PC Gamer 2.1/1996-02_Disc_2.1.iso/patches/w2d223.zip/READP223.DOC

Text File | 1995-11-09 | 11KB | 335 lines

Patch to create V2.2.4 of Warlords II Deluxe from V2.2.3.

This patch only works on V2.2.3.
If you have V2.0 you need the file W2DP20.ZIP.
If you have V2.2.0 you need the file W2DP22.ZIP.
If you have v2.2.2 you need the file W2DP222.ZIP

To implement the patch, copy the ZIP file to the \W2DELUXE directory, unzip
it and type PATCH to run.

If you have any questions, please contact Gregor Whiley at Strategic Studies
Group.

SSG
P.O. Box 261
Drummoyne 2047
Australia

Ph: [phone]  Fax: [phone]

Compuserve: 72662,3471
Internet: [e-mail]
MSN: SSG_oa
Warlords II Deluxe Version History

This note describes the changes made in the various versions of
Warlords II Deluxe.

V2.2.0
Fixed a problem where strategic map could overwrite combat screen in
hidden map games.
Fixed a problem where the Victory display could not appear.

V2.2.2
Added the CONVERT program to convert Warlords II to Warlords II
Deluxe scenarios.
Added the -4 and -8 command line options to force selection of 4Mb
and 8Mb memory models.
Added the -o command line option to reserve memory for game overlays.
Added the -m command line option to give Midi volume control.
Fixed major problem where speech effects could grab extra memory
without releasing it, leading eventually to an out of memory crash.

V2.2.3
Fixed problem where -v VESA option was not passed to the startup
sequence.
Fixed problem where -v option was not passed to CONNECT program.

V2.2.4
Fixed another problem in CONNECT. Should work now.

A Note About Version Numbers
The number in brackets to the right of the version number is the
memory model being used, not the version number itself.
Therefore V2.2(n) is really V2.2.0.

Where to get patches:
Patches can be found in LIB 4 of GAMDPUB on Compuserve, or the
following FTP and WWW sites.

http://www.ssg.com.au/
http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~schikore/warlords2.html
ftp:lupan.byu.edu: /site/ibmstuff/Games/Warlords_II


Warlords Deluxe Troubleshooting

Problem: Game won't install - locks up after first install screens.

Solution: Run Installer in VESA mode (check box on bottom of install
screen).
Note: If the Installer had to run in VESA mode, then Deluxe, the
Scenario Builder and all other game programs also have to run in VESA
mode, using the -v switch.
Note: Most modern SVGA cards have VESA mode built in, most older SVGA
cards require a TSR program to be run to setup the card in VESA mode.

Problem: Installer or Game sort of runs, but looks funny, or gets
garbage on screen.

Check: Has program correctly detected SVGA card? See the About Your
PC under the SSG menu, or run the program SSG from the \W2DELUXE
directory to check whether the program's guess is right.

Solution: If the program gets the SVGA card wrong, run in VESA mode
described above.

Problem: I've done everything possible to get the game to run in VESA
mode, but the game either hangs immediately, crashes randomly, or
leaves small images behind on the screen.

Solution: The problem is that a lot of SVGA cards are somewhat
erratic in their adherence to the VESA standard.

There is a program called UniVBE by SciTech software which is
designed to iron out all these problems. It recognises over 160 cards,
and guarantees that recognised cards will operate correctly according
to the VESA standard.

There is a shareware version available which would allow you to try
this out. You can find it in the following locations:

Compuserve: UVBE51A.ZIP in Lib 12 of PCPROG
FTP: ftp.scitechsoft.com
WWW: http://www.scitechsoft.com

Problem: Game refuses to run, complains about a lack EMS memory.

Solution: User must make at least 2 Mb of EMS memory available. This
is done in the file CONFIG.SYS with a line that looks something like;
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM HIGHSCAN
If the EMM386 command has a parameter NOEMS, this must be removed.

Problem: Installer refuses to recognise CD at all.

Check: Is user running MSCDEX (the Microsoft CD extensions). Some
people use other CD software.

Solution: W2 Deluxe must have MSCDEX present to run.

Problem: Install from CD won't go.

Solution: Run the program INSPROB.BAT from the CD. This will do an
emergency install. Then run the INSTALL program from the HD to install
the game as desired.

Problem: After a while, EMM memory runs out, and the screen fills with
EMM error messages, often while Talking Head or other Sound Effect is
playing.

Workaround: Turn off Speech and Effects from Settings Dialog under
Game Menu.

Solution: Problem only occurs in versions before v2.2.4. Supply patch
to v2.2.4 or greater.


Problem: Game runs slow, with frequent disk accesses.

Workaround: Run SMARTDRIVE or other disk caching software as possible
preferably 512K or greater, but anything should be better than nothing.

Solution: Upgrade to v2.2.4, then if not running SMARTDRIVE, try
running WAR2 -o20 which will reserve 320k of memory for the game
overlays to run in. The actual number can be experimented with.

Problem: Midi sound is too loud.

Solution: Upgrade to V2.2.4 then start the game with WAR2 -m5, to set
midi volume to 5 out of 10. Number can be changed to suit user from
0 to 10.

Problem: Running out of memory, or having trouble getting game to
run on a 4 Mb machine.

Solution: Do not install sound or music. If using a Sound Blaster
AWE 32 for music, consider using the SB 16 driver. This will save
memory.

Problem: Some dialogs take a long time to draw.

Solution: The system will add drop shadows to dialogs, if it thinks
the drawing speed of the video card is fast enough for adequate
results. If you disagree and want the dialogs to draw faster run the
game with the -s option. WAR2 -s will turn off the shadowing.


Problem: Save Games for random maps look funny after running other
random map games.

Solution: You must rename any random map games you create, otherwise
any subsequent random map game will overwrite yours, resulting in
the loss of the game details.

Problem: Free memory, as revealed in the About Your PC dialog gets
very low, causing occasional game problems.

Solution: You can force the game to use less memory. Starting the
game with WAR2 -4 forces the lowest memory model, WAR2 -8 forces the
next size up.

Problem: Need to run the game in WIN 95 or OS/2.

Solution: See the files WINREAD.ME and OS2READ.ME in the \W2DELUXE
directory.

Problem: CONNECT program does not run properly, display is bad.

Solution: CONNECT needs to be run in VESA mode. Versions before
V2.2.4 cannot be forced into VESA mode. Apply patch to V2.2.4.

Problem: Need to run in VESA mode, or use other command line switches
under Windows 95.

Solution: Create a Shortcut to the program. Edit the Cmd line setting
of the Program tab in the Properties for the Shortcut to include the
command line parameters. For example:
WAR2 -v -ns
will run Warlords II Deluxe in VESA mode and without the intro.

OR:
Edit the file WAR2.BAT. There is a line which reads

W2 %1 %2 %3 %4 (in later versions the parameters go to %8)

Edit this line to replace each % parameter with the command line
switch you wish to use. For example:
W2 -v -ns %3 %4
will run Warlords II Deluxe in VESA mode and without the intro. Leave
any unused % parameters untouched.

Problem: CONNECT program crashes as soon as I try to run it, or gives
strange video.

Solution: Early versions could not accept the -v parameter to run
under VESA mode. V2.2.3 had a separate problem. Upgrade to v2.2.4
or later.

Problem: CONNECT program runs, but modem connection cannot be made.
Get error message that modem driver not loaded.

Solution: SSG provides default modem initialisation strings, but
these will only work in about 80% of cases. Your modem may require
a different string. Consult your modem documentation. Any string that
has worked with other games has a good chance of working here.

Try running the connection at 9600 Baud. Many PCs have an old UART
chip in their serial ports, which has problems at higher speeds.
You need a 16550 UART to guarantee success at 14,400 or 28,800 Baud.

Make sure that the modems at both ends of the connections are running
at the same speeds.

Check your COM port allocation. Remember, most PCs have Serial mice,
usually on COM 1.

Problem: I've tried everything, and CONNECT still doesn't work.

Solution: You don't actually need CONNECT to create a connection.
The instructions below show how to dispense with CONNECT. This means
that you can use your own terminal programs to create a modem
connection, and run Deluxe over that connection once it is
established.

Here are some brief instructions on how to run SSG's connection
drivers without using the CONNECT program:

1. NULL MODEM
-------------
From the \W2DELUXE\ directory type:

CONN\COMIO 1       (if your null modem cable is on COM 1)
CONN\COMIO 2       (if your null modem cable is on COM 2)
CONN\COMIO 3       (if your null modem cable is on COM 3)
CONN\COMIO 4       (if your null modem cable is on COM 4)

When the game has ended, to unload the driver, type:

                CONN\COMIO U

2. 2 PLAYER NETBIOS
-------------------
From the \W2DELUXE\ directory type:

CONN\NETB2

When the game has ended, to unload the driver, type:

CONN\NETB2 U

3. 3-8 PLAYER NETBIOS
---------------------
From the \W2DELUXE\ directory type:

CONN\NETB8

When the game has ended, to unload the driver, type:

CONN\NETB8 U

4. MODEM CONNECTION
-------------------
The modem connection is a little more complicated to establish.
Firstly, in your main (\W2DELUXE\) directory, you should have a
file named MODEM.DAT
This is a text file containing 5 lines:

Comm Port
Baud Rate
Telephone number to ring
Modem Initialization string (sepated by '|'s)
Command string

Some examples follow using generic initialization strings.

A MODEM.DAT file to call a friend at 2400 baud (Com port 2).

2
2400
5551234
ATZ0|AT&F|AT&C1
ATDT

A simple MODEM.DAT to answer at 9600 (note the phone number is blank)

1
9600

ATZ0|AT&F|AT&C1
ATS0=1

After you have created a modem.dat file, you run the driver
by typing:

CONN\MODEM

When the game has ended, to unload the driver, type:

CONN\MODEM U

General Diagnostic Procedures
Check Video - in about your PC, the SSG program or run the DIAGNOSE
program. If the DIAGNOSE program fails, the results are written to a
file called DIAG.TXT.

Check Sound - are the various settings correct? Run INSTALL to make
sure. Try running without Sound or Music.

Check Memory - must have at least 2 Mb of EMS free. Is EMM386 being
called in CONFIG.SYS? Are its parameters correct? Try increasing the
amount of EMS memory available.