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1996-12-18
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Privateer 2: The Darkening DEMO PCCD
------------------------------------
(C) 1996, Origin Systems, Inc. This document may not, in whole or
part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced
to any electronic medium or machine readable form without prior
consent, in writing, from Origin Systems, Inc.
Origin Systems, Inc. believes the information contained in this
document is accurate and reliable. Origin Systems, Inc. reserves
the right to update this manual at any time and without notice.
To find out the latest information about Privateer 2: The Darkening,
check out our Internet Web site http://www.ea.com/origin.html.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This file has been provided as a supplement to any documentation for
Privateer 2: The Darkening. It details last minute information as
well as the most common questions and answers.
To print a hardcopy of this file, at the DOS prompt, change to the
drive of your CD-ROM drive (i.e. "D:") and type :
PRINT README.TXT [ENTER]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
README.TXT Table of Contents
1.0 System Requirements
2.0 Playing the Game
3.0 Shortcut/Boot Disk Configuration
3.1 The Bootdisk Maker
4.0 Installation Program
5.0 Performance
5.1 Video Performance
5.2 CD-ROM Performance
5.3 Joystick Calibration
6.0 Troubleshooting
6.1 General Information
6.2 Questions and Answers
6.3 Known Problems & Error Messages
7.0 Sound Card Issues
8.0 DOS Drivers and Manufacturers List
9.0 Miscellaneous
9.1 Windows 95
9.2 Disk Compression
10.0 Origin Customer Service/Technical Support
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[1.0] System Requirements
Privateer 2: The Darkening CD-ROM system requirements (which are
absolutely needed to play the game) :
Pentium 75 Processor or higher
8 MB of RAM (7 MB of XMS)
400 K Conventional Memory
MS-DOS 5.0 and up
Double Speed CD-ROM Drive (300,000 bytes/second transfer rate)
Local Bus Video Card
100% Microsoft compatible mouse
40 MB of free hard disk space
Sound Blaster, Ensoniq Soundscape, Media Vision Pro Audio
Spectrum, Gravis Ultrasound or 100% compatible sound card.
System Recommendation - Optimal :
Intel Pentium 120 MHz or higher
16 MB of RAM (15 MB of XMS)
500K Conventional Memory
Quad Speed or CD-ROM Drive (600,000 bytes/second transfer rate)
PCI SVGA video card
100% Microsoft compatible mouse
40 MB of free hard disk space
Sound Blaster, Ensoniq Soundscape, Media Vision Pro Audio
Spectrum, Gravis Ultrasound or 100% compatible sound card.
Two button Joystick
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[2.0] Playing the Game
You should only need a few pointers in order to enjoy the demo.
Each time you run the game, you will watch several movies, then
see the first planet Customs screen. At this point, you have the
option of taking off, or exiting to Transit, which will allow
you to visit Joe the Bartender at Sinner's Inn.
Helpful Planetary Commands :
[ESC] : Bypass Current Movie
[ALT-X] : Exit the Demo
Once spaceflight is accessed, press [ALT-H]. This will bring
up a list of all the commands for spaceflight. A few helpful
commands are listed below :
[ALT-H] : Access Help Screen
[ALT-N] : Access Navigation Map
[J] : Activate Jump Engine
[W] : Target Closest Enemy
[TAB] : Afterburner
[ALT-R] : Toggle Radar Types
[ENTER] : Fire Missile
[ALT-D] : Access Diary
[ALT-O] : Access Options Screen
Happy Gaming!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[3.0] Boot Disk Configuration
If you are having trouble running Privateer 2: The Darkening,
almost all problems can be solved by making a boot disk.
Regardless of the total amount of RAM and/or conventional memory,
processor speed/power, etc., the boot disk will set up your computer
specifically to run Privateer 2: The Darkening. Expanded Memory
Managers (EMM386, QEMM386, 386MAX, NETROOM, etc.) are not needed
and if configured incorrectly, will often conflict with The
Darkening's protected mode memory manager.
[3.1] Boot Disk Instructions
If you have DOS, it is recommended that you create a floppy boot disk
for Privateer 2: The Darkening. If you have a blank floppy disk for
your A: drive, the program BOOTDISK.EXE can be used to assist you.
BOOTDISK.EXE examines your hard drive CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT
and determines the best configuration for running
Privateer 2: The Darkening. All you have to do is put a blank
floppy in the drive, type BOOTDISK at the CD-ROM drive prompt,
and press [ENTER].
Once the boot disk is finished, simply reboot your machine with that
disk in the A: drive. To play Privateer 2, boot your machine with the
boot disk in drive A:. To return to your previous configuration,
boot the machine without the boot disk. It's that easy!
To make a boot disk for Privateer 2: The Darkening manually,
please use the following instructions :
1) Place a blank disk in drive A:
2) Type C: and press [ENTER]
3) Type FORMAT A: /S and press [ENTER]
4) Type A: and press [ENTER]
5) Type COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS and press [ENTER]
6) Type COPY C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and press [ENTER]
7) Type EDIT A:\CONFIG.SYS and press [ENTER]
8) Different computers have different sound cards, CD-ROM
drives, etc. Therefore, after the first 5 lines, we
cannot list out the exact lines needed.
However, the original lines from your hard disk
CONFIG.SYS will be there, and you can try to make sure
lines of the CONFIG.SYS on the boot disk read somewhat
like the following :
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH
FILES=50
BUFFERS=50
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS\ /P
DEVICE=C:\<path>\<possible sound card drivers>
DEVICE=C:\<path>\<CD-ROM drivers>
DEVICE=C:\<path>\<possible mouse driver>
Lines to remove from the CONFIG.SYS of the boot disk :
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE ...
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE ...
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE ...
DEVICE=C:\DOS\POWER.EXE ...
9) After you are finished with the CONFIG.SYS, press [ALT-F],
then [X], then [Y]. You should return to the A: prompt.
10) Type EDIT A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and press [ENTER]
11) Again, since different computers have different sound
cards, CD-ROM drives, etc., we cannot list out the exact
lines needed for the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. However, the
original lines from your hard disk AUTOEXEC.BAT will be
there, and you can try to make sure lines of the
AUTOEXEC.BAT on the boot disk read somewhat like the
following :
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\DOS
C:\<path>\MSCDEX.EXE ...
<possible sound lines (SET BLASTER=, SET SOUND=, etc.)>
<possible mouse driver lines (C:\DOS\MOUSE, etc.)>
Lines to remove from the AUTOEXEC.BAT of the boot disk :
C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE ...
C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE ...
C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE ...
12) After you are finished with the CONFIG.SYS, press [ALT-F],
then [X], then [Y]. You should return to the A: prompt.
13) Reboot your computer with the new boot disk. You may now
try to install/run the game!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[4.0] Installation Program
Before you can run Privateer 2: The Darkening, you will have to run its
installation program. This program allows you to setup your sound card,
set the save game directory, and select your control device. To begin
the installation switch to your CD-ROM drive (for example, if your
CD-ROM drive is the "D" drive, you would type D: and hit [ENTER] and
then type INSTALL. If you need to change your sound settings you must
run the SETSOUND program from your hard drive directory.
When you run the installation program, you can set four different
options: The sound card, the music card, the destination directory,
and the control type.
You should first choose your Sound Card. Click on the arrow next
to Sound Card and you will be presented with a list of different
sound cards. You can scroll through the options by clicking on
the up and down arrows on the selector. When you have chosen
your card, click on OK. At this point you will be given the
option to have the card detected automatically or manually.
In most cases, you should just be able to click on AUTODETECT to
set up your sound card. Otherwise, you must click MANUAL and
enter the base address of your card. After choosing the sound card,
you can click on the PRESS TO TEST SOUND option. If you hear an
explosion, then you have successfully chosen the sound card. You
can repeat the sound test as necessary. Next, you should select
the Music card in the same way you chose the Sound card.
When you test the music, you will hear repeating drums.
You can change the destination directory by clicking on the arrow
next to DIRECTORY. The destination directory is the location to
which the game will install. The default directory is C:\DARK.
You can select another directory by typing in another 8 letter
directory name when prompted. To change the drive you wish to
install to, backspace over the entire path name and type the
new destination directory.
Finally, you can change the control type. When you run the installer
for the first time, the mouse will be the default controller. If you
wish to use a joystick, you should use the selector (remember to click
on the up and down arrows) to highlight joystick. If you have a
CH Products throttle, select Joystick/Throttle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[5.0] Performance
-- What kind of performance should I expect?
Space flight depends HEAVILY upon the CPU speed of your system.
But this will only work up to a certain point as defined by the
speed of your video. For example, a Pentium computer with an
ISA video card will bottleneck due to the slow video card
performance. Remember : A local bus video card is required.
-- How do I improve my computer's CPU speed?
A) Ensure that you have your Internal and External Cache enabled
for your CPU. Contact your computer manufacturer to
investigate these settings further.
B) Upgrading your CPU and motherboard is the only other way to
improve this performance. Some of today's systems have
included the use of ZIF Sockets that make CPU chip upgrades
easier. Doubling your clock speed may be as simple as putting
in a new CPU. Contact your computer manufacturer for details
about your specific system and its possibilities for upgrade.
[5.1] Video Performance
The game runs in SVGA 640x480 256 color mode. You must have a
VESA driver installed or included on your video card. If your
video card does not support the VESA standard, then the game
will not run.
-- What kind of performance should I expect?
Space flight AND Movies depend heavily upon the speed of your
video. As mentioned in the CPU section, the processor speed
can only take you so far. After that, the video speed will
carry the rest of the load.
-- How do I improve my frame rate?
The system architecture of your computer greatly affects the
overall performance of any video card. For most ISA customers,
the best increase in video performance will be to upgrade to a
new motherboard with VLB or PCI architecture. For increases
within a particular type of architecture, research each video
card for its DOS performance and rating by nationally
recognized benchmarks or publications.
NOTE : Windows accelerator cards which feature enhanced Windows
video speeds MAY NOT provide the same type of
performance in DOS. Check your local retailer or video
card manufacturer for more information about these
performance ratings.
[5.2] CD-ROM Performance
-- What kind of performance should I expect?
The speed of your CD-ROM determines the load times for movies
and missions. As you would expect, the faster the drive means
less time waiting, and shorter load times.
-- How do I my increase my CD-ROM speed?
Short of buying a new CD-ROM drive, there is not much that can
be done to improve the transfer rate of a CD-ROM drive to help
Privateer 2: The Darkening perform faster. However, if you
notice that the transfer rate of the CD-ROM drive is not what
you expect, then it could be attributed to a couple of
problems.
It is most probable that your CD-ROM software drivers may not
be communicating with the CD-ROM drive properly. It is very
important that you have the latest driver for your CD-ROM
drive. Pausing during movies, slow CD access/load times and
CDR-101 error messages (not being able to access the CD) may
all be the result of the use of an outdated driver. Contact
your CD-ROM drive or Multimedia Kit manufacturer to see if
you have the latest CD-ROM driver. Users of SCSI controller
cards should call their controller card manufacturers to
ensure that their software fully supports the specific CD-ROM
drive by model number.
[5.3] Joystick Calibration
If you selected Joystick or Joystick/Throttle for your control device
then you will be asked to calibrate your joystick. Follow the
on-screen instructions to calibrate the joystick. As you move
the joystick around, the yellow rectangle will decrease in size.
Once initially calibrated, a circular cursor SHOULD appear in the
center of the yellow square.
If your cursor flickers between positions or jumps unexpectedly
from one location to another as you move it, then your joystick
as not calibrated properly for one of the following possible
reasons :
1) Joystick Port Conflict: Two active joystick ports on the same
system will confuse the calibration routine and produce
erroneous data.
SOLUTION: Possible locations for joystick/game ports can be
found on either a) the sound card, b) the i/o serial card
(where your mouse might be plugged into) or c) a separate
gamecard (usually speed-adjustable). Only one of the ports
can be active. Check the respective manufacturer's
documentation to find out what settings need to be made to
disable one or more of the conflicting ports.
2) Poor Initial Calibration: Click on exit and then try to
recalibrate.
3) Machine Speed Conflict: Some gameports cannot handle the speed
of some computers, especially Pentiums. As a result, the
calibration information returned to the software routine is
inaccurate.
SOLUTION: Your system may benefit from the purchase of a speed-
adjustable gamecard. These gamecards allow the user to
adjust the rate at which the joystick calibration can
actually speak to the joystick hardware. Some of the tested
gamecards include the Thrustmaster ACM, the Gravis
Eliminator, the Kraft Game Card and the CH Gamecard 3.
4) Bad Joystick Hardware: Unfortunately, some joystick hardware
gives out after repeated usage. If you have checked the other
3 possibilities and you still have trouble calibrating, try
attaching another joystick from a friend's computer. This
may help you pinpoint the problem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[6.0] Troubleshooting
If the game crashes inexplicably or there are sound and video
glitches, it is probably the result of an invalid configuration.
Try making a boot disk and start again. The problem may not
reoccur. If it does, consult the following section. You
may have outdated CD-ROM device drivers or your hardware may have
loose cables, bad SCSI termination or some other problem. If the
CD-ROM appears undamaged, check your hardware and/or contact the
manufacturer of your CD-ROM drive to obtain the latest software
device drivers and/or hardware fixes.
[6.1] General Info
Here are some things to check :
1) Set up a BOOT DISK!
2) Make sure your VESA driver is current and up to date.
3) You have a clean hard disk with at least 40MB of free space.
If you are using disk compression, make certain to install
onto an uncompressed part of the hard drive.
4) Check sound card settings and compatibility.
5) Make sure your CPU is 100% Intel compatible.
6) The MSCDEX driver can have unpredictable behavior. If it is
loaded high OR if the /E parameter is used, its behavior
generally becomes much worse.
7) SCANDISK and DEFRAG your hard drives regularly. Consult your
DOS or Windows 95 manuals for instructions on using these
utilities.
[6.2] Questions and Answers
Q : How do I run the install program to change my configuration?
A : There is no way to re-run the install program after installation.
You can adjust your Soundcard settings from the hard drive by
typing :
SETSOUND
while in the C:\DARK directory.
Q : Will I get any benefit from using a disk cache, such as SMARTDRIVE?
A : If you have lower than 16 MB of RAM, it is recommended that you
remove any disk caching software. The game will in fact, run
slower with it. The disk cache also uses memory that may keep you
from running the game.
However, if you have more than 16 MB of RAM, you may want to
allocate an amount over the first 16 MB to SMARTDRIVE, the disk
caching software that comes with MS-DOS 5.0 and up. For
SMARTDRV.EXE that comes with MS-DOS 6.20 and up, by default,
SMARTDRIVE caches CD-ROM drives. You will want to disable this
feature when playing Privateer 2: The Darkening. For example,
if you have 24 MB of RAM and the letter of your CD-ROM drive is
"D:", you may want to include the following line in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the boot disk :
C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE 4096 D-
+--------------------------------------------------------+
| NOTE : Do NOT install the game with SMARTDRIVE loaded! |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Q: Why do my movies start and stop?
A: The movies pause because data is not being transferred from the
CD-ROM drive to our game at a sustained rate. Make sure your
CD-ROM driver is up to date. You will need to contact your
CD-ROM drive manufacturer to see if you have the latest version.
You can check the list of problem CD-ROM drivers at the end of
this file to see if your driver needs to be updated.
[6.3] Known Problems & Error Messages
Error message : "Error opening file..."
Problem : You do not have enough Files and/or Buffers.
Solution : Make a floppy boot disk/shortcut and the problem should
go away.
Error message : "Not enough mem to install the game"
Problem : You do not have enough XMS memory to run Privateer 2.
Solution : You will need at least 7104K of XMS memory. Make a
floppy boot disk and the problem should go away.
Error message : "File is to small to estimate stream speed"
Problem : Privateer 2 has encountered a bad CD read.
Solution : Clean the CD using a lint free cloth and the problem
should go away.
Error message : "Error! Initing Inflation"
Problem : Game has detected an error in one of the savegame files.
Solution : Reload the savegame, or try a different savegame.
Problem : Lockups During opening movie, [ESC] takes you further into
the game.
Solution : You have chosen the incorrect sound card settings or have
an IRQ or DMA conflict with your sound card and another
device in your system. Verify your sound card settings
are "conflict free" and run the SETSOUND program.
* If the game appears to lock at a black screen at the
start of the game, try pressing [ESC]. If you continue
to the beginning of the next movie, your sound card
settings are incorrect. Run SETSOUND from the installed
directory.
Problem : Lockup/Problems at the joystick calibration screen
Solution :
1) Make sure you have only one joystick port active. If you
do not, you may have a joystick port conflict. Resolve
and retry.
2) Remove the joystick completely and install the game.
Plug in the joystick after the game has been installed
and calibrate from within the game.
3) Try another joystick.
4) If you have more than one joystick port, disable the
current joystick port and use the second joystick port
and retry.
5) Disable all open joystick ports and try using a speed
adjustable gamecard.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[7.0] Sound Card Issues
For Digital FX, the game supports the Sound Blaster (and 100% Sound
Blaster compatibles), Sound Blaster Pro, Sound Blaster 16, Sound
Blaster AWE 32, Pro Audio Spectrum, Ensoniq Soundscape, and
Gravis Ultrasound.
NOTE : All sound cards are to be used in their NATIVE MODE only.
For example, the Ensoniq Soundscape emulates the Sound Blaster.
Yet for Digital FX, choose Ensoniq Soundscape rather than Sound
Blaster/Compatibles.
The install program chooses the default settings of the sound card
defined by the manufacturer. Some sound cards which emulate other
sound cards may not work with Privateer 2: The Darkening. If you
are using a sound card which is not listed as a choice in the
installation program, please consult your sound card manufacturer
to see about getting your sound card to properly emulate one of
the sound cards listed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[8.0] DOS Drivers and Manufacturers List
Privateer 2: The Darkening is a DOS based game. The game will work
on Windows 95 machines in a DOS shortcut that reboots the system
in MS-DOS mode. Since the game is native to DOS, you will need DOS
based drivers for your CD-ROM, sound card and mouse.
These drivers are normally loaded onto new computers. In some cases,
however, you may need to contact your hardware or system manufacturer
to obtain the drivers you need to run the game. Consult the
documentation that shipped with your computer system. Below is a list
of contacts for several popular manufacturers. If you have a computer
from one of the manufacturers below, and do not have DOS drivers,
please contact them to obtain those drivers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Company Phone Number Web Address
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dell 1-800-624-9896 www.us.dell.com
Compaq 1-800-652-6672 www.compaq.com
Gateway 1-800-846-2301 www.gw2k.com
Packard Bell 1-800-598-3000 www.packardbell.com
Micron 1-800-877-8856 www.mei.micron.com
IBM 1-800-426-7255 www.ibm.com
NEC 1-800-632-4554 www.nec.com
Acer 1-800-445-6495 www.acer.com
Hewlett Packard 1-800-243-9812 www.hp.com
AST 1-800-727-1278 www.ast.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[9.0] Miscellaneous
[9.1] Windows 95
NOTE: When creating a DOS reboot icon for Privateer 2: The Darkening
you will need to have your MS-DOS Real-mode drivers available for
your system hardware. These drivers are necessary for your
all of your peripherals to function correctly when rebooting
into a DOS environment. If your computer came with Windows 95
pre-installed, these drivers may not be readily available. Follow
the directions in the Install guide on making a DOS reboot in
Windows 95. If you are unable to find certain drivers, consult
your computer's documentation for information on how to enable
the MS-DOS Real-mode drivers.
Q: Can Privateer 2: The Darkening run in a Windows 95 window? Can I
use Windows 95 DOS mode instead of a DOS reboot?
A: No. It is NOT possible for Privateer 2: The Darkening to run
within a Windows 95 window. You must reboot to MS-DOS mode
to play the game.
[9.2] Disk Compression
We strongly recommend that you install Privateer 2: The Darkening onto
an uncompressed portion of your hard drive. Privateer 2 will not
function properly on a compressed drive.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[10.0] Origin Customer Service/Technical Support
If you would like to contact Origin Technical Support, please call
512-434-HELP (4357) M-F 9:00am to 1:00 pm, 2:00pm to 5:00 pm.
Internet : support@origin.ea.com
Internet Web site : http://www.ea.com/origin.html
AOL : Mail to ORIGINCS
When you call, your problem can be resolved much faster if you have
the following information :
* The EXACT error message displayed (very important!)
* A copy of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files
* A detailed list of the hardware and who the manufacturer is
* The results of a MEM /C statement
* Information on your sound card including the manufacturer
and settings
* Information on your video card and the manufacturer
* Any information you feel would be helpful
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy The Game!
-END OF FILE-