Computer Life 1997 April

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CONTENTS: ========= 1. About this software 2. Setting up and starting Wireplay 3. Connecting to Wireplay 4. Wireplay FAQ 5. EF2000 Wireplay Edition FAQ You can find the latest versions of all the Wireplay information at our Internet World Wide Web site, http://www.wireplay.com ABOUT THIS SOFTWARE: =================== This software is for new or upgrading Wireplay users (although existing users may wish to install games that they do not already have). If you already have Wireplay, the software will check whether it needs to upgrade. If you do upgrade, you should answer "No" when asked if you want to overwrite the files USERS.INI and WIREPLAY.INI. To install and run the Wireplay software, you will need a 486 PC or above, 8MB of RAM, 9MB of hard disk space, a CD-ROM drive and a 9,600bps or above modem. You may need a higher spec to play certain games: check out Wireplay games, the Wireplay FAQ and the EF2000 FAQ for more info. 2. Starting and Setting up Wireplay: =================================== When running Wireplay it is best to run in DOS mode and not a DOS box within Windows. Most of the games will run under DOS, but for details on individual game requirements see the Game-by-Game Setup Guide. First change to the directory containing your Wireplay software. If you have put Wireplay in the root directory C:\, type CD\WIREPLAY from the C: prompt. Type: WIREPLAY. After a short animation, you will be presented with the 'Who Are You?' screen. Click the SETUP button. At the top of the 'Setup' screen you will see a 'List of Games' box. This is the full list of games currently available to play over Wireplay. You can select the games that you have on your system and wish to play by clicking on the name and then clicking the ADD button - you will see them appear in the 'Selected Games' area together with an assumed path line. Repeat this for all the games you wish to play. Check that these paths are correct. If not, alter the path line by clicking on it, but do not change anything else such as the file name or its parameters. Select your modem from the 'Modem Type' box. If your modem does not appear, select the nearest type by the same manufacturer or use the Generic Modem or Hayes Compatible modem type. Select your 'Coms' port. This will normally be either 1 or 2. If your mouse locks up when you later try to connect, select a different 'Coms' setting. Choose your connection speed. We generally recommend 19,200, although some games require a specific speed. See the Game-by-Game Setup Guide for further details. If you require a dial-out number or other prefix, you should add this to the 'Telephone Number Prefix' box. Finally, press 'Save' to return to the 'Who Are You?' screen. 3. Connecting to Wireplay: ========================== Once again, ensure that you are running Wireplay in DOS mode and that you have followed all of the Setup instructions listed above. Type a nickname that you wish to be known as in the first box. (No more than 15 characters - you can use spaces, but these count as characters.) Click 'New User' and then hit Return. Wait for the modem to connect you to Wireplay, where you will be greeted with the 'Your Details' screen. Please fill out all the fields in this form and then click 'Register'. You may be asked to choose another nickname if your original choice is already in use by another player or if there are more than 15 characters. You will then be presented with the 'Welcome to Wireplay' screen. If not, check that your modem is on, that the Setup is correct, and that you have correctly followed all the above steps. From the Welcome screen, you can either play a game straight away by clicking 'Continue', or read Wireplay News by clicking on the News icon. Before your first game, please make sure that you have read the Wireplay Code of Conduct. Select a proposal that you want to join by highlighting it with the mouse (move cursor to proposal line and left-click) and then clicking on Locker Room. You can then chat with other players in the Locker Room by moving the cursor to the chat line, clicking and entering text. You need to challenge the proposer by highlighting him/her with the mouse and clicking on Challenge. If you are 'Accepted' to become a 'Player' then you will join the game setup when the Proposer starts the game. Most of the game setup is carried out by the Proposer, however you may have to indicate readiness before the game starts (if given a choice, IPX is usually the most appropriate mode). For further information on using the Wireplay system, click on the 'Help' button in the bottom left corner of the Wireplay screen - which you can do offline - or click here for the latest 'Help' files. Alternatively, you can call the Wireplay HelpDesk on LoCall: 0345 577 577. Opening hours are 10 am to 10 pm, seven days a week. 4. Wireplay Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List: ================================================= Got a query about runnning Wireplay? Here's where you come for answers. Particularly if you are a newcomer to the service, we strongly recommend you download this guide - and the Game-By-Game Setup Guide - and have a quick shufty BEFORE you start. It could save you time in the long run Q. What are the Wireplay charges (correct as of 17th. January 1997) A. 2.5p per minute cheap rate and weekends, 6p per minute at all other times. Q. What hardware do I need to run Wireplay? A. The minimum is a 486 DX2/66 with 8MB of memory, a CD-ROM drive and at least a 9,600bps modem (sound card is optional). However, some games will require a faster processor, a 14,400bps modem and more than 8MB of RAM. Q. Are there any restrictions on the password? A. Your password is eight characters maximum. You should not use spaces in either your password or your nickname, unless you have downloaded and installed the Wireplay UPGRADE.EXE file from the Download Zone on the Wireplay server. Q. I hear my modem dialling but I get an unobtainable number tone/hear a voice saying that the number is unavailable. A. Premium calls may be barred on your line. If so, you cannot access Wireplay on that line, unless you have the block removed. Check that you have dialled the correct number. The Wireplay software dials out automatically when you click Connect, reading the number from the WIREPLAY.INI file: it should be 0894 444020. Check that no number is set in the prefix box (unless you need a prefix to dial out) in the Wireplay Setup screen. Also check your phone line is a BT line (cable customers, please contact your provider). To check whether the problem is with your line or with the Wireplay software, try dialing the Wireplay number from your phone. If you hear an answering modem howl, and you have checked all of the above, call the HelpDesk on LoCall 0345 577 577. If you don't hear the howl, call your telephone provider. Q. Connection to Wireplay is occasionally lost for no apparent reason. A. You may have Call Waiting on the line. Those beeps you hear to tell you there is a call waiting typically crash any modem link - usually followed by your phone ringing. Make sure that Call Waiting is turned off before you connect. To turn it off, press #43# on your phone keypad; to turn it back on, press *43#. Q. The modem appears to dial up OK, but the connection always fails. A. It's possible that your modem is not supported by the Wireplay software. If your modem does not appear in the list in the Wireplay Setup screen, try using the Generic Modem or Hayes Compatible Modem settings. If that doesn't work, then you may have to edit the modem init string - all those ampersands, per cent signs and letters underneath your modem selection. These are commands which the Wireplay software sends to your modem to initialise it and tell it how to connect to Wireplay. Consult your modem manual/supplier for suitable init strings. Note that data compression and error correction have to be turned off to connect to Wireplay. Q. The system locks up when I run Wireplay. Check that your modem Coms Port setting in the Wireplay Setup screen is correct. If not, change it, select Save and try again. Q. When I or my opponent begin a game I get an error message saying 'Cannot Run Game'. A. In the Wireplay Setup screen, check that the directory path to the right of the game you are trying to run is correct. If not, change it, click Save and try again. Q. I am returned to the Locker Room when I attempt to start a game. A. In the Wireplay Setup screen, check that the directory path to the right of the game you are trying to run is correct. If not, change it, click Save and try again. If this is not the problem, you may not have enough conventional memory to play the game. This is a common problem with PC games which you may well have experienced before - not just with Wireplay. The most common workaround is to edit your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files so they have the bare minimum of drivers and so on in order to play the game - but always back up these files before you edit them. Memory managers can also help, as can making a boot disk. If a game doesn't run in Windows 95, try restarting in MS-DOS mode and running Wireplay from there - and vice versa, unless there are specific instructions to the contrary. Q. My password is not recognised. A. You may not have entered your password correctly - or your login name, if you have reinstalled the Wireplay software. Try again. You will have problems with spaces in either your nickname or your password unless you have the latest version of the Wireplay software. If you think this might be the problem, download the UPGRADE.EXE file from the Download Zone on the Wireplay server, and install it. You could also try logging on as a New User with your old name and password. And if that fails, you can always register a new name. Q. How do I get involved in competitions? A. Check Wireplay News for invitations. Q. When will I be able to use Wireplay? A. Wireplay should be available at all times. The Helpdesk is on 0345 577 577 and is now open from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week. Q. I can't access Wireplay. A. If you are running in DOS, check that you have a mouse driver installed. If not, type MOUSE at the DOS prompt before you run Wireplay. If a mouse driver is installed, delete your Wireplay directory and reinstall the Wireplay software. Q. I get the error message 'D Comp Image Error' when loading the Wireplay software. A. Try editing your CONFIG.SYS file and increasing the number in the line FILES=to 20 or more (FILES=20). You can do this in any text editor, but always save the file as Text Only - and always make a backup before you start. Q. My modem does not dial when I click on Connect. A. Check that your modem is switched on(!). Check that the Coms Port settings are correct in the Wireplay Setup screen and that you have the correct modem selected. If your modem is not listed, select Generic Modem or Hayes Compatible Modem. If it still doesn't work, it's possible that your modem is not supported by the Wireplay software, in which case you may have to edit the modem init string -all those ampersands, per cent signs and letters underneath your modem selection. These are commands which the Wireplay software sends to your modem to initialise it and tell it how to connect to Wireplay. Consult your modem manual/supplier for suitable init strings. Note that data compression and error correction have to be turned off to connect to Wireplay. Q. The modem is not hanging up when I quit Wireplay. A. Try a different modem type from the list - Generic Modem or Hayes Compatible Modem are your best bet. If that doesn't work, consult your modem documentation to find out the correct init string. Alternatively, to be absolutely sure that your modem does hang up, if you have an external modem, physically switch it off whenever you quit Wireplay; if you have an internal modem, restart your computer. If your modem shares a line with your telephone, picking up the telephone and hanging up a few times should also sever the link with Wireplay, regardless of whether it as an external or an internal modem. Q. Games run slower when using Wireplay compared to single-player mode. A. Check that you and the opposition are all connected at the optimum modem speed. If you are, then the speed difference may be due to the inherent latency problems with playing over a dial-up network. This is a key issue with dial-up gaming and you may well have read about it elsewhere. For example, Doom sends data around in a way that works OK on a LAN, but isn't very efficient for a dial-up network, which means that performance over Wireplay can be frustrating. Other games, however, can be much, much more impressive: try them and see. Q. I can't type into the Chat Box in the Locker Room. A. Try going out of the Locker Room and then going back in. If that doesn't work, you may have found a bug: please call the HelpDesk on LoCall 0345 577 577. 5. EF2000 Wireplay Edition FAQ: =============================== EF2000 Wireplay Edition FAQ This FAQ is divided into four sections covering Installation of the software on the cover CD The Patches Problems and Fixes Hints for playing the game ========================= Installation FAQ: Q. How do I install the cover disc software on my PC A. Type D:INSTALL at a MS-DOS prompt (assuming your CD-ROM drive is D:). Q. In what order should I install Wireplay and EF2000? A. Install Wireplay first, then EF2000/WP (so it can find the installed Wireplay directory). Q. The installer prompted me to "Insert Disk 1" A. You probably tried to install EF2000/WP before Wireplay. Delete any partially installed EFWPLAY and WIREPLAY directories, install WIREPLAY, and then EF2000/WP. Q. How do I control the EF2000 setup program? A. Press the up and down arrows to move the highlight bar. Press ENTER to select an item. When you are happy with the settings, move the highlight over "SAVE" and press ENTER. Q. What settings should I use? A. First try low res (320x200), medium detail, no sound effects, no music, no speech, no joystick, no VR headset. These are the defaults and should work on almost any Pentium PC with no special drivers. Then try high res graphics (press ALT-R to switch during the game). Then try turning on audio. If you select the audio options you will need to choose MIDI and SOUND drivers. Auto detect usually works for both. Q. When I used the "DIAGNOSTICS" option in the DID EF2000 configuration program the MIDI music sounded distorted. A. This seems to be a problem with the diagnostics program. The game works fine on all machines which do this that we have seen to date. ======================== EF2000 Wireplay Patches FAQ Q. What do I get from the original patch that I downloaded from Wireplay A. This patch (version 6.7) added the ability to use missiles and was somewhat more stable than version 6.6 which was on the PC Format and PC Gamer December CDs. The Hayes Modem CD already has version 6.7. All players are advised to upgrade to the version 6.19 patch regardless of whether they have 6.6 or 6.7 now. Q. What happens if players with versions 6.6 and 6.7 play each other A. The game will probably stick at the first start-up screen. Q. What do I get from the new patch (version 6.19)? A. Version 6.19 provides the following new features: - individual players can leave the game without ending it for everyone else - Wireplay results are supported - 2 player games can now enter Wireplay ladders, leagues, and knockouts. - There is a limited check for games between different versions of EF2000. A copy of 6.19 which challenges an earlier version will exit with an error message. Copies of version 6.7 which challenge a version 6.19 proposer will be ignored. The proposer can now click on the 'choose game' button to force the game to proceed if one or more players have not turned up. Version 6.19 fixes the following bugs which were present in 6.6 and 6.7: - games that end unexpectedly with the error "Domain Error in SQRT" - DOS "Critical Errors" when starting EF2000 - If one player quit the game ended for everyone - Games in which 1 or more players get stuck at "Waiting" after loading the mission. Version 6.19 has been tested up to 5 players with no problems. ============================= DOS, Windows, and Hardware FAQ Q. I cannot get the game to start - either I get a black screen immediately, or the game locks up while loading. A. The EF2000 Wireplay Edition software contains a DOS extender which allows it to use your extended (XMS) memory effectively. This DOS extender should use DOS protected mode memory where it is available (under Windows 95 and 3.x and possibly with some extended memory managers). To make the game use DPMI, edit the "Set CAUSEWAY" line in \EFWPLAY\EFWPLAY.BAT to look like: set CAUSEWAY=DPMI;LOWMEM:256 This setting is not included in the version of EFWPLAY.BAT on the CD. Q. EF2000 locks up as soon as it has given its version and the amount of free RAM. Under DOS a reboot is needed; Win95 may report an illegal instruction and close the DOS box. A. This has been found to result from the use of an inappropriate VESA graphics driver. A test for this problem is to run the DID diagnostic utility (run \EFWPLAY\CONFIG.BAT and choose the "diagnostics" menu item). If the PC works OK in low resolution mode but locks up as soon as you press 'Y' then it is highly likely that you have this problem. The only cure is to replace the VESA driver - removing it will stop many other programs (most likely including the Wireplay client) from working. Once a replacement VESA driver has been found and loaded, it should be possible to execute the command: \EFWPLAY\EFWPLAY.BAT A B 2 and get the error "WpStart() failed" rather than a lock-up. Q. I get "Attention ... Serious Error Writing to Drive" messages or EMM386 error messages. A. EF2000-Wireplay Edition may have problems with the SMARTDRV.EXE disc cache. If you get these messages try removing SMARTDRV from your AUTOEXEC.BAT. On machines where EF2000 and SMARTDRV work together, there is some performance gain so we do not advise removing it by default. Q. Can I run Wireplay or EF2000 Wireplay edition from a Windows 3.0, 3.1, or 3.11 DOS box. A. NO. You are likely to have graphics problems if you switch between Windows and the DOS box using ALT-TAB. If this happens to you, switch back to program manager with ALT-TAB and kill the minimised MS-DOS program (Settings - Terminate). Q. I get QEMM error messages when I try to run EF2000 - Wireplay Edition. A. EF2000 Wireplay Edition contains its own DOS extender (CAUSEWAY) which is not completely compatible with Quarterdeck Extended Memory Manager (QEMM). Try switching to Microsoft's EMM386 extended memory manager. Q. How much memory and disk space do I really need for EF2000 Wireplay Edition? A. We have found that the minimum requirement is 16MB RAM and 60MB free hard disk after you install (Wireplay and EF2000 take about 80MB in total, so you should have 140MB before you install). The retail version of EF2000 will just work in 8MB, but in the Wireplay edition contains extra routines, and the Wireplay driver is also in memory. If in doubt, run the MS-DOS command "MEM" which should show at least: 450K conventional memory 12MB free extended memory The free disk space can be checked using the DIR or CHKDSK commands. Q. EF2000 Wireplay Edition crashed. I seem to have less free disk space afterwards. A. Sometimes if EF2000 (or any other application that uses a swap file) crashes, it leaves the remains of the swap file on disk as a "lost chain". The DOS utilities "CHKDSK /F" and "SCANDISK" can recover this space, as can Windows95 "SCANDISK". Q. I get "Out of Environment Space" when I try to run the game. A. Check that your CONFIG.SYS contains a line like SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS\ /E:2048 /P The "/E:nnnn" specifies the size (in bytes) of the environment space. Try increasing this value to at least 2048. If there is no "SHELL" line in CONFIG.SYS DOS will provide only 256 bytes of environment. This affects DOS 6.x machines and Windows 95 in command line mode (item 6 in the boot menu). DOS boxes under Windows 95 are configured using their "Properties" dialog box. Q. I want to run Wireplay and the game in a Windows95 DOS box - can I? A. Yes, but performance may not be as good as when your computer is started in command mode (boot menu option 6 or "restart in MS-DOS command mode"). This is because the Windows95 operating system intercepts traffic between Wireplay and the serial ports, adding delay and limiting the maximum serial port speed that will work. If you do want to run the game this way, set the DOS box properties to use 65535K (the maximum amount) of DPMI memory and 1024 bytes of environment space. You will have to quit and restart the MS-DOS prompt application for the change to take effect. ** WARNING ** We are aware of problems running the game this way on some computers which are cured by using MS-DOS command prompt or a previous version of DOS. Please try these solutions before calling the helpdesk. The presence of a dial-up WINSOCK.DLL is known to be associated with this problem. Q. I have screen corruption problems , or the EF2000 game reports a very small amount of memory at startup. A. The DOS extender built into the game and Wireplay could not find out where it should create a swap file for data that will not fit in RAM. The following work-arounds (in order of preference) may fix it. 1.Check the environment for a TEMP or TMP variable. Point this to a valid directory and check there is sufficient disk space ( >= 60MB), all should be well. This variable is also used by many other programs for temporary disk space, including many games. Having a correct TEMP/TMP setting (or both) will help many programs work properly. 2.Modify the WIREPLAY.BAT file to pass the full path/ file name of CLIENT.EXE when starting it up eg: stub -b35k c:\wireplay\client.exe Obviously the path name must be changed if the software is moved. Q. The game seems to get stuck on the screen where the mouse pointer looks like a jet aircraft A. Some of the people you are playing against may have slower systems than you. This means that other players may not have joined the game. If the proposer has a slow system this is especially noticeable since the 'linked players' box does not appear. Be Patient!. Tip: defragment your hard disk. Run with MIDI music switched off. Q. The game seems to get stuck on the screen with the 'linked players' box. A. If you were a Challenger: It takes the proposer some time to set up the parameters. Be patient. If you are the proposer: Version 6.19 (the new patch) allows you to click on 'Choose Game' if a player has not appeared in the list after some time. The player will never be listed if they are using version 6.6 (the PC Gamer or PC Format CD) or 6.7 (the first download patch or the Hayes CD) Q. The game seems to get stuck at the end of the "Intel(r) inside" logo, just before playing the game, or suddenly within the game (for example, when firing a missile). A. EF2000 seems particularly sensitive to some sound card configurations. Try using the CONFIG program in the EFWPLAY directory to switch off sound, speech and music to see if this cures the problem. {See Also "Critical Error" below} Q. I get crashes when I try to view the cockpit displays or use weapons that need the cockpit displays (numeric pad 1,2, and 3) to use them. A. It appears that there is a bug related to the displays, and this causes a crash with Maverick missiles and sometimes with the map. When you are the game proposer do not under any circumstances choose Maverick air-to-ground missiles as part of your weapon load. The game will crash as soon as anyone tries to use them. Q. At startup, you get "Ummm - cannot actually allocate 30,000K bytes" or something similar - even if there seems to be sufficient free RAM and disk space. A. This is because Windows95 will not let EF2000 use all of the disk space it needs. If you start Wireplay from a Windows95 DOS box or shortcut, you need to set up the DPMI memory to 65535K rather than Auto for EACH route into DOS that you use - changing shortcut or start menu item does NOT affect the others. Q. Having started Wireplay from a Win95 DOS box I get a a Windows 95 message box saying the program performed an illegal operation and has been shut down. A. There are at least two possible causes that we have found: 1. If you click on the "Details" button beside "OK" you may find: ILLEGAL OPERATION Invalid Instruction at 6509:F350 Interrupts in service - none This seems to happen if patched and unpatched versions (6.6 and 6.7) play in the same game. UPGRADE TO VERSION 6.19 TO GET AN AUTOMATIC VERSION CHECK. 2. The computer may have an unsuitable VESA video driver. See below. Q. I get a 'Critical Error - Abort/Retry/Ignore/Fail' message usually just after the DID logo appears. A. EF2000 Wireplay Edition versions 6.6 and 6.7 searched for data files in a number of drives and directories. One of these is drive E:, which is a CD-ROM on many computers. If drive E: is an empty CD-ROM it returns a 'drive not ready' error when EF2000 accesses it and the 'critical error' If drive E is either completely absent or a writeable local or network drive there will be no trouble. This is primarily a problem under DOS and in Windows95 Command Line mode - a DOS box seems to handle this error correctly. Machines which display the 'Critical Error' problem can usually be cured by inserting any CD-ROM (it does not have to be the EF2000 one) in the drive. If a 'Serious Disk Error' is then reported, you will have to get rid of SMARTDRV.EXE, or at least prevent it from cacheing the CD drive. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED BY VERSION 6.19. DOWNLOAD THE PATCH!! Q. EF2000 locks up immediately (DOS) or exits with a Windows "Illegal instruction" message as soon as it has displayed the version number and the amount of free RAM. A. This has been found to result from the use of an inappropriate VESA graphics driver. A test for this problem is to run the DID diagnostic utility (run \EFWPLAY\CONFIG.BAT and choose the "diagnostics" menu item). If the PC works OK in low resolution mode but locks up as soon as you press 'Y' then it is highly likely that you have this problem. The only cure is to replace the VESA driver - removing it will stop many other programs (most likely including the Wireplay client) from working. Once a replacement VESA driver for your video card or chip has been found and loaded, it should be possible to execute the command: \EFWPLAY\EFWPLAY.BAT A B 2 and get the error "WpStart() failed" rather than a lock-up. For Compaq machines with embedded (motherboard) video hardware, version 1.11 of the CPQVESA.EXE driver is known to have this problem. Version 1.12 fixes the problem and can be downloaded from the Compaq WWW site. Q. I have set the DOS box memory properties but I still get "... cant actually allocate 30000000 bytes" A. The properties are stored for each route into a DOS box. If you set the properties having started DOS from one desktop icon or shortcut, it has no effect on any other route into the DOS box (for example the Start menu or another shortcut). It is essential to start the DOS box using the exact same method that will be used for Wireplay, set the memory properties, and then quit and restart the DOS box so that they take effect. We probably ought to supply a WIREPLAY shortcut file with the client that has this set up. Q. I have set the DOS TEMP environment variable to point at a drive with more space but EF2000 still does not find it. A. The Causeway DOS extender searches the environment for a number of candidate temporary directories. It will look for TMP before TEMP. Various application programs add these to AUTOEXEC.BAT so users may have a TMP (frequently set up by Windows 3.x to point at \WINDOWS\TMP) as well as TEMP. This may need emptying and/or editing to point at a drive with more free space. Q. The game gets stuck at "WAITING" after loading has apparently finished. Other players may get into the game. A. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED BY VERSION 6.19. DOWNLOAD THE PATCH!! ================================ Game Playing FAQ: Q. What are the basic controls? A. In keyboard mode, the controls needed to take off, fly, and destroy the enemy are: * Start afterburner / Stop afterburner up arrow Pitch down (dive) down arrow Pitch up (climb) left arrow Roll Left right arrow Roll Right G landing gear up/down B air brake P Pause The Game Num keypad + More thrust Num keypad - Less thrust HOME Release chaff to jam radar DELETE Release flares to jam IR missiles < and > Rudder and nosewheel steering A Engage/Disengage autopilot BACKSPACE Select air-to-ground weapon ENTER Select air-to-air weapon SPACE BAR Fire selected weapon Q. How do I get airborne? A. Once the cockpit view appears, do the following to get airborne: 1.Press * to start the afterburner 2.Wait til the speed (top right of HUD) reaches 120mph 3.Pull back on the joystick or press down-arrow to climb 4.Retract the landing gear [G] at about 200mph 5.Continue climbing to 4000 feet (top right of HUD) 6.Level out and look for the other players - turn by rolling in the direction you choose and then pulling back or pressing down-arrow. 7.Enjoy the game Q. How do I find the other player(s) once I'm in the air? A. Press F2 for target view - this will follow any detected target wherever it goes. Press F1 to get back to a straight ahead view if you lose track of where you are going. Press F4 to see your aircraft from the outside (and inspect the damage!) Q. Can I look anywhere but straight ahead A. You can look anywhere by holding down the SHIFT key and using the arrows to move your direction of view around. EF2000 pilots can turn their head through 360 degrees and bend over backwards! Q. How do I communicate with the other players A. There is no communication facility between leaving the locker room when the game proposer clicks on "START" and completing the game load and setup. Once you are in the cockpit, press "S" to send text messages. Q. How does EF2000 Wireplay Edition decide who chooses the game parameters (bases, time of day, .....)? A. The EF2000 Wireplay Edition always chooses the proposer (from the Wireplay locker room) to set up the game parameters. Q. Why does EF2000 Wireplay Edition only allow me to use guns? A. Misiles were added at version 6.7 (the first patch). Either the game proposer chose not to equip the aircraft with missiles or your copy of EF2000 Wireplay Edition is an unpatched copy of version 6.6 from a PC Gamer or PC Format December Edition CD. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED IN VERSIONS 6.7 AND 6.19. DOWNLOAD THE PATCH!! Q. Which missiles should I use A. EF2000 offers four kinds of air-to-air missile: AIM9 Sidewinder: Short range heat seeker, used for a stern chase at moderate speeds, can be fired ahead only. AIM120 AMRAAM: Medium Range radar homing, best used when the enemy is flying towards you and directly ahead. ASRAAM: Short/medium range heat seeker, can be fired at almost any speed and angle - even if the target is not dead ahead. S225: Long range radar homing, best fired when the enemy is dead ahead and flying towards you. Works best if you are much higher than the target. Q. I have just had a missile warning. How can I save myself? A. The INS and DEL keys operate chaff (radar decoy) and flares (heat seeker decoy) devices. Press both repeatedly to leave a trail of decoys. Fly close to the ground to reduce the range of both IR and radar missiles. Q. How can I see if the target is in range, or where incoming missiles are? A. The F1 key switches between a 'head up display' view and one with the view ahead, the radar, and the missile warning display. The radar is at bottom left and the missile warning at bottom right. When a target is in range a 'shoot' message will appear beside it on the radar screen. Q. How do I select which missile to use? A. The main keyboard "RETURN" key cycles through the available missiles and the gun. The type selected and the number remaining are shown at bottom left of the HUD. Q. What do the target symbols on the HUD mean? A. A rectangular box contains a potential target. If the box contains a diamond it is selected and close enough to fire. You can change the selected target by pressing the 'C' key. The range and relative speed of the selected target is given at the bottom left of the HUD. Q. I have a large cross on the HUD. What does it mean? A. If you are using AMRAAM or S225 missiles then the selected target is too close to be fired at with these missiles (inside 4KM for AMRAAM, 10KM for S225). If you are flying towards the ground it is a 'pull up now or crash' warning. Q. In the single player version of EF2000 I can press Shift+ESC to eject from a damaged plane. This does not work in the Wireplay edition. A. This is true of all multiplayer versions of EF2000 and was a conscious choice by DID. There is no way out except to win! Q. How do I get out? A. The correct method depends on where you are in the game. In the startup screens, click on "ABORT" or "QUIT". In game play, press "SHIFT Q" and select QUIT to leave the game, or CANCEL the request to leave. If you leave the game, the other players will be informed that a player has left. If there was only one other player the game will end. If there are two or more players, the game will continue. Copyright and Trademark Notices: MS-DOS and Windows95 are trademarks of Microsoft Inc. CAUSEWAY is a trademark of Devore Software Inc. QEMM is a trademark of Quarterdeck Inc. The DID logo, EF2000, Super EF2000, Tactcom, and Super Tactcom are trademarks of Digital Image Design Limited. Wireplay and the Wireplay Ladder logo are trademarks of British Telecommunications plc. Copright ⌐ British Telecommunications plc 1996. Contributors: Iain Moffat, Phil 'Phlash' Ashby, Bryan Johnson, David Bennett, Chris Adams, Tim Gosling, Jim McBride, Andy Pentney, Peter Newton, Darren Page, John Bradley and the Wireplay helpdesk.