PC Gamer 3.4/1997-07_Disc_3.4.iso/patches/maxe104.zip/READMET.NEW

Text File | 1997-03-26 | 27KB | 757 lines

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Interplay Productions               Tech Support: 714-553-6678
                  email: [e-mail]
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Non Tech Support Questions/Comments send e-mail to [e-mail]
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M.A.X  Version History


1.04  Improved computer AI in single player modes.  Fixed End-Turn Timer lock up.


1.03  Fixes Network disconnect bug and Video Card Conflicts with
      Matrox Mystique and others.


1.02  Fixes Auto-Survey Crash  (All Languages)


1.01  Fixes Auto-Save in German Version


1.00  Original Foreign Release

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       TABLE of CONTENTS

    (1)  System Requirements
    (2)  M.A.X. under Win95
    (3)  Keyboard Reference
    (3a) Advanced Hotkeys
    (3b) Additional Features
    (4)  Troubleshooting
    (5)  Credits
    (6)  Customer Support
    (7)  Interplay's WEB site
    (8)  Warranty Information


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(1)   System Requirements
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 REQUIRED:

       - IBM PC compatible 486-66 or faster
       - 8 MB RAM
       - DOS 5.0 or later
       - Microsoft compatible mouse
       - Minimum 20 Megs Hard Drive Space for Minimum Installation
       - Minimum 12 Megs Hard Drive Space free for Virtual Memory

 RECOMMENDED:

       - Pentium processor
       - 16 MB RAM
       - stereo 16-bit soundcard
       - 20 Megs Hard Drive Space free for Virtual Memory

 SUPPORTS:

       - Sound cards: Soundblaster Pro/16/AWE32/compatibles, ProAudio
         Spectrum Plus/16/Studio, Gravis Ultrasound/Max.

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(2)  M.A.X. under Win95
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M.A.X. will run under Win95, and may been installed Windows by using the
autorun feature.  If your computer is set up to use the autorun feature,
simply insert the MAX CD into your CD drive, and the Max install program
will start automatically.

Multitasking, Screen Savers, or simply switching back to Windows while
M.A.X. is running can cause M.A.X. to lock up on some systems.  It is
recommended that you exit M.A.X. before switching back into Windows if
you experience this problem.  If you must switch back into Windows
while M.A.X. is running, be sure to pause the game first.

If you experience problems running any of the M.A.X. movies, check the
Windows 95 CD ROM settings.  If these are not correct for your CD-ROM
the M.A.X. movies may skip or have other difficulties.

Your CD-ROM settings may be changed by clicking on the START button, selecting
SETTINGS, and then selecting CONTROL PANEL.  From the Control Panel select
the SYSTEM icon.  From the System Menu, select PERFORMANCE.  Then click on
FILE SYSTEM Button.  From the FILE SYSTEM select the CD Tab.   Insure that
the information displayed on the CD Tab is correct for your system.

If you are experiencing any other problems running M.A.X. under Win95
(sound, netgame difficulties, etc.) try running M.A.X in DOS mode.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3)  Keyboard Reference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following is the full keyboard command reference list for M.A.X.


 D    Activates the DONE button for the selected unit.

 E    Enter (used to Enter Depots, Hangars or Docks)

 F    Find Selected Unit. Currently selected unit will
      be centered on screen.

 -,+  Zoom In, Out

 G    Turns on Grid Display

 F1   Centers on Tagged Unit

 Arrow Keys:  Scrolls the map

 ALT-L  Opens the Load Game Menu

 ALT-S  Opens the Save Game Menu

 ALT-X  Exits the Game to the Main Menu

 ALT-F5, ALT-F6, ALT-F7, ALT-F8   Saves the current window position

 F5, F6, F7, F8   Jumps to a previously saved window position

 /,?       Initiates HELP mode.  The cursor changes to a question mark,
       clicking on screen items will display help text.

 ALT-C     Saves a screen shot of the game in PCX format.

 Shift      Hold the Shift key while selecting units to create groups.

 Space Bar, Enter or ESC cancels the self running demo.

 ENTER  End Turn

 Shift-DONE  Holding the shift key while clicking the DONE button on the
         M.A.X. control panel will cause all units to execute any
         outstanding orders.


 Shift-Click   Test Path. If you are unsure about the path a unit will take
           when it is given a movement order, hold the SHIFT-KEY
           down while you click the mouse to give the MOVE order.
           The path the unit will take will then be displayed, but
           the unit will not move.  Simply release the SHIFT key and
           click again if the path is satisfactory.

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3a. Advanced Hot Keys
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   Many commands can be given using the 0-9 keys on your keyboard.
   The function of these keys depend on the Unit that is currently
   selected. For instance, hitting the 1 key will activate the BUILD
   command when a Constructor is selected, but will issue the AUTO-SURVEY
   command if a Surveyor is selected.


   Hot keys for unit commands:

   Press 1 (or the first letter of the word) for these functions:
   ...Activate
   ...Allocate
   ...Auto-Survey
   ...Build
   ...Buy Upgrade
   ...Disable
   ...Place Mines
   ...Reload
   ...Repair
   ...Research

   Press 2 (or the first letter of the word) for these functions:
   ...Load
   ...Start
   ...Steal

   Press 3 (or the first letter of the word) for these functions:
   ...Attack
   ...Transfer

   Press 4 (or the first letter of the word) for the Manual function.

   Press 5 (or the first letter of the word) for these functions:
   ...Enter
   ...Upgrade

   Press 6 (or the first letter of the word) for the Upgrade All function.

   Press 7 (or the first letter of the word) for the Stop function.

   Press 8 (or the first letter of the word) for the Sentry function.

   Press 9 (or the first letter of the word) for the Done function.

   Press 0 (or the first letter of the word) for the Remove function.



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 (3b) Additional Features
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Shots Display:  When the status button is clicked, units capable of
        firing may display small icons of a bullet along their
        path markers.  These icons let you know how far the unit
        can move and still be able to fire a shot.  Some units, like
        the Scout, can move all their movement for a turn and still
        be able to fire.  Others, like the Missile Crawler, lose
        the ability to shoot in that turn if they move at all.  Still
        other units, like the Tank and Assault Gun, can move a short
        distance and still be able to shoot in the same turn.  The
        Shots Display can be used to gauge your firepower when
        advancing on the enemy.

Halt when
enemy sighted:
        By default, units will automatically stop when
        they see an enemy unit.  This option can be changed in the
        PREFERENCES MENU.



Auto Survey:    An "AUTO" button has been added to the Surveyor Unit.  When
        Auto is On, the Surveyor will automatically search the map
        for resources.


Alien Units:    Alien Units are sometimes found in the Campaign and
        Stand Alone Missions, and can optionally be added to
        Custom Games if desired.  When first found, Alien units
        do not belong to any team, and must be captured by an
        Infiltrator before they can be used.

Computer Opponent:

        The settings for Computer Player level affects only the
        intelligence and tactics of the computer opponent.  In
        all other respects, it is not a standard difficulty level
        setting.


Hint:           If you are having trouble winning a particular mission, look
        beyond the more obvious tactics, or brute force attacks.
        There may be a simple trick which will gain you the advantage
        required to emerge victorious.



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 (4)  Troubleshooting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Multitasking, Screen Savers, or simply switching back to Windows while M.A.X.
is running can cause M.A.X. to lock up on some systems.  It is recommended
that you exit M.A.X. before switching back into Windows if you experience
this problem.

If you are experiencing any other problems running M.A.X. under Win95
(sound, netgame difficulties, etc.) try running M.A.X in DOS mode.

If you use the Minimum or Medium Install, the M.A.X. sound files will not
be copied off the CD to your hard drive.  This may slow down game play on
some systems.  If you experience this problem, go to the Preferences Menu
and turn Music off.  If the game still runs too slow, turn off the
Animate Effects option in the Preferences Menu.

If you get an "Out of Environment Space" message when running M.A.X.,
add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS:

shell=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /e:512 /p

The FILES statement in your CONFIG.SYS should read 25 or more:

     ex. FILES=25

M.A.X. doesn't support some brands of Sound Cards.  If you experience
problems try running under Sound Blaster Emulation.

M.A.X. has a built-in check to ensure all network game stay in sync.  If
a game goes out of sync, a message will be displayed.  At this point you
will be given the option to Quit or Restart the game.  Restarting should
allow you to continue without further problems.  However, if you continue
to experience problems, select the QUIT option and reload the AUTO-SAVE
game.



CD-PATH

If the path to your CD ROM drive changes after you have installed MAX, the
game will not be able to run until you tell it the new drive letter
of your CD.  To do this, edit the MAXRUN.BAT file and change the path to
the new location.

Example:  (MAXRUN.BAT)

    Maxrun.exe -sD:\MAX

         In the example above, the CD drive is listed as D:
         To change, simply replace with the correct drive letter,
         leaving the rest of the text alone.

         In the following example, the CD drive letter has been
         changed to drive E:

    Maxrun.exe -sE:\MAX


Once you have made your changes, save the file and run M.A.X. again.


If you recieve a message stating "Not enough memory for buffers" you'll
need to free up some disk space.  M.A.X. makes use of Virtual Memory, and
must have at least 12 megs of free disk space available for the
Virtual Memory function to work properly.  20 megs free disk space is
recommended.

If you have problems running the Movies included with M.A.X. try the
following:

Movies Slow or choppy:

Edit the MAX.INI file and change the movie_play=0 parameter to
read movie_play=1

Movies won't play at all:

Some video cards are unable to display the special resolution
used by the M.A.X. movies.  If the movies will not play on your system,
edit the MAX.INI file and change alt_movie_res=0 to alt_movie_res=1.

This will set the movie resolution to the standard 640x480 mode which
can be displayed by all SVGA video cards.



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(5)    CREDITS
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Project Leader:       Ali Atabek

Producers:            Ali Atabek
            Paul Kellner

Game Design:            Ali Atabek
            Paul Kellner
            Gus Smedstad

Lead Programmer:        Dave Boulanger

AI Design and
Programming:            Gus Smedstad

Network Support:        Dave Boulanger
            Bernie Weir
Additional
Programming:            Darren Monahan

2D Artists:             Tony Postma
            Arlene C. Somers


3D Artists:             Chris Regalado
            Mark Bergo
            Arlene C. Somers
            Mike Dean

Visual Concepts
and Storyboards:        Tony Postma

Original World Design:  Cheryl Austin

World Creation:         Arlene C. Somers

Head Writer:            Steve Perrin

Writers:                Paul Kellner
            Amy Mitchell
            Laura Mitchell

Editor:                 Kelly Newcomb

Manual Design:          Patrizia Scharli

Box Cover Design:       Tony Postma

Director Of
Quality Assurance:      Chad Allison

Assistant Director of
Quality Assurance:      Colin Totman

Lead Tester:            Cory Nelson

Testers:                Amy Mitchell
            Chris Peak
            Quinn Summers
            Tony Bland
            Doug Avery
            Steve McLafferty
            Erick Lujan
            Steve Victory
            James Dunn
            Henry Kahng
            Bill Field
            Steve Reed
            John Stavros
            Steve Baldoni
            Richard Barker
            Jon Atabek
            Larry Smith
            Scot Humphreys
            Daniel Huffman
            Charles Crail
            Rene Hakiki
            Anthony Taylor


I.S. Technicians:       Bill Delk
            Aaron J. Meyers

Director of
Compatibility:          John Werner

Compatibility
Technicians:            Dan Forsyth
            John Parker
            Aaron Olaiz
            Derek Gibbs
            Phuong Nguyen
            Marc Duran

Video Compression and
Playback Technology:    Paul Allen Edelstein


Video Compression:    Bill Stoudt

Audio Director:         Charles Deenan

Game Music:             Brian Luzietti

Voices:                 Nicole Pelerine
            Brian Cummings

VO Director:            Charles Deenan

VO Supervision:         Chris Borders

VO Mastering:           Craig Duman

VO Editing:             Sergio Bustamante
            Craig Duman
            Chris Borders
            Doug Rappaport

Music Mastering:        Digital Brothers

Gameplay Sound
Effects:                Gregory R. Allen
            Larry Peacock

Sound Effects
Mastering:              Craig Duman

Intro Movie:            James Doyle, Apples Animation

Cinematics Music:       Albert Lloyd Olsen for Four Bars Entertainment

Cinematics Sound
Design:                 David Farmer

Cinematics Mixers:      Ken Teaney
            Marshall Garlington

Cinematics Sound
Supervision:            Charles Deenen

Cinematics Ambient
Voices:                 Doug Rappaport

Cinematic Voice
Processing:             Doug Rappaport
            Sergio Bustamante

Mixed in Dolby Surround at EFX Systems, Burbank, CA.


QA Cell Leader (Europe):  David Kinsella

Testers (Europe):         Daniel Kingdom
              Ben Pettifer
              Gareth Glover
              Mark Lugli

Game Guru (Europe):       Shaun Devine.



Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
Licensing Corporation.

Thanks to Tim Cain for GNW, Jay Patel for Technical Assistance,
Newtek, Inc. for Lightwave 3D, Sanjay Bala-Krishnan for his support, and
James Thomas for Story Elements and assorted inspirations


M.A.X. is Dedicated to the memory of Amanda Froistad.




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(6)     Customer Support
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are experiencing problems, Interplay Technical Support is available
24 hours a day through our Automated Customer Service system, with human
representatives available during normal business hours at [phone].

Please have your system information available, or better yet, try to be
at your computer.  The more detailed information you can provide our support
personnel, the better service we can provide you.

Other ways to get help:

   Interplay Productions
   attn: Customer Service
   16815 Von Karman Avenue
   Irvine, CA  92606

   In the UK, write to:

    Customer Support              UK  telephone:  [phone]
    Harleyford Manor              UK  FAX:        [phone]
    Harleyford
    Henley Road
    Marlow
    Buckinghamshire
    SL72DX
    England

   Japan:
   Customer Service via Electronic Arts Victor at:
   Japan Phone:  [phone]
   Japan FAX:    [phone]

Hintline
If you need a hint about game play, you can call our hintline at
1-900-370-PLAY (1-900-451-6869 in Canada). The charge for this service
is $1.25 for the first minute and $.75 for each additional minute. For
Canada, these charges will be in Canadian dollars.  All hint questions
must be directed to this 900 service.  No hints will be given on our
Customer Service lines. You must have a touchtone phone to use this service.
The hintline is open 24 hours a day.  All long distance charges are included
in these prices. Callers under the age of 18 must get parental permission
before calling the hintline. The hintline is only available in the U.S. and
Canada. Charges subject to change without notice.

If you have a modem, you can reach us at the following:
The Interplay BBS:

We have a 24-hour, 7-day a week multiline BBS available for customer
questions, support and fixes.  The number is 714-252-2822.  Modem settings
are 300-28.8k Baud, V.32bis, V.42bis, 8-N-1.

You also may contact our BBS over the Internet.  Telnet to bbs.interplay.com.
This is a free service. (Excluding toll charges.)

America Online: You can E-mail Interplay Customer Support at IPTECH.
To reach our Customer Support board in the Industry Connection, press CTRL-K
for "Go To Keyword."  Then type INTERPLAY in the Keyword window.  In addition
to reading and leaving messages, you can download fixes and demos from the
Software Libraries.

CompuServe: We are available for IBM and compatible on-line support. We are
located in the Game Publishers B Forum, type GO GAMBPUB at any "!" prompt.
Then select "Section 4" for Interplay Productions.  You can leave technical
support questions there.

You can also download fixes and demos from Library 4 in GAMBPUB.  The best
place for game play hints about our games is in the GAMERS forum.  If you are
not already a CompuServe member, you can call CompuServe toll-free at
1-800-524-3388 and ask Representative #354 for a free introductory
membership and a $15 usage credit. For game play hints look in the Gamer's
Forum (GO GAMERS).

Besides technical support for Interplay products, CompuServe offers many
other services, including communications, reference libraries, hardware and
software support, travel, games and much more.

PRODIGY Interactive Personal Service: You may send mail directly to us.
Our ID is "PLAY99B".

Internet: You can reach Interplay by sending Internet E-mail to
[e-mail] . Many Interplay demos and patches are available at
Internet FTP sites. To visit our World Wide Web site, point your browser to:

   http://www.interplay.com  -  or you may ftp to ftp.interplay.com.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(7)  Interplay's WEB site:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to the Interplay Web! As a company dedicated to providing innovative,
high-quality interactive entertainment software, we are always striving to
stay as close as possible to the leading edge of technology. This Web site
is the latest example of our ongoing effort to provide a wealth of
information and opportunities to you.

As a company of fanatic gamers, we love the idea of gamers all over the world
tapping into cyberspace to see, touch and feel our latest games. No hype, no
marketing campaign; just great games. To make it work, our goal is to keep
this site fresh and new, to make it a place  where you can tell US what you
like about our games... and what you don't like about them. So use the
feedback options on these pages and sound off.

Enjoy your visit in our Web site, explore all the different areas we have to
offer, and come back soon. Check us out in the weeks and months ahead; we
will be introducing new and exciting areas for you to experience.

Once again, Welcome!
Brian Fargo


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(8)     Limited Warranty
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INTERPLAY LIMITED 90-DAY WARRANTY
Interplay warrants to the original purchaser of this Interplay Productions
product that the compact disc or floppy disk(s) on which the software
programs are recorded will be free from defects in material and workmanship
for 90 days from the date of purchase. If the compact disc or floppy disk(s)
is found defective within 90 days of original purchase, Interplay agrees to
replace, free of charge, any product discovered to be defective within such
period upon receipt at its factory service center of the product, postage
paid, with proof of the date of purchase. This warranty is limited to the
compact disc or floppy disk(s) containing the software program originally
provided by Interplay and is not applicable to normal wear and tear. This
shall be void if the defect has arisen through abuse, mistreatment, or
neglect. Any implied warranties applicable to this product, including
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are
disclaimed. Interplay disclaims all responsibility for incidental or
consequential damages. Some states do not allow limitations as to how long
an implied warranty lasts and/or exclusions or limitations of incidental or
consequential damages so the above limitations and/or exclusions or liability
may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific rights, and you may
also have other rights which vary from state to state.


Lifetime Warranty

If the compact disc or floppy disk(s) should fail after the original 90-day
warranty period has expired, you may return the software program to Interplay
at the address noted below with a check or money order for $5.00 (U.S.
currency), which includes postage and handling, and Interplay will mail a
replacement to you. To receive a replacement, you need to enclose the
original defective compact disc or floppy disk(s) in protective packaging
accompanied by: (1) a $5.00 check or money order, (2) a brief statement
describing the defect, and (3) your return address. If you have a problem
with your software, you may wish to call us first at [phone].

If your compact disc is defective and a replacement is necessary, U.P.S.
or registered mail is recommended for returns.  Please send the defective
disc(s) only (not the box) with a description of the problem and $5.00 to:

Warranty Replacements
Interplay Productions
16815 Von Karman Avenue
Irvine, CA 92606


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Copying Prohibited
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This software product and the manual are copyrighted and all rights are
reserved by Interplay Productions and are protected by the copyright laws
that pertain to computer software. You may not copy the software except
that you may make one copy of the software solely for backup or archival
purposes. You may not loan, sell, rent, lease, give, sub license, or
otherwise transfer the software (or any copy). You may not modify, adapt,
translate, create derivative works, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise
reverse engineer or derive source code from, all or any portion of the
software or anything incorporated therein or permit or encourage any third
party to do so.

NOTICE: Interplay reserves the right to make modifications or improvements
to the product described in this manual at any time and without notice.

SOFTWARE USE LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE

General Product License.  This copy of M.A.X. (the "Software")  is intended
solely for your personal noncommercial home entertainment use. You may not
decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the Software, except as permitted
by law.  Interplay Productions retains all right, title and interest in the
Software including all intellectual property rights embodied therein and
derivatives thereof. The Software, including, without limitation, all code,
data structures, characters, images, sounds, text, screens, game play,
derivative works and all other elements of the Software may not be copied,
resold, rented, leased, distributed (electronically or otherwise), used on
pay-per-play, coin-op or other for-charge basis, or for any commercial
purpose. Any permissions granted herein are provided on a temporary basis
and can be withdrawn by Interplay Productions at any time.  All rights not
expressly granted are reserved.

Modem and Network Play.  If the Software contains modem or network play, you
may play the Software via modem transmission with another person or persons
directly without transmission through a third party service or indirectly
through a third party service only if such service is an authorized licensee
of  Interplay.  For the purposes of this license, a "third party service"
refers to any third party service which provides a connection between two or
more users of the Software, manages, organizes, or facilitates game play,
translates protocols, or otherwise provides a service which commercially
exploits the Software, but does not include a third party service which
merely provides a telephonic connection (and nothing more) for modem or
network play.  Authorized licensee services are listed on the Interplay
Productions World Wide Web Site located at http://www.interplay.com. This
limited right to transmit the Software expressly excludes any transmission
of the Software or any data streams thereof on a commercial basis, including,
without limitation, transmitting the Software by way of a commercial
service (excepting those specific commercial services licensed by Interplay)
which translates the protocols or manages or organizes game play sessions.
If you would like information about obtaining a pay-for-play or commercial
license to the Software, please call Interplay Productions at [phone].

Acceptance of License Terms.  By acquiring and retaining this Software, you
assent to the terms and restrictions of this limited license.  If you do
not accept the terms of this limited license, you must return the Software
together with all packaging, manuals and other material contained therein
to the store where you acquired the Software for a full refund.




M.A.X. COPYRIGHT (C) 1996 INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS IS THE EXCLUSIVE LICENSEE AND DISTRIBUTOR.


Non Tech Support Questions/Comments send e-mail to [e-mail]



Thanks for Playing M.A.X.!


--EOF--