Battlespire v1.3 Patch File Readme ---------------------------------- This file contains information about the Battlespire patch file. Read these carefully to make sure that your system has been configured properly to run the game. Detecting Available Memory -------------------------- Battlespire now detects the amount of available memory, counting actual physical RAM and swap file space. If it detects an insufficent amount, then it will print out a warning message. Check under the "Random Crashes" section in this file for more details if you get this warning message. Error: Could not initialize VESA 15 bit 640x480 mode. ----------------------------------------------------- What this error is trying to say that it could not find any 15 bit color modes on your video card. The patched game now will try to find 16 bit modes also. These are some of the video cards that this fix applies to: Creative Labs 3D Blaster Diamond Viper V330 Diamond Stealth II S220 STB Velocity 128 STB Lightspeed There may be other cards that do not support any 15 bit modes. This patch applies to those cards also. Dialog error while talking with various Vermai ---------------------------------------------- Once in a while when you try to talk to a Vermai, the game would crash with a causeway error. This was due to a typographical error in the dialog script and has been fixed with this patch. Random Crashes (DPMI Memory) --------------------------------- This is the most common problem with running the game. Around 99% of this can be traced back to an improper properties setting of the Windows 95 DOS box. In order to run the game from a Windows 95 DOS box, you must configure it do so. Here is how: Start up the DOS box like you normally would. If the DOS box is full screen, make it windowed by hitting the alt + enter key combination. There is an icon in the toolbar of the DOS window that looks like a hand holding up a sheet of paper. This is the properties icon. Click on it. Now you should be looking at the properties sheet of the DOS box. There is a 'memory' tab near the top of that sheet. Click on that. Now you are looking at the memory properties of the DOS box. Near the bottom is an area that is labelled "MS-DOS Protected Mode (DPMI) Memory". This value is normally set to "AUTO" when Windows 95 is installed. That won't work with Battlespire. What you need to do here is to change this value to '65535' by typing it in manually. Near the top of the memory properties sheet is an area that is labelled "Conventional Memory". Inside that area is something called "Initial environment". Change the value in there to 2048. Now click on the 'OK' button, and close the DOS box by typing 'exit' at the command prompt. The next time you open up that DOS box, it will use the new memory configuration. Battlespire will now run without bombing out randomly. Low Disk Space -------------- Random crashes can also be attributed to having a low amount of disk space left. Battlespire needs free disk space for a swap file. It is recommended that you have at least 40 megabytes of free space on your hard drive before running Battlespire. No Sound Card Option -------------------- There have been reports that computers without any sound cards or people who prefer to run the game with the sound setting set to 'none' can not run the game at all. That has been fixed with this patch. No Music Heard -------------- Battlespire plays music via your CD-ROM's redbook audio feature. If you are in the game and can not hear any music playing: 1) Make sure that the volume control for CD Audio is raised up to an audible level, and that it is not muted. 2) If it still doesn't work, then pop the hood of your computer. Make sure that there is a thin cable running from the back of your CD-ROM to your sound card. Refer to the manual that came with your CD-ROM for further information. Catapult Misdirection --------------------- On the castle capture the flag multiplayer level, there was a bug with the way the catapults worked. They would work the first time, then the second time around, they would shoot you backwards into oblivion. That bug has been squashed. New Deathmatch Levels --------------------- There are three new multiplayer deathmatch levels for your slaying pleasure. Kills Tally ----------- In multiplayer, when you go into the chat screen, you can see the scores of the other players but not their kills tally! Whoops. That has been added.