Copyright: Copyright ®Activision 1997 & 1998


3D Accelerator Problems

"As soon as I launch a mission, Heavy Gear crashes."

"I'm able to launch into missions, but Heavy Gear crashes during gameplay."

"When I launch missions, the colors are all messed up."

"I'm playing in wire-frame (low-light) mode and Heavy Gear crashes."

"Gameplay is choppy."

"My screen flickers like crazy when I launch a mission."

All of these problems may be caused by obsolete drivers for your 3D accelerator card.

If you are playing on a 3Dfx-based card, you need to use newer drivers than the Diamond Monster 3D v.1.08 or the Orchid Righteous 3D v.2.0 drivers. Reference drivers are provided in the DRIVERS directory on the Heavy Gear Install CD. Note that different drivers need to be installed depending on whether you have a Voodoo, Voodoo Rush single-card, Voodoo Rush double-card, or Voodoo 2 board. At the time of writing, Voodoo 2 cards were not available, so these drivers are not provided on the Install CD.

If you are using a board based on any other chip-set, you'll need to contact your board manufacturer directly for up-to-date drivers. Be aware that not all 3D accelerator cards support DirectX 5. If you have a board that isn't 100% DirectX 5 compatible, you will need to play Heavy Gear in software mode. This can be set manually within Heavy Gear on the 'Combat Variables' screen, by switching 'Graphics Type' to 'Software 320' or 'Software 640'.

If you are using an NEC PowerVR-based bard, you may need to disable the HAL (hardware abstraction layer) to make Heavy Gear work. Contact your manufacturer for instructions.

"I'm using a Rendition-based accelerator card on a 16MB computer. The game pauses periodically during gameplay."

Since Rendition-based accelerators use some of your computer's RAM to hold textures, you might experience pauses during gameplay on 16MB systems. The solution for this is to upgrade the amount of memory in your computer.

"I have a 3D accelerator card, but gameplay is still choppy."

This can be caused by using old drivers (see the section above). If you're sure you have the latest drivers, performance may be limited by your processor. If you are using an Intel-based or AMD-based computer that is 166mhz or slower, or a Cyrix-based computer that is 200mhz or slower, your frame-rate is being hindered by your processor. Heavy Gear conducts a lot of math operations using floating-point format, and when the screen is full of detail, frame-rates will diminish.

Why do I have to quit the game application if I want to switch video modes from 3DFX to D3D, or vice versa?”

Not doing so will cause the game to crash. If you switch from 3DFX mode to D3D or vice versa, you must quit and then restart the game. As a reminder, a dialog box containing these instructions will be displayed when you attempt to change video modes.


3D Card Driver Problems

ATTENTION 3D CARD OWNERS: IMPORTANT INFORMATION

If you have a 100% DirectX5 compatible 3D card or a 3D hardware accelerated video card based on:

3Dfx Voodoo / Voodoo Rush

-or-

Rendition Verite 1000/2000

chipsets and plan to run in 3D hardware accelerated mode, please read the following information carefully. If you do not have a 3D video card or you plan to run the game in Software mode, you may ignore this information.

As of the time of its release, Heavy Gear has been designed to provide the maximum gameplay experience consistent with the hardware available to you. Because it is so advanced, certain issues on hardware accelerated D3D video cards using the latest manufacturer provided drivers still exist due to driver immaturity. Both 3Dfx and Rendition have worked with Activision to successfully resolve these driver issues and Heavy Gear functions as expected with updated drivers provided by them. The problem is that your video board based on the 3DFX or Rendition chipsets is manufactured by an OEM company (Canopus, Creative Labs, Deltron, Diamond, Hercules, Intergraph, Jazz, Orchid, Sierra, etc.) who adds features and functionalities and releases an enhanced driver set based on the reference drivers provided by 3Dfx or Rendition. Carrying these corrections through to your manufacturer driver always lags behind the resolution of the problems. This is the case with Heavy Gear and 3Dfx or Rendition-based D3D video boards, as well as other 100% DirectX5 compatible 3D cards.

Certain D3D drivers are absolutely required for 3D accelerated play. These drivers , referred to here as “reference drivers”, utilize leading technology with the 3Dfx and Rendition cards and are provided on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install), as well as the Activision website (www.activision.com) and on the 3Dfx and Rendition websites. If you attempt to play Heavy Gear in 3D hardware accelerated mode without these specific reference drivers, the game will crash. However, if you install these reference drivers, they will override and eliminate the specific drivers provided by the OEM manufacturer of your video board. You will have to reinstall such OEM drivers if you wish to continue to use them. Activision will not be able to provide you with specific instructions with respect to reinstalling the original drivers as Activision does not possess such information. We strongly urge you, therefore not to use the reference drivers unless you have the latest drivers issued by your video board’s OEM readily available to be reinstalled and you feel comfortable with the process of installing and reinstalling video drivers on your system. In all cases, Heavy Gear will work properly in Software mode, without 3D acceleration and without any modification to your installed video drivers.

In order to utilize native 3D acceleration for Rendition using the RRedline API with Heavy Gear, you must have the latest version of the reference hardware driver. This is the case until your video board manufacturer can incorporate the latest fixes into their driver sets. The latest RRedline driver is provided on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install). This driver is also available on the Activision website (www.activision.com), and on the Rendition website.

No reference drivers are provided for Verite 2000-based boards. Owners of Rendition V2000-based boards should use the drivers which came with their board. You should regularly check your board manufacturer’s web site for newly-released driver updates.

Users of other cards that are 100% DirectX 5.0 / Direct3D compatible should contact the manufacturer of their cards for the latest drivers. Detailed instructions should be provided with any drivers you obtain.

Since Heavy Gear uses Microsoft’s DirectX 5 API, 100% compatibility with DirectX 5 is required to run the game. If your 3D card doesn’t fully support DirectX 5 yet, you can still run the game in Software mode.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What are “reference” drivers?

A: “Reference” drivers are the drivers written by the manufacturer of a video chip. Manufacturers of video cards base their card-specific drivers on these reference drivers.

Q: If these new reference drivers are better, why didn’t the manufacturer of my card use them?

A: They haven’t had a chance to yet. The reference drivers provided with Heavy Gear are brand new, and help the game to take full advantage of the features of these chips. After these drivers are released, it takes some time for card manufacturers to tweak them so that they get the best possible performance from their cards. These new drivers must then be tested with a wide variety of software to make sure they don’t introduce any problems.

Q: If the cards are all based on the same chip, why do card manufacturers write their own drivers?

A: While the cards are based on the same chipset (3DFX, Rendition, etc.), each manufacturer does something different with their actual cards, to optimize it for those features they wish to emphasize. They then use the reference drivers as a base and modify them to take full advantage of the specifics of their card.

Q: How do I know which drivers I should use, if any?

A: Generally, you should only use provided reference drivers if you are comfortable with the process of installing, uninstalling, and reinstalling drivers and if you have the original drivers provided by your manufacturer with your video card readily available. Click here for a listing of all supported cards using the 3Dfx and Rendition chipsets, and where to find the corresponding driver. If your card is listed, use the corresponding driver for the chipset. Also included below is a list of many 3D cards which do not use either of these chipsets. If your card is listed in this category, you will not need to use either of these drivers. If you do not see your card listed, but believe it to have 3D acceleration, your video card manufacturer should be able to provide you with the information you need.

Q: How do I run Heavy Gear in Software mode instead?

A: To determine whether you are running in Software mode, start the game. After the opening movie, when the Main Menu appears, press ESC. In the menu that appears, select Combat Variables and look at the Graphics Type option. If it lists Software 320 or Software 640 you are running in Software mode.

Q: What if I want to restore my original driver settings?

A: While it is not possible to automatically uninstall the reference drivers, there are several ways to return to the original drivers you had before:

•	You can reinstall from the original install disk that came with your board by following the directions that came with it.

•	Your board manufacturer should have the original driver on their website, although we cannot guarantee so. Only your board manufacturer can provide you with specific instructions regarding reinstalling the original drivers.

Q: Are these reference drivers installed automatically?

A: No. We are providing them on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install) should you choose to install them to play Heavy Gear using hardware acceleration. In contrast, playing in Software mode requires no additional driver installation.

Q: How do I install the reference drivers?

A: Manufacturer instructions for both driver types are provided with the drivers themselves on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install). See below for locations.

Reference Drivers

We have included 4 directories on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install), in the DRIVERS directory.

If you have a Voodoo Rush-based board such as:

•	Hercules Stingray 128 3D

•	Intergraph Intense 3D Voodoo

•	Jazz Adrenaline Rush 3D

please use the drivers located in the RUSH1 or RUSH 2 directories:

These directories contain the install for the 3Dfx Reference Drivers for 3Dfx Voodoo Rush-based boards. If your video card has one circuit board, then go to the RUSH 1 directory. If it has a 2nd circuit board, then go to the RUSH 2 directory. The directory is located on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install) in the DRIVERS directory. Please follow the instructions in the README.TXT located in that directory to upgrade your existing drivers, or perform a fresh installation.

If you have a Voodoo-based board such as:

•	Deltron Flash 3D

•	Diamond Monster 3D

•	Orchid Righteous 3D

please use the drivers located in the VOODOO directory:

This directory contains the DirectX5.0 Direct3D reference drivers (v2.13) for Voodoo Graphics Based 3D Accelerators. The following cards should work with these drivers: 3Dfx Interactive reference boards, Diamond Monster 3D, Orchid Righteous 3D, and Deltron Realvision Flash 3D. The following 3Dfx Voodoo boards have not been tested with these drivers and Heavy Gear, but may work: Canopus Pure 3D, Skywell Technology Magic 3D, Guillernot MaxiGamer, and Miro HiScore. The directory is located on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install) in the DRIVERS directory. Please follow the instructions in the README.TXT located in that directory to upgrade your existing drivers, or perform a fresh installation.

If you have a Rendition Verite 1000-based board such as:

•	Sierra Screamin’ 3D

•	Canopus Total 3D

•	Creative Labs 3D Blaster

•	Intergraph Intense 3D 100

please use the drivers located in the V1000 directory:

This directory contains the Rendition reference D3D and RRedline drivers for all Verite 1000-based boards. The directory is located on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install) in the DRIVERS directory. Please follow the instructions in the README.TXT located in that directory to upgrade your existing drivers, or perform a fresh installation.

If you have a Rendition Verite 2000-based board such as:

•	Diamond Stealth II 220 3D

No reference drivers are provided for Verite 2000-based boards. Owners of Rendition V2000-based boards should use the drivers which came with their board. You should regularly check your video card manufacturer website for newly-released driver updates.

LISTS OF CARDS

NOTE: All of these are partial lists based on the information available to us at this time. The information is subject to change as new cards are released.

Supported Cards and Chipsets in Native 3D Acceleration Mode and Direct3D Mode

The following video cards were tested and are supported by Heavy Gear. As noted above, the reference drivers provided on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install) are required for proper operation.

3Dfx Voodoo Graphics

•	Deltron Flash 3D

•	Diamond Monster 3D

•	Orchid Righteous 3D

3Dfx Voodoo Rush

•	Hercules Stingray 128 3D

•	Intergraph Intense 3D Voodoo

•	Jazz Adrenaline Rush 3D

Rendition Verite 1000-based

•	Sierra Screamin’ 3D

•	Canopus Total 3D

•	Creative Labs 3D Blaster

•	Intergraph Intense 3D 100

Rendition Verite 2000-based

•	Diamond Stealth II 220 3D

Known Issues for Supported Cards and Chipsets in Native 3D Acceleration Mode

RRedline (Rendition)

•	For all listed Rendition Verite 1000 boards, unless the provided reference drivers are used, Heavy Gear will crash.

•	For the Diamond Stealth II 220 3D (Rendition Verite 2000-based) board, Heavy Gear will run properly except that players will see a Windows-hourglass cursor in the middle of their screen during gameplay. This can be moved to the edge of the screen while the mission is loading.

Glide (3Dfx)

•	For all listed 3Dfx Voodoo Graphics-based boards, players using the board manufacturer’s drivers may experience a crash in wireframe (low-light) mode.

Known Issues for Supported Cards and Chipsets in D3D Acceleration Mode

3Dfx

•	For all listed 3Dfx Voodoo Rush cards, using either the board manufacturer’s drivers or the reference drivers, players will notice excessive screen flicker while in gameplay. Players in this mode should switch to Native 3D Acceleration mode.

Rendition

•	For all listed Rendition Verite 1000 and 2000-based cards, using either the board manufacturer’s drivers or the reference drivers, players will notice that wireframe (low-light) mode and wire-frame damage overlay does not work. Players in this mode should switch to Native 3D Acceleration mode.

Note on Known Issues

At the time Heavy Gear is being released, the board and chipset manufacturers of these cards / chipsets were aware of the aforementioned problems and have been working on fixes for them. Please check your video board manufacturer’s website regularly for updates to their driver set which may solve the noted issues.

Tested, yet unsupported Cards and Chipsets in Direct3D Mode

The following video cards have undergone testing with Heavy Gear, yet are not officially supported by Heavy Gear. The issues listed with each card will likely be resolved by subsequent driver releases from either the chipset or board manufacturer.

Chipset/Card	Issue

Nvidia Riva 128 / Diamond Viper 330	Graphics flicker

Nvidia Riva 128 / STB Velocity 128	Graphics flicker

PowerVR PCX2 / All	Sky texture corruption

ATI Rage Pro	Gray boxes around explosions

Oak Technologies Warp 5	Minor graphics issues

DISCLAIMER

We have included the video card manufacturer instructions on installing the drivers in the directories listed above. If you encounter difficulties during driver installation, please contact the manufacturer of the drivers you are installing. Activision makes no warranty that changing your own drivers will not have adverse effects on your system or on installed software.

The 3Dfx reference drivers provided on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install) contain fixes that may not have been incorporated into the current drivers for your video card and are not yet available from your board manufacturer. These drivers are more current than the Diamond Monster 3D v1.08 drivers, and the Orchid Righteous 3D v2.0 drivers.

The Rendition reference drivers provided on Heavy Gear Disc 1 (Install) also contain fixes that may not have been incorporated into the current drivers for your video card and are not yet available from your board manufacturer. The drivers provided are only for Verite 1000-based boards, and are newer than the Sierra Screamin’ 3D SS v2.1 drivers, Creative Labs 3D Blaster CL3DBV v1.05 drivers, and Intergraph Intense 3D II v2.3 drivers.

Be warned that using reference drivers may affect any manufacturer-specific control panel applets associated with your video board. You will have to reinstall the drivers provided with your video board in order to gain back the use of such functions. We strongly urge you to periodically check your video board manufacturer's website for newly-released driver updates.


3D accelerator cards supported by Heavy Gear

3Dfx Voodoo Graphics

Deltron Flash 3D

Diamond Monster 3D

Orchid Righteous 3D

3Dfx Voodoo Rush

Hercules Stingray 128 3D

Intergraph Intense 3D Voodoo

Jazz Adrenaline Rush 3D

Rendition 1000 Based

Sierra Screamin' 3D

Canopus Total 3D

Creative Labs 3D Blaster

Intergraph Intense 3D 100

Rendition 2000 Based

Diamond Stealth II 220 3D


Before The Installation

-	This game uses Microsoft DirectX 5 video and audio drivers. It is important that you check with your audio and video card manufacturer to determine if your hardware will support DirectX. Please see the DirectX 5 & 3D Card Driver Problems sections in this file for more information.

- 	This game should not be installed to a compressed drive.

- 	Please make sure your computer system is 100% Windows 95 compatible; Heavy Gear is not compatible with Windows 3.1.

-	To operate best, Heavy Gear requires that your system have the latest Windows 95 32-bit drivers for your CD-ROM drive, sound, and video card. If you have any problems running the program, outdated drivers are the most likely cause.

-	If you need help obtaining the latest sound and video drivers, check out the Vendor List.


Can I run the game without the gameplay CD in the drive?

Yes. You do not need the disc in the CD-ROM drive while playing the game.


Color Settings

This game utilizes the Direct Draw libraries of Microsoft's DirectX. Some video cards do not yet have driver support for Direct Draw. Updated drivers are being developed by manufacturers to remedy this. To obtain information on these updates, contact your Video Card Manufacturer and download their latest DirectX drivers for your video card. If you are not sure about your video card or its capabilities, please refer to the section called Check Your Display Type Settings for more information, or contact your Video Card Manufacturer.

To Change Your Color Setting:

You need to change the Color palette box of the window shown below to at least 256 Color. To go to the Display Properties window to change it, click here.

If you choose to make this change at some other time, you can always return to this Help file and try again, or follow the steps listed below to access these settings.

1.	Place your mouse cursor over an empty area of your desktop and click the right mouse button. At the bottom of the list that appears, click on Properties. This will bring up the Display Properties window. You can also bring this window up by clicking on the Display icon in the Control Panel.

2.	Choose the Settings tab and change the color setting to 256 Color as shown in the Color palette box above.

If you have a video card that supports 256 Color, but you cannot select this as an option, check to see that you have the most updated Windows 95 video driver.


Common Audio Problems

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may encounter choppy gameplay if your sound card is not 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible. 8 bit sound cards are not supported with this game (e.g. Sound Blaster and Sound Blaster PRO compatible). Also, the following sound cards may not fully support DirectX:

Yamaha OPL3 series

AD (Analog Devices)

Sound 2

Ensoniq (Gateway 2000)

IBM's MWAVE

Compaq's ESS

You may want to contact your sound card manufacturer to see if your card is 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible.

Half of the problems with sound cards are remedied by obtaining the latest sound card drivers. We highly recommend updating drivers, which is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your sound card manufacturer for details.

Game Specific:

Can I play my own music on my computer while I play Heavy Gear, by swapping the Heavy Gear CD for an audio CD?

The sounds are distorted and/or the movies are choppy. What can I do?

I have a Media Vision Pro Audio Spectrum 16. The sound and movies are choppy. What should I do?

I don't hear any music during missions.

I don't hear any difference when I change to the different 3D sound types.

I have a 3D sound card (for example, the Diamond Monster Sound card) which uses the Aureal A3D audio technology. I would like to use the hardware accelerated sound feature. What do I need to do?

I have an Aztec Sound card and the sound effects will drop out almost every mission, but the music will keep playing.

General:

Installing a new sound card.

I just installed a new sound card. How come I’m not getting any sound?

Checking Your Sound Card For Conflicting Settings.

I have only partial or no sound when running the game.

I have a Diamond Telecommander sound/modem card and it does not work with the game. What do I do?

I have a Packard Bell with little and/or no sound when playing the game.

I have an Advanced Gravis UltraSound ACE and I am experiencing severe lock-up problems.

Why is the sound fuzzy on my Sound Blaster Pro 2 sound card?


Common CD-ROM Problems

If you encounter any CD-ROM drive problems, make sure you have the latest 32-bit CD-ROM drivers installed. Most problems are the result of 16-bit CD-ROM drivers. To see if your computer is using 16-bit drivers, follow these steps:

1.	Right mouse click on MY COMPUTER

2.	Choose Properties

3.	Select the Performance tab

If File System does not state "32-bit", then you need to update your CD-ROM drivers. Please contact your CD-ROM drive manufacturer for details.

Can I run the game without a CD in the drive?

I have a CD changer and I am having problems launching into the game. What should I do?


Common Input Device Problems

Game Specific:

How do I set up my joystick or game pad?

My joystick's throttle control is not responding well. What can I do?

My two button joystick does not seem to work. What’s going on?

I have a programmable joystick. Are there joystick configurations for Heavy Gear available for my joystick?

General:

General Troubleshooting for Joysticks and Game Pads

Joystick Calibration

Mouse


Common Video Card Problems

Many of the problems with video cards are remedied by installing newer video card drivers. This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. Contact your video card manufacturer for details.

Game Specific:

3D CARD OWNERS: Click here

When I launch into the game, the screen goes black and freezes.

Why do I have wavy lines across my screen when I play the game?

How do I set my display for 256 Color?

As soon as I launch a mission, Heavy Gear crashes.

I'm able to launch into missions, but Heavy Gear crashes during gameplay.

When I launch missions, the colors are all messed up.

I'm playing in wire-frame (low-light) mode and Heavy Gear crashes.

Gameplay is choppy.

My screen flickers like crazy when I launch a mission.

I'm using a Rendition-based accelerator card on a 16MB computer. The game pauses periodically during gameplay.

I have a 3D accelerator card, but gameplay is still choppy.

Why do I have to quit the game application if I want to switch video modes from 3DFX to D3D, or vice versa?

When I launch missions, the colors are all messed up.

My cursor flashes when I move it around.

As I move my cursor, the Windows desktop shows through the screen.

During the mission, I can see the Windows cursor or the Windows hourglass.

I have a Tseng Labs 4000 PCI video card. In 640 Software mode, when I enter a mission, the Windows hourglass cursor is visible.

General:

The images are very choppy and slow while playing the game.

I installed a new video card, and the game doesn't look right. What do I do?

Changing the standard Windows 95 cursors or desktop theme causes video corruption.

When I launch the game from the title screen or from the taskbar, my screen stays blank and the game doesn't start. What should I do?

Game graphics are faded and/or strange in appearance.

The fonts are too large and/or extend off the screen.


Crashing by clicking on the desktop or hitting ESC

The desktop appears because the game is in the process of switching video modes. During this time period, DO NOT click anywhere on the desktop or the toolbar, as that will cause a crash. After that period, while the game is launching and you see the launch animation, DO NOT hit ESC or any other key, as that will also cause a crash.


Credits

HEAVY GEAR

Director

Tim Morten

Producer

Chacko Sonny

Associate Producer

Jim Riordan

Associate Producer/Asset Manager

Daiva Venckus

Production Assistant

Ashton Szabo

Design

Lead Designer

Dustin Browder

Mission Designer

Jeff Jorczak

Mission Designer

John Harris

Mission Designer

Mike Ward

Creative Executive

Chris Hewish

Programming

Lead Programmer/3D Programmer

Bill Ferrer

Game Logic Programmer

Sebastien Juanico

Shell Programmer

Dan Blumenthal

Network Programmer

Jeff Graebner

AI Programmer

Smith Surasmith

Tools Programmer

Pat Griffith

Localization Programmer

Frankie Tam

Guest 3D Programmer

Julio Jerez

Guest 3D Programmer

John Lemberger

Art

3D Artist

Junki Saita

3D Artist

Sean Kinnear

3D Artist

JJ Franzen

3D/2D Artist

Jack Burton

2D Artist

Juan Carlos Rodriguez

2D Artist

Jerret Farmer

Guest 3D Artist

Paul Waggoner

Guest 2D Artist

Rick Glenn

Guest 2D Artist

James Maeda

Guest 2D Artist

Ivan Enriquez

Guest 2D Artist

Eric Piccione

3D/2D Art & Conceptuals

(Equinoxe)

Henry Cheng

Anthony Fung

Brian Heins

Aryeh Richmond

Sean Ro

Terranovan Map

Julian Fong

Mission Audio

Producer

Jim Riordan

Composer

Jeehun Hwang

Sound Design

(SounDelux)

Bryan Bowen

Voice-over Engineering

Michael Schwartz

Voice Talent

Jamie Bafus

Robert Berger

Greg Borrud

Bryan Bowen

Dion Brain

Matt Candler

John Cibulski

Sarah Cigliano

George Collins

Mason Deming

Kristen Denmark

Bryan Diggs

Joseph Donaldson

Tamara Downs

Jon Eubanks

Jarrett Farmer

Chad Findley

Maria Flagg

Chris Game

Seth Gerson

Adam Goldberg

Bridgett Hoffman

Jim Hudson

Sebastien Juanico

Kacee

John Keating

Mark Lamia

Ronnie Lane

Trish Loughne

Jack Mamias

Zack Norman

Stephanie O'Malley

Jenny Park

Katie Pine

Lateef Priester

James Riordan

Anthony Roman

Carole Ruggier

Michael Schwartz

Chacko Sonny

Tim Vanlaw

Daiva Venckus

Marvette Williams

Casting

Jim Hudson

Cut-Scenes

(Activision)

Producer

James Ott

Story

Dustin Browder

Writers

Peter Ocko

Dustin Browder

Tom Abernathy

Editor

Chris Hepburn

Voice Over Recording

(SounDelux)

Brian Celano

Composer

Jeehun Hwang

CGI

(Equinoxe)

Henry Cheng

Anthony Fung

Brian Heins

Aryeh Richmond

Sean Ro

Storyboard Artist

Lateef Priester

(Vision Mixer - Production)

Director

George Bloom

Producer

Mark Levinson

Director of Photography

Kim Haun

Art Director

Chuck Dutrow

Production Manager

Ivan Johnson

1st Assistant Director

Al Winchell

2nd Assistant Director

Martin French

Gaffer

Chuck Mason

Best Boy Electric

Gus Oliva

Key Grip

Paco Fisher

Best Boy Grip

Billy Bosson

Swing

Billy Meyers

Script Supervisor

Nili Sinai

Make-up

Leigh Ann Chio

Make-up Assistant

Charlotte Purifoy

Wardrobe

Kerry Mellin

Wardrobe Assistant

Gillean McLeod

Set Decorator

Laurie Scott

Prop Master

J. Cardillo Lee

Video Technician

Ken Roy

Sound

(SounDelux)

Tom Ozanich

Boom Operator

Ross Levy

Production Assistant

Richard Massino

Production Assistant

Alex Comana

Production Assistant

Laura Bloom

Production Assistants

Angel Short

Production Assistants

Clay Anderon

Craft Services

Michael Richter

Stand-Ins

Addison Yeaman

Susan Marque

(Cast)

Ranger Scott	Chris Stapleton

Lieutenant Brockton	Bari Buckner

Corporal Reeves	Robert Gevrekian

Colonel Janus	Scott Kloes

Corporal Henry Janus	Ron Pacheco

Vigilance Captain	Michael Halsey

Draco Captain	Jerry Rector

Vigilance Lieutenant	William Smith Keene

Extras

Jimmy Austin

Brian Celano

Marina Freeman

Bridget McBride

Keith Jennings

Susan Marque

Linwood "Woody" Porter

Lateef Priester

Jim Riordan

Addison Yeaman

Intro Movie

Producer

Ron Gould

Writer

Dustin Browder

CGI

(Equinoxe)

Henry Cheng

Anthony Fung

Brian Heins

Aryeh Richmond

Sean Ro

Composer

(SounDelux)

Bill Brown

Audio Engineer

(SounDelux)

Bryan Bowen

Sr. V.P., Activision Studios

Alan Gershenfeld

Director of Production,

Action/Sim Group

Frank Evers

Director of Technology,

Action/Sim Group

Henry Yu

Director of QA & Customer Support

Jim Summers

QA Manager

Dave Arnspiger

Director of Marketing

Henk Hartong

Associate Product Manager

Charlie Hill

Manual

Producer

Mike Riviera

Writer

Sacha Howells

Layout

Sylvia Orzel

Additional Art

(Dream Pod 9 Art Team)

Pierre Ouellette

Jean Francois Fortier

Ghislain Barbe

Normand Bilodeau

Bobbi Burquel

Charles-Emmanuel Ouellette

Marc Ouellete

Installer & Splash Screen

Producer

Daiva Venckus

Production Coordinator

Tanya Martino

Programmer

Eric Schmidt

Artist

Jack Burton

ActivLink

Producer

Mark Lamia

Senior Programmer

Dan Kegel

Localization

Producer

Jim Riordan

Asset Manager

Daiva Venckus

Programmer

Frankie Tam

Project Coordinator

Nicky Kerth

Production Assistants

David Escobar

Thomas Wolski

German Translation

Natascha Conrad

Gaby Heissenberg

German Voice Recording

M&S Music, Germany

Spanish Translation

Berlitz International

Spanish Voice Recordings

Aquarium Recordings

Cross Production

Associate Producer

Adam Goldberg

Production Coordinators

Tanya Martino

Jason Feffer

Kevin Cohen

Tech-Help Writers

Jason Feffer

Ronnie Lane

Quality Assurance

QA Project Lead

Tyler Scott

Senior QA Project Lead

Eric Zala

Production Testers

Emily Moher

Mohammed Wright

QA Test Team

Ken Anderson

Aaron Casillas

Liza Clary

Damien Fischer

Tim Harrison

Moh Wright

T.Q. Jefferson

Tanya Langston

Emily Moher

Sam Nouriani

John Sherwood

Dale Son

Brian Ullmer

Ronald D. Weibel

Games Analyst

Ryan Moos

Internal BetaTesters

Jens Andersen

Mike Arkin

Dan Atkins

Neil Barizo

Lars Batista

Lee Brisken

Gary Brunetti

Chris Campbell

George Collins

Jonathan Eubanks

Frank Evers

James Farley

David Georgeson

Alan Gershenfeld

Chip James

Thaine Lyman

Jack Mamais

Chris Martinich

Jonathon Moses

Zack Norman

Dave Nash

Doug Pearson

Junki Saita

Demo Testers

Biff Coon

Sean Dickerson

Maurice Fitzgerald

Eriks Germanis

Patrick Gonzales

Sean Gupta

Nick Holden

Steve Hudson

Scott Kunian

Bob McPhearson

Yongho Son Minale

Clayton J. Miner

Jim Patterson

Martin D. Paulk

Nicholas Pratt

Michael Tarr

Chris Travis

Tom and Adam Wolf

External Beta Testers

Bill Ainsworth

Brett Alcorn

Kenneth C. Baltz

Jean Claude Bureau

Chris Carlson

Jason Cash

Tommy Cheatham

Doug Chronkite

Mark Cottell

Kenny Cowette

Kevin Cuillard

Will Day

James Debbs

Maxwell DeChant

Lane Denson

James Dicken

Kevin Dorsey

Paul Dunlap

Michael Dwiel

Brian Edwardo

William Ellender

Derek Evans

David Ferriera

Sasha Grieco

Richard Grochowski

John Hamilton

John Harris

Michael Hayes

Tom Hepner

Barton Hodges

Alan Johns

Mark W. Kaelin

Scott Kasai

Eddie Klaynberg

Xaeriq Xavier Wulf Knight

Gary Lapidus

Alan Liebowitz

Charles Little, Jr.

Shawn Lovill

Woody Lovill

Roland Lozier

Lloyd D. Jessee

Bob McPherson

John Mahlendorf

Todd Manion

Dave Marcinowski

Justin Nafziger

Bryan Ray Nord

Dean O'Donnell

Martin D. Paulk

Joshua Pollak

Brett Reid

Kevin P. Rocha

Felix Rodriguez

Joseph Ruffolo

Brant Rusch

David C. Seale

John Sherwood

Mark Shurtleff

Dakota Smith

Eric Strandberg

Clint Swereda

Jeffrey Sylvan

Mark Valentine

Brian Wade

Justin Wahlstrom

Jeremy Wellner

Jack York

Eric Zolnowski

Special Thanks

Dream Pod 9, for coming up with a great Universe and letting us make the computer game

Henk Hartong, for being a steadfast supporter and doing a great job marketing

Alan Gershenfeld, for keeping a level head through the usual mayhem

Johnny Wilson, for believing in the project early on

The MW2 Team, for creating the framework that we built upon

Henry Yu, for lending us his talent and support throughout

Sean Vesce, for a lot of helpful feedback

Lee Brisken, for countless CD burns

Andy Rothfusz and Brian Bruning, for their help with the Glide version

Karl Fischer and Vaughn Rhodes, for their help with the Redline version

Suneil Mishra and Skip McIlvaine, for their help with the Aureal A3D implementation

All the Heavy Gear fans, for their insight, suggestions and feedback that went into making this game great

John Lemberger, for being a good friend


DirectX
DirectX 5

During the game setup, the installation process will determine if Microsoft DirectX 5 needs to be installed on your computer. If so, the Microsoft DirectX 5 setup program will install the appropriate files on your computer. If you choose not to install DirectX 5, and you find that later you need to install DirectX 5, follow these directions. With the game disc in your CD-ROM drive, right mouse click the game's CD icon and select Install DirectX.

Who makes DirectX and how can I contact them?

Microsoft created DirectX. If the answer to the question you are looking for is not found on this page, you may want to contact Microsoft via mail at:

Microsoft Customer Sales and Service

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA  98052-6399, USA

Microsoft can also be reached in the USA at (800) 426-9400, or internationally at +1(206) 882-8080.

What is DirectX and why do I need it?

Microsoft DirectX 5 is an API (Application Programming Interface) that increases the speed at which games play under the Windows 95 operating system. These APIs allow direct access to the enhanced features of hardware under Windows 95. With DirectX 5, a program has instant access to the hardware, allowing for great advances in graphics, sound, video, 3-D, and network capabilities of games.

Since Windows 95 and DirectX 5 are relatively new in the computer world and have not achieved compatibility with some older video cards, many manufacturers are releasing updated drivers for Windows 95 to meet the DirectX standard. If you are not sure about your video card's compatibility, consult the Vendor List for the company that makes your video card.

If the Microsoft DirectX Installer does not detect DirectX 5 on your computer, it will install DirectX 5 for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX 5 to take effect.

If you have other Windows 95 games on your computer, chances are you already have an earlier version of DirectX installed on your computer. In this case, the Microsoft Installer will overwrite that version with DirectX 5. The DirectX installation process will then be complete. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If you already have DirectX 5 installed on your computer, the Microsoft DirectX 5 installer will detect it and not overwrite any DirectX 5 files. In this case, you will not need to restart your computer after installation in order to run the game.

DirectX 5 should not affect any titles designed for the earlier versions of DirectX. Should you encounter difficulties with DirectX 5, please contact Microsoft for further information.

How do I check to see if my computer supports DirectX?

1.	Place the disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from any autoplay screens.

2.	Double-click My Computer.

3.	Right-click your CD-ROM drive and choose Install DirectX.

If any of the components of DirectX are not certified, please call your hardware manufacturer for the updated drivers that support DirectX.

I am having problems with running the game and think it might be related to my Direct X installation. What should I do?

If you experience problems running the game, try turning off the "Enable 3D Acceleration" option in the DirectX setup program. To disable 3D Acceleration, double click the dxsetup icon located in Program Files\DirectX\Setup. Uncheck the option for 3D acceleration in the middle of the DXSetup window.

You can also lower the "Graphic Hardware Accleration" slider bar in the System Properties found in the Control Panel.

I have heard DirectX is not compatible with some video cards. What can you tell me about that?

Windows 95 and DirectX are relatively new in the computer world and have not achieved compatibility with some older video cards. Many manufacturers are releasing updated drivers to meet the DirectX standard. If you are not sure about your video card's compatibility, consult the Vendor List for the company that makes your video card.

If I don't have DirectX, will the game install it for me?

Yes. If the Microsoft DirectX Installer does not detect DirectX on your computer, it will install DirectX for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX to take effect.

How do I restore my video and/or audio drivers once DirectX has been installed?

1.	Place the disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from any autoplay screens.

2.	Double-click My Computer.

3.	Right-click your CD-ROM drive and choose Install DirectX.

Choose the button that satisfies your need (e.g. Restore Audio drivers). This process will install your previous drivers and prompt you to restart Microsoft Windows.

I’m trying to install Heavy Gear, and the installer gives me an error box during DirectX setup. What’s going on?

If you did a custom install of Windows95, and did not install audio compression, you will see the aforementioned error box. Clicking the Cancel button three times after this box appears will allow installation to continue and game function will be unaffected.

Problems Relating to Specific Video Cards

The following manufacturers suggest running DirectX 5 with their products using the configurations listed below. If you need further assistance, please contact your video card manufacturer directly.

ATTENTION 3D CARD OWNERS: Click here

Diamond Multimedia

Stealth SE

Stealth 64 Graphics 2000

Stealth 64 Video 2000

Stealth 64 Video 3000

Stealth Video 2001

Stealth Video 2001\TV

Stealth Video 2500

Stealth 3D 2000

S3 Trio 64V+	(Images will appear very dark on some monitors when using this card)

If problems are encountered with the above Diamond Multimedia video cards, we recommend that you restore your video card drivers. Instructions are as follows:

1.	Place the game disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from any autoplay screens.

2.	Double-click My Computer.

3.	Right-click your CD-ROM drive and choose Install DirectX.

4.	Click the button labeled Restore Video drivers.

Matrox Graphics

Matrox Millennium

Matrox Mystique

The Matrox Millennium card may not support the current version of Direct3D acceleration (which is enabled by DirectX by default). Even if the game does not use Direct3D, this card may have problems due to Direct3D being enabled. You can disable this feature from within the DirectX setup menu. Please follow these instructions to do so:

1.	Place the game disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from any autoplay screens.

2.	Double-click on My Computer.

3.	Right-click on your CD-ROM drive and choose Install DirectX.

4.	Click on the box labeled Direct3D Hardware Acceleration Enabled to make this box empty. This will disable Direct3D.

5.	Click on the OK button.

At the time of creating this file, Matrox Mystique drivers version 3.70 were not 100% DirectX 5 certified. We recommend you contact Matrox for the most current DirectX 5 compatible drivers for this card. You may also try using driver version 3.63 with this card.

STB Systems

Powergraph 64 using Vision 95

We have experienced numerous problems with STB video cards running the STB Vision 95 set of display tools. If you experience any problems playing the game, please uninstall your STB Vision 95 display tools by reinstalling the STB drivers without the STB Vision 95 display tools .

ATI Technologies

Mach 64

If you experience problems running with an ATI Mach 64, click the Start Button and select Run, then type SYSTEM.INI. Click OK.

Locate the section within the file labeled

[Display]

and add the line STRETCHENGINE=0

Example:

[Display]

STRETCHENGINE=0

Click File, then choose Save. Click File then choose Exit to leave your System Configuration editor. Reboot the system and try playing the game again.

Contact your video card manufacturer directly for further support or driver updates.


Electronic Registration

There are three ways to access the electronic registration for Windows 95:

1.	Select Register Now during the installation process.

2.	Insert the CD. From the game's title screen, click on More. Then, click on Electronic Registration.

3.	Right-click on the the game's CD icon with the disc in your CD-ROM drive and select Electronic Registration from the menu.


Encryption

The encryption feature allows team members to chat and plan a strategy without alerting the enemy of your intentions. Enemy players cannot read your messages while the encryption key is depressed.


Exit the game

To exit the game properly, hit ESC and choose the menu option "Exit to Windows".


How can I improve performance

"Gameplay is choppy."

"I'm experiencing low frame-rate during missions."

If you are using an Intel-based or AMD-based computer that is 166mhz or slower, or a Cyrix-based computer that is 200mhz or slower, your frame-rate is being hindered by your processor. Heavy Gear conducts a lot of math operations using floating-point format, and when the screen is full of detail, frame-rates will diminish.

You can improve frame-rate by going to the 'Combat Variables' screen and changing some of the options. The two things that will have the greatest affect on frame-rate are 'Graphics Type' and 'Textures'. For optimal performance, set 'Graphics Type' to 'Software 320', and 'Textures' to 'off'. Note that this will cause the graphics to look less detailed.

Also, make sure 3D sound is off if you're having performance problems. It will use 5 to 10 percent of your computer's bandwidth.

"The game takes a long time to load."

"Missions take a long time to load."

Heavy Gear contains more art than any game we've ever made. On systems with less than 24MB of RAM, not all of those assets will fit in memory at the same time. To improve your load-time performance, it is recommended that you upgrade to 32MB of RAM.

You may also try to improve game performance by using the following steps:

1.	Close all other programs while playing.

2.	Set Graphics Acceleration to maximum in your System Control Panel.

a.	Go to the Start menu on your taskbar. Select Settings · Control Panel.

b.	Double-click on the System icon.

c.	Click on the Performance tab.

d.	Click on the Graphics button.

e.	In the Graphics box, position the Hardware Acceleration slider to Full.


How do I set up my joystick or game pad?

You must setup your joystick/gamepad in the Windows 95 Control Panel. Click Start on the taskbar, then Control Panel. Then click on Game Controllers. From here you can choose and calibrate your controller. If your controller does not appear on the list of available controllers, you must get the drivers from the manufacturer.

Then start the game and go to the Cockpit Controls screen, where you can adjust what functions are controlled by what input. Your customized configuration can be saved for future use.

Customizing Controls

First, choose the category of commands then the device you would like to adjust. For example, to adjust the settings for movement, select "Movement" from the Category box between the two arrowheads. Next, select the device you would like to use from the list in the Device box.

The lower half of the screen lists each possible action in the category you selected, and what input will produce the action. The Modifier column represents what control keys must be used in combination with the input.

To change the setting for an action, select the action and click "Edit". This will bring up a dialog box listing the possible modifier keys and inputs for your currently selected device. Click on the modifier and input you would like to use, and then click "Accept".

At any time, you can click "Restore Defaults" to set all controls to their default configuration.

Loading, Saving, and Deleting Configurations

Once you have created a custom configuration, you may want to save it future use. To do this, click in the Configuration box and type in a name for your custom configuration. Then, click "Save".

You can cycle through all the configurations that have been created by clicking on the left or right arrows in the Configuration box. Any custom configurations you have created will appear in this list.

The Simulation and Action Configurations

Two default configurations are provided: Simulation and Action. These can be selected by clicking on the left or right arrows in the configuration box until their name appears.

The Simulation configuration is designed for players who are used to the controls for simulation-style games, including giant robot combat simulations. The Action configuration is designed for players who are used to the controls for first-person action games.

Accepting a Configuration

After you have selected the configuration you want to use, click "Accept" in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

I have a programmable joystick. Are there preconfigured joystick settings for Heavy Gear available for my joystick?

Heavy Gear supports programmable joysticks. We have provided on the install CD, pre-configured cockpit control files for the following joysticks:

•	Saitek X36F and X35T

•	Saitek PC Dash

•	Thrustmaster FCS & WCS

•	Thrustmaster FLCS & TQS

•	Thrustmaster FLCS & WCS

To utilize any of these configurations, copy all of the files from the correct folder in the CFGS directory of the Heavy Gear CD into your game directory (the directory to which you installed the game). Then, when scrolling through available control configurations in the Cockpit Controls screen, you should see an entry for your particular joystick.

I changed the joystick I use to play Heavy Gear. The first joystick worked, but the second one does not. What should I do?

You must properly configure any new joystick. After you hook up your joystick and configure it in Windows 95, all you have to do is go to Cockpit Controls and click on your new joystick in the Device window. Then click Restore Defaults. Heavy Gear automatically will map the proper commands to your new joystick. This also will restore your keyboard settings to the default configuration.


How to Start the Game

After installing the game, click START and select PROGRAMS. Click Heavy Gear and choose Heavy Gear. Once the title screen appears, click PLAY to launch Heavy Gear.


I have a Media Vision Pro Audio Spectrum 16. The sound and movies are choppy. What should I do?

The game requires a 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible sound card. Your sound card meets the requirement, but is not working properly. Follow these instructions to allow your card to work in 16 bit mode:

(1)	Click on Start · Settings · Control Panel and double-click the Multimedia icon.

(2)	Make sure you are on the Audio tab.

(3)	Within the Playback section change the Preferred Device to "ProAudio Wave Out".

(4)	Click on the tab labeled Advanced.

(5)	Single-click the plus sign in front of "Audio Devices". This should expand the branch.

(6)	Single-click on the phrase "Audio for Sound Blaster Emulation" and click the Properties button.

(7)	Check-mark the boxes for "Do not use audio features on this device" and "Do not map through this device".

(8)	Click the Apply button and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If you still encounter problems, contact Media Vision for more assistance.


Installing & Uninstalling the Game

ATTENTION 3D CARD OWNERS: IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Before the installation

Installing the Game - This contains installation instructions and information about this version.

Electronic Registration

Uninstalling the Game - Basic instructions on how to uninstall the game.

Common Installation Problems - Problems that might be encountered before and/or after installation.


Installing the Game

How to Install

1.	Before installing, close all other applications. Also, make sure Virtual Memory (located in your System Control Panel under Performance) is not disabled.

2.	Insert the Heavy Gear disc into your CD-ROM drive and wait a few moments until the Heavy Gear title screen appears. (If the title screen does not appear, please refer to the AutoPlay Troubleshooting section.)

3.	Click the Install button to begin the installation process and follow the on-screen instructions.

4.	After Heavy Gear installation is complete, your computer will install Microsoft's DirectX 5 drivers if you do not already have them. After installation of DirectX 5 is complete, you will need to restart your computer for the new drivers to take effect. For more information on DirectX 5, see the DirectX 5 & 3D Card Driver Problems sections of this file.

5.	You can now run Heavy Gear by choosing Start · Programs · Heavy Gear · Heavy Gear from the Start menu or by clicking Play on the Heavy Gear title screen.


Joystick throttle unresponsive

Make sure that your Joystick Auto-Center is on. You can change this setting in the Cockpit Control screen, or during gameplay by hitting ESC, selecting Combat Variables, then clicking Yes next to Joystick Auto-Center to turn it on.


Joysticks with two buttons not recognized

The control configuration for Heavy Gear assumes that you have a four button joystick. If you only have a joystick with two buttons, you need to map the commands corresponding to buttons three and four to your keyboard.


Keyboard controls update

Self-Destruct: “Ctrl+Alt+x” will allow the user to self-destruct.

For Jumping: “Alt+Up” arrow does not work. To jumpjet, hold down "J".

For Crouching: “Alt+Down” arrow does not work. To crouch, hold down "Tab".

For Inspection: “I” does not work. “I” only activates Infrared Mode.

For Radar Zooming: “x” will zoom in the radar display.

“Shift+x” will zoom out the radar display.

“Ctrl+x” will reset the zoom on the radar to normal.


Minimum System Requirements

100% Microsoft Windows 95 compatible computer system (including compatible 32-bit drivers for CD-ROM drive, video card, sound card and input devices)

Processor Type: Pentium® 90 MHz (for 320x200 resolution with textures turned off)

Pentium 166 Mhz recommended (for 640x480 resolution with textures on)

U.S. version Microsoft® Windows 95 operating system

RAM: 16 MB, 24 MB for multiplayer (32 MB recommended)

195 MB of uncompressed hard disk space for installation

16-bit High Color (640 x 480) PCI or VLB video card with 1 MB RAM

100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible sound card

Quad-speed CD-ROM drive (600 K/second sustained transfer rate)

100% Microsoft-compatible mouse and driver

3D Acceleration: Supports 3DFX and Rendition cards. For a list of cards known to work optimally with Heavy Gear, see the list of supported cards.

WARNING: Certain D3D drivers are absolutely required for 3D play. Click here for information on these drivers and additional information on them.

Additional System Requirements for Multiplayer:

100% 14.4Kbps compatible Windows 95 modem (Head to Head Modem Play)

100% Windows 95 compatible network (LAN)

IPX network (LAN)

TCP/IP network (WAN e.g. Internet)

NOTE:	THIS RELEASE OF HEAVY GEAR’S MULTIPLAYER COMPONENT IS A BETA RELEASE.

NOTE:	In order to play Heavy Gear single player or multiplayer (Internet, LAN or modem-to-modem) the CD must be in your CD-ROM drive at all times.

NOTE:	Heavy Gear uses Microsoft DirectX 5 technology, and requires that your system have the most updated drivers that fully support DirectX.

Heavy Gear may have trouble working with some 1993 or earlier Matsushita CD-ROM drives. These CD-ROM drives have trouble reading beyond 63 minutes on CDs, and Heavy Gear uses the full CD. These drives were sold under the names of Panasonic, JVC, Reveal, Creative Labs and Plextor. Gameplay may occasionally slow down and the CD-ROM drive will be accessed constantly. We highly recommend that you upgrade to a newer CD-ROM drive to avoid problems with other programs in the future.

Click here if you have a NexGen compatible processor or click here if you have a Cyrix processor and are receiving a warning message during the installation process.


Multiplayer Troubleshooting

NOTE: THIS RELEASE OF HEAVY GEAR’S MULTIPLAYER COMPONENT IS A BETA RELEASE. AS SUCH, YOU MAY ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS WHILE PLAYING MULTIPLAYER HEAVY GEAR. PLEASE REGISTER YOUR SOFTWARE SO THAT WE MAY INFORM YOU OF ANY PATCH UPDATES TO THE MULTIPLAYER GAME, OR REGULARLY CHECK OUR WEB SITE: WWW.ACTIVISION.COM, FOR PATCH UPDATES TO THE HEAVY GEAR MULTIPLAYER GAME.

I have both a Network adapter card and Modem installed on my machine and I can't join a game or room when I use my modem to play. What is wrong?

My computer is behind a firewall, and I'm having trouble connecting with computers outside the firewall.

I start the game, select IPX, and the screen says "Network driver not available". What should I do?

Does a slow connection speed slow down the game for everybody?

I have a fast computer, but in network games, it takes a long time to get into missions.

I have a fast computer, but gameplay seems choppy during netowrk play.

I am connected to the Internet via America On-Line, but when I try to play an Internet game, I don’t see any servers.

My framerate during modem play is unacceptable.

I have both a Network adapter card and Modem installed on my machine and I can't join a game or room when I use my modem to play. What is wrong?

You may have to remove the TCP/IP protocol for your network adapter card before you will be able to use your dial up connection. To do this, go to Start · Settings · Control Panel · Network and check to see if you have a "TCP/IP Dial-up Adapter" and a "TCP/IP Adapter (for your network card)". If you do, select the adapter for your network card and click "Remove". Then select "OK" and restart your computer.

My computer is behind a firewall, and I'm having trouble connecting with computers outside the firewall.

Heavy Gear multiplayer does not currently support play from behind firewalls.

I start the game, select IPX, and the screen says "Network driver not available". What should I do?

You might have left another copy of the game running in the background. You can only run one copy of the game at a time. If this isn't the case, you probably need to load an IPX driver.

To load an IPX driver in Windows 95, go to the Start menu and choose Settings · Control Panel. Click on Networking and make sure that you have an IPX or IPX-compatible driver listed. If you don't have one loaded, try the following: Double-click on Add, then double-click on Protocol. Click on Microsoft, and finally double-click on IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol.

Technically inclined people who want to connect an IPX driver to a modem instead of an Ethernet card may be able to do so in the Protocol control panel in Windows 95.

Does a slow connection speed slow down the game for everybody?

Yes. The speed of the game is dependent on the connection speed of the slowest connection. We recommend playing with fewer players depending on the slowest connection. Use the following chart as a guideline:

Slowest Connection	Number of Players

T1	8 players

28.8	4 players

14.4	2 players

I have a fast computer, but in network games, it takes a long time to get into missions.

I have a fast computer, but gameplay seems choppy during netowrk play.

In network missions, your gameplay experience is directly affected by the speed of the other players' computers. They may take a long time to get into network games, slowing down your entry, and their gear may appear choppy on your screen, making overall gameplay seem choppy.

I am connected to the Internet via America On-Line, but when I try to play an Internet game, I don’t see any servers.

At the time of this writing, you cannot play Internet games of Heavy Gear if you are connected to the Internet via America On-Line.

My framerate during modem play is unacceptable.

As a general rule, your framerate will become slower as the number of Gears in your game increases. This is especially true in modem games. The best solution is to not take computer controlled Gears (i.e. Squadmates) with you.


Players Guide

Game Contents	Information on game controls, multiplayer gaming, strategy, etc...

Encryption	Information on the Encryption feature

Keyboard Controls Update	Last minute changes on using the keyboard commands


Saving game to floppy

This is not recommended as your installation of Heavy Gear may or may not work with saved games from another computer.


Sound Problems

I don't hear any music during missions.

The in-mission music is played directly from the CD. Make sure the audio cable that goes from your CD-ROM drive to your audio card is attached.

I don't hear any difference when I change to the different 3D sound types.

If you're using an Aureal-based 3D sound accelerator card, you may need to exit the game and restart it before changes in your 3D sound settings take effect.

There is a small percentage of the population that is incapable of perceiving audio in 3 dimensions, so it is possible that you fall into that category.

I have a 3D sound card (for example, the Diamond Monster Sound card) which uses the Aureal A3D audio technology. I would like to use the hardware accelerated sound feature. What do I need to do?

Heavy Gear supports hardware acceleration of 3D sound, via the Aureal A3D technology. If you have a card that supports this technology, choose Combat Variables from the shell escape screen, click Override in the Performance Options section, and select the desired sound setup from the item entitled, 3D Sound. The choices include:

·	Headphones

·	Mono Speakers

·	Quad Speakers

·	Stereo Speakers

·	Surround Speakers

Click Accept and begin a mission.

If you have a hardware accelerator for 3D sound, you should notice enhanced 3D sound effects.

PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have a hardware accelerator for 3D sound, and you enable these effects, you will incur a loss in performance (i.e. poor frame-rate or gameplay pauses).

I have an Aztec Labs Sound card and the sound effects will drop out almost every mission, but the music will keep playing.

We have experienced problems with Aztec Labs sound cards while testing Heavy Gear. Heavy Gear uses DirectSound, so a fix for this problem may soon be provided in the form of updated drivers from Aztec Labs. Please contact Aztech Labs for updated drivers compatible with DirectX 5.0.


Supported Operating Systems

Heavy Gear has been fully tested using Windows 95.

The following operating systems are not supported:

Windows NT

Microsoft Windows 3.1x

MS-DOS 6.22 or higher

IBM OS/2 (All Varieties)


Table of Contents

These help files contain some information from the full version of the game that may not apply to this demo version.

Minimum System Requirements

Installing & Uninstalling the Game

How to Start the Game

Troubleshooting - Where to go when you are having problems with the game.

Vendor List - A directory of hardware/software companies for compatibility issues.

Credits - The people who made this game possible.


Taskbar Always on Top

If you experience a problem with the Taskbar showing up during the game, please see the Microsoft Help subject on Configuring the Taskbar.


The sounds are distorted and/or the movies are choppy. What can I do?

You may encounter choppy game play if your sound card is not 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible. 8 bit sound cards are not supported with this game (e.g. Sound Blaster and Sound Blaster PRO compatible). You may want to contact your sound card manufacturer to see if your card is 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible.

If you are fully confident that your sound card is 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible you should acquire the most updated sound card drivers available. This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your sound card manufacturer for details.

You may also encounter choppy movies if your CD-ROM drive is not at least a quad-speed drive.

Heavy Gear uses Indeo 5.0 for movie playback.


The taskbar hides a portion of the game window. Can I fix this?

This can happen if your taskbar is always on top. You can hide the taskbar by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties. Turn on Auto Hide and turn off Always on Top. The taskbar will hide when it is not used. To make the taskbar reappear, place your mouse in the area where the taskbar once was and it will appear.


Troubleshooting

Activision thoroughly tests its games on a variety of systems before they are released, but it is virtually impossible to test on all combinations of software and hardware. Many of the issues you may encounter in Windows 95 are caused by device drivers for video cards, sound cards, and CD-ROM drives that are not fully compatible with the Windows 95 operating system and/or DirectX. The following troubleshooting tips are intended to assist you in resolving some of the common issues that occur with the Windows 95 operating system and the game.

Topic Areas

Audio

Autoplay

CD-ROM

DirectX 5

Input Devices	(e.g. mouse, joystick, or gamepads).

Installation

Multiplayer Troubleshooting

Power Saver Functions

Video

Problems & Solutions

Can I run Heavy Gear on Windows 3.1, Windows NT or OS/2?

Can I save my games to a floppy disk and use them on another computer with Heavy Gear?

Why does the game sometimes quit to the desktop?

The taskbar hides a portion of the game window. Can I fix this?

My screen saver operates slowly while the game is running. What can I do?

The fonts on my game screen are too large and extend off the screen. Why is this happening?

Ctrl-Alt-Del locks up my system.

How can I improve performance?

Where do I go for game updates and/or patches?

Why does the desktop momentarily appear and disappear before and after I launch a mission? If I click on the desktop or toolbar during that time, my system will crash. If I hit ‘ESC’ while the Commencing Mission screen is up, my system will also crash.


Tseng Labs 4000 PCI video card

I have a Tseng Labs 4000 PCI video card. In 640 Software mode, when I enter a mission, the Windows hourglass cursor is visible.

This is a known driver problem with the Tseng Labs 4000 PCI video card. Contact Tseng Labs for the latest drivers, which should fix the problem.


Uninstalling the Game

How to uninstall Heavy Gear:

The Uninstall option in Heavy Gear allows the game to remove itself completely from your hard drive. From the Start button, go to Programs · Heavy Gear · Heavy Gear Uninstall and follow the Uninstaller instructions.

NOTE: You should always uninstall the game with the Uninstaller provided.

If you remove the game from your hard drive by dragging your Heavy Gear folder to the Recycle Bin, certain files may be left behind causing problems with a later reinstallation of the game. In order to completely remove all Heavy Gear files from your computer, complete the following steps:

1.	Make sure you have deleted the entire directory to which you installed Heavy Gear.

2.	Remove Heavy Gear from the Start menu.

a.	From the Start button, go to Settings · Taskbar.

b.	Select the Start Menu Programs tab.

c.	Click the Remove button.

d.	Highlight and then delete the entire Heavy Gear entry.

3.	You must also clean up the Windows 95 Registry, in order to be able to reinstall Heavy Gear again.

a.	Go to the Start menu on your taskbar and select Run.

b.	In the Run dialog box, type REGEDIT and click the OK button.

c.	Once REGEDIT is open, double-click the entry HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE.

d.	Double-click on SOFTWARE. If you have any other Activision programs installed, open the Activision folder and delete only the Heavy Gear folder. Otherwise, delete the entire item called Activision.


Visual Problems

When I launch missions, the colors are all messed up.

This problem may be caused by obsolete drivers for your 3D accelerator card.

If you are playing on a 3Dfx-based card, you need to use newer drivers than the Diamond Monster 3D v.1.08 or the Orchid Righteous 3D v.2.0 drivers. Reference drivers are provided in the DRIVERS directory on the Heavy Gear Install CD. Note that different drivers need to be installed depending on whether you have a Voodoo, Voodoo Rush single-card, Voodoo Rush double-card, or Voodoo 2 board. At the time of writing, Voodoo 2 cards were not available, so these drivers are not provided on the Install CD.

If you are using a board based on any other chip-set, you'll need to contact your board manufacturer directly for up-to-date drivers. Be aware that not all 3D accelerator cards support DirectX 5. If you have a board that isn't 100% DirectX 5 compatible, you will need to play Heavy Gear in software mode. This can be set manually within Heavy Gear on the 'Combat Variables' screen, by switching 'Graphics Type' to 'Software 320' or 'Software 640'.

My cursor flashes when I move it around.

As I move my cursor, the Windows desktop shows through the screen.

These problems can be caused by using custom cursors. Please restore your cursors to the default Windows cursors.

During the mission, I can see the Windows cursor or the Windows hourglass.

Some video card drivers cause this problem, such as the Tseng 4000. Contact your video-card manufacturer for a driver fix.


When I launch into the game, the screen goes black and freezes.

We have found this to be the case when you do not have DirectX certification. In most cases you can fix this problem by updating your video card drivers. This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your Video Card Manufacturer for details.

Another possible cause could be that the CD is not in the CD-ROM drive. Please insert the Heavy Gear CD before you attempt to start the game.


Why do I have wavy lines across my screen when I play the game?

We have found this to be the case when outdated DirectX drivers are present on a system. This can be fixed by updating your video card drivers. This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your Video Card Manufacturer for details.


Why does the game sometimes quit to the desktop?

Occasionally, Heavy Gear will suddenly quit to the desktop. This may be a result of a conflict with the EZDesk desktop utility, which is used to organize icons on your desktop. Disable EZDesk whenever playing Heavy Gear.

The game may also suddenly minimize to the taskbar if you are running an electronic mail program (e.g MS Exchange) in the background.

Heavy Gear should be run as a stand-alone application.