README Created: 5:33 PM 11/13/2001 Readme Contents: ================ INTRODUCTION INSTALLATION & SET UP ISSUES 1.> CD Key 2.> Error Message "Couldn't Load Default.cfg" 3.> Allocating Memory Using com_hunkmegs 4.> DCOM And Multiplayer On Windows 95 OSR2 5.> Error Message "Could not load the DLL library E<drive letter>\SETUP\..\Extras\Cs\Getinfo.dll. One of the library files needed to run this application cannot be found." 6.> Problems Changing Language Settings In Multiplayer 7.> Changing Quick Chat Mode With Non-English Language Setting SOUND ISSUES 1.> Sound Problems VIDEO ISSUES 1.> "Set Recommended" Menu Option 2.> Safe Mode - I Changed A System Option And Now The Game Doesn't Work Properly 3.> Video Cards 4.> Multiple Monitors 5.> 16 Bit Color 6.> Problems Playing In 856 by 480 Widescreen Resolution 7.> Problems Changing Quality Setting In The Video System Menu GAMEPLAY ISSUES 1.> Clipboard Text is Illegible 2.> Where Are The Autosaves For Each Level? 3.> Auto Saving and Mission Failures 4.> Wolfconfig.cfg and Wolfconfig_mp.cfg Files MULTIPLAYER & INTERNET ISSUES 1.> Problems finding Internet Games 2.> Issues When Using Firewall Software 3.> The Game Freezes When Selecting Multiplayer 4.> What Are the Map Names for Multiplayer? 5.> Problems Playing Multiplayer with More Than 32 People 6.> Advanced Server Settings Are Erased When Changing Game Types In Multiplayer 7.> Problems Adding IP Address to Favorites List 8.> Locking Out A Game Using Password Feature 9.> Primary and Secondary Objectives 10.> Changing The Match Warmup Time 11.> Next Map Vote Passed, But Nothing Happened 12.> Time Penalty For Switching Teams 13.> Host is booted on a password protected listen server WINDOWS SPECIFIC OPERATING SYSTEM ISSUES 1.> Virtual Memory Warnings in NT/2000(SP2)/XP 2.> Virtual Memory Swap File 3.> Shift Key in Windows 2000(SP2) Interrupts Game 4.> Windows Key Interrupts Game In Windows NT/2000(SP2)/XP 5.> CTRL-ALT-DEL Freezes System On Windows® 2000(SP2) 6.> Game Icons Are Missing From Start Menu And/Or Desktop MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES 1.> Mouse Wheel with Logitech Mice 2.> Demo Recording INTRODUCTION Refer to this document if you encounter difficulties with one or more aspects of installation or running the Return to Castle Wolfenstein game. Many of the problems commonly encountered are covered here. INSTALLATION & SET UP ISSUES 1. CD Key: ========== A. Installation and the CD Key: When installing Return to Castle Wolfenstein you will be prompted to enter your CD authentication key. The authentication key appears on the CD packaging. It is important that you enter the key string in its entirety exactly as it appears on the CD package. The CD key is verified by the Wolfenstein Master Server for online play. B. The Game Tells me my CD Key is invalid. The number one problem with CD Keys is mis-typing. Double and triple check the characters you have entered. C. Some Common Sense About Your CD Key: It's important to remember that your CD Key is unique. No other copy of the game will have that key code. You need to treat that code as something valuable - protecting it from loss or theft. Without it, you cannot reinstall the game, or play on-line. You may not be able to replace the key without some difficulty and expense. Think carefully about allowing someone to borrow your CD Key. The Return to Castle Wolfenstein Multiplayer Master Server will not allow duplicate keys on-line at the same time. Don't be fooled by claims about CD Key generators. Not only do they not work, but many "create" additional CD Keys by stealing and transmitting the keys of gamers who try to make new keys. 2. Error Message "Couldn't Load Default.cfg": ============================================= If you try to run Return to Castle Wolfenstein and receive the error message, "Couldn't Load default.cfg", the game is basically telling you that it cannot find the \main directory that is part of Return To Castle Wolfenstein. This error commonly occurs when the game is installed with no directory specified. For example, if you choose to install it to a hard drive or partition other than the C: drive (that is, D:,E:, etc.), but fail to specify a folder, the game will install everything to the root of the hard drive and the game will not launch. If you want to install the game to a hard drive other than the default setting (C:), please make sure you specify a folder when choosing the other drive (i.e.: D:\RTCW). 3. Allocating Memory Using com_hunkmegs: ======================================== The command com_hunkmegs is used to increase or decrease the size of memory used by the game. By default it is set to 72 megabytes (MB), which allows the game to easily run on computers with 128 MB of RAM. If your system has more than 128 MB of RAM, you can adjust this value to allow better performance. For example: If you have a machine with 256 MB of RAM you can use the command \com_hunkmegs 192 to allocate more memory to the program. You do this by accessing the game console (press the ~ key), and typing in: \com_hunkmegs 192 Then press Enter. (Substitute the amount of memory that you would like to dedicate for the "192" in the example above). NOTE: You should never allocate more than 3/4 (75%) of your total system memory. You may experience problems with your computer system if you do. If you have also increased the amount of memory being allocated for sound, make sure that the total of com_hunkmegs and com_soundmegs is not greater than 3/4 (75%) of your total system memory. Please refer to the Dedicated Server document for an example of how to alter com_hunkmegs on dedicated servers. 4. DCOM And Multiplayer On Windows 95 OSR2: =========================================== For Windows 95 OSR2 systems that currently don't have either Internet Explorer 4 or higher installed, or Netscape 3 or higher, you will need to install DCOM prior to installing the game. You can download DCOM from http://www.microsoft.com/com/dcom/dcom95/download.asp. Alternatively, you can contact Microsoft and request a copy of the latest version of Internet Explorer. After installing DCOM you will need to reinstall DirectX 8.0a and restart your computer. You can also find more information at http://www.microsoft.com. 5. Error Message "Could not load the DLL library <drive letter>\SETUP\..\Extras\Cs\Getinfo.dll. One of the library files needed to run this application cannot be found.": ================================================= This error commonly occurs on systems that do not currently have a version of DirectX® 6.0 or higher. If you are running Windows® 95 OSR2 that currently does not have a version of DirectX® 6.0 or higher then you will need to install DirectX® 8.0a off the Return to Castle Wolfenstein CD before installing the game. To do so, follow the directions below. a. Double click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop. b. Right-click on your CD-ROM drive and select "Install Direct X." c. Once the installation is complete, reboot your computer and try installing the game again. 6. Problems Changing Language Settings In Multiplayer: ====================================================== When changing the Language setting in the Options > Language menu you will need to restart the interface to see the complete changes. a. Open the console by pushing the tilde "~" key. b. Enter the following into the console: /ui_restart c. Press the Enter key. d. Push the tilde "~" key again to close the console. The language settings should be fully applied after these steps have been successfully completed. 7. Changing Quick Chat Mode With Non-English Language Setting: =============================================================== Non-English users do not have the Quick Chat Mode option available in the menus, so if you wish to switch between "Alpha" or "Numeric" modes, follow the directions below. a. Open the console by pushing the tilde "~" key. b. Enter the following into the console: /cg_quickmessagealt # (In place of the # insert a 0 for alpha mode, or 1 for numeric mode) c. Press the Enter key. d. Push the tilde "~" key again to close the console. The changes will take effect the next time you open the Quick Chat menu. SOUND ISSUES 1. Sound Problems: ================== A. If you experience slow performance or audio hitches, you should lower some of your graphic settings. This is especially advised for users on Windows NT based systems, and users on systems with 128 MB RAM. If you continue to experience slow performance or audio hitches, you may want to consider altering the com_soundmegs variable in the game to increase the amount of system memory the game uses for sound. For example, if you have a machine with 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM, you can use the command \com_soundmegs 32 to allocate more memory to the program. You would do this by accessing the game console (press the ~ key), and typing in: \com_soundmegs 32 Now hit the Enter key. (Substitute the amount of memory that you would like to dedicate for the "32" in the example above). NOTE: You should never allocate more than 1/4 (25%) of your total system memory to the soundmegs variable. You may experience problems with your computer system if you do. This setting is also affected by your com_hunkmegs variable (which is 72 MB by default). If you have raised your com_soundmegs value and increased the com_soundmegs value, be sure that you are not using 100% of your system memory, as you might experience system problems by doing so. B. Users with Sound Blaster SB PCI512 sound cards will experience system slowdown if you change the sound quality to 22 KHz. A quality setting of 11 KHz should be used for optimum performance with this sound card. VIDEO ISSUES 1. "Set Recommended" Menu Option: ================================= A. When you start Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the game will automatically detect the speed of your system and video card. Based on this information, the recommended graphics settings are applied to the game to ensure you are getting the absolute best performance for your system. If you have changed your graphics settings and want to revert back to our recommended settings simply click the "Set Recommended" option in the "Options> System > Graphics menu. You should also re-apply the "Set Recommended" settings if you upgrade your hardware at any point. 2. Safe Mode - I Changed A System Option And Now The Game Doesn't Work Properly: ==================================================================== If an option is changed in the game that does not work properly on your computer, you can recover by starting the game in Safe Mode. Return to Castle Wolfenstein Safe Mode is available from the Start Menu > Return to Castle Wolfenstein > Play Return to Castle Wolfenstein Multiplayer (Safe Mode) or Play Return to Castle Wolfenstein Single Player (Safe Mode). 3. Video Cards: =============== For optimum performance, your game graphics will be set to recommended settings. To customize these settings go to the System menu inside the Main menu of the game. If you change settings, you can always reset the recommended settings by hitting the "Set Recommended" but ton from the Options/System menu. 3Dfx Interactive Windows XP - Voodoo cards may not be used on systems running Windows XP as no drivers for Voodoo cards exist for that operating system. We have provided Wicked OpenGL drivers to enhance performance for 3Dfx Voodoo card users. (Wicked 3D Drivers COPYRIGHT (c) 1997,2001 Metabyte, Inc. All rights reserved.) Voodoo 3 - For optimal performance, we recommend setting your screen resolution in game to 640x480. You may experience crashes or other performance issues at resolutions higher than 800x600. 32 bit color is not supported by this video card. Setting 'Color Depth' or 'Texture Quality' to 32 bit may produce unpredictable results as well. Voodoo 4/5 - For optimal performance, we recommend setting your screen resolution in game to 640x480. You may experience crashes or other performance issues at resolutions higher than 800x600. Voodoo 5: During the game, if the user presses CTRL-ALT-DEL the task manager in Win2k will not display properly, and make the game unplayable. During testing we found that simply hitting the Escape (ESC) key should restore the game back to normal. Voodoo 5 owners should also be aware that they may not be able to toggle between fullscreen and windowed mode in the game. The currently available drivers do not support playing in a window. ## ATI Technologies Rage 128 – Systems with these cards may periodically experience undesirable video effects in Multiplayer games. Particle effects from weapons and the HUD interface may appear blocky. Follow the steps below to fix the problem: Open the console by pushing the tilde “~” key. Enter the following at the console prompt: /vid_restart Press the Enter key. Push the tilde “~” key again to close the console. Intel 82810E (Integrated Graphics Chipset) - Return to Castle Wolfenstein requires at least 16 MB of dedicated on board video memory. Since this chipset allocates video memory dynamically from system memory, users will encounter performance problems. Either setting the video setting 'LOW' along with 640x480 resolution will help. NT4 users will encounter longer load times. These issues are a due to the limitation in the hardware and how the device interacts with the operating system. Matrox Millennium G400 - Latest drivers available for testing did not implement 'GL Extensions' correctly and will be disabled by Return to Castle Wolfenstein if this video card is detected. G400 Owners are advised to update to the latest drivers available from www.matrox.com. Millennium G550 - This card was brand new at the time of testing Return to Castle Wolfenstein. During testing this card had some unresolved issues. G550 owners are advised to update to the latest drivers available from www.matrox.com. Nvidia TNT2 Ultra or other Nvidia-based cards: These cards will not work with Return to Castle Wolfenstein in Windows 95 OSR2 with Detonator reference drivers. If you have one of these cards, please use the latest manufacturer drivers to play Return to Castle Wolfenstein. GeForce3: We have had reported cases of crashing when playing Return to Castle Wolfenstein while the Windows desktop is set to 32 bit color. The problem was seen using nVidia Detonator drivers (version 21.81). To fix this problem set the Windows desktop to 16 bit. Go to the Start Menu > Settings > Control Panel and double click on the Display Properties. Click on the Settings panel and set the color "High Color (16 Bit)", then click on the Apply button to initiate the changes. Try the game after the changes have been applied. You may be required to exit and restart the game for the settings to take affect. STMicroelectronics Kyro/Kyro2 based cards - Systems running these cards will experience a blank video display on Windows NT4 operating systems at the card’s default settings. To work around this problem, follow these steps: a. Open ‘Display Properties’ b. Select ‘3D Optimizations’ c. Select ‘Custom’ d. Activate ‘Force Single Buffer’ Trident Blade XP - Owners of this card may experience some sound skipping. Lowering screen resolution and video settings will improve the speed at which the sound is played. Please refer to the Sound Issues section of this Readme for more details on sound skipping problems. 4. Multiple Monitors: ===================== If you are running a machine with multiple monitors and the video card for each monitor is an OpenGL compliant video card (e.g., GeForce series cards), you may experience problems running the game, as the game will recognize both video cards. Simply disable one of the monitors in the Windows® Display Properties. 5. 16 Bit Color: ================================ This game is optimized for 32 bit color. Since most of the textures and art in the game contain a 32 bit color palette, playing the game in 16 bit color only displays half the color information, thus causing some loss in visual quality. If your video card supports 32 bit color rendering then it is recommended that you use this setting in the game. To do this, simply access the options menu from within the game, go to the system portion and change the "Color Depth" to 32 bit and click the "Apply" button to initialize the change. 6. Problems Playing In 856 by 480 Widescreen Resolution: ======================================================== If your video card and monitor do not support this resolution then you will not be able to use it within the game. Please check with your video card and monitor manufacturer for more information on playing OpenGL games using the 856 by 480 widescreen resolution. 7. Problems Changing Quality Setting In The Video System Menu: ============================================================== The quality setting in the video system menu allows you to cycle some predefined configurations ranging from high graphic settings to faster system performance. Your actual graphics settings (screen size, filtering, etc.) are retained properly when you quit out of the game. However, the name of the quality setting itself is not retained. So, if you set to Fastest, the button may be on High the next time you run the game (though your settings will still be at Fastest). GAMEPLAY ISSUES 1. Clipboard Text is Blurry: ============================ Some users at lower screen resolutions may have difficulty reading the text on the clipboards in the game. If you experience this difficulty, increase your screen resolution to a higher setting. 2. Where Are The Autosaves For Each Level?: =========================================== Return to Castle Wolfenstein autosaves at the beginning of each single player mission. If you wish to load one of these, you can do so by accessing the "Load" menu from within the game or from the main menu, then click the "Show Autosaves…" button at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up a list of all the autosaves for each of the missions you have played. Highlight the name of the game you wish to load and the click the "Load" button. 3. Auto Saving and Mission Failures: ==================================== If you save your game during a mission failure, you may be unable to load a game from the load screen. In this case, exit the and restart game. You will now be able to load a save game. 4. Wolfconfig.cfg and Wolfconfig_mp.cfg Files: ============================================== Your configuration and settings are stored in the Wolfconfig.cfg (for single player) and Wolfconfig_mp.cfg (for multiplayer) files. If you need to reset your configuration, do not delete the file. Instead, you should either run the game via the Safe Mode start menu option or select Defaults from the Options Menu. MULTIPLAYER & INTERNET ISSUES 1. Problems Finding Internet Games: =================================== If you are having problems seeing Internet servers in the Multiplayer Menu Screen, please make sure that you have checked the following before contacting customer support. 1.) Make sure that you are connected to the Internet (either through a Local Area Network, dial-up connection, etc.). You must connect to the Internet before starting the game. 2.) Once you have connected to the Internet and started the game, select the "Multiplayer" option from the main menu. In the Multiplayer screen, click the "Source" text in the upper left portion of the screen until you see the word "Internet." Once you have selected "Internet" as the source, click the "Get New List" button just below the Source text. 3.) If you are running firewall software on your system, such as "Zone Alarm," please refer to the "Issues When Using Firewall Software" section below. 2. Issues When Using Firewall Software: ======================================= If you are using firewall software such as Zone Alarm and you are experiencing problems, make sure your firewall software is set to allow UDP packets through on ports 27950 and 27960. These are the ports that Return to Castle Wolfenstein uses for connection, message of the day, server browsing, and so forth. In general we do not advise setting up a Return to Castle Wolfenstein server on a machine that is also either a NAT server (such as Microsoft's Internet Connection Sharing) or set up with ipForwarding for a Local Area Net (LAN) onto the Internet. These machines see clients on your LAN as different addresses from the Internet and thus you cannot authorize these clients. 3. The Game Freezes When Selecting Multiplayer: =============================================== This will sometimes occur if you are not connected to the Internet before selecting multiplayer, and your Internet Service Provider uses "Auto Dial" to connect to the Internet. Auto Dial is a feature that brings up a dialogue box whenever using Internet applications without being connected to the Internet, the dialogue box will prompt the user to connect to the Internet and ask for their user name and password. If you use Auto Dial, please make sure you are connected to the Internet before starting Return to Castle Wolfenstein to prevent your system from hanging. Contact your Internet Service Provider for more information regarding Auto Dial as it may affect your account and connection. 4. What Are the Map Names for Multiplayer?: =========================================== If you are running a dedicated server for multiplayer, you can use the filenames listed below to load the corresponding maps for your server. To start a map, type in "/map", (but without the quotes) and then type the file name. Press Enter to initialize the map load. Map Name = File Name Beach = mp_beach Depot = mp_depot Village = mp_village Das Boot = mp_sub Communique = mp_base Assault = mp_assault Castle = mp_castle Destruction = mp_destruction 5. Problems Playing Multiplayer with More Than 32 People: ========================================================= The multiplayer maps created for Return to Castle Wolfenstein do not support more than 32 players on a server, or more than 16 players per team. The maps have limited spawn points available. With more than 16 players on a team you will experience instances of telefragging (players spawning inside each other, causing them to explode). If you are operating a server with more than 32 people, or more than 16 per team, do so at your own risk. 6. Advanced Server Settings are Erased When Changing Game Types in Multiplayer: =============================================================================== Whenever you change the game type from the main "Create Server" screen, the settings under the "Advanced…" menu will be reset without warning. This was done to prevent bad configurations from occurring. Server settings vary for each game type. 7. Problems Adding IP Address to Favorites List: ================================================ If you add an IP to your server favorites list while the "Source" is set to "Internet" or "Local", the IP address will not save properly. To get a server into your favorites list, set the "Source" in the main server browser window to "Favorites" and then enter the server into your favorites list. 8. Locking Out A Game Using Password Feature: ============================================= If the "Password" field is blank in the multiplayer setup screen, the server will not check for a password. If it is not blank, the server will use the password listed in the field. If you wish the server to have a password, you should type one in; if not, don't enter one, or delete it if you've set one before. 9. Primary and Secondary Objectives: ==================================== Some objectives are Secondary Objectives and are not necessary to winning the round, but are included in the objective list so that their status may be easily tracked by the players in the HUD. You can tell which objectives are Primary Objectives (required in order to win) and which objectives are Secondary Objectives (not required in order to win) by clicking on the specific objectives (Objective 1, Objective 2, etc.) in the Objective list of the Limbo Menu. 10. Changing The Match Warmup Time: =================================== The warmup time at the beginning of each match can be changed via the console only. Please note that changing the warmup time is unsupported, and any problems encountered as a result of changing this game variable are not supported by Activision. Generally, all game commands must be entered after the level loads either in the config file or on the command line/console. To change the warmup time, simply type the following in the console substituting the amount of seconds you would like the warmup to last for the #: /g_warmup # g_warmup - Amount of warmup time allotted to connected clients. Defaults to 20 seconds. 11. Next Map Vote Passed, But Nothing Happened: =============================================== If a next map vote passes and the words "VSTR NEXTMAP" show up, but the map never changes, this is a result of calling for a next map on a server where the server admin has not executed a map cycle. If a server does not exec a mapcycle.cfg, there will be no "next map", and you will see this message when voting for a next map. 12. Time Penalty For Switching Teams: ===================================== In games where team-switching is allowed (Tourney Mode is off), you have to wait for thirty seconds from the time that you have last spawned in to switch to a new team. During that time, you will remain on your current team. After the thirty seconds are up, you are free to switch to the other team, though you will have to do so manually by selecting the other team again. Remember you may also be subject to waiting in your new team's reinforcement queue for some time before you actually re-enter the game. 13. Host is booted on a password protected listen server: ========================================================= If you are running a listen server with a password, you may encounter the server being booted after a Call Vote. To workaround this issue, before the vote, do the following: 1. Display the console by hitting `. 2. Type "\password <server password>" where server password is the password you have set for the server. WINDOWS SPECIFIC OPERATING SYSTEM ISSUES 1. Virtual Memory Warnings in NT/2000(SP2)/XP: ============================================== Users playing on machines using the Windows® NT/2000(SP2)/XP operating systems that possess less than 600 megabytes (MB) of virtual memory may receive low virtual memory warnings. To avoid these warnings, please make sure you set your virtual memory settings to at least 600 megabytes (MB). In addition, the warning occurs when switching video settings while in the game. If you are in a game and you want to switch video settings, please exit to the main menu first and then make the desired changes. 2. Virtual Memory Swap File: ============================ In order to maximize the performance of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, you must have at least 300 megabytes (MB) of free hard disk space available for the Windows® virtual memory swap file. 3. Shift Key in Windows 2000(SP2) Interrupts Game: ================================================== If you press the Shift key 5 times consecutively in Windows® 2000(SP2) the following message should appear: "By pressing the SHIFT key five times you have turned on the StickyKeys feature in Windows® 2000 SP2. With this feature, you can lock down the CTRL, ALT, or SHIFT keys. This is useful if you are unable to hold down more than one key at a time. Click OK to turn this feature on. If you do not want to use the feature, click Cancel. <check box> Turn off keyboard shortcut for this accessibility feature. <OK> <CANCEL> <SETTINGS>" To avoid this happening in the future, click the settings button on the window referenced above. When the accessibility options screen appears, click the "Settings" button in the "Sticky Keys" portion of the window. On the next window (should be labeled "Settings For Sticky Keys"), uncheck in the box that says "Use shortcut", then click on "Apply", and close the windows. The problem should not occur once the shortcut has been disabled. 4. Windows® Key Interrupts Game in NT/2000(SP2)/XP: =================================================== If the Windows® key is pressed during game play, the Start Menu will interrupt the game. Should this happen, simply press the Escape (Esc) key to close the menu and return to the game. Unfortunately there is no way to prevent this from happening again expect by being careful not to hit those keys while playing. 5. CTRL-ALT-DEL Freezes System On Windows® 2000(SP2): ===================================================== If the CTRL-ALT-DEL are pressed during game play, the screen will become corrupt and sometimes the system may become unstable. Should this happen, simply press the Escape (Esc) key to return to the game or reboot the computer and refrain from trying to access the task manager while playing the game. NOTE TO VOODOO USERS: This problem seems to occur most frequently on systems using Voodoo cards. 6. Game Icons Are Missing From Start Menu And/Or Desktop In Windows® NT/Windows 2000(SP2)/XP: ============================================================================================= When installing Return to Castle Wolfenstein while logged into Windows® as a specific user, the game icons will only show up when logging in as that user. For example, if you log into Windows® as "Wolf", install the game, then log out and log back in as "Wolf2", the game icons will not show up. If you wish to play the game, make sure you log into Windows® as the same user you were logged in as when you installed the game. MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES 1. Mouse Wheel with Logitech Mice: ================================== People having problems with the "mousewheel" on Logitech mice should grab the latest version of Logitech's drivers from the following location: http://www.logitech.com/ In addition to the latest version of "Mouseware" drivers, you will need to download the "Mouse Registry File for Gamers" which will allow the "mousewheel" to work within Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Note: Although "Mouse Registry File for Gamers" is not listed as being needed under Windows® Millennium Edition you will still need to download it in order to get the correct functionality from the wheel. Please contact the Logitech support team if you are unable to find this file on their website. 2. Demo Recording: ================== Demo recording is not supported in either single player or multiplayer play modes. The console commands for demo recording are still present in the game, but when executed they will not yield the expected results.