Deadlock: Planetary Conquest MacOS version Read Me file 9/15/97 Table of Contents I. Introduction II. What's Installed III. Game Play Additions IV. About the Demo Version V. Networking VI. Macs with 8 Megabytes of RAM VII. Low Memory Situations VIII. Improving Deadlock's Performance IX. Miscellaneous X. Questions & Answers XI. Technical Assistance (United States and Canada) Appendix A: Using the Extensions Manager Appendix B: Adjusting Virtual Memory I. Introduction Thank you for purchasing Deadlock: Planetary Conquest for MacOS. This document details some last-minute information that we think will help you get the most enjoyment from our software. Included are some tips for installing and running the game, as well as critical information for Network play and running the software on Power Macs and compatibles with only 8 megabytes of RAM. II. What's Installed Besides the Deadlock for MacOS game software, the Deadlock Installer places the following files into your System Folder: Ą Sound Manager (version 3.2.1) Ą Apple Modem Tool (version 1.5.6) Ą Serial Tool (version 1.0.2) Ą Apple Modem Tool Prefs The Installer is smart enough not to install these files if you have newer versions of the software installed. Note that Apple incorporated Sound Manager 3.2.1 directly into MacOS 7.6, so the Sound Manager Extension will not be installed if you have MacOS 7.6 or higher. The "Apple Modem Tool", "Serial Tool", and "Apple Modem Tool Prefs" files are part of Apple's Communications Toolbox protocol. They will NOT interfere with AppleTalk or Internet networking. These files are needed if you plan to play Deadlock directly over your modem, or between two computers connected with a serial cable. III. Game Play Additions Listed below are some additional features of Deadlock that are not found in the original manual: Shift-Drag Units You can move an entire stack of units across territories instead of moving them one at a time. Hold down the Shift key while you drag and drop any unit. The entire stack will move. Shift-Double-Click Unit Orders You can also give one battle order, mission, or retreat percentage to an entire stack of units. To do this, hold down the Shift key while double-clicking on a specific unit. The whole stack will perform this same command. Cost of City Centers Each City Center you build costs progressively more money and resources. The first City Center you build only takes 500 credits, 250 iron, and 50 energy. The next center needs 1,000 credits, 500 iron, and 100 energy, while the third City Center costs 1,500 credits, 750 iron, and 150 energy. The original base amount is always added into the cost of your next City Center. Setting Ports on the World Map You can set which ocean territory new ships will be in after they are manufactured. Double-click on your Shipyard in the settlement map. Press the "Set Port" button. A small map appears; ocean territories that border your Shipyard are highlighted. Choose the ocean your port is on. When you build a new ship it will appear in this territory. Saving and Opening a Network Game Network games can be saved just like Single Player games. If the Host saves the game during network play, that saved game can be opened on a subsequent turn, and the game will revert to its saved state. Note that it isn't possible to open a network save game from Deadlock's main menu; network save games can only be opened from within a network game that's currently running. So if the original network game is not still in progress, the Host player will need to follow these steps in order to open the saved game: 1. Start up Deadlock. 2. Host a new game with the same number of human players that will play in the saved game. All players should then choose the race they intend to play in the saved game. The other game settings do not matter; select a small world, as it takes less time to build. Note that this will not be the actual game you will play. For example, if you want to load a 5 player game that had 3 human players and 2 computer AI players, then Host a 3 player game to restore the original save game. Be sure all players choose the correct race to play. There will be no opportunity to choose races once the game has been loaded. 3. Once this "dummy" game is running, the Host can then open the original save game. The saved file will be downloaded to all the computers, replacing the "dummy" game. The "Auto Save" File Deadlock has a feature that auto saves your game at the end of every turn into a file called "Auto Save". If you run into a problem with a Single or Multi- Player game, you can restore the game by opening this file. We recommend renaming this file before you load it, so that it's not accidentally overwritten if you start a new game. IV. About the Demo Version The Demo, or "spawned" version of Deadlock can be played by simply installing the game and playing without the Deadlock CD-ROM. If you play the Demo version in Single Player mode, many restrictions will apply to the game, such as a limit of 40 turns. The Demo game is especially useful for Multi-Player games. If you want to play a Multi-Player game of Deadlock with your friends, but you have only purchased a single copy of the original software, simply install the Demo version onto your friends' hard drives. Make sure that the person who has the Deadlock CD Hosts the Network game. The Deadlock Demo has no restrictions when used as part of a Multi-Player game. V. Networking When playing a Multi-Player game, the player with the most powerful computer should host the game. The Host computer has to do a lot of extra work. It has to handle the normal game operations, the computer players, and all of the network traffic. Making sure that the Host computer is the one with the fastest CPU and greatest amount of RAM will help ensure that network operations go smoothly. For example, if you're playing a Multi-Player game with both PowerPC- and 68040- based computers, you should have fewer problems if you host the game with one of the PowerPCs. For better stability, limit Multi-Player gameplay to 5 players. Although Deadlock supports up to 7 players for Network games, the load on the Host machine with that number of players can bog it down, and cause disruptions in game play. Testing has shown that Network games between 2 to 5 players is optimal. You may also try turning off the auto-end-turn option. On some systems the timer causes problems and creates instability in TCP/IP games. Finally, Open Transport is required for playing Multi-Player games of Deadlock over the Internet using TCP/IP Networking. The installation and operation of Open Transport is beyond the scope of this document. If you wish to play Deadlock over the Internet, consult your Apple dealer for more information on Open Transport. VI. Macs With 8 Megabytes of RAM Although we recommend that your computer have 16 megabytes of RAM to play Deadlock, you can still enjoy the game on a computer with only 8 megs. However, it may be necessary to either free up system resources before playing the game, or to turn on the MacOS's Virtual Memory. If when you double-click on the Deadlock application from the Finder you get a message that says something to the effect of "There is not enough memory to open Deadlock," then the first thing to do would be to make sure you've quit all other applications and try again. If quitting all open applications doesn't free up enough RAM, then you should consult the two sections at the end of this document, "Appendix A: Using the Extensions Manager", and "Appendix B: Turning on Virtual Memory". VII. Low Memory Situations The two biggest factors that effect memory usage are planet size and window size. When Deadlock runs with less than its "Preferred" amount of RAM, it may limit the size of the world you can build. The "Preferred" setting in the application's "Get Info" window should enable you to build a Huge size world and play it in a 1280x1024 window. The "Minimum" RAM setting is sufficient for building a Small or Medium world with two or three races in a small window. If you're planning to play multiple games on a Huge world in a 1280x1024 sized window, you should probably increase the application's "Preferred" size by 512k. In certain low-memory situations, you may receive a warning advising you to save the game and restart the program. If you're not playing the game on a Huge world, you should make sure all other applications have been quit before running Deadlock again. If all other applications have been quit, you may want to consider either turning off unnecessary Extensions and Control Panels to free up some RAM, or turn on Virtual Memory. If problems persist, you should try increasing the application's "Preferred size" by 512K until the problem goes away. If you don't have enough free RAM to do this, you should consider turning on Virtual Memory or possibly buying more RAM. The easiest way to use less memory is to play the game in a smaller window. To choose the game's window size, hold down the Command (Apple) key while launching the Deadlock application. A dialog will be displayed which will allow you to select the screen size you wish to use. If you need further assistance, click the "Advice" button. VIII. Improving Deadlock's Performance Play the game in a smaller window To choose the game's window size, hold down the Command (Apple) key while launching the Deadlock application. A dialog will be displayed which will allow you to select the screen size you wish to use. If you need further assistance, click the "Advice" button. Buy more RAM Deadlock runs best on a computer with 16 or more megabytes of RAM installed. Upgrading your Mac's RAM won't just help Deadlock, it will allow you to run more applications on your computer which will ultimately help you to be more productive. Consult your Apple or compatible dealer for more information. Upgrade your Power Mac with a 256K Level 2 Cache Many of the early Power Macintoshes and compatibles that were sold lack a secondary cache. Due to the nature of RISC chips, the PowerPC microprocessor in your computer can perform 10 - 40% more efficiently if a secondary cache is installed. Consult your Apple or compatible dealer for more information. Upgrade to MacOS version 7.6 or higher If you're playing on a PowerMac or compatible computer, consider upgrading your System Software to MacOS version 7.6 or 8.0. Newer versions of the MacOS offer improvements in terms of speed and ease of use on PowerPC-based computers. Consult your local Apple or compatible dealer for complete information on upgrading your System Software. IX. Miscellaneous Information The Deadlock Theme Song You can only get it here at Accolade! Listen to the Deadlock Theme Song, composed and performed by the PC version's lead programmer, Paul Kwinn. Look in the "Docs / Extras" folder on the CD-ROM for the Deadlock Theme Song and double-click to play it. Enjoy! EarthLink Problems (Internet Access) If you have any problems getting your Internet connection to start up, it would be best for you to call your Internet service provider. If you are using the free Earthlink sign-up software included with Deadlock, you can call them at 1-800-395-8410. This number will be answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can also contact EarthLink through email at support@earthlink.net and through the Web at http://www.earthlink.net. Here's a free hint. Unless you are calling from Southern California, make sure the characters ELN/ appear before your username when you log in. For example: ELN/matthewf or ELN/bethw. X. Questions & Answers Q: After I ran the Deadlock Installer, I checked my Extensions folder and couldn't find the Sound Manager Extension. Where is it? A: The Sound Manager Extension isn't required if your computer is running MacOS version 7.6 or later. If you wish to "force install" the Sound Manager Extension for some reason, hold down the "Option" key while running the Deadlock Installer program. Q: The sound occasionally drops out during the game's Introduction movie. A: There are two versions of the Introduction movie. One is a high-res version, and the other is low-res. If you have trouble playing back the hi-res Introduction, you can switch it to lo-res by turning off the "Double-size Cinematics" check box in the game's Preferences dialog. Q: Some of the in-game movies and music seem to "stutter" during playback. A: This is usually caused by having Virtual Memory turned on. If you have enough physical RAM (usually 16 megabytes or more), then turning off Virtual Memory will probably fix the problem and still leave you enough RAM to play the game. If you're on a 68040-based Macintosh, you may want to try turning off Music in the game's Preferences panel. Also, you should make sure that the "Allow MacOS Background Processing" check box is on (see next question). Q: What does the "Allow MacOS Background Processing" check box in the application's Preferences Dialog do? A: Turning this check box to "On" gives the MacOS more background processing time. This will allow normal MacOS functionality such as "Window Shade" and clicking on the Desktop to switch to the Finder to work seemlessly. The drawback is that the game will play a little slower, drag and drop actions and animations may seem sluggish, and in-game video playback may stutter. If you need to run the software in a more Finder-friendly way, then check this button to "On". Q: Sometimes Window Shade doesn't work, and switching out to the Finder is difficult. Why is that? A: The game's Preferences dialog has a button called "Allow MacOS Background Processing" and it's probably set to "On". For more information, see the above question. Q: I'm on an 040-based Macintosh. Why do I have to wait so long in the "Approaching Gallius IV" screen? A: The "Approaching Gallius IV" screen is where the application generates the world you will play on. Gallius IV is created using sophisticated mathematical algorithms that take a lot of number-crunching. The 68040s don't have the horsepower that today's PowerPCs do, and thus take a long time to create the world. Q: Sometimes in a TCP/IP game, after we click on End Turn, the turns take forever to finish. Why is that? A: If you are using the auto-end-turn timer, try turning that off. On some systems the timer causes problems and creates instability in TCP/IP games. Q: Sometimes "Quickstart" doesn't seem so quick, and generates a Large-sized world. Why is this? A: The "Quickstart" option remembers the last settings you used to generate a planet. If you set the game to generate a Huge world with 7 players, then those will be the game settings the next time you "Quickstart" a game. Q: In the "Game Options" dialog, I tried to set the "Auto End turn in" or "Last Player has" value to 10 seconds, but when I'm playing, the game always has those values set to 30. What's the deal? A: The "Auto End turn in" & "Last Player has" options cannot be set below 30 seconds or above 960 seconds (16 minutes). Q: When I first ran Deadlock, I got a Dialog which let me select the game's window size. How do I get that Dialog back? A: Holding down the Command (Apple) key while launching Deadlock will let you adjust the game's window size. Q: On a PowerMac or compatible, I restarted my computer with the Shift key held down so that Extensions and Control Panels wouldn't load. Afterwards, I double-clicked on the "Deadlock" application and got an error. What's up? A: We found this early on in testing, and tracked it back to a problem with Open Transport. Unfortunately, there's not much we can do about it. You will find that other software which uses Open Transport, such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, has this exact same problem. If you think you have a software conflict, you should try using the Extensions Manager to selectively turn off Extensions and Control Panels before running Deadlock. Note that this problem will not occur if you run Deadlock on a 68040-based Macintosh. Q: Why don't I recognize the font in Deadlock's dialog boxes? A: The font used in Deadlock's dialogs was created by Marty Pfeiffer and is called "Nu Sans". Marty graciously allowed us to use it for our game. For more information on Nu Sans, check out http://www.teleport.com/~wamozart/fonts.html. Q: What is the "TotalAccess Installer" application, and why is it on my Deadlock CD? A: "TotalAccess" is software that will help you access the EarthLink Network, a national Internet Service Provider. If you're new to the Internet, EarthLink is a great way to find out what all the fuss is about. Q: Can I play Deadlock against my friend with a PC and the Windows 95 version of the game? A: Unfortunately not. The original PC version of Deadlock used a networking protocol called "NETBIOS" which is not available on the MacOS. So for the time being, you'll have to keep yourself occupied by conquering Gallius IV before other MacOS users do. XI. Technical Assistance (United States and Canada) If you experience problems running or playing Deadlock, you can use any of the following avenues to obtain assistance. Assistance Via the World Wide Web Get up-to-the-minute technical information at the MacSoft web site at http://www.wizworks.com/macsoft 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You'll have access to our FAQ documents (frequently asked questions) which contain our latest troubleshooting information. You can also visit an E-Mail area where you can leave us your tech support problems and questions, and other areas where you can get valuable information on MacSoft and GT Interactive Software products. Help Via Telephone For phone assistance, call MacSoft's Tech Support at (612) 559-5301. We are available Monday through Friday, 9AM until 5PM (CST). Please note that live Tech Support may be closed on major holidays. We ask that you do the following when calling: be at your computer, have your system information ready for our technicians (including system, make and model, RAM, and any screen or error messages you've encountered), it will expedite your handling significantly. Help Via Mail In the event our technicians determine that you will need to forward materials directly to us, please include a brief letter explaining your problem. Please also include your telephone number in case we need to call you. Your mail should be sent to the following address: MacSoft Attn: Technical Support 2300 Berkshire Lane N Minneapolis, MN 55441 Thanks again for purchasing our product. We hope you enjoy the game! Lion Entertainment Developers of Deadlock for MacOS Appendix A: Using the Extensions Manager Extensions Manager is a Control Panel that Apple wrote to help MacOS users more easily fine-tune their systems in times of software conflicts. Game players, however, more frequently use Extensions Manager to give the MacOS more RAM and CPU time. It's important to note that incorrect use of Extensions Manager can result in a crash during startup time. To use Extensions Manager, first open your System Folder, and find the Control Panels folder with. Open the Control Panels folder, and find the item called Extensions Manager. Double-click to open it. Once you open Extensions Manager, you'll see a list of all the extensions and control panels the operating system will allow you to turn on and off. To the left of each item is a column for check marks or check boxes. If the item has a check mark next to it, it's on, else it's off. You can click in this column to toggle each item yourself, and then save the result in specific "set" that you can access later. When building a new set of Extensions for Deadlock, you must leave on the "Apple CD-ROM" and "Sound Manager" Extensions. If you want to play a Network game using a modem or serial cable, you will also need to leave the "Apple Modem Tool" and "Serial Tool" Extensions on as well. Finally, if you want to play a Network game using TCP/IP game, you should probably turn on all Extensions. Once you've done that, you can create a "set" which can be recalled whenever you play the game. To do this, click on the pop-up menu labeled "Sets:" and select "Save Set...". From there, you'll be prompted to give a name to your new set (we suggest "Deadlock"). After you've saved your set, close the Extensions Manager window, and restart your computer. To have your computer restart with all of the Extensions and Control Panels on, return to the Extensions Manager, and again click on the "Sets:" menu. Select the set called "All On". After that, close the window and restart your computer. After restart, you should be back to normal. Appendix B: Turning On Virtual Memory Turning on Virtual Memory is a useful way of giving the MacOS more "room" to run programs. The main drawback is that it's slower than adding real RAM to your computer. Follow these steps to turn on Virtual Memory for your MacOS-based computer: 1. Open your System Folder. 2. Locate your "Control Panels" folder, and double-click to open it. 3. Find the Control Panel called "Memory," and double-click to open it. 4. In the middle of the Memory Control Panel is a section entitled "Virtual Memory"; make sure it's set to "On". 5. The number to the right of "After Restart" should be set to 16 (or more if you have the disk space). If not, use the arrow buttons to adjust the size. 6. When you're done, close the "Memory" Control Panel, and Restart your computer. 7. Double-click on the Deadlock icon to start playing.