Hardcore Gamer Resource Kit

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Text File | 1995-11-28 | 30KB | 599 lines

LORDS OF THE REALM November 28, 1995 Update For CD-ROM Version 1.03 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Table Of Contents 1.) About This Document 2.) Installing This Patch 3.) What does it do? 4.) Manual Corrections 5.) Troubleshooting steps 6.) Customer Service -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1.) ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This document will show you how to setup the patchdisk and install it onto your system. It will explain what fixes were made and how to avoid future trouble. The information contained in this document pertains to the CD-ROM version of the game only. 2.) INSTALLING THIS PATCH -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- a. Place the patchdisk into either the 'A' or 'B' Drive. b. From the MS-DOS Prompt c. Type "A: <enter>" d. Type "INSTALL <enter>" e. Follow the prompts 3.) WHAT DOES IT DO? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This Patch disk is provided to our customers to improve game play and enjoyability, It contains fixes for all known problems with the game, including disappearing armies. If you have trouble with the game that is not listed in this document under the Troubleshooting section, Please contact Technical Support (see Section 6 for more inforamation). 4.) MANUAL CORRECTIONS -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Tutorial Correction ------------------- There is a minor error in the game's tutorial. Fields containing cows or sheep are NOT at their most productive when there are three animals displayed in their field pictures. In fact, the more fields you devote to a herd, the more productive they will become (up to a point). The strategy sections of the Techical Supplement describe this correctly. Command Restrictions -------------------- You can only control your kingdom during your own turn. Between turns, you can scroll around the map, switch to the overview map, and access game options. An Explanation of Stewardship ----------------------------- As explained in the technical supplement, your steward will offer to manage the labor allocations for your fields once you control three counties. At the start of each season, he will reallocate the workers you have assigned to grain, sheep, cattle, fields and idle to complete the farming tasks as best as he can. He provides a report which indicates which counties require more farmers, and which have too many. (In addition to this, he now also indicates when the ration allocations in a county have changed. This warns you of food shortages so that you can respond to them.) It's important to remember that the steward's purpose is NOT to let you ignore your counties while you conquer the enemy -- he will not reclaim fields for you, and you will still need to manage your castle-building and production. And he does not act on the warnings he gives you; you must decide on a course of action whenever you have labor excesses, labor shortages, or ration changes. The best way to let the steward do his job is to leave enough idle workers to cover your grain needs in the harvest season. Multiplayer Notes ----------------- Some elements of multiplayer play were not mentioned in the Technical Supplement: 1) All messages sent between players will appear at the end of a season; all the players should therefore watch the screen at that time to see if they have received any messages. 2) Stewardship is not an option in multiplayer games. Starting Location ----------------- Players always start in one of six locations on the map; the county you start with will have a strong effect on how your kingdom will progress. For example, starting in a central county provides more borders through which you may receive immigrants (or invaders). Alternatively, the southwestern- most county gets harsher weather overall than others, and has only one county for immigrants. Ale Limitations --------------- Ale can only be purchased once per county per season. Its benefit is also limited to +3 happiness per purchase. The Buy Ale panel displays the expected happiness boost for whatever amount you select. Ale is consumed immediately upon purchase; as such, it cannot be transported like other goods. Merchant Delays --------------- At harder levels, the appearance of mercenaries may be delayed. Expect at least one new merchant to enter the game each season (until all twelve are present). Castle-Building / Deducting Resources ------------------------------------- Stone and wood are allocated to castles at the end of a season (not immediately). Therefore, if you buy stone or wood, don't expect to see it deducted (and placed in your castle) right away. Army Discontent --------------- The likelihood of an army to mutiny (i.e. turn into outlaws) is indicated by a descriptive phrase showing their discontent. This phrase appears on the Army panel (when you click on an army), and on the first screen you see when starting a siege. Discontent is based on the army's morale, health, and the types of units in it. Army Movement Limitations ------------------------- You are not allowed to stand on top of an army or castle while attacking another army or castle. Therefore, if you move to attack an item, and your movement path passes through another obstacle just before reaching that item, the attack will be disallowed. Mercenary armies ---------------- Unlike other armies, an army made up only of mercenaries can disband in any county. Aiming Ladders, Towers and Fighters ----------------------------------- When sieging, you should always aim a ladder or siege tower at its target BEFORE you aim infantry at it. Secondly, you can only aim one fighter-unit at each ladder or siege tower. Finally, you can aim ladders and siege towers at structures of any height; however, they are only effective against the heights stated in the manual (i.e. any other attacks are considered "long shots"). Picking up Siege Weapons and Fighters ------------------------------------- If you can't pick up fighters or weapons from the "holding area" in the top-left corner of the screen, it is because you have another command currently selected. Right-click the mouse to cancel the command. Battering Rams -------------- Battering rams are only effective at attacking either gatehouses and keeps. Eviction and Castles -------------------- Neutral counties never maintain castles. Whenever you are evicted from a county, any castle you have built there will be demolished. Connecting Via Modem or Null-Modem ---------------------------------- Here are some tips that will make connecting to another player easier: * Decide on who will click on OK (to become the master that controls game setup) before getting into the game; conflicts may occur if both people hit OK at the same time. * If you are dialing another player via modem, you should wait until a few seconds AFTER the other player sets up to receive, before you dial. This gives his machine enough time to be prepared for your call. * If your mouse pointer freezes when you press the "Wait to Receive" or "Dial Up Number" buttons, you may have selected the comm-port that is used by your mouse. Make sure you have the right comm-port selected. * We have included an "Init String" command to the Communications panel, to allow you to alter the configuration string for your particular modem. We recommend you change this only if you are familiar with modem commands and the needs of your modem. If you change this string and want to reset it to its default, exit the game and run SETUP again. * If you have trouble connecting via modem, try turning off both machines, waiting five seconds, and turning them back on again. Special Rules for Modem-Play ---------------------------- When playing via a null-modem or modem connection, there are some special rules that you should be aware of: * When your human opponent battles the computer, you are shown the battle from the perspective of the computer opponent; as such, all messages pertaining to the battle are presented as if you are fighting, although you are only a spectator. * When you save a game during modem-play, a copy of the game is saved on BOTH machines with the MSV extension (or MSG when playing with the map of Germany); both copies of the game must be available when the game is loaded later. These savegames cannot be loaded into a one-player game, and vice-versa. * Only the master can save and load games. When loading a modem-save, the machine who was the master when saving the game must ALSO be the master when loading it. * The master should only save the game when BOTH players are on the scrolling-map. * If you lose the game while your human opponent and at least one computer-player are still alive, you must hit the End Turn button one last time to let the game continue. (This also applies to multiplayer games played on one machine.) * Chat mode is only available from some game screens, and it is only accessible when both players are in one of those game screens. * Armies "jump" from square to square as they move on the scrolling map. This does not affect their actions in any way. * You can only create wagons during your own turn. Special Indicators for Modem-Play --------------------------------- In a modem-game, there are a couple of unique indicators to be aware of: * "Marching Lion" Pointer -- If you are in some screen other than the scrolling map when this pointer appears, it is an indication that the other player has ordered his army to move. This pointer will remain until you exit to the scrolling map, so that his army can complete its move. * "End Turn" Shield -- Sometimes when you click on the "End Turn" icon, its shield will change to the next player to act that sequence, but the name displayed next to it will NOT change. This indicates that you have ended your turn, but game-time is paused until your human opponent exits the screen or panel he has currently accessed. * Other, self-explanatory panels will appear to indicate when the game is waiting for your human opponent to complete an action. 5.) TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NOTE: Before you begin troubleshooting, we strongly recommend completing steps 1 through 3 before doing anything else. This will help insure that the game is installed under an optimal environment and eliminate many basic problems. Corrupted or bad installations can cause a variety of problems; it is best to eliminate this possibility before you begin additional troubleshooting steps. The following steps can be used on any Sierra On-Line's Family Product unless otherwise indicated. 1.) Check for Corrupt Files or Other problems on the hard drive: Before you do anything else, run one of the following DOS Commands (listed below) on the hard drive where the game is installed. These commands will check for lost allocation units, corrupted files, cross-linked files, and other disk errors which can corrupt files and/or the game's installation. These commands will also correct the errors they find. For more information on these commands consult your DOS manual. CHKDSK /F <Enter> (This command is for users running MS-DOS 6.0 or earlier) SCANDISK <Enter> (This command is for users running MS-DOS 6.2 or higher) 2.) Check hard disk space: Run the CHKDSK command (regardless of the DOS version you are using) and check the available hard disk space ("Bytes Available on Disk"). Make sure you have sufficient space on the hard drive to install the game. Games installed on a compressed hard drive will need twice as much compressed disk space. (Example: If you use any disk compression, and you wish to install a game that requires 10 MB of disk space, be sure you have AT LEAST 20 MB of space available, preferably 25 MB to allow a safe margin.) After installation, it is best to have at least 3 MB of disk space available (roughly 5 under a compressed environment). 3.) Re-install the program: After completing the above steps, it is a good idea to install the game. Delete all files and sub directories for the game from the hard drive. It is highly recommended that you boot up with a basic boot disk prior to re-installing the game. This will help insure that no memory resident programs (especially virus checkers) will interfere with the game's installation. 4.) Manually install the program (Some Programs): Try a manual installation if all else fails. The instructions are available in the README file of many of the newer products, on the Sierra On-Line's BBS, or available by fax from Technical Support. NOTE: not all products can be manually installed. 5.) Check Available Memory: A) DOS Programs: Games require different types and amounts of memory. If you ever receive an error messages from a DOS program like "Out of Hunk", "Out of Heap Space", or a report of insufficient memory, then you will need to free up more memory to play the game. You can check to see how much memory you have available and how it is configured by typing MEM (then press ENTER) at your DOS prompt. Make sure that your system's memory is configured to provide enough memory for the game to function properly. If it is not, or you have encountered any of the above messages we recommend creating a boot disk for the game. B) Windows Programs: You can check available memory in Windows by selecting HELP from the Program Manager, then choose "About Program Manager". You will see a Dialog box containing the amount of memory in Windows. Also, check the size of your Windows Swap file and consult the section IIb "Configuring Windows for Sierra On-Line's Programs" for complete instructions on checking and establishing a Swap file. A boot disk can also help with memory problems under Windows, which takes us to our next suggestion.... 6.) Make a boot disk! The boot disk is an important troubleshooting step. Along with freeing up more memory, using a boot disk creates a clean environment that helps to isolate potential conflicts. We also recommend using boot disks for Windows. Many of our current DOS games have an automatic boot disk maker you can access by running the INSTALL program and choosing "Make a Bootable Floppy Disk" from the menu. You will need a high density disk that fits in your A: drive. The boot disk is an important trouble shooting step. Along with freeing up more memory, using a boot disk creates a clean environment that helps to isolate potential conflicts. We also recommend using boot disks for Windows. We have a disk named BDALL which contains a boot disk creator program. You can also download this file from our BBS at (206) 644-0112, or you can call Technical Support at (206) 644-4343 and request the disk be sent to you. 7.) Sound Card Problems: Configuring your sound card and the game's sound drivers correctly is important. If the sound card is not configured properly, or an incorrect driver or setting is chosen when your Sierra program is installed, your game may lock-up or give you error messages. Consult section III, General Sound Card Troubleshooting Steps for a list of steps to help resolve Sound Card problems. 8.) Mouse Drivers (DOS programs only): Sometimes incompatible mouse drivers can cause graphics distortion, lock-ups and other problems. If the game you are using does not require a mouse, create a boot disk and REM out the Mouse line in either the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the boot disk. Otherwise, use a different mouse driver or contact the mouse manufacturer for more troubleshooting information. General Sound Card Information Due to the tremendous number of sound cards and drivers available today, it can often be difficult getting a sound card and a game's sound driver to work together correctly. Sierra On-Line has composed the following list of Sound Card troubleshooting steps to help resolve the most common problems experienced configuring a sound card to work correctly with a game (and vice-versa). Please note that we cannot possibly know everything about your specific sound card, it's drivers, set up requirements, or the related software that is packaged with it. Therefore, if you have any questions as to how to change the settings, re configure, or otherwise manipulate your sound card, please refer to your sound card's documentation or consult your sound card's manufacturer. Sound Card-Common Symptoms 1.) Lockups. Often times a DOS or Windows program will lock up the system if there is a sound card conflict. Often, the game will still appear to be playing normally -- you will be able to move the mouse, the background music will be playing, and you may even be able to access the Save/Restore functions. However, the mouse pointer will remain a "wait" cursor and all action in the game will effectively stop. Other times, even the mouse pointer will freeze (A "hard" lock up), and the sound card may become stuck on one continuous note. Occasionally this might even force the system to re-boot itself. 2.) No music and/or Sound effects. Sometimes you may hear music, but no speech or sound effects, or vice-versa. 3.) Distorted or garbled music or sound effects, possibly with crackling noises. 4.) Repeating or "broken record" type sound. Sometimes this will manifest itself in the form of one continuous, long musical note as well. 5.) DOS Error Messages: "Unable to initialize your audio hardware" "Unable to initialize your music hardware" Sound Card Troubleshooting Steps (DOS\WINDOWS): First and foremost, make sure you choose the appropriate sound drivers or sound choices when you install the game ! Don't always trust the default values, because sometimes installation programs will incorrectly detect your hardware. For example, if you have a standard Soundblaster, Soundblaster Pro or Soundblaster 16, and the game's installation program detects "Roland MT32", this isn't going to work. Sometimes choosing the correct driver can be tricky, but for most sound cards, selecting "Soundblaster/Ad-lib" for the music selection and "Soundblaster" for the Audio/Speech selection (if there is an Audio/Speech selection -- not all games will have one) is the best place to start if you do not see a driver listed for your specific sound card. If you experience problems with these selections, use some of the others -- it can't hurt. For Windows programs, if you are given a choice of selecting "Base" or "Extended", start with Base level. (DOS/WINDOWS): Check the DMA and IRQ settings for your sound card. Generally speaking, we recommend using DMA 1 and IRQ 5, I/O address 220 for best results. However, as a general rule, our DOS games will support DMA channels 1 and 3, and IRQ settings of 3, 5 and 7. If you are experiencing any of the previously mentioned problems, change the DMA and/or IRQ setting for your sound card and see if that works. Use our recommended settings if possible. (DOS/WINDOWS): If you are not hearing any music or sound, try the steps above. You should also run the mixer program for your sound card and turn up the music and sound effects volume levels. If you are having the problem under DOS, run the DOS-based mixer, if the problem is under Windows, run the Windows-based mixer program. Sometimes not hearing music or sound effects is just due to the volume levels that the sound card is set to. (DOS/WINDOWS): Running DOS-based games in Windows generally will not work. Symptoms include repeating sounds, no sound or music, or other error messages like "DMA Buffer Size is Too Small....". For best results, we recommend running DOS-based games in DOS. (DOS): Try new drivers ! For DOS-based games, it never hurts to check with Sierra On-Line Technical Support, CompuServe, AOL or our BBS to see if there are any updated sound drivers for some games. We can mail these drivers out free of charge. Playing this Game with the Aria Soundcard This game supports the Aria card, although its sound drivers are extremely memory-intensive. If sound or music do not play when you configure for Aria, you may be out of available CONVENTIONAL memory. You can try to free up more memory (with a boot disk), or configure for the Sound Blaster card. Problems with Modem-Play? If you are having problems using modem-play, here are some things that you can try: * When connected, it is normal for the game (and mouse pointer) to occasionally pause for a moment while information is passed between the two machines. The music will pause when this occurs. These do not indicate a problem. * If communications between the two machines are disrupted by line noise, the link between the two machines may become temporarily disabled. If this occurs, the mouse may disappear, or the game may become unresponsive; try pressing ALT-P to prompt the link to re-establish itself. (However, do not use ALT-P when on the Battle Summary panel; it will not work there.) * At the end of each turn, the current game is automatically saved as LASTTURN.MSV. If you lose connection in a game, reconnect and load this game to resume play. * Finally, if none of the above suggestions help, try reconnecting at a lower baud-rate. 6.) CUSTOMER SERVICE -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you continue to experience any problems, or if you have any questions concerning any of the above steps, our Technical Support Team will be more than happy to assist you. Please call (206) 644-4343 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday, We can be reached by fax at (206) 644-7697, or by mail at the following address: Sierra On-Line P.O. BOX 85006 Bellevue, WA 98015-8506 Attention: Technical Support You can also reach our Technical Support Team on one of the following services: Sierra BBS (206) 644-0112 (settings 8, N, & 1, up to 57,600 baud) telnet bbs.sierra.com or email support@sierra.com Compuserve GO SIER America Online Keyword SIERRA Please outline the problems along with the specific information about your computer system, and we will gladly respond to your letter, fax, or BBS message as soon as possible. When contacting us by fax, or BBS please allow 24-48 hours for turnaround. During weekends or holidays, there may be some delays. To better serve our European customers with technical problems and disk replacements, Sierra U.K Customer Support or Coktel Customer Support can be reached at the following address: Sierra On-Line Limited Coktel Vision Unit 2, Theale Technology Centre, Parc Tertiaire de Meudon Station Road Immeuble "Le Newton" Theale, Berkshire RG7 4AA 25 rue Jeanne Braconnier United Kingdom 92366 Meudon La ForΩt Cedex [44] 1-734-303171 France Main: (33) 1-46-01-4650 SIERRA ON-LINE, INC. DOES NOT WARRANTY OR PROMISE THAT THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL WORK WITH ANY OR ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS. SIERRA DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY, EITHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, FOR THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN, INCLUDING ANY AND ALL DAMAGE TO OR LOST USE OF COMPUTER HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, LOSS OF WARRANTIES, OR LOST DATA BY THE CUSTOMER OR ANY THIRD PARTY. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY SIERRA, ITS EMPLOYEES, DISTRIBUTORS, DEALER OR AGENTS SHALL CHANGE THE RESTRICTION OF LIABILITY OR CREATE ANY NEW WARRANTIES. IN NO CASE SHALL SIERRA'S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE SIERRA SOFTWARE PRODUCT. Thankyou for Playing Sierra Games.