INFORMATION ON RUNNING & CONFIGURING HYPERCYCLES(tm) V1.0 @6-15-95 ----------------------------------------------------------------- If one of the following does not solve the problem you are having, see the text file 'TECHFORM.TXT' for information on contact Aclypse to help solve your problem. The facts are that almost everyone's computer system has different combinations of processors, operating systems, memory managers, sound cards. Testing HYPERCYCLES on all these possible setups is nearly impossible, especially for a small game development company like Aclypse. Is your computer fast enough? It should be a 486 33MHz or faster system. Do to the intense fast action and to do justice to this game try to play it on 486 66MHz or better. And by all means with a sound card, that's half the experience right there! This file describes information gathered for running this version of HYPERCYCLES(tm) 1.0. If you have problems that are not answered here, there are a number of avenues to turn to. *Check internet usenet groups for answers and hints for configuring and playing HYPERCYCLES(tm). There probably will be patches or updated versions in the future, so info about them will be there first. *Send E-MAIL or FAX us questions directly to us. E-MAIL aclypse@iquest.net FAX (812) 875-2836 *DO NOT call our order line or other voice phone lines with technical questions. We can't handle the volume, please use E-MAIL or FAX and we'll be happy and eager to help you out. HYPERCYCLES was developed on a 486DX-4 100MHz Most problems people have running PC games is due to problems with the software utilizing the the sound card. If you experience problems running HYPERCYCLES(tm), run HCSETUP and: First turn off the music by selecting NONE for MUSIC CARD. If it runs ok after that check the third Q&A for further assistance. If that does not solve the problem, select NONE for SOUND FX Card. If that seems to stop the problem, then you have either incorrect dma or IRQ settings or conflict. Common Questions and Remedies ----------------------------- >>>>>> I can't get digital sound from my Sound Blaster >>>>>> compatible sound card. You are experiencing a DMA conflict. Change the DMA channel of the sound card or offending device. HYPERCYCLES(tm) does not use IRQ #'s above 7. >>>>>> HYPERCYCLES(tm) locks up before I see the title screen. Run HYPERCYCLES(tm) directly from the DOS prompt not from inside Windows 3.x. You need to turn "Hidden Refresh" off in your CMOS Advanced Chipset settings. If you're using RAMBIOS.SYS, you must remove it from your CONFIG.SYS. Make sure you also turn off any Hardware Video Shadowing (also found in CMOS settings.) Also check next item. >>>>>> HYPERCYCLES(tm) locks or pauses on a fast PC system. Try turning the music off; Go into HCSETUP and select NONE for MUSIC Card Selection. Leave SOUND FX Card as is, just turn music off by selecting NONE for MUSIC Card type. If that stops the lock-up, try turning MUSIC back on and some of the following suggestions: Some memory managers don't play well with others. Create alternate system files (AUTOEXEC.BAT & CONFIG.SYS) that uses DOS's HIMEM.SYS and remove all references to the memory manager, Or try disabling your memory manager and booting up your system. HYPERCYCLES(tm) runs in protected mode and does not need a memory manager to use all your memory. QEMM Version 7.5 should work fine under most system configurations. QEMM version 7.0 has been known cause havoc with games that use DMA digital sound effects. The newer version 7.5 fixes this problem. Try booting without QEMM but be sure to run any special sound card drivers that are needed. Lantastic 6.0 users have reported problems especially if the system's memory manager has not been 'optimized for a while. Try booting the system without the LAN and it should solve any problems. Seems as if Lantastic 6.0 conflicts with music card drviers. Some systems have a option in the CMOS setup for switching the speed of the PC from the keyboard. This is the Turbo Switch option. >>>>>> Sound effects are breaking up. Run the HCSETUP program to check if the correct configuration information on your sound card. Disconnect any parallel port devices. >>>>>> What was the primary system used to develop HYPERCYCLES? HYPERCYCLES(tm) was developed using a 486DX-4 100MHz system running DOS 6.22, QEMM 7.5, 8MB RAM , and a Creative Labs SB16 Sound Card. >>>>>> I can't get sound on my ATI Stereo FX card. Contact ATI for a BIOS upgrade. >>>>>> Why can't I get music or sound effects? Run the HCSETUP program to check if the correct configuration information on your sound card. Note: HYPERCYCLES(tm) only supports IRQ numbers 7 or below. Be sure you set your sound card to an IRQ number which is 7 or below. Refer to your sound card manual for details on setting your IRQ number. Note: This is particularly important for Gravis Ultra Sound users because the standard default for the GUS card is 11. >>>>>> Why isn't the animation smooth? HYPERCYCLES(tm) automatically adjusts screen resolution and overall speed to the capabilities of your computer. This can be manually overridden. Use the /Z# command parameter. The # can be from 1 to 6, were 1 is for slower computers and 6 is for faster systems. Use the /D (debug) parameter first to see what HYPERCYCLES(tm) is the normal Speed Index for your system. Use the /S (skip memory test) parameter will allow you to override and skip the memory test of HYPERCYCLES(tm). Another solution is to get a faster computer. At least a 66MHz or 100MHz 486 or a PENTIUM class machine. >>>>>> Why doesn't my mouse work? HYPERCYCLES(tm) does not support mouse input. The game play is running at such a fast pace, that mouse input does not react fast enough to keep you out of the walls. >>>>>> I get an "Insufficient Memory" error You don't have enough free RAM to run HYPERCYCLES(tm). You need at least 1.2MB of free RAM. If you have 2MB or more of memory installed in your system try the following: Put 'REM ' in front of the SMARTDRV line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This will work in most cases. Leave SMARTDRV in if you have enough memory as it will speed disk access. If you have DOS 6 or later, boot your system and press the F5 key as the "Starting MS-DOS..." message appears. If you have DOS 5.0 or earlier, you must create a boot disk. >>>>>> My GUS doesn't work. The default IRQ for a GUS is 11. HYPERCYCLES(tm) doe not handle IRQ's above 7. Change this with your GUS setup program.