Action Ware 12: Heretic & Hexen

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Action Ware 12: Heretic & Hexen / actionware12.iso / acware12 / network / apci / install.exe / APCIHTIC.DAT < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1995-03-25 | 36.6 KB | 964 lines

============================================================================= This is an ASCII resource for APCiHERETIC. Do **NOT** edit this file! Editing this file may disable your copy of APCiHERETIC. APCIHTIC.DAT Version 1.0 Last updated 3/24/95 Anyone attempting to edit this file will be killed. Really. We're serious. This file is Copyright 1994-95 Applied Personal Computing, Inc. ============================================================================= | When you first saw the seven candles, you knew. You knew, but any Sidhe would have known in the magic of the reflections pulsing across the ceiling of the Elder's chamber; each flame with its own power to burn, each flame tied irrevocably to the flow of the Earth's breath, the seven flames were the armies of the seven kings of Earth. Circling the candles stood the Elders of the Sidhe, leaders of an ancient race of elves proficient in arcane sorcery, and keepers of the Tomes of Power. From the Book they read the prophecy of Armageddon. "The three come from the Eastern wilds with seven swords in their seven right hands. And they shall be given dominion over all that believeth in them. He that hath an ear, let him hear that the children of the Sidhe will be driven before them and on the day that the children of the Sidhe are no more, the earth shall be forever lost to the Abyss." From the East came the evil foretold by your forefathers: the three Serpent Riders, the guardians of death everlasting. Their form was shrouded by black cloaks. Only their eyes were revealed; sunken with evil, dreadful in their intensity. As a sign of power they brought peace to the Eastern provinces. Those who believed in the sign created a temple in their honor; and it bore the mark of the crossed trident. Their worshippers were the Order of the Sign; blind followers, without will, void of spirit. As the power of the Order grew, even the seven kings of the Earth followed like cattle behind them. And after they controlled the great nations two Riders left the world. Only D'Sparil, the weakest of them remained while his disciples traveled the earth cleansing it in preparation for its descent. Scorned by the other people of Earth, the Sidhe possessing powers of their own, remained unaffected by the spell of the Riders. The Sidhe are now considered the Heretics, the unclean, fit only to be wiped from the face of the Earth. The disciples of D'Sparil conspired with the kings of the earth to remove the last lands of apostasy. And while the armies of the seven nations gathered to destroy the Sidhe, the Elders convened to discuss the fate of your people. When all voices had spake against the Order, the seven Elders extinguished the seven candle flames simultaneously. At that silent instant, a brilliant flash of light came from the east, and the armies that had gathered against you were no more. Drained by their efforts, the Elders fell to the floor, listening to the single painful scream echoing from the now-scorched battlefield. But then the forces of the Abyss took their vengeance. The ether had quaked with the magic effort of the Elders' action, and the curse of the Order followed the trail unerringly to the Elders' conventicle. Suddenly the foul odor of death came and the earth opened to engulf the Elders in flames; the white-bright fire clinging to their flesh, knowingly and eagerly eating each layer of skin. Too, pouring forth from the earth like squirming maggots, came the forces of evil both beast and undead. They attacked in hordes like packs of dogs, first surrounding the weakest and biting and clawing their victims to the ground. As each Sidhe fell several beasts would gather to chew into their bellies like pigs into slop, their heads often deeply submerged into the gut with the victim's intestines slung half-eaten upon their own squirming bodies. When the day was done, the few remaining Sidhe were scattered throughout the land. The Abyss had taken the tomes and artifacts of your people as spoils of their victory. Alone, without weapons, the surviving Sidhe would surely perish at the hands of the Order of the Triad. The Elders' destruction of the seven armies had gone for naught. While the other Sidhe hid, their spirit broken, you thirsted for vengeance and rode East into the wilderness, in search of D'Sparil. Now you stand before the City of Undead, its air thick with the stench of rot. Your hate drives you to see these creatures oozing their heart's ichor before you. Beyond these gates the dead and the creatures of the night writhe in dark corners, their bodies aching for your blood. With luck, some of your peoples' ancient artifacts can be found hidden amongst the dark passages beyond. For with only a staff as your weapon, the world is surely damned. | Acubit 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 %C0 \N0 X4 Apex Technology 28.8 AT &F &C1 &D2 %C0 \N0 &Q0 %B19200 X4 AT&T Data Port 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 S41=3 \N0 %C0 X4 ATI Technologies AT &F &C1 &D2 &E1 &K0 &U0 X4 Boca Research 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 &K0 %C0 X4 Boca Research 28.8 AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 &K0 %C0 S37=17 X4 Cardinal 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 N0 X4 Data Race AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 %C0 X4 DFI AT&F &C1 &D2 &K0 &Q6 S48=128 X4 GVC 14.4 V.42 AT &F &C1 &D2 %C0 \N0 B8 X4 Hayes 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 &K0 &Q6 S46=136 X4 Hayes 28.8 AT &F &C1 &D2 &K0 &Q0 S37=12 S46=136 X4 Intel 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 \Q0 \J1 \V0 X4 Intel 14.4 Fax AT &F N0 &D2 &C1 &Q6 &K0 S0=1 X4 Intel 14.4i AT &F &C1 &D2 B8 %C0 \N0 \Q0 X4 Intel 14.4i Fax AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 \Q0 X4 Motorola Chipset (Generic) AT &F &C1 &D2 &K0 &Q6 S37=11 S46=136 X4 Practical Perip 14.4FX v32 AT &F &C1 &D2 &K0 &Q6 S46=0 X4 Rockwell Chipset (Generic) AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 S46=0 &K0 %C0 X4 SupraFax 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 &Q6 &K %C0 \N1 S37=6 S0=1 X4 SupraFax 14.4 v32 AT &F &C1 &D2 S46=136 %C0 X4 SupraFax 14.4 v32- AT &F &C1 &D2 S46=136 M1 Q0 D2 X4 Telebit Worldblazer 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 S51=4 S180=0 S183=8 S190=0 L1 X4 Telebit FastBlazer 28.8 AT &F &C1 &D2 *M12 &E0 *E0 &K0 X4 USR High Speed other than Courier AT &F &A0 &B1 &C1 &D2 &H0 &I0 &K0 S27=48 X4 Viva 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 %C0 &K0 X4 VivaFax 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 \Q0 %C0 B8 \N1 X4 ZOOM High Speed AT &F &C1 &D2 &K0 &Q6 %C0 S46=136 X4 ZyXel 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 \N0 X4 ZyXel U-1496 14.4 AT &F &C1 &D2 S46=0 &K0 X4 | ; SYSTEM DIRECTORIES HERETIC= LEVELWAD= SOUNDWAD= GRAPHICSWAD= ; NETWORK SETTINGS USER=CHANGE THIS NOW! TICDUP=1 M_COM=1 M_BAUD=19200 S_COM=2 S_BAUD=19200 INIT=CHANGE THIS NOW! CLICK HERE ---> TONE=1 FIFO=1 SOCKET=0 TRANSPORT=1 EXTRACTICS=0 MPGS= ; OTHER SETTINGS HERETICVER=1.0 VERSION=1.0 LASTSAVE= GAMETYPE=0 ; PHONE BOOKS M_NAME_0=APPLIED PERSONAL COMPUTING, INC. M_PHONE_0=1-618-632-7664 M_NAME_1=APCI (LOCAL TO AREA CODE 618) M_PHONE_1=632-7664 M_NAME_2=NONE M_PHONE_2= M_NAME_3=NONE M_PHONE_3= M_NAME_4=NONE M_PHONE_4= S_NAME_0=NONE S_PHONE_0= S_NAME_1=NONE S_PHONE_1= S_NAME_2=NONE S_PHONE_2= S_NAME_3=NONE S_PHONE_3= S_NAME_4=NONE S_PHONE_4= ; GAME SETTINGS 20DEATHMATCH=1 DEATHMATCH=0 NOMONSTERS=1 DMTIMER=0 RESPAWN=0 EPISODE=1 LEVEL=1 SKILL=4 ; ADD-IN WAD SETTINGS ADD20DEATHMATCH=1 ADDDEATHMATCH=0 ADDNOMONSTERS=1 ADDDMTIMER=0 ADDRESPAWN=0 ADDSKILL=4 ADDMAP=E1M1 ; NEXT GAME DESCRIPTIONS GAME=NO MONS, EPISODE 1, LEVEL 1, SKILL 4, DM 2.0 ADDGAME= ADDBASE=NO MONS, SKILL 4, DM 2.0 | READ THIS STUFF!!! Help with Help! GENERAL REQUIREMENTS... Configuring Your System - Mandatory Configuring Your Modem - Important Configuring Your Serial Ports - Important APCiHERETIC FILE Menu options... Read Storyline... Dialing Directories APCiHERETIC Setup... - Mandatory APCiLINK Setup... - Mandatory Game Setup Utility - Mandatory Exit APCiHERETIC GAME Menu options... Single Player Game Two Player Game Modem Game Serial Game MultiPlayer Game BBS Game IPX Game VGC Game If Already Connected, Jump to... APCiHERETIC SETTINGS Menu Options... Standard WAD Setup Standard Savegame Setup Add-In WAD Setup Add-In Savegame Setup APCiHERETIC HELP Menu options... Help! APCiMPGS Loopback Test... APCiHERETIC Network Snooper... About... Heretic and data communications... Using cheats and modified WAD/EXE files... Don't disconnect during MultiPlayer games! Troubleshooting Information APCiHERETIC FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Suggestions...? Disclaimer Special thanks (and strokes)... APCiHERETIC Release History | READ THIS STUFF!!! If you don't read this stuff, you won't know what you are doing and everyone will think you're an idiot! (If you just smirked and thought, "yeah...right" then, well, you're an idiot!) IT MIGHT TAKE YOU 15 MINUTES SO JUST READ IT! The information contained within this help section is absolutely critical. You may save yourself and other players hours of frustration by spending a few minutes reading everything here. | Help with Help! Please select a help topic from the list provided below. You may return to this help section any time by selecting HELP from the HELP menu. | GENERAL REQUIREMENTS... The following options provide very important information about preparing to play multiplayer Heretic. Please read them thoroughly and make sure you meet all of the specified requirements before you play using APCiHERETIC. | Configuring Your System - Mandatory To ensure proper operation and satisfactory performance of your system while using APCiHERETIC follow these important guidelines: -> Your system should be at least a 486SX25 with 4MB of main system RAM to play Heretic 1.0 or later. -> If you don't have RAM to spare, or have a slow system, limit your number of digital sounds to two or three. -> Your operating system should be MS-DOS 6.0 or later. Type "ver" and hit ENTER at any DOS prompt to display version information. -> You should boot your system "cleanly" by pressing the F5 key or holding down the left SHIFT key when the "Starting MS-DOS" message appears. You may then load your mouse driver and network drivers if necessary. -> If using a sound card, your interrupt should be either IRQ5 or IRQ7. Check your sound card documentation for instructions on how to modify this setting. -> Your system should have a maximum of two standard serial (communications) ports configured. Internal modems are included. Refer to the "Configuring Your Serial Ports" topic within the APCiHERETIC help section. -> Access your system's CMOS configuration utility and set the following parameters if available: - HIDDEN REFRESH should be off or disabled. - HARDWARE VIDEO SHADOWING should be off or disabled. - TURBO SWITCH(ING) should be off or disabled. - HD1 BLOCK MODE should be off or disabled. -> When playing via the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server, you must be able to load Heretic in less than 45 seconds from the time you hit ENTER at a Heretic command line to the point at which your player's gun raises. If you cannot load within 45 seconds, avoid using disk compression utilities such as MS DriveSpace. You should also keep your hard disk defragmented using Microsoft DEFRAG or Norton Speed Disk. If you have a very stable system and plenty of main system RAM (8MB or more), you may want to try loading HIMEM.SYS and SMARTDRV.EXE. Consult your DOS manual or type HELP at any DOS 6.X prompt for more information. | Configuring Your Modem - Important If you wish to play multiplayer modem Heretic, you must first configure your modem properly. In particular, you must disable error correction and data compression. This is accomplished by providing the appropriate initialization string. While a simple database of modems and initiation strings is provided for you in APCiLINK Setup, you may wish to confirm these settings and modify them if necessary. Your initialization string should begin with "AT&F&C1&D2X4" to restore factory defaults, enable carrier detection, enable DTR tracking, and enable extended result codes. If you are using a modem capable of DCE speeds in excess of 14.4kbps, include the command string that will limit your DCE (modem to modem connect speed) to 14.4kbps. There is no reason for a faster connect. In many cases, faster DCE rates will decrease performance due to frequent errors related to the limited tolerance of standard telephone lines. Refer to your modem documentation for a list of "AT" command strings. | Configuring Your Serial Ports - Important The standard configurations are: COM1 at 0x3F8 on IRQ4, and COM2 at 0x2F8 on IRQ3. There is no reason to be using COM3 or COM4 since they might use either an irregular or a conflicting interrupt setting or port address. Disable any extra ports, even if they are not being used. Consult your computer, I/O interface, and modem documentation for additional information. Your game performace via modem and null-modem serial link will be much better if your serial port or internal modem has a 16550C buffered UART. Avoid 16550 "emulators" that are currently on the market. Also, avoid 16550s prior to the 16550C. Serial interfaces with 16550 UARTs are very inexpensive and well worth the upgrade. | APCiHERETIC FILE Menu options... Each of the options listed within the FILE menu of APCiHERETIC are described and explained in the following options. | Read Storyline... From the FILE menu, select the Read Storyline... option to read the Heretic storyline as written by Raven Software, Inc. | Dialing Directories From the FILE menu, select the Dialing Directories option to maintain two separate dialing directories to store the names and numbers of other players as well as BBSs that host the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server. | APCiHERETIC Setup... - Mandatory From the FILE menu, you may select the APCiHERETIC Setup... option to configure your copy of APCiHERETIC. You must specify the locations of your Heretic program files as add-ins such as level, sound, and graphic WAD files. You must provide these locations in terms of a drive letter and an explicit path (e.g. C:\GAMES\HERETIC\). If you do not know the locations of these files, you may select the BROWSE button. Effective use of the BROWSE feature requires the use of a mouse. Due to DOS limitations, please keep your pathnames as short as possible. Your Heretic version must be 1.0 or later. Heretic BETA is NOT supported. Enter your Heretic version number in the box provided. Press the Save button when you are finished configuring Heretic. | APCiLINK Setup... - Mandatory From the FILE menu, you may select the APCiLINK Setup... option to configure your player identification and methods of connecting to other players. You must specify a "handle" which will identify you to other players. If you plan to play by modem, you must provide an appropriate modem initialization string as well as port information. A simple database of common modems and initialization strings may be accessed by selecting the Init Strings button. If your modem is not listed, or the init string provided does not work, try using the autodetect option. APCiHERETIC will test your modem and build an init string for you. Keep in mind that APCiHERETIC is only making an educated guess at what your init string should be and that it may still need some work to make it "just right." Your port speed should be left at 19200bps. 9600bps should only be used for two-player modem games over telephone lines of questionable quality. Please refer to the "Configuring Your Modem" and "Configuring Your Serial Ports" topics within the APCiHERETIC help section for additional information. You may also configure APCiLINK for direct null-modem serial connections by providing the appropriate port information. Please note that both players in a direct null-modem serial game must have the same port speed. In most cases, this speed should be left at 19200bps. If you wish to use APCiHERETIC to play over an IPX LAN, you may configure APCiLINK to use any specific socket number. To select and modify this setting, you must already have your network drivers loaded (e.g. LSL.COM, NE2000.COM, IPXODI.COM). All players must have the same socket number, must be on the same LAN segment (network number), and must be using the same network frame type (e.g. Ethernet_802.2). If you are unsure of your segment address (network number), you may utilize the APCiHERETIC Network Snooper option located under your HELP menu. Your frame type is indicated in your NET.CFG file. You may need to contact your network administrator or consult your network interface documentation for assistance or additional information. The Advanced Setup button on the APCiLINK Setup dialog box will present options that should not normally be changed. Changing these options without specific instructions from a qualified technical support source such as your sysop or an APCi representative may make your setup incompatible with other players and prevent you from utilizing APCiHERETIC. | Game Setup Utility - Mandatory From the FILE menu, select the Game Setup Utility option to configure the currently selected Heretic game (see the Heretic menu). Press the ESC key and press ENTER to return to APCiHERETIC. If you use a mouse when you play modem or null-modem serial link Heretic, you will need to decrease your mouse sensitivity. Failure to do so will make your player very difficult to control. | Exit From the FILE menu, you may select the Exit option to return to DOS. If you are playing in a virtual gaming center, this option may be disabled by your VGC operator. | APCiHERETIC GAME Menu options... Each of the options listed within the GAME menu of APCiHERETIC are described and explained in the following options. | Single Player Game From the GAME menu, select the Single Player Game option to launch the currently selected Heretic game (see the Heretic menu) with the currently selected game settings WAD file configurations (see the SETTINGS menu). | Two Player Game From the GAME menu, select the Two Player Game option to play with one other player via modem or direct null-modem serial link. | Modem Game From the GAME menu, select the Two Player Game | Modem Game option to run APCiTERM, a simple ANSI serial communications terminal. You must first configure your modem initialization string and port settings by selecting the APCiLINK Setup option from the FILE menu. If you have entered a player's name and number in the two player dialing directory found under the FILE menu and you choose to be the "dialing" player, you will be given the option to select and automatically dial another player. Otherwise, you must enter the appropriate dialing string at the modem command line (e.g. ATDT555-1212). The "answering" player should simply select NO when asked if they are the "dialing" player. When the "dialing" player dials, the "answering" player will automatically answer. The modems will negotiate and, if everything has been configured properly, both players will immediately enter APCiCHAT where they can chat and agree upon game settings before and between games. If players have identical game settings as is required in a multiplayer game, the game will automatically begin when both players have pressed the F10 key, changing their status from "Waiting to die" to "READY TO KILL!" Players may press F5 to exit APCiCHAT and return to the APCiHERETIC menus. | Serial Game From the GAME menu, select the Two Player Game | Serial Game option to immediately enter APCiCHAT. You must first configure your port settings by selecting the APCiLINK Setup option from the FILE menu. If players have identical game settings as is required in a multiplayer game, the game will automatically begin when both players have pressed the F10 key, changing their status from "Waiting to die" to "READY TO KILL!" Players may press F5 to exit APCiCHAT and return to the APCiHERETIC menus. | MultiPlayer Game From the GAME menu, select the MultiPlayer Game option to play multiplayer Heretic with one to three other players. You may then select your network type. | BBS Game From the GAME menu, select the MultiPlayer Game | BBS Game option to play multiplayer Heretic via any BBS that hosts the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server. You must first configure your modem initialization string and port settings by selecting the APCiLINK Setup option from the FILE menu. If you have entered BBS names and numbers in the multiplayer dialing directory found under the FILE menu, you will be given the option to select and automatically dial a host BBS. Once you have logged into the host BBS, follow the menu prompts to access the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server. Once you have accessed the game server, press your space bar to activate your session. Follow the on-line text and prompts. Press ALT-M or click your mouse on the blue header for a drop-down menu of options. Pressing F5 will begin APCiCHAT. If there are already game pools or chat pools on the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server, you will be given the option to select a chat pool or to create a new one. | IPX Game From the GAME menu, select the MultiPlayer Game | IPX Game option to play multiplayer Heretic via any IPX LAN. You must first load your network drivers. Ensure that all players are on the same LAN segment (network number) and have the same network socket. You may change your network socket number by selecting the APCiLINK Setup option from the FILE menu. WARNING! Do not change your network socket number without consulting your network administrator! | VGC Game From the GAME menu, select the MultiPlayer Game | VGC Game option to play multiplayer Heretic via an IPX LAN connection to the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server. You must first load your network drivers. Ensure that all players are on the same LAN segment as the APCiMPGS. You must enter the network node address of the APCiMPGS in the box provided in the Advanced section of APCiLINK Setup. | If Already Connected, Jump to... From the GAME menu, select the If Already Connected, Jump to... option to either return to the APCiTERM ANSI communications terminal, or to return to APCiCHAT. | APCiHERETIC SETTINGS Menu Options... Each of the options listed within the SETTINGS menu of APCiHERETIC are described and explained in the following options. | Standard WAD Setup From the SETTINGS menu, select the Standard WAD Setup option to change your game settings when using the Heretic. The Preview button allows you to view a simple floorplan of the currently selected map. The Extras button allows you to add additional command line options such as "turbo" and "record". Please refer to your Heretic documentation for more information. CAUTION! Using the Extras option may make your settings incompatible with those of other players! To save your WAD settings and update your APCiHTIC.INI file, select the Save button. If you do not wish to change your WAD settings, simply select the Cancel button. | Standard Savegame Setup From the SETTINGS menu, select the Standard Savegame Setup option to access saved games. The Extras button allows you to add additional command line options such as "turbo" and "record". Please refer to your Heretic documentation for more information. CAUTION! Using the Extras option may make your settings incompatible with those of other players! Select the Save option to update your APCiHTIC.INI file and return to the APCiHERETIC menus. If you do not wish to change your Savegame Setup, simply select the Cancel button. | Add-In WAD Setup From the SETTINGS menu, select the Add-In WAD Setup option add-in Heretic WAD files. Add-in WAD files may only be used with registered versions of Heretic. You may add up to five WAD files. As you add WAD files to the list, if there are conflicts, the latest addition will be the playable WAD. You may also add descriptions to your WAD files for future reference. CAUTION! All players must have the same LEVEL WAD files installed and they must be installed in exactly the same order in multiplayer games! The Preview button allows you to view a simple floorplan of the currently selected map. The Options button will take you to a dialog box of the standard game settings. The Extras button allows you to add additional command line options such as "turbo" and "record". CAUTION! Using the Extras option may make your settings incompatible with those of other players! To return to your add-in WAD setup dialog and update your APCiHTIC.INI, simply select the Save option. Once you return to the Add-In WAD Setup dialog, you may save your settings and update your APCiHTIC.INI file by selecting the Save button. To remove an add-in WAD file from the list, select it then select the Remove button. | Add-In Savegame Setup From the SETTINGS menu, select the Add-In Savegame Setup option to access saved games. The Extras button allows you to add additional command line options such as "turbo" and "record". Please refer to your Heretic documentation for more information. CAUTION! Be sure to use the same WAD files and game settings you used when you saved the game. Select Jump to Add-In WAD Manager to configure your saved game before playing. Select the Save option to update your APCiHTIC.INI file and return to the APCiHERETIC menus. If you do not wish to change your Savegame Setup, simply select the Cancel button. | APCiHERETIC HELP Menu options... Each of the options listed within the HELP menu of APCiHERETIC are described and explained in the following options. | Help! From the HELP menu, you may select the Help! option to access the information you are now reading. | APCiMPGS Loopback Test... From the HELP menu, you may select the APCiMPGS Loopback Test... option to test the quality of your modem or serial connection to the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server. This is a very helpful tool for identifying incorrect modem initialization strings, line noise, and other communications problems. Other than the first one or two test packets sent, all packets should be counted as "CORRECT" and your average loopback time should consistently be 0.11 seconds or less. NOTE: This test will NOT identify UART failures. | APCiHERETIC Network Snooper... From the HELP menu, you may select the APCiHERETIC Network Snooper... option to identify the network address of your workstation. You must have your network drivers loaded to perform this operation. | About... From the HELP menu, you may select the About... option to display copyright, trademark, and version information. | Heretic and data communications... Simply stated, data communications is nearly a miracle. Phone lines are unstable, modems are different, computers are different, and configurations are different. Because of this, you can expect some momentary delays or choppiness while playing such data-intensive games as Heretic. There are literally thousands of factors that effect the stability and smoothness of each game, and very few of them are manageable, not to mention controllable. MultiPlayer Heretic games are always synchronized. If your player seems a little sluggish, don't worry, your opponents are exactly the same way. When your system pauses, so does theirs and vice versa. So, if you get your butt kicked royally in a good Deathmatch, don't blame it on sluggishness or choppiness. The game was the same for the player that toasted you. YOU LOST, FAIR AND SQUARE! Below is the "choppy Heretic game" top-ten reason list: 1 - Data Compression and/or Error Correction has not been disabled on one of the player's modems. Be sure to use the correct modem init string! 2 - Heretic just "bogs" sometimes, even on really fast systems. This is usually caused by HD access. 3 - Your system is somewhat slow because of hardware or configuration problems. Remember not to use expanded memory managers such as EMM386 and QEMM. 4 - Another player's system is even worse than yours. 5 - You have a "dirty" phone line. 6 - Another player has a "dirty" phone line. 7 - Solar flares. Yeah, that's it! 8 - You forgot to disable call waiting by putting *70 before your BBS phone number when dialing. 9 - Some other idiot forgot to disable his call waiting. (What a jerk!) 10 - The BBS you are using is wimpy and can't handle the MultiPlayer load. | Using modified WAD/EXE files... If you have edited your WAD file, or in some cases merely loaded it into an editor then saved it, you will probably crash in MultiPlayer Heretic. All players MUST have exactly the same WAD file. If you use the "turbo" command line option, all other players will promptly be notified at the start of the game as well as continually throughout the game. | Don't disconnect during MultiPlayer games! If you must leave a game, please use the menus to quit properly. This sends a very important message to all other players which enables their copy of Heretic to go on without you. Remember, Heretic is in constant synchronization. If a player leaves without properly "telling" all other players, then other players are left "hanging" while they wait for more information. There is no way for the other players to continue their game. | Troubleshooting If you have followed ALL of the directions contained in the documentation that came with Heretic, and you have read ALL of the APCiHERETIC help documentation, chances are you won't have any problems. Most of the problems that remain after all documented steps have been taken to correct them are caused by faulty hardware. Try different hardware, such as a different modem or a different serial I/O card. Try to isolate your problem by removing accessories such as sound cards and network cards. There is a chance that you have a bad 16550 UART in your serial port. You can try disabling its FIFO by un- checking the "Search for Buffered UART?" option found in the Advanced Setup area of APCiLINK Setup under the FILE menu. If you suspect that something has gone wrong with your copy of Heretic, please re-install it. If you are using pirated copies, you deserve for your system to explode in your face, sending millions of transistors ripping through your diseased criminal brain. Get bent, you loser! If you suspect that something has gone wrong with your copy of APCiHERETIC, delete it and download a new copy from the APCi BBS at (618) 632-7664. If you don't have the patience to read and understand documentation, but rather believe that someone on a 1-800 technical support line should hold your hand and read it to you, please drop to DOS now and type "FORMAT C: /U" at the command prompt. This is guaranteed to rid you (and everyone else) of your Heretic-related problems! | APCiHERETIC FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Q. I can play two-player modem Heretic just fine, but my game always freezes after a few minutes of three or four player modem Heretic. Why?!? A. Unfortunately, this is usally caused by faulty serial communications equipment, especially bad FIFOs on a 16550 UART. Some internal modems are using a 16550 UART emulator of some sort. These may also cause problems. You may want to disable FIFO detection by turning UART buffering detection off in the Advanced Setup option of APCiLINK Setup under the FILE menu. Other than that, try a different modem or a different serial I/O interface. Q. I have a 28.8kbps modem. Why should I limit my connect speed to 14.4 when playing modem Heretic with APCiHERETIC? A. Speeds in excess of 14.4kbps are difficult for the phone company's equipment to sustain without frequent errors. Since smooth modem Heretic requires that you disable error correction, additional errors cause Heretic to have to re-send packets, degrading game performance. Q. If I have a Pentium 90Mhz and my friend has a 486DX2/66, why isn't my game a lot faster than his when we play modem Heretic II? A. Heretic does not send coordinates. Instead, it sends vector-type packets. Therefore, multiplayer Heretic games must be in constant synchronization. You're modem or network Heretic games will always be limited to the speed and quaility of the game on the slowest computer. Unfortunately, that means that if some other player didn't read the documentation and doesn't have their system configured correctly, all other players suffer. Hint....hint.... Q. Why can't I use a port speed higher than 19200bps? A. Even in a four-player game, Heretic's data requirements do not need speeds in excess of 14400bps. You're actual transmission speed is limited to your modem to modem connect speed since you are not using data compression. Using a port speed that is faster than your modem connect speed only wastes processor time and degrades your game performance. Q. Why shouldn't I use memory managers like QEMM or EMM386 with Heretic? A. Heretic uses a 386 DOS extender. Heretic really doesn't care how much conventional memory you have as long as you have enough to load the extender. Most memory managers cause additional processor interrups, degrading game performance. If you need a little extra conventional memory for some reason and you have plenty of system RAM (8MB or more), try using HIMEM.SYS and DOS=HIGH in your CONFIG.SYS file. Q. Why should I read all of this documentation when I can just call APCi's 1-800 number and ask a technician, or waste time on-line annoying other players with stupid questions? A. You idiot. Get bent. You probably suck at Heretic! | Suggestions...? If you have suggestions for improved game performance such as modified modem init strings and system configurations, please contact APCi at 1-800-535-APCi. | Disclaimer Raven Software and id Software will provide absolutely NO support for this software. APCi has nothing to do with id or Raven. APCi will provide absolutely NO support for Heretic. Well, unless you're really cool about it and ask nicely. :) APCi will provide absolutely NO support for inferior hardware that doesn't work. If you bought junk, DARN! Please remember, this software is FREE. Therefore, do not expect APCi to spend hours helping you rebuild you computer system. If you are having problems playing via the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server, please contact your sysop. | Special thanks (and strokes)... Thanks to the brilliant folks at Raven Software for their incredible implementation of the modified DOOM engine! Thank you to Hayes for building the best modem money can buy. (Get with the program, USR and ZOOM!) Thank you to DigiBoard for building an intelligent multiport interface that SCREAMS, and works every time, and is reasonably simple to program around. Thank you to Novell for providing us a way to avoid the damn "bog-down" headaches that came with our BBS software. NetWare is an incredible product. Thank you to Borland for providing us with better tools than Microsoft will ever dream of... Borland C/C++ 3.1 that is. Notice we didn't say anything about version 4.x. Why? It sucks, plain and simple! Watcom absolutely rules for 32-bit development! Sorry Phil... Thank you all of the technicians of the dozens of companies that we have bugged the hell out of about their products even though we didn't buy many of them. Thank you to TheSoft Programming Services for TheDRAW, an excellent "Dolor and Monochrome Screen Editor." And yes, their title screen really says "Dolor!" (An old version.) If you don't like our program, go stick your head in a pig! Try not to be so damn sirius. (Please reference Douglas Adam's great book "The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy") | APCiHERETIC Release History Version Notes ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ 1.0 > Initial release. * Modem games limited to two players until Raven corrects some network problems. |