PC Gamer 2.2/1996-03_Disc_2.2.iso/patches/civnetv1.zip/README.TXT

Text File | 1995-12-04 | 20KB | 483 lines

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**                Sid Meier's CivNet                   **
**                                                     **
**    Release notes and hints for running CivNet       **
**                                                     **
**  Copyright (c)1995, by MicroProse Software, Inc.    **
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CivNet version 1.1  -- 12/1/95

File List:  civnet.exe, smedsnet.dll, civeng0.dll, civeng0.dll, civger0.dll
        civger1.dll, gcpsystm.ini, nwipxspx.dll, civmaps.exe, patch.txt

Changes and fixes in Version 1.1

-  NETWORK DETECTION

      In an attempt to make the network setup process more easily understood
we added another dialog that appears when you select the Network item in the
Multiplayer Setup.  This dialog offers a choice between NetBIOS and IPX/SPX
so the final decision can be made by the user.  The box will attempt to
detect the correct type of network and select the corresponding option.
These .ini lines are no longer used or neccessary:

    Network.drv=Netware.drv  (in system.ini)
    Protocol=NETBIOS         (in snet.ini)


-  NWIPXSPX.DLL

This redistributable file from Novell is now part of the install and will
allow CivNet to use IPX/SPX networks that are not Netware.  This will now
allow people to play using the Netware compatible drivers provided by
Microsoft in Windows 95.
Note:  If your network setup uses NetBEUI, you must use NetBIOS, not IPX/SPX


- HOTSEAT

There is now an option to allow players to not see each others maps. This
checkbox is found in the startup window when choosing the number of hotseat
players.

Problems when a civ was defeated has been fixed. When a human player is
defeated, they are just removed from the game and the remaining players are
informed that that civ has been defeated.

Civs controlled by AIs will no longer initiate parley. This is to avoid the
problem where the AIs would try to talk to someone who might not be at the
console at the time.


- TRUE TYPE FONTS

CivNET will now detect if the "Show only true type fonts" option is set,
warn the user of this condition and exit without crashing.


- MULTIMEDIA TIMERS

Some older installations of Windows 3.1 do not have the multimedia extensions
installed.  This was causing the ERR_TIMERSETFAILED error during startup.
This problem has been fixed.  If CivNET cannot find the high-resolution
timers, it will use the standard Windows timers.  The intro movies may appear
chunky, but it will not crash.  We recommend installing the multimedia
extensions.


- 16-COLOR DESKTOPS

CivNET was not designed for less than 256 color desktops.  If you are running
in a 16-color mode, CivNET will warn you of this fact and not continue.


Version 1.0

Last minute additions/Changes--


- Setting Different IPX/SPX or TCP socket

We added the ability to change the default IPX/SPX or TCP socket on the off
chance one of your applications was using the same socket.  To make use of
this feature, copy the SNET.INI file into your WINDOWS directory.  The file
has been commented and explains how to make changes to it.


- "U"nload key

After pressing "U" to unload units from a ship you should then press "W", this
will switch to the units in the ship so you can unload them.


- Quitting from a Hotseat Game

To quit from a hotseat game do not select retire from the game menu, this will
end the game for all players.  Select quit Hotseat from the Multi-player menu.


- Playing your own CD with Civnet.

Before you start CivNet you can place an AUDIO CD into the CD-ROM and Civnet
will use it for playing music.  Civnet looks for tracks 02 - 18, if there is
no track or no CD CivNet will not play music.  Please note:  Because WIN 95
uses auto play you will not be able to do this on Win 95 machines.


- Problems with the Win 95 Auto Launcher.

If you are running Win 95 and are experiencing a GPF message when you insert
the Civnet CD, you will need to do the following.  Close the GPF message and
then click START, Select Run and type D:\install.exe (where D: is the letter
of your CD-ROM drive) click OK.  Civnet will then install.  After you have
installed the auto launcher will now work.  This problem is caused by WinG
not being installed on the machine.  Windows 95 by default should install
WinG on the system, but for whatever reason it was not there.


General Notes--

- If, for some reason, you decide to remove CivNet from your system,
there is an initialization file which is created in the Windows
sub-directory.  The file is called CIVNET.INI and can safely be deleted after
you have removed CivNet from your computer.  This file will be recreated when
you reinstall CivNet from the CD.

- Saves from the DOS and WINDOWS versions of Civilization will NOT work with
  CivNet.
You can however use the saves from the windows version in the map editor to
get the maps from your saves and use them with Civnet.


Notes for running single player--

- Show only TrueType fonts:
    If this option is set for your fonts in either Windows 3.1 or
    Windows 95, CivNet will not run.  The default is off.


Notes for running multi-player games--


- Who are we waiting for?

CivNet's turns have a few phases as outlined in the manual.  In a multi-
player game, all players must complete one phase before continuing to
the next.  The movement phase (certainly the most time consuming) can
have a time limit imposed.  However, the upkeep phase has no time limit.
It is simply over when everyone has read their reports and done their
maintenance tasks.  If you notice the game is frozen in the upkeep phase,
make sure you have read all your reports and hit the Done button on the
report window.  (Hitting F5 will bring up your reports again so you
can double check).  Try to stay aware of the turn phase as you chat with
other leaders as well.  You may be holding the game up for everyone else
while trading technology with someone.


- Blue lights:

Occasionally, the network status light bulbs in the lower portion of
the Status Window will turn blue.  This indicates a "hold" on the game
usually because a machine in the game cannot keep pace with the other
machines.  This should not last more than a few seconds and the game
should resume normally.  Pulling down a menu item and leaving the popup
menu up will also produce this condition.  It will not clear until
the menu is released.  This is important to remember.  As the game
appears to be locked, check to make sure no menu items are selected.
You could be holding up the game for others.


- Modem and Game Connection:

Because of the design and implementation of Windows 3.1, serial
communication can sometimes be hindered by hardware overruns.
These occur when the system cannot attend to the serial port as
frequently as is necessary to keep data flowing.  There are other
and more sinister conditions that can cause overruns, and they are
usually hardware or configuration related.
CivNet does its best to recover from overruns, but they will affect
speed.  If you notice "HARDWARE OVERRUN" in the modem status window,
try switching to a slower baud rate.
There are known conflicts with the serial port when Windows is driving
sound   devices.  If you notice frequent hardware overruns, try turning
off sounds and music.


- IPX/SPX LAN games:

Windows 95 machines that use the default IPX support provided by Microsoft
should be correctly detected by CivNet without the use of the system.ini
line.  The IPX/SPX support is system resource intensive and thus care
should be taken to insure that large games (5-7) players are being played
on fast machines with lots of memory(16MB).  Also, try loading DOS drivers
only up to the IPXODI level.  Not loading VLM and logging into the server
has helped the speed and stability of net games on some machines.


- TCP/IP LAN games:

Windows 95 comes with a TCP/IP protocol that runs over most typical
networks.  This is an excellent protocol to use for LAN games.  There
are also TCP/IP emulator that can be purchased from network vendors
that perform the same feature on Windows 3.1 and DOS machines.  The
drawback is that you will have to know the IP address for the computer
you wish to connect to.


- TCP/IP "live" Internet games:

Games running on the Internet using a SLIP/PPP connection will vary
greatly in speed of play.  Depending on the Internet provider, utilization
of the provider's server, and geographical proximity of the players,
the game could be unusually slow and unresponsive.  This is a condition
beyond our control.  Try to keep "live" Internet games to two or three
players (preferably two) using the same service provider.  Ideally, the
players should dial into the same server as well.
( Special note:  The ability to receive and send Internet E-mail through
an on-line service like CompuServe or America On-line does not necessarily
mean you can play CivNet.  Your on-line service needs to provide a SLIP or
a PPP connection that provides you with a unique IP address.  If you can
telnet, ftp, or browse the WorldWideWeb, you can probably play CivNet. )
Also, if you are logged in over a modem, please read the above section on
modem games, some of the same issues may apply to TCP/IP games over a
modem.


-  The Importance of knowing your IP address for TCP/IP games:

It is extremely important that you, as well as others,  know
your correct IP address when starting CivNet.  CivNet will attempt
to resolve your IP address for you, however, depending on the type
of TCP/IP connection you have, this may report an incorrect address.
It is your responsibility to verify that CivNet is using the correct
address. This is extremely important for services which provide you
a dynamic IP address, where an IP address is assigned to you when you
log in.  CivNet will not work properly if your IP address is different
then what it is reported as. If CivNet reports your IP address as
"0.0.0.0", this can mean one of two things, either you are not connected
to your provider or have access to a host file.  There are some
services which hide your IP address from the user on purpose ( internetMCI
is known for this ).  It is impossible for CivNet to know what your
IP address is in this case and is your responsibility to find out what it
is.  There are several apps available via the Internet which will help
you find out what it is.


-Connecting to a Game Connection Protocol game via the Internet

If you know of a game being played on a BBS with Game Connection Protocol
and that BBS has a connection to the Internet, you can attach to that
game via an Internet host.  Using rlogin, issue the command:
        rlogin -8 address.net
Where address.net is the Internet address for the bulletin board.  You
must be using an eight bit connection for this to work.  rlogin should be used
we have had some problems playing CivNet with telnet sessions.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Multi-Player Connectivity Overviews:
CivNet allows a multitude of connectivity options.  Currently, players may
cooperate/compete through IPX/SPX, NetBIOS, Direct Connect (serial connect or
modem),TCP/IP (Protocol or The Internet), Hot Seat, and Game Connection
Protocol (on Bulletin Board Systems which support the GCP packet exchange).


IPX/SPX:

Recommended Max:  7 players

Performance:      typically fast, depending upon size of IPX/SPX network

Overview:         IPX/SPX is simply the protocol used to communicate with
          over a network.  The most common of these is NOVELL
          Netware.

Startup Process:  Users must be on the same network and must have already
          connected and logged in before running CivNet.  Once
          CivNet has been started, by selecting the multiplayer
          game choice "Network Game", CivNet will detect the
          presence of IPX/SPX and use this protocol for
          connectivity.


NetBIOS:
Recommended Max:  7 players

Performance:      Ranges according to network size

Overview:         NetBIOS is another type of network protocol and works in
          similar regards to IPX/SPX.

Startup Process:  Users must be on the same network and must have already
          connected and logged in before running CivNet.  Game
          startup is the same as in IPX/SPX setup.


Direct Connect - Serial:

Recommended Max:  2 players

Performance:      Faster than modem (providing both machines use 16550 UART),
          slower than Network (IPX/SPX)

Overview:         Serial connections allow two players to serially link
          their computers through the use of a Null Modem cable.
          This cable is plugged into a free serial connection on
          both computers.

Startup Process:  After physical setup of the serial line, players choose
          the "Head to Head" option under multiplayer game.  There
          is some setup involved in telling CivNet which serial
          port is being used as a direct connection.  This setup
          is done from the Head to Head menu.

SPECIAL NOTE:     Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 does not respond well to
          attempting to write to an invalid serial port.
          Therefore, it is critical that the users know which
          serial port is valid for the Null Modem connection. This
          problem is not restricted to CivNet, as it is an
          operating system problem and a fundamental design aspect
          of Windows.


Direct Connect - Modem:

Recommended Max:  2 players
Performance:      High speed modems, 14400 baud and above, tend to perform
          well.  Slower modems, 9600 BAUD, will display a noticeable
          wait time between all aspects of gameplay.

Overview:         Modem connections allow two players to connect through
          the use of a modem and phone line.  After modem setup,
          the two players decide who will call and who will
          answer.

Startup Process:  As in Direct Connect - Serial, the modem must be setup
          under the Head to Head menu.  Setup involves configuring
          CivNet to recognize the unique modem in the machine.



TCP/IP - On the Internet:

Recommended Max:  2 players.

Performance:      Extremely variable, depending upon type of Internet
          connection and rate of traffic elsewhere on the
          Internet.

Requirements:     See TCP/IP - Protocol requirements above.

Overview:         "The Internet" is today's buzzword for world-wide
          connectivity. All that is needed is a direct connection
          to the Internet or access through a service provider
          and the assigned TCP/IP address to your machine.

Startup Process:  Access to the Internet must be established before
          starting CivNet.  This process varies, depending upon
          the means of connection.  For access through a service
          provider, this means logging on to the actual provider
          and beginning a SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) or
          PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) session.  The setup
          process for these types of sessions will depend upon the
          service provider.

SPECIAL NOTE:     TCP/IP addresses are typically assigned dynamically from
          service providers, and will vary from one on-line
          session to another (between disconnecting from the
          service and then reconnecting).


TCP/IP - Protocol:

Recommended Max:  7 players

Performance:      Comparable to IPX/SPX

Overview:         The TCP/IP protocol is similar in nature to IPX/SPX in
          that it is merely the language computers use to
          communicate.  Any network which utilizes TCP/IP can be
          used to run multiplayer CivNet games.

Requirements:     WinSock, version 1.1 or greater, must exist on the
          machine and in the Windows sub-directory.  This is a
          Microsoft DLL used for socket   communications.  Many
          different versions of this file is available, and some
          "hybrid" copies will not work properly with CivNet.
          Windows 3.11 and Windows 95 already have the WinSock DLLs
          installed.

Startup Process:  A TCP/IP protocol must be installed and operational the
          computer (see Special Note).  The unique TCP/IP address
          must be provided to CivNet, and usually this number can
          be obtained without user intervention.  A TCP/IP address
          is of the form ###.###.###.### and each "###" ranges
          from 0 - 255. The host system may simply start the game
          without knowing other TCP/IP addresses.  The players who
          wish to join a game, however, must know the TCP/IP
          address of the server machine in order to connect.

SPECIAL NOTE:     During testing of CivNet, it was found that Windows 95
          supports the binding of the TCP/IP protocol to the
          machine's adapter, allowing TCP/IP gameplay. This has
          proven to be a very stable and fast mode of
          communication between computers, and the setup process
          is relatively easy.  A group of computers could be setup
          with Windows 95 and TCP/IP, and after giving all machines
          unique TCP/IP addresses, CivNet could be played as if
          running on any other network, such as Netware.


HotSeat:

Recommended Max:  7 players

Performance:      Fastest possible

Overview:         HotSeat is the only way to play a multiplayer game on a
          single machine.  It allows numerous players
          to operate the game from the same computer by taking
          turns.  Obviously, simultaneous movement is not possible
          in HotSeat games.

Startup Process:  Users take turns choosing armies, and once the game has
          begun, gameplay takes place in a "round-robin" fashion.


Game Connection Protocol:

Recommended Max:  7 players

Performance:    There are a number of variables which affect
        performance:  speed of modems used to connect, speed of
        host BBS, and number of players.

Overview:       Players who wish to play under the GCP mode must find a
        BBS which supports the GCP protocol (meaning that the
        BBS has GCP up and running on-line).

Startup Process:After selecting a GCP site and connecting through the
        modem (accomplished within CivNet in the GCP menus)
        users must find the "Game Connection" section on the BBS
        by using the CivNet terminal.  Users must then start a
        new "Game Channel" or join an existing one. Please NOTE:
        you must select either GCP or Civnet as the Channel's Protocol
        Once in this "Game Channel", users are in a mini-conference
        from where they may chat or start the game (done by typing
        "/start").  /Start should take everyone in the "channel"
        to the join/start game screen, if not you will need to
        click begin.

Joining Game Process:  After selecting a GCP site and connecting through the
        modem (accomplished within CivNet in the GCP menus)
        users must find the "Game Connection" section on the BBS
        by using the CivNet terminal.  Users must then enter a game
        "channel" that has a game of Civnet in progress.  Type /enter
        to enter the game in progress then click begin.  This will
        take you to the Join/Start screen, select join and your on
        your way.

Quality Assurance would like to thank the following additional people for
their help testing Civnet.

James King                 Mike Prendergast
Vaughn "Guru" Thomas       Don "Postal" Emmel
Jeff Dinger                Todd Cioni
Bob "Tank" Abe             Brian Wilson
Chrispy Bowling            Brian Hellesen
Darren Brown               Dwight Tice
Mike Richardson            Mike Davidson


Special Thanks to:

Dr. Jeffrey Briggs
411 West
Hampton Inn (Chapel Hill)
Peter English (Lord Bawlmer's BeBs [phone])
Monty Python
Caffeine
The Machine
Schmee-Ah