PC Gamer 1/1994-12_-_Disc_1.iso/dawn/read.me

Text File | 1994-08-15 | 10KB | 310 lines

Dawn Patrol Self Running and Playable Demo
=======================================

Copyright 1994 Rowan Software Ltd

The demo is provided on two floppy disks which must be installed onto a
hard drive:
    program disk:        this allows you to run the VGA version
                of the self running and playable demo
                and use the SVGATEST to determine
                whether we support your graphics card for
                 the SVGA version.

    SVGA graphics disk:    this, when used in conjunction with the
                program disk, will allow you to play the
                self running and playable demo in SVGA.


If you have only been supplied with one disk, it will most probably be the
program disk, it may be labelled "Dawn Patrol Demo".

The standard demo is provided in standard VGA mode only.
Dawn Patrol can also be played in super VGA and there is a supplementary
SVGA demo artwork disk.  The test program, SVGATEST, on the demo disk can be
used to see if the player's machine is supported by our drivers.  More about
this later.

If the SVGATEST is successful and if you have the svga demo graphics disk and
if you have a 486DX66 machine or better, then we recommend that you try the
svga demo. The game can be run on slower machines in SVGA, please see graphics
support below.

Installation
------------
From the floppy drive:
                         install drive:\directory
               e.g. a:
                         install c:\dpdemo


To install the SVGA graphics disk:

                         install drive:\directory
               e.g. a:
                         install c:\dpdemo

To run the game type "Patrol".

Memory Requirements for Demo
----------------------------

     Hard Disk:     3.5MB

     RAM:           450KB of conventional memory to load program
                 +   50KB of conventional or umb memory to run
         +   20KB for music and sfx

                    2.3MB EMS


Program Configuration
---------------------

After typing "Patrol", you will be presented with the standard Dawn Patrol
program configuration:

     Colour Options:     Choose 1 for 320.200 VGA
                         The other options are not available on the standard
             demo.

     Music Options:      Choose any of the options presented.

     SFX Options:        Choose any of the options presented.  If
                         SoundBlaster is chosen, the program will inspect
                         your autoexec.bat for the necessary setup data.  If
                         the information is not available, you will have to
                         input it manually.

     Sound on Ground:
     Sound in Air:       We offer the choice of 5.5KHz sound and 11KHz
                         sound.  The 11KHz ones sound better but they take
                         up more RAM.  Also, for any SFX option choice,
                         apart from the SoundBlaster, the 11KHz sound will
                         slow down the game.

If you would like to reconfigure the program at a later date
(eg. to show SVGA), at the DOS prompt type:

          Patrol  ?



User Interface
--------------

1.   The keyboard controls are always available:

          Tab            to move selection forwards
          Shift Tab      to move selection backwards
          Enter or Space to select

     Hot keys as indicated.

2.   Mouse control will be available provided that a driver has been
     previously installed. All text in red can be selected.

3.   The joystick can only be used for flight.  It cannot be configured to
     work the user interface.


Manoeuvring
-----------

     The default is keyboard, using the arrow keys.  For joystick selection
     and calibration, got to the Preferences Page (or f10 in game).

          +         revs up   (keypad gives bigger effects)
          -         revs down (as above)
          ,         minimum revs
          .         maximum military revs
          ins,del   rudder
          end,PgDn  max rudder



Basic Dogfighting
-----------------
   - Enter to move to outside lock
   - manoeuvre aircraft until pointing at enemy
   - backspace to move to inside lock to make the kill
   - alt F to switch padlock focus to another aircraft

Other Keys

There are many other keys available in the demo, but we would need a
manual to describe them all.  Here are some important ones:

     alt D     to toggle auto detail
     ctrl D    to manually select a detail level
     P         pause


View Matrix
-----------

There are a very large number of views available in Dawn Patrol: so who needs
radar!

To help avoid confusion, it is worth bearing in mind that, with only a few
exceptions, you need to press two keys to get any particular view.  Hence
the title, "View Matrix".  One group of keys defines the viewee and the other
group of keys defines the view type.


So, say you are on the track view (f6) of your aircraft (piloted aircraft),
pressing shift f3 changes the viewee to the nearest enemy.  Because a view
type key hasn't been pressed yet you see the track view of the nearest
enemy.  Press f8 to change the view type to outside lock.  This will show the
piloted aircraft in the foreground and the nearest enemy, centre screen, in
the background.  Manoeuvre to point at the enemy and then press f9 to get
to inside lock for the kill.

Here are some exceptions that are really just shortcuts to make it all a bit
easier:

     enter:         outside lock of nearest enemy.  This is equivalent to
                    pressing shift f3 and f8 as described above.

     backspace:     inside lock of nearest enemy

     escape:        return to piloted aircraft


GRAPHICS SUPPORT

The game, as opposed to the demo, can be played in 3 different setups:

               VGA mode
               mixed mode
               SVGA mode

In VGA mode, both the ground and flying sections are presented in 256
colours and standard resolution.  This mode will work on 386 and more
advanced machines.  On some 386 machines, it may be necessary to go to the
lowest level of detail.  This provides:

               no imagemapping of the landscape
               imagemapping on aircraft and some targets

In mixed mode, the ground section of the game is presented in SVGA and the
flying section is presented in standard VGA resolution, both using 256 colours.
This mode is recommended for 486 machines up to and including 486-DX50.

In SVGA mode, both the ground and flying sections are presented in 256
colours and high resolution.  To run the flying section with full detail
requires at least a 486-DX66 local bus machine.  Of course, it is possible to
run the flying section on a slower machine at lower detail levels.


SUPER VGA DRIVERS
=================

After you have installed the DAWN PATROL program disk set you will be
able to run the game in standard VGA mode.


You can then run SVGATEST. This program will attempt to set up an SVGA library
for your graphics card. If it is successful, then a high resolution
version of the title screen will be displayed.

This indicates that you will be able to run DAWN PATROL in high
resolution. At this stage you should install the SVGA graphics disk set.


We have two SVGA drivers: High Speed VESA driver and a Universal VESA driver.
The Universal driver should work on most cards but is slower than the High
Speed driver. Please run SVGATEST to decide which driver to use.

At the beginning of SVGATEST, a list including the following chipsets
will be displayed:

        Cirrus
        ET4000
        Trident
        #9 GXE
        ATI

There are also a number of manufacturers' brand names. In the following list,
brand names are matched with their chipset:

        Hercules Graphite    ET4000
        Genoa 8500VL        Cirrus
        Genoa 3989VL-12        ET4000
        Trident 8900        Trident
        Trident 9000        Trident
        Cirrus Logic GD-54xx    Cirrus
        MACH 32            ATI

If you don't know which chipset you have, then select "Technical Information" in
the SVGATEST.

The following cards have been tested and work with the High Speed VESA driver:

        Cirrus Logic GD-54xx
        ET3000
        ET4000
        Trident
        #9 GXE
        ATI MACH 32 (with original VESA TSR)

The following cards have been tested and work with the Universal VESA driver:

        some S3 cards
        Pegasus
        Paradise

The following cards have been tested and do not work with the supplied
VESA drivers:

        Orchid Fahrenheit S3

Please contact Entertainment International for the latest information on
these drivers.


NOTES ON UNIVERSAL VESA OPTION (LOW SPEED)
==========================================

You must make ONE of the following edits to your C:\CONFIG.SYS file,
depending on the memory management software you are using:

On DOS versions before DOS 5 on the line starting DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS:
    Add the parameter:         i=A000-AFFF

On DOS versions 5 and after on the line starting DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS:
    Find, and remove, the word:     RAM
    And add the parameter:         i=A000-AFFF

For Quarterdeck QEMM 386, on the line starting DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS:
    Add the parameter:           VREMS

For 386 MAX, on the line starting DEVICE=C:\386MAX\386MAX.SYS:
    Add the parameter:           i=A000-AFFF


After the "DOS 5 and after" edit some software won't work until the edit is
reversed. You may wish to make a bootable floppy especially for Dawn Patrol:

    FORMAT A: /S
    copy c:\config.sys a:
    copy c:\autoexec.bat a:

and perform the edit described above on A:\CONFIG.SYS

You will also have to change any lines starting DEVICE=\ to DEVICE=C:\
and any lines starting DEVICEHIGH=\ to DEVICEHIGH=C:\



ERROR MESSAGES
==============


1    ERROR: NotExist        Last file access:libs640.400\SGA_BITZ.bin


    This means that the SVGA driver has not been configured. Try running
    SVGATEST.