View manual text
DESERT RATS--OWNER’S MANUAL
1.
INTRODUCTION
2.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
3.
INSTALLATION
4.
GETTING STARTED
5.
MAIN MENU
6.
PROFILE
7.
MISSIONS SCREEN
8.
BRIEFING SCREEN
MENU
9.
GAMEPLAY
10.
AMMO LEDGER SCREEN
11.
STATS SCREEN
12.
OPTIONS
a)DISPLAY
b)CONTROLLER
c)SOUND
D)CREDITS
13.
DRIVING TIPS
14.
GAMEPLAY HINTS AND TIPS
15.
GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING
16.
DIRECTX TROUBLESHOOTING
17.
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
18.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
1.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing Desert Rats.
During the war in North Africa, the
British developed the L.R.D.G. (Long Range Desert Group). You are now in command
of a group of these long range desert commandos. Although your group and their
actions are fictional, these groups were very real. Deep behind enemy lines, you
will need to use stealth and cunning to survive in a very inhospitable environment.
The constant sabotage and chaos you will create will play a pivotal role in the
defeat of General Rommel and the Nazis in North Africa.
2.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows® 98/ME/XP · Pentium® II 350 MHz or 100% compatible processor; 8MB 3D Video
Acceleration With DirectX8.1 compatible drivers Required · 4X CD-ROM Drive & Mouse
· 64 MB RAM (128MB Recommended) · 200 MB Hard Drive Space · DirectX8.1® Compatible
Video and Sound Card
3.
INSTALLATION
Insert the Desert Rats CD into your CD-ROM drive. The installation process should
begin automatically.
If Autorun is not enabled you must manually install the game. Click Start and Run.
Next type D:\setup.exe where “D” is the letter of your CD-ROM drive. Click on OK
to begin the installation process.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. You must restart
your computer before you begin playing.
4.
GETTING STARTED
To get started double click the Desert Rats shortcut on your desktop or select
Start, Programs, Desert Rats, and the Desert Rats shortcut.
When you begin a game for the first time a system profiler will check your system
for optimal display settings. Choose a resolution from the menu and click OK. The
game will begin. You can change this setting at any time from the Options-Graphics
menu (see the Options section in this manual for more information).
5.
MAIN MENU
The Main Menu offers three selections: New Game, Options, and Quit. A full
description of each menu item is detailed in this manual. Quit will immediately
exit the game.
6.
PROFILE MENU
The profile menu keeps track of your progress through the game. Up to ten profiles
can be stored here, so multiple users can play. To start a game, click on the
profile desired and proceed, or click load profile once selected. The selected
profile will be highlighted in red. To start a new profile, click on New Profile
and enter the name you desire. To delete a profile, select the profile you want to
delete and click on delete profile. A confirmation message will ask you if you are
sure. Once deleted, a profile can not be restored.
7.
MISSIONS SCREEN
This screen displays your progress through the game.
bottom of the page.
Select difficulty at the
Easy--For beginning players
Medium--For average players
Hard--For Experienced players
Your profile will save your progress through the difficulty level you select. If
you complete a mission in easy level, it will remain unavailable to you in Medium or
Hard difficulty. However, if you complete a mission in Medium or Hard difficulty,
it will be available in lesser difficulty settings.
CAMPAIGNS AND MISSIONS
The game is broken into four campaigns with three missions each. At the end of each
successful campaign, you will receive a historical briefing, and have a new weapon
made available to you.
The mission title squares display information about your current status.
-A mission title square that is blocked by the CLASSIFIED stamp is currently
unavailable.
-A mission title square that has a STAR over it has been successfully completed.
-A mission title square that has the SKIPPED stamp over it has been skipped. You
are given the option to skip a mission after three unsuccessful attempts to complete
it. If you choose to skip it, you will be able to go back at any time and reattempt to complete it. If you choose to not skip it, the option will be made
available to you again after 3 more attempts. No awards will be given for skipped
missions.
-An open mission title square is currently available, but has not yet been
completed. Clicking on that square will highlight it and load the mission when you
click on TO MISSION BRIEFING.
MEDALS SCREEN
Clicking on the L.R.D.G. scorpion will bring you to the MEDALS SCREEN.
At the
completion of each mission, your stats will be displayed. There are five levels of
achievement, Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, and KIA. Achieving either the Excellent
or Good rating will award you a ribbon for your medals case. Each campaign can
award you three ribbons. If you get all three ribbons for a campaign, you will be
awarded a medal for that campaign. If you are missing a ribbon, the medal will not
show up. You can always go back to a previously completed mission and attempt to
improve your standing in that mission. At the end of the game, if you have medalled
in all the missions, the central medal will be displayed, completing your
collection.
8.
BRIEFING
SCREEN
Here you will be given an overview of the tasks that befall you. Once you have
listened to and watched the briefing, you should click on the two buttons at the
bottom and set your options. If you want to hear the briefing again, click on
“repeat Briefing”. The mission map and the list of objectives will be available to
you when you are in the game as well, if you need to refer to them later in the
mission. The GUNNER SELECTION screen allows you to choose the best gunner for the
job. Read their profiles carefully and select the gunner that best fits the tasks
assigned to you for that particular mission. Each has their particular strengths
and weaknesses. Once you’ve chosen a gunner, go to the AMMO LOADOUT screen. Here,
you’ll be able to load up with ammo that you’ve grabbed in the course of your
missions, and select the weapons you want to take with you for that mission.
WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION
As you proceed through the game, you’ll be able to choose various weapons to help
you complete your objectives, each with their various strengths and weaknesses.
Following is a list of weapons and the ammo you’ll need.
PISTOL--Always available to you as “Weapon 1”. The pistol never runs out of
ammunition, but is scarcely effective against heavily armored weaponry.
VICKERS KO-The Vickers machine gun is available to you at the beginning of the game.
It is loaded with up to 1500 rounds of .30 caliber ammo. You can fire 96 rounds
between reloads.
TWIN VICKERS K--The twin Vickers machine gun is awarded to you at the successful
completion of Campaign One. As advertised, it packs twice the punch of the single
Vickers, and you can load out with up to 3000 rounds of .30 caliber ammo. You can
fire 192 rounds between reloads.
BRITISH BOLT ACTION RIFLE-The most accurate of your weapon choices, the rifle is
deadly at long distances. You can carry 100 rounds of 7.7mm rifle rounds. The gun
loads clips of 10 bullets between reloads.
.50 CAL BROWNING MACHINE GUN-The .50 cal machine gun packs a wallop and will be
awarded to you after the completion of Campaign Two. You can carry 1500 rounds of
.50 caliber ammo and fire 150 rounds per clip.
GERMAN GRENADES--You’ll pick up crates of German Grenades, or “Potato Mashers” as
the allies called them. These grenades explode on impact, which makes them deadly
accurate. You can carry 12 of these at a time with you, if you choose to load out
with them.
BRITISH GRENADES--British Grenades are a timed explosive, which means that they will
bounce and roll before exploding. Because of this, they have a greater range than
the German Grenades, but are not as accurate.
SMG THOMPSON RIFLE--This machine gun packs a bit more punch than the Vickers and
fires faster bursts, but you have to reload it more. You can carry 300 rounds of
.45 cal ammo in 30 round clips.
BAZOOKA--The bazooka is awarded to you at the successful completion of the third
campaign. You can only carry 12 bazooka rounds with you, so use it wisely against
the heaviest artillery.
SATCHEL CHARGES--Satchel charges will be given to you by H.Q. when necessary. There
are no satchel charges in crates, and they are not available as a loadout option.
GUNNER SELECTION
Your choice of gunner can affect the success of your mission. Choose the gunner
that best suits your playing style, or the demands of the particular mission. The
gunner screen will tell you about the various strengths and weaknesses of each
gunner. Here is a list of the various attributes and their effects. A specialty
adds a bonus in that area, a weakness subtracts in that area.
Heavy Weapons---Accuracy with the jeep mounted machine guns, plus or minus
Bazooka--Accuracy with the Bazooka, plus or minus
Mechanical--Ability of the Jeep to withstand damage, plus or minus
Grenades--Accuracy with Grenades, plus or minus
Small Arms--Accuracy with the Thompson, the rifle, or the Pistol, plus or minus
Medical--Health bonus, plus or minus
Electronics--Time to place satchel charges, plus or minus
9. GAMEPLAY
Once you’ve made all your selections, it’s time to hit the dunes in your Jeep!
Driving and shooting together is accomplished with the keyboard and the mouse. The
jeep is controlled from the keyboard, and you have free movement of your gunner with
the mouse. If you need help, you can activate your objectives (G) or map(M).
Driving and shooting can take some getting used to, but in no time you’ll be making
lightning quick raids.
Objectives
Completing your objectives should be your number one priority. You don’t always
have to clear an area of enemies to complete your objective, so don’t take any more
punishment than you have to. If you miss an objective, you will fail the mission,
no matter what. Completed objectives are indicated by a voice and an on-screen
display. Your on-screen map, when activated, will help you locate your objectives
as well.
Camera Views
Different camera views give you a different picture on the action. Some are more
suited for ground combat, others for shooting into the air. Get used to using the
different views in different combat situations.
“Bullet Time”
Going into “Bullet Time” is a dramatic and exciting manoeuver. Everything slows
down in the game. Experiment to achieve dramatic explosions. You can also use
bullet time to help you in run-and-gun situations. Its use is unlimited…..so have
fun!
On-Screen Display
Mined
Areas
Objective
Completion
Log
Map
Target
Sight
Objectives
Stopwatch
Gear
Health
Selected
Weapon
Compass
Ammo
(Clips-Rounds)
Gear Indicator--Displays current gear, Hi or Lo.
Health meter--Displays remaining health
Compass--Displays the direction you’re traveling in
Weapon--Displays the selected weapon
Ammo--Displays the clips, and currently loaded rounds of ammo for the currently
selected weapon.
Map Displays map of current mission
Objectives (press G to view) Displays current mission objectives.
Objective complete log-Let you know which objectives you’ve completed.
Stop watch--Activated when you are placing satchel charges. The green countdown is
the time remaining until the satchel charge is placed. The red countdown is the
time you have to get to safety before it blows.
Target Sight--Used for aiming your weapons. The sight will change to indicate
When you have an object in your sights.
Land Mines (Red shaded areas on the map)--The North African desert is heavily mined.
Check your map for the clearly marked red shaded areas that denote minefields. The
areas are also bordered by warning signs. Stray into these areas at your own risk.
Escape Menu
Hitting the esc key when in the game pauses the game and brings up four options.
Back to Game--quits the menu and puts you back in the game
Restart Mission--Restarts the current mission from the beginning.
Mission Setup--brings you to the options screen to change your controller, display,
or sound options.
Exit Game--quits Desert Rats. A confirmation screen will ask you if you are sure.
10. AMMO LEDGER SCREEN
You will have the opportunity to pick up Supply Crates while in the mission.
Should you survive the mission, you get to unpack the crates and sort through the
contents. Some of the crates will contain useful ammo that you can manage to keep
your guns blazing across the desert. If you pick up crates during the mission, the
ammo ledger screen will let you sort through what you obtained. The upper part of
the screen displays the crate contents. Select the ammo you wish to load into
“Bertha”, your storage truck. Once loaded into “Bertha”, the items will be
available to you in the ammo loadout screen after your next briefing.
11. STATS
At the end of each mission you will be taken to a stats screen that displays the
results of your efforts. You will be assessed based on total kills, accuracy, and
remaining health, and ranked accordingly. There are five levels of achievement,
Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, and KIA. Achieving either the Excellent or Good
rating will award you a ribbon for your medals case.
12.
OPTIONS
Clicking on the Options button on the main menu brings you to the Options menu.
Here you can select either Display, Controller, or Sound options, or view the
Credits.
A)DISPLAY
The settings within the Display menu are very important to the game’s performance.
Graphics detail depends heavily on your processor speed and the power, memory, and
functions supported by your video card. The higher the detail, the more processing
is required. On slower computers high detail may cause the game to slow down or run
poorly. We have provided a wide range of options that can significantly affect the
playability of the game over a wide range of systems.
Detail—There are three preselected options, and a custom option that allows you to
tailor the display to your own liking.
-LOW-Low Detail, best suited for computers that meet the minimum system
specifications. Lower resolution, less game objects, no special FX.
-HIGH—All options are turned on and high detail is enabled.
fast systems with a good 3D accelerator card.
Intended for
Resolution—This selection displays the pixel resolution and color depth.
The
resolution depends on both the functionality of your 3D card and the rendering
options selected. Higher resolutions achieve better picture quality, but may lower
performance.
World Detail—Set to High or Low to increase or decrease world detail.
Non-
essential items will be removed from the scene in Low detail mode.
Gamma--Increases or decreases overall screen brightness.
Texture Detail—Set to High or Low.
Increases or decreases the amount of detail
in the graphics of the environment and enemies..
b)CONTROLLER
The keyboard controls for competing in Desert Rats have been preset, but can be
reconfigured easily. To configure your keyboard controls click on the action name
and then hit the key of your choice to “map” that key to the action. You can adjust
your mouse sensitivity by clicking on either end of the sensitivity button. See
CONTROLS for an explanation of the control functions.
Reset to Defaults: Resets keys to the factory configuration.
Back: Takes you back to the Options menu.
c)SOUND
There is only one option on the sound menu, to adjust overall game volume.
d)CREDITS
If you enjoyed the game, this screen will scroll a listing of all the people who
worked very hard to bring you this product. If you didn’t enjoy the game, it will
be a list of people who had nothing to do with this product.
DEFAULT KEY SETTINGS
KEYBOARD
ACTION
MOUSE
KEYBOARD
ACTION
MOUSE
W
Forward
--
Space
Brake
S
Reverse
--
F1
Change
Camera
-------------------------
A
Turn
Left
Turn
Right
Turn
Gunner
Left
---------------------Mouse
Left
Q
Fire
X
Change
Weapon
Change
Gear
Mouse
Button 1
Mouse
Wheel
-------------
Turn
Gunner
Right
Show
Map
Mouse
Right
K
Bullet
Time
Mouse
Button 2
--------------
P
Pause
-------------
G
Show
Objecti
ves
---------------
1,2,3,4
Esc
Escape
Menu
--------------
L
N
Nudge
Jeep
-------------
B
Select
Individ
ual
Weapon
Place
Satchel
Charge
Reload
D
--
--
M
E
------------------------
13. Driving Tips
Driving and shooting is a skill that requires some practice. If you are unfamiliar
with these types of controls, we suggest the following:
-First, try driving and navigating without worrying about the mouse controls for
awhile. Practice turns, gear changes, stops and general navigation.
-Once you've got the hang of driving, start looking around with the mouse. Remember
that you may not be looking in the direction that you are moving. This can be very
handy for taking out enemies while moving, but takes some getting used to.
-Try the different camera views to find the setting that is most comfortable for you.
14. Gameplay Hints and Tips
Life on the dunes is harsh and unforgiving. It pays to know your way around your
equipment when attempting dangerous raids in this arid environment. Here are some
pointers to help you on your way.
-Practice driving the jeep and aiming around base camp before setting off on your
first mission. It takes a little getting used to, but you'll be running and gunning
before you know it.
-Use your different view modes for different situations. Some views give you a
better view of the air when you're being strafed by enemy aircraft.
-Make sure you know your objectives. It's not always necessary to clear an area of
enemies before moving on. This knowledge may mean the difference between life and
death.
-You are harder to hit if you're moving, but it's obviously easier to aim if you're
standing still. Mix up your moves for the lethal advantage. Hold down the brake
(default key, space bar) to stand your ground in one spot.
-Pick the right weapon and gunner combination to get the job done. Listen carefully
to the briefings before loading your ammo and gunner.
-Use your Jeep gears. Hi gear is for covering ground, lo gear is for intricate
maneuvers.
-Check your in-game map and objectives to keep track of your progress.
-Remember that when you're placing a satchel charge, you're vulnerable to attack.
Choose your position wisely, and if necessary, eliminate surrounding enemies before
proceeding.
-Be on alert for alternate approaches and side roads that may help advance you to
your goal and allow you to sneak up on enemy encampments.
-Enemy aircraft are relentless. If you do not shoot them down, they will continue to
pursue you.
-There are ammo crates scattered in many places. Keep a sharp eye out for opportunity.
-Be careful with cliffs, falling from heights can damage your jeep, or possibly
kill you.
-You can always replay a mission once once you've completed it. Go back and pick up
additional ammo, or improve your standing by adding a medal to your case. Remember
that you must successfully complete the mission to be able to load out your ammo.
-Exploding barrels or vehicles will damage anything around them. This can help you
when trying to clear an area of enemies, but be wary of being too close to exploding
items.
-Minefields are unforgiving places. Avoid these at all costs, by playing close
attention to the map.
15.
GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING
I get a message that says the game can't find a certain file or the game won't run.
When you install Desert Rats there are files that must be installed or the game will
not run correctly. If you were asked to overwrite any files during the installation
process and did not, reinstall Desert Rats and allow the installation to overwrite
the files. Restart your computer and run the game.
The game runs slowly on my computer. Click on the Options and Graphics buttons from
the Main Menu. Turn the Graphics settings down (see Options-Graphics on page __)
until you find an adequate setting for your game tastes. A 3D accelerated video
card is strongly recommended and will greatly improve the performance of all your
games.
What is a 3D video accelerator card? It is a hardware component that will greatly
increase the speed that your computer can deal with displaying graphics. They are
easy to install and can be found at most computer stores.
The colors look wrong or the textures are off on my screen.Close down the game and
try again. You should also make sure you have the latest video drivers for your
video card. See the DirectX help section.
16.
DIRECTX TROUBLESHOOTING
The most common and prevalent errors are related to video and sound card drivers.
Desert Rats installs and requires DirectX 8.1. If your drivers are not certified,
please download or obtain the latest drivers from your card manufacturers. This
is the number one problem people have with DirectX games. After you have updated
your drivers, you must reinstall DirectX from the Desert Rats CD. You can obtain
the latest drivers free from your card of computer manufacturers' web sites. For
diagnosing tools, open Windows Explorer and go to the
C:\Program Files\DirectX\Setup\
directory. Run the program named Dxdiag.exe. This will give you detailed
information for all your drivers and other directx components. This will also help
tech support if you should need to call them. If you see a DDRAW error, please try
to obtain the latest drivers for your video card.
17. End User License Agreement
Please read this License Agreement carefully before purchasing and installing any
programs from ValuSoft (program relates to any program purchased and/or downloaded
from ValuSoft). By installing or otherwise using the software program, you agree to
be bound by the terms of this agreement.
1. Limited Use License
ValuSoft grants, and by installing the program you accept, a limited non-exclusive
license and right to install on either a home, business or portable computer.
2. Ownership and License
All title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights contained in, and
pertaining to, the program, are owned by ValuSoft and/or its licensors.
Your
rights to use the software are specified in this agreement.
3. Permitted Uses
This agreement grants you the following rights:
(a) You may install and use the program on a single computer.
(b) You make one copy of the program for backup and archival purposes, providing
that the original and the single copy of the program are kept in your possession,
and not distributed to others.
4. Prohibited Uses
The following uses are prohibited under this agreement:
(a) You may not, in whole or in part, copy (other than specifically outlined in
Permitted Uses), photocopy, reproduce, translate, reverse engineer, derive source
code, modify, disassemble, decompile, create derivative works based on the program,
or remove any part of the program without prior written consent from ValuSoft.
(b) Distribute, in whole or in part, the program or any documentation relating to
the program.
(c) Make any attempt to bypass, unlock or disable any protective or initialization
system on the program.
(d) Sell, grant a security interest in, or transfer reproductions of the program to
third parties in any way, nor rent, license, lease or time-share the program to
others without the written consent of ValuSoft.
(e) Remove or obscure any trademark or copyright notices on the program or its
documentation.
(f) Upload or transmit the program, or any portion of the program, to any web site,
electronic bulletin board, network or any type of multi-use computer, regardless of
purpose.
(g) Include the program in any commercial products intended for manufacture,
distribution, or sale.
5. Termination
This agreement is effective upon first installation, use or loading of the program.
You may terminate the agreement at any time by destroying the program. ValuSoft may
elect to terminate this agreement if you fail to comply with the terms contained in
this agreement.
6.
Copyright
ValuSoft and/or its licensors retain the copyright for the program.
7. Miscellaneous
You agree that ValuSoft and its licensors would be irreparably damaged if the terms
of this agreement are not complied to and enforced. Therefore you agree that
ValuSoft and its licensors shall be entitled, without bond, other security or proof
of damages to appropriate equitable remedies with respect to breaches of this
agreement, in addition to such remedies ValuSoft may otherwise have available to it
under applicable laws. In the event any litigation pertaining to the breach of any
part of this agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover, from the
other party, all costs, attorney fees and other expenses incurred in any such
litigation.
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America and the
state of Minnesota.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
You acknowledge that you have read this agreement, understand it and agree to be
bound by its terms and conditions. You also agree that this agreement is the
complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between you and ValuSoft and
supersedes all proposals or prior endorsements and/or agreements of ValuSoft
relating to the subject matter of this agreement.
ValuSoft Limited Warranty
For 90-days from the date of purchase of this software, ValuSoft warrants, to the
original purchaser of this product, that the media on which the software is supplied
is free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use. If the media on
which the software is supplied is found to be defective within the 90-day warranty
period, and upon presentation to ValuSoft of proof of purchase, ValuSoft will, at
its option 1) repair or replace the defective media free of charge, 2) provide you
with a product of equal or lesser value free of charge, or 3) refund your money.
This warranty is void if the defect in the product is found to be the result of
abuse, unreasonable use, mistreatment or neglect. ValuSoft does not warrant that
the software, or its operations or functions, will met your requirements, nor that
the use of this software will be without interruption or error.
ValuSoft Limitation of Liability
In no event will ValuSoft, it’s employees or licensors be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from possession, use, or
malfunction of this ValuSoft software, including, but not limited to, loss of
goodwill, computer failure or malfunction, work stoppage, loss of income, or any and
all other commercial losses as a result of injury to any person, or loss to or damage
to property, or claims of third parties, even if ValuSoft or an authorized
representative of ValuSoft has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In
no event will the liability of ValuSoft for damages with respect to the use of this
software exceed the amount actually paid by you, if any, for the software.
Some states do not allow exclusions or limitation of implied warranties or liability
for incidental damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
18.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
For technical support, please go to www.valusoft.com
THANK YOU FOR PURCHASING DESERT RATS!
ENJOY THE GAME!
-The team at Canopy and Valusoft