Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt
English (UK) version 1.0.2.2
Readme File
06/26/2002
*******************************************************************
About This Document:
Thank you for purchasing Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt.
This document contains last-minute information about Aliens Versus
Predator 2: Primal Hunt and other information about the program not
found in the game manual. This README file includes information
that pertains to general problems and questions you may have
concerning the game or your computer. Should you experience any
problems with Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt, please refer
to this file for additional help on answering questions about the
game and solving technical difficulties.
*******************************************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
II. INSTALLATION
III. CUSTOM PERFORMANCE OPTIONS
IV. GENERAL TECHNICAL ISSUES
V. GENERAL GAME ISSUES
VI. TOOLS
VII. CHANGE LOGS
VIII. CONTACTING SIERRA
I. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
-----------------------
Aliens Versus Predator 2
P3 450 or equivalent processor
128 MB RAM
16 MB DirectX 8-compatible D3D video card
16-bit DirectX 8-compatible sound card
600 MB free hard drive space (1150 MB free space required if
Aliens Versus Predator 2 is not already installed)
4x or faster CD-ROM drive
English Windows compatible keyboard and mouse
English Windows 98, Me, 2000
DirectX 8 or higher
56k DirectPlay-compatible TCP-IP Internet connection for Internet
play, or a NIC (Network Interface Card) and intranet connection
for LAN play
II. INSTALLATION
----------------
INSTALLATION NOTES
Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt requires that the original
Aliens Versus Predator 2 game be installed before it can be installed.
If you do not have the original Aliens Versus Predator 2 game you will
not be able to play Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt.
By default, Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt installs to a
different folder than Aliens Versus Predator 2 and does not overwrite
or modify any existing Aliens Versus Predator 2 files. After installing
Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt you can still play the original
Aliens Versus Predator 2 by running it from it's normal shortcut.
USER PROFILES
Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt does not use the original
Aliens versus Predator 2 profile settings after it is installed. If
you had a custom profile set up for Aliens Versus Predator 2, you
will need to reconfigure your profile in Aliens Versus Predator 2:
Primal Hunt. Do not copy Aliens Versus Predator 2 user profiles
over Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt user profiles. Doing so
will remove required settings from the Primal Hunt profile.
SAVE GAMES
Save games from Aliens Versus Predator 2 are incompatible with save
games from Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt. However, this is
irrelevant, since you cannot play Aliens Versus Predator 2 singleplayer
missions from within Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt. If you
wish to play missions from the original game, start the original game
from it's default shortcut and play as you normally would.
III. CUSTOM PERFORMANCE OPTIONS
-------------------------------
The "Options-->Graphics-->Custom Performance" menus contain
advanced user options you can use to tweak the appearance and speed
of the game.
GENERAL:
Texture Depth:
Toggle between 16 and 32-bit textures. 32-bit textures are
much smoother and more detailed than 16-bit textures, but
increase load times, require more video and system RAM and
may slow down the framerate on some video cards. If you have
an older video card, particularly one with only 16 MB of RAM,
it is recommended that you keep this setting on "16-bit."
Lightmap Resolution:
Toggle between 16 and 32-bit world shadows. As with textures,
32-bit shadows are smoother in appearance but require more
RAM, loading and processing time.
Shadows:
Toggle character shadows on/off. Turning them off give a
slight performance boost on slower systems.
Detail Textures:
Toggle detail textures on/off. Detail textures provide the
tiny details you see on the world when you look at objects at
close range. Turning them off will yield a slight increase in
framerate. Some older cards may not support detail textures:
if everything in the game looks flat white, try turning
detail textures off.
Environment Chrome:
Toggle environment chrome mapping on/off. Environment maps
provide the shiny surface effects you see on some metallic
surfaces in the game. Turning this off will improve
performance, particularly on older video cards.
Model Chrome:
Toggle model chrome on/off. Model chrome is the shiny surface
effects you see on some glass and metal models, such as
certain of the predator's weapons. Turning this off will
improve performance, particularly on older video cards.
Trilinear Filtering:
Toggle trilinear filtering on/off. Trilinear filtering makes
textures look smoother when viewed at an angle. It is not
supported by all video cards, and may also decrease
performance.
Triple Buffering:
Toggle triple buffering on/off. Triple buffering can provide
smoother framerates by causing the video card to store an
extra rendered frame before sending it to the monitor. Triple
buffering requires additional video RAM; 16 MB card users may
want to keep this setting off if they are running the game in
a high screen resolution.
Draw Sky:
Toggles sky rendering on/off. When off, the sky will just be
a flat color but rendering performance will be slightly
higher.
EFFECTS:
Draw Weapons:
Toggles player-view models such as your hands and gun on/off.
When turned off you won't be able to see your hands, however
since the game no longer has to draw these models the
framerate will improve slightly.
Muzzle Flash Light:
Toggle muzzle flash dynamic lighting on/off. Turning this off
may improve performance in intense gunfights. You may also
wish to turn this setting off if you find the flashing
irritating.
Shell Casings:
Toggle shell casing models on/off. Turning them off will
improve performance on slower systems.
Weapon Impacts:
Toggle Weapon impact detail between Low, Medium and High.
Higher settings create more effects (sparks, smoke, debris)
where weapons hit solid surfaces. Turning this setting down
may improve performance on slower systems when weapons are
firing.
Debris:
Toggle Debris detail between Low, Medium and High. Higher
settings create more pieces when objects break. Turning this
setting down may improve performance on slower systems when
objects break.
TEXTURES:
Overall:
Toggles overall game texture detail between Extra-low, Low,
Medium, High and Extra-high. Higher settings provide more
surface detail. Lower settings decrease load times and may
improve performance, particularly on systems with low RAM.
World/Sky/Characters/Weapons/Props/Effects:
You can set texture detail for specific types of objects
using the arrow sliders. Experiment with different settings
to find your own preferred balance between visual detail and
game performance.
IV. GENERAL TECHNICAL ISSUES
----------------------------
- To increase the rendering speed of the game, go to the Options-->
Graphics menu and lower the "Resolution" and/or the "Performance"
settings.
- Users with 128 MB system RAM and/or 16 MB video cards,
particularly cards which do not support S3TC compression, may
improve game performance by setting "Texture depth" to "16-bit" in
the "Options-->Graphics-->Custom Performance-->General" menu.
Lowering "Overall" texture detail in the "Options-->Graphics-->
Custom Performance--> Textures" menu will also boost performance.
- If you are experiencing periodic hitches in performance, try
setting sound detail to "Low" in the Options-->Sound menu.
- Shut down all non-essential programs before you run the game. This
includes any anti-virus programs that may be running in the background.
- If you haven't done so in several weeks of use, you may find that
defragging your hard drive will yield improved performance.
Window's disk defragmentation tool is generally found in the Start
Menu at "Programs\Accessories\System Tools\Disk Defragmenter."
- Task-switching with ALT-TAB back to the desktop while running the
game is not recommended.
- Make sure your sound, video and motherboard drivers are up to
date. We recommend using the latest reference drivers available
from your chip manufacturer. Major vendor sites include:
- In WindowsXP the Pause key does not always work. If you need to pause
the game and find that your pause key isn't working, you can pause the
game by hitting ESC to go to the menu.
http://www.soundblaster.com - Drivers for Soundblaster sound cards.
http://www.nvidia.com - Reference drivers for TNT and GeForce video
cards.
http://www.3dfx.com - Reference drivers for 3dfx Voodoo video
cards.
http://www.ati.com - Reference drivers for ATI video cards,
including the Radeon.
http://www.matrox.com - Reference drivers for Matrox Graphics video
cards, including the G400 and G450.
http://www.viatech.com - Reference drivers for VIA-based
motherboards.
http://www.amd.com - Reference drivers for AMD motherboards.
Hardware-specific Notes:
Sound:
Diamond MX400:
- May hear static when sounds play while running under Windows 95
or 98.
TBS Daytona:
- "Illegal Operation" error may occur during game installation
under Win98SE or WinMe, and the system loses sound until
rebooted.
Yamaha YMF719:
- This sound card is unsupported by AVP2.
ESS Maestro1-ES1948F:
- May not get sound using the current drivers under Windows XP.
Video:
General:
- On a multimonitor system, changing your screen resolution in-
game may change your display back to the first monitor. To
correct this, run avp2.exe, click the Display button and re-
select the correct display.
3dfx Voodoo Cards:
- The mouse pointer may flicker on the menu screens.
3dfx Banshee and Voodoo 3:
- The Options-->Display menu on the avp2.exe game launcher and
the Options-->Graphics menu in the game will allow you to select
32-bit color resolutions but these resolutions are not supported
by the video card, and the resolution will reset to the previous
16-bit depth.
- Detail Textures and Environment Maps will not display.
3dfx Voodoo 4:
- The game may crash when run on a Voodoo 4 in Windows 95.
3dfx Voodoo 5:
- The user may encounter rare crashes when running in High or
Best detail. It is recommended that you use Medium or Low detail
for the "Performance" setting on the "Options-->Graphics" menu
screen when running the game on this video card.
ATI Video Cards:
- If text or graphics appear incorrectly in the game, turn off the
"Alternate Pixel Center" option in Display Properties. To do this,
follow these steps:
1 .right click on desktop and choose Properties
2. click Advanced
3. Click on the Direct 3D tab.
4. uncheck the “Alternate pixel center” check box
ATI Radeon:
- There may be some artifacting around lettering on the menus.
- Fog does not render with the Radeon's default driver settings.
- The smartgun's crosshair may look like a green square.
- When running Windows XP With some driver versions in-game text may
appear blurry.
Matrox G200:
- May experience low framerates during gameplay.
- The smartgun's crosshair may look like a green square.
- Does not run the game under Windows XP.
Matrox G400, G450:
- May experience low framerate in vision modes.
- The smartgun's crosshair may look like a green square.
- May experience some odd lighting artifacts.
Nvidia GeForce 2:
- User may find areas in the game where sections of the screen
lose textures. This bug appears to have been introduced with the
Nvidia 21.81 drivers. It may be resolved with a future driver
release. It can be avoided in most cases by setting "Detail
Textures" and "Environment Chrome" to "Off" in the "Options-->
Graphics-->Custom Performance" menu.
- When running Windows XP With some driver versions in-game text may
appear blurry.
NVidia GeForce 3 and GeForce 4:
- When running Windows XP With some driver versions in-game text may
appear blurry.
Power VR Kyro and Kyro 2:
- Menu options do not display at 32-bit screen depths. They show
up at 16-bit screen depths. If using a Kyro card, it is suggested
that you use the "Display" button on the game Launcher to select
a 16-bit mode before running the game. This issue may be resolved
by a future driver release.
- Polygon distortion may be visible in the skies when using
vision modes.
- Certain trim textures may appear unusually bright.
- Blocks may appear around certain objects.
S3 Savage 2000:
- User may encounter some odd lighting artifacts.
S3 Savage 3:
- AVP2 does not run on the Savage 3. This card no longer has
active driver support.
S3 Savage 4:
- Significant graphical corruption. This card no longer has
active driver support.
Input Device:
Logitech Mice:
- When the scroll wheel is set to a special function in
Mouseware, activating the scroll wheel during gameplay may have
undesired results. Setting the scroll wheel's function to "Middle
Mouse Button" in Mouseware should resolve the issue.
Mad Catz Panther DX:
- Binding a control to "Z rotation" will cause the view to spin
in circles.
All joysticks:
- Joystick hats are not supported by the control binding system.
Your joystick software may be able to bind the hat to equivalent
keyboard keys.
- If your analog joystick doesn't seem to be working after you've
set up the control bindings, try setting "Analog" to On for the
non-working axes. Note that this won't actually provide true
analog control.
Disc Drives:
- Installing the game by having the two game disks in two
separate CD-ROM drives on the same machine is not supported.
- Certain CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives may have difficulty copying
game files during installation. If you consistently encounter
errors during game installation, contact Sierra technical support:
see Section V., B, of this readme for contact information.
CONTROLS:
To delete a control binding in the Options-->Controls menu,
highlight the control, but don't click on it, and press the
[DELETE] key on your keyboard.
MULTIPLAYER
Multiplayer performance will depend on the quality and speed of
your Internet connection. If you are experiencing poor performance
in multiplayer, try the following:
- Make sure you choose the connection speed most appropriate to
your Internet connection. "Join Connection Speed" is found on the
"Multiplayer Internet" and "Multiplayer LAN" menus. If you are
playing on a 56k modem, make sure you set Connection Speed to
"56K."
- Play on servers whose "ping" (round-trip signal time, in
milliseconds) is lowest for you, as shown in the server list. Ping
times under 200ms will offer the best performance.
- Play on servers with fewer players. The more players there are in
a server, the more data your computer will have to download.
- Avoid playing during peak Internet traffic hours. Internet
traffic is generally heaviest between 5 and 10 pm Monday through
Friday. Depending on your ISP (Internet Service Provider) you may
experience decreased performance during these times.
- Contact your ISP to make sure that your Internet connection
software is configured correctly.
- Players behind a firewall may encounter difficulty finding and
joining Internet games. Consult your network administrator for help
in resolving these issues.
- We recommend that systems running a dedicated Internet server
have at least a 128K Internet connection. If your server seems to
have performance issues, try limiting the total number of players
allowed in the game. Use the bandwidth setting in the Host options
to prevent bandwidth overload.
Switching Characters
Pressing F1 during play brings up the character info screen,
showing all the available characters. To change to a different
character, click on the desired character and press F1 again to
close the character info screen. If you switch teams during a
team game such as Evac or Overrun you will have to wait for the
next round before you can re-enter the action, meanwhile you will
remain in Spectator mode.
Spectator Mode Controls
Before you respawn in multiplayer, you can press F1 to switch to
Spectator mode. You'll also enter Spectator mode automatically
while waiting for a round to start or end in team-based modes
such as Overrun and Evac.
Spectator mode has two variations: Observe Point mode and Free-
Fly mode. In Observe Point mode you watch the action through
fixed cameras placed throughout the level, while in Free-Fly mode
you may fly throughout the level, even going through walls.
Observe Point mode has on-screen controls you can operate with
the mouse, or via keyboard keys as follows:
Right Arrow: takes you to the next observe point
Left Arrow: takes you to the previous observe point
Spacebar: takes you to a random observe point
F2: switches to Free-Fly mode
F1: opens the character info screen, allowing
you to switch characters
The "> Respawn <" button, if available, will start you back in
the game.
Free-Fly mode offers the following functions:
Fire: takes you to the next observe point
Alt-Fire: takes you to the previous observe point
Next Vision Mode: takes you to a random observe point
F2: switches to Observe Point mode
F1: opens the character info screen but will
not allow you to switch characters
Mouse: controls your direction
Forward: moves you in the direction in which you are
facing
Backward: moves you away from the direction in which
you are facing
Strafe-Left: moves you left
Strafe-Right: moves you right
Crouch: moves you down
Jump: moves you up
Turn Left: turns left
Turn Right: turns right
Look Up: looks up
Look Down: looks down
Advanced Server Commands
Users can control certain advanced aspects of the multiplayer
game through command-line parameters.
Private messages
To send a chat message to one player only, start the message
with the player's name in pointy brackets. For instance if you
entered the chat message
<mandiller> Hey, how's it going?
then only the player named "mandiller" would get the message.
Server controller commands
The player who has been on a server for the longest time has a
star to the left of their name indicating that they are the
server controller. In addition to controlling the start times
of team-based games, the server controller can input the
following commands in the Message window:
<serv> kick [playername]
Boots a player from the server. Replace "[playername]" with
the name of the player you wish to remove.
<serv> prevlevel
Ends the current match and switches to the previous map.
<serv> nextlevel
Ends the current match and switches to the next map.
<serv> restart
Restarts the server at the first map in the rotation.
Server operator commands
The operator of a dedicated server can chat with players on the
server by entering a message in the command-line at the bottom
of the dedicated server window.
Dedicated server:
It is highly recommended that you only run a server on a Typical
install. If you don't have room for a Typical install, we
recommend that you at least copy the "multi.rez" file from Disk1
into your AVP2 directory (default is "C:\Program Files\Fox\Aliens
vs. Predator 2") before running the dedicated server.
The dedicated server allows you to host a server for other
players without actually participating in the game yourself. The
dedicated server runs in a window on the desktop, allowing you to
access other Windows functions while the server is running.
Dedicated servers will tend to have better network performance
than regular hosted games since the computer does not have to
process graphics and physics while the server is running and does
not have to hold game resources in memory.
A dedicated server machine should meet the minimum specification
for the game itself in CPU speed and RAM (450 mHz, 128 MB). For
best performance it is recommended that the server have a T1 or
faster network connection. Many cable modem and DSL services have
very fast download speeds but relatively slow upload speeds;
since a dedicated server has to upload information to all
clients, servers on an upload-limited cable or DSL connection
will not be able to support as many players simultaneously as
will servers running on a connection whose upload speed equals
its download speed, such as a T1 or T3 connection.
Dedicated servers on even the fastest connections may find it
advantageous to limit the number of players allowed in the server
at once. The server may also limit the total amount of data
uploaded at one time by using the "Server Bandwidth" setting in
the Advanced panel of the Host menu--this can help prevent lag
caused by high-bandwidth players taking all the available upload
bandwidth.
To run a dedicated server, go to the Multiplayer Internet or
Multiplayer LAN screen from the main menu, select the "Host" item
and set "Dedicated" to "Yes" in the "Game" panel, then set up the
game settings and map rotation to your own preference. Now when
you click "Launch," AVP2 will close and the stand alone server
application will run in a window on the desktop.
Once you have configured the dedicated server the first time, you
can run the server directly by clicking the "Stand-Alone Server"
button on the game launcher window or by double-clicking the
avp2serv.exe file in your AVP2 folder. If you have multiple
server configurations stored a window will appear allowing you to
select the desired configuration.
The dedicated server window contains the following items:
Server Name: The name you gave your server in the Host menu.
Game Type: The type of game being hosted (DM, Evac, etc.).
Running Time: The total time the server has been running.
Peak Players: The maximum number of players that have been in
the server at any one time.
Total Players: The total number of players that have joined
the server during the current Running Time.
Stop Server: Pressing this button shuts down the server.
Pressing the [X] button in the upper right
corner performs the same function.
Players: Lists the players current using the server.
Name: The player's name.
Ping: The round trip time between player and
server, in milliseconds.
Kills: The number of kills the player has made in
the current round.
Score: The player's total point score for the round.
Lives: The number of lives the player has remaining
(applies to certain team modes such as Evac).
Time: The total amount of time the player has been
on the server.
Current Players: Total current players / max players allowed.
Average Ping: The average round trip time between the server
and each connected player, in milliseconds.
Boot Player: Ejects the selected player from the server. To
select a player, click on their name.
Levels: Shows the levels in the server's map rotation.
The current level has a dot to the left. Levels
are played in descending order and restart at
the top of the list after the level at the
bottom has been played.
Time in Level: Time the server has been in the current level.
Next Level: Skips ahead to the next level in the map
rotation, automatically ending the current
round.
Select Level: Switches to the selected level. To select a
level, click the level name in the list window.
Console: Shows server activity as well as player chat
messages. The server operator can enter
messages in the command line below (see "Server
operator commands" above).
Clear: Clears the console window.
Note: to run the server on a machine which cannot run the game (a
machine without a D3D-compatible video card, for instance),
install the game on that machine, then configure the settings as
desired on a machine that can access the game menus. Copy this
machine's "ServerData" folder into the AVP2 folder on the server
machine, then launch the server by double-clicking avp2serv.exe.
V. GENERAL GAME ISSUES
----------------------
CD-KEY
Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt uses the CD-Key from your
original version of Aliens Versus Predator 2. This CD-Key is
required to play internet multiplayer. If asked to enter your CD
key, use the key that appears on your Aliens Versus Predator 2
jewel case.
SAVE GAME RECOVERY:
Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt stores save files for each
user Profile separately. If you delete your Profile in the Profiles
screen, the save games for that Profile will not be removed. This
is done intentionally to protect against loss of save games in the
event of accidental Profile deletion. To regain access to your save
files, just create another Profile with the same name as the deleted
one.
To delete your old save files after uninstalling the game, use
Windows Explorer to browse to the folder in which AVP2 had been
installed, select the "Save" folder and press the Delete key on
your keyboard.
SAVING WHILE SWITCHING WEAPONS:
You will be unable to save while switching weapons. Once the weapon
switch animation finishes, saving is allowed.
ADVANCED OPTIONS
If you're encountering problems running the game, you can try
tweaking some advanced settings in the "Options" window on the game
launcher (double-click AVP2.exe and click the "OPTIONS" button).
Please note that this is for advanced users only, since tweaking
these settings could very well create other problems in the game.
Disable Sound
If this box is checked, there will be no sound effects in the
game. Dialogue and lipsynching will also not play correctly.
Music will still play. If you are experiencing problems running
the game and suspect your sound card may be the cause, you
might check this box and see if the problem goes away--if it
does then the problem definitely lies with your sound hardware
or drivers.
Disable DirectMusic
If this box is checked, there will be no dynamic DirectMusic in
the game. Certain short music clips may still play.
Disable Logos
If this box is checked, the intro logo movies will not be
shown. Use this if your system is having trouble playing these
movies.
Disable Triple Buffering
If this box is checked, video output will not be triple
buffered. May help performance on certain video cards,
particularly PCI cards.
Disable Joysticks
Disables input from joysticks and gamepads. Certain joysticks
and gamepads may interfere with normal mouse or keyboard
control in the game. If you suspect this is occurring, checking
this box before running the game may resolve the problem.
Disable Hardware Cursor
If the mouse pointer is missing, flickering or otherwise
distorted in the game menus, checking this box may fix the
problem.
VI. TOOLS
---------
Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt includes the Aliens versus
Predator 2 tools on the CD-ROM. The tools installers are copied along
with Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt and placed in the Tools
sub-folder. You will need to run the tools installation, followed by
tools update and tools update 2 before using the tools.
After installing the tools and updates, you will be able to use the
tools to modify Aliens versus Predator 2. In order to modify Primal
Hunt, however, some additional steps are necessary.
Once the tools are installed, follow the directions under
Installation Notes in the Tools\readme.txt file for unpacking the
AvP 2 Game Resources if you wish to make modifications to the original
AvP 2.
Primal Hunt references the resources from you original Aliens versus
Predator 2 installation, so you must copy the data files from your
Aliens versus Predator 2 installation folder into your Primal Hunt
folder.
A file called phunrez.bat is installed when you install Primal Hunt. In
order to use the tools with Primal Hunt, copy all of the avp2.rez and
sound.rez files from you AvP 2 installation directory into your Primal
Hunt installation folder. Run the phunrez.bat file by double clicking
on it in Windows Explorer and all of the AvP 2 and Primal Hunt resources
will be extracted into a directory called AvP2PH in your Primal Hunt
installation folder.
Once this is complete, you can run DEdit and open the rez.dep file in
the AVP2PH directory to begin modifying Primal Hunt. Note that if you
are modifying Primal Hunt you should change the options on the Run tab
in DEdit under Edit->Options to point to your Primal Hunt directory and
not your AvP 2 directory.
For more detailed information about modifying AvP 2 and Primal Hunt,
see the documentation that is installed with the tools.
VII. CHANGE LOGS
----------------
Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt includes all of the changes
made in Aliens Versus Predator 2 patches up to version 1.0.9.6.
Version numbering for Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt begins
with 1.0.2.2.
Changes in version 1.0.2.2 (Aliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt):
- initial release of Primal Hunt
Changes in version 1.0.9.6 (Aliens Versus Predator 2):
- Fixed several multiplayer exploits.
Changes in version 1.0.9.5:
- A hacked server name will not crash the server list.
- Prevented a rare server crash which occurred when a high-latency
client ejected from the Exosuit as they were killed.
- Removed a damage volume that was killing low-framerate players
through the floor in Compound.
- Corrected some Marine attachments.
Changes in version 1.0.9.4:
General:
- Raised the damage caused by hitting a Queen in the head.
- Fixed a bug where toggling your vision mode turned on the
Environment Chrome display setting.
Multiplayer:
- Added the Queen and the Exosuit to multiplayer. The host can set
these in the "Advanced" Host screen.
- Aliens may be set to molt into Queens after getting 1-10 kills
in a row. Only kills made as an adult alien count as molt kills:
kills made while playing as a facehugger or chestburster in Alien
Lifecycle mode will not add to the player's total Queen Molting
Kills. Dying resets the player's molting kills to zero.
- There may be 0-10 Exosuits in a level, though certain levels
may support less than ten. Humans can enter or exit Exosuits by
pressing the Use key. The Exosuit must be standing and have a
little clearance behind it in order for the player to exit.
- Made several changes to smooth out player movement in
multiplayer.
- Improved multiplayer respawn time.
- Added a new option to the "Advanced" Host screen: "Show Pop-up
Names." When this is set to "Off" players will only see pop-up
names when aiming at members of their own team.
- Added chat-line commands for the server controller to change some
of the game's Advanced Host settings. The player who has entered
the correct password with the "<serv> control [password]" command
can now use the following commands in the chat window, which will
take effect after the next level change:
<serv> lifecycle
Toggles Alien Lifecycle mode on and off.
<serv> predmask
Toggles Predator Mask Loss on and off.
<serv> friendlyfire
Toggles Friendly Fire on and off.
<serv> popupnames
Toggles Show Pop-up Names on and off.
<serv> locationdamage
Toggles Location Based Damage on and off.
<serv> classweapons
Toggles Class Weapon Sets on and off.
<serv> queen x
Sets the number of consecutive kills needed for an adult
alien player to molt into a Queen, where "x" is a number from
0 to 10. A setting of 0 disables Queen molting.
<serv> exosuit x
Sets the maximum number of Exosuits pickup items which will
appear in the level, where "x" is a number from 0 to 10. The
number of Exosuits appearing is also limited by the amount
placed by the level designer, so some levels may support less
Exosuits than the maximum set by the server controller.
- Added the display of the server's bandwidth setting to the Server
Info screens. Note that this only shows the game setting chosen by
the server's operator, and does not necessarily reflect the speed
of their actual Internet connection.
- Removed the crosshair from the zoomed-out railgun.
- Removed the CD-key display from the Multiplayer Internet screen.
- Removed space bar level-end confirmation.
- Blocked a hack which allowed players to make themselves un-
bootable by using special characters in their player name.
- Blocked a hack utility which allowed a player to move at
accelerated speeds by changing their Windows system timer.
- Made it so that optional updates will not force the Sierra update
notification window to appear.
- Fixed an occasional crash when refreshing the server list.
- Fixed a crash when displaying info screens at 1600x1200
resolution.
- Fixed a bug where only the first 32 start points were being
considered when evaluating start points in MP; this could cause
people to spawn at the same spot in leadworks, for instance. The
code now limits the number of start points that will be evaluated
to 100.
- Aliens can no longer get multiple headbites from a facehugged
player.
- Aliens can no longer get health from a fading body.
- Fixed a bug where you would sometimes get a repeating pickup
sound when running over certain pickup items.
- Fixed a bug where players might hear certain firing sounds
continuing after the other player had stopped firing that weapon.
- Fixed a bug where your volume level would reset to the previous
value when you respawned if you had changed it while playing
multiplayer.
- Fixed a bug where the predator shoulder cannon could do double
damage if fired in specific sequence.
- Fixed bug which prevented custom levels from showing up if they
were in a .rez file. To display levels in the "Single Player-->
Custom Level" menu, double-click avp2.exe, click the "Options"
button, enter "+enableretaillevels 1" in the Command-Line field,
hit "OK" to close the Options window and then hit "Play" to launch
the game.
Changes in version 1.0.9.3:
- Made Weapon pickups always get picked up, even if the player
can't hold all the ammo.
- Fixed a bug where clicking on charge can disrupt the fire
animation and effectively allow a player to super-rapid fire the
shoulder cannon.
- Fixed shadows on chroma-keyed world models punching holes in the
geometry.
- Fixed 16 bit lightmaps when switched while not in a level.
- Made the "Continue Game" menu option catch instances where the
player has manually deleted their save files.
- The spear gun now uses a single ammo pool instead of separate
clips.
- Fixed bug where players could be alive but not visible in MP
games.
- Fixed bug which caused too many object position updates across
the network.
- Fixed bug where players could become solid with other players
inside of them in MP games.
- Custom bandwidth settings now remain what they were when going
back to the advanced options menu.
- Bulletholes and other impact effects from the player's own weapon
now show up instantly instead of waiting for verification from the
server.
- Made the update of the local player's flamethrower lag-
independent.
- Dedicated servers start with no server controller. Players must
enter the correct password, <serv> control "password", to take
server control. Only one person may have control at a time. The
server operator sets the control password when hosting the game.
- Disabled the F1 key in Hunt and Survivor modes.
- Added F3 key for Server Rules display in MP.
- Smoothed out character and projectile movement.
- Plasmacaster projectiles can turn no more then 30 degrees from
their original trajectory.
- The Predator wristblade primary-fire will now cut through
netting.
- The Light Predator's ladder speed has been increased so that he
moves up and down ladders at the same speed as the other Predators.
Changes in version 1.0.9.2:
- Fixed the crash bug on the Join screen.
- Added a "[D]" to the end of server names that are dedicated...
- Added player rename functionality mid-game (ie. '<name> Spanky')
- Added PageUp and PageDown support to the server list.
- Added mouse wheel support to the server list.
- Added double click join support to the server list.
- Fixed a couple of bugs that could cause long waiting times on the server
list menu.
- Made it so you can hit Escape to cancel an Internet server list refresh.
- Fixed a problem causing the Alien tail to get stuck in the charged
position.
- Fixed it so hitting the reload button after firing a pulse rifle grenade
will cause the bullets to reload; previously it did nothing.
- Fixed a problem with pickup objects that give you multiple ammo types.
- Fixed a bug when opening the weapon chooser during a charged weapon attack.
- Chestbursting from a Corporate player now results in a Runner Alien.
- Chat messages are now hidden while the weapon chooser is open (mainly for
Predators).
Multiplayer Map Update:
General:
- Made Weapon pickups always get picked up, even if the player
can't hold all the ammo.
- Fixed a bug where clicking on charge can disrupt the fire
animation and effectively allow a player to super-rapid fire the
shoulder cannon.
- Fixed shadows on chroma-keyed world models punching holes in the
geometry.
- Fixed 16 bit lightmaps when switched while not in a level.
- Made the "Continue Game" menu option catch instances where the
player has manually deleted their save files.
- The spear gun now uses a single ammo pool instead of separate
clips.
Multiplayer:
- Fixed bug where players could be alive but not visible in MP
games.
- Fixed bug which caused too many object position updates across
the network.
- Fixed bug where players could become solid with other players
inside of them in MP games.
- Custom bandwidth settings now remain what they were when going
back to the advanced options menu.
- Bulletholes and other impact effects from the player's own weapon
now show up instantly instead of waiting for verification from the
server.
- Made the update of the local player's flamethrower lag-
independent.
- Dedicated servers start with no server controller. Players must
enter the correct password, <serv> control "password", to take
server control. Only one person may have control at a time. The
server operator sets the control password when hosting the game.
- Disabled the F1 key in Hunt and Survivor modes.
- Added F3 key for Server Rules display in MP.
- Smoothed out character and projectile movement.
- Plasmacaster projectiles can turn no more then 30 degrees from
their original trajectory.
- The Predator wristblade primary-fire will now cut through
netting.
- The Light Predator's ladder speed has been increased so that he
moves up and down ladders at the same speed as the other Predator
New Maps:
Deathmatch/Team Deathmatch/Hunt/Survivor:
dm_alley
dm_fury151
dm_hanger
dm_stronghold
Evac:
evac_alley
evac_fury151
evac_gauntlet
evac_hanger
Overrun:
over_alley
over_stronghold
Single Player Map Update:
- Removed an environment map from two textures to work around a
Voodoo 5 rendering crash in Betrayal.
- Removed a scripted sequence with a guard and facehugger in
Betrayal that could fail to trigger correctly under certain rare
circumstances.
- Modified a scripted sequence in the crew quarters in Betrayal
which could allow a fast-moving player to get to the end of the
level without collecting the hacking tool.
- Added a blocker to prevent the player from wedging themselves in
beneath the containment module at the beginning of Unexpected
Allies.
- Removed an old AI trigger that could potentially have allowed
guards to close and lock the door leading to the predator mask in
Unexpected Allies, preventing further progress.
- Prevented a situation in Unexpected Allies where gathering two
items at the exact same instant could prevent the exit door from
opening.
- Prevented a situation in New Target where a player could survive
a fall to the bottom of a deep pit and thus get stuck.
- Modified a situation in Surprise which could close a door later
in the level if the player pounced up into the air between
electrical fields and over the end of the alleyway.
VIII. CONTACTING SIERRA
-----------------------
A) Customer Service, Support, and Sales
B) Technical Support
C) Legal Information
A) Customer Service, Support, and Sales
----------------------------------
U.S.A. Sales Phone: (800) 757-7007
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 AM to 5 PM PST
International Sales: (310) 649-8000
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 AM to 5 PM PST
FAX: (310) 258-0744
Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
6060 Center Drive
6th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: (310) 649-8048
FAX: (310) 258-0744
http://www.sierra.com
United Kingdom
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing UK Ltd.
Main: (0118) 920-9111
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Fax: (0118) 987-5603
Disk/CD replacements in the U.K. are £6.00, or £7.00 outside the
UK. Add "ATTN.: Returns."
2 Beacontree Plaza,
Gillette Way,
Reading, Berkshire
RG2 0BS United Kingdom
France
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing France
32, Av de l'Europe
Bât Energy 1 (2e étage)
78 140 VELIZY-Villacoubaly
France
Téléphone: 01-30-67-90-50
Lundi au Jeudi de 10h à 19h
Vendredi de 10h à 18h
Fax: 01-30-67-90-65
Germany
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing Deutschland Gmbh.
Tel: (0) 6103-99-40-40
Montag bis Freitag von 10h - 19Uhr
Fax: (0) 6103-99-40-35
Paul-Ehrlich-Straße la
63225 Langen
Deutschland
On-Line Sales
CompuServe United Kingdom:GO UKSIERRA
CompuServe France: GO FRSIERRA
Internet USA: http://www.sierra.com
Internet United Kingdom: http://www.sierra-online.co.uk
Internet France: http://www.sierra.fr
Internet Germany: http://www.sierra.de
Disk and or Manual Replacement:
Product Returns*:
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing International
Sierra On-Line Returns
4247 S. Minnewawa Ave.
Fresno, CA 93725
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing International
Sierra On-Line CD/Doco Replacement
4247 S. Minnewawa Ave.
Fresno, CA 93725
NOTE: To replace your cd(s) please send only the damaged cd and
copy of your dated Receipt, if less then 90 days. After 90 days
please include a $10.00 handling fee along with the cd(s). For
Documentation replacement, please include a $5.00 handling fee and
a photocopy ONLY of either your disk or cd. Payment should be made
at the time of your request. Sorry, no credit cards.
* Returns to this address valid in North America only.
B) TECHNICAL SUPPORT
-------------------------
North America
Sierra Entertainment offers a 24-hour automated technical support
line with recorded answers to the most frequently asked technical
questions. To access this service, call (310) 649-8033, and follow
the recorded instructions to find your specific topic and resolve
the issue. If this fails to solve your problem, you may still write
or fax us with your questions, or contact us via our web site -
http://support.vugames.com.
Sierra Entertainment
Technical Support
6060 Center Drive
2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Main: (310) 649-8033
Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM PST
FAX: (310) 258-0755
http://support.vugames.com
United Kingdom
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing UK Ltd. offers a 24-hour
Automated Technical Support line with recorded answers to the most
frequently asked technical questions. To access this service, call
(0118) 920-9111, and follow the recorded instructions to find your
specific topic and resolve the issue. If this fails to solve your
problem, you may still write, or fax us with your questions or
contact us via our Internet or CompuServe sites.
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing UK Ltd.
2 Beacontree Plaza,
Gillette Way,
Reading, Berkshire
RG2 0BS United Kingdom
Main: (0118) 920-9111
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Fax: (0118) 987-5603
http://www.sierra-online.co.uk
France
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing France
32, Av de l'Europe
Bât Energy 1 (2e étage)
78 140 VELIZY-Villacoublay
France
Téléphone: 01-30-67-90-50
Lundi au Jeudi de 10h à 19h
Vendredi de 10h à 18h
Fax: 01 30 67 90 65
http://www.sierra.fr
Germany
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing Deutschland Gmbh.
Technischer Kundendienst
Paul-Ehrlich-Straße la
63225 Langen
Deutschland
Tel: (0) 6103-99-40-40
Montag bis Freitag von 10 - 19Uhr
Fax: (0) 6103-99-40-35
Mailbox: (0) 6103-99-40-35
http://www.sierra.de
Spain
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing España
NUESTRA SEÑORA DE VALVERDE Nº 23
28034 MADRID
Spain
Tech Support Teléfono: 91 735 24 37
Soporte técnico de lunes a Viernes
de 09:30 a 15:00 y de 16:00 a 18:30
www.havasinteractive.es
Soporte Tecnico: [email protected]
Comercial: [email protected]
Italy
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing Italia spa
Contattare il vostro distributore.
C) Sierra Warranty & Legal Information
-----------------------------------
Sierra's end user license agreement, limited warranty and return
policy is set forth in the EULA.txt, found on the CD, and is also
available during the install of the product.
(c) 2002 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Copyright (2002 Sierra On-Line, Inc.)