PC Gamer 2.9/1996-10_Disc_2.9.iso/deadlock/docs/modem.txt

Text File | 1996-07-19 | 9KB | 186 lines

Deadlock: Planetary Conquest
MODEM file for Demo B v1.02

Thanks for playing Deadlock, and consulting this file. This
contains some helpful hints to get you through the challenges and
towards the rewards of play by modem, or play by direct serial
connection (or "null-modem").

Please know that due to the technical difficulties of running
serial code on Win32s (a special set of system files that Deadlock
uses when running on Windows 3.1), this demo does not support
serial/modem play in Windows 3.1.

Modems are curious beasts. There are many many kinds of them, and
there are few real standards they all share. Many of the
challenges you may encounter in making your modem work are not
particular to Deadlock; they are dependent on the modems
themselves. Deadlock by default attempts to make the most sure-
fire connection possible by sacrificing (temporarily) some of the
speed-enhancing features of your modem. Fortunately, Deadlock does
not need a roaring fast connection to serve you well.

In the "Modem/Serial Link Configuration" dialog box which lets you
set up your serial connection, there is a box labeled "Init
Modem". In this box you can set the initialization string to put
your modem in the mood for a connection to another modem. The
challenge here is that each type of modem, depending on its age
and manufacturer, works best with a different initialization
string. The init string we provide by default (AT&F1&D2) is the
safest one that works with the most modems. It does not configure
your modem for the fastest possible performance, but Deadlock does
not need very fast communication to work well. If you want to
experiment, change this init string according to the advice given
by your modem manual and technical support service.

Also notice that the default baud rate selected for your modem is
9600. It is safest to use this baud rate, even if both of the
modems involved are capable of faster transmissions. Using the
highest possible baud rates makes modems more finicky about
connecting directly to each other. In any case, both modems
connecting to each other should use the SAME baud rate.

Direct connection is easier, because the modem is removed from the
equation. For a direct connection, you need to have a "Null-modem"
cable. This may be a one-piece cable, or a regular serial cable
with a "Null-modem" adapter attached to one end. In either case,
one end of the cable plugs in to a serial port at the back of your
PC, and the other end plugs into a serial port of the other PC.
(The cable could be as long a 100 meters, but itÆs a bad idea to
push it.) Whether your port is actually enabled and free is an
issue handled by Windows.


HANDLING "CANNOT INITIALIZE CONNECTION"
---------------------------------------
If you get the error message "Could not initialize connection",
check the following things.

First, if you are using a modem, is your modem indeed connected
and turned on? If you are using a null-modem cable, are both ends
firmly connected, and are you sure you donÆt need a null-modem
adapter?

Next, have you selected the proper COM port number matching the
serial port of the modem or null-modem cable are using? The COM
port number will almost always be 1 or 2. Try each if you are
unsure.

Is another application using the COM port? See the section below,
"Other applications using the modem".

Is the baud rate set low enough? Try a baud rate of 2400 just to
see if it helps.


IF THE PHONE RINGS AND RINGS BUT THE TARGET PC DOES NOT ANSWER
--------------------------------------------------------------
Start with the obvious: is the phone number correct? Did your
friend hear the phone ring?

Is the answering modem turned on, with a live phone line connected
to it?

Did the answering player choose "Answer modem" in the dialog box,
and hit "OK" before the calling player called?

Is an application on the answering PC hogging the modem? See the
section below, "Other applications using the modem".

Is the "answer string" on the answering modem correct? It almost
always is "ATA". However, it might be different for some rare
modems.

If none of these help, consult your modem manual or tech support
for the proper initializtion string for the modem.


HANDLING FAILURE TO SEE AND JOIN GAMES
--------------------------------------
If you get the connection to initialize, dial, and answer, one
player (the one who selected "Start game") should have a box
saying "Deadlock is waiting for two players", and the other player
(who selected "Join game") should have a box with the title
"Current games". If a game name is displayed in the "Current
games" box, then the joining player should click on that name to
highlight it and click "Join". However, what if the "Current
games" box does not display the name of the game?

Both players should cancel out and try it again.

On "Multi-Player Setup", did one player choose "Start game" and
the other choose "Join game"? In the same dialog box, was "Modem /
Serial Link" (not "LAN") selected?

Are both of you set to use the same baud rate? Make sure it is low
enough. See if 2400 works and go faster from there.

If using a direct connection with a null-modem cable, double-check
that each of you selected the COM port number of the serial
connection port that the cable is attached to, and not the COM
port number of another connector. Also, are you using a regular
serial cable or a special null-modem cable? If you are using a
regular serial cable, you must also use a "null-modem" adapter.


OTHER APPLICATIONS USING THE MODEM
----------------------------------
If another application is hogging the modem, Deadlock will not be
able to initialize the connection. This is common with some pre-
installed Windows95 PCs. Some PCs have phone-answering software
which automatically starts up when you start your PC.

The best way to avoid this is to make sure you have quit out of
all other programs before starting Deadlock. If you have a phone
answering program (sometimes called an "Operator" or "Call
Minder"), turn it off. As a last resort, you can do this on
Windows95: while holding down the CTRL (or CONTROL) and ALT keys,
press the DEL (or DELETE) key. This brings up a list of tasks
being run by your PC. If you see a task called "Operator", "Call
Minder", "Answering", or the like, select it in the list box and
click "End Task".


DEALING WITH SPONTANEOUS DISCONNECTION
--------------------------------------
This is the biggest potential bummer that can happen, especially
if you are 100 turns into the game! If something in the connection
goes bad, then the game can lose its link, you won't communicate
with each other, and you should just look forward to your next
game. You can brag to each other about how sure you are that you
were just about to win.

This version of Deadlock does *not* have saved multiplayer games,
though we are working hard to do this tricky technical feat and
will rush the update to you as soon as it's done. In the meantime,
you'll have to avoid two main causes of spontaneous dropout: line
noise and call waiting.

Line noise is when the connection between the two computers has
poor fidelity. It mostly is a problem with modem connection-- that
same scratchy, hissy line with echoes of other people's
conversations you sometimes get when talking to your friend on the
phone might, by luck of the draw, occur when your modem calls your
friend's modem. It also can happen with especially long serial
cables in especially electrical environments, or when the serial
ports on the back of the computers involved are not as tight as
they should be. Diagnosis: when you first connect, spend a lot of
time on the first turn sending custom chat messages to each other,
and watch for corruptions (bad characters) in the text you send.
After a while of this, you can gain some confidence that you don't
have a terrible connection. However, you should realize that a
connection can start off fine and get bad later. Some modems are
better at handling line noise than others.

Call waiting is a service by the phone company which allows
incoming callers to beep you in the middle of your conversation.
This masterpiece of convenience can really mess up a modem
connection-- if someone calls you during your game, the beep can
disconnect a modem in a flash. The solution: precede the number
you type into the "Number to Call" field with a *70. For example,
instead of typing 408/555-1212, you would type *70 408/555-1212.
This usually disables call waiting for the duration of the call.
Your phone company has more information on this and other
wonderful features that may mess up your modem game. (Heck, tell
everyone to email you instead!)