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I-WAR 3Dfx

A Particle Systems Game

Copyright (c) 1998 Particle Systems Ltd.
          (c) 1998 Infogrames Multimedia

README DOCUMENT

This ReadMe document contains up to date information
about I-War 3Dfx. You should read this document if
you have any problems running the game, or want to know
about the special options available to advanced users.

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CONTENTS

(1)  MACHINE REQUIREMENTS
(2)  DIRECTX
(3)  3DFX GLIDE
(4)  SCREEN MODES SUPPORTED
(5)  COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
(6)  MEMORY AND SWAP SPACE
(7)  CHANGING THE KEYS
(8)  IMPROVING PERFORMANCE
(9)  INTRO MOVIE
(10) UNINSTALLATION ISSUES
(11) SCREEN SAVERS
(12)  TECHNICAL SUPPORT
     (i)   Page Faults
     (ii)  Game quits unexpectedly during missions
     (iii) Joystick Problems
     (iv)  Flickery /invisible cursor in software mode
     (v)   Known video card problems
     (vi)  CD-ROM drivers
     (vii) Windows Key on some keyboards
(13) CHANGES IN GAME FROM MANUAL
(14) SUPPORT CONTACTS

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(1)  MACHINE REQUIREMENTS

The minimum specifications to run the game are as
follows:

Software Mode:

     Intel P90 or equivalent (P133 preferred)
     16Mb RAM (32MB preferred)
     PCI Video card capable of 640*480 resolution in 256
     colors within Windows
     80 Megabytes of hard disk space and > 50 Megabytes
     space for Windows swap file
     DirectX5 compatible Sound card
     Quad speed CD-ROM drive
     Mouse
     Windows 95 or Windows98
     DirectX5 or later installed

3Dfx Mode:

     Intel Pentium 166 or equivalent (Pentium 200MMX
     Preferred)
     32MB RAM (64MB preferred)
     3Dfx Voodoo1 or Voodoo2 3D graphics card
     80 Megabytes of hard disk space and > 50 Megabytes
     space for Windows swap file
     DirectX5 compatible Sound card
     Quad speed CD-ROM drive
     Mouse
     Windows 95 or Windows98
     DirectX5 or later installed

To get the most out of the game we recommend that you play
the game with a good quality joystick. Preferably a joystick
with a hat switch and throttle control.

Several configuration files for popular joystick types have
been included the "joysticks" folder. These are
unsupported and are provided for your convenience only.

I-War 3Dfx has been fully tested on both Windows 95
and Windows 98.

------------------------------

(2)  DIRECTX

I-War 3Dfx requires DirectX 5.0 or later to be
installed. 

------------------------------

(3)  3DFX GLIDE

I-War 3Dfx uses 3Dfx Glide drivers.
Glide version 2.43 (Voodoo1) or 2.5 (Voodoo2)
must be installed for the game to run.

Glide 2.43 is supplied with the drivers for some 3Dfx
Voodoo1 cards.

Glide 2.5 is integrated with Voodoo2 card drivers, and so
should be automatically included when your Voodoo2
drivers are installed.

------------------------------

(4)  SCREEN MODES SUPPORTED

I-War 3Dfx supports two different display
resolutions, 640x480 and 800x600. 640x480 is the only
mode available for the Software and 3Dfx Voodoo1
versions.

800x600 mode is specific to Voodoo2 cards, and won't work
in Software or Voodoo1 mode. 640x480 is also available
for Voodoo2 cards, by selecting the Voodoo1 shortcut.

We regret that Voodoo2 SLI mode and 1024x768 resolution
is not supported.

------------------------------

(5)  COMMAND LINE OPTIONS (Advanced Users Only)

I-War 3Dfx allows command line options to be used
to enable advanced features that are normally hidden from
the player.

Note that some of these advanced features are
UNSUPPORTED, and may cause problems with the game if used
improperly. We can't answer any queries regarding
problems caused by enabling or attempting to enable the
unsupported options.

The command line options available are:

-lagrange (UNSUPPORTED)

Enables a SELECT LAGRANGE  button on the Command
Workstation's GSV view.

Originally the game was designed so that you could select
your own jump destination, but we removed the Select
LaGrange button during testing, as having players ignore
the mission objectives and go off exploring made the game
almost impossible to test, and frequently caused problems
in the missions.

Normally the Navigator automatically selects your Capsule
Space jump destination, but enabling this button allows
you to select your own LaGrange point destination, and
jump to any place in the star map you wish.

We've created this option to re-enable the button because
we know many players would like to do some exploring and
see some of the universe we've created that you don't
normally get a chance to see.

-w        (UNSUPPORTED)

Run I-War 3Dfx in a window (Software mode only -
256 color desktop recommend).

This option is useful if the game is crashing without any
error message being displayed. Enabling this option will
run the game in a window on your desktop, and any error
messages and dialog boxes will be visible.

-b -16

Run the game in 3Dfx Mode

-800x600

Run the game in 800x600 resolution (3Dfx Voodoo2 only)

-xsound    (UNSUPPORTED)

Disable the sound. Useful when the game is crashing to
find out if it's a sound related problem. If the game
runs fine with the sound disabled then it's a sound
problem.

-hardstars (UNSUPPORTED)

Changes the stars in 3Dfx mode into a special hardware
mode. The stars will flicker, but game frame rate and
performance will be increased on slower PCs. May also help
with graphic glitches on Voodoo Rush cards. 


To add a command line option you should first create a
shortcut to the I-War 3Dfx program (You could copy
one of the shortcuts that's added to your Start Menu)

Click on the shortcut with your right mouse button and
select PROPERTIES from the pop-up menu.

In the target box add one or more of the command line
options to the end of the line. DO NOT delete any command
line options already there!

Then click OK to save the changes.

------------------------------

(6)  MEMORY AND SWAP SPACE

I-War 3Dfx requires a minimum of 16MB of memory to
run in Software rendered mode, and 32MB in 3Dfx mode.

However, because Windows uses some of your computer's
RAM, and any other programs or tasks that may also be
running also use RAM too, the game will use Window's
virtual memory (or swap space) while running if it runs
low on RAM.

Windows virtual memory contains information normally in
your computers RAM, but when you don't have enough
physical memory, the information is saved to your hard
disk instead.

When the information is needed by the computer, Windows
copies it back into memory, and copies what's in RAM onto
the hard disk. This process is called 'swapping', and is
very processor and disk intensive. If the computer is
swapping a great deal during the game, then you need more
memory.

On most Windows setups the operating system is configured
to automatically allocate virtual memory as needed,
normally on your C: drive. If you have less disk space
than Windows requires for virtual memory the game may
crash and exit back to the Windows desktop.

We recommend you have around 50MB free disk space for
virtual memory if you have 32MB or less.

To get the best performance and to maximize available
memory on systems with 32MB or less you should always
ensure that non-essential programs and tasks are not
running before playing I-War 3Dfx.

Also if you have low memory, and are running the game in
3Dfx mode turn the 'HiDef Shapes' in the options OFF.
This will use lower definition 3D shapes, saving memory.

------------------------------

(7)  CHANGING THE KEYS (Advanced users only)

I-War 3Dfx allows complete customization of the
keyboard via the KEYBIND.INI file.
The file is located in the directory:
<Install Directory>\psg\resource\

WARNING: Make a backup of the KEYBIND.INI file before you
edit it, so you can return the keys back to their default
settings if you need to. If you delete or corrupt the
file and you have no backup you will have to re-install
the game.

To edit it, double click on the file to load it into
notepad. You'll see a list of commands. Each command
represents one key bound to one function.

The following keys can't be bound to new functions:

     CTRL
     ALT
     SHIFT
     Windows Keyboard specific keys.

The format for the main key binding command is:

     BINDKEY   <Key Used>,<Game Function>,<Shift value>

The <Key Used> parameter can be any one of the keys
listed in the KEYBIND.INI file. The parameter has a KEY_
prefix to show it's a key reference, e.g. KEY_X for the X
key. Non-Alphanumeric keys such as space are shown as
words, e.g. KEY_SPACE.

The <Game Function> parameter represents a single game
function. Each function name is prefixed by a R_ e.g. to
fire a decoy flare use the R_FLARE parameter. It's
normally obvious which function names refer to which
functions, though some are abbreviated.

<Shift Value> can be either 0 or 1. 0 represents a non-
shifted key (e.g. R), and 1 represents a shifted key,
e.g. SHIFT-R. 

Note: Only the left shift key can be used to activate
shifted keys.

For instance, if you wanted to re-define the target next
enemy function to N, rather than E:

     BINDKEY   KEY_N,         R_TARG_NEXT_ENEMY,0

Or remote logon to shift L:

     BINDKEY   KEY_L,         R_REMOTE_LINK,1

There is one special key binding function: BINDKEYTHR.
This allows you to set up the two linked keys for forward
and reverse thrusters (Normally A and Z)

The format for this command is:

     BINDKEYTHR <Forward Thrust Key>,<Backward Thrust Key>

If you want to add a comment to the KEYBIND.INI file,
either to note what modifications you've made, or to
comment out a particular key binding, then use a ';'

E.g.

     ; This is a comment

WARNING: Do not bind two different keypresses to the same
function, or two functions to the same keypress, or the
game may not function correctly.

------------------------------

(8)  IMPROVING PERFORMANCE

There are several things you can do to increase
performance if you feel that the game's frame rate isn't
satisfactory. These work especially well on lower
specification PCs with slower processors and/or less than
32mb of RAM

(i)  Increase memory. On a 32MB system or less the game
     will use some virtual memory, which will slow down the
     game at certain points. The more memory you have the less
     virtual memory is required, and the fewer delays or
     pauses in the game you will experience. See MEMORY AND
     SWAP SPACE for more information.
     
(ii) Move the detail level slider further towards the
     left of the gauge. This will cause the game to use low
     detail versions of the 3D shapes more often, giving a
     significant speed boost.

(iii)In 3Dfx mode, turn the HiDef shapes option OFF
     - this will switch off the new 3Dfx high-detail shapes,
     and use the original models, saving processor time and
     memory.

(iv) In 3Dfx mode use the TAB key to switch to full-
     screen mode. This will increase the framerate, as the
     game doesn't have to draw the Workstation consoles.

(v)  In Software mode, avoid full screen mode, as the
     larger screen area will reduce performance.

(vi) In 3Dfx mode Add the option -hardstars to the
     I-War 3Dfx shortcut command line. This will use a
     hardware feature to draw the stars, which results in a
     noticeable speed boost. However the stars will flicker
     slightly as you move. See COMMAND LINE OPTIONS for more
     details.

(vii)Play in software mode. The 3Dfx version
     requires a faster processor due to the graphical
     enhancements and extra detail. Software mode can give
     better performance on slower PCs, especially in large
     battles with many small objects on screen simultaneously.

------------------------------

(9)  INTRO MOVIE

The intro movie will be played back in a window in the default
setting of Windows.

To play back the movie full screen do the following:
 - right-click with the mouse on the movie window
 - select the Properties option on the pop-up menu
 - select the Movie Size tab of the property sheet
 - click the box marked "Run full screen"
 - click OK
 - stop the movie using the window controls and start it again.
   it should now play full-screen

To exit the movie click the close program icon at the top-right
corner of the window.

Poor playback of intro movie can also be improved by setting
the maximum CD cache, and by setting the access parameters to
match the speed of your CD drive. These parameters are accessed
in the Control Panel\System\Performance\File System\CD-ROM window.

------------------------------

(10) UNINSTALLATION ISSUES

To uninstall the game select the uninstall icon in the Start Menu
or go to the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel, select
I-War 3Dfx and click Add/Remove.

The uninstallation process may leave one or two files behind. This
is normal as these are the save-game files you have created during
your sessions in I-War 3Dfx.

These are denoted as *.SAV files

You can either back these up or delete them as required. If you
intend to re-install I-War at a later date, be sure to
back them up as a fresh install will overwrite them.

------------------------------

(11) SCREEN SAVERS

We recommend that any screen savers you have enabled should be
disabled before you start I-War 3Dfx. If they trigger during
your game session your machine may lock up.

------------------------------

(12)  TECHNICAL SUPPORT

(i)  The game crashes with a Page Fault.

This could be for one of many reasons, but the most
likely is out of date or incorrect graphics or audio
drivers.

First make sure you have installed DirectX5 (See
DIRECTX), and if you have a Voodoo1 card that Glide2.43
(See GLIDE) or later is installed. Then make sure you
have installed the latest full (not Beta) release drivers
for your hardware. In most cases this will fix the
problem.

(ii) The game quits back suddenly to the Windows part
     way through some missions with no error message.

This is probably because the game ran out of disk space
for virtual memory. Free up some hard disk space and try
the mission again. (See MEMORY AND SWAP SPACE)

(iii)Joystick not responding/working incorrectly

The game relies on the Windows joystick setup - the game
itself doesn't have any joystick configuration features.
It uses the joystick that Windows tells it is there, and
relies on the joystick being set up correctly using the
Windows Game Controllers control panel. (You can select
the Game Devices Control Panel by clicking on the START
button, clicking SETTINGS, then CONTROL PANEL, and then
clicking on the icon labeled GAME CONTROLLERS.

First ensure that the joystick is set up as ID 1 in the
Game Controllers Control Panel. (Click on the ADVANCED
tab to see the joystick ID settings)

If the joystick is installed on ID 2 or greater it will
appear to work in the joystick control panel, but WILL
NOT WORK in the game! This is a feature of Windows, and
not a problem with the game.

If the joystick is not set up as ID 1 you should remove
it and any other controllers from the control panel and
add the joystick again. This will install it as ID 1

     (a) Microsoft Sidewinder Joysticks
     
     If you have a Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick then
     please check the Sidewinder ReadMe that came with
     your joystick drivers, as there may be
     incompatibilities with certain types of sound cards
     or joystick ports. (The ReadMe file is normally
     installed in your start menu:
     Start/Programs/Microsoft Hardware/Sidewinder Game
     Devices/Sidewinder Game Device ReadMe)
     
     (b) Continual rolling of the ship in the game
     
     This is normally caused by an out of date joystick
     driver file, or by an incompatible direct input driver
     and is most often seen in Windows 98.

     What happens is that the game thinks that the rudder
     control is continually pushed over to one side, even
     if no rudder control is connected.

     Please ensure you have loaded the very latest drivers
     for your soundcard, joystick port and joystick.
     Make sure you have installed the latest version of
     DirectX.
 
     Owners of Logitec Wingman Extreme joysticks running
     Windows 98 should update their joystick drivers from
     the \drivers\input\logitec directory. Read the 
     readme.txt file there for instructions on how to do
     this.

     If you still have problems a workaround is to setup
     the stick as a custom joystick, as specified below.
     
     (c) General Joystick problems and setting up as a
         custom joystick
     
     If your joystick came with a Windows 95 driver disk,
     then follow the instructions you got with the stick
     to install the driver software. Make sure you read
     any documentation that came with the joystick as
     this will often help you to solve problems that may
     be associated with it.
     
     If the stick didn't come with a driver disk, or if
     the driver supplied with the stick doesn't seem to
     work properly you should be able to configure it as
     a custom joystick using the Windows Game Controllers
     control panel.
     
     Go to the START menu and select SETTINGS, then
     select CONTROL PANEL. Double click on the GAME
     CONTROLLERS Icon.
     
     You might see your joystick listed in the game
     devices window. If so click on it and then click on
     the REMOVE button. Also remove any other joysticks
     listed.
     
     You then need to add the joystick. Click on the ADD
     button and select [CUSTOM...] from the top of the
     window.
     
     You'll see a new control panel. Select the number of
     axes (2 for a normal stick, 3 for a stick with a
     throttle, and 4 for a stick with throttle and rudder
     controls).
     
     Select the number of buttons (normally 4).
     
     Click on the Special Characteristics box, and select
     'IS A FLIGHT YOKE/STICK.' If your joystick has a
     'hat' switch. click on 'HAS A POINT OF VIEW
     CONTROL'.
     
     Enter a name for the stick in the box at the bottom
     of the window and click on the OK button.
     
     You should then see the joystick listed in the
     joystick window with Ok next to it. Click on the
     PROPERTIES button, and then click on the CALIBRATE
     button and follow the on-screen instructions to
     calibrate the stick.
     
     This should set up your Joystick properly.
     
(iv) Flickery/Invisible Cursor in Software Mode

This problem occurs sometimes with some video cards when
Microsoft Plus is installed, and desktop themes are
selected. 

To fix the problem:

Go to the START menu and select SETTINGS, then
select CONTROL PANEL. Double click on the MOUSE Icon.
Select the Pointers TAB. Click on the Precision Select
cursor and then click on the Use Default button.

(v)  Known video card problems

     (a)  #9 Imagine 128 (PCI) video card
     
     When running the game in software mode on a machine
     with the above card , if any problems are
     encountered the user is advised to install the
     latest drivers for the video card.  These are
     available from the card's manufacturer, Number Nine
     (http://www.nine.com).
     
     (b)  Western Digital Paradise 64 (PCI) video card
     
     Users with the above video card are advised not to
     run the game in software mode under a Windows
     resolution of 640*480 in 24 bit color mode.  I-War
     was found to work without any problems in other
     color modes (e.g. 640*480 in 256 colors).

     (c)  Trident 9440 video card

     The game does not currently support this card.
     Please refer to the website (see bottom of this document)
     for any updated information on this problem.

     (d)  Videologic GrafixStar 550 video card

     The game does not currently support this card.
     Please refer to the website (see bottom of this document)
     for any updated information on this problem.
     
     (e)  Voodoo Rush based video cards
          e.g. Hercules Stingray 128 video card
     
     Because of differences in the Voodoo Rush hardware
     and drivers from the standard 3Dfx versions you may
     experience graphic glitches if playing Independence
     War on a Voodoo Rush card in 3Dfx mode.
     
     Most noticeably you might see priority problems with
     the stars and nebulas. Try using the -hardstars
     command line option if you experience this problem,
     or turn the Nebula off in the game options.
     (See COMMAND LINE OPTIONS)

     You may also get a crash upon exiting the game, with
     the following message:

     "IWAR This program has caused an illegal operation and
      will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact
      the program vendor"

     If you do get this message, we would recommend that you
     restart your machine before doing anything else.

     Please refer to the website (see bottom of this document)
     for any updated information on Voodoo Rush support.

(vi) CD ROM DRIVERS 

     In order to run I-War, the computer must have Windows 95
     drivers for its CD ROM drive in order to be able to read
     file names longer than 8 characters.
     If the drivers are absent the message:

     "Program not Found
     Windows cannot find Installer.exe
     This program is needed for opening files of type 'File'."

     Will be displayed when an attempt at installing the game
     is made.  To solve this problem the Windows drivers for the
     CD ROM must be obtained and installed (contact your hardware
     vendor to obtain these).

(vii) Windows Key on some keyboards

     Some keyboards have a special Windows Key for activating the
     Start Menu. Be careful not to press this key while playing
     the game as it may cause the screen to freeze. If this does
     happen during a session simply press the key again to un-freeze
     the screen.

------------------------------

(13)    CHANGES IN GAME FROM MANUAL

     (i)  The first press of PAGE UP cancels the current sentence
          of a dialogue both in sound and in text. Subsequent presses
          cycle back through previous sentences.

     (ii) When the manual refers to a shifted key such as shift-V,
          the left shift key only must be used. Right shift is used
          to toggle the WEP screen state from LOCKED to TRACK.

     (iii) Debriefing
          When the debriefing screen is brought up before the mission
          is complete, the player is informed that the mission is
          incomplete rather than that it is failed as stated in the manual.

     (iv) Contact registry Display : Information line
          Target symbol - As well as triangle and circle symbols,
          there is also a square.  This indicates that the target/waypoint
          has been selected as an autopilot target.  This will only appear
          if the player is using autopilot to appraoch/dock with a target,
          they can then select a different target to engage in combat
          whilst still leaving the autopilot to it original selection.

     (v)  Eng: Status display
          Fuel is infinite, a low level of fuel has no effect on the ship.

     (vi) Hull strength indicator
          The horizontal bar meter above the Quick Reference Damage Indicator
          at the top right of the screen shows your current hull strength.
          When this reaches zero, your ship will explode.

------------------------------

(14) SUPPORT CONTACTS

For the very latest information on I-War 3Dfx, see
the Independence War / I-War 3Dfx website:

http://www.independencewar.com

For support or general queries please use the contact
information supplied in the game manual.

===========================================================================

A Particle Systems Game
(c) 1998 Particle Systems Ltd.
(c) 1998 Infogrames Multimedia
