Copyright: Copyright ©Activision 1996


Activision Customer Support

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions about HyperBlade or any other Activision product, please feel free to contact us. If you are experiencing difficulty please consult the HyperBlade Help file before contacting Customer Support. The help file contains the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions and may quickly provide a solution to your problem. If, after reviewing the HyperBlade Help file, you are still experiencing problems, please feel free to contact us through any of the services listed. So that we can better help you, please be at your computer and have the following information ready:

1.	Complete product title

2.	Exact error message reported (if any) and a brief description of the problem

3.	Your computer's processor type and speed (e.g. Pentium 90MHz)

4.	Video and sound card makes and models (e.g. Diamond Stealth 64 video, Sound Blaster 16 sound...)

Customer Support:

North America

UK and Europe

Australia and Pacific Rim

For Technical Support and Customer Service in areas not listed, please contact your local distributor or Activision via online (Please note, online support is in English only).

Please Note:  The network portion of HyperBlade is supported via our online services only. (available in English only)

Locations for Updates and/or Patches:

Where do I go for Game Updates and/or Patches?


AutoPlay

If the HyperBlade title screen does not appear, try performing the following steps:

1.	With the disc in your CD-ROM drive, double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop or right-click on it and select the Open option.

2.	In the View pull-down menu, select Refresh.

3.	Double-click on the HyperBlade CD icon in the window or right-click on it and choose the AutoPlay option.

4.	After the HyperBlade title screen appears, click on the Play button (it will appear as Install before you have installed the game).

If the title screen still does not appear, please check the following:

1.	Make sure the CD is clean and properly placed in the CD-ROM drive.

2.	Verify that your CD-ROM driver is optimized for use with Windows 95. To do this:

a.	Open the Control Panel and double-click on the System icon. Click on the Performance tab. If any of your hardware drivers are not fully optimized for use with Windows 95, they will be listed here with an explanation of the exact problem and suggestions on how to fix it. If you cannot get your system to perform optimally, please consult Microsoft support.

b.	Or, Click here to begin the Hardware Conflicts Troubleshooter .

3.	Verify that the Auto-Insert Notification for your CD-ROM is enabled. To do this:

a.	Choose the System Properties dialog box by right-clicking on the My Computer icon and then clicking on Properties.

b.	Choose the Device Manager tab in the dialog box.

c.	Select and double click CD-ROM.

d.	Select your CD-ROM drive and click the Properties button.

e.	Select the Settings tab of the Properties dialog box.

f.	Make sure the Auto-insert notification box is checked. If not, click on it to make it checked.

g.	Click OK to accept your changes.

4	Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. Select the Refresh option located in the View pull-down menu of your system window. When the HyperBlade icon appears, double click on it; The HyperBlade title screen should appear.

5.	If the game is already installed you can also start HyperBlade from the Start button on your desktop. Click the Start button from your taskbar, select Programs|HyperBlade|HyperBlade and this will allow you to start the game.

If for some reason you do not wish to use AutoPlay, you can turn it off using the following steps:

1.	Choose the System Properties dialog box by right-clicking on the My Computer icon and then clicking on Properties.

2.	Choose the Device Manager tab in the dialog box.

3.	Select and double click CD-ROM.

4.	Select your CD-ROM drive and click the Properties button.

5.	Select the Settings tab of the Properties dialog box.

6.	Click the Auto-insert notification box so that it is unchecked.

7.	Click OK to accept your changes.


Before The Installation

-	Uses Microsoft DirectX 2 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 2 section in this file for more information.

-	Uses Direct 3D which is a component of DirectX 2 (If you have a 3D graphics accelerator card).

-	Should not be installed to a compressed drive.

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

-	     To operate best, HyperBlade requires that your system have the latest Windows 95 32-bit drivers for your CD-ROM drive, sound card 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 install HyperBlade to a hard drive that is compressed?

We do not recommend installing this program to a compressed drive. Please install to a non-compressed drive and run the program from there.


Can I listen to the HyperBlade soundtrack on my audio CD player?

Yes. The game music is streamed from the CD. Starting with track 2, all the music tracks will play on an audio CD player.


Can I run HyperBlade under Windows 3.1, Windows NT or OS/2?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is no. Please see Supported Operating Systems for more information.


Changing Standard Windows 95 Cursors

Check to make sure that you have not changed the standard Windows 95 cursors. Doing so may cause video corruption. We have especially found this to be the case with 3D and animated cursors.


Checking Your Sound Card for Conflicting Settings (Windows 95)

To check your sound card for conflicting settings:

1.	Go to the Start menu on your task bar, select Settings|Control Panel.

2.	Double-click on the System icon, then choose the Device Manager tab.

3.	Select and double click Sound, Video, and Game Controllers, then double-click on your specific sound card.

4.	Check the Device Status box to see if your card is working properly.

5.	Select the Resource tab and check the Conflicting device list for any conflicting devices.

If you purchased your sound card before the release of Windows 95, you may obtain updated drivers from a variety of places. Most hardware retailers have access to the most recent drivers. Additionally, most sound card manufacturers maintain a BBS containing the latest drivers for free downloading. Drivers are also available on CompuServe, America Online, the Microsoft Network and other popular online services. A list of sound card manufacturers and their Technical Support and BBS numbers is available in this document. Please make every effort to install the latest Windows 95 sound drivers before calling Activision Customer Support.


Color Settings

HyperBlade 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 Windows 95 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 button on your mouse. 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 when Playing in Windows 95

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.

The volume levels of my music, sounds effects or game voices are too low for me to hear. What can I do?

Can I listen to the HyperBlade soundtrack on my audio CD player?

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 Windows 95 version of HyperBlade.  I need help!

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 Input Device Problems when Playing in Windows 95

General Troubleshooting for Joysticks and Game Pads

Joystick Calibration

Mouse

Troubleshooting the Default Keyboard Configuration


Common Installation Problems when Playing in Windows 95

I uninstalled HyperBlade and there is no option to re-install the game, (i.e. I can only choose play as an option) what should I do?

Can I install HyperBlade to a hard drive that is compressed?


Common Tips & Troubleshooting for General Issues (Windows 95)

My screen saver runs really slow when HyperBlade is running. What can I do about that?

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

Game Freezes or Crashes

Power Saver Functions

Running the game without a CD in the drive

Can I run HyperBlade under Windows 3.1, Windows NT or OS/2?

Ctrl-Alt-Del locks up my system.

How can I improve Performance?

Where do I go for Game Updates and/or Patches?


Common Troubleshooting Tips for the Windows 95 Version of HyperBlade

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. The following troubleshooting tips are intended to assist you in solving some of the common issues that occur with the Windows 95 operating system and HyperBlade.

Installation - This will focus on basic problems that might occur during the installation process.

DirectX 2 - This will explain the DirectX 2 process and state general answers to frequently asked questions.

Autoplay - This is where to go if you are encountering problems with the title screen automatically appearing.

Video - Where to go if you are encountering video related problems.

Audio - Where to go if you are encountering audio related problems.

Input Devices - Where to go if you are encountering input device related problems (e.g. mouse, joystick, or gamepads).

Network - This is where you will find troubleshooting tips on network play.

General Issues - Commonly asked questions.


Common Video Card Problems when Playing in Windows 95

How do I set my display to 256 Color?

Video Driver Settings

While I’m playing HyperBlade the image is very choppy and slow.

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

Changing the standard Windows 95 cursors causes video corruption.

I've installed the game, and DirectX 2 setup completed correctly. When I launch HyperBlade 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 or Strange in Appearance.

Notes for 3D Card Users

I have a 3D card installed, but HyperBlade does not display textures and does not appear to be running in 3D mode.


Credits

PRODUCTION

Director / Producer	Lewis Peterson

Associate Producer	Sailesh Patel

Associate Producer 	Steven Mau

Production Coordinator, Asset Manager 	Christian Astillero

Production Coordinator	Paxton Lazar

PROGRAMMING

WizBang! Software Productions

ADLIB Engine	 	WizBang! Software Productions

Program Manager	Stuart Rosen

Programming	Andrew Johnston

Rob Duisberg

Stuart Rosen

Vikki Zarkovich

Miguel Gomez

Steve Rabin

Norm Sohl

Additional Programming	Paul Gallagher

Testing	Wayne Knerr

Quicksilver Software, Inc.

Technical Direction & Project Management	William C. Fisher

Programming	Michael Donovan Mandap

Programming	Michael Gerard

Additional Programming	Shiun Hwang

Barry Sohl

Activision

Networking Programming	George Sutty

Artificial Intelligence Programming	Mike Adams

Additional Programming	Jean-Marc Morel

DESIGN

Lead Game Designer 	Stephen Morris

Associate Game Designer	William Stahl

Additional Design	Lewis Peterson

Michael Gerard

Michael Mendheim

Alan Martin

New Wave Entertainment, Inc.

Original Concept	WizBang! Software Productions

Additional Writing	Jesse Alexander

Raphael Simon

William Stahl

ART & ANIMATION

Activision

Art Director 	Wyndham Chow

3D Modeling, Interface Art,

Arena & Character Design 	David Chen

Interface Design & Art	 	Gary Brunetti

Derek Friesenborg

Additional Art Direction, Character Design 	Danny Matson

Production Design, Interface Art 	Doug Juhn

James Clyne

Rhythm & Hues

Producers	Jean Tom

Stephanie Taylor

Lisa O’Brien

Art Direction, Character and Interface Design	Doug Juhn

Additional Design & Art Direction	Tex Kadonaga

Character Design and Animation	Steve Ziolkowski

Character Animation	 	Larry Weinberg

Brian Dowrick

Motion Capture Supervision & Processing	SimGraphics Engineering

Motion Capture 	Adaptive Optics

Motion Capture (Half-Pipe Animations)	Viewpoint Data Labs

Additional 3D Modeling	The Big Pixel

SOUND EFFECTS

Soundeluxe Media Labs

Sound Design Supervisor	Alan Rankin

Sound Design	Gregory J. Hainer

Alan Rankin

Asset Management, Digital Mastering	Kimaree Long

Kevin Fowler

Halima K. Gilliam

Alan Rankin

Big Fat Kitty Productions

Additional Sound Design	Bill Black

Activision

Audio Engineer	Michael Schwartz

Additional Sound Design & Direction	Stephen Morris

Player Voice Overs	Lars Batista

Zack Norman

Nadine Theuzillot

Larry Goldberg

Rodney Stephens

Andy Zavattero

David Stohl

Stephen Morris

MUSIC

Original Musical Score	Jeehun Hwang

Musical Direction	Kelly Rogers

Additional Musical Direction	Stephen Morris

CROSS PRODUCTION

Associate Producer	Mark Lamia

Production Coordinator	Adam Goldberg

Production Coordinator, Technical Help	Ronnie Lane

Installers & Splash Screen Programming	Frankie Tam

Electronic Registration Programming	Bill Dusha

Customer Support Team

Quality Assurance

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Senior QA Project Lead	Eric Zala

QA Project Lead	Marty Stratton

QA Test Team	Jimmie D. Hudson III - Network Compatibility

Curtis Shenton - 3D Compatibility

J. Tyler Scott - External Beta Tester Liason

Brian Dean Jennings

Cliff Maraschino

Daniel Hagerty

Henry Sheen

Joe Lacko

Kelly Wand

Matthew Paul

Mitchell Goldman

Sam Nouriani

Tanya Langston

Todd Hill

Glenn Jost

DOCUMENTATION

Documentation Manager	Mike Rivera

Documentation Writers	Lorraine Suzuki

Steven Mau

Desktop Publishing	Sylvia Orzel

MARKETING

Associate Product Manager	Harry Nam

PUBLICITY

Publicist	Marcelyn Ditter

Help File Written by:

Ronnie Lane

Mark Lamia

Steven Mau

Marty Stratton

Jameson Wang

Dave Arnspiger

Nathalie Deschatres

Special Thanks:

Scott Lahman, Howard Marks, Alan Gershenfeld, Bobby Kotick, Steve Crane, Marcelyn Ditter, Nathalie Deschatres, Eric Johnson, Harry Nam, J.J. Franzen, Margaret, Emma, May, Chris Hepburn, Jamie Green, Sean Vesce, Zack Norman, Trey Watkins, Jameson Wang, Jon Doellstedt, Jim Summers, Dave Arnspiger, Gina Swanson, James M. Coriston, Brett Schnepf, PCTest, The Bean, Super Coolio, The Blue Beetle, Booie, Gark, Banshee, Stelth, Tok, and Prador for getting us through our darkest hours.

External Beta Testers

Anderson, Deidre

Boyce, Kerry

Bynum, Steve

Chan, Billy

Chen, Kay-yut

Conley, Brooks

Cooke, Michael

Craig, Gary

Cruz, Alex

Day, Chris

Dial, Richard

Doimeadios, Tony

Dorn, Ryan

Duchen, Marc

Dukat, Scott

Ehlert, Casey

Eichler, Brian

Estrada, Pedro

Evancich, Nicholas

Fiske, Greg

Ford, Jim

Foust, Bill

Frederickson, Ken

Guerin, JT

Haley, Gary

Herrero, Alexander

Hobgood, Roger

Hoggren, Richard

Jan, Ted

Jenkins, Andrew

Johanson, John

Kaelin, Mark

Katz, Stu

Keim, Earl

Lam, Scot

Lan, Edward

Liebowitz, Alan

Lim, Stephen

Lunsford, Matt

Martin, Brad

Mayr, Jason

McMillan Jr., Johnnie

Meadows, Chris

Miller, Matthew

Minori, Christopher

Purney, Kevin

Quelch, Dennis

Radcliffe, Doug

Rekalske, John

Rhodeback, Wayne

Rodriguez, Adrian

Romike, Karl

San Miguel, Brandon

Sauer, Richard

Schwaberow, Matt

Sharp Jr., Ervin

Smith, Carson

Stanley, Ray

Thurrott, Paul

Wiener, Michael

Wolf, Alexander

Yan, John

Zemina, Mike


Ctrl-Alt-Del Locks Up My System

Do not use the Ctrl-Alt-Del function to quit HyperBlade. Instead select Quit from the Option menu to exit the game.


Customer Support Team

Jameson Wang - Customer Support Manager

Neil Barizo

Willie Bolton

Steve Elwell

Sean Hendon

Dave Nash

Tim McMahon

Bob McPherson

Mark "Thermal Eye" Robertshaw

Mattt "The JigSaw Man No Phear" Stubbs

Dylan Taylor

Bryant Troupe

Derek Johnstone


Customer Support: Australia and Pacific Rim

ACTIVISION AUSTRALIA and PACIFIC RIM

P.O. Box 873

Epping, NSW 2121

Australia

Phone:	1902 962 000

Online Services

Services with Activision Forums, E-mail and File Library Support (available in English only):

Microsoft Network:	From any MSN window, pull down the Edit menu and select Go To and then Other Location. At the prompt, type "Activision" and click OK.

CompuServe:	76004,2122 or [GO GAMBPUB]

Activision BBS:	310-479-1335 Up to 28,800 baud; Settings: 8 Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit (8, N, 1)

Internet:	support@activision.com

World Wide Web:	http://www.activision.com


Customer Support: North America

Online Services:

Services with Activision Forums, E-mail and File Library Support:

Microsoft Network:	From any MSN window, pull down the Edit menu and select Go To and then Other Location. At the prompt, type "Activision" and click OK.

America Online:	Use keyword "Activision" to locate the Activision forum

CompuServe:	76004,2122 or [GO GAMBPUB]

Activision BBS:	310-479-1335 Up to 28,800 baud; Settings: 8 Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit (8, N, 1)

Internet E-mail:	support@activision.com

World Wide Web:	http://www.activision.com

Fax:

310-479-7355, 24 hours a day

FaxBack:

310-473-6453, 24 hours a day

Mail:

Activision

Customer Support

P.O. Box 67713

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Phone:

Call our 24-hour voice-mail system for answers to our most frequently asked questions at 310-479-5644. Contact a Customer Support representative at the same number between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday, except holidays.


Customer Support: UK and Europe

Activision

Long Island House, 3A

1/4 Warple Way

London, W3 ORQ

United Kingdom.

Technical Support:	0990 143525

Customer Service:	0181 7429400

You can contact UK Customer Service between the hours of 1:00pm and 5:00pm (UK Time) Monday through Friday.

Online Services:

Services with Activision Forums, E-mail and File Library Support (available in English only):

Microsoft Network:	From any MSN window, pull down the Edit menu and select Go To and then Other Location. At the prompt, type "Activision" and click OK.

CompuServe:	76004,2122 or [GO GAMBPUB]

Activision BBS:	310 479-1335 Up to 28,800 baud; Settings: 8 Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit (8, N, 1)

Internet E-mail:	support@activision.com

World Wide Web:	http://www.activision.com


Diamond Telecommander Sound/Modem Card

You will want to contact Diamond Multimedia and get a new driver for your Telecommander 2500XL/3500XL sound/modem card.  The Telecommander update at the Digital and/or Diamond web site is NOT a Windows 95 driver.  The only way to get the correct updated driver is to call Diamond and they will mail it to you.  The version of the driver you need is 1.12 or higher.

After the new driver has been installed, reinstall the game.  This should allow the game to run without crashes or sound problems.


Direct 3D

Direct 3D is the part of the Microsoft DirectX 2 API (Application Programming Interface) set that allows a game to directly access the enhanced features of 3D graphics hardware under Windows 95. A game like HyperBlade that supports Direct 3D will automatically detect and utilize the 3D graphics acceleration features of your computer’s hardware, as long as your hardware supports Direct 3D and the correct device drivers are installed. This makes it easier for game companies and 3D acceleration card manufacturers to ensure their products will work together. Because Direct3D is relatively new, you should make sure your video drivers are the most up-to-date ones available from your hardware manufacturer to ensure compatibility.

3D Accelerated Features of HyperBlade

HyperBlade uses the following features (if available from your 3D graphics accelerator) to improve the game’s appearance and performance. Check your 3D graphics accelerator documentation to see whether your card supports all these features. If a feature is not supported, it will be automatically disabled in HyperBlade:

·	Hardware assisted polygon drawing. HyperBlade tells your 3D graphics card hardware to handle drawing of polygons instead of using your computer’s memory to draw the polygons. This results in a much faster and smoother display during the game. This feature is available in all 3D acceleration cards, as well as in some high-end regular video cards (for example, the Matrox Millenium).

·	Perspective correct texture mapping. When you enter the drome, you will notice a dramatic difference in the appearance of the game. The drome, the players and all game objects are texture-mapped. The textures are also corrected for perspective as they are brought into view. This feature is available in all 3D acceleration cards.

·	Bilinear texture filtering. When a texture is wrapped around an object larger than the texture, the textures are smoothed out across the object, eliminating a block-like appearance.

Supported Chipsets

HyperBlade has been tested for Direct 3D compatibility with the following chipsets:

·	3dFX Voodoo / Orchid Righteous 3D

·	Rendition Verite / Creative Labs 3D Blaster

·	3D Rage / ATI 3D Rage

·	S3 Virge chip / Diamond 3D 2000

·	Matrox M3 / Matrox Mystique

·	NEC Power VR

Notes for 3D card users


DirectX 2

Upon completion of the HyperBlade setup, the install process will continue by determining if Microsoft DirectX 2 needs to be installed on your computer. If so, the Microsoft DirectX 2 setup program will install the appropriate files on your computer. If you choose not to install DirectX 2, and you find that later you need to install DirectX 2, follow these directions. With the disc in your CD-ROM drive, install Microsoft DirectX 2 by right-clicking on the HyperBlade CD icon to get the Context menu. From that menu, select Install DirectX.

Important Note:  If you have a newer version of DirectX (e.g. DirectX 3) installed on your computer, please install DirectX 2.  Some files that are needed to run the game only come with DirectX 2.  Installing DirectX 2 will not replace newer drivers installed by DirectX 3, but will only add drivers not previously installed.

What is DirectX 2 and why do I need it?

Microsoft's DirectX 2 is an API (Application Programming Interface) set 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 2, 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 2 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 2 standard. If you are not sure about your video card's compatibility, consult the company that makes your video card.

If the Microsoft DirectX 2 Installer does not detect DirectX 2 on your computer, it will install DirectX 2 for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX 2 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 write over that version with DirectX 2.  At that point, the DirectX 2 installation process will be complete. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If however, you already have DirectX 2 installed on your computer, the Microsoft DirectX 2 installer will detect that and not overwrite any DirectX 2 files.  You will not need to restart your computer after installation in order to run HyperBlade.

DirectX 2 should not affect any titles designed for the original version of DirectX. Should you encounter difficulties with DirectX 2, please contact Microsoft for further information.

How do I check to see if my computer supports Direct X?

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

2.	Click on the START button and choose RUN.

3.	Assuming D: as your CD-ROM drive, Type D:\DIRECTX\DXSETUP and press <Enter>.

or

1.	Double-click on My Computer.

2.	Right-click on your CD icon.

3.	Select Install DirectX.

If any of the components of DirectX 2 are not certified please call your hardware manufacturer for the updated drivers that support DirectX.

I have heard DirectX 2 is not compatible with some video cards. What can you tell me about that?

Windows 95 and DirectX 2 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 2 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 2 will HyperBlade for Windows 95 install it for me?

Yes. If the Microsoft DirectX 2 Installer does not detect DirectX 2 on your computer, it will install DirectX 2 for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX 2 to take effect.

If the Installer copied over DirectX, will the UnInstaller remove DirectX 2? How will this affect my other Windows 95 games?

DirectX 2 will remain on your computer and you will be able to run other Windows 95 games that use Microsoft’s DirectX 2 libraries.  DirectX 2 should not affect any titles designed for the original version of DirectX.  Should you encounter difficulties with DirectX 2, please contact Microsoft for further information.

In some cases where video cards may not be compatible with DirectX, we have provided steps to manually remove DirectX 2 and restore your system to its former condition. Microsoft does not provide an uninstall feature for DirectX, so this manual method is the only way to remove it from your system.

How to recover from a bad DirectX 2 installation:

If, after installing DirectX 2 on your system, you find that your system is not compatible with DirectX, don't panic. We have included a brief walk-through to get you back to your old setup.

1.	If your system will run, allow Windows 95 to load. If your system will not run, load Windows 95 in Safe Mode by restarting your system and pressing F8 when you see the Starting Windows 95 message appear on-screen during boot up. Select Safe Mode.

2.	Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Explore. If you loaded Windows 95 in Safe Mode and can see the icon for your CD-ROM drive, continue. If you do not see the CD-ROM icon, then please stop here and perform the steps listed in the "No CD Icon in Safe Mode section."

3.	Insert the HyperBlade disc into your CD-ROM drive and hold down the Shift key while closing the drive. This will prevent the autoplay title screen from loading.

4.	Go to the DirectX 2 directory on the CD (or the one you copied to the hard drive if you had to follow the No CD Icon in Safe Mode procedure). Double-click on the application DXSETUP. The following box will appear:

5.	Click on Restore Windows 95 drivers. You will be asked to insert your Windows 95 CD or diskettes in order to restore your drivers. You will receive a message asking you to restart your system. After Windows 95 reloads, everything should be returned to it's original state before the DirectX drivers were installed.

No CD Icon in Safe Mode

1.	Take your HyperBlade disc to another Windows 95 system that is operable and where you can copy some files.

2.	Insert the HyperBlade disc into the CD-ROM drive and hold down the Shift key while closing the drive. This will prevent the autoplay title screen from loading.

3.	Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Explore. Go to the CD-ROM drive that contains the HyperBlade CD.

4.	Drag the DirectX 2 folder to a blank 1.44 MB diskette. You will need three blank 1.44-MB diskettes to copy all of the necessary files. Take the diskettes back to your computer and copy the directories contained on them to your hard drive.

5.	Go to Step 4 in the "How to Recover from a Bad DirectX 2 installation" section above and complete the process.


Electronically Registering the Windows 95 Version

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

1.	Select Register Now during the installation process.

2.	Insert the CD. From the HyperBlade title screen, click on More. Then, click on Electronic Registration.

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


Game Freezes or Crashes in Windows 95

1. 	Make sure your system has at least 16MB of RAM and a Pentium processor.  Trying to run the game on a lesser machine may result in hardware and performance difficulties. Also, people using slower machines should select a maximum installation of the game to enhance performance.

2.	Make sure you have at least 40 MB of free disk space available for a Windows 95 virtual memory swapfile to exist. Less than 40 MB of space may cause random crashes. Common error messages which indicate you need to free more hard disk space for virtual memory include: "Cannot open streaming sound like," "Streaming sound buffer creation failed," "Warning! In C++new memory pool empty," or "Not enough storage to process this command."

3.	Make sure that you have turned off all other programs on your computer when playing the game. To do this, try holding down the Shift key when you are starting Windows 95. This will prevent any programs that may be in your Start menu from loading, and should allow you the memory needed to run HyperBlade.

4.	It is recommended that you restart your system after experiencing a crash. This helps to ensure that you will not experience any residual effects related to the crash.

5.	Some systems employ Advanced Power Management features that shut off the display and/or parts of the system when they have been idle for a period of time. These features may conflict with the game, and in fact, may cause system crashes. We highly recommend that you turn these features off when playing the game.

6.	Make sure your hard drive is not compressed.


Game Graphics are Faded or Strange in Appearance

1.	Make sure your video card is 100% Windows 95-compatible. Using a non-Windows 95-compatible video card and drivers may result in display problems.

2.	Make sure that you have closed all other programs on your computer when playing the game.

3.	Make sure that your video driver supports 256 Colors in your Color Settings. HyperBlade for Windows 95 should be played in 256 Colors for optimum performance.

If you purchased your video card before the release of Windows 95, you may obtain updated drivers from a variety of places. Most hardware retailers have access to the most recent drivers. Additionally, most video card manufacturers maintain a BBS containing the latest drivers for free downloading. Drivers are also available on CompuServe, America Online, The Microsoft Network and other popular online networks. A list of video card manufacturers and their Technical Support and BBS numbers is available in this document. Please make every effort to install the latest video drivers before calling Activision Customer Support.


Game Updates and/or Patches

(available in English only)

You may check our web page for updates to your game at:

http://www.activision.com

If you are uncertain of a game update and/or patch, please E-mail all questions to our internet mailing address at:

support@activision.com


General Troubleshooting for Joysticks and Game Pads

1.	Make sure your joystick is properly calibrated in Windows 95. To do this, perform the following steps:

a.	Click on the START button on your taskbar, Select SETTINGS|CONTROL PANELS.

b.	Open the Windows 95 CONTROL PANEL folder and double-click the JOYSTICK icon.

c.	Select the appropriate settings in the Current Joystick and Joystick Selection drop-down menus.

d.	Calibrate your controller.

2.	Although Windows 95 contains several built-in gamepad and joystick drivers, you may need to obtain a Windows 95-compatible driver from the gamepad or joystick manufacturer.

3.	Be sure to connect your input device to the correct joystick port. If you are using a game card to run your joystick, be sure to disable the joystick port on your sound card. Please refer to your sound card manual for instructions on disabling the joystick port.

4.	Make sure your joystick properties are setup for only one joystick.  Please follow the steps below:

a.	Click on the START button on your taskbar, Select SETTINGS.

b.	Select CONTROL PANELS.

c.	Double-click the JOYSTICK icon.

d.	Pull down the menu for CURRENT JOYSTICK and choose JOYSTICK 2.  Make sure the Joystick selection down below changes to none.  If it does not say none select it.

e.	Click on the APPLY button.

f.	Now, click on the OK button.

Game Pad Setup

HyperBlade has a default configuration for four-button game pads. Left to right, top to bottom, the buttons are set to: Attack and Pass (top row), and Shoot and Speedburst (bottom row).

To change your game pad configuration, use a text editor such as the Notepad program supplied with Windows 95 to open the booie.ini file, which is located in the data folder inside the folder where HyperBlade is installed (for the default installation location, booie.ini is located in C:\Program Files\Activision\HyperBlade\data). There is a section which looks like this:

[GamePad]

Attack=1

Shoot=4

Speed=3

Pass=2

Change the numbers after the button command (e.g., Attack) to indicate the button you want to configure with that command. The top two buttons on the game pad from left to right are 1 and 2. The bottom two buttons from left to right are 3 and 4.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a gamepad that allows you to map keystrokes to buttons, then you need to set all buttons to 0, and use your gamepad configuration software to set up your gamepad.

Microsoft Sidewinder Gamepad

You will need to configure your Sidewinder Gamepad before it will work with HyperBlade. See your gamepad documentation for more information. We suggest that you set up your gamepad with the following configuration:

Left Trigger	Speedburst

Right Trigger 	Power Shot/Call For Pass

X	Jump

Z	Quick Shot

A	Change Player

C	Attack

If you press the mode button while playing with the Sidewinder Gamepad, you will lose control of your dromer, because the gamepad is switching between analog and digital control. You will need to exit HyperBlade and restart the game to regain control with the gamepad.


How can I improve Performance?

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 Panels.

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 to Start the Game

How do I start the game? - Basic instructions on how to begin playing the game.

How do I Start Network Game Play?


How to Start the Windows 95 Version of the Game

After installing the game, insert the disc into the CD-ROM drive and wait for Windows 95 to display the AutoPlay title screen. If this screen does not appear, choose the START button and select PROGRAMS. Click on HYPERBLADE and choose HyperBlade. Once the title screen appears click the PLAY button to launch HyperBlade.


HyperBlade Information: The Windows 95 Version

Minimum System Requirements for the Windows 95 version

Minimum System Requirements for Network Play


HyperBlade does not display textures and does not appear to be running in 3D mode.

You may have turned off drome texture-mapping by pressing the F8 key while playing the game.  Try pressing F8 to turn full texture mapping back on.

You should also, check the documentation and software that came with your 3D card to see if you have set it up properly. If there are any demonstration or diagnostics programs that came with your card try running them to see if you have 3D features such as texture mapping enabled. If there’s a problem with the demonstration or diagnostic programs, your card may not be properly installed, or your system may not have the video drivers or DirectX 2 set up properly.

1.	If the other application works, try reinstalling HyperBlade.

2.	Your 3D accelerator Windows 95 drivers may not be up to date. Make sure you have the latest drivers available.

3.	You may not have DirectX 2 installed. Try installing DirectX 2 again using the HyperBlade installer.


I Uninstalled the Game and there is no Option to Reinstall it

Unfortunately the Windows 95 registry thinks the game is installed.  You will want to delete it from the registry.  You can do so by following these instructions:

1.	Click on the Start button and choose Run.

2.	Type in REGEDIT and then press <Enter>.

3.	You should see the regedit screen, double click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder.

4.	Now double click on the software folder.

5.	Double click on the Activision folder.

6.	Right mouse click on the HyperBlade folder.

7.	Choose the delete option on the pop up menu.

8.	Confirm it by choosing the YES button.

9.	Close the regedit application.

10.	Put in the HyperBlade CD and you should have the option to reinstall now.


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

There have been some questions regarding the Gravis UltraSound (GUS) ACE operating in Windows 95. Please consult Advanced Gravis regarding updated drivers.


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

1.	Make sure your sound card is 100% Windows 95 Sound Blaster 16-compatible. Using a non-Windows 95-compatible sound card and drivers may result in sound problems. 8-bit sound cards are not supported.

2.	Make sure your speakers are plugged in correctly and turned on. Also make sure the volume is set at an audible level.

3. 	Your sound drivers for Windows 95 may require updating. Check the installation and setup parameters of your sound card using the Device Manager of Windows 95

If you purchased your sound card before the release of Windows 95, you may obtain updated drivers from a variety of places. Most hardware retailers have access to the most recent drivers. Additionally, most sound card manufacturers maintain a BBS containing the latest drivers for free downloading. Drivers are also available on CompuServe, America Online, The Microsoft Network and other popular online services. A list of sound card manufacturers and their Technical Support and BBS numbers is available in this document. Please make every effort to install the latest sound drivers before calling Activision Customer Support.


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

If you install a new video card into your system after you have installed HyperBlade, you may need to uninstall and reinstall  the game in order to get it to properly recognize the new hardware. Be sure to uninstall using the uninstaller, because other methods of deleting HyperBlade may erase your saved games. Reinstalling HyperBlade will not affect your saved games. If you choose to reinstall to a new directory, you may have to move your old saved game files to the new directory.


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

Be sure you are using a 100% Windows 95-compatible sound card capable of playing 16-bit digital audio. Sometimes Windows 95 fails to recognize your peripheral. If this happens, please consult your Windows 95 manual.

Some sound cards are advertised as 16-bit sound cards, while not really being capable of playing 16-bit sound. Many of these cards go into a 16-bit bus slot on your motherboard, yet only emulate Sound Blaster or Sound Blaster Pro 8-bit sound. Should you experience problems with your sound card, you may wish to review the documentation that came with it to verify that the card has 16-bit playback capability.

Through our testing, we have found that many of the combination sound/modem cards that come in many consumer model PC's are not capable of playing back 16-bit digital audio. Please consult the manufacturer of your PC for more information.


I've installed the game, set up DirectX, but the game screen is blank.

This is a characteristic of having the incorrect video driver loaded. To correct this:

1.	Go to the Start menu on your taskbar and select Settings|Control Panels.

2.	Double-click on the Display icon, select the Settings tab.

3.	Click on the Change Display Type button.

4.	From the Change Display Type dialog box, confirm that the adapter type matches the card you have installed in your computer. If it is incorrect, click on the Change button.

5.	In the Select Device dialog box, choose the correct video adapter. Click OK.

6.	In certain cases, you will need to insert your original Windows 95 CD in order to load the appropriate driver.

7.	After Windows 95 corrects your monitor settings, it will ask you to restart your computer. Click Yes and allow the computer to restart.

8.	Upon completion of this process, Uninstall HyperBlade and then reinstall it.


IBM OS/2 (All Varieties)

Activision Studios does not currently test under or support IBM OS/2.  Please see Supported Operating Systems for more information.


ISP

ISP: Internet Service Provider


Installing & Uninstalling the Game

Before the installation

Installing HyperBlade for Windows 95 - This contains install instructions and information about this version.

Electronically Registering Your Copy of HyperBlade (Windows 95)

Uninstalling the Windows 95 version of the game - Basic instructions on how to uninstall the game.


Installing A New Sound Card

If you install a new sound card into your system after you have installed HyperBlade, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the game in order to get it to properly recognize the new hardware. Be sure to uninstall using the uninstaller, other methods of deleting HyperBlade may erase your saved games. Reinstalling HyperBlade will not affect your saved games. If you choose to reinstall to a new directory, you may have to move your old saved game files to the new directory.


Installing HyperBlade for Windows 95

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 HyperBlade disc into your CD-ROM drive and wait a few moments until the HyperBlade 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.

NOTE: The game will play faster and smoother with the larger installs. HyperBlade can access game art and sound much faster from your hard drive than from your CD, so the more HyperBlade files installed on your hard drive, the quicker the game will play.

4.	After HyperBlade installation is complete, your computer will install Microsoft's DirectX 2 drivers if you do not already have them. After installation of DirectX 2 is complete, you will need to restart your computer for the new drivers to take effect. For more information on DirectX 2, see the DirectX 2 section of this file.

5.	You can now run HyperBlade for Windows 95 by choosing Start|Programs|HyperBlade|HyperBlade from the Start menu or by clicking Play on the HyperBlade title screen.


Introduction to HyperBlade

Welcome to HyperBlade. We hope you enjoy playing it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.

This disc includes a Windows 95 version of the game.

This supplemental documentation is designed as a troubleshooting guide. We will attempt to explain in detail the various tips, tricks and troubleshooting techniques we have learned through the course of our comprehensive testing process.

If you enjoy HyperBlade we would appreciate it if you would write to us - or write to your favorite games magazine and let them know. We appreciate both positive and constructive comments, since they help us learn what you do and don't like!

One point we want to make before we proceed: you should read this Help file to understand the features and usage of HyperBlade. Many customers can save themselves both time and money by reading the information provided for possible solutions. We also recommend that users contact us via our online services for support rather than by telephone. Often, a solution to your difficulties is already available online which can be accessed and quickly downloaded. In addition, we can also provide more comprehensive and detailed assistance through our online services.

NOTE: For your benefit, we have created a README.TXT file that contains last minute information that could not be included in this on-line help file.  If information is not found within this on-line help file, please view our README.TXT file.


I’m Having Trouble Playing The Game With The Default Keyboard Configuration
I'm having Trouble Playing the Game with the Default Keyboard Configuration

Some keyboards have certain keys which do not register when another key is pressed at the same time, which may render the default keyboard configuration for HyperBlade unusable. If you suspect this is the case, you can go into the Options screen and select Customize Keys to change your keyboard configuration to work with your system.


Joystick Calibration

1.	Make sure it is securely plugged into the correct game card. If you have questions on how to do this, please see the documentation supplied with your sound and/or game card.

2.	Use the Windows 95 joystick calibration program to make sure that your joystick is calibrated properly. To do this go to the Windows 95 Control Panel and click on the Joystick icon. Once you have reached the Joystick Control Panel, select the joystick you are using from the menu and select Calibrate to set it. Follow the steps and then exit the Control Panel.

3.	If you do not see a Joystick icon in the Control Panel, make sure you have a driver installed. To do so, go to the Control Panel and select System. Select the Device Manager tab and click on the Plus Sign (+) next to Sound, Video and Game Controllers. Your joystick driver should be listed here. Click Properties to ensure that there are no conflicts. If you do not have a joystick driver installed, or you do not see a Plus Sign (+), follow these steps to install a joystick driver:

a.	Go to the Start menu on your taskbar, Select Settings|Control Panels.

b.	Double-click on the Add New Hardware icon and then click Next.

c.	Select No and press Next.

d.	From the list select Sound, Video and Game Controllers and press Next.

e.	From Manufacturers select Microsoft, and from Models select Gameport Joystick, then click Next.

f.	Follow the directions to complete the installation of your joystick driver.


Minimum System Requirements for Windows 95 Version of HyperBlade

- 100% IBM PC-compatible computer

- Pentium 90 Mhz processor

- 16 MB RAM

- Double-speed CD-ROM drive (300K/second sustained transfer rate)

- 80 MB of uncompressed hard disk space

- VESA local bus or PCI video with 1 MB RAM

- 256 Color SVGA (640 x 480) video card

- 100% Microsoft-compatible mouse and driver

- 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible sound card

- Dedicated game card is highly recommended for joystick

Direct 3D, a component of DirectX 2, is utilized to improve game performance.  Please make sure you are using the most updated video drivers that support Direct 3D.

NOTE: 	A 100% Windows 95-compatible computer system (including compatible 32-bit drivers for CD-ROM drive, video card, sound card and input devices) is required.

NOTE:	The Windows 95 version uses new Microsoft DirectX 2 technology, and requires that your system have the most updated drivers that fully support DirectX.

Please Note: In order to play single player HyperBlade for Windows 95 the CD must be in your CD-ROM drive at all times. Multi-player HyperBlade games can be joined by remote players who have installed using the best performance or medium install options.

HyperBlade 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 HyperBlade 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 for information if you have a Nexgen Pentium and you receive a warning message during the install process.


Mouse

Systems with Wraparound Mouse Pointer Features

Some systems may have a mouse driver feature that allows the mouse cursor to "wrap around" the screen (e.g., when you move it off the right side of the screen it reappears on the left side). This feature may cause problems with the HyperBlade interface, and should be turned off before playing HyperBlade.


My screen saver runs really slow when HyperBlade is running. What can I do about that?

Because HyperBlade makes heavy use of the system resources, screen savers may be effected in this manner. We highly recommend disabling your screen saver when playing HyperBlade. Click here to open the Windows 95 Help procedure to change your Screen Saver settings.


Nexgen

Unfortunately, the Nexgen processor is not recognized as a Pentium processor by Windows 95. When Windows 95 checks the hardware it detects the processor as a 386. During installation the installer checks for verification with Windows 95 that the correct processor type is available. Windows 95 reports to the installer that the processor is a 386. There are two alternatives that can be used to remedy this problem.  They are as follows:

(The easier solution)

Continue installation, by choosing the NEXT button.  This will not degrade game performance.

Or

There is a file that will help the operating system identify the processor correctly. This is available from AMD, on their web site. (http://www.amd.com). These files will not improve game performance in any way. Before downloading and installing, please make sure you choose the correct file for your system.

If you are running a Nexgen processor with a VLB board download UPDTVL30.EXE.  If you are running a Nexgen processor with a PCI board download UPDTPI31.EXE. If problems persist contact AMD Technical Support Staff.


Notes for 3D Card Users

NEC PowerVR chipset

When playing in certain dromes, you may notice visual anomalies, such as the player appearing to sink into the floor while skating in certain areas of the drome. These visual anomalies are caused by a bug in the current drivers. We recommend playing HyperBlade in the standard Windows 95 mode. We are working with NEC to correct the problem. Please contact the manufacturer for updated drivers.

ATI 3D RAGE (ATI 3D RAGE chipset)

The ATI drivers that are part of the DirectX 2 installation have been superceded by newer drivers. We recommend that you contact your manufacturer for the latest Windows 95 drivers to correct any display problems you may encounter.

To achieve gameplay in the 10-12 frames-per-second range with this card, you may also want to play with a minimized screen size using the + and - keys on the keypad.

Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 (S3 ViRGE chipset)

The Diamond drivers that are part of the DirectX 2 installation have been superceded by newer drivers. We recommend that you contact your manufacturer for the latest Windows 95 drivers to correct any display problems you may encounter.

To achieve gameplay in the 10-12 frames-per-second range with this card, you may also want to play with a minimized screen size using the + and - keys on the keypad.

If you press F1 from HyperBlade to return to the desktop and check the Help file, you may notice some palette corruption in your display colors. We do not have a fix at the present time. You may also see some palette corruption if you press Alt-Tab from the game to return to the desktop. We do not recommend multitasking while playing HyperBlade.

Matrox Millenium (Matrox MGA Storm chipset)

This card supports hardware acceleration of polygon drawing, but it does not support texture mapping. We recommend playing HyperBlade using the standard Windows 95 version.

Matrox Mystique (MGA-1064SG chipset)

To achieve gameplay in the 10-12 frames-per-second range with this card, consider turning off drome textures by pressing the F8 key when you begin the game. You may also want to play with a minimized screen size using the + and - keys on the keypad.

If you play the game for an extended period in Enhanced Direct 3D mode, you may notice that the textures on the opposing players gradually begin to degrade in appearance. If this happens, we recommend you exit HyperBlade and restart the game to correct the problem.

If you press F1 from HyperBlade to return to the desktop and check the Help file, you may notice some palette corruption in your display colors. We do not have a fix at the present time. You may also see some palette corruption if you press Alt-Tab from the game to return to the desktop. We do not recommend multitasking while playing HyperBlade.

Rendition Verite chipset

There are no known compatibility or performance issues of note with this chipset. Please note that HyperBlade was tested with development versions of the chipset and display driver. The final retail version of this chipset and display driver may differ in performance from the versions available at the time HyperBlade was developed.

3dfx Voodoo Graphics chipset

There are no known compatibility or performance issues of note with this chipset. Please note that HyperBlade was tested with development versions of the chipset and display driver. The final retail version of this chipset and display driver may differ in performance from the versions available at the time HyperBlade was developed.


Packard Bell with Little or No Sound

If the game has no volume or it is too low you will want to use the mixer utility provided by Packard Bell.   Please follow the instructions listed below for volume control settings.

1.	From MS-DOS Mode or MS-DOS 6.22, type CD\SOUND144\UTILITY and press Enter (SOUND144 can be replaced with FORTE16 or SOUND16A depending on the sound card you have installed.)

2.	Type MIXTSR and press Enter.

3.	Hold down the ALT key while you press the / key. This will activate a menu with the following options:

TAB	Moves your selection choice to the next device to manage.

Right arrow	Turns the volumes up.

Left arrow	Turns the volumes down.

S	Save

E	Exit

Once you are finished choosing your settings in the volume control area follow the next two steps.

1.	Start Microsoft Windows 95.

2.	Begin game play as you normally would.

If problems persist, contact Packard Bell.


Power Saver Functions

We have discovered through the course of testing HyperBlade that many computers equipped with a power saver feature in their system CMOS have problems running the game when this feature is turned on. This feature only activates after the computer is left idle for a certain period of time. To solve this problem, you should save your place in the gauntlet if you need to be away from the computer for a while. Another option is to turn this feature off in your system CMOS.


QA Test Team

Front Row (L to R)

Eric "The Human Thesaurus" Zala, Tim "Outlaw" Vanlaw, Jay Sosnicki, Dave "Drago" Arnspiger

2nd Row (L to R)

Michael Spann, Kip Stolberg, Bryant Troupe, Tony Villalobos, Nadine Theuzillot, Marietta Pashayan, Mark Robertshaw, Willie Bolton, Steve Ewell, Neil Barizo, Robert Fournier, Sean Hendon, Derek Johnstone

3rd Row (L to R)

Perigil Ilacas, Dylan "Style" Taylor, Rick "What's that up in the sky?" Omori, Todd Komesu, Jenny Park, Drew Bittner, George, Curtis Shenton, Brian Jennings, Brian Diggs, David Ghys, Jimmie D. Hudson III, David Berenbaum, Marc Turndorf, Marty Stratton, Nancy Hills

Everyone Else In The Back Row (L to R)

James Corriston, Todd Hill, J. Tyler Scott, Jameson Wang, Jonathon Eubanks, Indra Gunawan, Jon Doellstedt, Chris Keim, Kelly Wand, Jason Wong, Mattt Stubbs, Cliff Maraschino, Dave Nash, Judith Chlipala, Bob McPherson, Ron Weibel, Doug Jacobs, Sam Nouriani, Matthew Paul, Anthony Korotko, Kenny Ramirez, Chuck Bonini, Ed Tretter, 2 smokers from our programming team.

Not Pictured (In no particular order)

Gina Swanson, Jim Summers (He took the picture!), Mitch Goldman, Dan Hagerty, Tanya Langston, Ed Velez and the rest of Activision Studios who were upstairs working hard while we goofed off taking this picture!


QEMM

QEMM: Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager from Quarterdeck Corp.


RAM

RAM: Random Access Memory


Running the Game Without a CD

For single-player games, HyperBlade CD must remain in the CD-ROM drive at all times in order to run HyperBlade. The game accesses files from the CD during game play. Therefore there is no way to play without a CD in the drive.

For multi-player games, you can run the game without the CD only if you have installed HyperBlade using the Best Performance or Recommended Install options.  If you do not have the CD, click the Start button on the taskbar.  Select Run, and type HyperX (in the open: box) and click OK.  You will only be able to join a multi-player game without the CD in the CD-ROM drive.


Supported Operating Systems

HyperBlade supports one operating system at this time; Microsoft Windows 95

The following operating systems are not supported:

MS-DOS 6.22

MS-DOS Mode 7.0

Microsoft Windows NT

IBM OS/2 (All Varieties)


Table of Contents

Read me first!

System & setup requirements

Installing & Uninstalling the Game

How to start the Game

Game Play - Instructions on how to control your Dromer and play the game.

Notes for 3D Card Users - Notes about playing the enhanced Direct 3D version of HyperBlade.

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

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

Activision Customer Support - Information about our support services.

Credits - The folks who helped make this game.

NOTE: For your benefit, we have created a README.TXT file that contains last minute information that could not be included in this on-line help file.  If information is not found within this on-line help file, please view our README.TXT file.


Taskbar Always on Top

In order to launch HyperBlade, the Windows 95 taskbar cannot have the option Always On Top selected.

For directions on how to turn this option off, please see the Microsoft Help system.  Click Here to display the Microsoft Help system subject on Configuring the Taskbar.


The Fonts are too Large and are Extending off the Screen

Systems using a font manager, like Adobe Acrobat, installed to Windows 95, may have the game fonts appear larger than normal because the font manager will redirect Windows 95 to use the fonts it supplies. This will cause some text printing across the game window, and the text sometimes becomes unreadable. The general solution is to disable the font manager temporarily.


The volume levels of my music, sounds effects or game voices are too low for me to hear. What can I do?

Check your speakers to see if the volume can be turned up. This is the easiest solution. However, if this does not solve your problem, try adjusting the SoundFx and Music volume sliders in the Options menu of the game. Your sound card may have a volume or mixer utility that can raise the volume of your sound output. Finally, some sound card models have a volume knob in the back. Consult your sound card manual for more information.


To Check Your Display Type Settings

If you are not sure of the type and capabilities of your video card, follow the steps below to find out what is currently in your system. Once you know what type of video card is in your system, please consult the Vendor List for the company that manufactures it.

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

2.	Click on the Change Display Type button.

3.	Under Adapter type in the window that appears, make sure that the adapter type is appropriate for your video card.

4.	If you are still having problems with your video card at this point, consult the manual for your video card or the Vendor List in this document for information on how to contact your video card manufacturer.


URL

URL: Uniform Resource Locator. An addressing scheme used to

link resources on the World Wide Web.  Using URLs, a web browser

can point to most resources on the net.


Uninstalling the Windows 95 Version of the Game

How to uninstall HyperBlade.

The Uninstall option in HyperBlade allows the game to remove itself completely from your hard drive. From the Start button go to Programs/HyperBlade/HyperBlade 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 HyperBlade 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 HyperBlade files from your computer, complete the following steps:

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

2.	Remove HyperBlade from the Start menu.

a.	Go to the Settings/Taskbar from the Start menu.

b.	Select the Start Menu and choose the Programs tab.

c.	Click the Remove button.

d.	Highlight and then delete the entire HyperBlade entry.

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

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

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

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

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


VESA

VESA: Video Electronics Standards Association.


VLB

VLB: VESA Local Bus. A high-speed bus for graphics cards that provides better video performance on high-end machines.


Video Driver Settings

DirectDraw cannot function unless the correct video drivers for your video card are installed. In certain cases, Windows 95 will function correctly without the correct video drivers installed. As a result, it may be difficult for you to diagnose a video driver problem that is preventing HyperBlade from running. Always check that you have the correct video driver installed for your video card.


While I’m playing HyperBlade, the image is very choppy and slow.

1.	Close all other programs while playing.

2.	Set your Display to 256 Color in your Windows 95 Control Panel.

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

a.	Go to the Start menu on your taskbar and 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 dialog box, position the Hardware Acceleration slider to Full.


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

This may be due to a compatibility problem between the Sound Blaster Pro 2 and certain video cards. We discovered it with an Orchid Kelvin card installed. A small amount of distortion plays near the beginning and end of sound effects. We have no solution for it at this moment.


Windows NT

The current version of Microsoft Windows NT does not support DirectX, a major component of HyperBlade; therefore it is not compatible. You may be able to run the MS-DOS version of the game under Windows NT, but so far this has not been extensively tested. Please see Supported Operating Systems for more information.