Redline Four-Player Network Demo Readme
December 18 1998
Copyright 1998 Accolade Inc
All Rights Reserved

Contents
1.	Introduction 
2.	System Requirements
3.	Installation
4.	Redline Launcher & Hardware Setup
5.	Main Menu
6.	Playing the Game
7.	Multiplayer Setup 
8.	DirectX6 and Drivers
9.	3D Video Card Troubleshooting
10.	Known Bugs and Gameplay Issues
11.	Open Beta Info & Tech Support
12.	The Story
13.	What will be in the final game?

Note: This is a four player open beta of Redline that may exhibit bugs with some systems!  Please refer to the “Open Beta” section of this document to report problems and help us make Redline a perfect gaming experience.  Visit www.accolade.com for information on coming updates to this demo and the release version of the game.

1.	Introduction

REDLINE Gang Warfare 2066
Urban Warfare in the not too distant future.  Enter a world of pain in this first ever 21st century gang combat action game.  Redline features a seamless blend of vehicular and on-foot combat that will have you carjacking your opponents’ rides, fragging rival gang members in drive-by shootings, and camping out with your sniper rifle to blow away unsuspecting punks.

This demo includes two REDLINE  multi-player arenas: KILLCAGE and TRIAGONIZER.  In these two arenas you will have access to up to 11 vehicles, each with its own unique weapons and characteristics.  You will also have access to 10 weapons you may use while on foot.  The object of the multi-player game is to stomp, kill and frag as many of your opponents as possible.  The final release version of Redline will offer both single player missions and numerous multi-player arenas.

The Readme file offers a wealth of information on how to play the game and some special controls and weapons you may not be familiar with.  Before you begin you should know the following:

STARTING A MULTI-PLAYER TCP/IP GAME:
In order to play a multi-player game over the internet one computer must act as the server.  Each player wishing to join the game must know the server’s IP address.  

In order to obtain your IP address for playing a TCP/IP game follow the following instructions:
First, make sure you are logged onto the internet through your internet provider. After successfully connecting to the internet, click your Windows START button. Choose RUN from the START menu. In the RUN box type "WINIPCFG", and click the OK button. This will pop up a new dialogue box. Note the section that says "IP address", and write down this number. Give this number to your friends and they will be able to connect to your computer using this IP address. NOTE: your IP address may change each time you log onto the internet, so you'll need to follow these instructions each time you would like to obtain your IP address.

GETTING OUT OF CARS AND TURRETS:
The [Delete] key will exit you on the left side and the [Page Down] key will exit you on the right side of a car or turret. These are default settings and may be reconfigured.

GETTING INTO CARS AND TURRETS:
Simply walk into the left or right side of the car or turret to enter the vehicle.
	
MOUSE DRIVING AND POWERSLIDING:
Mastering the powerslide is essential to becoming a formidable car combatant. We highly recommend driving with the mouse - with a little practice, this gives the greatest degree of control. The space bar is used to lock your brakes and throw your vehicle into a slide.  Practice getting up a head of steam, locking the brakes, and spinning your vehicle into a 180-degree turn. The pursued becomes the pursuer. 

SAW FLYING:
A multiplayer feature.  For short bursts, the deadly saw blade weapon will fly you across an arena in helicopter fashion. To saw fly, switch to the saw weapon, move forward and press the fire key, and jump.  Away you go.  Steer in the air as you would on the ground.  Find a nice perch and load up your sniper rifle… The saw blade has a limited amount of flying power but will recharge when not in use.

USE SIDE AND REAR FIRING WEAPONS IN CARS: 
Your side firing weapons are mapped to your strafe keys (or whatever you like - check out the separate interfaces for setting Vehicle and on-foot controls).

RE-MAPPING KEYS: 
Select Controls on the Main Menu then select the On Foot or Vehicle tabs.  Click on the control to be re-mapped, then input the desired keystroke or mouse click.

FREELOOK IN VEHICLES:
In the Vehicle Controls menu turn Freelook on.  This will allow you to move the aiming reticule with the mouse while driving a car. 

EMP MISSILE: This special on-foot weapon is usually located in the center of the multiplayer map.  Launch it at an occupied car and it will eject the driver, blind him, and render the car useless for a few seconds.

In future releases of Redline demos and in the final product we plan on supporting M-Player, GameSpy, and other internet game matching services.
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2.	System Requirements

a.	MINIMUM
Pentium 200mhz or K6 200mhz w/ 32megs RAM
Microsoft Windows® 95
3D Acceleration Card
Microsoft DirectX 6 (Redline will ask you if you would like to install it if it is not found)
Approximately 37MB of available hard drive space.

	RECOMMENDED
b.	Pentium II or K6-2 w/ 64megs of RAM
3D Acceleration Card w/ 8megs
Windows® 98

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3.	Installation

Double click on the REDLINEMULTI 12-22-98.exe file 
Follow the on-screen prompts.   
If the installation program does not detect DirectX6 it will give you instructions on where to download it. 

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4.	Redline Launcher & Hardware Setup

The Redline Launcher allows you to adjust some display settings and read the Readme document before playing the game. Before you play Redline it is very important to click the Display button and select the right 3D hardware.
a.	Display: Click on the Display button and you will see two sections, Display Device and Screen Resolution. If you have a single 2D/3D video card you should select the “Primary Display Device”.  If you have separate 2D and 3D video cards, the 3D card will be listed under the “Primary Display Device”. Consult the 3D Video Card section any special instructions for your 3D card. 
b.	ADVANCED OPTIONS: These options should only be adjusted if you are having difficulty getting Redline to run on your hardware, or if you are experiencing poor performance.  Check the 3D Video Cards section for tips on improving performance. 
c.	Trouble Shooting: This opens the Readme document.  This document will help you solve most technical and gameplay related problems.
d.	Play Redline: This button will start Redline. 
e.	Quit:  Exit the Launcher without playing Redline.

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5.	Main Menu

a.	New Game: Not Functional
b.	LOAD GAME: Not Functional
c.	Multiplayer: This will bring up the Multiplayer Setup menu.  There are two ways to connect to a multiplayer game: TCP/IP and IPX.  See the Multiplayer Setup section for instructions on starting and joining games.
d.	settings: The Settings menu has three options:
e.	CONTROLS: Use this menu to customize the controls used during play. At the top of the Controls menu are separate tabs for On Foot and Vehicle controls. To re-assign any control, click on the control name, then press the key or mouse button you want to use. 
f.	VIDEO DISPLAY OPTIONS: This has most of the options available in the Display menu of the Launcher.  Consult the 3D Cards section for troubleshooting tips.
g.	AUDIO OPTION: Not Functional
e.	QUIT: Exit the game and return to the desktop.

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6.	Playing the Game

When playing Redline there are two sets of controls, On-Foot and Vehicle.  Most control settings can be re-mapped to any keys you like through the Controls menu.  Note that some controls (Camera Views, Weapon Numbers, etc) cannot be re-mapped through the Controls menu and must be changed manually in the Redline.CFG file. We do not recommend editing the CFG file. Always make a copy of the CFG file before editing.

SPECIAL
MAIN MENU:	<ESC>
SKIP CUT SCENE: 	<Space Bar>
SCREENSHOT:	<F10>

ON-FOOT CONTROL	 			IN-CAR CONTROL
Forward:	<up arrow>		ACCELERATE:		<up arrow>
Backward:	<down arrow>		BRAKE/REVERSE:	<down arrow>
LEFT:	<left arrow>		TURN LEFT:		<left arrow>
RIGHT:	<right arrow>		TURN RIGHT:		<right arrow>
STRAFE LT/RT: 	<, > and <. >		PARKING BRAKE:	<space>
JUMP:	<space>			FIRE FRONT:		<ctrl>
FIRE:	<ctrl>			CHANGE WEAPON:	<tab> or <1 to 6>
CHANGE WEAPON: <tab> or <0 thru 9>	FIRE LT/RT SIDE:	<,> and <.>
LOOK UP:	<a>			LOOK LEFT:		<insert>
LOOK DOWN:	<z>			LOOK RIGHT:		<page up>
SNIPER ZOOM:	<+> and <->		LOOK BEHIND:		<home>
ENTER VEHICLE:	move to vehicle door	EXIT VEHICLE:		<delete> <page down>
GUN ON/OFF:	<F5>			1st PERSON CAMERA:	<F1>
DISPLAY ON/OFF:	<F4>			3RD PERSON CAMERA:	<F2>
					3RD PERSON REAR:	<F3>
					DASHBOARD ON/OFF:	<F5>
						
MOUSE CONTROL
FIRE WEAPON:	<left mouse button>
FORWARD:	<right mouse button>

*Important:  To get in a car, walk into the door on the driver or passenger side. 

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7.	Multiplayer Setup

You can connect to Redline Multiplayer games via IPX or TCP, the MODEM option is not functional.  Up to 4 players can join with a high degree of stability. 

a.	THE LOBBY
A multiplayer game has two areas: the Lobby and the Game. When players join they start in the Lobby. In the Lobby players can choose their gang and character skin, type messages to other players and join the game.  

b.	HOSTING A GAME
TCP: At the TCP menu you will have the options:
INTERNET: Click on the section labeled “IP address”, and enter the IP address of your computer. Press enter, and click on the Internet button. 
LAN: This is for games that are played over a LAN using the TCP/IP protocol. Click on Create Game.
IPX: The IPX option will search your LAN for any games.  Click on Create Game. 
Once you have created the game you will be at the Lobby. Here you can select the max kills and time limit. 

c.	JOINING A GAME:
TCP: At the TCP menu you will have the options:
INTERNET: Click on the section labeled “IP address”, and enter the IP address of the computer hosting the game. Press enter, and click on the Internet button
LAN: This is for games that are played over a LAN using the TCP/IP protocol. This will search the network for any games automatically. 
IPX: The IPX option will search your LAN for any games automatically.

d.	SAW FLYING:
A multiplayer feature.  For short bursts, the saw blade weapon will fly you across a deathmatch in helicopter fashion. To saw fly, switch to the saw weapon, press the fire key, move forward, and jump.  Away you go.  Steer in the air as you would on the ground.  Find a nice perch and load up your sniper rifle…

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8.	DirectX6 & Drivers

DirextX6 is required to play Redline and you will be prompted to install DirectX6 when you install Redline. After DirectX6 is installed you must restart your computer for it to take effect.

As with most games it is recommended that you update the drivers for your video and audio hardware.  You can download the most recent drivers from the manufacturer’s web site. 

3D Labs
www.3Dlabs.com

3Dfx Interactive
www.3Dfx.com

ATI 
www.atitech.com

Canopus Corporation
www.canopuscorp.com

Creative Labs
www.soundblaster.com

Diamond Multimedia
www.diamondmm.com

Hercules
www.hercules.com

Matrox 
www.matrox.com

Number Nine
www.nine.com

nVidia
www.nvidia.com

Rendition
www.rendition.com

S3
www.S3.com

STB Systems
www.stb.com

Trident
www.tridentmicro.com

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9.	3D Video Card Troubleshooting 
We have gone to great lengths to make Redline compatible with as many 3D cards and chipsets as possible.  But due to the large number of new 3D products we can’t guarantee full compatibility with everyone’s system. Changing the options in the Display menu can solve many performance and compatibility problems. This is a list of common problems and solutions.
a.	Low Framerate: From the Launcher click on the Display button, then click on the Advanced button. Adjust the options to match one of the following lists:

For low detail
	-All Special Effects: off
	-Particles: min
	-Texture Detail: low

For Medium detail
	-All Special Effects: on
	-Particles: normal
	-Textures: med

For High detail
	-All Special Effects: on
	-Particles: lots
	-Texture Detail: high

b.	Crashing at startup: From the Launcher click on the Display button, if you are selecting a screen resolution other than 640x480x16 the game may crash when starting.  Adjust the screen resolution to 640x480x16 for maximum reliability.  
c.	flashing or Missing textures: If textures are missing or flashing (causing cars and the landscape to appear white or gray) start the Launcher, click on the Display button then click on the Advanced button.  Enable the Paletted option.  Note: this may not correct the problem with some video cards – this issue is being addressed.
d.	CORRUPTED TEXTURES: If textures are corrupted (strange color patterns) start the Launcher, click on the Display button then click on the Advanced button. Disable the Paletted option.
e.	Unsupported chipsets: Unfortunately, by the release of this demo not all 3D chipsets could be supported.  The full release version of Redline will support all chipsets available on the market.  These chipsets are known to be unsupported:
	Virge VX 
	Virge DX
	MGA 1064SG-D (Matrox Mystique)
	MGA 2164WP-C (Matrox Millenium)
	Power VR 
	Rage II

10.	Known Bugs and Gameplay Issues

At present we are working to correct the following known issues with this version of Redline, and plan to have all of them corrected in the final release.  We will also update this demo as fixes are completed; visit for www.accolade.com for updates.  Please consult the following list of known issues before submitting bugs you’ve encountered during gameplay to redline@accolade.com:

ALT-TAB SWITCHING – App-switching by pressing ALT-TAB may cause texture loss or corruption to appear in Redline, and may prevent clients from joining a server.

POWERSLIDE BUG – Occasionally cars will reverse themselves during a powerslide, usually if they become airborne during the slide.

LAG – Redline has been tested across a wide variety of network connections, but slow connections will create “lag” in the game.  This manifests itself with jerky vehicle movement and long pauses while attempting to enter or exit a vehicle.  Seek a server closer to your geographic location or with a faster connection to your network.

LOOPING MACHINE GUN SOUND – Occasionally a looping machine gun sound gets “stuck” in the game and won’t stop playing.  The game must be restarted in this event.

11.	Open Beta Info & Tech Support

Thank you for trying the Open Beta version of the REDLINE Multi-Player Demo.

Please use this form to notify us of any technical problems you encounter with the game, this can include audio and video problems, network and modem problems and any other hardware related issues.  Accolade Tech Support is not collecting information at this time.  This information is sent directly to the developer.

If you have general comments about gameplay, balancing, and tuning, or any other issues, please send them to:
redline@accolade.com 

Technical Support

You can ask for help with your Accolade game by reaching us by Phone, Fax,
Online and Mail:

PHONE:	Accolade can help you by phone between the following hours:
		Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 5:00pm PST and
		Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm PST
		(408) 296-8400

INTERNET:       website - http://www.accolade.com
		email   - techelp@accolade.com

FAX:		Faxes may be sent anytime to:  (408) 246-0231

MAIL:         	Accolade Tech Support
                	5300 Stevens Creek Blvd.
               	Suite 500
		San Jose, CA 95129

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11.	The Story

People who have the luxury of contemplating the past call the first decade of the twenty-first century the Golden Age of Technology. It's been only fifty years since that decade ended and things began to unravel, yet there is no one left who remembers that time. No one on the outside, anyway. People on the inside live a long time, I've heard, and people in my gang tell stories about how the Insiders all watched the world fall apart like it was some kind of fireworks show. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself, but I like to think about what it must have like to be alive during that first decade. The Chinese used to have a saying: There is great disorder under heaven, and the situation is excellent. I figure it must have been a little like that.

Back in the nineteen fifties, some guy named Reich told everybody that he'd discovered a boundless source of energy; maybe even the life force itself. He called it orgone, and he built these funny boxes called orgone accumulators. Some people bought them and said they cured diseases and made them think more clearly, but most people thought it was a hoax. Scientists wouldn't look at it because Reich was a psychologist, but he went ahead and sold plans for the boxes to lots of people anyway. At the time no one really understood what happened next, but all of a sudden Reich was put in prison and public burnings of his books were held in cities all over the country. Sometime around the turn of the century, people figured out why.

The boxes worked. Anybody could build an orgone accumulator, and soon engines began to appear that were driven by them, although the source of orgone energy was still a mystery. People built generators, cars, heating and cooling systems, you name it. Free energy. By the time the major world governments and the fossil fuel consortiums that controlled them realized the seriousness of the problem, the cat was out of the bag. Most of them didn't even resist handing over the reins of power, and outside of a few skirmishes in the Middle East and the Houston Riots, a bloodless revolution took place. People learned that orgone and other alternative fuels had been deliberately suppressed for years, and that the Insiders, as the corporations and their puppet governments came to be called, had also retarded the development of environmental engineering technology that could dramatically reduce humanity's pressure on Earth's ravaged biosphere. The rhetoric of emerging world leaders capitalized on people's outrage, and hastened worldwide environmental repair. Some of their plans were a little strange, but they were so optimistic, so sure that they were leading mankind back to Eden, that no one really questioned them. After all, there's nothing wrong with cleaning up the planet.

The revolution started by Reich's accumulators and the realization that many such advancements could have been squelched by the Insiders sent people scurrying to their history books to exhume the theories of every eccentric and discredited scientist of the past century. Most of what they found was harmless delusion, but a few discoveries of valuable suppressed technology were made. The theories of the nineteenth century inventor Nikola Tesla gained tremendous notoriety, and physicists tripped over themselves in their rush to reexamine his work. Tesla believed that he had discovered a way to transmit electrical power through the air as easily as radio waves, and envisioned a worldwide system of power stations transmitting free energy. He was proven correct, but the universal availability of orgone accumulators eliminated the need for his invention. Scientists turned to Tesla's more theoretical work.

What people didn't realize was that the Insiders had for the most part escaped the revolution unscathed; people were understandably more concerned with building utopias than with hunting down broken tyrants. The Insiders were never destroyed, they merely sank beneath the surface like Leviathan and waited for their chance to rise again. Furiously researching the technology they had restrained, they found in Tesla's theories an opportunity to resume their thrones. 

Tesla was aware that every object has a resonant frequency; a breaking point where an object vibrates in phase with waves that is striking it. This is why a glass will shatter when the correct note is struck nearby on a tuning fork. The glass resonates with the tuning fork, its structure vibrating faster and faster until it shakes itself apart. This was thoroughly understood in Tesla's day, but he took the idea a step further. He reasoned that the Earth itself must have a resonant frequency, and he set out to calculate it. The Insiders were delighted to discover that while he was a little off in figuring Earth's frequency, he had hit the moon's right on the money.

The leaders of the world's emerging new nations, meanwhile, met at the first United World conference in Singapore to discuss solutions to the planet's remaining environmental dilemmas. It was decided that nuclear, chemical and biological weapon disposal was a priority, as was permanent relocation of the toxic wastes and heavy metals generated by hundreds of years or rapacious industry. As orgone-powered spacecraft were now under construction, it seemed feasible to easily and economically store these wastes on the moon, which was not considered desirable for colonization anyway. A corporation called Renewal, Inc. presented this plan, and indicated they were ready to implement it immediately. It's amazing to us now that no one questioned where Renewal, Inc. had come from, or why they were already so ideally equipped for an industry that had yet to be created. Contracts were signed, and Renewal, Inc. was given access to the most devastating weapons a self-destructive species had been able to devise. To universal cheers, they began hauling it all to the moon.

On April 1, 2012, the Insiders began a series of timed nuclear detonations on the poles of the moon. It took several hours before the moon began to resonate and shake apart, and at that point the explosions were stopped. Plenty of damage had been done already, however, and the Insiders now had all of the aces back in their sleeves. The orbit of the moon was disrupted just enough to wreak havoc on Earth; tidal waves destroyed many coastal cities, weather patterns became chaotic, and clouds of fallout and debris from the lunar explosions circled the globe. Within a year, over two thirds of Earth's population was gone. Those who died quickly in storms or were claimed by the sea were lucky.

Most of the survivors developed some degree of the deteriorating skin condition dubbed "Red-6," a legacy of the fallout and the poisonous air. Wealthy Insiders came out of hiding with treatments for Red-6 that only they could afford. When the search for clean water became the focus of most of humanity, the Insiders immediately unveiled a technique mating salt water purification and deep sea drilling to offer life's most crucial need at a "reasonable" price. Competing techniques for the extraction or purification of water spawned an enormous industry overnight, with the Insiders once more at the helm. They constructed domed cities for the wealthy, where corporations such as O2 sold pure metered air at whatever price the market could sustain. "Designer air," a mildly hallucinogenic but very addictive and expensive luxury, caught on among the wealthy as the Insiders in their greed began to prey even upon their own.

Life outside these cities was barely possible. Tremendous storms raged across what little arable land was left, and toxic debris still engulfed the planet like a diseased blanket. By 2060, the weather was somewhat stabilized, but few Outsiders could expect to live longer than thirty years. Most lived near the domed cities of the Insiders, where they could occasionally breathe clean air or drink clean water in exchange for menial labor or participation in grisly entertainments. You see, we don't much look like the Insiders anymore, and we don't think like they do at all. They have come to see us as a separate, inferior species, and most of the gangs on the Outside would probably agree with the "separate" part. The Insiders started BattleWheels gaming about ten years ago, and it is by far the most popular of their diversions. A lot of the Outsider gangs hate each other anyway, and maybe the Insiders think that if we can be encouraged to fight amongst ourselves we won't make trouble. I'm not sure we could make much trouble against their weapons, but maybe that's what they think.

So I guess most gangs are into the games because they know they won't live long anyway, and there's always a chance that someday you might blow away one of the thrill-seeking Insiders who occasionally join the games. Or maybe it's because there are some Outsiders who have become legends in the BattleWheels arenas, and live on the Inside now. Some gangs just like to watch things die. 

I don't need a reason. Let the games begin.

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12.	What will be in the final game?

•	20 unique vehicles, with over 50 different twisted weapons, including lightning mortars, orgone cannons, and sentry mines!

•	12 epic single player missions featuring massive property damage, spectacular special effects, and heaps of Company gang attitude.

•	Insane multiplayer combats through Mplayer, GameSpy and LAN support  – up to 16 players compete to out-think, out-shoot and out-drive their opponents.

•	Multiplayer Capture the Flag as you’ve never played it – in ferociously armed cars (and yes, you have to jump out of your rig to grab the flag on foot…)

•	Stationary guns and cannons.  

•	Hard-case AI that attacks like real human players.

•	Support for force feedback devices.