Readme.rtf

Created: May 20th, 2000

This document contains the latest information regarding "V:TM Redemption."


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Table of Contents:

I. Minimum System Requirements

II. Known Video & Sound Card Issues

III. General Troubleshooting

IV. General FAQ

V. Last Minute Changes to the Manual

VI. The Adaptation of the Pen & Paper Game

VII. Tips for the Storyteller (ST)



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I. Minimum System Requirements

-3D Graphics Accelerator*

-A 100% Windows 95/98 compatible computer system (Including compatible 32-bit drivers for CD-ROM, video card, sound card and input devices)

-233 MHz Pentium II (r) Processor

-64 MB of RAM

-US Version of Windows 95/98  Operating System

-Requires DirectX 7.0 (included) or higher

-Requires 720 MB of uncompressed disk space  plus an additional 80 MB for the Windows Swap File for the Minimum Install. A Medium Install will require 945 MB of uncompressed disk space plus an additional 80 MB for the Windows Swap File.  A Full Installation will require 1.25 GB of uncompressed disk space for game files, plus an additional 80 MB for the Windows Swap File.

-Quad Speed CD-ROM drive (600 K/second sustained transfer rate)

-100% DirectX 7.0 or higher compatible sound card

-100% Microsoft compatible mouse and driver

-CD Audio (Redbook) support

-Multiplayer Requirements:

·         Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported

·         Internet play requires a 100% Windows (r) 95/98 compatible 28.8 Kbps (or faster) modem

·         A Play CD (CD #2) will be needed in every machine in order to play Multiplayer.

IMPORTANT:  Users of the Windows 95 operating system who intend on playing Multiplayer games of Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption should click the "Install WinSock 2" button to install necessary networking files. Users of Windows 98 do not need to do this, as the proper version of Winsock is already incorporated into their operating system. To install Winsock 2, simply go to MORE on the splash screen on the Install CD.

*3D-Graphics Accelerator Required

A 100% DirectX 7.0 or higher compliant 3-D video card driver is required

V:TM Redemption has been tested on many but not all of the major video cards. Some 3-D accelerator card brands utilizing the chipsets whose logos appear on the box may not be fully compatible with the 3D acceleration features of V:TM Redemption. If your 3D card is not the list, please visit http://www.activision.com for the latest information.

V:TM Redemption supports the following:

Please Note:  V:TM Redemption does not support "beta," "special purpose," "reference," or "release candidate" drivers.  These drivers are to be used at the discretion and risk of the end user.  Activision Customer Support does not support any of these types of drivers.

V:TM Redemption uses Microsoft DirectX 7 technology, and requires that your system have the most updated Windows 95/98 DirectX 7 compatible drivers for CD-ROM, video card, sound card, and input devices.  

V:TM Redemption may have trouble working with some 1993 or earlier Matsushita CD-ROM drives.

These CD-ROM drives have trouble reading beyond 63 minutes on CDs, and V:TM Redemption uses the Full CD. These drives were sold under the names of Panasonic, JVC, Reveal, Creative Labs, and Plextor.

If you have one of these drives, gameplay may occasionally slow down and the CD-ROM drive will be accessed constantly. We highly recommend that you upgrade to a newer CD-ROM drive to avoid problems with other programs in the future.

II.  Known Video & Sound Card Issues

Video:

3DFX Voodoo 2 (SLI Mode): In 1024X768, you may experience adverse lighting effects.  If so, you should play the game in either 640X480 or 800X600 resolution.

Sound:

MX400:  If you experience static noise, follow the instructions to correct this:

1.      Open the Windows Control Panel.

2.      Double click on the Multimedia icon.

3.      Select 'Advanced Properties' in the Playback section on the Audio tab.

4.      Select the Performance tab.

5.      Move the 'Hardware acceleration' slider to the 2nd notch from the left (Basic Acceleration).

6.      Move the 'Sample rate conversion quality' slider to the middle notch (Improved sample rate converter).

7.      Click OK.

III. General Troubleshooting

*** Where and what is the CD Key that the game is asking for? ***

The WON Authentication CD key is located on the back of the jewel case and is required in order to play the game. Please do not lose this key, since it is the only key that you will receive. Treat this as if you would treat an ATM PIN number or your email password, so please do not give this key to anyone!

*** How do I install the game? ***

If the Windows Autoplay feature is enabled on your computer, the V:TM Redemption Splash screen will automatically appear when you insert the V:TM Redemption Install CD (CD #1) into your CD-ROM Drive. Simply click on Install and follow the on-screen instructions to continue the installation. 

If the Autoplay is disabled, you can begin the installation by doing the following:
1. Go to the Start Menu and select Run.
2. type "D:\Setup.exe (assuming D is your CD-ROM drive letter) and press Enter.

-or-

1. Double click on the My Computer icon.
2. Double click on your CD-ROM drive icon.
3. Double click on Setup.exe

***I installed the game with my CD-ROM, which is on the D: Drive.  Can I now play the game with any other CD-ROM drive on my system?***

No.  Please insert the Play CD in the CD-ROM drive that you installed the game on.  If you place the CD-ROM in another drive, then the game will not launch properly.

*** How can I improve performance in the game? ***

There are several things that you can try to improve in-game performance:

1.      Turn off all unnecessary programs which may be running in the background.  Prior to launching the game, press CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up a window, which lists all the programs that are running at this time.  Select all unnecessary programs by clicking on them and then using the "End Task" button on each.  In our experience, the only programs that you will need are "Explorer" and "Systray."  PLEASE NOTE: If you are a novice user, please contact Activision Customer Support in this procedure.

2.      Perform a Maximum install.

3.      Have the most up-to-date DirectX 7 compatible drivers for your CD-ROM, video card, sound card, and input devices installed on your system.

4.      Change the Display options in the game which is accessible from the Main Menu.  Try using a lower resolution and color depth like 640X480, High Color 16-bit.  You can also try adjusting the Detail Level to Low or Very Low.

*** My screen saver operates slowly while the game is running. What can I do? ***

Because the game makes heavy use of the system resources, screen savers may hinder game performance. We highly recommend disabling your screen saver when playing the game.

To disable:

1.      Right click the desktop and select Properties.

2.      Click the Screen Saver tab.

3.      Set the Screen saver pull down menu to None.

***When my computer goes into Sleep mode, the game freezes.***

Disable the power saver function on your computer to avoid this issue.

To disable sleep mode:

1.      Right click on the desktop and select Properties.

2.      Click on the Screen Saver tab.

3.      Click on the Settings button.

4.      Set all of the power saver settings to "None" and then click on apply.

*** Where do I go for game updates and/or patches? ***

You may check our web page for updates at: 

http://www.activision.com/support

If you are uncertain of a game update and/or patch, please E-mail all questions to our internet mailing address at:

support@activision.com

Please note, this service is provided in English only.

***I cannot play V:TM Redemption on my LAN.  The computer that I am using has original Windows 95 installed on it.***

If you are having problems playing the game on your LAN and you have Windows 95, then you may need to upgrade your Winsock.dll files.  To do this, please visit  Microsoft's website at http://www.microsoft.com or choose "Install WinSock 2' from the Main splash screen on the Install CD.

***Sometimes after a cutscene, my mouse cursor disappears.***

Bring up your Quest pane or enable Full Screen mode to bring back the mouse cursor. 

*** Where do I go if I have questions about my Won.net account?***

Please contact Won directly through their website at:

http://www.won.net

They will be able to assist you with any questions or problems with your account. Activision Customer Support will not be able to provide assistance in this field, since Won.net is a 3rd party, which is not directly linked to Activision.

*** The game is not recognizing the Play CD but it is in my CD Rom Drive ***

1.      Double check and make sure that you have the Play CD (Disk #2) and not the Install CD (Disk #1) in the CD Rom drive.
Make sure that the CD-ROM is running 32 bit CD ROM drivers. You may have older 16 bit CD-ROM drivers which need to be replaced with newer 32 bit drivers. To check, go to the Windows control panel and select SYSTEM, then PERFORMANCE. If it doesn't say "32-bit" next to FILE SYSTEM, you should update your drivers. To do so, contact the manufacturer of your computer or of your CD-ROM. 

2.      Turn off all background programs just in case there is a conflict. Use CTRL-ALT-DEL keys and End task on all programs except "explorer" and "systray".  Make sure that the CD can play music.

3.      Insert a music CD into your CD ROM drive, and make sure that music can be played with the CD Player (to access the CD Player, just go to Start-->Programs-->Accessories-->Entertainment-->CD Player).  If you are not able to play any music then your CD-ROM is not configured properly to play CD music and the game will not work as a result.

***How do I set up TCP/IP on my LAN?***

In order to play over a LAN, you need to make sure that you have TCP/IP installed and configured properly as a network protocol. Since the game uses TCP/IP rather than IPX, that's probably why you can't find each other.  Please note, that this game will only work with the TCP/IP protocol installed and not IPX.

To set up a local TCP/IP network, use the following procedure on each computer in the network.

1) From the Windows Start button, choose Settings > Control Panel > Network.

2) Locate the option for TCP/IP which does NOT say "Dialup adapter".

- If the Dialup adapter is the only choice, you will need to add TCP/IP support for your network card. To do this, click on ADD, then double-click on PROTOCOL. On the next screen, look in the left-hand column for MICROSOFT and click it, then double-click on TCP/IP in the right-hand column.

3) Double-click on the TCP/IP for your network card (not the Dialup).

4) Click in the box for "Specify an IP address"

5) Each computer in your network will need its own IP address. Do not insert random numbers. The safest, surest method is to use the private IP address range by setting the first machine to 192.168.1.1, the next to 192.168.1.2 and so on up to 255.

6) Set the Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 (this setting should be the same for all computers on the network).

7) Click on OK to go back to the main Network Properties screen.

8) Click on OK and restart your computer.

If you still have trouble do this:

Try updating or reinstalling the drivers for your network cards. If that doesn't work try this:

First:

Go into the control panel and double click on Internet options and go to the connection panel and look at your LAN settings. Make sure everything looks right in there. All LANs are different so I cannot tell you what to set here, but if you know what your doing it should be obvious.

Next:

Go back to the control panel and double click on the network icon. Look at the adapters and protocols you have installed. There should be an adapter for your network card as well as a IPX/SPX protocol installed. Highlight the adapter for your network card and click properties, then go to the bindings panel and make sure it is bound to TCP/IP. Then go back to the screen where all the adapters and protocols are and highlight the IPX/SPX protocol and click properties. Go to the advanced panel and look for the section that says make this the default protocol and enable that. Check the bindings as well and make sure the protocol is bound properly. Click okay and then okay on the next window and it will update everything for you.

NOTE: You should not have any protocols installed that you are not using (ie: Netbeui) In addition, if you are using multiple protocols to access the Internet and LAN then you should check all bindings to make sure one adapter or protocol is not bound to something it doesn't use. Sometimes your IPX/SPX will be bound to TCP/IP and try to connect to the Internet when really you want it to connect to a local machine and cause a problem

*** ALT+TAB causes video corruption when I return to the game ***

ALT+TABing out of a game is not a supported feature by Activision.

***Can I install the game to a compressed hard drive?***

We do not recommend installing this program to a compressed drive.  Please install to a non-compressed drive and run the program from there.

***I have a AMD K6 processor, and I am experiencing problems during installation.***

V:TM Redemption is optimized for Intel Processors.  The game has not been tested on AMD processors and is not supported by Activision Customer Support.

***I have a Cyrix 6x86 (or other Cyrix processor), and I  am experiencing problems during installation. ***

V:TM Redemption is optimized for Intel Processors.  The game has not been tested on Cyrix processors and is not supported by Activision Customer Support.

***I have a NexGen Pentium compatible processor, and it is not being detected correctly within the installation process.  What do I do?***

There are no NexGen Processors that are within the minimum system requirements for this game.

***Will a virus checker affect the way V:TM Redemption installs?***

Due to a large number of files in the game installation, users of Norton AntiVirus(r) and other virus checking programs may experience extremely long install times if the virus checking program is active when installing the game.  If this is the case, 1) you can the CD for viruses (for your peace of mind) 2) disable your virus checker, 3) install V:TM Redemption, 4) then re-enable your virus checker.

***I cannot view the Help System nor any of the web site links.***

You will need either Internet Explorer (version  3.1or higher)  or Netscape (version 3.0 or higher) in order to properly view the help file and any of the websites.

***After changing the Display  options in the game, I return to the game itself and experience graphical anomalies.***

We highly recommend that you restart the game after changing any Display options in the game.  If you choose to change a video option, please exit the game and restart, prior to making any other changes in the game (e.g. sound options, game settings, etc).

***After losing connection with my ISP, there are weird color corruptions occurring when I continue to play Vampire.***

If you are disconnected from your Internet Service Provider (e.g. AOL, Earthlink, etc.) when you are in a game of V:TM Redemption, we highly recommend that you exit the game, and then restart it. If you continue to play the game after getting disconnected from your ISP, you may encounter video corruption and strange colors.  To resolve this, simply quit the game and restart it.

***I am not getting any chat messages while I am in Fullscreen mode (F11).***

Currently, messages received from other players in Multiplayer will not be displayed when you are in fullscreen mode.  Leave  fullscreen mode to view all messages displayed in the text box.

***In London, I am experiencing graphical corruption from the fogging....