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Freelancer™
Readme File
February, 2003
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Welcome to Freelancer!
This file contains information to help you install Freelancer. It also includes late-breaking information not
included in the manual.
CONTENTS
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
System Requirements
Installing Freelancer
Starting Freelancer
Multiplayer Guide
Hot Keys
Additions, Corrections and Known Issues
DirectX Troubleshooting
Video Troubleshooting
CD-ROM Drive Troubleshooting
Audio Troubleshooting
Performance Troubleshooting
Multiplayer Troubleshooting
Technical Support
I.
System Requirements
Freelancer requires DirectX® 9 or greater. (Download the most recent version of DirectX from
<http://www.microsoft.com/directx>)
System Recommendations
Minimum Configuration
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Windows® XP, Windows Me®, Windows 2000®, or Windows 98 SE®
o (Windows NT® and Windows 95® are not supported)
600 MHz processor
128 MB RAM
4x CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive
1.3 GB free hard disk space plus space for saved games (additional space required for Windows
swap-file and DirectX 9 installation)
16 MB video card with DirectX 9 compatible driver.
DirectX 9 compatible sound card
Keyboard
Mouse
An Internet Connection for Multiplayer (56k v.90 or faster required)
Recommended Configuration
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1 GHz or faster processor
256 MB RAM
8x or faster CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive
32 MB video card with DirectX 9 compatible driver
Recommended for Serving Multiplayer Games
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II.
A Broadband Type Internet Connection or LAN Network:
DSL, Cable, T1, T3, etc.
Installing Freelancer
To install Freelancer, you must be using Microsoft Windows® 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows
2000, or Windows XP. NOTE: If you have Beta versions of Freelancer installed on your machine, please
uninstall these using Add/Remove Programs before installing the retail version of the game.
To install Freelancer
1. Turn on your computer and start Microsoft Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000,
or Windows XP.
2. If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must have administrator privileges in order to
install Freelancer.
3. Insert the Freelancer CD into the CD-ROM drive.
4. If AutoPlay is enabled, the installation menu will appear. Click Install or Express Install, and then
follow the onscreen prompts.
-orIf AutoPlay is disabled, on the Start menu, click My Computer. In the My Computer window, doubleclick the CD-ROM drive icon, and then double-click Setup.Exe. On the Setup screen, click Install or
Express Install, and then follow the onscreen prompts.
III.
Starting Freelancer
You must have the Freelancer CD in your CD-ROM drive to play.
To start Freelancer
Insert the Freelancer CD into the CD-ROM drive, on the Start menu, point to Programs, point to
Microsoft Games, point to Freelancer, and then click Freelancer.
You can skip the opening movies by pressing ESC.
IV.
Multiplayer Guide
When you run Freelancer for the first time it generates a unique ID for your system. When you connect to
a server, the server program takes the ID from its computer, combines that with your ID and creates a
new ID which will then be associated with your characters on that server. What does this mean for you?
No Usernames or Passwords to remember. It is important, however, that you write down or print your
identifier, as losing it may result in the inability to retrieve your multiplayer characters from the servers on
which you play. Freelancer includes a utility for retrieving your ID. The utility is myflaccountid.hta and it
can be found in the Freelancer\exe directory within your install folder or you can run this file from the
Start\Programs\Microsoft Games\Freelancer\Examine My Account ID shortcut.
Connecting to a Multiplayer Game
Launch Freelancer, click Multiplayer, select a server with an open player slot, click on Connect and you’ll
be taken to your Character Selection Screen for that server.
The Character Selection Screen will list any characters that you have on this particular server. (All
multiplayer characters are saved on the server, so you cannot take characters from one server to
another.) Select the character you wish to use, or create a new character, and click on the Load
Character button to launch your multiplayer game.
Server Setup
In order to run a Freelancer server, you will need to launch FLServer from the Windows Start Menu. The
computer running the server may also run the client at the same time and play on that server, but keep in
mind that Freelancer will run slower on a system running a server in the background. For the best
multiplayer performance, try to run the server on a dedicated computer (one which is running just
FLServer and nothing else).
In order for Internet players to use your Freelancer server, that server must be made accessible to them.
If you are not using a firewall, router, or Internet connection sharing to access the Internet, then your
server should have no problems allowing people to connect to it. However, if you are using a firewall,
router, or Internet Connection Sharing, then you may have to do some additional work to make your
server accessible. See below for more information, or look at the ReadmeServer.htm file in the Extras
directory on the Freelancer CD.
Firewalls
Freelancer uses the standard DirectPlay ports, so your firewall needs to pass UDP ports 2302-2304 to the
server machine.
Freelancer clients do not require any firewall configuration.
Network Address Translators (NATs) & Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
These technologies allow more than one machine to use a single network address for connecting to the
Internet. Microsoft’s Internet Connection Sharing is one example of this kind of technology. (Windows
98® ICS users will need to configure and install the win98ics.inf file found in the Extras directory of the
Freelancer CD; see also ReadmeServer.htm in that same directory.)
Only one Freelancer server can be run on the LAN side of a NAT or ICS setup. For NATs that require
manual configuration, UDP ports 2302-2304 should be forwarded to the computer that will be running the
server.
Freelancer clients do not require any NAT/ICS configuration.
Manually Connecting to Freelancer Servers
Freelancer.exe supports a command line parameter for manually adding servers to the list of potential
servers. This advanced feature requires that you know the hostname or IP address of the server
computer as well as the network port on which FLServer is running. It is useful for playing on servers that
are not on your LAN and are not advertised on the global server.
To add a server to the server list, use the following syntax:
FREELANCER.EXE -s<hostname>:<port>
where hostname is the name or IP address of the server computer and port is the network port number on
which the server is running. You may add multiple servers by repeating the same syntax. See the
ReadmeServer.htm file in the Extras directory on the Freelancer CD for information on manually setting
the network port on the server.
Servers added in this way will not appear in the list of available servers until the respond to a ping
request from your computer.
Examples:
FREELANCER.EXE -sCoolServer.myisp.com:2302
This will add the computer CoolServer.myisp.com to the list of potential servers; it will be pinged on port
2302.
FREELANCER.EXE -sA_Sever.myisp.com:2302 -sAnother_Server.yourisp.com:2304
This will add the computers A_Server.myisp.com and Another_Server.yourisp.com to the list of potential
servers. A_Server.myisp.com will be pinged on port 2302 and Another_Server.yourisp.com will be pinged
on port 2304.
For additional help and instructions on running and maintaining a Freelancer Server, please see
the Multiplayer Troubleshooting and Corrections and Additions sections in this document, as well
as the ReadmeServer.htm file in the Extras directory on the Freelancer CD.
V.
Hot Keys
Ship Controls
Accelerate
Decelerate
Engine Kill
Brake Reverse
Cruise Engine Toggle
Afterburners
Strafe Left
Strafe Right
Fire Active Weapons
Fire Missiles
Drop Mine
Fire Torpedo
Fire Cruise Disruptor
Countermeasure
Turret View
Tractor Target
Tractor All Loot
Go To
Dock
Join Formation
Free Flight
Toggle Mouse Flight On/Off
W or mouse wheel forward
S or mouse wheel backward
Z
X
Shift + W
Tab
A
D
Right-click
Q
E
Shift + Q
Shift + E
C
H
Shift + B
B
F2
F3
F4
ESC
Space Bar
User Interface
Select Object
Mouse Flight
Pause Menu
Nanobot
Left-click
Left-click and Drag (toggle with SPACEBAR)
F1
G
Shield Battery
Closest Enemy
Next Enemy
Previous Enemy
Next Target
Previous Target
Clear Target
1st/3rd Person View Toggle
Rear View
Minimize HUD
Mission Objective
Story Star
Nav Map
Inventory
Reputation
Information
Hail
Scan Cargo
Select Hardpoint 1
Select Hardpoint 2
Select Hardpoint 3
Select Hardpoint 4
Select Hardpoint 5
Select Hardpoint 6
Select Hardpoint 7
Select Hardpoint 8
Select Hardpoint 9
Select Hardpoint 10
Fire Hardpoint 1
Fire Hardpoint 2
Fire Hardpoint 3
Fire Hardpoint 4
Fire Hardpoint 5
Fire Hardpoint 6
Fire Hardpoint 7
Fire Hardpoint 8
Fire Hardpoint 9
Fire Hardpoint 10
F
R
Shift + R
Shift + R
T
Shift +T
Ctrl + T
Ctrl + V
V
Backspace
N
F5
F6
F7
F8
F9
P
O
Shift + 1
Shift + 2
Shift + 3
Shift + 4
Shift + 5
Shift + 6
Shift + 7
Shift + 8
Shift + 9
Shift + 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
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9
0
Multiplayer
Chat
Chat Window
Group Window
Group Invite
Trade Request
Enter
Y
Shift + I
I
U
VI.
Additions, Corrections and Known Issues
Extras Folder <found on the CD, not installed to the hard drive>
Manual folder
The Manual folder contains English.pdf, a .pdf file version of the game manual that was included
on the CD. You can view or print this file using Adobe Acrobat Reader. With Adobe Acrobat
Reader installed, double-click the file and it automatically opens.
Adobe Acrobat Reader (AcroReader51_ENU.exe) File
To install Adobe Acrobat Reader, double-click AcroReader51_ENU.exe, and then follow the
instructions that appear on the screen.
ReadmeServer.htm
This file covers more in-depth instructions on the setup and usage of the Freelancer Server
application.
Win98ICS.Inf [configuration file for ICS under Win98]
This file is needed in order to run a Freelancer server within an ICS configuration under
Windows 98 SE®
Change to Freelancer Manual
"To initiate a trade with another player, target the player with whom you wish to trade, and then
click the Trade icon in your target window."
The phrase "in your target window" is incorrect; the icon is now "beside the target window". It is a
"floating button" like the Collect Loot button from Page 3.
Page 36 states that a "System Chat" is to everyone in Multiplayer. This is not the case. You can
only chat with people inside the system you are currently visiting with this chat filter.
Known Issues
Multiplayer Issue between Server/Client
Server cannot initiate console-to-player chats with characters from prior Freelancer versions
under the following conditions:
1) Copying files into the server’s multiplayer accounts directory while FLServer is running. Newly
created characters will function properly, but the console will not be able to initiate chats with
copied characters. Shutting down and restarting the server fixes this problem.
2) Copying the same character file multiple times in the multiplayer accounts directory can lead to
a similar problem, and restarting the server will not fix it.
Both of these actions are not supported and should not be performed.
Performance Issue with ATI Radeon text display
Freelancer can experience performance slow downs when a large amount of text is printed or
updated on screen. The work around for this issue is to back off your Windows hardware
acceleration settings by one notch in Settings\Control Panel\Display\Settings\Advanced. Once in
this menu, you will either see Performance tab or Troubleshoot tab. Future ATI drivers may fix
this problem, as they are aware of this issue.
Graphics issue with Matrox Parhelia
When using the Matrox Parhelia, black boxes appear around menu-items, in-game HUD objects
and text, etc. This occurs on both the retail drivers and the latest drivers from Matrox. 3D
artwork and game play is not affected. Future Matrox drivers may fix this problem, as they are
aware of this issue.
Graphics issue with Matrox Millenium G-550 on Windows2000 or Windows XP
When using the latest drivers on Win2K or XP, the user will experience graphic corruption when
switching video resolutions. The work around for this is to exit the game and restart after making
any changes to this setting. Future Matrox drivers may fix this problem, as they are aware of this
issue.
Graphics issue with Matrox Millenium G-400 on Windows XP
Characters appear to be floating in air with retail drivers on Matrox Millennium G-400 In Win XP.
Sometimes you will also get texture corruption on the characters animation as well, especially
during the cut scenes. This problem is not happening in Win 2000 and Win ME.
Win2k Crash when using the Lock Computer feature
When the game is at one of the menu screens (Main Menu or Server Selection, for example), and
the computer is locked (Ctrl-Alt-Del, Lock Computer), the game may crash.
Static sound issues while playing Freelancer on a Sound Blaster Live
There are known issues with older audio drivers and some MP3 codecs. In order to correct this
problem, please make sure that you update to the latest sound card drivers and make sure that
the Fraunhofer codec is installed.
Clock speed detection errors of many laptop computers
Our setup program performs a CPU clock speed test before the installer is run in order to warning
users of possible issues with running the game on poor performing hardware. Many laptops have
processors that report their clock speeds differently then desktop computers and as a result, you
may receive a warning that your CPU is below our game requirements. You can still go forward
with the install and run the game fine.
Hardware conflict with an Aureal Vortex/Aureal Vortex 2 and some video cards in Windows98.
Using this combination of hardware and OS will result in the user experiencing a hang during
game play. The work around for this issue is to disable 3D sound and reboot your computer.
VII. DirectX Troubleshooting
DirectX® 9 or later must be installed on your computer before you can play Freelancer. If you do not have
DirectX® 9 installed on your computer and you chose not to install DirectX® 9 when you installed
Freelancer, you may have issues that could cause you not to be able to play Freelancer.
If you experience sound or video problems using DirectX, go to
<http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx/> for the latest troubleshooting information.
You should also check with your video or sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible
drivers.
VIII. Video Troubleshooting
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Latest Drivers - Having out-dated drivers is the largest cause of issues within any computer
game. Ensure that you have the latest drivers from your video card manufacturer or check Windows
Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers. Users of motherboards with
non-Intel chipsets should upgrade to the latest miniport drivers available from their motherboard
manufacturer. For a more detailed listing of all known video issues with Freelancer, please visit
<http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gmsvideo>.
1
Support Video Resolutions - Freelancer only supports 4x3 aspect ratios. Please note that not all
video cards support all video resolutions in all bit depths. Here are the supported video resolutions:
1600x1200
1280x960
1152x864(not all cards support this one)
1024x768
800x600
2
Freelancer does not support or has issues with the following video cards:
3D Labs Permedia 1 - 4
Glint - all versions
Oxygen Series (various)
3Dfx Voodoo Rush
3Dfx Voodoo Banshee
3Dfx Voodoo
3Dfx Voodoo 2
3Dfx Voodoo 3 <not supported under Windows 2000 and Windows XP>
Cirrus Logic - all versions
Diamond Monster Fusion (Voodoo Banshee)
Diamond Viper II Z-200 (Savage 3)
Matrox G100
Matrox Millennium
Matrox Millennium II
Matrox Mystique
Maxi Gamer Phoenix (Voodoo Banshee)
nVidia Riva 128
nVidia Riva 128 zx
S3 Virge_VX
S3 Virge_MX/MV
S3 Virge_MX+
S3 Virge_MX
S3 Virge_GX2
S3 Virge_DX/GX
S3 Trio64V2_DX/GX
S3 Trio64UV+
S3 Aurora64V+
S3 Aurora 128
S3 Savage 2000
S3 Savage 3D - all versions
Intel 82810-DC100
Intel 815
Intel 810e
Intel 810
Intel i740
Intel 752
Rendition - all versions
Number9 - all versions
Oak Technologies - all versions
Chromatic Research - all versions
Tseng Labs - all versions
Neo-magic - all versions
Digital - all versions
Compaq QVision - all versions
Weitek - all versions
Silicon Motion - all versions
IX.
CD-ROM Drive Troubleshooting
Freelancer uses SafeDisc encryption technology. Some CD-ROM drives may not be compatible with this
technology.
1
Matshita UJDA710 DVD/CD-RW - this drive (common in many new laptops) sets a flag whenever a
gold disc is used but does not reset, causing Safedisc to reject a valid CD. Cold booting the computer
will reset this flag. Gold discs are user-created discs that are made outstand of normal CD replication
procedures.
2
Sanyo CRD-256P, Firmware 1.01 - The drive enters a not ready state after several executions of a
protected game. Ejecting the CD restores it. This is unlikely to be seen, unless the game is reloaded
several times in one session.
3
Sony CDU77E 2X, Firmware 1.0e - The early 1.0 firmware versions of this drive fail with SafeDisc if
configured as a slave on the IDE bus. The drive will work if reconfigured as a master.
4
Acer CD-624a - This drive fails when used with read mode drivers. Installing protected mode drivers
resolves the problem.
5
Memorex CD-RW2224 24X, Firmware 2.27 - You may experience problems with these drives. There
are no known solutions.
6
Yamaha 2216E, 4416SX, CDR641S-VK - If you experience problems with these drives, check the
firmware upgrade available from the Yamaha Web site <http://www.yamaha.com/service.htm>
7
Cybermedia 204 Pan International 204 - You may experience problems with these drives. There
are no known solutions.
8
Liteon 4265 - You may experience problems with this drive appearing to hang and not authenticate.
There are no known solutions.
X.
Audio Troubleshooting
•
For a more detailed listing of all known audio issues with Freelancer, please visit
<http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;gmssound>.
1
DirectX - If you experience audio problems using DirectX, connect to the DirectX Web site for the
latest troubleshooting information, as explained in DirectX Troubleshooting. If this occurs, ensure that
you have the latest drivers from your sound card manufacturer or check Windows Update
(<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers.
Sound Skipping or Stuttering - Often this problem can be fixed by installing the latest sound drivers
•
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for your sound card and/or adjusting the hardware acceleration settings in the control panel. Setting
hardware acceleration to a lower setting usually resolves these issues (and a few others), but
sacrifices some performance.
Missing Game Sounds
If you experience missing game sounds throughout Freelancer then a different audio codec is
probably being used rather that the one provided by Freelancer.
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XI.
Please follow these steps if some sounds and speech are still missing after installation:
Uninstall any 3rd party codec pack or the Nimo Codec pack from your system.
Uninstall Freelancer.
Go to the following directory, C:\WINDOWS\system32 and delete the file “l3codecp.acm”. If
there happens to be another file named “l3codeca.acm”, delete this too.
If your system is Windows 98 or ME, open the system.ini file located in your system folder;
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM. Delete ONLY the line that starts with “msacm.l3acm=”. In the case of
the Nimo codec pack, this will read “msacm.l3acm=l3codecp.acm”
If your system is Windows 2000 or XP, open the system registry editor (regedit) from the RUN
command window.
Locate and delete the following key:
\HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32\msacm.l3acm
Load the Freelancer installation CD and locate the REDIST folder. Within the REDIST folder,
double click on the file named “WMFADist.exe” and follow on-screen instructions.
Install Freelancer.
Performance Troubleshooting
There are several ways to improve the game's performance. For example, the game will run faster if you
use the least demanding game settings. These include:
• Setting the screen resolution to 800 x 600 x 16
• Setting the detail of graphics to Low
• Turning music off
Most of these improvements can be made from within the game (Press F1 and click Options).
We also recommend:
• Shut down as many other applications running on your system as possible in order to free
memory and processing
• De-fragment your hard drive
• Activate DMA (on appropriate hard drives)
• Reboot your system before starting Freelancer
• Turn your virus scanner settings down while playing Freelancer
Lastly, ensure that you have the latest drivers from your video and sound card manufacturer or check
Windows Update (<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>) for the latest drivers. Users of motherboards
with non-Intel chipsets should upgrade to the latest miniport drivers available from their motherboard
manufacturer.
XII. Multiplayer Troubleshooting
1
Home networks and dial-up connections - If you have a network card and you dial in to the
Internet via modem, you may have trouble launching multiplayer games. If this occurs, disable the
device that is not providing your Internet connection and try again.
2
Disconnection from ISP - If you are disconnected from your ISP during game play, you will be
dropped from the game. Upon your return, you will be reinstated at your last location.
3
Two TCP/IP devices - If you are experiencing issues with dropping network connections or a lack of
ability to connect to Freelancer servers, please attempt the following:
o Exit Freelancer and ensure that you have a functional network / Internet connection.
o Disable the device that is not providing your Internet connection and try again.
For information on setting up Internet Connection Sharing or disabling your second TCP/IP device,
please see <http://support.microsoft.com/> and search the knowledge base for instructions specific
to your operating system. If you are uncertain about making any changes, check with your network
administrator, if applicable.
•
Routers - Ensure that you have the latest firmware updates from the manufacturer. You do not need
to use a computer on a DMZ in order to run a Freelancer server. If you are uncertain about making
any changes, check with your network administrator, if applicable.
•
Setting up and Disabling Internet Connection Sharing For Windows XP see: <http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q306126>
For Windows 2000 see: <http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q307311>
For Windows ME and 98SE: <http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q230112>
XIII. Technical Support
Technical Support Options
For all of our support offerings in the U.S., visit <http://microsoft.com/support/> . In Canada, visit
<http://microsoft.ca/support/>.
To go straight to the Microsoft Games Support Center, visit <http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gms>.
To get started, U.S. customers should try the following:
•
For articles targeted at specific issues, visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base at
<http://microsoft.com/support/>.
•
To work with a Microsoft Support Professional over the Internet, submit your issue at
<http://support.microsoft.com/directory/onlinesr.asp>.
•
For your product’s general support policy, visit
<http://support.microsoft.com/directory/productsupportoption.asp>.
Phone Support: For support in the U.S., call (425) 637-9308. In Canada, call (905) 568-3503 (toll
charges may apply). These numbers are for technical issues only-do not use them to request game hints,
codes, or cheats.
TTY Users: Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services are available at (425) 635-4948 in Washington State,
(800) 892-5234 in the U.S., and (905) 568-9641 in Canada.
Worldwide: Support outside the U.S. and Canada may vary. For regional contact details, visit
<http://support.microsoft.com/international.aspx>. If there is no Microsoft subsidiary office in your country
or region, please contact the establishment from which you obtained your Microsoft product.
Conditions: Microsoft support services are subject to then-current prices, terms, and conditions, which
are subject to change without notice.
Microsoft, Freelancer, DirectX, Digital Anvil, the Microsoft logo, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, the .Net logo,
Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and/or other countries.