PC Master 1997 July & August

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============================================================================= Tex Murphy: Overseer Access Software Inc. Version 1.01 ============================================================================= Instructions/Troubleshooting Info ============================================================================= Build 247 Release Notes: 1. If you experience loss of digital sound, which is usually followed by random "popping" from the speakers, RSX audio processing is being overloaded. This is a known RSX issue with lower-end machines. Try the following steps: A. Find and run the configuration utility in the "Intel RSX 3D" folder in the Windows Start menu. B. Select the "Advanced Settings - Buffer Times" tab. C. Change the output audio device buffer from its default 120 milliseconds setting to a higher one. We suggest 240 milliseconds. 400 milliseconds is maximum. D. Select the "Audio Peripherals" tab. E. Remove the check from the "Use RSX True 3D Sound" check box. If this fails to correct the problem, go to the Config/Preferences menu in the Overseer game. Select the "Advanced Preferences" button from the dialog. Remove the check from the "3D Sound" check box. Reducing the window size (to 240 x 180, for example) and choosing interlaced "VR Style" may also help. Tex Murphy: Overseer -------------------- Overseer is a virtual world adventure that melds the two prominent gaming technologies, virtual world environment and full motion video, into one package. To run Tex Murphy: Overseer you must have DirectX 5.0 installed and working properly. The DirectX 5.0a runtime libraries are included with this DVD. To experience the 3D sound available in the game, you must have Intel(r) RSX 3D audio drivers installed and functioning properly. RSX runtime libraries are also included with this DVD. Help is available within the game in the online help system. Help is also available in Windows help format. The Windows Help file is accessible via the Start menu: Start->Programs->Tex Murphy Overseer->Tex Murphy Overseer Help. AGP Enhanced Version Requires ----------------------------- Processor: Intel(r) Pentium(r) II processor, AGP Graphics Accelerator OS: Windows 95 OSR2.1 or greater RAM: 32 Megs Hard Drive: 35 Megs (during installation) 30 Megs (after installation) Differences and Similarities between DVD-ROM and CD-ROM versions of the game: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Throughout this document references are made to DVD or DVD-ROM. The same information also applies to the CD-ROM version of the game, except these differences: A. The DVD-ROM version uses MPEG2 (DVD) Video, while the CD-ROM version uses Smacker Video Technology from RAD Game Tools. The DVD-ROM can only be used if you have a compatible MPEG2 playback solution, whether that is hardware or software. B. The DVD-ROM version has an option on the Config:Video screen to select which MPEG2 device to play video with. The CD-ROM version does not need this option. C. The DVD-ROM version does not require disk swapping, so the Config:CD-ROM screen only displays the drive for the single DVD-ROM disk. The CD-ROM version has drive options for each disk. D. Everything else is essentially the same. Both DVD-ROM and CD-ROM support AGP 3D-accelerated graphics. Starting Application -------------------- To Start Tex Murphy Overseer with Autoplay: 1. Insert the Overseer DVD-ROM disc. 2. Click the LAUNCH button when it appears. If Overseer has not been installed, inserting the DVD will initiate the Overseer installation program. Once the game has been installed, inserting the DVD will provide an option to launch the game. To Start Tex Murphy Overseer from the Start Menu: 1. Verify the Overseer DVD-ROM is in your DVD drive. 2. Click the START button. 3. Point to Programs 4. Point to Tex Murphy Overseer. 5. Click TEX MURPHY OVERSEER. Install/Uninstall ----------------- To Install in Windows 95 OSR2.1: 1. Insert the Overseer DVD into your DVD-ROM drive. If Windows is set up to use the AutoRun feature, instructions will appear onscreen. 2. Follow the instructions onscreen. If instructions do not appear: 1. Verify the Overseer DVD-ROM is in your DVD drive. 2. Click the START button. 3. Click RUN. 4. Type E:\SETUP (Where E: is the letter of your DVD-ROM drive.) 5. Follow the instructions on the screen. ------------------ To Uninstall: 1. Insert the Overseer DVD into your DVD-ROM drive. If Windows is set up to use the AutoRun feature, a menu will appear onscreen. 2. Click the UNINSTALL option. 3. Select the correct letter for your DVD-ROM drive in the drive list box. 4. Click OK. 5. Complete the uninstallation by clicking YES, then OK. If instructions do not appear: 1. Verify the Overseer DVD-ROM is in your DVD drive. 2. Click the START button. 3. Point to Programs. 4. Point to Tex Murphy Overseer. 5. Click UNINSTALL. 6. Select the correct letter for your DVD-ROM drive in the drive list box. 7. Click OK. 8. Complete the uninstallation by clicking YES, then OK. NOTE: You may also uninstall Tex Murphy Overseer from Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control Panel. Direct X Setup -------------- When Tex Murphy Overseer is installed, the installation searches for DirectX 5.0a runtimes. If they are not detected, a message box will appear to inform you that DirectX 5.0a is not installed, and to ask if you would like to install it. If you need to install DirectX again, you may do so by doing the following: 1. Insert the Overseer DVD into your DVD-ROM drive. 2. Click START. 3. Click RUN. 4. Type E:\DIRECTX\DXSETUP. (Where E: is the letter of your DVD-ROM drive.) 5. Click OK. 6. Select ReInstall DirectX. 7. Click OK to restart your machine. ============================================================================= Known Problems and Solutions ============================================================================= PROBLEMS LISTED BY SYMPTOMS =========================== 1. If you have just purchased a DVD kit or a computer containing a DVD kit and are not able to see the MPEG video clips playing, but get the dialogue boxes for interaction with game characters, then there are a few things you should check: a. Insure that you have installed the MPEG cardÆs drivers correctly. Most MPEG cards will install themselves under the Sound, Video and Game Controllers area in the Device Manager. If they have installed as Other in the Device Manager, they are not installed correctly. You should delete the drivers from the Device Manager and reinstall them according to the instructions that came with your kit or computer. b. Ensure that you do not have a software MPEG decoder installed on your system. Software MPEG decoders are currently not DirectDraw exclusive-mode compatible and do not work with Overseer. Checking with the computer manufacturer is the easiest method of checking for this type of decoder. Also, if you cannot locate a decoder in the Device Manager, you most likely have this type of MPEG solution. At this time, we are working with several of the companies that make software decoders to try to resolve this issue. c. You may have an MPEG card that does not support the way in which the video clips are shown or the video card in your system may not support the MPEG playback properly. We are working with these manufacturers to try to resolve any issues between our game and their hardware as quickly as we can. 2. In the course of viewing the intro or playing video sequences, you may experience choppy video or sound. This can be caused by the sound card settings not being correct for the game. To resolve this issue, follow these steps. a. Click on Start, then Settings, then Control Panel. b. Double click on System. c. Click on the Device Manager tab. d. Click on the + next to Sound, Video and Game Controllers. e. Select the sound card, then click on Properties. f. Click on the Settings tab. g. Place a check mark next to FULL DUPLEX. h. Click on OK, then close System Properties screen. i. Restart the computer for changes to take effect. 3. If you are running Windows 95, versions 4.00.950 or 4.00.950a, and you are playing the DVD version of the game, you may experience intermittent lockups when you try to solve puzzles or look at objects in the game. This is caused by the CDFS.VXD file that is included with these versions of Windows 95. It does not allow Windows to properly work with any data above 2 GB and may erroneously report the size of the Overseer DVD. At this time, Creative Labs is the only known DVD kit producer that makes a UDF file to alleviate this issue. Unfortunately, the file DXR2UDF.VXD, located in the Windows\System\Iosubsys folder, causes the game to crash when asking Eve Clements about anything on the Ask About list. New drivers are available from Creative Labs which solve this problem. 4. The original Diamond Maximum DVD kit uses an Auravision MPEG decoder card. The drivers for this card are not compatible with Overseer. PROBLEMS LISTED BY HARDWARE =========================== Graphics Issues --------------- -- QUADRANT CINEMASTER I MPEG2: The first time the game ever uses the Quadrant Cinemaster to play MPEG2 video, Cinemaster may display a configuration screen. The screen has a white box in each corner of the screen and a color bar box in the center of the screen. The machine will lock up. The Cinemaster driver is waiting for a response from the user about the configuration screen, but due to DirectDraw exclusive mode the user never sees the response dialog and the response dialog can never receive input from the user. You should be able to get past problem by hitting Enter 3 times. The problem will sometimes not go away if the video card in the machine is changed and the Cinemaster driver is not reinstalled. In this case the Cinemaster driver must be removed completely from the Windows device manager, and reinstalled. Adding the following lines to end of the \windows\cinemast.ini file, before the game is started may prevent this problem from occurring. ;========================== [0x1002/0x4742/640/480/15] OffsetFormat=1 StartOffset=0 OverlayPossible=1 BytesPerRow=1280 BytesPerPixel=2 PixelFormat=3 Retest=1 [0x1002/0x4742/800/600/15] OffsetFormat=1 StartOffset=0 OverlayPossible=1 BytesPerRow=1600 BytesPerPixel=2 PixelFormat=3 Retest=1 ;========================== -- CHROMATIC MPEG2: This MPEG2 card does not work with the game, since it does not support playback in DirectDraw fullscreen exclusive mode. We are working with Chromatic on this problem and should have a solution shortly. -- SIGMA DESIGNS REALMAGIC: This Hardware MPEG2 decoder does not playback correctly if the Windows desktop is not set to the same resolution as the game, whether that is 640x480 or 800x600 with 16 bit color (Thousands of Colors). -- TOSHIBA DVD: This MPEG2 card does not work with the game, since it does not support playback in DirectDraw fullscreen exclusive mode. We are currently working with Toshiba on a solution to this problem. -- ZORAN COMPCORE SOFTDVD/SOFTPEG: This software MPEG2 player does not work with the game, since it does not support proper playback in DirectDraw fullscreen exclusive mode. We are currently working with Zoran on a solution to this problem. -- 3DFX Voodoo I/Voodoo II due to hardware limitations do NOT support DVD: Secondary 3D Accelerator boards, namely those cards based on the 3dfx Voodoo I and Voodoo II chipsets, do not have hardware support for DVD video playback while the Voodoo is active. We are working with 3dfx on a possible solution to this problem. -- MATROX M3D: The Matrox M3D is not supported due to unnaceptable frame rates as compared to other 3D accelerators and because there is a flaw in the drivers that produce a general protection fault intermittently during texture loads. -- S3 VIRGE VX/DX/MX: The 3d hardware acceleration on these cards is not supported. The game can still be played with the software renderer. -- MATROX MILLENNIUM II AGP: 3D hardware acceleration is not supported for this card. Matrox does not include Direct 3D support. The game can still be played with with the software renderer. Sound Quality ------------- -- MIDI Music: The game will default to the MIDI mapper. If the MIDI mapper is mapping to the FM Synthesizer the MIDI quality in the game will be poor. If the system has a General MIDI synthesizer, the game should be directed to use the capabilities of the GM Synth. Follow the instructions under Audio Preferences in this document or see the on-line documentation and/or the Overseer Windows Help file. Controller Issues ------------------- Tex Murphy Overseer does not support Joysticks, control pads, VR helmets etc. Mouse and keyboard are the only supported input devices. ============================================================================= Performance Issues ============================================================================= The VR rooms for Overseer are very elaborate and detailed. We have tried to make the computer environment as realistic as possible, and we have added several cutting-edge features to the game. Because of this, lower-end machines and even mid-range machines may experience low frame rates in VR with all game features turned on. It may seem strange to think of a Pentium(r) 200 MHz computer as a mid-range machine, but for this game it is. The best possible perfomance is obtained on machines with AGP 3D accelerator cards. These machines can run full screen or near full screen, and take advantage of all the advanced features available in the game. Please note that this does not include PCI 3D accelerators, which do not have enough on-board memory to run Overseer. The software VR renderer must perform all of the calculations that are normally handled by the hardware accelerator when using AGP, and therefore runs slower than the AGP renderer. How much slower depends on the speed of your computer. When you use the software renderer you will probably need to use a smaller screen size, and other adjustements to your system may be necessary. If you are experiencing low frame rates in VR, the following steps may be taken to improve the frame rate. Decrease the Texture Quality ---------------------------- If you notice that the hard disk is being accessed all the time when you are in a VR room, you can increase performance by decreasing the room texture quality. This loads smaller bitmaps into memory and decreases the amount of memory swapping that is needed to display the room. To adjust Texture Quality: 1. Open the Control Panel by moving the mouse cursor to the top of the screen. 2. Click the CONFIG button. 3. Click the PREFERENCES tab. 4. Click the ADVANCED PREFERENCES button. 5. Click and hold the left mouse button on the TEXTURE QUALITY adjustment slider. You may also click the arrows at the top and bottom of the adjustment slider. 6. Move the slider down to decrease texture quality or up to increase texture quality. Disable 3D sound ----------------- The Intel RSX technology can be used to create the sensation of 3D sound. However, the calculations used to create the 3D sound are very intensive and can use a large percentage of the CPU time, especially on systems without MMX. Disabling this option will remove the 3D effect, but will result in better frame rates. Please note that disabling this option has no effect on playback of the Dolby Surround Sound encoded in some of the video sequences on the DVD. To Disable 3D Sound: 1. Open the Control Panel by moving the mouse cursor to the top of the screen. 2. Click the CONFIG button. 3. Click the PREFERENCES tab. 4. Click the ADVANCED PREFERENCES button. 5. Click the 3D Sound Box to clear it. Set VR Style to Interlaced or Quad ---------------------------------- Performance can be improved by reducing the amount of Video data sent to your monitor. Changing the VR style to Interlaced causes only every other line of the VR room to be displayed. The room will appear slightly darker but will run faster. Changing the VR style to Quad will draw fewer pixels but at twice their normal size. This will reduce the sharpness of the video image but will increase the frame rate. Normal Mode produces the best image but runs the slowest. Try experimenting with both modes to see which you prefer. To Set the VR Style: 1. Open the Control Panel by moving the mouse cursor to the top of the screen. 2. Click the CONFIG button. 3. Click the PREFERENCES tab. 4. Click the ADVANCED PREFERENCES button. 5. Click the button next to the VR style you wish to use. Change the VR Window Size ------------------------- Reducing the size of the VR window reduces the amount of data processed and improves frame rate. Please note that changing the VR window size will not affect the size of the movie sequences. To Change the Size of the VR Window: From a VR room, press F7 to decrease the size of the window, F8 to increase it. Otherwise: 1. Open the Control Panel by moving the mouse cursor to the top of the screen. 2. Click the CONFIG button. 3. Click the PREFERENCES tab. 4. Click the button next to the window size you want Animated Textures ----------------- On some machines, the video hardware does not support rapid locking of video buffers to allow animating of textures. On these machines, most rooms will play fine, but some rooms will slow down considerably because many animated textures are playing. If you encounter a room that is much slower than the other rooms, you can temporarily disable the animated textures from the control panel until you go to a new room. To Disable or Enable Animated Textures: 1. Open the Control Panel by moving the mouse cursor to the top of the screen. 2. Click the CONFIG button. 3. Click the PREFERENCES tab. 4. Click the Animated Textures box. ============================================================================= Contacting Access Software Inc. ============================================================================= Access Software Inc. 4750 Wiley Post Way Building 1, Suite 200 Salt Lake City, UT 84116 Orders 1-800-800-4880 M-F 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MT Tech Support 1-800-793-8324 M-F 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. MT Main Office 1-801-736-7000 M-F 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MT Internet www.accesssoftware.com Tech Support Email tech@accesssoftware.com Info Email info@accesssoftware.com America Online linkspro1@aol.com ============================================================================= Additional Credits ============================================================================= Special Thanks to: ----------------- Stan Barnett Sandy "Sandholio" Khaund Sandeep Kundra Chuck M Jewell Bob Hicke Joe Becker Mike Redding Rand Crippen Nick Brandt Kerensa Lowrance Testers ------- Nick Perkins Russ Jenkins Jason Bowler Thorsten Moeckel Bruce Darby Phillip Knight Desiree Hollier Legal ----- Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation MMX is a trademark of Intel Corporation All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.