PC Gamer 3.14/1998-05_Disc_3.14.bin/pcg-read.txt

Text File | 1998-03-03 | 8KB | 155 lines

PC GAMER MAY 1998 CD README FILE

As the days get longer and the sun starts coming out from behind the incessant clouds of
Winter, its time to give thanks to those that bring us Gaming Goodness every month:
PC Gamer!

And why should you thank us? Try this on for size: The Exclusive, One and Only Level Two
Demo of LucasArts' Mysteries of the Sith for Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight! Sure, you can
download the first level demo from the Internet, but you're only going to be able to
experience the second level of this 15 level game on The CD. We've also included the
Internet demo for those of you with slow modem connections.

If that wasn't enough, we've got a sneak peek at Sierra's Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire,
along with Activision's Interstate 76: Arsenal, a combination demo taking one level from
the Nitro Pack add-on and the Interstate '76 Gold Edition.

Plus, we've got add-ons galore! We collected all the new units, patches, and utilities
for Total Annihilation from Cavedog. You can get it all from their site at www.cavedog.com,
but we've collected it all here for you. Our selection of Quake and Quake II add-ons,
levels, modifications, and patches will blow you away! We also got new levels for Interstate
76, WarCraft II, and Duke Nukem 3D. REMEMBER: SOME OF THESE ADD-ONS MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO
YOUR DEFAULT SETTINGS! ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR GAME BEFORE MESSING WITH ADD-ONS!

Now on to the nitty-gritty. Some things to watch for while using The CD this month:

DIRECTX 5.0a

Some of you still aren't reading the Disc Pages! If you try playing a demo, and you receive
the error message, "Cannot find DINPUT.DLL," it means you need to install the latest version
of DirectX. Currently, it's version 5.0a. You can do this by choosing to install DirectX 5.0
through our front end, or install it manually by running the DXSETUP.EXE file in the
\DIRECTX directory on The CD. Also, pay attention to the requirement boxes for each demo in
the Disc Pages. It will list whether or not the demo requires DirectX. Remember, folks,
READ THE DISC PAGES! That's what they're there for!


MYSTERIES OF THE SITH

If you run the Mysteries of the Sith demo from our front end, you might not hear sound.
To fix this, just make sure you quit out of our front end before running the demo. As a
matter of fact, as a general rule of thumb its always best to close our front end before
playing demos.

After installing the exclusive level two demo, you need to run the program by clicking on
the icon in the Start menu. If you go through the front end and click on Play from the
splash screen that appears (the some one that appears when you install it), the program
will prompt you for the CD. To avoid this, just run the demo through the Start menu.

If you have the Internet demo (level one) installed on your system when you install
the full version of Mysteries of the Sith, you won't be able to play MOTS over LucasArts'
Internet Gaming Zone. To correct this problem, just make sure you uninstall the Internet
demo before installing the full product.

When you start the Sith level two demo, the program will prompt you for the PC Gamer
CD if it's not in the CD-ROM drive. However, putting the CD in at that time causes the
autorun to initialize, which will minimize the Sith program. To avoid this, simply
make sure The CD is in your CD-ROM drive before starting the demo.


TOTAL ANNIHILATION

We've said it several times before, and we're saying it again here, so we don't expect to
get any phone calls or requests for information on this: The add-on units for Total
Annihilation included on The CD DO NOT WORK WITH THE DEMO VERSION. In order to use these
units in a game of Total Annihilation, you need to have the full version of the game.


CD AUDIO

As part of the exclusive Mysteries of the Sith demo, there are three redbook audio tracks
of music included on this month's CD. Because of this, you may hear Star Wars music when
you play other demos and games with the The CD in your CD-ROM drive. Quake and Quake II
will both do this. If you don't like hearing John Williams' hits while playing a particular game, just
take out The CD before starting the game or demo.


FRONT END STUFF

Remember that in some cases, we provide links to web sites. In order to use these
links, make sure you specify the web browser you want to use in the Communications
Hut (if you don't have one chosen, you'll be prompted to do so). Also, to get to the
sites, you'll have to dial in to your Internet service provider.

Sometimes, you might click "Install Software" under the front end, and it seems like
nothing happens. Please be patient. We test each installation program to make sure
it runs under the front end. But sometimes, the program takes some time to load images
or sub-programs. If you're patient, you'll be rewarded with the installation program
loading up. If you're impatient and continually click the "Install Software" button,
you might accidentally run the installation program multiple times. A good clue to
figure out if your computer is still working on loading the install program is to take
a look at your hard drive and CD-ROM lights. If they're flashing, they're processing.

We always recommend that if you use the front end to install the demos, make sure you
exit out from it before you actually run them. Sometimes demos will conflict with the
front end, making the demo do weird things. In extreme situations, we put a warning
in the front end itself, but it's a good rule of thumb to use the front end to install
the demos, then close it to run them.

Remember, you can always bypass our front end all together by manually installing the
demos, as described on pages 8 and 9 in the magazine.


GENERAL CD STUFF

We've gotten quite a few reports of high-speed CD-ROM drives having difficulty
reading our CDs. We're not sure why yet, but we're working on it. This issue's CD was
created using different software than the last six issues. So if you had problems,
let us know if this CD works better for you. Please E-mail us at [e-mail] if
your problems go away with this issue. However, if it still doesn't work, and you think
it might be a damaged CD, you can get a replacement CD from "[e-mail]"


THINGS IN THE WORKS

We've heard the suggestions, and we're going to do something about it. A project is
currently underway to compile a list of all the patches we've ever put on one of our
CDs, culled from Tom McDonald's Extended Play column. The list will include the name
of the game, the version, and what CD its located on. We're also going to put together
a list of all the demos we've put on one of our CDs. Please be patient with us,
however. The data entry will take some time, and it's low on the priority list right
now. If you have any other suggestions on how we can improve our CD, please go to
support.imaginemedia.com and select Choice Three to send us your suggestions. We'd
love to hear them!


TECHNICAL SUPPORT

If you have any difficulties with any of the demos on The CD, please contact the
manufacturer of the demo. The technical support numbers for each publisher are listed
on The CD, as well as in the Disc Pages. These demos are culled from a variety of
independent sources, and we provide them "as is." We can't even guarantee that every
demo will run on your system. If you have problems, contact the manufacturers -- they
know more about their product than we do.

However, if you're having problems with the front end itself, (like video not playing,
or lack of sound), you can send in a report by going to our support site at
http://support.imaginemedia.com. Fill out the form, and we'll try to get a response to
you as soon as possible. For Customer Service inquiries, like renewing a subscription
or getting back issues, you can write or call the numbers listed below:

Customer Service
PO Box 51199
Boulder, CO 80322
[e-mail]
[phone]

Remember, all other inquiries should be directed to our support site at
http://support.imaginemedia.com.

Thanks for trying out this month's CD!

  Michael Wolf            William Harms
  Disc Editor          Assistant Disc Editor