
                      ͻ
                                               
                          RELEASE NOTES FOR    
                           DESCENT 2           
                                               
                      ͼ


                         ͻ
                          TABLE of CONTENTS 
                         ͼ

                      1. NEW FEATURES

                      2. MANUAL ADDENDA

                      3. DESCENT 2 FEATURES
                            a. Feature List
                            b. Notes on New Features

                      4. COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS

                      5. TIPS FOR NEW PILOTS

                      6. USING SPECIAL JOYSTICKS & CONTROLLERS

                      7. VR HEADSET INFORMATION

                      8. TROUBLESHOOTING & COMMON PROBLEMS
                            a. General problems
                            b. Modem/Serial problems
                            c. Netgame problems

                      9. S3 VIRGE VERSION

                     10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT

                     11. DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION


============================================================================

                          ͻ
                           1. NEW FEATURES    
                          ͼ

Features not mentioned in the manual:

    - Main menu screen now shows version number
    - Added toggle bomb function to keyboard config
    - Added commandline options for packets per second ("-packets #")
      and short packets (-shortpackets)
    - Added lifetime rankings to multiplayer (-norankings to disable)
    - Added "move:" command to move players to other team
    - Capture-the-flag now can be played in modem games
    - 'ping:' command now works in modem games
    - When joining netgame, the 'U' key shows players in the game
      (type "!names" from F8 prompt to disable sending of names)
    - When playing a non-D2 audio CD, tracks 1-3 can now be played.
    - Small windows (i.e. rear view, missile view, etc.) now work in 
      stereo modes
    - Now supports version 2.0 drivers for the Forte VFX-1 headset
    - PrintScreen support in stereo modes (see section 2)
    - Added no redundancy switch to suppress duplicate messages
      (-noredunancy)

============================================================================

                          ͻ
                           2. MANUAL ADDENDA 
                          ͼ

The following are supplemental items/changes to the DESCENT II manual.
If you can find no information regarding a problem you're having,
Section 9 below lists several sources of DESCENT II support.


IMPORTANT NOTES FOR WINDOWS 95 USERS
====================================

This readme file pertains to the DOS version of Descent II.  If you 
wish to run Descent II under Windows95, you should install Descent II
fron within Win95.  To to this, insert your Descent II disk, and when
the autorun menu comes up, select "Install".  To manually bring up the
autorun menu, open up "My Computer", then double-click on the "Descent_ii"
CD icon.

USING PRINTSCREEN IN STEREO MODES
=================================

Descent II uses the PrintScreen key to save screenshots from within the game.
Normally, these images are saved sequentially with the name "Screen00, 
Screen01, etc."  When playing in stereo modes, PrintScreen will save a
separate image for each eye. These images are also numbered sequentially, 
but are named "Left01" and "Right01" respectively. Please note that images 
saved in stereo are exactly half the height of the current resolution.
For example, grabbing an image in 320 x 200 mode will result in 2 images 
that are 320 x 100 each. 


SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS
==================
     
Netgame Info and User Queries 
=============================
When sitting on the Multiplayer/Join Netgame screen, you can now hit "I"
to get more detailed info on a netgame in progress.  This feature was added
after the manual went to print.  As of version 1.1 pressing the "U" key on
this screen will show a list of players in the game. You may disable name
sending from within a game by pressing f8 and typing "!names".

Multiplayer Rankings
====================
This version of Descent II features a system that ranks players in 
multiplayer games based on their lifetime kill record.  Information is 
stored everytime you kill or get killed by someone.  The better you get, 
the higher your rank.  Rankings start at 'Cadet' and continue up to 
'Admiral'.  

You will advance to the next rank for every 375 kills that you score.  
However, if your lifetime efficiency is below 60% you will advance 
much more slowly, and the lower your efficiency the slower you'll advance.

If the "-norankings" command line switch is used your machine will not 
display rankings for any player.  However, your machine will still send your
pilots' rank to the other players in the game.

Moving players in team games
============================
If you are the 'master' of a team netgame and you wish to move players
to other teams, press F8 and then type 'move:<player>' where <player> is 
the name of the person to be switched.  

Example: 
 move:Sirloin

Afterwards, if Sirloin was on the blue team he will be switched to the red
team, and vice versa.


CD/MIDI Track Advancing
=======================
Also undocumented in the manual is the use of ALT -/+ keys (ALT-minus and
ALT-plus).  Using these keys in the game will play the previous/next
redbook track on the CD.  If you're listening to MIDI music, it will
advance to the next level song. 


GuideBot & Markers
==================
The GuideBot is now able to find markers you have placed.  Hitting SHIFT-2
twice will send him to marker #2, hit SHIFT-1 to find marker #1, etc.


the Strategy Guide
==================
Descent II: The Official Strategy Guide is available from Prima Publishing.
To order, call 800-531-2343.  Also available at better bookstores and
multimedia outlets nationwide.


DESCENT II and Internet Head-to-Head Daemon (IHHD)
==================================================
While playing Multiplayer DESCENT II through the IHHD software is possible,
it is not recommended.  The delay in packet delivery will almost
certainly lead to strange results.  You may see players jump around
suddenly, or even disappear for several seconds at a time.  You may also
witness players not dropping powerups when killed, staying cloaked too
long, or other unfavorable results.  See Section 8 for additional ideas
and suggestions.


DESCENT II and Novell's NETX
============================
When playing network games, all players should either have NETX loaded 
or all players should not have NETX loaded.  If one player has NETX 
loaded and the other player doesn't, this will cause noticeable 
slowdowns and delays when starting netgames.


DESCENT II and OS/2
===================
To get DESCENT II to run under OS/2, just increase your DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT
to 8 megs or more.  Descent should then run perfectly with full sound.
If your joystick behaves strangely under OS/2 try using the "-JoyPolled"
command line option.  Keep in mind that DESCENT II does not officially
support OS/2.


DESCENT II and Windows 3.1x
===========================
Use the following settings in your PIF file:

   Optional Parameters:  -JoyPolled
            EMS Memory:  KB Limit -1
            XMS Memory:  KB Limit -1
         Display Usage:  Full Screen
             Execution:  Exclusive

If you use a joystick, the -JoyPolled option uses an alternate method of
joystick reading that should increase performance under Windows.
Keep in mind that Descent does not officially support Windows.

============================================================================

                         ͻ
                          3. DESCENT 2 FEATURES 
                         ͼ

			   ͻ
		            3a. Feature List 
			   ͼ

The following is a somewhat-complete list of full-version DESCENT II
features.

Major features:
===============
30 new levels
30+ new robots, including new bosses

10+ new weapons/powerups
  afterburner
  full-map powerup
  ammo rack powerup
  energy->shield transfers
  flash/stun missiles
  guided missiles
  smart mines
  headlight powerup
  more!

Redbook CD soundtrack featuring Ogre from Skinny Puppy
full motion, high-resolution cinematics
new anarchy levels
flowing water, lava, and seismic disturbances
advanced AI including thieves, snipers, and escort robots
640x480 support with high resolution cockpit, as well as other hi-res modes
enhanced lighting effects (blastable lights!)

new multiplayer features:
        capture the flag game mode
        option to disallow any weapon
        play by kills or time limit
        player handicapping
        flexible player limits
        improved slow-packet handling
        restricted game mode

Minor features:
===============
new redbook, MIDI, FM soundtrack with new digital sound effects
automap markers w/text descriptors
minefields
new control boxes, forcefields and triggers
multiple HUD camera views including teammates, missiles, and markers
custom weapon autoselection priorities
advanced secret level system
ability to drop weapons

Robot AI behaviors:
   GuideBot
   Thief
   Snipers
   Energy Drainers
   More advanced Brain behavior
   Robots which fire two different kinds of weapons
   Robots which attempt to get behind the player in battle
   More dynamic robot behavior, more complex strategies based on the player.


                      ͻ
                       3b. Notes on DESCENT II Features
                      ͼ


THIEF-BOTS
==========
Not all new robots are designed to help you.  Thief robots are fast and
evil robots, designed to steal your weaponry when you least expect it.
If you kill a Thief robot, he will drop items he has stolen from you.  If
he's stolen more than a few items, however, there is always the chance one
or two have been destroyed.


GUIDED MISSILES
===============
Guided missiles can be a great weapon in any single- or multi-player game.
When you fire one of these, your pitch/bank controls will control the
flight path of the missile.  Remaining controls (throttle, sliding) will
still control your ship.  You will continue to control the Guided missile
until it runs out of fuel (30 seconds), it hits an object or wall, or until
you hit the fire key again (at which point the Guided missile will "home"
like a Homing missile).

By default, the Guided missile view will be displayed in the secondary
weapons display.  The view can be enlarged by using the appropriate toggle
in the Options/Toggles menu.


THE AFTERBURNER
===============
New to the DESCENT II display is the Afterburner.  In Cockpit mode, the new
gauge appears as a red energy bar on the left side (the key display has been
moved to the right side).  This new energy bar will only activate if you
are currently carrying the Afterburner.  In Status Bar mode, it appears
below the main Energy Gauge.  In Full Screen, it appears as a percentage
above the Energy/Shield display on the left (if Afterburner is available).

The Afterburner uses a separate energy bank, which charges from your main
Energy.


AUTOSAVE/RESTORE BACKUPS
========================
New in DESCENT II... When you save over an existing savegame, it will copy
the old one to a backup file.  This allows you to restore the old one in
case you accidentally overwrote it.  The backup game appears as
"[autosave backup]" at the bottom of the Restore Game list.

Likewise, whenever you Load a saved game, the game will save your current
game in the backup slot.  This will allow you to "undo" the restore in
case it was accidental.  Thank Mike for this welcome addition to DESCENT II!


BOMB DISPLAY
============
A new ProxBomb/SmartMine display has been added to your screen.  It appears
as a red or gold "B:xx" counter somewhere on your screen.  In Cockpit
mode, it appears in the lower right corner.  On the Status Bar, it's in the
lower left of the Secondary Weapons display.  In Full Screen, it's above
your current weapons display on the right.  If you have no ProxBombs or
SmartMines, this display will be blank.

This display tells you what weapon will be dropped when you hit the Drop
Bomb key (default is 'B').  If the display shows a red-colored "B:04" it
means you have four ProxBombs ready to be dropped.  A gold-colored display
indicates SmartMines.  Note that this does not indicate that the weapon is
"armed" as a Secondary weapon, and only refers to the Drop Bomb key
functionality. You may also assign a key of your choice to toggle between 
SmartMines and ProxBombs in the customize keyboard menu. 

NOTE: This display will reflect the ProxBomb/SmartMine positions in the
Secondary Autoselect Ordering menu, even if they appear below the "Never
Autoselect" line.  Example: Both ProxBombs and SmartMines appear below the
"Never" line, but ProxBombs appear higher.  The "B:xx" display will change
to ProxBombs over SmartMines if you have some of each.

============================================================================

                       ͻ
                        4. COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS 
                       ͼ

The following DOS command-line options are available in DESCENT II.
Upper/lowercase is not significant.

 General Options:

  -Verbose        Shows initialization steps for tech support
  -LowMem         Lower animation detail for better performance with low memory
  -NoLowMem       Force high animation detail even when low memory
  -NoMemCheck     Disables memory requirement checking
  -NoDOSCheck     Disables DOS version checking
  -NoFileCheck    Disables the file handles check
  -NoHighRes      Disables 640x480 mode for menus and movies
  -ForceVesa      Enables VESA linear frame buffering (if available)
  -Subtitles      Turn on movie subtitles (English-only)

 Input devices:

  -NoMouse       Disables mouse drivers
  -NoJoystick    Disables joystick support
  -JoyPolled     Poll joystick w/ counter.  Use for Windows, OS/2
  -JoyBios       Use the system BIOS for joystick.
  -JoyNice       Joystick poller allows interrupts to occur
  -GamePort      Use Colorado Spectrum's Notebook Gameport

 Sound & Music:

  -Volume <v>    Sets sound volume to v, where v is between 0 and 100
  -NoSound       Turns off sound & music
  -NoMusic       Disables music; sound effects remain enabled
  -DisableSound  Completely disable sound system (also disables movies)
  -NoLoadPats    Disables patch loading for Gravis UltraSound
  -Sound22K      Use 22KHz sounds, even if machine has less than 16 MB
  -Sound11K      Use 11KHz sounds, even if machine has more than 16 MB
  -No16Bit       Disable 16-bit sound (movies only)

 Network & Modem:

  -CtsRts        Enables CTS/RTS handshaking during null-modem games
  -NoNetwork     Disables network drivers
  -NoSerial      Disables serial drivers
  -Packets #     Specifies the packets per second where # is the number
                 of packets
  -Shortpackets  Turn on short packets
  -Norankings    Disable multiplayer ranking system
  -Noredunancy   Suppresses duplicate messages such as "You already have ..."

============================================================================

                       ͻ
                        5. TIPS for NEW PILOTS 
                       ͼ

Here are a few things that help new players adjust to the fully 3D world
and intelligent robots of DESCENT II.  Heed these tips and you'll soon be
blasting robot hordes (and your friends!) with ease.

     o Use a quality joystick.  Thrustmaster, Advanced Gravis, Logitech
       and CH Products provide full lines of controls well suited to 3D
       flying.

     o If you use a two-button joystick, try keeping one hand on the
       A and Z keys to control your FORWARD and REVERSE.

     o If you're up against a wall, try using REVERSE to back away 
       instead of turning around.

     o Learn how to SLIDE well.  Using vertical sliding instead of pitching
       will help keep you upright.  If your joystick has a Hat Switch, 
       use it to slide.

     o Rescue the hostages!  If you rescue all hostages in a mine, you
       receive a full rescue bonus.  But be sure you make it out after
       picking them up - if your ship's destroyed, so are they.

     o Try clearing a path to the exit before you attack the Main Reactor.
       You may run out of time if you're battling hordes of robots on
       your escape!

     o Look for secret doors.  Weapons and ammo are often behind them.                      
       They can be a different color, or have small seams running down
       them.  Keep in mind, DESCENT II is fully 3D, and secret doors aren't
       only in the walls...

     o DON'T SIT STILL.  The best way to stay alive is to keep moving.
       Using SLIDE to circle a target while you're firing is very
       effective.

     o Learn to use your ship's Automap.  It can reveal things your
       eyes may miss.


============================================================================

               ͻ
                6. USING SPECIAL JOYSTICKS & CONTROLLERS 
               ͼ

Thrustmaster, Gravis Phoenix, CH, and Logitech controls are fully supported
by DESCENT II.  The device control files (DESCENT2.ADV, DESCENT2.M50,
D2WCS.M50, D2TQS.M50, DESCENT.PHX, and DESCENT.KEY) can be found in the
\CONTROLS subdirectory.  If you have a Wingman Extreme, Flight Force Pro,
or other FCS-style stick, you should use the "Thrustmaster FCS" option.

      SpaceBall Avenger:  In the \CONTROLS subdirectory on your DESCENT II
                          CD there is a self-extracting zip file
                          (AVGRD2.EXE).  This archive contains the drivers
                          and instructions needed to use your Avenger with
                          DESCENT II.

       Thrustmaster FCS:  Choose "Thrustmaster FCS" under Options/Controls.
                          This is for players NOT using the WCS.  If you
                          use the WCS throttle with the FCS, follow
                          instructions for the WCS below.

     * Thrustmaster WCS:  Load the DESCENT2.ADV file into your WCS.  In
           Mark II        DESCENT II, choose "Joystick" under
                          Options/Controls.  Now choose "Configure Above"
                          and change the THROTTLE entry to respond to the
                          WCS (the Y2 axis).

    * Thrustmaster FLCS:  Load the D2FLCS.B50 file into your FLCS. 
                          If you also use a WCS throttle, no program should
                          be loaded into the WCS.

     * Thrustmaster TQS:  Load D2TQS.B50 into your FLCS.  This will
                          automatically configure your TQS for DESCENT II.
                          Follow directions above to configure your throttle
                          entry in DESCENT II.

         Gravis Phoenix:  Load the DESCENT2.PHX file into your Phoenix. In
                          DESCENT II, choose "Joystick" under Options/Controls.
                          Now choose "Configure Above" and change the
                          THROTTLE entry to respond to the throttle
                          slider (the Y2 axis).

      Logitech Cyberman:  You must have the Cyberman MOUSE.COM driver loaded
                          before you run DESCENT II.  If you have a standard
                          mouse connected as well, you will need to use the
                          "/dual" option when you load MOUSE.COM.  See
                          Cyberman docs for details.  

       NoteBook GamePort: Run DESCENT II with the -JoyBios command line switch
                          and everything should work like normal.  Make sure
                          that you have the joystick TSR installed.

Calibration Note:  When using one of the analog throttles listed here or
                   the CH Flightstick, you will be prompted to calibrate
                   your throttle as well as your joystick.

*  >> NOTE TO WCS and FLCS USERS:  Because these devices intercept the
      keyboard signals, your ship may fly strangely when you also hold down
      keyboard keys (like 'A' and 'Z').  If you keep the WCS or FLCS on
      your system, it's recommended that you use those devices for throttle
      control and sliding, not the keyboard.


============================================================================

                       ͻ
                        7. VR HEADSET INFORMATION 
                       ͼ

If you have questions about the headsets, the manufacturers can be 
reached at the following numbers:

      - VFX-1 Head Mounted Display, by Forte Technologies, Inc.
        tel: 716-427-8595
        fax: 716-292-6353

      - CyberMaxx HMD, by VictorMaxx Technologies, Inc.
        tel: 1-800-279-6880
        fax: 708-267-0037

      - i-glasses!, by Virtual I-O
        tel: 800-646-3759
        fax: 206-382-8810
        net: vio@vio.com

      - 3D-MAX shutter glasses by Kasan
        http://pcvr.kasan.co.kr
        Europe: 011-46-18-187777


============================================================================

                 ͻ
                  8. TROUBLESHOOTING & COMMON PROBLEMS 
                 ͼ

Regardless of configuration, you should have no trouble running DESCENT II.
But in the unlikely case you do have problems, here are some helpful
pointers:
      

ͻ
 8a. General Problems 
ͼ

=> Q:  I HAVE A RELATIVELY FAST COMPUTER, SO WHY CAN'T I PLAY BACK THE
       HIGH-RES MOVIES?

   A:  The estimated minimum setup for playing back the high-res movies
       properly is a Pentium-90 and a 2x CD-ROM.  If you have such a
       system (or a faster one), and SETUP still suggests low-res
       movies, you should try one of the following:

        - Increase your CD-ROM buffers to 30 or more (see CD-ROM manual).
        - Use a Large or Crazy install.  The movies will play back better
          from a hard drive.

=> Q:  I OCCASIONALLY GET 2-3 SECOND PAUSES IN THE MIDDLE OF PLAYING.

   A:  DESCENT II uses Redbook audio (like normal audio-only music CD's)
       which provides music straight through the CD instead of synthesizing
       digitized music through the sound card. The limit to redbook audio
       is that is need to pause the game momentarily when it reaches
       the end of the CD. This is normal and there is not due to a problem
       on your system. 

=> Q:  MY CD (REDBOOK) MUSIC IS TOO LOUD/SOFT, WHY IS THIS?

   A:  Thanks to generally non-uniform standards in CD-ROM drivers, the
       average volume level for CD playback is very random.  If the
       CD Music volume slider in DESCENT II doesn't give you the level
       you need, try adjusting your driver levels from DOS (see your
       CD-ROM manual for details).

=> Q:  I'VE GOT 128 MEGS OF RAM IN A MACHINE WITH A SOUND BLASTER AWE32.
       DESCENT II ISN'T WORKING, WHAT DO I DO?

   A:  For Redbook music, run Descent II with the -nomusic switch. If you
       prefer MIDI music, configure your AWE32 as a SoundBlaster
       16 in the setup program.
       

=> Q:  I CANNOT LOAD ANY OF MY SAVED GAMES.  WHAT'S THE DEAL?

   A:  DESCENT II needs your files set to at least 30 to be able to load
       save games. You can either make a bootdisk as described in Question
       number 14 or you can do a simple edit to your config.sys as
       instructed below: (Win95 or Windows 3.1) 

          1 Exit Windows to DOS.
          2 Type:
            EDIT C:\CONFIG.SYS 
          3 Find the FILES=## 
          4 Increase the FILES=number to 30: FILES=30
          5 Go to the Menu Bar and select File/Save. *6* In the Menu Bar,
            select File/Exit to Exit. 

=> Q:  I CAN'T GET MY SIMULEYES TO WORK CORRECTLY WITH DESCENT II.

   A:  Copy the LCDBIOS.EXE and STEREO.BAT into your Descent2 directory.
       These files are on the Destination:Saturn CD in the /DESCENT
       directory.  Edit the STEREO.BAT (or STEREOLO.BAT if you use the
       lower resolution mode) file from:  "/lcdrun:descent" to
       "/lcdrun:d2 /hrefresh". The /hrefresh reduces flicker by using a
       faster refresh.  Save the file, and exit the editor.  Run the
       Descent II setup program and select the VR device of Simuleyes.
       Run the STEREO.BAT (or STEREOLO.BAT) file to start Descent II.

=> Q:  I GET "CANNOT FIND MOON01.BBM" (OR OTHER FILE) ERROR WHEN I RUN
       DESCENT II.  WHAT'S WRONG?

   A:  DESCENT II requires that you specify FILES=15 or higher in your
       CONFIG.SYS.  If you are having problems saving/loading games, then
       make sure that you're not doing a clean boot by holding down the F5
       key during the Loading DOS process.  Adding FILES=15 to your
       CONFIG.SYS should clear this up.

=> Q:  DESCENT II DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE SOME OF THE COOL SOUND EFFECTS
       IT USED TO.  FOR EXAMPLE, MY FLARES MAKE LASER FIRING SOUNDS.
       WHAT HAPPENED?

   A:  If there is less than 5 MB of available physical memory, DESCENT II
       "recycles" sound effects to save memory.  Increase your available
       physical memory above 5 MB, and all sound effects will be loaded.
       Another option is to run with the -NoLowMem command line option.
       This forces Descent to use all sound effects regardless of available
       memory.  However, Descent may run slower with this option.

=> Q:  I HAVE LESS THAN 10MB OF RAM, AND I'M LOW ON DISK SPACE.  DESCENT II
       HANGS/CRASHES ON ME.  WHAT CAN I DO?

   A:  If DESCENT II doesn't have enough free RAM available, it uses hard
       drive space instead of RAM.  If this is the case, make sure you
       have plenty of free disk space (at least 8-16MB free).

=> Q:  DESCENT II RUNS SLOWLY ON MY MACHINE, ESPECIALLY IN LARGE BATTLES.
       WHAT CAN I DO?

   A:  Try one or all of the following:
        - Using F3 and +/- to shrink your 3D window size
        - Lowering any/all of the detail level sliders in the
          Options/Detail level screen.
        - Use SHIFT-F1/F2 to remove any secondary views you may use.

=> Q:  I HAVE A SMALL GAME WINDOW AND A LOW DETAIL LEVEL, BUT DESCENT II
       STILL LOADS AND RUNS SLOWLY.

   A:  Check your sound card settings in SETUP.  Incorrect settings
       can cause significant slowdown.

=> Q:  ONCE IN A WHILE DESCENT II WILL LOCK UP WHEN PLAYING A MOVIE.  WHAT
       CAUSES THIS?

   A:  Check and see if you are running any TSR programs that make use of
       the PC speaker (mail notifiers like Castaway frequently do this).
       To avoid these lockups, you will need to disable any such TSRs before
       running DESCENT II.

=> Q:  THE WALLS IN MY GAME SEEM TO JUMP AROUND IN THE DISTANCE.  WHY?
=> Q:  I GET A COLORED WALL IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TUNNELS.  WHAT IS THIS?

   A:  These are due to the Detail Level being set below the highest
       setting.  Consult your DESCENT II Manual.  

=> Q:  MY COMPUTER HAS 4 MEGS OF RAM.  THE GAME IS SLOW AND ACCESSES THE
       HARD DRIVE ALL THE TIME.

   A:  DESCENT II requires 8 megs of RAM to run.  If you have less than 8
       it is unlikely you will be able to run it well.

=> Q:  DESCENT II LOCKS UP WHEN I RUN IT.

   A:  Try running DESCENT II with the "-nosound" option.  If this works,
       then chances are it's a sound card problem.  Run SETUP and make sure
       your card settings are correct.  If you don't hear digital sounds or
       music when you test them in SETUP, try Autodetection.  If this
       doesn't help, refer to your sound card manual for troubleshooting
       instructions, or call Interplay Technical Support.    

=> Q:  MY COMPUTER LOCKS UP WHEN AUTODETECTING SOUND CARDS IN SETUP.
       WHAT'S WRONG?

   A:  Due to hardware conflicts, autodetecting for sound cards is a
       risky process.  If you know the brand, port address, IRQ, and
       DMA of your sound card(s), it is recommended that you manually
       configure these items.  Lockups are also common when autodetection
       is used when no sound cards are installed.

=> Q:  I CAN'T SELECT THE RIGHT PORT/IRQ/DMA FOR MY SOUNDCARD IN SETUP.

   A:  If the proper selections don't appear in the SETUP, then you can
       always select them manually by editing your DESCENT.CFG file
       located in your DESCENT II directory.  While we tried to account for
       every possibility, some of the more exotic configurations may not
       be listed.  Contact Interplay if your setup is not listed.  

=> Q:  WHY DON'T I HEAR ANYTHING WHEN I TEST MY SOUND IN SETUP?

   A:  You may have the wrong sound card selected, or incorrect port,
       IRQ or DMA settings.  Volume may be set too low in your sound
       drivers (or the volume slider on the back of your sound card).
       Hardware conflicts or loose cables may be to blame as well.
      
=> Q:  MY JOYSTICK ISN'T RESPONDING IN THE GAME.  WHAT'S WRONG?

   A:  Be sure you have JOYSTICK selected in the Options/Controls menu,
       and that it's calibrated.  If your joystick connects to your
       soundcard, make sure the joystick port jumper is ENABLED on the card.
       Some soundcards have this disabled by default.

=> Q:  HEY!  SOME OF MY POWERUPS DISAPPEARED.  WHAT HAPPENED?

   A:  Certain powerups will remove themselves from the game if they have
       been around 4 or 5 minutes.  This only happens to Concussion
       Missiles, Energy, and Shield powerups dropped by a dead player.
    
=> Q:  WHY DOES DESCENT ACT STRANGELY WHEN I RUN IT UNDER WINDOWS 3.xx?

   A:  While DESCENT II may run under Windows, it isn't recommended.  You
       will probably get odd behavior and slowdowns due to timer conflicts.
       GUS users may get no sound at all under Windows.  If you are having
       joystick problems, try using the -JoyPolled command line option.

=> Q:  I HAVE A THRUSTMASTER WCS HOOKED UP WITH A JOYSTICK.  WHEN I USE
       THE STICK TO FLY, AND THE 'A' AND 'Z' KEYS TO MOVE FORWARD AND
       BACK, I START FLYING OUT OF CONTROL.  WHY?

   A:  Holding down keyboard keys will produce erratic results when the
       WCS or FLCS controls are installed.  See note in Section 6 for
       details.

=> Q:  WHY ISN'T MY MIDDLE MOUSE BUTTON WORKING IN DESCENT?

   A:  While DESCENT II supports three-button mice, you still need to load
       a mouse driver that supports three buttons.  Typically Microsoft
       mouse drivers support two and Logitech drivers use three.

=> Q:  I HAVE A GATEWAY 2000 P75.  THE COLORS IN DESCENT II ARE COMPLETELY
       MESSED UP.  WHAT CAN I DO?

   A:  Do a hard reboot of your computer and enter the BIOS setup.
       Find the "VGA Palette Snoop" option and disable it.  This should
       fix the problem.

=> Q:  DESCENT II LOCKS UP AT THE TITLE SCREEN.

   A:  Turn off the "Hidden Refresh" option in your BIOS Advanced settings.
       Also make sure RAMBIOS.SYS does _not_ appear in your CONFIG.SYS
       and that "Hardware Video Shadowing" is turned off in BIOS.


                      ͻ
                       8b. Modem/Serial Problems 
                      ͼ

=> Q:  WHEN PLAYING A MODEM/SERIAL GAME, MY GAME FREEZES ON THE "WAITING
       FOR OPPONENT" SCREEN.  WHAT GIVES?

   A:  This screen will appear if you have died in/escaped from an
       exploding mine.  If the other player is still flying there can be
       up to a 60 second delay.  This is normal.  However, if your game
       sits at this screen much longer, chances are something is wrong.
       Likely culprits:  opponent is having technical difficulties,
       interference with unshielded serial cables, loose cables,
       baud rate set too high, or uncorrected errors in the modem
       transmission.

=> Q:  MY MODEM GAMES ARE MUCH SLOWER THAN NORMAL ONE-PLAYER GAMES.

   A:  Try using a higher baud rate in the Com Settings menu.  If your
       computer does not have a 16550 UART, acquiring one will allow
       up to 38400 baud when communicating with the modem.  Consult your
       Descent Manual for details.

=> Q:  STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN IN MY MODEM/NULL-MODEM GAMES.  WHAT CAN
       I DO TO HELP THIS?

   A:  This may be a result of dropped serial characters.  Some examples
       of "strange" things:  players not dropping powerups when killed,
       ships jumping from place to place on screen, or ships flying
       through doors that appear closed.  If you get error messages during
       play or during the "waiting for opponent" screen, this could be
       the cause as well.

       These problems may occur for several reasons.  Serial play adds an
       additional burden to the CPU when playing the game, so a computer
       capable of playing the game in single-player mode may have
       difficulties with modem or serial play.  If you are using a
       4-megabyte machine, the disk activity needed to run the program in
       a small memory space can cause lost characters.  A lot of sound
       activity can also cause lost serial characters.  Increasing the RAM
       for the game or reducing the number of sound channels in the detail
       settings menu can sometimes help.  Of course you can also reduce
       the baud rate in the Com Settings menu to slow down the game
       somewhat while improving reliability.  Also try setting your music
       volume slider to 0 in the Options menu.

       The best thing you can do to improve serial performance is to equip
       your machine with a 16550 UART.  However, even with this UART 38.4k
       baud rate can still be problematic if you have the burden of low
       RAM or heavy sound activity, so don't be ashamed to run a 16550
       UART at 19.2k baud if need be.


                           ͻ
                            8c. Netgame Problems 
                           ͼ

=> Q:  STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN WHEN PLAYING DESCENT II UNDER KALI/IHHD.
       HITS DON'T REGISTER ON MY OPPONENTS, THEIR SHIPS SEEM TO "JUMP"
       AROUND A LOT, ETC. WHAT CAN I DO?

   A:  While DESCENT II isn't really designed for slow connection games
       such as these, you may be able to improve them.  One thing that may
       help is starting the netgame with a lower Packets per Second
       value (under Multiplayer/Start Netgame/More Options).

=> Q:  I GET HUGE WAITS WHEN WAITING TO JOIN A NETGAME.

   A:  Robo-Anarchy games and games with many players will sometimes take
       up to 30 seconds to transfer the needed join info to incoming
       players.  Be patient.

=> Q:  ROBO-ANARCHY PAUSES DURING GAMEPLAY DURING GAMES WITH 8 PLAYERS.
       CAN THIS BE IMPROVED?

   A:  Due to the greater number of AI objects the game must handle, Robo-
       Anarchy will probably suffer more with 8 players than other game
       modes.  We recommend playing with 4 players instead.

=> Q:  I HAVE A ZEOS PANTERA P60 WITH A SOUNDCARD AND WHEN I TRY PLAYING
       A NETGAME IT LOCKS UP.  WHAT CAN I DO?

   A:  Instead of doing a full login to your server, try loading only the
       IPX drivers.  Descent Netgames only require this to function
       properly.

=> Q:  I'M GETTING AN ERROR SAYING MY IPX DRIVERS AREN'T LOADED PROPERLY.
       WHAT DO I DO?

   A:  First, make sure you have a reasonable amount of low memory
       available.  Although DESCENT II uses a DOS extender to avoid low-
       memory hassles, some low memory is still needed for network buffers.
       If this fails, make sure your IPX.COM and other network drivers
       are loaded properly.  A good way to test this is to logon to
       a network server, if one is available.

=> Q:  MY NETGAMES SEEM SLOW AND UNRELIABLE.  WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?

   A:  Try using a different socket number.  It's possible that some other
       application on your computer uses socket 5110h and this is
       preventing DESCENT II from opening a proper network connection.  Try
       large values for the socket number (like 32 or 100).  Remember,
       your opponents will need to use the same socket you do.  Also try
       lowering the Packets per Second value in the Start Netgame/More
       Options menu.

=> Q:  DESCENT II TELLS ME MY NETWORK CARD IS MISSING PACKETS.  WHAT THE
       HECK DOES THAT MEAN?

   A:  This can be a result of a slow network card, heavy traffic on the
       network, or software conflicts in your system.  If you get this
       message, you can rejoin the game and try again.  If the problem
       persists, one of the following could be to blame:

       - Too many packets being sent.  DESCENT II is optimized for play over
         LAN-based networks.  Slow LANs or WAN-based games (like KALI or
         IHHD) may be too slow to guarantee processing of all packets.
         Lowering the Packets per Second value in the Start Netgame/More
         Options menu (to a number less than 10) may improve things.

       - Loose cables.  Happens to the best of us.  Check the plugs on
         the back of your computer, specifically the ones running to/from
         your network card.

       - Too many players.  While 8 players is offered as the maximum
         in DESCENT II, it's possible that your LAN or computer configuration
         can only support 4-6 players reliably.

       - Bad network card.  Some cards drop IPX packets even without
         heavy loads or interference.  If you suspect your LAN card, try
         swapping it with one from another computer.

       - Software conflicts.  Other drivers may be running that cause
         problems with the network interrupts.  These conflicts may not
         emerge when performing other LAN tasks that either don't use
         IPX or have layers of error-checking.  Try removing unneeded
         drivers from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.

       - Router problems.  Playing Descent with players on different sides
         of a router may cause lost packets or delays.  Playing this way
         is not recommended because it creates a significant load on the
         router that may disturb other LAN users.


============================================================================

                          ͻ
                           9. S3 VIRGE VERSION  
                          ͼ

The version of Descent II for the S3 Virge chipset is shipped as a
seperate executable.  During installation, you will be asked if you
want to install the S3 version.  

If you have installed the S3 version, run Descent II on your Virge 
card, by typing:

   d2v

Note that the current S3 executable is version 1.1.  Features new to
version 1.2 are not present in the S3 version.
   
If you run Windows 3.1 before running Descent II/Virge, you may 
experience graphics problems when you run Descent II/Virge.  If you
experience this, reboot your computer and rerun Descent II.

The S3 Virge version is a DOS executable.  If you want to run under 
Windows 95, please make sure you have done the following:

    - Go into the Control Panel/System/Performance/File System/CD-ROM
      dialog.  First, make sure the Supplemental Cache Size is set to
      Large.  Secondly, if you have a 2x CD-ROM drive, make sure the
      Optimize Access Pattern dialog is set to "Double Speed Drives"
      (if you have a 4x CD, use "Quad Speed Drives", etc.).  This will
      ensure good movie playback.

    - The DOS shell from which you run Descent II/Virge must have the
      correct memory settings.  Bring up the Properties menu, and 
      select the Memory tab.  Under "MS-DOS protected-mode {DPMI}
      memory", select 16384.  If you create an icon to run Descent
      ii/Virge, be sure to make this change to the icons properties.

Other Win95 items:

    - DESCENT II normally uses the PrintScreen key to take screenshots of
      the game.  If you wish for this key to function in the normal fashion,
      go to the Properties/Windows Shortcut Keys dialog.  Make sure the
      checkbox next to "PRTSC" is enabled.  This will restore the Win95
      default setting for this key.

    - Disable any screen savers you have running.  These will interrupt
      gameplay and possibly cause it to lock-up.

    - If you get an "HMI Driver Not Found" error, you should simply
      re-start DESCENT II.

    - Do not switch to another program while running Descent II/Virge.
      This could cause Descent II/Virge to become unstable.


                          ͻ
                           10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
                          ͼ

=> Q:  I CAN'T GET DESCENT II TO RUN PROPERLY!  THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS ARE
       TAUNTING ME.  WHAT CAN I DO??

   A:  Don't panic.  Interplay Technical support is happy to help with
       with any problems you have.  Help is available 24 hours a day
       through our Automated Customer Service system, with representatives
       available during normal business hours.  Here's how to contact us:

         ͻ
                         Interplay Technical Support               
                             & Customer Service                    
                                                                   
                             U.S.:  714-553-6678                   
                                                                   
                         Europe: +44 (0) 1628 423723               
                                                                   
         ͼ

                         Interplay Customer Service
                      Mail: Interplay Customer Service
                              16815 Von Karman
                              Irvine, CA 92606

                         Telephone: (714) 553-6678
                            Fax: (714) 252-2820
                           Attn: Customer Service

                   Internet E-Mail: support@interplay.com
                  World Wide Web: http://www.interplay.com
                      BBS: Telnet to bbs.interplay.com
                   BBS Modem Phone Number: (714) 252-2822
                       America Online: E-mail IPTECH
                Compuserve: GO GAMBPUB or E-mail 76702,1342
                        FTP Site: ftp.interplay.com


============================================================================

                    ͻ
                     11. DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION 
                    ͼ

         Please report Software Piracy to the SPA: 1-800-388-PIR8

If you wish to distribute DESCENT II, grab the 3-level Interactive Demo from
one of the sites listed below.  See Software License below for specific
distribution information of the DESCENT II Interactive Demo.

The DESCENT II INTERACTIVE DEMO (as well as current updates) can be found at
the following locations:

             
              Interplay web page:  http://www.interplay.com
              Parallax web page :  http://www.pxsoftware.com
             


============================================================================
               SOFTWARE USE LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE 

  This software product and the manual are copyrighted and all rights are 
    reserved by Interplay Productions and are protected by the copyright 
   laws that pertain to computer software.  You may not copy the software 
   except that you may make one copy of the software solely for backup or 
     archival purposes.  You may not loan, sell, rent, lease, give, sub 
  license, or otherwise transfer the software (or any copy).  You may not 
       modify, adapt, translate, create derivative works, decompile, 
     disassemble, or otherwise reverse engineer or attempt to reverse 
  engineer or derive source code from, all or any portion of the software 
  or anything incorporated therein or permit or encourage any third party 
                                to do so.

        DESCENT COPYRIGHT (C) 1997,1998 PARALLAX SOFTWARE CORPORATION
                           ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

           ALL TRADEMARKS ARE PROPERTY OF INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS.
                           ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
    INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS IS THE EXCLUSIVE LICENSEE AND DISTRIBUTOR.
============================================================================

-END OF FILE-

