(Please read this file with SimpleText, not TeachText.)
You should have no trouble running Descent II on any Power Macintosh computer. But in the unlikely case you do have problems, here are some helpful pointers:
General Problems
=> Q: MY GAME IS PAUSING/SKIPPING A LOT. WHY IS THIS?
A: Usually this is because Virtual Memory has been turned on in your "Memory" Control Panel. We recommend you turn Virtual Memory off when playing Descent II! See the "Descent II And Memory" section in the Read Me file. You can also reduce the amount of skipping by reducing the number of sound channels. You can do this by choosing "Detail Levels" on the "Options" screen.
=> Q: DESCENT II DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE SOME OF THE COOL SOUND EFFECTS IT USED TO. FOR EXAMPLE, MY FLARES SOUND LIKE LASERS. WHAT HAPPENED?
A: If Descent II is running in a memory partition smaller than the game's "Suggested size", as listed in the application's Get Info window, Descent II "recycles" sound effects to save memory. Increase the amount of memory available to Descent II for maximum sound coolness.
=> Q: DESCENT II RUNS SLOWLY ON MY MACHINE, ESPECIALLY IN LARGE BATTLES. WHAT CAN I DO?
A: Try one or all of the following:
• Using F3 and +/- to shrink your 3D window size
• Lowering any/all of the detail level sliders in the Options/Detail level screen.
• Use Shift-F1/F2 to remove any secondary views you may use.
• Decreasing the game's "Preferred size", as listed in the application's Get Info window, may help.
=> Q: I GET A COLORED WALL IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TUNNELS. WHAT IS THIS?
A: These are due to the Detail Level being set below the highest setting. See the Read Me file for details on the Detail Level setting.
=> Q: MY COMPUTER HAS 8 MEGS OF RAM. THE GAME IS SLOW AND ACCESSES THE HARD DRIVE ALL THE TIME.
A: We recommend a Mac with 16MB of RAM to play Descent II. It is possible to play the game with less RAM in your computer, but Descent II's high memory requirements may make the game too slow. If you play Descent II on a Mac with only 8MB RAM, the game will continually read from the hard disk using Virtual Memory, which will probably slow down the game to unplayable speeds.
=> Q: MY JOYSTICK ISN'T RESPONDING IN THE GAME. WHAT'S WRONG?
A: Be sure that you have the most recent versions of the joystick software. Also, be sure you have have the correct control type under Options/Controls. If you are using an unsupported joystick, be sure that it is calibrated properly. If you are using a supported stick, be sure that you have not defined any stick sets for your stick, or if you have, be sure that they are inactive (if using the direct interface supplied in Descent II).
=> Q: HEY! SOME OF MY POWERUPS DISAPPEARED. WHAT HAPPENED?
A: Certain powerups will remove themselves from the game if they have been around 4 or 5 minutes. This only happens to Concussion Missiles, Energy, and Shield powerups dropped by a dead player.
Modem/Serial Problems
=> Q: WHEN PLAYING A MODEM/SERIAL GAME, MY GAME FREEZES ON THE "WAITING FOR OPPONENT" SCREEN. WHAT GIVES?
A: This screen will appear if you have died in, or escaped from, an exploding mine. If the other player is still flying there can be up to a 90 second delay. This is normal. However, if your game sits at this screen much longer, chances are something is wrong. Likely culprits: opponent is having technical difficulties, interference with unshielded serial cables, loose cables, baud rate set too high, or uncorrected errors in the modem transmission.
=> Q: MY MODEM GAMES ARE MUCH SLOWER THAN NORMAL ONE-PLAYER GAMES.
A: Try using a higher baud rate in the Apple Modem Tool dialog box.
=> Q: STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN IN MY MODEM/SERIAL GAMES. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP THIS?
A: This may be a result of dropped serial data. Some examples of "strange" things: players not dropping powerups when killed, ships jumping from place to place on screen, or ships flying through doors that appear closed. If you get error messages during play or during the "waiting for opponent" screen, this could be the cause as well.
These problems may occur for several reasons. Serial play adds an additional burden to the CPU when playing the game, so a computer capable of playing the game in single-player mode may have difficulties with modem or serial play. If you have only 8MB of RAM in your Mac, the disk activity needed to run the program in a small memory space can cause lost data in a modem game. A lot of sound activity can also cause lost data. Increasing the amount of memory in your machine to 16MB or reducing the number of sound channels on the Detail Settings screen can sometimes help. Of course you can also reduce the baud rate in the Com Settings screen to slow down the game somewhat while improving reliability.
Netgame Problems
=> Q: MY COMPUTER HAS A HARD TIME STAYING CONNECTED IN NETGAMES, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN LEVELS. WHY IS THIS?
A: You may not have enough free physical RAM in your computer. You may be depending on Virtual Memory for too much of Descent II's memory partition. We recommend you play network games of Descent on a Macintosh with 16MB or more of memory, with Virtual Memory off, for maximum performance and reliability. Running Descent II in a smaller memory partition might help as well.
=> Q: MY NETGAMES SEEM SLOW AND UNRELIABLE. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?
A: We have found that under most circumstances, IPX network games run faster than AppleTalk network games. If you are experiencing a slow game while using IPX networking, there may be a socket conflict. Try using an unused socket number (like 32 or 100). Remember, all your opponents will need to use the same socket you do.
You may also want to try lowering the Packets per Second value in the Start Netgame/More Options screen. Also note that your Mac may take a very long time to advance to the next level if you rely too much on Virtual Memory for Descent II's memory partition.
=> Q: DESCENT II TELLS ME MY NETWORK CONNECTION OR CARD IS MISSING PACKETS. WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN?
A: This can be a result of slow network circuitry, heavy traffic on the network, or software conflicts in your system. If you get this message, you can rejoin the game and try again. If the problem persists, one of the following could be to blame:
• Too many packets being sent. Lowering the Packets per Second value in the Start Netgame/More Options menu (to a number less than 10) may improve things.
• Loose cables. Happens to the best of us. Check the plugs on the back of your computer, specifically the ones running to/from your network connector.
• Too many players. While 8 players is offered as the maximum in Descent II, it's possible that your LAN or computer configuration can only support 4-6 players reliably.
• Router problems. Playing Descent II with players on different sides of a router may cause lost packets or delays. Playing through a router is not recommended because it creates a significant load on the router that may disturb other LAN users. See your network administrator for help with this, unless of course your network administrator is likely to get mad at you for playing Descent II at work.
=> Q: I CAN'T JOIN OR PLAY ANY MULTIPLAYER GAMES WITH MY PC BUDDIES? WHAT IS UP WITH THIS?
A: This Descent II preview is not compatible with the PC Descent II demo for multiplayer games. In order to play any type of multiplayer game with a PC, all Macintosh and PC players will need to play the full 30-level commercial version of Descent II.
Technical Support
=> Q: I CAN'T GET DESCENT II TO RUN PROPERLY! THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS ARE TAUNTING ME. WHAT CAN I DO??
A: Don't panic. MacPlay Technical Support is happy to help with with any problems you have. Help is available over the phone through our Automated Customer Service system, with representatives available during normal business hours. If you'd like to call us, please be sitting at your computer while you call -- it makes problem solving over the phone much quicker and easier. Here's how to contact us:
