Dawn Patrol Self Running and Playable Demo ======================================= Copyright 1994 Rowan Software Ltd The Dawn Patrol demo requires 3.3MB of hard disk space. The standard demo is provided in standard VGA mode only. Dawn Patrol can also be played in super VGA and there is a supplementary SVGA demo artwork disk. The test program, SVGATEST, on the demo disk can be used to see if the player's machine is supported by our drivers. More about this later. If the SVGATEST is successful and if you have the svga demo graphics disk and if you have a 486DX66 machine or better, then we recommend that you try the svga demo. The game can be run on slower machines in SVGA, please see graphics support below. Installation ------------ From the floppy drive: install drive:\directory e.g. a: install c:\dpdemo To install the SVGA graphics disk: install drive:\directory e.g. a: install c:\dpdemo To run the game type "Patrol". Memory Requirements for Demo ---------------------------- Hard Disk: 3.5MB RAM: 450KB of conventional memory to load program + 50KB of conventional or umb memory to run + 20KB for music and sfx 2.3MB EMS Program Configuration --------------------- After typing "Patrol", you will be presented with the standard Dawn Patrol program configuration: Colour Options: Choose 1 for 320.200 VGA The other options are not available on the standard demo. Music Options: Choose any of the options presented. SFX Options: Choose any of the options presented. If SoundBlaster is chosen, the program will inspect your autoexec.bat for the necessary setup data. If the information is not available, you will have to input it manually. Sound on Ground: Sound in Air: We offer the choice of 5.5KHz sound and 11KHz sound. The 11KHz ones sound better but they take up more RAM. Also, for any SFX option choice, apart from the SoundBlaster, the 11KHz sound will slow down the game. If you would like to reconfigure the program at a later date (eg. to show SVGA), at the DOS prompt type: Patrol ? User Interface -------------- 1. The keyboard controls are always available: Tab to move selection forwards Shift Tab to move selection backwards Enter or Space to select Hot keys as indicated. 2. Mouse control will be available provided that a driver has been previously installed. All text in red can be selected. 3. The joystick can only be used for flight. It cannot be configured to work the user interface. Manoeuvring ----------- The default is keyboard, using the arrow keys. For joystick selection and calibration, got to the Preferences Page (or f10 in game). + revs up (keypad gives bigger effects) - revs down (as above) , minimum revs . maximum military revs ins,del rudder end,PgDn max rudder Basic Dogfighting ----------------- - Enter to move to outside lock - manoeuvre aircraft until pointing at enemy - backspace to move to inside lock to make the kill - alt F to switch padlock focus to another aircraft Other Keys There are many other keys available in the demo, but we would need a manual to describe them all. Here are some important ones: alt D to toggle auto detail ctrl D to manually select a detail level P pause View Matrix ----------- There are a very large number of views available in Dawn Patrol: so who needs radar! To help avoid confusion, it is worth bearing in mind that, with only a few exceptions, you need to press two keys to get any particular view. Hence the title, "View Matrix". One group of keys defines the viewee and the other group of keys defines the view type. So, say you are on the track view (f6) of your aircraft (piloted aircraft), pressing shift f3 changes the viewee to the nearest enemy. Because a view type key hasn't been pressed yet you see the track view of the nearest enemy. Press f8 to change the view type to outside lock. This will show the piloted aircraft in the foreground and the nearest enemy, centre screen, in the background. Manoeuvre to point at the enemy and then press f9 to get to inside lock for the kill. Here are some exceptions that are really just shortcuts to make it all a bit easier: enter: outside lock of nearest enemy. This is equivalent to pressing shift f3 and f8 as described above. backspace: inside lock of nearest enemy escape: return to piloted aircraft GRAPHICS SUPPORT The game, as opposed to the demo, can be played in 3 different setups: VGA mode mixed mode SVGA mode In VGA mode, both the ground and flying sections are presented in 256 colours and standard resolution. This mode will work on 386 and more advanced machines. On some 386 machines, it may be necessary to go to the lowest level of detail. This provides: no imagemapping of the landscape imagemapping on aircraft and some targets In mixed mode, the ground section of the game is presented in SVGA and the flying section is presented in standard VGA resolution, both using 256 colours. This mode is recommended for 486 machines up to and including 486-DX50. In SVGA mode, both the ground and flying sections are presented in 256 colours and high resolution. To run the flying section with full detail requires at least a 486-DX66 local bus machine. Of course, it is possible to run the flying section on a slower machine at lower detail levels. SUPER VGA DRIVERS ================= After you have installed the DAWN PATROL program disk set you will be able to run the game in standard VGA mode. You can then run SVGATEST. This program will attempt to set up an SVGA library for your graphics card. If it is successful, then a high resolution version of the title screen will be displayed. This indicates that you will be able to run DAWN PATROL in high resolution. At this stage you should install the SVGA graphics disk set. We have two SVGA drivers: High Speed VESA driver and a Universal VESA driver. The Universal driver should work on most cards but is slower than the High Speed driver. Please run SVGATEST to decide which driver to use. At the beginning of SVGATEST, a list including the following chipsets will be displayed: Cirrus ET4000 Trident #9 GXE ATI There are also a number of manufacturers' brand names. In the following list, brand names are matched with their chipset: Hercules Graphite ET4000 Genoa 8500VL Cirrus Genoa 3989VL-12 ET4000 Trident 8900 Trident Trident 9000 Trident Cirrus Logic GD-54xx Cirrus MACH 32 ATI If you don't know which chipset you have, then select "Technical Information" in the SVGATEST. The following cards have been tested and work with the High Speed VESA driver: Cirrus Logic GD-54xx ET3000 ET4000 Trident #9 GXE ATI MACH 32 (with original VESA TSR) The following cards have been tested and work with the Universal VESA driver: some S3 cards Pegasus Paradise The following cards have been tested and do not work with the supplied VESA drivers: Orchid Fahrenheit S3 Please contact Entertainment International for the latest information on these drivers. NOTES ON UNIVERSAL VESA OPTION (LOW SPEED) ========================================== You must make ONE of the following edits to your C:\CONFIG.SYS file, depending on the memory management software you are using: On DOS versions before DOS 5 on the line starting DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS: Add the parameter: i=A000-AFFF On DOS versions 5 and after on the line starting DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS: Find, and remove, the word: RAM And add the parameter: i=A000-AFFF For Quarterdeck QEMM 386, on the line starting DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS: Add the parameter: VREMS For 386 MAX, on the line starting DEVICE=C:\386MAX\386MAX.SYS: Add the parameter: i=A000-AFFF After the "DOS 5 and after" edit some software won't work until the edit is reversed. You may wish to make a bootable floppy especially for Dawn Patrol: FORMAT A: /S copy c:\config.sys a: copy c:\autoexec.bat a: and perform the edit described above on A:\CONFIG.SYS You will also have to change any lines starting DEVICE=\ to DEVICE=C:\ and any lines starting DEVICEHIGH=\ to DEVICEHIGH=C:\ ERROR MESSAGES ============== 1 ERROR: NotExist Last file access:libs640.400\SGA_BITZ.bin This means that the SVGA driver has not been configured. Try running SVGATEST.