PC Gamer (Italian) 20/PC Gamer IT CD 20.bin/PODMMX/DATA.Z/README.TXT

Text File | 1997-02-28 | 27KB | 807 lines

            UBI SOFT Entertainment

             POD (TM) : Shareware Version

            (February 28th,1997)

            REFERENCE MANUAL
-------
GAME FEATURES
-------

- 3D real-time graphics in 640 x 480, 16 bits in Windows 95(TM).
- Dolby Surround(TM) sound.
- Multiplayer
  2 players on the same computer with a split screen.
  2 to 4 players with a link and modem.
  up to 8 players on a network.
- 16 tracks.
- 8 modifiable cars.

- Direct connection to the Ubi Soft Online site for:
    - downloading new tracks.
    - downloading new cars.
    - downloading saved races.
    - comparing your best races with others by uploading them.
    - participating in contests and championships in real-time.

------------------------------------
Shareware restrictions :
------------------------------------

- Only two tracks out of sixteen can be selected.
- You can only chose between two cars out of eight and their
  settings cannot be modified.
- Game modes available are SINGLE RACE and TIME ATTACK.
- Video sequences are not included .
- Direct connection to the Ubi Soft Web site is not active.

----------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
----------



I. Game commands

    A. Function keys

    B. Key Functions

        C. Controls
           a) Default controls
                    - Keyboard
                - Joystick / Joypad / Steering Wheel

           b) How to modify the controls



II. Types of races

III. The vehicles

IV. Setting up a multiplayer game

          A. Connection menu
          B. Session menu
          C. Game setup menu

V. Downloading from the UBI SOFT web site

VI. Technical support

    ________________________________________






-----------
I. GAME COMMANDS
-----------

A. Function Keys:

Player One (Single Player)

F1: Help index menu (only in the menus)
F2: View 1 (outside view) / View 2 (inside view) / View 3
    (outside view)
F3: Tachometer
F4: Miles per hour
F5: Radar
F6: Damage status
F7: Exact positions
F8: Overall time / intermediary times in Time Attack mode

Player Two (Split mode)

Insert:        View 1 (outside view) / View 2 (inside view) / View 3
        (outside view)
Home:         Tachometer
Page Up:    Miles per hour
Delete:     Radar
End:         Damage status
Page Down:  Exact positions

B. Key Functions

Esc : Exit / Pause
Ctrl +Y   : Restart
Ctrl +E   : Look at another vehicle

It is also possible to press a number to look at another car.
The number corresponds to its rank.

(View 1 and 3)
Ctrl + F:      Zoom forward
Ctrl + V:      Zoom back
Ctrl + G:      Raise camera view
Ctrl + B:      Lower camera view

- and +:    Reduce and enlarge the size of the screen

Alt + Enter:     Full screen
Alt + F5:    Letter Box (Pentium version)
Alt + F7:     Change resolution
Alt + F8:     Activate sky / deactivate sky
Alt + F9:     Activate background / deactivate background


Ctrl+D :  Level of detail (Pentium version)

        - Level 3 (A Lot of Detail): Everything is textured
         (default level).
        - Level 2 (Some Detail): The road and half of the
          background are textured.
        - Level 1 (Little Detail): The road and the lower
          sides of the road are textured.
        - Level 0 (Very Little Detail): Only the road is
          textured; the rest is in gouraud.


Ctrl+T :  Automatic visibility (Pentium version)
      Reduce the visibility to allow greater fluidity.



C. Controls

1. Default controls

    - US Keyboard

Left:         Left arrow
Right:         Right arrow
Accelerate:     Up arrow
Decelerate:     Down arrow
Upshift:     A
Downshift:     Z

Warning:  It is not possible for two people to play together using
the same keyboard because this may cause interference problems
between the two players' control keys.

For two people to play together, either a joystick, joypad or a
steering wheel is absolutely necessary.

    - joystick / joypad / wheel

The game is compatible with all types of joypads, joysticks and
wheels that run on Windows 95 (TM); however, they must be
calibrated before running POD.

    1. Click the START button, select SETTINGS, and click
     CONTROL PANEL.
    2. Double-click the JOYSTICK icon.
    3. In the drop-down list select CURRENT JOYSTICK,
     JOYSTICK 1 or JOYSTICK 2(which corresponds to JOY 1
     or JOY 2 in POD).
    4. In the JOYSTICK SELECTION drop-down list, select the type
     of control that you will use.
    5. Click CALIBRATE and follow the instructions on your
     screen.
    6. Validate the changes by clicking OK.
     Note: You must make the changes either before the game
     starts or outside the control selection screen.


2. Modifying controls:

       a. Open the POD OPTIONS / CONTROLS menu.
       b. Select PLAYER 1 or Player 2 and click the icon
    representing the desired control mode.
       c. Select a command then press the key or button you wish to
    assign to it. Repeat this for all the commands you wish to
    modify. For example, if you wish to use the "A" key to
    accelerate, you must select Accelerate by using the Enter
    key and pressing the A key.
       d. Press OK when you have finished modifying the controls.

-----------
II) GAME MODES
-----------

A. SINGLE RACE (SINGLE in the multiplayer menu)

In this mode, 8 drivers compete on the racetrack of your choice. The
computer operates the vehicles that have not been chosen. In the
track selection menu, choose the number corresponding to a track and
validate by pressing OK.

B. CHAMPIONSHIP MODE

We have included three different types of championships:

    1) NORMAL CHAMPIONSHIP (CHPSHIP / NORMAL)
    In this mode, you do not choose the tracks you will race on.
Instead, all of the tracks must be completed in their original
order. Each driver wins points according to his or her position at
the end of the race. The winner is the one    who has the highest
score at the end of the final race. It is not possible to save your
game using the SAVE button on the statistics menu until you have
played four races.

    2) CUSTOM CHAMPIONSHIP (CUSTOM)
        This mode differs from the previous one in that it is
possible to choose the tracks you wish to race on, as well as the
number and the order. It is also possible to select the same track
several times.

    a. Select a track by clicking on the number on the
horizontal line.

    b. If you would like to choose a certain track, click on
ADD and the name of the track will be placed in its proper order
in the list of races. Repeat this as many times as you wish, up to
16 tracks maximum. If you have downloaded tracks from the Ubi Soft
site, the arrows located left and right of the horizontal line
enable you to move around among your tracks. To cancel a chosen
track use the DELETE key.

    c. Press OK when you've finished.

     3) RANDOM CHAMPIONSHIP
    The computer determines certain parameters of the race.

         If you choose RANDOM CARS,  a car is picked out randomly
for you . This does prevent you from modifying the parameters
(see below).

         If you select RANDOM TRACKS, 4 tracks are picked at
random but you can choose your vehicle.

         If you choose RANDOM CHAMPIONSHIP(BOTH), the computer
chooses the tracks and the vehicles.

C. DUEL

The duel mode means that the computer does not compete in the race.
In other words, there doesn't need to be eight players but there
must be at least two. The duel mode can for instance be selected
in coordination with a CHAMPIONSHIP, in which case no competitors
are operated by the computer. You may choose between a scoring
system according to TIME or POINTS.

D. TIME ATTACK

Real fans of car racing particularly like this game mode which
requires both perfect control of the vehicle and an excellent
knowledge of the tracks. Here the sole motivation is time. The
player is alone on his or her selected track and must score the
fastest time to figure in the hall of fame.

There are three kinds of races against the clock:

- 3 laps
    No matter which track has been chosen, the race is
always three laps long.

- Free run
    As the name indicates, there is no limit to the number
of laps. The player can go around the track indefinitely. This
mode is good for practicing.

- Ghost mode
    When the ghost mode is activated, the player races three
laps against the clock while competing on the track against the
image of another car.  This image can either be the player's own
best time, or some other player's time which has previously been
saved or downloaded from the Ubi Soft site. This mode is called
GHOST because you cannot crash into the competing car: it is
only an image. This allows you to study and learn from a
vehicle's driving style.

If you click on RACE after selecting GHOST MODE, and if you are
playing for the first time, you will not meet a competitor.
Beginning with the second race, you will see your own ghost running
through the previous race. The computer will then save your best
run on the track.
If you select 2 Players you will be able to compete against
another person. Each player takes a turn.
If you wish to race against one of the top 5 players on this track,
click on TOP 5. After you've chosen GHOST MODE then select the
number you want by clicking on the box to the right of the
selected race time.
Do you wish to send one or more of your ghosts to friends so they
can install them on their computers? Click on TOP 5, select the
relevant times and click on EXPORT. In the POD / SCOPE / EXPORT
directory you'll find a file that you must copy onto the
POD / SCOPE / LOAD directory of your friends' computers.
To install the saved times on the other computers, click on ADD.
The game is automatically updated and from now on you will be able
to choose new ghosts. In order for a ghost to be saved, it must be
one of the five fastest times ever run on the track.
When all 5 slots have been used, please first select the one(s)
that you want to replace before pressing ADD.

Note:  In this mode the car chosen by the player is indestructible
and the levels of difficulty are not active.

E. Team Games

POD can be played as a team game when there are enough players (4
is the minimum to constitute two teams of two). In this case, each
driver's performances are taken into account. In the case of a
championship, for example, the points accumulated by the players
of the same team are judged as a whole. A player may be the first
to finish, yet be penalized by his or her teammates coming in last.
Each team is identified by a color code shown next to the name on
the upper right-hand area of the screen during the game. Similarly,
the radar carries each team's own colors.
For more details, see the section on SETTING UP A NETWORK GAME.



-----------
III. THE VEHICLES
-----------

A. Choice of vehicle and settings

POD is above all a car racing game which centers on learning how to
handle your vehicle. Consequently, the choice of vehicle is made not
only on the basis of aesthetic criteria, but also on the basis of
its technical characteristics.

On the vehicle selection menu, 5 criteria located to the right of
the screen will help you to choose: SPEED, ACCELERATION, GRIP,
HANDLING and BRAKES. Each car has its own basic characteristics.

The SPEED parameter influences the vehicle's maximum potential
speed by modifying the reactivity of the gears: the more points you
attribute to SPEED, the faster you will be able to go, but the
longer it will take you to attain maximum speed.

The ACCELERATION parameter influences the vehicle's acceleration
potential: the more points you attribute to ACCELERATION, the more
powerful your vehicle's motor, and so the faster your accelerations.

The GRIP parameter influences the vehicle's ability to adhere to the
road surfaces: the more points you attribute to GRIP, the less your
vehicle will skid, and so the greater your control in turns.

The HANDLING parameter influences the angles at which turning the
steering wheel affects the vehicle: the more points you attribute to
HANDLING, the greater the potential maximum turning angle and so the
greater the speed at which your car handles corners.

The BRAKES parameter influences the strength and efficiency of your
vehicle's brakes: the more points you attribute to BRAKES, the
stronger your braking potential.

1. Choose your car by clicking on the arrows to the left and right
of the vehicle.

2. If you wish to try a car which is not on the list, and which you
have already downloaded from the Ubi Soft site, click on LOAD NEW
CAR. In the new menu, select the car that you want to replace then
the desired car and click on REPLACE.

3. Select MANUAL or AUTOMATIC for the type of transmission.

4. Press SETTINGS if you wish to modify your vehicle's performances.
In the settings menu, insert the number of points that you wish into
the parameters that interest you. On the bottom left-hand side of
the screen you will find the TOTAL and  REMAINING POINTS  which will
enable you to manage the distribution of points. Each setting can
be allocated a maximum of 100 points. The higher the number of
points, the better the performances in this field. You can SAVE and
LOAD the configurations you are interested in under the name of your
choice. Finally, you can test (TEST) these settings on a circular
track.

B.  Vehicle Damage Control

    According to the selected difficulty mode, you will suffer
the consequences of physical damage to your vehicle. When your
vehicle has been damaged following a collision with an opponent's
vehicle or with a background element, its performance is adversely
affected. To repair your vehicle's damaged parts, you have to make
a stop at the stands. The stands take the form of a lane next to
the track, with a series of pit-stops where you must stop your car
for the time necessary to repair it.


THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
DIFFICULTY:

Easy Level
Damage: Choice between Off, Global, or Sector
Opponents: Defensive behavior, poor performances
Pit-stop: Not Activated / Activated

Normal Level
Damage: Choice between Global or Sector
Opponents: Aggressive behavior, satisfactory performances.
Pit-stop: Activated.

Hard Level
Damage: Sector (different parts of the car are damaged).
Opponents: Intelligent behavior, optimum performances.
Pit-stop: Activated.

-----------------
IV. SETTING UP A MULTIPLAYER GAME
-----------------

Select the MULTIPLAYER button in the main menu.
The multiplayer screen displays all the possible configurations for
a multiplayer game.

A. CONNECTION MENU

Select the type of connection you want to use with the other
player(s).

    1) Two people playing on the same computer (SPLIT)
    The screen will be divided in half horizontally.

    1. Choose Player 2's control mode in the OPTIONS menu.

    2. Click on SPLIT.

    3. Click on OK.


    2) LINK ( 2-3-4 players on two computers )

    1. Click on LINK. The button turns green, indicating that
    it has been chosen. You now need to declare the COM port
    to which the link cable is connected. Certain COM ports are
    inaccessible because they are already in use by a
    peripheral component.

    2. If you want two to play on the same computer, click on
    SPLIT. The screen will then be divided into two.

    3. Click on OK.


    3) NETWORK (2-8 players)
    POD is programmed to be played on an IPX network which you
    must configure in Windows 95 (TM).

    1. Click on NETWORK.
    2. Enter a number in the dialog box. Be careful, all the
    participants in the game must have the same number. This
    is what is known as a socket number.
    3. Click on OK.

    4) MODEM ( 2-3-4 players)

It is preferable to have a fast modem (28,800 bps) to play in this
mode. The game will work with a slower modem, but the animation
quality will suffer.

    1. Click on MODEM. The button turns green, indicating that
    it has been selected. If your machine is equipped with
    several modems, you can press MODEM several times to choose
    the modem you wish.
    2. If you want two players to play on the same machine,
    click on SPLIT.
    3. You now need to select either CALL or ANSWER by clicking
    on the appropriate button. If you choose to call another
    computer, you must enter a telephone number, press ENTER to
    validate and click on CALL. You can directly choose a name
    and its corresponding phone number in the upper right-hand
    section of the screen.
    4. Click on OK when the connection is established .

    5) INTERNET (2-8 players)

To play via the Internet, you must have an account with an Internet
Service Provider (ISP) such as CompuServe, FranceNet, AOL, etc.

    1. Click on INTERNET .
    2. If you want two players to play on the same machine,
    click on SPLIT.
    3. You now need to select either CALL or ANSWER by clicking
    on the appropriate button. If you choose to call up another
    computer, you must enter a number corresponding to the IP
    address of the person you are playing with and who will be
    master of the game. If you do not know your IP address,
    press ANSWER to make it appear.
    4. Click on OK when the connection is established .

WARNING: On the Internet, only the master is on ANSWER, the slaves
must call the master. He therefore has to supply them with his IP
number. It is not in fact possible for one computer to search
through the entire Internet looking for people who want to play
POD. The slaves are the ones who must call the master to inform
him that they wish to play.



B. SESSION MENU

    When playing on a network or in a multiplayer configuration,
    you need to name your game so that your partners can join
    you.  That's what we call a game session.

    1. The master (one of the players) creates a session by
    clicking on ADD. He can then enter any name (8 characters
    maximum). The game creation menu is displayed.
    2. The slaves - i.e. those who are not the master- click on
    the button opposite the session name which is shown on the
    screen.
    3. The master and the slaves then find themselves in the
    multiplayer game creation menu where the master can select
    the game parameters.

C. GAME SETUP MENU
This menu allows the master to configure the game session.

╖ The Type of Race
The choice is between SINGLE, CHPSHIP, and DUEL.
Once you've selected the type of game you want, the corresponding
subcategories appear on the screen.  All "One Player" playing modes
are available , as is the possibility of creating teams.

╖ The Countdown
In other multiplayer games, when several players hook up to play
together, a frequently-encountered problem is that you have to wait
for the others before you can start. In POD it is possible to
define a period of time which corresponds to the number of seconds
that separate the moment the players arrive in the vehicle
selection screen, from the moment when the race begins. When the
time is up, all the players find themselves in front of the track
loading screen.

╖ Level of Difficulty
See the Options section for more details.

╖ The Extent of Damage
See the Options section for more details.

╖ The Track or Tracks
To proceed to track selection mode, first click on the number
corresponding to its order of appearance in a normal championship.
Its outline will appear in the central window. To select a track,
click on ADD. The name of the track is displayed next to the numbers
in the upper right-hand section of the screen. When you have
completed your selection, press END. You may delete a track you have
selected by clicking on DELETE which erases the last selection.
Slaves can consult the tracks, but cannot choose them. The master
also has the right to throw someone out of the game. To do this he
just has to click on M (for master) and then click on the person he
wants to get rid of.

╖ Main Menu
All players may access this menu.
Several actions are possible:

Dialogue:
The area to the right of the player's name is a dialog box which
the players can use to chat with each other. By clicking directly
on this area, the player can type a message that everyone can see.
To send a message only to certain people, click on their name
beforehand (a frame highlighting their names indicates that they
have been selected).

Confirm/ Invalidate:
The square to the left of your name is used to give your agreement
to the current game session. If the square is filled in, that means
you consent to the game session parameters as defined by the Master.
Until all the people- except the master- have clicked on this
square, the CONTINUE button will not be activated.

Creating teams:
To play in teams, you must click on the small box to the right of
your dialog box. The cursor then positions itself on your dialog
box. You may then enter a password to make up a team.

The players who enter the same password will be on the same team
provided there is the same number of players on each team.

--------------
VI Downloading from the UBI SOFT web site
--------------

If you have access to the Internet, you can download new cars,
tracks, and ghosts for FREE from the UBI SOFT web site.  You can
also update your copy of the game to the latest release.

    1. Open POD
    2. Click on UBI ONLINE
    3. Choose the browser you wish to use.
    4. Choose the drop-down list that interests you and
       follow the instructions.

--------------
V) TECHNICAL SUPPORT
--------------

A. Installation Troubleshooting

Do you have the required equipment? To play POD you need:
- a Pentium 120 MHz computer or better
- 16 Mb of RAM minimum
- a graphics card capable of displaying 640 x 480 in 16 bits
- a minimum of space available on your hard disk (see installation).
- a 16 bit sound card
- a 4-speed CD-ROM player or faster

Options
- stereo system or decoder to get Dolby Surround TM sound
- network card
- 28,800 baud modem
- link cable
- joystick / joypad / wheel

B. Audio Troubleshooting

Be sure that your speakers and the Windows 95 volume control are
enabled and turned up.

Verify that Windows 95 can play audio files :
    1. Click the START button, select SETTINGS, and then click
    CONTROL PANEL.
    2. Double-click the SOUNDS icon.
    3. Try to play a .wav file.


If Windows 95 is not able to play a .wav file, check to see that a
sound driver is enabled
    1. Click the START button, select SETTINGS, and then
    click CONTROL PANEL.
    2. Double-click the SYSTEM icon.
    3. Click the DEVICE MANAGER tab.
    4. Double-click SOUND, VIDEO AND GAME CONTROLLERS.
    5. If nothing appears, please reinstall the sound
    card drivers.


C. Network Troubleshooting

All players must use the same protocol (IPX/SPX for a Local Area
Network).

To check the protocol:
    1. Click the START button, point to SETTINGS, and then click
    CONTROL PANEL.
    2. Double-click the NETWORK icon.
    3. In the CONFIGURATION tab, you should see the protocol
    listed in the list box.

To install a protocol:

    4. Click ADD.
    5. From the list, click PROTOCOL and then click ADD.
    6. From the Manufacturer's list, click Microsoft.
    7. Click IPX/SPX.
    8. Click OK as many times as necessary.
    9. Click YES to restart your computer.

D. Internet and Modem Troubleshooting

To test your modem with the Windows 95 HyperTerminal program

    1. Click START, select PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, and then
    click HyperTerminal.
    2. Double-click the HYPERTRM.EXE icon.
    3. Enter a name for the session (such as Online Services),
    and then click OK.
    4. In the PHONE NUMBER dialog box, enter the Online
    Services access number, and then click OK.
    5. In the CONNECT dialog box, click DIAL.
    If the connection  is successful, the word "connected"
    should appear in the bottom left corner.

If you cannot connect in HyperTerminal, please contact your
Windows 95 support provider.


Furthermore, all players must use the same protocol (TCP/IP for
Internet).

To check the protocol:
    1. Click the START button, point to SETTINGS, and then click
    CONTROL PANEL.
    2. Double-click the NETWORK icon.
    3. In the CONFIGURATION tab, you should see the protocol
    listed in the list box.

To install a protocol:

    4. Click ADD.
    5. From the list, click PROTOCOL and then click ADD.
    6. From the Manufacturer's list, click Microsoft.
    7. Click TCP/IP .
    8. Click OK as many times as necessary.
    9. Click YES to restart your computer.


Notes :
- To directly access the Internet (via the Ubi Online icon) your
network should make a TCP/IP connection coming from the Internet
to your computer's 5000 port. If you are connected to the Internet
via a FireWall, contact your administrator to authorize these
connections.

- It is recommended that players who use a Proxy deactivate their
navigator's Proxy option while using POD on the Internet.

Before making an Internet connection with POD:

    1. Go to Netscape's OPTIONS menu.
    2. Choose NETWORK PREFERENCES.
    3. Select NO PROXIES.
    4. Click on OK.



You have followed the instructions in your manual but you still
cannot get the game to work correctly. Our team of technicians is
ready to help you.

United States
Telephone (Monday to Friday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. PST) :
Technical assistance     415.547.4028
Game questions        900.420.4824
E-mail [e-mail]

France
Telephone [phone]
Minitel 3615 UBISOFT
E-mail [e-mail]

United Kingdom
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]

Spain
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]

Italy
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]

Germany
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]

Benelux
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]

Switzerland
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]

Japan
Telephone [phone]
E-mail [e-mail]

Elsewhere in the world
E-mail [e-mail]

In order to obtain a speedy reply, please have the following
information ready:

  1) The category and wording of the error message you are
     encountering.
  2) The technical details of your equipment:
- the make
- the video card
- the RAM memory
- hard disk space
- the type of CD-ROM
- the type of sound board
- the type of network
- the type of modem

If possible, please call us with your computer near by and
readily accessible.


(C) 1997 Ubi Soft Entertainment

"POD" and "Ubi Soft" are trademarks of Ubi Soft Entertainment.
All rights reserved.