User manual GAMES PC DESCENT

[. . . ] TABLE OF CONTENTS System Requirements . 4 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Controls . 6 Keylist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Default Controls . 34 1 INTERPLA Y SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS IBM/Tandy 100% compatible 386-33 or faster (486-33 w/8 Megs of RAM highly recommended) with 4 Megabytes of RAM. [. . . ] A good test is to make sure you can log onto a network server, if one is available. Another thing to try is using a different socket number. It's possible that some other application on your computer is using socket 5100h, which will prevent Descent from opening its own network connection. Try large values for the -socket option and see if this solves the problem. Sometimes while playing a game you may receive a message box that says your network card is missing packets from other players. This can be the result of a slow network card, heavily congested network, or software conflicts in your system. If the message appears, you can rejoin the game and try again, but the problem should not be ignored completely since it's likely to return. Here are some possible causes for dropped packets in your network games: · Too many players for a high-traffic LAN. Eight players is the maximum number sustained by a high-quality LAN and fast computers. It is possible that your LAN or computer configuration can only reliably support a maximum of four to six players. 25 INTERPLA Y · Bad LAN card. Some cards drop IPX packets even without heavy loads or outside interference. If you suspect the LAN card of causing problems, try switching that computer's card with another card. Other drivers that are running may cause problems with the network interrupts. These conflicts may not be apparent when performing other LAN tasks that do not use IPX or that have a built-in layer of error-checking and repeating. Try disabling other unneeded drivers in your CONFIG. SYS and AUTOEXEC. BAT to see if the problem goes away. Playing the game between players on opposite sides of a router can be a cause of lost packets and other delays. It is recommended that the game not be played in this fashion since it creates a system load on the router that can disturb other users of the LAN. If you continue playing the game with an unreliable network connection due to one of these problems, you are likely to see erratic behavior in the game even before an error message is displayed. NETWORK FEATURES There are several features available to the network player that aren't used in a regular one-player game. F6 Teammate ID Display - If enabled, this will show a teammate's name if he or she is in your sights. Press F6 to toggle this feature on and off. F7 Kill List - You can turn on and off the kill list shown near the bottom of your screen by pressing the F7 key. In Network Team games, this alternates the display between Player Kills, Team Kills, and no kill display. [. . . ] You can leave technical support questions there. You can also download fixes and demos from Library 4 in GAMBPUB. The best place for game play hints about our games is in the GAMERS forum. If you are not already a CompuServe member, you can call CompuServe toll-free at 1-800-524-3388 and ask Representative #354 for a free introductory membership and a $15 usage credit. [. . . ]