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Westwood Studios Official Command & Conquer Frequently Asked Questions List Last Update: November 3rd, 1995 Version 2.2 About this document.... I have made a vain attempt to answer every question anyone could ever ask regarding our newest real-time strategy game, COMMAND & CONQUER: TIBERIAN DAWN. If you see something that needs to be added, please email me here at Westwood with your question and I'll consider its inclusion into the next FAQ sheet. This FAQ sheet will no longer be available by writing mail to my internet address. You may obtain new versions of the C&C FAQ through the Westwood Studios web site (www.westwood.com) or through our ftp site (ftp.westwood.com). If you received this FAQ sheet and instead wanted an answer from our faithful, loyal, and dedicated staff - please write to "westwoods@aol.com". All information contained herein is copyright 1995 by Westwood Studios. You are allowed to distribute it freely, but not to make changes. (virtualted@westwood.com) --- PART 1 : GENERAL INFORMATION ------------------------------------------- 1.1 What is Command & Conquer? 1.2 System Requirements. 1.3 Is this Dune III? 1.4 When is the game going to be released in North America? Elsewhere? 1.5 Are there screenshots or maybe a Demo available to download? 1.6 Can I play Command & Conquer against a friend? 1.7 Will Command & Conquer support MY sound card? --- PART 2 : GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT GAME PLAY ----------------------------- 2.1 How many units are in the game? 2.2 Are the air units similar to the ones in DUNE II? Can I control them? 2.3 How many missions are there in Command & Conquer? 2.4 Am I limited in how many units I can create? 2.5 Can I create teams of units? Is it easy to do? 2.6 Do I need to buy two copies for multiplayer games? 2.7 How is the computer A.I. in comparison to other real-time games? 2.8 Is it possible to team up with or against friends on a network? --- PART 3 : PLAYING THE GAME ---------------------------------------------- 3.1 Special keyboard shortcuts - not in the manual. 3.2 Miscellaneous Hints/Tactics. 3.3 Any cheat codes? 3.4 Charts for obtaining units. 3.5 Charts for obtaining structures. 3.6 Description of Multi-player crates. --- PART 4 : PLAYING THE GAME WITH KALI ------------------------------------ 4.1 What is KALI? 4.2 How do I get the KALI software? 4.3 How to set up KALI to run COMMAND & CONQUER. --- PART 5 : MODEM/NETWORK HELP -------------------------------------------- 5.1 Sample Modem INIT strings you can use. 5.2 How to increase modem performance. 5.3 Network notes to remember. --- PART 6 : TROUBLESHOOTING ----------------------------------------------- 6.1 What to do when the game doesn't want to work. 6.2 How to get Command & Conquer installed under Windows 95. 6.3 How to get Command & Conquer running with Windows 95 and 8 megabytes. 6.4 Improving video playback performance under Windows 95. 6.5 How to fix modem problems under Windows 95. 6.6 Mouse is not identified, or does not behave correctly. 6.7 Divide Overflow error upon installation. 6.8 Command & Conquer Patch file (1.16p). --- PART 7 : GETTING HELP -------------------------------------------------- 7.1 How to Order Command & Conquer. 7.2 Contacting Westwood Studios directly. 7.3 Our internet www and ftp sites. --- PART 8 : IN THE FUTURE ------------------------------------------------- 8.1 When is Command & Conquer II going to be released? 8.2 Where can I get extra missions for Command & Conquer? **************************************************************************** GENERAL INFORMATION ******************************************************** **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1 WHAT IS COMMAND & CONQUER? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Command & Conquer is a real-time strategy-combat game developed by Westwood Studios, the creators of DUNE II. The Press Release : WESTWOOD STUDIOS INTRODUCES : COMMAND & CONQUER Imagine a brutal, devastating conflict of global proportions. Now imagine it all fitting on two CDs. Introducing COMMAND & CONQUER, from the creators of DUNE II. A frighteningly realistic glimpse into the near future, when the planet is divided between two forces battling for world domination. Players can fight for a peacekeeping alliance called the Global Defense Initiative. Or their mortal enemy, a terrorist organization called the Brotherhood of Nod. Either way, they'll have their strategies tested in a real-time world, complete with over 60 minutes of intense full-motion video and 3-D rendered graphics that are as visceral as they are visual. Which of course, is unfortunate for those with weaker stomachs. COMMAND & CONQUER's real-time combat system is designed to be deep and meaningful, yet accessible. Those familiar with Westwood's earlier award winning strategy game DUNE II will remember the ease of use in a fast-paced race of destruction and mayhem. However, we've made a few modifications you might want to look into... Build and better your bases, unite or divide your forces, develop and utilize guerrilla tactics and a wealth of potent electronic hardware, and make sure that "Reduce the Opposition to pulp" is at the top of your list of things to do today. As one person put it... "The attention to detail is exemplary - it's like having a fully-functioning miniature world-gone-mad crawling with armies of intelligent beings, all secured in a big glass box, and all at your disposal." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.2 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Command & Conquer (2 CD-ROMs) requires at least the following system configuration : CPU: 486/66 or higher. RAM: 8MB total, 6MB free XMS or EMS, 560KB conventional RAM. HD space: 30MB. CD: 2xCD-ROM drive. SOUND: Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro, Sound Blaster 16, Sound Blaster AWE32 and 100% Sound Blaster compatibles, Gravis UltraSound, Gravis UltraSound MAX, Ensonic Soundscape, Roland RAP-10, ESS Audiodrive, Microsoft Sound System, Gold Sound Standard, Pro Audio Spectrum. DISPLAY: MCGA graphics (256 color, 320x200 pixel resolution). MOUSE: Microsoft Mouse or 100% compatible. DOS: 5.0 or higher. WINDOWS: 3.1 or higher. For multi-player: SERIAL: 2 players over minimum 9,600 bps modem, 14,400 bps modem or higher recommended. 2 players over null modem connection. NETWORK: 2-4 players over IPX compliant network. Command & Conquer will stream and mix all music directly from the CD with sound effects in the game. Any Soundblaster compatible card capable of playing digital audio will be supported. Audio quality for both 8 bit and 16 bit cards is nothing less than superb. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.3 Is this DUNE III? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Command & Conquer is not DUNE III. The only item borrowed from our earlier real-time strategy game is the cool interface, and even that has been updated. The game engine has been totally rewritten to support more units and an enhanced artificial intelligence. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.4 When will Command & Conquer be released? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Command & Conquer is available world wide NOW. Check with A local software store for a release date if you don't see it, since there have been many reports of stores running out of stock. We appreciate everyone's patience while we finished work on C&C. Thanks again for your support. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5 Is there a demo or screenshots available? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes! A demo of Command & Conquer should be available very soon. Please check our web site (www.westwood.com) for the game file. There are also .AVI movies, screenshots, and music clips from either our ftp site at ftp.westwood.com or our web site at www.westwood.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6 Can I play Command & Conquer against a friend? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. C&C will support Network, Null Modem and Modem play. Network mode allows four players to go head-to-head. A computer opponent can also be added to increase any game by one more player. Each player must have one of the Command & Conquer CD-ROM's in their system before play can begin. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.7 How about my GUS/ProAudio Spectrum/Whizbang 3000 sound card? Support? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We will not support any card in direct or "native" mode. Our new sound drivers enable us to play and mix music and voices directly from the CD-ROM. Instead of hearing a computer generated version of a guitar or drums, you'll be hearing the real thing right off the CD. Command & Conquer is one of the first Westwood products to support DDA (Direct Digital Audio). If your card is capable of playing digital sounds (and most cards are), you should have no problem with sound support. **************************************************************************** GAME PLAY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS *********************************************** **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1 How many units are in the game? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lots. There are close to 50 different units and structures in the game. Each side has different units, different strengths, etc.. We have played here at Westwood quite often to ensure that the game is perfectly balanced. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2 Are there air units which I can control? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. As stated before, this is not DUNE II. A10's, Transport helicopters, planes, and other attack craft will be able take orders to land, take off, pick up troops, bomb, etc.. In Command & Conquer, you have real-time control of almost all units. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3 How many missions are in C&C? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- In total, there are around 50 missions. However, the missions differ depending on which route you take in the game. Finishing the game playing both GDI and NOD doesn't mean that playing the game again will be the same. Roughly, it will take you about 15 successful missions to complete the game using each side. There are also specially designed multiplayer missions which are configurable in a variety of ways. You can play against any combination of computer/player opponents (up to four players) simultaneously. One person cannot play by themselves in multiplayer missions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.4 Am I limited in how many units I can create? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. When programming DUNE II, we had to stick to limited memory requirements. Now, your only limit is the amount of money you have to buy reinforcements, (and how long you can keep your troops alive.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.5 Team Mode (?) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, teaming units will be enabled in Command & Conquer through a very simple procedure. Click on a portion of the screen, hold down your mouse button and draw a box around the units you wish to team up, then let the button go. It's that easy. And, you can select a whole screen of your units to create a team if you wish. There really isn't any limit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.6 Do I need to buy two copies of the game to play on two computers? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have designed the game so that you won't need to buy two separate copies of the game in order to play with a friend. You can give away one of your CDs so that you can both play over the modem. In order to play the normal game, you'll need both CDs. The reason we're doing it this way is so that you can enjoy the multiplayer aspect of C&C more easily. Although we could have designed it so that two copies of the game must be purchased in order to use multiplayer, we are hoping that if we treat our fans right, then they will in turn treat us right. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.7 How is the computer artificial intelligence compared to other games? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Command & Conquer was written from scratch, we were able to implement a completely new artificial intelligence. Instead, expect a new adversary which will attack, retreat, regroup, attack again, and probe your base for weaknesses. Helicopters will invade, and troops will pour through your walls all too often. This game will not be easy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.8 Team Mode (Alliance) option. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Because so many of you asked for it, we decided to make it so that you can team up with (or against) your friends in multiplayer mode. Teams can be of one to three players, and of any type (GDI or NOD). You will not be able to control your team members' units, but you will have access to his refinery, helicopter pads, and other resources. Most importantly, your units will not attack one another when they come into direct contact. **************************************************************************** PLAYING THE GAME *********************************************************** **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 Special Keyboard Shortcuts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C&C has a range of keyboard shortcuts and extra features which are keyboard driven. These are intended for the advanced player and are not essential to normal gameplay. They are, however, very cool: Unit Control: G : Guard Area Select a group of units and then hit G to put them into Guard Area mode. In this mode, units will patrol and open fire on any enemy units that come within range. X : Scatter Units This causes a selected group of units to scatter (for example, to make themselves into more difficult targets). S : Stop Unit Causes a unit to stop in its tracks. Keyboard Shortcuts: F7-F10 : Map Bookmark System Use CTRL+F7-F10 to place a bookmark, then use F7-F10 to jump to that spot. <CTRL>-# : Team Creation Use CTRL and a number key (0-9) to mark a group of selected units as a team. 0-9 : Team Selection Selects a pre-marked team (see Team Creation) as the current active group. TAB : Open/Close Sidebar H : Automatically selects and centers the view around your construction yard. N : Your next unit on the playing field is selected and the view is centered about it. R : Allows resigning in single player mode as well as multiplayer. <HOME> : Centers the view around the currently selected object. <ALT>-# : If the <ALT> key is held while pressing a team number, the specified team will be selected and the view centered over the team members. This is identical to pressing the team number and then pressing <HOME>. Multiplayer Options: A : Alliance Select an enemy unit and hit A. This causes your units to treat all the units of the allied side as friendly, as such you will not be able to target them. Note that this is not a reciprocal arrangement and your new ally must explicitly do the same thing to your units. This is a toggle and hitting A for a second time will cause you to declare war on your old ally. R : Resign from Multiplayer Game If all hope is lost you can resign, or surrender, by hitting the R key. This causes all your units to explode in a spectacular manner, thus depriving your enemy of absolute victory! It should be noted that anyone using this option in other than hopeless situations will be considered a wimp by their opponents and will be endlessly taunted in subsequent games. Probably. Cursor Modifiers: CTRL : Force Attack Holding down the CTRL key forces your cursor into the target cursor. This allows you to target your own units, amongst other things. ALT : Force Move Forces your units to move when they would normally just stand and fight. This is useful with tanks against enemy infantry, for example. Try it and see. CTRL+ALT : Guard Area or Unit Select a group of units and then CTRL+ALT click on a building, this forces your units to patrol the area around the building looking for the enemy. They will engage the enemy if found. If you CTRL+ALT click on another one of your units (for example, the harvester) your selected units will guard that unit as it moves around the map. This also applies to enemy units, which is perhaps not so useful. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.2 Quick Tips/Tactics. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- a) Using Chem Troopers. Chem troopers are only available in multi-player mode. Chem troopers do one and a half times the damage of flamethrower infantry units, and can walk through tiberium without taking damage. b) Building a Nuclear weapon in NOD single player missions. To allow your Temple of NOD to launch nuclear missiles in the final battle, you will need to retrieve the crates on levels 6, 8, and 12. If you do not find the crates before finishing the mission, the nuclear missile will not be available. You may have to sell or destroy enemy buildings to get a few of the crates. c) Selling buildings. Selling a building will get you 50% of the purchase price. Do not sell your construction yard! d) Capturing enemy buildings. By capturing an enemy building, you not only have the option of selling it for money, but you can build units and structures that you wouldn't normally be able to do with your own facilities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.3 Cheat codes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are absolutely no cheat codes for Command & Conquer. This means that... 1) There are no cheat codes. 2) No cheat codes were included. 3) We didn't want to include any cheat codes. No amount of begging will result in something that doesn't exist. Also, a warning to those who would plunder our code in an attempt to cheat in multiplayer mode. Any attempt to change the software through devious means will result in an out-of-sync error every time you try to connect to someone else. We have conducted several tests to confirm this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.4 Chart for creation of units. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a chart for the creation of units in Command & Conquer. The number in parenthesis next to the unit number is the tech level required in multiplayer mode. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | GDI UNIT | TECH LVL | PREREQUISITE | -------------------+----------+----------------------------------------- | Minigun Infantry | 1 | Barracks | | Grenade Infantry | 1 | Barracks | | Rocket Infantry | 2 | Barracks | | Engineer | 3 | Barracks | | Commando* | 7 | Barracks, Advanced Comm Center | | Humm Vee | 2 | Weapons Factory | | APC | 4 | Barracks, Weapons Factory | | Medium Tank | 3 | Weapons Factory | | MRLS | 7 | Weapons Factory, Adv. Comm Center | | Mammoth Tank | 5 | Weapons Factory, Repair Bay | | Chinook* | 6 | Weapons Factory, Helipad | | Orca | 6 | Weapons Factory, Helipad | | MCV | 7 | Weapons Factory, Adv. Comm Center | | Harvester | 2 | Weapons Factory, Refinery | | Ion Cannon | 7 | Adv. Comm Center | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For NOD units... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | NOD UNIT | TECH LVL | PREREQUISITE | -------------------+----------+----------------------------------------- | Minigun Infantry | 1 | Hand of Nod | | Rocket Infantry | 2 | Hand of Nod | | Flamethrower Inf | 1 | Hand of Nod | | Engineer | 3 | Hand of Nod | | Chem Warrior* | 7 | Hand of Nod, Temple of Nod | | Commando* | 7 | Hand of Nod, Temple of Nod | | Nod Buggy | 2 | Airfield | | Recon Bike | 2 | Airfield | | Light Tank | 3 | Airfield | | Artillery | 6 | Airfield | | Flame Tank | 4 | Communications Center, Airfield | | Stealth Tank | 5 | Communications Center, Airfield | | Chinook* | 6 | Helipad, Airfield | | Apache* | 6 | Helipad, Airfield | | MCV | 7 | Weapons Factory, Temple of Nod | | Harvester | 2 | Weapons Factory, Refinery | | Nuclear Strike | 7 | Temple of Nod | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Available in multi-player missions only. May be available in single player missions as unit given to you at start of mission or as a mission objective for capture. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.5 Chart for creation of structures. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This chart details what the requirements are to build structures in C&C. Note that in single player missions, you may not have access to advanced buildings until later in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | GDI STRUCTURE | TECH LVL | PREREQUISITE | -------------------+----------+----------------------------------------- | Const. Yard | 1 | None (all buildings require this) | | Power Plant | 1 | Construction Yard | | Barracks | 1 | Power Plant | | Refinery | 1 | Power Plant | | Tiberium Silo | 1 | Refinery | | Guard Tower | 2 | Barracks | | Adv. Guard Twr | 4 | Communications Center | | Weapons Factory | 2 | Power Plant | | Repair Pad | 5 | Power Plant | | Comm Center | 2 | Refinery | | Adv. Pwr Plant | 5 | Power Plant | | Adv. Comm Cntr | 7 | Communications Center | | Helipad | 6 | Barracks | | Sandbags | 1 | Construction Yard | | Chainlink Fence | 1 | Construction Yard | | Concrete Wall | 1 | Construction Yard | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For NOD structures.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | NOD STRUCTURE | TECH LVL | PREREQUISITE | -------------------+----------+----------------------------------------- | Const. Yard | 1 | None (all buildings require this) | | Power Plant | 1 | Construction Yard | | Hand of NOD | 1 | Power Plant | | Refinery | 1 | Power Plant | | Tiberium Silo | 1 | Refinery | | Turret | 2 | Hand of Nod | | SAM Site | 6 | Hand of Nod | | Airfield | 2 | Refinery | | Repair Pad | 5 | Power Plant | | Comm Center | 2 | Refinery | | Adv. Pwr Plant | 5 | Power Plant | | Temple of NOD | 7 | Communications Center | | Helipad | 6 | Hand of Nod | | Obelisk of Light | 4 | Communications Center | | Chainlink Fence | 1 | Construction Yard | | Concrete Wall | 1 | Construction Yard | | Sandbags | 1 | Construction Yard | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.6 Description of crate contents in Multi-player mode. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is a brief explanation of the contents of crates in multi- player mode. MONEY Random. Can be in any amount up to $2,000. NUKE MISSILE Equivalent of nuclear strike using Temple of NOD. One shot only. REVEAL MAP Uncovers the entire map for the player. This applies to the radar screen, as well as the onscreen map. STEALTH Will stealth any unit that discovers this crate, as well as all units and structures within a 50 foot radius. EXTRA UNITS Random. Can be any GDI or NOD unit. HEAL ALL Heals all of your units and structures to 100% health. ION CANNON Equivalent of ion cannon using the Advanced Communication Facility. One shot only. NUKE STRIKE Directs a Nuke Strike against the location of the crate retrieved. Very bad. BOMB Explodes on contact. Not good. HIDE MAP Hides the entire map, except for your units. VISCEROID Releases a Tiberium-spawned Visceroid into the playing field. Attacks randomly. If your base is completely gone, there's a chance you can make a quick comeback! You must have at least $2,400 and no structures of any kind left on the map. There is an excellent chance that the next crate you find will contain an MCV. **************************************************************************** PLAYING THE GAME WITH KALI ************************************************* **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.1 What is Kali? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kali is a program written by Jay Cotton which allows you to play network games using the IPX protocol over an Internet SLIP or PPP connection. We have been playing C&C over KALI for a few months now, and it seems to work quite well. However, remember that we cannot provide technical support for KALI in any way. If the words "IP Address", "ping", "slip/ppp" and "IPX" are unknown to you, this entire concept may be a little over your head. Again, neither Westwood Studios nor Virgin Interactive Entertainment can offer support for those of you wishing to experiment with the KALI software. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.2 How do I get the KALI shareware package? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can download the newest KALI software and other files you need at: ftp://ftp.axxis.com/pub/kali While you're there, download PPP.ZIP and PING.ZIP if they're available. These programs are what you will need to dial into your Internet service provider and establish a PPP connection. There are SLIP and network card drivers available as well. Remember, this program is shareware. If you find it useful, we suggest you support Jay Cotton in his future programming endeavors by registering your copy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.3 How to set up KALI with C&C ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- First, I'm not going to go through the entire process of explaining how to set up KALI to dial and connect to your internet service provider. There are examples that will show you how to do this in the KALI files. 1. Get the KALI software from the ftp site mentioned above. You will also need PPP.ZIP. 2. Configure the PPP driver software to connect to your provider. There are excellent examples on how to do this included within the PPP.ZIP file. 3. After connecting to your ISP, set up and use KALI to connect to Kali Central (204.96.20.10). This is where you'll meet others to play Command & Conquer. After connecting you should see a list of other people connected, and the games that they're currently playing. Now here's the tricky part... PPP and KALI take up a lot of low memory. The trick will be to load your MOUSE, CD-ROM drivers, PPP, and KALI, and still have enough memory left to run Command & Conquer. If you're not using Windows 95, this should be a piece of cake. If you ARE running Windows 95, I would suggest a boot disk with something similar to the following : CONFIG.SYS : DOS=HIGH,UMB DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS DEVICE=A:\MOUSE.SYS DEVICE=A:\SBCD.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:220 /E (may be different for you) AUTOEXEC.BAT : MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /V /M:15 (may be different for you) You can copy your drivers to your boot disk, or load them off your hard drive, it really doesn't matter. However, if you are using Drivespace, you will have to disable it by hitting F8 when your computer boots up, then select "Step by Step confirmation" and skip any drivespace or Windows drivers your system tries to load. If you try to load drivespace, you probably won't have enough memory left over to run Command & Conquer. Make sure that C&C isn't stored on the compressed drive, or you won't have access to it! Command & Conquer can work in as little as 425K of free lower memory. You can probably load your PPP driver low, and your KALI driver high, and have enough depending on what the size of your drivers is. After you have loaded your CD-ROM and mouse drivers, loaded PPP.EXE and KALI, run Command & Conquer and select the Multiplayer (Network) game option from the main menu. You should see others playing C&C, or you can start a game of your own and wait for others to join you. If KALI Central, or wherever you decide to log in to is very busy, it's probably best if you set up your own virtual network with the other players. Use KCHAT, the Kali chat program to arrange this. If anyone has information they would like to add to this section, please feel free to email it to me. **************************************************************************** MODEM/NETWORK HELP ********************************************************* **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.1 Modem Initialization Strings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- As detailed in the manual, we seem to get best modem performance with modem data-compression and error-correction turned off. You can do this by going to the serial game settings dialog and entering the appropriate init. string for your modem. This should be entered on the host (dialing) machine, the guest (receiver) should use ATZ. If you use these init. strings the modem speed may have to be set to the exact speed of your modem, for example 14,400 bps or 28800 bps. Here are example init. strings for some popular modems: Modem Init. String US ROBOTICS SPORTSTER 9600/14400/28800 . . . AT&M0&K0 DIGICOM SCOUT 288VFCi . . . . . . . . . . . AT\N1 BEST DATA SMART ONE 14400 . . . . . . . . . AT\N1 HAYES ACCURA 28800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . AT&Q0 SUPRA 14400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AT\N1 PRACTICAL 14400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AT&Q0 ZOOM 28800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AT&Q0 If you have had success in using a modem that is not on this list, please send us the init. string you're using, and we'll add it to this list! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.2 How to increase modem multi-player performance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- With music playing during a modem game, there is a possibility of pausing or very slow game play. For optimum performance, music volume under the options menu should be set to zero (far left), this is the default setting. The game speed should be satisfactory with sound effects on and music turned down. If you have a 486 system with an external modem you might experience pausing or very slow game play. This is due to the 8250 UART chip which is in most 486 class machines, this chip causes the CPU to work harder in null modem and modem games. There are several work-arounds: 1. Turn off both music and sound effects in the setup program prior to playing the game. This will improve performance at the expense of losing all game sounds. 2. Install an internal modem. These modems have their own UART chips which are designed for higher performance. 3. Install a high performance serial card in your system. If you are using a 14400/28800 bps external modem with your 486 class system you should seriously consider installing a high performance serial card. These cards usually have a 16550A type UART chip which outperforms the 8250 UART in all serial communications applications by buffering data more efficiently. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.3 Network notes to remember. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------* For multiplayer network games we strongly caution you to use a homogeneous network environment - that is, to use the same type of IPX compliant network drivers (e.g., IPX, IPXODI etc.) on each system. We have found incompatibilities between drivers from different manufacturers so you should bear this in mind if you are having network game troubles. C&C should work with any IPX compliant network but we have found problems running with Microsoft MSIPX.COM. We strongly recommend that you avoid MSIPX and use either IPX.COM from Novell, or use IPXODI drivers compatible with your card. If in doubt you should ask your network administrator to upgrade your system. **************************************************************************** TROUBLESHOOTING ************************************************************ **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.1 What to do when the game doesn't want to run... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Command & Conquer has been tested on hundreds of computers. If you're having a problem, it probably has something to do with the way your system is set up. Steps you should take : 1. Read the README file located on the CD-ROM. It contains valuable information about certain sound cards, Windows, etc.. 2. Read the troubleshooting section of this document! If it seems to be a common problem that people are having, chances are you will find it answered below. 3. Check our web site or your favorite online service for the newest version of this document. You may also want to check the message areas to see if anyone else has had trouble similar to yours, and has already found a solution. 4. Write or call us! You can reach Virgin Interactive Entertainment customer support by dialing 1-714-833-1999. Be sure to have your computer up and running, and get ready to spill your guts about the type of system you're running C&C on. This includes listings of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. You can write to us via email at the services mentioned later in this document. Be sure to send all the same information mentioned above in your mail. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.2 How to get Command & Conquer working under Windows 95. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To install under Windows 95, follow these four easy steps: 1) Click START/RUN, type D:\SETUP.EXE (where D is your CD-ROM drive); type ENTER. 2) Follow instructions in setup program as normal. 3) When installation is finished, restart Windows 95 to initialize the C&C icons. 4) Start C&C using START/PROGRAMS/WESTWOOD/C&C. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.3 Running C&C with Windows 95 and 8 megabytes of memory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you only have 8 megabytes in your machine, you may need to make some modifications to allow C&C to run on the desktop. Below is a step-by-step instruction manual for beginners to make the necessary changes... a) Start Explorer and go to the directory where you installed C&C. b) Find the C&C.EXE file, and right click it. e) Chose PROPERTIES from the menu. f) Click on the MEMORY tab. g) Look for the section that says EXPANDED (EMS) MEMORY. It should have 'Auto' in the window. Click the arrow next to the 'Auto' and scroll down until you see NONE. Click this. h) Look for the section that says MSDOS PROTECTED MODE (DPMI) MEMORY. It should have 'Auto' in the window. Click the arrow next to the 'Auto' . Scroll down until you see 16384. Click this. i) Hit APPLY, then OK. j) Start the game through the Taskbar normally. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.4 Improving video playback performance under Windows 95. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The performance of C&C in a Windows 95 DOS box is slightly slower than in a real DOS environment. You can improve movie playback performance by following these step-by-step instructions. a) Go to the START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL menu. b) Double-click on the SYSTEM icon. c) Click the PERFORMANCE tab, then click the FILE SYSTEM button. d) Click the CD-ROM tab. e) You will see a slider labeled SUPPLEMENTAL CACHE SIZE. Slide the slider all the way to the right. Remember however that increasing your cache size reduces the memory available to the rest of the system while in Windows. f) Next, look for a window labeled OPTIMIZE ACCESS PATTERN FOR: In the window, choose the one that best describes your CD drive (single, double, triple, quad and higher speed drive.) g) Click the APPLY button. You will get a window asking you to restart your machine. Do so. h) Once you have restarted, run the game normally. This should also increase the performance of any other CD title you have. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.5 How to fix modem problems under Windows 95. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you find that you have trouble connecting during modem play, or get sync errors when you connect, there are a few things you can do to solve this problem: a) Check to see that the port setting in Windows 95 is correct for your modem. Windows defaults to 9600 baud. You will want to change the default baud rate to 57600. To do this: 1) Click on START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL. 2) Double click the SYSTEM icon, click the DEVICE MANAGER tab. 3) Click the plus sign next to the PORTS listing. Double-click on the right COMM port for your modem. 4) Click the PORT SETTINGS tab. The window at the top (BITS PER SECOND) is the baud rate for the port. Set this for 57600 baud. 5) Click OK twice to close both windows. You may have to restart Windows. b) Make sure the error correction and compression on your modem is turned OFF. Check the README file that came with Command and Conquer or this document for a list of Modem initialization strings that will accomplish this (copy the initialization string for your modem in the README file to the init string box in the modem setup screen.) If your modem is not listed in the README, you will need to check your modem manual or call the manufacturer for your modem to see how to do this. c) If you simply cannot get Command and Conquer to connect correctly in Windows 95, reboot to DOS mode and re-run the game. Be sure that your sound card and CD-ROM drivers are loading in DOS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.6 My mouse isn't detected, or doesn't work correctly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you encounter any problems with the mouse, such as erratic movement, etc., the first thing you should do is update your mouse driver. Problems with the mouse, although rare, are almost always caused by older mouse drivers. Contact your computer manufacturer or local software retailer for information on obtaining the latest mouse drivers for your computer. Many players have discovered that only the install program is incompatible with their mouse driver. Install C&C without loading your mouse driver, then exit and load your mouse normally before playing the game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.7 Divide Overflow upon installation of Command & Conquer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you get a Divide Overflow error when running the INSTALL or SETUP programs on the CD-ROM, you have two methods of correcting this problem: 1. You can update your mouse driver. The C&C installation software is not compatible with older mouse drivers. Contact your mouse manufacturer for information on obtaining the new driver for your mouse. 2. Unload the mouse driver when installing C&C. A mouse is not required for installation. When you are finished, load the mouse driver normally and run the game as the instruction manual indicates. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.8 Command & Conquer Patch file (1.16p) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Westwood Studios will issue a patch to upgrade your 1.07 version of Command & Conquer to 1.16p. You will be able to download this patch through the Westwood Studios web site, or the ftp site. The 1.16p patch addresses the following problems : 1. Windows Modem Play. Improves modem play under Windows 95 for some people. It is still highly recommended that you turn error correction/data compression off. Check your modem manual for more information about this. 2. USR 14,400/28,800 UART SPEED. Addresses USR Robotics modem connect problems at 14,400 or 28,800 baud. 3. Diamond Viper Palette/Color Problem. Addresses a special problem detected in DIAMOND VIPER video card. Colors may appear irregular if you're using this card. 4. Movies do not play when CD is swapped. Addresses the fact that briefings and cutscenes do not appear if you choose NOD when playing from disk 1, or any time that you swap disks. 5. No Nuclear Missile. Nuclear missiles are not available to players in single play mode in mission 13. Well, they are now. 6. Silo Bug. Allows a player to earn money very quickly by doing a little manipulation with silos. 7. Turret changes. Turret statistics/requirements have been changed so that they cost more. Some of you have reported other errors not listed in this FAQ sheet. If you're having trouble, please let us know! We will need the following information : a) Machine Configuration (RAM, Processor, Video card, etc.) b) Operating System (Windows, DOS, Windows 95, etc..) c) AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files in text format. d) Modem type, and speed (if applicable). Be as thorough as possible in your message, then email to mail@westwood.com. **************************************************************************** GETTING HELP / ORDERING INFORMATION **************************************** **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.1 What is the purchase price/How can I order C&C? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- As of September 17th, the Virgin Interactive Entertainment order line will ship C&C out for $59.95 plus $4.00 postage and handling. In the United States, call..................1-800-874-4607. Everywhere else.............................1-619-490-9070. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.2 How to contact Westwood Studios ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can email Westwood Studios at : westwoods@aol.com Mail to my account (virtualted@westwood.com) has been incredible since the release of Command & Conquer. Your response from our technical support staff at America Online can get back to you much more quickly than I can. Westwood has online support available through America Online Compuserve, GEnie, PRODIGY, and the Westwood BBS. After connecting to these services, simply do a search for "WESTWOOD" or "WESTWOOD SUPPORT" and you'll find our section. Check your manual for exact instructions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------* 7.3 Westwood FTP / WWW site. --------------------------------------------------------------------------* You can get to our web site at : http://www.westwood.com Or our FTP site at : http://ftp.westwood.com **************************************************************************** IN THE FUTURE ************************************************************** **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.1 When will "Command & Conquer II: Tiberian Sun" be released? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Coming Soon." We expect to release it late in the fourth quarter of 1996. As soon as details are available about the game, we will let everyone know through the Westwood Studios WEB site. Tiberian Sun is an entirely new game, not a data disk for C&C: Tiberian Dawn. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.2 Where can I get extra missions for Command & Conquer? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are working on making extra missions and other goodies available at a later date. When they're available, we'll let you know. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- END OF DOCUMENT 11/03/95 -VT