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Nox
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README.TXT
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2000-02-02
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Nox Demo
LATE BREAKING NEWS
February 1, 2000
For latest news and updates visit WWW.WESTWOOD.COM
Contents:
1. Windows 95/98/NT
1.1. Microsoft DirectX
1.2. Microsoft Office Toolbar
1.3. Microsoft FindFast
1.4. Windows NT 4.0
2. Troubleshooting
2.1. Known Video Card Problems.
2.2. Known Sound Card Problems.
2.3. Known DirectX Problems
2.4. Virtual Memory Settings
2.5. Known System RAM problems
2.6. AutoPlay.
2.7. 16 bit CD-ROM drivers
2.8. CD-Changers and Multi-Drivers
2.9. Power Saving Modes
2.10. Periodic Slowdowns
2.11. Known Mouse Problems
2.12. Task Switching
3. Gameplay Issues
3.1. Weapons
3.1.1. Blocking an attack
3.2. Spells
3.2.1. Spells with Variable Mana Cost
3.2.2. Spell Tracking
3.3. Options
3.3.1. Screen Resolution
3.3.2. Improving Performance
3.3.3. Nox Compatibility Mode
3.3.4. Gamma Adjustment (Lighting)
3.4. Multiplayer
3.4.1. Seeing LAN games while connected to the Internet.
3.4.2. Banning a player from a game.
3.4.3. UDP port
3.4.4. Nox Version and Joining Games
3.4.5. Japanese & Korean Input for In-game Chat
3.4.6. Sysop Access
4. Contact Information
5. Copyright Information
1. Windows 95/98/NT
1.1. Microsoft DirectX
Nox is a Microsoft DirectX application. Due to the space limitations of this demo,
DirectX 7.0 is not included. You will need to obtain DirectX before you can play
this demo.
If you have difficulty running Windows 95/98 after these new Microsoft DirectX drivers
have been installed, please contact
your local Microsoft subsidiary, or write:
Microsoft Customer Sales and Service,
One Microsoft Way,
Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA
USA telephone: 1-800-426-9400
International telephone: ++1-206-882-8080
1.2. Microsoft Office Toolbar
If you make use of this feature of Microsoft Office and it appears over the game
screen when playing Nox, you will have to disable the Office Toolbar before playing.
1.3. Microsoft FindFast
There is a utility installed in most Windows systems (Findfast.exe) that will
periodically run and catalog all of the Microsoft Office files on your hard drive.
When it is doing this check, your computer's performance will be dramatically
impaired. You may want to remove it or disable it when running Nox.
1.4. Windows NT 4.0
Nox requires Service Pack 3 (or later versions) to be installed in order to work with
Windows NT 4.0. Please contact your computer manufacturer if you need to get
Service Pack 3.
2. Troubleshooting
2.1. Known Video Card Problems.
Video monitor settings may need to be adjusted after installing the Microsoft DirectX
video drivers. If you screen distorts, or is shifted horizontally or vertically, you
can return it to normal by adjusting the controls on your monitor.
Most video display problems can be corrected by installing the latest drivers for your
particular card. Please consult your video card documentation for details on how to get
the latest drivers for your card.
Users with ALI chipset-based motherboards may experience video or system difficulties
with certain video cards under Windows 95, specifically with the Diamond Viper 770 Ultra
and the 3Dfx Voodoo 3 (2000, 3000, & 3500). We recommend that you upgrade your
operating system to Windows 98 if you experience problems with this combination.
2.2. Known Sound Card Problems.
Most sound card problems can be corrected by installing the latest drivers for your
particular card. Please consult your sound card documentation for details on how to get
the latest drivers.
2.3. Known DirectX Problems
If another application is using the sound card while trying to install or run the game,
a "DXSound Error" will appear. If this error occurs, please close all applications
and run the install or game again.
2.4. Virtual Memory Settings
Nox may need to use more RAM than is present on your system. Windows 95/98
automatically takes care of this by using what is known as "Virtual Memory" - which
uses space on your hard disk to simulate the memory it needs and swaps data back and
forth from your hard disk as required. Windows 95/98 allows you to manually set the
amount of hard drive space it uses for Virtual Memory: WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU
DO NOT DO THIS! To let Windows 95/98 manage the Virtual Memory, go to the Windows 95/98
start menu, select 'settings\control panel', then double-click 'system', click
'performance\file system\virtual memory' and then select
'Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings (recommended).'
2.5. Known System RAM problems
Certain systems contain video cards that use system memory as video memory. With
these systems, it is possible that Nox will not run properly if you have only 32MB of
memory. Since the video card uses system memory, usually 4MB or 8MB, on 32MB
machines there is not enough memory left to run the game. In order for Nox to run
properly you will need to increase your system memory or use a video card with
dedicated video RAM.
2.6. AutoPlay.
If your CD does not AutoPlay when inserted in the drive, you may have this feature
disabled. To Enable AutoPlay, right click on 'My Computer' and select 'Properties' then
'Device Manager'. Select your CD-ROM drive and click 'Properties'. Select 'Settings' and
check the 'Auto insert notification' box.
2.7. 16 bit CD-ROM drivers
Nox may fail to start if there is a 16 bit CD-ROM driver loaded from the AUTOEXEC.BAT
or CONFIG.SYS. If you have references to MSCDEX or equivalent drivers, try removing
them from your autoexec.bat and config.sys files. Windows 95/98 does not generally
need these drivers to work and in most cases will actually perform better without them.
2.8. CD-Changers and Multi-Drivers
Nox does not support multiple CD-ROM drives or CD-changers and assumes that you only
have one CD-ROM drive. If you have more than one CD-ROM drive, you should insert the
Nox CD in the first CD drive letter. For example, if you have CD drives E:, F: and
G:, your Nox CD should be inserted into the E: drive.
2.9. Power Saving Modes
It is possible that your computer loses connection to your ISP due to long periods of
inactivity. Sometimes this is caused by the sleep mode in your "Power Saving" options.
This can cause problems during game play or when connected to Westwood Online. To
avoid any problems please disable your screen saver and power-saving modes when
running the game.
2.10. Periodic Slowdowns
If periodic slowdowns occur while playing Nox and the CD is not being accessed please
insure that there are no other applications running during your game session. This
includes anti-virus software.
2.11. Known Mouse Problems
Nox supports the Microsoft IntelliMouse with 3-button mouse wheel. You can bind the
middle mouse button to game actions using the Input Config screen under the Options
menu. The default configuration maps JUMP to this button; you can also roll the wheel
up and down to scroll spell sets and inventory.
Nox supports the Logitech Mouse Man Plus. Under Windows 95, some interface elements
such as the Inventory screen will scroll back when the mouse is taken off the scroll bar.
If you experience problems with the mouse wheel while using a Logitech Mouse Man Plus
on Windows 98, try installing the latest Microsoft Mouse drivers. If you have
Windows 95 then you'll have to press CTRL+ALT+DEL once, select 'Em_exec' and click
'End Task' to disable 'Em_exec'. This will eliminate pointer problems in menus, but you
won't be to use the wheel on the mouse.
Nox does not support the Everton Winpoint mouse.
2.12. Task Switching
You can task switch from Nox to other Windows applications by pressing ALT+TAB. If you
are running Windows 95 you may experience a problem with Windows 95 DynaRes. If this
happens we recommend that you do not ALT+TAB to other applications from Nox or
upgrade your operating system to Windows 98.
3. Gameplay Issues
3.1. Weapons
3.1.1. Blocking an attack
Conjurers equipped with a staff can block a melee attack. Simply stand still and
face your attacker. Your staff will take damage as it absorbs the blow intended for
you. The staff will not block missiles or spells.
3.2. Spells
3.2.1. Spells with Variable Mana Cost
Certain spells, like the Greater Heal, have a variable mana cost. The mana cost in
the spellbook is listed as '*' for these spells. They take all available mana until
stopped or mana is empty. Note: Greater Heal is not allowed in Bombers.
3.2.2. Spell Tracking
Certain spells will track nearby targets when you cast them on others. Once invoked,
these spells will seek out a target close to you. If you have a target specified
under your directional cursor then it will be chosen first, if appropriate. Hostile
spells won't target friends, beneficial spells won't target enemies.
3.3. Options
3.3.1. Screen Resolution
You can change the screen resolution under the Options menu. This will only change
the resolution during game play, it will not change the resolution of the menu
screens or movies.
3.3.2. Improving Performance
You can improve the performance by adjusting the video options found in the Options
Menu. Turning off options like "Soft Shadow Edge" will speed up the framerate for
a slight sacrifice in visual appeal. You can also decrease the screen resolution
or the game window size. If you've installed the 8-bit art assets you can also
switch to 8-bit mode, although you'll miss some of the colored lighting effects.
Player's with newer and faster machines may want to increase the screen resolution.
If you're not sure what to set you can select the AUTO CONFIG option. This will
examine your PC configuration and make optimal settings for your machine. You
should run this whenever you change your PC's configuration.
3.3.3. Nox Compatibility Mode
If you are unable to run Nox after modifying game options/settings, launch the
program via 'Nox Compatibility Mode' from the Start Menu. This will reset your
game options to their default and most compatible settings.
3.3.4. Gamma Adjustment (Lighting)
In-game gamma (lighting) adjustment is supported in 8-bit on all machines. It is
also supported in 16-bit (Windows 95/98 only) provided that there is hardware
support on the video card. Check with your video card manufacturer to determine
if you card supports gamma adjustment.
3.4. Multiplayer
3.4.1. Seeing LAN games while connected to the Internet.
If your computer has both a dial-up connection and a LAN connection, you will be
unable to see Nox multiplayer LAN games while dialed out to your ISP. To remedy
this situation, disconnect from your ISP before searching for LAN games.
3.4.2. Banning a player from a game.
When you select a user to be banned from the Server Access menu it will ban them using
their IP address and Nox serial number. If you manually type in their player name it
will only ban that name from playing in your games.
3.4.5. UDP port
Nox demo servers use UDP port 17590. Official Nox demo servers use ports 17590 -
17599. For those of you behind proxies/firewalls or using NAT, Consult your network
administrator or your documentation for details on configuring your system to connect
to Nox.
3.4.6. Nox Version and Joining Games
When trying to choose a server to join, you may choose to filter out servers running a
different version of Nox than yours. This filter is included in the "default filter"
and may be manually enforced by selecting the checkbox next to "Your version number
does not match the server's version number" in the "user-defined filter".
3.4.7. Japanese & Korean Input for In-game Chat
While building some characters you may have to press ENTER to confirm the last
character and then ENTER again to send your chat message. If the last character is
punctuation or a space then you won't encounter this problem.
3.4.8. Sysop Access
To allow remote sysop access to your Nox server, you must enter a sysop
password in the Server->Access tab of the server options menu. Once you have
chosen a password, a remote client may gain sysop access by typing "Sysop"
from the game console (F1). The client is then prompted for the sysop password.
If they enter the correct password, they are granted access to your Nox server and
may execute console commands remotely as if they were entered on the server
machine. Sysop console commands are in the form of : sysop <command>.
Example : To set the number of lessons to 15 on a server on which you have
sysop access, you would input the following command into the console: sysop set
lessons 15
4. Contact Information
United States / Canada
Westwood Technical Support: 650-628-4319
Westwood Customer Warranty: 650-628-1900
(M-F 8:30 - 11:45 AM and 1:00 - 4:30 PM PST)
Westwood Technical Support Email: webhelp@westwood.com
(Please check our FAQ sheets or use the Technical Support home page before
writing.)
U.S. Hint Line: 900-288-4744
(95 cents per minute. You must be 18 years of age or have your parent's
permission to call.)
Canada Hint Line: 900-451-4422
$1.70 per minute (Canadian). (Callers under 18 must get a parent or guardian's
permission to call.)
US and Canada Order Line 800-245-4525
Australia
EA Technical Support: 0061 (0) 29955 6868
Email: ozsupport@ea.com
Austria
EA Technical Support: 0190-572333
Denmark
EA Technical Support: 80 88 07 89
Email: svsupport@ea.com
Finland
EA Technical Support: 0800-508 225
Email: svsupport@ea.com
France
EA Technical Support: 04 72 53 25 00
Hint Line: 08-36-68-55-15
(2.23f ttc/minute)
Email: fr-support@ea.com
Germany
EA Technical Support (von 9.30 Uhr bis 17.30 Uhr): 0190-572333
Hint Line (new games): 0190-787906
Hint Line (old games): 0190-900030
(2,40 DM/min. Jugendliche unter 18 Jahre dⁿrfen nur mit Erlaubnis ihrer Eltern
anrufen)
Email: de-support@ea.com
Holland
EA Technical Support: 00800 940 55555
Email: nl-support@ea.com
Norway
EA Technical Support: 800 13 897
Email: svsupport@ea.com
South Africa
EA Technical Support: (011) 803-1212
Email: support@ea.co.za
Spain
EA Technical Support: 917 545540
Sweden
EA Technical Support: (08) 594 106 80
Email: svsupport@ea.com
Switzerland
EA Technical Support: 0900/55 40 20
United Kingdom
EA Technical Support: (01753) 546465
Hint/Cheat Line: 09067 53 22 53
(75p per min, ask permission of the person who pays the bill before calling.)
Email: uk-support@ea.com
5. Copyright Information
⌐ 2000 Electronic Arts. Westwood Studios is a trademark or registered trademark of
Electronic Arts in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved.
Westwood Studios is an Electronic Arts(TM) company.