PC Player 1997 November

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################################################################ LucasArts Entertainment Co. Shadows of the Empire 1 Level Demo ################################################################ Thank you for playing the Shadows of the Empire Demo. We recommend that you read this file to get the most up to date information about installing, running and playing this demo. Please understand that, since this is still a work in progress, not all features or 3D support have been implemented in this demo version. Be sure to check the LucasArts website at www.lucasarts.com for the very latest information related to Shadows of the Empire. ################################################################ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ------------------- Computer: 100% Windows 95 DirectX compatible computer required. Graphics Card: 3D Accelerated PCI Graphics card required. Currently supported chipsets include 3Dfx Voodoo, Rendition Verite, Permedia 2 or chipsets with similar or better performance. CPU: Pentium 90 or faster required for 3Dfx chipsets Pentium 120 or faster required for other supported 3D graphic chipsets. Memory: 16MB RAM required. CD-ROM: Quad speed CD-ROM drive required. Sound Card: 100% Windows 95 compatible 16-bit sound card required. Input Device: 100% Windows 95 compatible keyboard, mouse, or joystick required (joystick recommended). Note: Microsoft DirectX 3.0a is included on this CD and must be installed to play Shadows of the Empire. ################################################################ This demo does not currently support the following 3D chipsets. We are working hard to support as many of these chipsets as pos- sible upon release of the full version of Shadows of the Empire. 3D Rage 3D Rage II Cirrus Logic CL-GD5464 Matrox Mystique Matrox Millenium NEC Power VR PCX NEC Power VR PCX2 Permedia S3 ViRGE/DX S3 ViRGE/GX S3 ViRGE/VX S3 ViRGE ################################################################ KEY FUNCTIONS ------------- During the game, you can press the [ESC] key to access the Game Options menu. The following is a list of the default keyboard functions: Level 1 Battle of Hoth ---------------------- [ESC, ENTER, F1] Pause [Up Arrow or W key] Nose Down [Left Arrow] Turn Left [Right Arrow] Turn Right [Down Arrow or S key] Nose Up [I, K, J, L] Camera (select one of the keys to adjust your in-flight view) [A] Brakes (use to slow speeder and make sharper turns) [Z] Thrust [C] or [Spacebar] Fire Harpoon [TAB] Camera Position [X] Fire lasers [Alt-Q] Quit Game ################################################################ Shadows of the Empire Troubleshooting Guide ################################################################ This troubleshooting guide has been included to provide you with information about the game, and to inform you of solutions for common problems that were encountered during the testing phase. ----------------- Table Of Contents ----------------- 1. General Troubleshooting 2. DirectX Issues/Setup 3. Sound Issues 4. CD-ROM Drive Issues 5. Controller Device Issues --------------------------- -1- General Troubleshooting --------------------------- "Installing" Shadows of the Empire ---------------------------------- There is no real installation of Shadows of the Empire, but here are a few things to check when setting up the game to play it. * Please check your available hard drive space. If you have less than 20MB of free space on your hard drive, you may be unable to start the game. Too little space on a hard drive could also affect other applications, such as Windows itself, which needs room for a swap file, and word processors that need room to spool print jobs. * If you specify your own directory, limit the length of your directory name to between 5 and 20 characters in order to avoid possible problems while running the game. I can't launch the game. What do I do now? ------------------------------------------- * Please check DirectX Issues/Setup (Section 2) of this Troubleshooting Guide to see if your computer hardware is compatible with DirectX 3.0a. * You may not have enough free space on your hard drive for Shadows of the Empire to play. Check to see how much room is left on the drive. You need to have at least 20MB of free space on your hard drive to play Shadows. * Do you have any other applications running, such as memory managers, screen savers, or virus protection programs? Any of these may interfere with Shadows of the Empire. Please refer to the rest of this section for more information. * The Shadows of the Empire CD may be dirty or scratched, or the CD-ROM drive may be having trouble reading the Shadows of the Empire CD. Please check CD-ROM Drive Issues (Section 4). When Having Problems Running Shadows of the Empire -------------------------------------------------- Shadows of the Empire is designed to run under Windows 95 with DirectX 3.0a. If the game unexpectedly freezes up, returns you to your desktop, or if you experience any other severe problems, you should try to properly exit Windows and reboot your computer. (As a rule, you should never turn off your computer while the hard drive is active.) This will help to prevent possible problems related to the error that you have experienced. It is especially important to reboot your computer before trying any of the troubleshooting tips or before attempting to restart the game. If your computer reboots into Safe Mode, go to Shut Down Windows and choose Restart the Computer. This will put you back into normal Windows 95. If the Game's Launcher does not Respond --------------------------------------- * The launcher may not be receiving the data that it needs from the CD-ROM drive. * Your CD-ROM drive may have stopped responding. * There may be a conflict in your system. * This may be due to a scratched or dirty CD. Please consult the CD-ROM Drive Issues section in this Troubleshooting Guide for more information. If Your Computer goes to a Black Screen or Locks Up --------------------------------------------------- If you end up at a black screen, please press ESC, SPACE BAR, or ENTER before trying anything else. If this fails, press CTRL-ALT-DEL and choose END TASK on Shadows of the Empire, which will take you back to the desktop. If you do not see the dialog box after pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL, hit ENTER twice and this should take you back to the desktop. Then restart your computer and try running the game again. While playing Shadows of the Empire, we suggest that you do not use CTRL-ALT-DEL, as this may cause the game to stop responding or freeze up with a looping sound playing. Turning Off Music ----------------- If you are experiencing performance issues with Shadows, you can turn off music. Go to the Options menu by hitting ESC from within the game, then slide the bar to the OFF position. Running Programs ---------------- Generally, we have found that it is a good idea not to have any other programs running while playing Shadows of the Empire. Various video, sound, or memory problems may occur while other programs, including screen savers and virus-detection util- ities, are running. Please turn off any active screen savers while playing Shadows of the Empire, as they may interrupt the game and cause problems. Microsoft Office(tm) -------------------- If you are using Microsoft Office(tm) and are using their Toolbar, we recommend that you turn it off while playing Shadows of the Empire. When you restart your computer it will be turned on again. This also applies to any other programs that use a toolbar that stays on your desktop. Memory Managers --------------- If you are running DOS or Windows 3.1x memory managers, such as EMM386.EXE or QEMM, you may experience problems when running Shadows of the Empire. Both Shadows of the Empire and Windows 95 are protected mode programs and may have problems running with these memory managers loaded. We do not recommend making any changes to your system without first contacting your computer manufacturer about the configuration of your computer. Power Management ---------------- If your computer is equipped with a Power Management Feature, you may want to disable it as the monitor may go to sleep while you are playing. Please consult your computer's documentation or the manufacturer for assistance in doing this. Setting Up Your Monitor ----------------------- If you experience any video problems or are not able to get all of the resolutions that your video card supports, you should make sure that your monitor is set up correctly in the display control panel. * Right-click on the desktop. * Choose Properties from the pop-down menu. * Click on the Settings tab. * Click on Change Display Type... * Click on Change... in the Monitor Type section. * Choose your monitor from the list. * If the correct monitor is not an option in Show Compatible Devices, click on Show All Devices, scroll through the list of manufacturers, click on the correct one, then click on the name of your monitor. Calibrating Your Joystick ------------------------- You will need to calibrate your joystick before playing Shadows of the Empire. You cannot calibrate it from within Shadows. You can do this by going to Calibrate Joystick on the game's launcher or through the Joystick Control Panel in Windows 95. ------------------------ -2- DirectX Issues/Setup ------------------------ Shadows of the Empire will prompt you to install DirectX 3.0a if it is not already installed on your system. Microsoft's DirectX is an application that will allow Shadows of the Empire to have instant access to your system hardware in the Windows 95 environment. This will help Shadows of the Empire take advantage of advances in video and sound that will be used during game play. Note: It is always a good idea to check and write down what sound and video hardware you have in your computer before installing DirectX. To do this: * Right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. * Choose Properties. * Click on the Device Manager tab. * Look at Display Adapters and Sound, Video, and Game Controllers. Write down your hardware devices in case you have to manually restore your video or sound card drivers. WARNING: DirectX is not easily removed from your system. Let's give you a little background on Windows 95 DirectX. Windows 95 Game SDK, which means Software Developers Kit, uses a program known as DirectX which will write directly to your video, sound, and input hardware. This allows gamers to shoot faster and maneuver better than ever before. Unfortunately, not all hardware is supported by DirectX 3.0a. How to Check Your System for DirectX Compatibility. --------------------------------------------------- After you have installed Shadows of the Empire and DirectX, to determine whether your hardware is certified: * Click on Install DirectX from the game's Launcher menu. * Click on Install Now. This will take you to the DirectX Setup screen. * Look at the lines that describe your hardware. If they say "Certified," then your drivers are DirectX certified and the game should run fine. If they have only the version numbers with nothing after that or a blank line, then they are supported, but not yet certified by Microsoft and may have problems. If they say "No hardware support," then your drivers are not supported, and you may experience problems when playing the game. * If you have access to the Internet, you may wish to check the Microsoft Website at http://www.microsoft.com for new DirectX drivers for your computer's hardware. You can also check with your hardware manufacturer for updated DirectX drivers. DirectX Certification --------------------- Look at the lines that describe your hardware. If they say "Certified" on the right hand side of the window, then your drivers are DirectX certified and the game should run fine. If they have only the version numbers with nothing after that or a blank line, then they are supported, but not yet certified by Microsoft and may have problems. If they say "No hardware support," then your drivers are not supported, and you may experience problems when playing the game. If you see "No Hardware Support" listed after any of the components, you will need to update the appropriate driver so that your system is fully DirectX certified. The manufacturer of your system should be able to provide you with instructions for updating your drivers, and provide you with more information regarding DirectX certification. Upgrading Computer Hardware --------------------------- If you change the video or sound card in your computer, make sure that you reinstall DirectX so that it can install the necessary drivers for your new hardware. To do this: * Click on Install DirectX from the game's Launcher menu. * Click on Install Now. This will take you to the DirectX Setup screen. * Click on Reinstall DirectX. This will reinstall DirectX on your computer. * Click on OK when the installer asks you to reboot your computer. Note: Some programs that were made for earlier versions of DirectX may not work with this version. Technical Overview of DirectX ----------------------------- The DirectX platform provides an environment that allows developers to use a standardized format when programming a game, thus making it accessible to a wide variety of different hardware configurations. Prior to DirectX, developers were forced to write hardware-specific code (with a specific driver for each different piece of hardware). The DirectX platform is an Application Programming Interface (or API) that contains many different components. These include: DirectPlay: Provides an API designed to enhance multiplayer gaming over LANs, modems, serial cables, as well as the Internet. DirectInput: Provides advanced support for both analog and digital control devices within the Windows 95 environment. DirectSound: Provides your sound card with audio drivers that make playing sounds less CPU intensive, which helps to enhance sound and music, and allows for optimal performance of 3-D positional audio. DirectDraw: Provides accelerated support for 2-D and 3-D rendering of graphics. Since DirectX is relatively new in the computer world, we have found that some older systems may contain hardware that may not be fully DirectX compatible. For optimum performance in Shadows of the Empire, your system must fully support DirectX. Luckily, many manufacturers are releasing updated drivers. If you are unsure whether or not your system will support DirectX, please contact the manufacturer of your system for further. ---------------- -3- Sound Issues ---------------- DirectX Compatibility --------------------- Consult the DirectX Issues section of this Troubleshooting Guide for information about how to check to see if your sound card is DirectX compatible. If it is not, check with your hardware manufacturer for updated drivers. No Sound in the Shadows of the Empire Launcher ---------------------------------------------- The game's Launcher may occasionally have no sound. When this happens, it usually affects the rest of the game. Windows may still be using your sound card from the last application you were running. Rebooting the computer should correct this. Note: If the Volume Control or the Media Player are not installed, some of the following instructions will not work. If you want to add either of them, please consult the Windows 95 Helpfile for assistance. Just type Volume Control or Media Player in the index section and follow the directions provided by Windows 95. Volume Levels in Shadows of the Empire -------------------------------------- If you find that the music levels are too loud or too quiet and are unable to change the volume through the Shadows of the Empire volume configuration screen, then you may adjust these levels using the Windows Volume Control icon. Use the ALT + TAB keys to go to the desktop, then double-click on the speaker icon in the corner of the taskbar. CD Audio -------- Please make sure that you have the CD audio cable connected correctly between your sound card and CD-ROM drive to hear all of the music in the game. Powered or Amplified Speakers ----------------------------- If you have powered speakers and have both line-out and speaker-out jacks on your sound card, try plugging your speakers into the line-out jack. Most sound card's speaker- out jack have an amplified signal and may cause static or popping on your amplified speakers. Switching to your line- out jack may greatly improve the sound quality. General Sound Card Troubleshooting ---------------------------------- If your sound card is not set up correctly in Windows 95, not 100% DirectX or Windows 95 compatible, or you have a resource conflict, these sound problems may occur: * You may hear static. * You may hear stuttering, especially as someone starts speaking. * There may be no sound. * The sound may drop out. * You may experience a clicking or crackling sound. * The game may not run. Here are a few things to do to get your sound working in Shadows of the Empire: -------------------------------------------------------- First make sure that your sound card is set up correctly in Windows 95. Then use the Windows 95 Media Player to test a sound. To do this: * Click on the START button on your taskbar. * Choose Programs. * Choose Accessories. * Choose Multimedia. * Choose Media Player. * Go to the File menu. * Choose Open... and choose a sound to test. Please be sure to choose Files of type: Sound (*.wav). Wave Settings ------------- Make sure that the wave setting is turned ON. To do this: * Double-click on the Volume Control icon on your taskbar. * Turn the wave setting ON by de-selecting the MUTE box or turning up the volume in the wave setting. Volume Control -------------- If you do not have the Volume Control icon on your taskbar: * Click on the START button on your taskbar. * Choose Programs. * Choose Accessories. * Choose Multimedia. * Choose Volume Control. * Turn the wave setting ON by de-selecting the MUTE box or turning up the volume in the wave setting. Other Volume Control Programs ----------------------------- Other manufacturers may have proprietary software that must be set separately from the Windows 95 Volume Control program. Please see your hardware manuals for more information. Dirty or Scratched CD --------------------- A dirty or scratched CD can cause many sound problems. Ensure that your CD is clean and free of smudges and finger- prints. First try cleaning your CD, wiping it gently with a soft cloth. (Move in smooth strokes from the center hub to the outer edge of the CD.) Specific Sound Cards --------------------- Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 --------------------------------- If you are using driver version 4.33.12, Shadows of the Empire may crash as soon as you try to start the game with a Fatal OE error in VxD DSound. Driver version 4.33.14 corrects this and is currently available on Creative Lab's website. Creative's web address is http://www.creaf.com. Ensoniq Soundscape ------------------ If the game locks up, you are probably using a driver that is not supported by DirectX. Driver version W95b44 or SSIWIZ95 should correct this problem. Ensoniq's web address is http://www.ensoniq.com. You may not be able to adjust the music volume in Shadows of the Empire while using this card. To adjust the music volume, go to the Windows Volume Control and adjust the CD volume there. If the CD/Aux Balance is not available, go to Properties under the Options menu and select it under Show the Following Volume Controls. This may also correct any static problems that you have with this card. Set the CD Volume to the middle if you have static. Advanced Gravis Ultrasound PnP ------------------------------ When using the newest downloaded drivers, the game had numerous speedup zones in the cutscenes, but gameplay was fine. DirectX setup displays a blank line for the audio driver, which means that the driver has not yet gone through DirectX certification. Gravis' web address is http://www.gravis.com. If you are unable to resolve sound problems through this troubleshooting guide, please contact your hardware manufacturer for updated DirectX drivers. ----------------------- -4- CD-ROM Drive Issues ----------------------- Your CD-ROM drive is not affected by DirectX, but if you are having problems like slow game play, stuttering voices, slow graphics, or the game just slowly stops altogether, your CD-ROM may not meet the minimum requirements to run Shadows of the Empire. CD-ROM access error ------------------- A blue screen CD-ROM access error might be a symptom of one of these problems: * Dirty or scratched CD. * Removal of the CD from the computer while Shadows of the Empire was running or paused. * A CD-ROM drive having trouble reading the disc. * A CD-ROM drive that is not MPC-2 compatible. First, check your CD for any dirt, fingerprints, smudges or scratches. To clean your CD, wipe it gently with a soft cloth. (Move in smooth strokes from the center hub to the outer edge of the CD.) If your CD looks fine, replace it in the drive and see if you have this problem again. If you are still having problems, you may have a bad copy of the disc, a CD-ROM drive that is having trouble running the game, or your CD-ROM is not properly installed in Windows 95. Errors Copying or Reading Files ------------------------------- If you are having trouble accessing or using files on the CD-ROM or Hard Drive, your drives may be running in MS-DOS Compatibility Mode. To check this: * Right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. * Choose Properties from the pop-down menu. * Click on Performance. * Look at File System:. It should say 32-bit. If this field states that any of your drives are using MS-DOS Compatibility Mode, your drives are not configured properly to run under Windows 95. This mode will greatly decrease the performance of your computer, and may not allow you to access programs that are written for 32-bit file access only. This may be caused by: * IDE or SCSI interfaces that are not properly set up under Windows 95. * Inappropriate drivers for IDE or SCSI hardware. * Proprietary CD-ROM drives. * Computers that do not support LBA (Logical Block Addressing) modes except through software, such as Dynamic Drive Overlay, which allows the computer to see the whole capacity of large hard drives. ---------------------------- -5- Controller Device Issues ---------------------------- Joystick Calibration -------------------- If you experience any problems when using a joystick, you should make sure that your joystick is properly calibrated. To do this you need to calibrate your joystick before launching the game. You can do this by going to Joystick Calibration from the game's launcher or the Joystick Control Panel in Windows 95. Unplugging Your Joystick ------------------------ Don't unplug your joystick while playing. But why would you do that, anyway? Using Gamepads -------------- Gamepads are not currently supported in this demo version of Shadows of the Empire. ################################################################ USE OF THE SOFTWARE IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING LICENSE AGREE- MENT TERMS. PLEASE READ THIS LICENSE CAREFULLY BEFORE INSTALLING OR USING THE SOFTWARE. BY USING THE SOFTWARE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE, DO NOT INSTALL OR USE THE SOFTWARE, DELETE THE SOFTWARE AND ALL RELATED FILES FROM YOUR COMPUTER, AND PROMPTLY RETURN THIS PACKAGE AND ITS CONTENTS TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE FOR REFUND OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID. The software, artwork, music, and other components included in this computer program (the "Software") are the copyrighted prop- erty of LucasArts Entertainment Company and its licensors (col- lectively referred to as "LEC"). The Software is licensed (not sold) to you, and LEC owns all copyright, trade secret, patent and other proprietary rights in the Software. You may use the Software on a single computer. You may not: (1) copy (other than once for back-up purposes), distribute, rent, lease or sublicense all or any portion of the Software; (2) modify or prepare derivative works of the Software Product; (3) transmit the Software over a network, by telephone, or electronically using any means, except in the course of network multi-player play of the Software; or (4) reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Software Product. You may transfer the Software, but only if the recipient agrees to accept the terms and cond- itions of this Agreement. If you transfer the Software, you must transfer all computer programs and documentation and erase any copies residing on computer equipment. Your license is auto- matically terminated if you transfer the Software. You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of the Software is at your sole risk. The Software and any related documentation or materials are provided "AS IS" and without warranty of any kind. LEC EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MER- CHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONIN- FRINGEMENT. LEC DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE OPER- ATION OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS IN THE SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, SHALL LEC, OR ITS DIRECTORS,OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTER- RUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE DOWNLOADING, COPYING OR USE OF THE SOFTWARE OR RELATED FILES AND MATERIALS, EVEN IF LEC OR AN LEC AUTHORIZED REPRESENT- ATIVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIA- BILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. This license is effective until terminated. You may terminate it at any time by destroying the Software, including all computer programs and documentation, and erasing any copies residing on computer equipment. This license also will terminate if you do not comply with any terms or conditions of this Agreement. Upon such termination you agree to destroy the Software and erase all copies residing on computer equipment.