The 3DO Company
Arcomage (TM)
June 2001
Version 3.0

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for purchasing the Arcomage game.  We recommend that you read 
this file to get the most up-to-date information about installing, 
running, and maximizing performance of the Arcomage game.   This document
contains information you might find useful, and we think will help you to 
get as much enjoyment out of this game as possible.

This game is intended for use with English (United States) versions of 
Windows.  Use of the game on other language versions of Windows may result 
in errors that can render the game unplayable on your system.

Note: The information within this document is accurate as of the date of
the release of this product.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1)	System Requirements
2)	Additional Information
3)	Troubleshooting
4)	Purchasing Software
5)	Contacting Customer Support

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1)	System Requirements 

The following are the minimum system requirements to play Arcomage. 
 If these requirements are not met, Arcomage may not work properly.

Computer System: 	IBM PC and 100% compatibles
Operating System:	  Windows® 95/98
CPU:  			Pentium® 90
Memory:  		16 Megabytes RAM
Free Hard Drive Space: 	12MB Megabytes free hard drive space 
Sound Card:  		All major DirectX® compatible sound cards
Video Card:  		Direct3D compliant video card
Peripherals:  		Keyboard and mouse


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2)	Additional Information

Arcomage requires Microsoft DirectX 7 or later installed on your computer
If you don't have the latest version of DirectX installed please download 
it from the following site:

   http://www.microsoft.com/directx/

This website will have all the latest DirectX information and DirectX 
version for you to download and install.

The Arcomage Manual is in .pdf format, and requires Adobe Acrobat® Reader
version 4.0 to read it. You can download the latest version from the
following page: 

   http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html

Arcomage only runs in Windowed mode in 16-bit colors.  Please
switch to 16 bit color before running the game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

3)	Troubleshooting

Installation Issues

Problem:    The CD is in the CD-ROM drive, but the computer is not 
	    recognizing it. 

Answers:    The CD may be dirty or scratched.

Solutions:  Make sure that the data side of the CD (shiny side) is not 
dirty or scratched. If it is dirty, take a lint free non-abrasive cloth 
and wipe gently to clean it (always wipe from the inside of the CD to the 
outside edges).  If the data side of the CD appears to be scratched, 
return the game to the store from which you bought it, and exchange it 
for a new copy. If you are unable to exchange the game at the store from 
which you bought it, please call Customer Support for information on our 
exchange policy.


Problem:    The computer freezes during install, or you receive an error 
     	    message (such as "*_ins error" or "An error has occurred 
            during the move data process") during install.

Answers:    1. Your computer may be using an older 16-bit CD-ROM driver 
	    2. There may not be enough space on your hard drive for 
	       temporary files to expand and/or you need to free up 
	       resources.
	    3. The CD-ROM drive might be having problems with how it 
	       buffers information. 
	    4. The Autorun or DMA settings on your CD-ROM drive could be 
      	       interfering with the game installation.

To check and see if your computer is using an older 16-bit CD-ROM driver:
 - Right-click on the 'My Computer' icon and select 'Properties'.
 - Click on the 'Performance' tab.
 - In the Performance status box, if the File System line says, "Some 
   drivers are using MS-DOS(R) compatibility", you are using a 16-bit 
   CD-ROM driver.  If you are using 16-bit CD-ROM drivers: Contact the 
   manufacturer of your CD-ROM drive or the manufacturer of your computer 
   for an updated 32-bit CD-ROM driver.

To free up Resources:
 - Close all unnecessary programs running in the Background.  
 - Press the CTRL+ALT+DEL keys at the same time to open the Close Program 
   window, select a program, and press the 'End Task' button.  Repeat 
   this process until all programs except 'Explorer' and 'Systray' are 
   closed. Windows 98 or ME users can click on the 'Start' button, then 
   the "Run" option.  At the command line type the word: msconfig.  Click 
   on the "Startup" tab and uncheck all of the listed programs aside from 
   ‘Systray.’
 - Keep at least 100MB free on the hard drive that the game is installed 
   to, or twice your RAM, whichever is larger.
 - Delete all files in your C:\Windows\Temp folder, and then empty the 
   Recycle Bin.
 - If you have Norton Utilities(TM) empty the Norton Wastebasket as well.
 - Run ScanDisk.  ScanDisk can be found on the Start Bar by Going to 
   "Programs," then to "Accessories," then to "System Tools."  For most 
   conditions, a standard rather than thorough scan is all that is need.
 - Defrag your hard drive.  The Disk Defragmenter can be found on the 
   Start Bar by Going to "Programs," then to "Accessories," then to 
   "System Tools."  Running Scandisk before you run the Disk Defragmenter 
   will enable the process to run in the most effective manner.

Turn off read-ahead on the CD-ROM drive:
 - Right-click on the 'My Computer' icon and select 'Properties'.
 - Click on the 'Performance' tab.
 - Click on the 'File System' button.
 - Choose the 'CD-ROM' tab at the top.
 - Change the 'Optimize access pattern for' field to 'No read-ahead'.
 - Click on 'Apply', then 'OK' and finally click 'Close' (you will be 
   prompted to restart your system).

Turn off the Autorun and DMA settings on your CD-ROM drive:
 - Right click on the 'My Computer' icon and choose 'Properties'.
 - Click on the 'Device Manager' tab.
 - Click on the '+' sign next to the CD-ROM line so that it becomes 
   a '-' sign.
 - Click on the line that appears under the CD-ROM line so that it is 
   highlighted, then click on the 'Properties' button.
 - Click on the 'Settings' tab.
 - Look for the Auto-insert Notification and DMA lines.  If there is a 
   check mark in the boxes next to either of these lines, click on the 
   box to remove the check mark.
 - Click on the 'Apply' button, and then click on the 'OK' button.
 - When you are asked if you want to restart your system, choose 'Yes'. 

NOTE:  You can restore all of the CD-ROM settings back to normal after 
       the game has been successfully installed.


Launching the Game I

Problem: After launching the game from the Start menu or Desktop icon, 
         you get a blank screen, a black box that surrounds the mouse 
         cursor, blurring or choppy graphics, vertical lines on the 
         screen, choppy sound, or no sound.
Answer:  There is probably a conflict between your video or sound card 
         and Microsoft's DirectX.
Solution:  (see below)

DXDIAG (DirectX troubleshooting and settings for Windows 95 or 98 or 
ME, installed with DirectX 7 or higher). To use it, follow these 
directions:
 - Press the 'Start' button on the Windows 95/98/ME-task bar and 
   select 'Run'. 
 - Type "c:\Program Files\directx\setup\dxdiag" (include the quotes) 
   then click on the 'OK' button. This will run the DirectX Diagnostics 
   Tool.
 - Make sure all your files are DirectX compatible. Select the 
   'DirectX Files' tab to ensure that there aren't any exclamation 
   points next to the file names. If you find exclamation points under 
   this tab you will need to reinstall DirectX by going to the 'START' 
   Button on the Windows95 task bar then select 'Run' and type your 
   CD-ROM drive letter followed by ":\DirectX\dxsetup.exe" and click 
   on the 'Reinstall DirectX' button. This will reinstall DirectX 
   (please make sure the title's CD-ROM is in your CD-ROM drive).
 - Make sure all of your drivers are DirectX compatible. Select the 
   'DirectX Drivers' tab and make sure there are no exclamation points 
   next to any of the file names. If you find exclamation points under 
   this tab you will need to update your drivers by contacting the 
   manufacturer of the hardware through their Phone Support or through 
   their web site. 3DO has a listing of manufactures sites available. 
   Simply go to: http://www.3do.com/support. When you see the text that 
   says "Choose your platform", click on the PC Games link, click the 
   Troubleshooting link on the left side from the pull down menu and 
   then click the 'Go' button. You will find the driver links at the 
   bottom of the DirectX and Drivers page. Test your hardware with the 
   DirectX Diagnostics tool. Run the tests that are available on the 
   'Display', 'Sound', and 'Input' tabs. If one or more tests fail, this 
   could be due to driver incompatibility. Installing the newest drivers 
   available for your sound and video card hardware can usually resolve 
   this.

NOTE:  The DirectX Diagnostic tool may not recognize if your current 
       drivers are too old for the current version of DirectX that the 
       game uses.  If you've just bought a game that installs a newer 
       version of DirectX over your old version, a good rule of thumb is 
       to update your sound and video drivers.  If this is a version of 
       DirectX that has just been released by Microsoft, it is possible 
       that the manufacturer of your sound and video cards may not have 
       drivers that will support it yet.  If you have an older video card, 
       the manufacturer may have stopped producing new drivers for it 
       altogether.  If the manufacturer has stopped supporting your card's 
       drivers you will need to purchase and install cards that will 
       support the new version of DirectX.


Launching the Game II

Problem: You try to start the game and the screen flashes briefly, 
         and you are returned to the desktop without an error message. 
Answer:  There are probably miscellaneous programs running in the 
         background that are interfering with the game and causing it 
         to crash. 
Solution:  (see below)
For Windows 95 users:     
 - Press the CTRL+ALT+DEL keys at the same time to open the Close 
   Program window.
 - Click on a program so that it is highlighted, then click on the 
   'End Task' button.
 - Repeat this process until only 'Explorer' and 'Systray' are left in 
   the Close Program list, then try running the game.
 - Please note that this will disable your virus scanning software until 
   the next time you reboot your system.   

For Windows 98 or ME users:
 - Click on the Windows 'Start' button, and then choose 'Run'.
 - In the Run line type in: "msconfig", then push the 'Enter' key. 
   (This will bring up the System Configuration Utility.)
 - Select the 'Startup' tab, and turn all of the check boxes off, except 
   for the one next to 'Systray'.
 - Press 'OK'. When you are prompted to restart your system, click 'Yes'.
 - Once your machine has restarted try running the program again. 
 - This will disable your virus scan software.   Please remember to 
   restart your virus scanner either by reversing the instructions for 
   msconfig outlined in the above steps or through the "Disabled Startup 
   Items" option found in the "Programs" section of the Start Bar.
 

General Guidelines

If you are experiencing video trouble, difficulties launching the game, 
or getting kicked-back to the desktop, you may need to make some changes 
to the Display Settings.  3DO games are designed to run in 16-bit High 
Color.  If you are running your desktop at any other color resolution, 
there is a possibility that the color palette will not automatically 
adjust to 16-bit High Color.  You will need to do this from the desktop.  

To adjust the Color Display Settings, please do the following:
For Windows `95:
 - Click on 'Start' in the Start Menu, next on 'Settings', then on 
   'Control Panel'. When the Control panel window comes up, 
   double-click on the 'Display' Icon and click on the 'Settings' tab.

To adjust the Color Palette:  
 - Click on the down arrow at the end of the "Colors" field, select the 
   appropriate setting (in most cases 16 bit High Color) then click on 
   'Apply' (located at the lower right area of window). A message may 
   appear: "Windows has adjusted your color display.  Do you want to 
   keep this setting?"... Select 'YES', then the 'OK' button (Located at 
   the lower left area of window).

For Windows `98 or ME:
 - The above steps are correct except 'Color Palette' is called 'Colors'.

3DO games are designed to run at a resolution of 800 x 600. If your 
monitor is not capable of switching to this resolution, the game will 
fail to launch. To check to see what resolution your monitor is set to:

For Windows '95/'98/ME:
 - Right-click on an empty area on your desktop and choose 'Properties' 
   from the menu that appears. 
 - When your Display Properties comes up, go to the 'Settings' tab. 
   Make sure the Desktop Area (Win 95) / Screen Area (Win 98 or ME) is 
   set to 800x600 or higher. 
 - If the slider is grayed out and cannot be changed, your monitor may 
   not be capable of running at this resolution. There can be two 
   reasons for this. First, your monitor may be setup incorrectly under 
   Windows. If Windows indicates that your monitor is a "Standard VGA 
   640x480" or "Unknown Monitor", you should go to your monitor 
   manufacturer's website and download the latest driver for your 
   monitor and install it.  If you have your monitor configured 
   correctly and it still can't run at 800x600 mode, then your monitor 
   may not be capable of running at that high of a resolution. You may 
   want to consult the monitor's documentation or contact it's 
   manufacturer to confirm this. If your monitor cannot switch to 
   800x600 resolution and the game requires this particular resolution 
   you will not be able to run the game on it.

For the Desktop Area adjustment:
 - Click to the left or right of the slider bar to the recommended 
   Desktop Settings then click on 'Apply' (Located at the lower right 
   area of window). You will receive a message: "Windows has now resized 
   your Desktop Area, keep these settings?"  Select 'YES', then on the 
   'OK' (Located at the lower left area of the window).

Video and Sound card manufacturers regularly update their software 
drivers to enhance performance and stability, and to improve 
compatibility with DirectX.  You can find links to many of these 
manufacturers' sites by going to the DirectX section of our support 
web site, which is located at http://www.3do.com/support. When you 
see the text that says "Choose your platform" click on the PC Games 
link below it, click the Troubleshooting link on the left side of the 
next screen, click on the Basic Troubleshooting link, select DirectX 
and Drivers from the pull down menu, and then click the Go button. 
You will find the driver links at the bottom of the DirectX and Drivers 
page.

 - You may obtain a list of Microsoft-certified video and audio drivers 
   for your hardware by going to http://www.microsoft.com/hwtest/hcl/.  
   Drivers listed here are confirmed to be compatibility with 
   Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME. 
 - Microsoft updates DirectX and its components regularly and posts 
   them for download off of their web site at 
   
      http://www.microsoft.com/DirectX.


Slow or Choppy Video Performance

Slow or choppy performance (jerky video motion, skipping or repeated 
sound, etc.) in games is often the result of incorrect settings for 3D 
acceleration. Different systems can handle different levels and types of 
3D acceleration. This is usually more a function of the video hardware 
than the processor or memory.


Windows 2000 

Windows 2000 is not necessarily intended for gaming purposes, to which 
this quotation from Microsoft's site would attest:

"Make sure that Windows 2000 is appropriate for your needs.  Built on 
Windows NT(R) technology, the Windows 2000 operating system offers 
business users reliability, manageability, strong Internet support, and 
support for new hardware devices. For home computer users running 
Windows 98 or Windows 95, Microsoft recommends waiting for the next 
consumer-oriented operating system from Microsoft, Windows Millennium 
Edition. For further information, please see Choosing the Right Client. "

Unless the System Requirements on the game box specifically state that 
Windows 2000 is supported, assume that it is not.

There is more information available at 
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/guide/professional/overview/default.asp 
(Click on the "Choosing the Right Client" link.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

4)	Purchasing 3DO Software

You can order other 3DO software directly from 3DO through the order web 
page at <http://www.3do.com/direct>, or you can call the 3DO Direct line at 
800-336-3506 (if calling from Canada, please dial 650-385-3187).


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

5)	Contacting Customer Support

For technical problems or questions:

3DO Customer Support Website:

  http://www.3do.com/support (includes an email question form)

E-mail:

  customer-support@3do.com 

Phone: 

  Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. 
  Pacific Time, at (650) 385-3193

Fax number:

  (650) 385-3181

Mailing address:

  The 3DO Company
  ATTN: Customer Support
  100 Cardinal Way
  Redwood City, CA 94063

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2001 The 3DO Company. All Rights Reserved. 3DO, Arcomage, 
New World Computing and their respective logos, are trademarks or 
registered trademarks of The 3DO Company in the U.S. and other countries. 
All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.  
New World Computing is a division of The 3DO Company.

--The End--

 