG' in the game directory using any text file editor, such as the DOS EDIT program (just type EDIT at the DOS prompt). At the end of the file, add the line 'STATICMEMORY = 250K'. The default for this setting is 200K so if 250K doesn't do the trick, increase it again. ------------------------------------------------------ C. FATAL - Unable to find Mouse driver This message indicates that the program could not communicate with your mouse. Under normal circumstance, a software driver is loaded into memory so that application programs can communicate with the mouse hardware. Your mouse may already work in WINDOWS (WINDOWS has a built-in mouse driver), but your DOS programs require that a driver is loaded into memory. You can locate further information on your mouse driver either in the documentation that came with your Mouse or in the manual Boot Disk instructions in section E. that follows. ------------------------------------------------------ D. DOS/4GW Professional Fatal Error: Loader Failed - Insufficient Memory. This message will occur when you do not have enough EXTENDED memory available for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS. What you may need to try is a DOS Boot disk. This will make sure that your computer's memory is clear of any extra programs that could be taking up that extra memory that SHADOWS OF DARKNESS needs. Try the "Make Bootable Floppy" option from the INSTALL program to create a new startup disk for SHADOWS OF DARKNESS. ------------------------------------------------------ E. FREEING UP MEMORY IN DOS SIERRA ON-LINE MANUAL BOOT DISK INSTRUCTIONS The following instructions can be used if the automatic boot disk maker included in the install program does not function properly on your system. If you have the CD-ROM version of this program, or you are using certain hard drive compression utilities, you will need to add any necessary driver lines to your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. 1) FORMATTING THE DISK PLEASE NOTE: It is necessary to format the disk even if the disk is already formatted. The /S switch will transfer files to the boot disk which are necessary for the disk to work correctly. To make a Boot Disk, format a high density diskette in the A: drive. (Use /F:360 or /F:720 parameter if using a low density diskette) Note: This will work ONLY from the A: drive. Type the command as follows: FORMAT A:/S If after entering this command the system responds with a "Bad command or file name" error, then type: PATH=C:\DOS Now retype the FORMAT command above. If you still receive the same error, the MS DOS FORMAT command may not be on your system or it may have been renamed. Programs such as PC Tools and Norton Disk Utilities can rename the format command to prevent accidental loss of data. 2) LOCATING THE MOUSE DRIVERS If you plan to use a mouse with your game, it will be necessary to first load the mouse driver. To do this, locate the mouse driver and copy it to the boot disk in your A: drive. There are two types of mouse drivers available, MOUSE.SYS, which must be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file and MOUSE.COM which must be loaded in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You do not need to load both MOUSE.SYS and MOUSE.COM. Locate the MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM file. Because the file MOUSE.SYS is usually smaller than MOUSE.COM we recommend that the MOUSE.SYS file be used in order to free more memory. If you do not know where the MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM files are located on your system, and you have MS-DOS 5.0 or above, the command below should help in locating your mouse drivers. Type the following at the C:\> prompt. DIR \MOUSE /S This command only works with MS-DOS 5.0 or above and will cause the system to search all sub directories for a file called mouse. If the system locates a file called mouse, it will display the path where the mouse files are located. For instance, if the MOUSE.SYS file is located in a C:\MOUSE> directory, the system will display: Directory of C:\MOUSE MOUSE SYS 55160 03-10-92 3:10a MOUSE COM 56408 03-10-93 6:00a If the system does not locate a mouse, your driver may have a different name or these files may not be currently installed on the system. Some other common names for mouse drivers are IMOUSE, GMOUSE, and HPMOUSE. Your mouse drivers may have been included on a floppy disk which came packaged along with your mouse. For information on the proper name for your mouse, check the owner's manual which came with your mouse. 3) Copying the mouse driver to your BOOT DISK: Once you have located the mouse driver, you will need to copy it to the boot disk. In this step, we will assume that the mouse drivers were located in the C:\MOUSE> directory as shown in the step above. To copy the MOUSE.SYS file to the boot disk, type the following at the C:\> prompt: COPY C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.* A: Please substitute the appropriate path and file name for your mouse driver in the command line above. You should then see a message indicating some files were copied. 4) CREATING THE CONFIG.SYS FILE Now switch to the A: and type the following: COPY CON CONFIG.SYS (The cursor will drop down one line and blink) FILES=50 BUFFERS=30 If you are using the MOUSE.SYS file to load your mouse, add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS. DEVICE=MOUSE.SYS Complete the file by pressing the F6 Function key 5) CREATING THE AUTOEXEC.BAT FILE Now create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the A: drive by typing: COPY CON AUTOEXEC.BAT (the cursor will drop down one line and blink) SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM PROMPT $P$G PATH=C:\DOS If you are using the MOUSE.COM file to load the mouse, add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. MOUSE.COM Complete the file by pressing the F6 Function key Now you are ready to use your new Sierra Boot Disk. Place the boot disk in your A: drive and press the and keys at the same time. Your computer will reboot and you will be ready to start your Sierra game as you normally would. ------------------------------------------------------ F. FREEING MEMORY IN WINDOWS The Windows memory managers will use memory differently that the standard DOS memory managers. The problem that you are experiencing is related to the amount of available working memory within Windows. You can check the available memory in Windows from the PROGRAM manager by selecting 'HELP' and then 'ABOUT PROGRAM MANAGER'. The second line from the bottom of the Window will be the amount of free memory in Windows. The best way to solve the memory problem is to direct Windows to use a Virtual Memory swap file. Both your Windows manual and the HELP section in the CONTROL PANEL will give you a complete explanation of Virtual Memory and its configuration. ----------------------------------------------------- V. SIERRA ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS 1) Ordering games If you are interested in future adventure games or any other of the Sierra family of fine software products, call us at (800) 326-6654 [or (209) 683-4468 outside the United States]. 2) TECHNICAL HELP Please refer to the technical help section in your Sierra game manual. If you still have a problem, call or fax Sierra Technical Support: Tel: (209) 683-8989 Fax: (209) 683-3633 Mail: (See address in Sierra Game Manual) In the U.K. call or fax our Sierra Technical Support Department: Tel:(44)734-303-171 Fax:(44)734-303-201 Mail: (See address in Sierra Game Manual) Sierra's Automated "800" Technical Support Line (800) 376-2683 You can also reach the Technical Support Department on the following services: Sierra BBS......(209) 683-4463 (Settings 8,N,1 & up to 9600 bps) CompuServe......GAMAPUB (Technical Support ID 76004,2143) PRODIGY.........Technical Support ID WBWW55A GEnie...........Private E-Mail SIERRA.SUP America Online..Keyword: SIERRA ============================================================