Star Control 3 Hyper Melee Demo HELP.ME             September 20, 1996

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          STAR CONTROL 3 (TM) HYPER MELEE DEMO HELPME
          -------------------------------------------

For instructions on how to play the Star Control 3 Hyper Melee 
Demo, please consult the MANUAL.TXT file. For general 
installation and play tips, please consult the README.TXT file.

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                          TABLE OF CONTENTS
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I.    System Requirements
II.   Running SETSOUND
III.  Manually Creating a Boot Disk

V.    Sound Problems
VI.   Windows 95 Problems
VII.  If You Are Having Problems
VIII. Technical Support
IX.   Legal Stuff

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                       SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Minimum Hardware Requirements:
IBM or 100% Compatible 486/66 MHz, 8 MB RAM,
5 MB free Hard Drive space, Microsoft(R) compatible mouse
Operating System: Windows(R) 95, MS-DOS(R) 5.0 or higher
Music: Sound Blaster & Compatibles, General MIDI Compatibles
Voice and S/FX: Sound Blaster & Compatibles
Graphics: VESA compatible Super VGA, (640x480, 256 color)

Recommended:
CPU: Pentium(TM)/60 MHz or better

Optional:
2 Player Remote Hyper Melee: 9600 BPS or faster modem, null modem
connection, or IPX compliant network.

The install program requires 512K of conventional memory to copy 
Star Control 3 onto your hard drive. If the install program fails 
while copying the game onto your hard drive, you may not have 
enough conventional memory. You may need to use a boot disk to 
run the install program, though you may not need the boot disk 
to run the game.

Follow the instructions in this file that describe how to Run the 
Boot Disk Maker Program or how to Manually Create a Boot Disk. If 
you are installing from Windows 95, please exit to DOS before running 
the Boot Disk Maker Program. Once you have made a boot disk, restart 
your computer with the boot disk in the A: drive, and follow the 
instructions in the manual for installing from DOS.

DO NOT TRY TO RUN THE GAME UNDER WINDOWS(R) 3.1. EXIT OUT OF
WINDOWS(R) 3.1 INTO DOS, THEN RUN THE GAME.


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                       RUNNING SETSOUND
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You must run SETSOUND before the game can access your sound card.

NOTE: If you have problems, the MANUAL.TXT, README.TXT, and 
HELP.ME files are text files. You can view them from within the 
DOS EDIT program, or the Windows 95 NOTEPAD program. Review 
README.TXT (for gameplay problems), HELP.ME (for Technical and 
Installation problems), and the MANUAL.TXT (for instructions on 
how to play the game). 

When SETSOUND begins, if you are in Windows 95, and if you are not 
sure of your sound card configuration, use your arrow keys to 
select the "View Windows 95 Configuration", then press <Enter>. 
Write down this information for later use.

When SETSOUND begins, use your arrow keys to select the "Select 
and configure MIDI music driver" option, then press <Enter>. 

Choose the correct driver for your system. 

Next, using your arrow keys, select "Attempt to configure sound 
driver automatically" and press <Enter>. If the driver configures 
correctly, press <Enter> to choose "OK". If the driver does not 
configure automatically, you will have to return and choose 
"Skip auto-detection to configure sound driver manually" option or
"Select a different sound driver option" if SETSOUND does not 
recognize your hardware.

Next use your arrow keys to select the "Select and configure 
digital audio driver" option, then press <Enter>.

Choose the correct driver for your system. 

Next, using your arrow keys, select "Attempt to configure sound 
driver automatically" and press <Enter>. If the driver configures 
correctly, press <Enter> to choose "OK". If the driver does not 
configure automatically, you will have to return and choose 
"Skip auto-detection to configure sound driver manually" option 
or "Select a different sound driver option" if SETSOUND does not 
recognize your hardware.

Next use your arrow keys to highlight "Done", then click <Enter>.

NOTE: If you wish to change your sound options, you may go to the 
directory where Star Control 3 was installed, and type:
SETSOUND <ENTER>


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                  MANUALLY CREATING A BOOT DISK
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NOTE: Although the vast majority of people will not need a boot disk 
to run Star Control 3, we have found that most problems that occur 
with the game are caused by conflicts with other programs. These can 
usually be resolved by creating a boot disk that loads only the 
necessary drivers for the game to run. By creating a boot disk, the 
game will usually run faster, and have more available RAM for the 
game to use.

1.   Make sure that you have a high-density diskette on hand that will
     fit into drive A:. NOTE: THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE WILL ERASE ALL
     INFORMATION ON THAT DISK.

2.   Type:  FORMAT  A:  /S  <ENTER>
     You will be prompted to insert your diskette into your computer's
     A: drive.  Insert the diskette you want to use, and press
     <ENTER>. When it asks you to enter a label name, press <ENTER>.
     When it asks you if you want to format another diskette, answer
     No.  This should return you to a DOS prompt.

3.   Type:  A:  <ENTER>

4.   Type:  COPY  C:\CONFIG.SYS  <ENTER>

5.   Type:  COPY  C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT  <ENTER>

6.   Type:  EDIT  CONFIG.SYS  <ENTER>
     Note: PC-DOS users will have to type:  E  CONFIG.SYS  <ENTER>
     This should display a mostly blue screen with text on it.  Each
     line of text represents one DOS command.

7.   You will need some of these DOS commands to allow you to run the
     game properly.  The lines we need can usually be left just as
     they are.  These lines are:
     - The line with HIMEM.SYS (or any other upper memory manager)
       If you do not have this line, then type:
       DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
     - The line with EMM386.EXE (or any other expanded memory manager)
       If you do not have this line, then type:
       DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
     - Any lines pertaining to your sound card 
     - Any lines necessary for the normal operation of your computer
     - Any lines pertaining to your CD-ROM driver:
       (Example: DEVICEHIGH=C:\TOSHIBA\D011V109.SYS /D:MSCD001 /N:1)

     For all other lines:
     - Move the text cursor to the far left of the DOS command line
     - Type:  REM  [Space]

8.   Once you have finished editing the CONFIG.SYS file, press
     [Alt-F], and then [S] to save it.  PC-DOS users will need to
     press the [F2] key instead.

9.   Press [Alt-F], and then [X] to exit the editor.  PC-DOS users
     will need to press the [F3] key instead.  This should return you
     to the DOS prompt.

10.  Type:  EDIT  AUTOEXEC.BAT  <ENTER>
     Note: PC-DOS users will have to type:  E  AUTOEXEC.BAT  <ENTER>
     This will again display a mostly blue screen with text on it.

11.  Again, we are editing the file to allow you to run the game
     properly.  The lines we need in AUTOEXEC.BAT are:
     - @ECHO OFF
     - PROMPT $P$G
     - The line with PATH
     - Any lines pertaining to your sound card
       (Example: set sound=c:\sb16)
     - Any lines necessary for the normal operation of your computer
     - The MSCDEX line:
     (Example: LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001)

     For all other lines:
     - Move the text cursor to the far left of the DOS command line
     - Type:  REM  [Space]
     
12.   Once you have finished editing the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, press
      [Alt-F], and then [S] to save it.  PC-DOS users will need to
      press the [F2] key instead.

13.  Press [Alt-F], and then [X] to exit the editor.  PC-DOS users
     will need to press the [F3] key instead.

The boot disk is now ready for use with the Star Control 3.


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                         SOUND PROBLEMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  In order for the game to run, your sound card must be configured 
    for MIDI and Digital Audio sound. Please use the SETSOUND utility 
    provided with the game.

2.  If you are having trouble either getting SETSOUND to accept your 
    audio driver in Windows 95, or if the game will run in DOS, but 
    you get an 
    "ERROR: Sound driver installation failed..." 
    when you try to run the game in Windows 95, or if SETSOUND allows
    you to automatically select and configure your specific sound
    driver, but Star Control 3 crashes on start up, run SETSOUND 
    again, select Soundblaster or 100% compatible as your MIDI
    and digital audio driver, then run the game again.

NOTE: For some systems the Sound Blaster Pro driver has a better 
chance of working than the Sound Blaster or 100% compatible driver.

3.  If the sound volume seems too low, check the mixer levels in your 
    sound card setup. You may have both a DOS mixer and a Windows 95 
    mixer. You can also check for a Volume adjustment on the back of 
    the card.

4.  If you run SETSOUND in Windows 95 and the program crashes 
    while trying to automatically select or configure your sound 
    driver, or if you can install a sound driver in MS-DOS mode, 
    but it does not work in Windows 95, you may need to install 
    that driver in MS-DOS and run Star Control 3 in MS-DOS 
    (not in a Windows 95 DOS box). If you still have problems, 
    run SETSOUND and select "None" for the driver that is causing
    problems. For MIDI drivers, this will mean that you will not
    be able to hear music while playing Star Control 3. For 
    Digital Audio drivers, you will not be able to hear recorded 
    voice or sound effects while playing Star Control 3.
   
    The following sound card drivers may need to be installed or 
    run in MS-DOS, or set to "None" using SETSOUND:

    Gravis Ultrasound
    IBM MWAV
    Turtle Beach Tahiti
    Turtle Beach Tropez

    Please contact your soundcard vendor. Windows 95 patches may
    be available for the SETSOUND drivers.

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                       WINDOWS 95 PROBLEMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: If you are having trouble in Windows 95, you should first 
Restart in MS-DOS mode and attempt to run the game from there.

1.  We have tested the game under a variety of systems running 
    Windows 95 without a problem. However, running the game under 
    Windows 95 with systems with 8 MB of RAM may cause problems. The 
    reason is that with Windows 95 running in the background, the game
    will only have 3-4 megs of RAM available to run. If you have 
    problems under Windows 95 and only have 8 megs of RAM, we 
    recommend running the game from DOS.

NOTE: Common symptoms of low memory are graphics disappearing in
melee. If explosions or weapon graphics are replaced by white squares,
then there was not enough memory in the system to load the graphics. 
Try running the game from DOS.

2.  If you notice long pauses or major skipping in the game,
    Windows 95 may be trying to swap information from RAM to the hard
    drive. This can happen if you have other programs running in the
    background. There are some programs such as System Agent,
    Microsoft Exchange, screen savers, and power-saving programs
    that may conflict with the game. These programs will often kick in
    while the game is running and cause it to quit. When running the
    game under Windows 95, we recommend closing all other
    programs before starting the game.

3.  If you receive a low-memory warning under Windows 95, and you feel
    you should have a sufficient amount of memory available, try 
    shutting down Windows 95 and restarting. 

4.  You may run into problems with sound if your computer has not been
    set up correctly for DOS programs. If your computer came with 
    Windows 95 pre-installed, you may not have all of the necessary 
    sound drivers installed correctly. Please check the documentation 
    that came with your computer for instructions on setting up your 
    sound card for DOS programs.

5.  Should you encounter problems under Windows 95 that you cannot 
    resolve, your best solution is to try running the game under DOS.
    If you have 8 MB of RAM you can try creating a separate 
    configuration for Windows 95. Follow the steps below:
    1) Right click on "My Computer"
    2) Select "Properties"
    3) Select "Hardware Profiles"
    4) Click on "Original Configuration"
    5) Select "Copy"
    6) In the space provided, create a name for your new configuration
    7) Press OK
    8) Under Device Manager, double-click on devices you want to 
    remove to conserve memory ("Network" is a good example). If the 
    device can be removed, both configurations will be listed under 
    "General and Device Usage". Simply un-check the box for your new 
    configuration.
    9) Once complete, restart your computer. You will see your new 
    configuration as an option when you start.

6.  Running under Windows 3.1 / 3.11 / Windows NT
    The game does not work correctly under Windows 3.x or Windows NT. 
    You should exit completely out of Windows and run the program in 
    DOS. The install programs may also not work under these operating 
    systems.

7.  Running under OS/2
    This game may not run under any version of OS/2.

8. Do not run more than one session of Star Control 3 at a time as 
    this will eventually cause the game to crash.

9.  Before playing, close all other open applications. Some users have
    experienced random fatal errors while playing the game if they
    have other memory-intensive DOS programs running at the same time.
    We recommend running the game as a stand-alone DOS application. Do
    not play the game through Windows 3.1x. Completely exit out of 
    Windows 3.1 and start the game from the MSDOS prompt.

10. Do not allow Star Control 3 to lose focus in Windows 95. If you
    minimize, ALT+TAB, ALT+ENTER, or are running a program that pops-
    up and forces Star Control 3 into the background, Star Control 3
    may crash.


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                    IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  Later versions of MS DOS have a menu system for your setup files 
    CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. Look in your DOS manual under 
    "MENUITEM". Using this command, you can have a menu of set ups
    every time you boot up your PC. I.e., you can choose 1 for a
    "Normal" Setup, 2 for "Games" etc.

2.  The game does not require a memory manager, but should run
    acceptably with all of them in most configurations. You may
    have problems running the game with QEMM. To disable QEMM, push
    ALT while the system is booting.

3.  Running SMARTDRV.SYS should have little effect on the game. 
    However, it is possible for the cache to interfere with long
    passages of streaming video or audio. If you note an occasional 
    halting of the audio or video, try removing SMARTDRV.SYS from your
    configuration.


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                       TECHNICAL SUPPORT
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You can contact Accolade for technical support from the following
places:

World Wide Web: http://www.accolade.com/

Internet:       techelp@accolade.com
                
America Online: Keyword: Accolade

CompuServe:     Game Publishers A Forum (GO GAMAPUB)

Phone:          (408) 296-8400 (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Pacific)
                  
Fax:            (408) 246-0231

Mail:           Accolade Customer Support
                5300 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Suite 500
                San Jose, California 95129


If you are having problems with the game, we can best help you if:
1) You are at your computer when you call.
2) You have the following information handy:

Date and size of the game executable file (MELEE7.EXE)
Your computer's brand and model
Your computer's BIOS brand and version number
Processor Type and Speed
Total RAM installed in your computer
Name and version number of your operating system 
 (such as MS-DOS or Windows 95)
Name and version number of your memory manager
 (such as QEMM, EMM386 or 386Max)
CD-ROM brand and model name
Video card brand and model name
Mouse brand and version number of mouse driver
Sound card brand and model name
Contents of AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files
At the DOS prompt (or if you're running Windows 95, select 
 "Run" from the Start menu), type "MEM /C [Enter]" and copy 
 down the on-screen listing

When sending Tech support e-mail, cut and paste the following into 
 your e-mail message and fill in the blanks:

Date:  
Name:  
Phone number:  
E-mail address:
Game Title:  
Date and size of the game executable file (MELEE7.EXE)
Your computer's brand and model:
BIOS date:
BIOS version:
Processor type:  
Processor speed:  
Operating system: 
Name and version number of your memory manager: 
CD-ROM brand and model name: 
Video card brand and model name: 
Mouse brand and version number of mouse driver: 
Sound card brand and model name: 
Contents of AUTOEXEC.BAT: 
Contents CONFIG.SYS: 
Results of MEM /C: 
Please state the problem you encountered:
Please state how to reproduce the problem:

If the program crashed with nasty indecipherable techno-garbage, 
 please look for the hex number which comes after "Adjusted Crash
 Address" and write it down here:


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                          LEGAL STUFF
----------------------------------------------------------------------


Accolade and STAR CONTROL 3 are registered trademarks of Accolade, 
Inc. Copyright 1996, Accolade, Inc. All rights reserved. Created by
Legend Entertainment and based upon characters created by and used 
under license from Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford.

Prima Publishing is a trademark of Prima Communications, Inc.

Edit is Copyright (c) Microsoft Corp. 1995.

Notepad is Copyright (c) 1981-1995 Microsoft Corp.

Microsoft, Windows, and MS-DOS are either registered trademarks or 
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other 
countries.

DOS4GW Professional used under license agreement with Rational
Systems Inc.

PKUNZIP Reg. U.S. Pat. and TM. Off.

WATCOM C/C++ used under license agreement with WATCOM, Inc.

MSS 3.5 portions of the game code used under license agreement with
Miles Design, Inc.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is Copyright (c) 1987-1995 Adobe Systems 
Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, Acrobat, and the Acrobat 
logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated which may be 
registered in certain jurisdictions.

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*** file and ESC key to return ***
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