===============================================================================
The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm)
Read Me File
Version 1.0
November 5, 2003
===============================================================================
Introduction
The Fellowship of the Ring formed to save Middle-earth from the
treacherous power of The One Ring. From the Council of Elrond in Rivendell
they set forth on their journey towards Mordor to destroy The One Ring
in the fires of Mount Doom. Many challenges assailed the Fellowship,
from Ringwraiths to legions of Orcs to the fearsome Balrog that took the
great wizard Gandalf the Grey from their ranks. However, hope ultimately
prevailed and the Fellowship kept true to its path.
That is, until the Fellowship split apart as they neared the dangers of
Mordor. In the forests of Fangorn, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli met up once
again with a reborn Gandalf the White and traveled to the lands of Rohan.
There, a great battle occurred at Helm’s Deep between men and the wizard
Saruman’s forces of evil. To the East, the hobbits Frodo and Sam searched
for a way into Mordor with the destruction of The One Ring in the forefront
of their minds.
As the hobbits draw closer to Mount Doom, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and
Gandalf travel by various roads to Gondor to aid the men of Middle-earth
in preparing a desperate last stand against the unspeakable forces of evil.
Against the gates of Minas Tirith, they expect Sauron to unleash thousands
of troops to quickly snuff out the hopes of all free people. To withstand
the unrelenting forces of Sauron, the members of the Fellowship know
the destruction of The One Ring is the only thing that can save them. Will
Gondor prevail? Will Frodo and Sam make it to the fires of Mount Doom?
In this final chapter of The Lord of the Rings, the fate of Middle-earth is
in your hands.
===============================================================================
Installation Instructions
===============================================================================
When you first insert The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm)
disc 1, the installation program should automatically start. If it does not,
you can start it yourself by following these steps:
1) Browse the contents of The Lord of the Rings(tm);
The Return of the King(tm) install disc 1.
2) Locate the "AutoRun.exe" file.
3) Double mouse-click "AutoRun.exe" file.
4) Follow the instructions that appear.
Note: When installing on Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must be logged into
an account which belongs to the Administrators group.
===============================================================================
Uninstalling Instructions
===============================================================================
To uninstall The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the
King(tm):
1) Bring up your Start Menu.
2) Choose "Programs".
3) Choose "EA GAMES".
4) Choose "LOTR The Return of the King (tm)".
5) Click on "Uninstall LOTR The Return of the King (tm)".
You can also uninstall in the following ways:
Windows 98 and ME
1) Bring up your Start Menu.
2) Choose "Settings".
3) Choose "Control Panel".
4) Choose "Add/Remove Programs".
5) Highlight "LOTR The Return of The King (tm)" and click the
"Add/Remove..." button in the lower right.
6) Follow the instructions that appear.
Windows 2000 and Windows XP Home Edition and Professional
1) Bring up your Start Menu.
2) Choose "Settings".
3) Choose "Control Panel".
4) Choose "Add/Remove Programs"
5) Highlight "LOTR The Return of the King (tm)" and click the "Remove"
button.
6) Follow the instructions that appear.
===============================================================================
Gameplay Instructions:
===============================================================================
All controls are available and customizable from the "Controls" Menu
accessible from the Main Menu or from the Pause menu during game play.
Here is a breakdown of the default controls:
Default Keyboard/Mouse Controls:
W - Move Character
Left Mouse - Speed Attack
Right Mouse - Fierce Attack
LCTRL - Physical Attack
Q - Parry
Spacebar - Killing Move
Left Shift - Equip Ranged Weapon
Tab - Jump Back
E - Action
F5 - Special Ability
F3 - Toggle 1p/2p Player Indicators
F1 - Help
Esc - In game pause menu
Default Keyboard only controls:
W - Move Forward
S - Move Backward
A - Move left
D - Move right
NUM 2 - Speed Attack
NUM 8 - Fierce Attack
NUM 6 - Physical Attack
NUM 4 - Parry
Spacebar - Killing Move
Left Shift - Equip Ranged Weapon
Tab - Jump Back
E - Action
F5 - Special Ability
F3 - Toggle 1p/2p Player Indicators
F1 - Help
Esc - In game pause menu
Starting your first game:
-------------------------
When you launch The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) for
the first time, you will be launched directly into the action at Helm's Deep.
If you need to configure your controls, pause the game by pressing the Esc key
and use the options menu to access the control configuration screen.
WINNING HELM'S DEEP
Once you've led the charge to victory at Helm's Deep, your experience will be
tallied and you'll have the opportunity to improve Gandalf's already formidable
skills. Then you'll be presented with the opportunity to choose your path on the
Level Select screen.
LEVEL SELECTION
Choose your level and enter into the fray. There are three story paths you
may choose. The center path (The Path of the King) in the Level Selection
screen is for Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. The right-hand path (The Path
of the Hobbits) is for Frodo and Sam. The left-hand path (The Path of the
Wizard) is for Gandalf.
* To select a level, highlight it and press the enter key.
* Unlock new levels by winning the previous level.
* Once you complete the full game, you are able to replay a level
as any of the characters.
* Many extras are also available from the Level Selection screen,
including interviews and secret levels. The more you achieve in
the game, the more you unlock!
CHARACTER SELECTION
There are three character paths. The path you choose determines which
characters you may play in a given level.
* Once you have chosen a level, the Character Selection screen appears.
* To cycle through available characters, press the left or right
arrows.
* To select a highlighted character, press the enter key.
NOTE: Only characters that are highlighted can be selected. Hidden characters
are unlocked as you advance through the game.
To start a new single player game:
----------------------------------
Once you have a game saved, The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm)
with take you directly to the Main Menu when it is started to give you the chance
to Load game and restore your progress. You can start a new game any time you
want.
* Select SINGLE PLAYER in the Main menu. The Single Player menu appears.
* Select NEW GAME in the Single Player menu. The Difficulty Select
screen appears.
* Select a difficulty level - EASY, NORMAL, or HARD - and press the
enter key to begin. The battle for Helm’s Deep begins again!
===============================================================================
System Requirements
===============================================================================
Minimum:
Windows XP, ME, 2000, or 98. Windows 95 and NT are not
supported.
700 MHz or faster Intel Pentium III or AMD Athlon processor
128 MB RAM (256 MB if using Windows XP)
Supported DirectX 8.1 compatible video card*
DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card
2.0 GB free hard disk space (additional space required for
Windows swap-file and DirectX 8.1 installation)
8X or faster CD-ROM/DVD-ROM
MS compatible mouse
Keyboard
* Video card must be 32 MB or more and contain one of the following
chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 4, GeForce 3, GeForce 2, ATI Radeon 9000,
ATI Radeon 8000, ATI Radeon 7500 or greater.
Recommended:
Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP processor
256 Megabytes of RAM
Supported DirectX 8.1 compatible video card (64+ MB)
DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card
2.0 GB free hard disk space (additional space required for
Windows swap-file and DirectX 8.1 installation)
16X Speed CD-ROM/DVD-ROM
Gamepad (USB or Joystick Port)
MS compatible mouse
Keyboard
===============================================================================
Getting the most from the game on your system
===============================================================================
In order to provide you with the best possible play experience, The Lord of the
Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) game provides many adjustable options to
allow you to trade off high visual and aural quality against smooth motion and
high frame rates in the game. Here are some suggestions if you find that the
game feels too sluggish or jerky on your system:
* Close other running programs and/or icon tray applications.
Other programs can steal time and resources from The Lord of the Rings(tm);
The Return of the King(tm), even when they are minimized or running in the
background on your system tray. Whenever possible close them down before
launching the game.
* Try lower SFX settings.
By turning down the SFX setting you are reducing the demands placed on
your video card to draw each image. This is especially important
for older or economy model video cards.
* Try turning your screen resolution down.
This will result in an image that is less sharp, but will also be less
demanding of your video card.
* Try lower shadow settings
High quality shadows are perhaps the most expensive single option you
can turn both in terms of CPU and graphics card demands. Keeping this
setting at medium will provide a well balanced trade off. For the
absolute most frame rate possible, turn shadows off entirely.
* Try using 16 bit color mode
This is a last ditch option. By using fewer colors in each image,
The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) game can
place slightly lower demands on the memory system of your video card.
Unfortunately, this option can result in noticeable image quality
sacrifices including banding or faint color strips in effects like
smoke or clouds.
* Try using stereo audio mode.
When running in 3D or 3D+EAX mode, the sound system of The Lord of the
Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) can place substantial load on
your CPU, especially when running on sound cards with a limited
number of hardware voices. This can lead both to less smooth animation
as well as stuttering in the sound track itself.
===============================================================================
Known Hardware issues
===============================================================================
Video:
------
The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) requires the latest in
graphics hardware to reproduce the stunning visual world of Middle-earth. Only
ATI Radeon models 7500 and up are supported. Similarly for nVidia; only cards in
the GeForce family are supported. Older cards simply do not have the "fill rate"
required to provide a satisfying game play experience. Note that mobile or
"on-board" video solutions often will not provide satisfactory performance.
Despite being GeForce "4"s, cards with "MX" in their model names will perform
best with lower graphics settings.
SiS Xabre video cards do not work with The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of
the King(tm). The game will launch but major image quality issues will prevent
the game from being playable.
If you are having video trouble with a supported graphics card, the best advice
is always to upgrade your drivers to the latest version available from the
manufacturer.
Audio:
------
The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) can be run in one of three
modes: Stereo, 3D, or 3D+EAX. If your sound card does not support EAX, this
mode will not be available. EAX mode also requires that the "Hardware Acceleration"
slider (accessed via the Sound Control Panel) be set to Full. If your sound card
does not support hardware 3D voices, Stereo mode will offer the best performance.
Faster CPU's and those with hardware 3D voices will experience a higher quality sound
experience in 3D mode. If you experience problems with audio, try one or more of
the following:
* Install the latest drivers for your sound card. These are generally available
at the manufacturer's web site.
* Switch to 3D mode (if in Stereo mode), or Stereo mode (if in 3D mode).
* Reduce the "Hardware Acceleration" level in the Sound control panel (this is a
global system setting).
* If streaming audio (e.g. music) sounds choppy, and your system supports hardware
voices, edit the rotk.ini file (located under the "My Documents" folder), and change
the line that reads "Software_Stream_Buffers=0" to "Software_Stream_Buffers=1".
Controls:
---------
The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) can be used with a gamepad
or joystick. Your gamepad must have an analog controller stick and at least 8
buttons to support all game features. You may want to verify the operation of your
gamepad using the Windows "Game Controllers" Control Panel (From Windows, choose
Start Menu -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Game Controllers. Then select your
controller from the list and push the Properties button). Default mappings are
available in The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) for several
popular gamepads, and you can customize the button assignments using the in-game
Options screen.
Gamepads with "mode" buttons: Some gamepads have "mode" buttons or switches that
alter the way they report input to the game. If The Lord of the Rings(tm); The
Return of the King(tm) fails to respond to analog stick movement, verify
that your gamepad is operating in standard analog joystick mode. Check the
instructions that came with your gamepad for details.
===============================================================================
EA Tech Support
===============================================================================
If you have questions about the program or trouble with The Lord of the
Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm), please refer to the user manual.
The Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) also includes the EA
Help file that provides solutions and answers to the most common difficulties
and questions about how to properly use this product. It also allows you to
send a detailed report of your problem directly to EA Technical Support via
e-mail.
To access the EA Help file:
---------------------------
1. Start the Windows operating system.
2. Insert the Lord of the Rings(tm); The Return of the King(tm) "Install Disc 1"
CD into your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive. The AutoRun menu appears.
3. If the AutoRun menu does not automatically appear, left-click the "Start"
button from the Windows Taskbar and select Run.... Type "D:\autorun.exe" in
the Run dialog box, then click OK (substitute the correct letter of your
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive if other than 'D:').
4. Click the Help button on the AutoRun menu. EA Help opens.
If you are still experiencing difficulty after utilizing the information in
the EA Help file, you can also use it to contact EA Technical Support. EA
Help contains a utility that detects your system's hardware and organizes
this information into a detailed report. This report helps EA Technical
Support solve your problem in the quickest possible time. Please note that
you will need to have registered your copy of The Lord of the Rings(tm); The
Return of the King(tm) in order to take advantage of this utility.
To run the utility:
-------------------
1. Launch the EA Help file.
2. Go to page 2 of the Welcome screen by clicking the small arrow in the bottom
corner.
3. Click the Contact Technical Support button. The utility opens.
4. Click OK to begin detecting your hardware.
When it finishes, you can view the gathered information by looking through
the various category tabs. To send this information to EA Technical Support,
fill out the blank sections under the User tab including a detailed
description of the problem you are experiencing and click Send (if you have
an open Internet connection) or Save Info (if you wish to e-mail the file
manually). A copy of the report is automatically saved to your Windows desktop.
===============================================================================
Legal Information
===============================================================================
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE WHICH ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT WILL ELECTRONIC
ARTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING
FROM POSSESSION, USE, OR MALFUNCTION OF THIS ELECTRONIC ARTS SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS AS TO HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS
AND/OR EXCLUSIONS OR LIMITATIONS OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE
ABOVE LIMITATIONS AND/OR EXCLUSIONS OF LIABILITY MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS
WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH
VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
ELECTRONIC ARTS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS FILE AND TO
THE SOFTWARE AT ANY TIME AND WITHOUT NOTICE. THIS FILE AND THE SOFTWARE
HEREWITH IS COPYRIGHTED. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS FILE OR THE
SOFTWARE MAY BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, TRANSLATED, OR REDUCED TO ANY ELECTRONIC
MEDIUM OR MACHINE-READABLE FORM WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF
ELECTRONIC ARTS, P.O. BOX 9025, REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA 94063-9025, ATTN:
CUSTOMER SUPPORT.
© 2003 Electronic Arts Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Download original