Copyright: Copyright ®Activision 1997


Before The Installation

-	Uses Microsoft DirectX 3a video and audio drivers. It is important that you check with your audio and video card manufacturer to determine if your hardware will support DirectX. Please see the DirectX 3a section in this file for more information.

- 	Should not be installed to a compressed drive.

- 	Please make sure your computer system is 100% Windows 95-compatible; Dark Reign for Windows 95 is not compatible with Windows 3.1X or Windows NT.

-	To operate best, Dark Reign requires that your system have the latest Windows 95 32-bit drivers for your CD-ROM drive, sound, and video card. If you have any problems running the program, outdated drivers are the most likely cause.

-	If you need help obtaining the latest sound and video drivers, check out the Vendor List.


Can I listen to the game soundtrack on my audio CD player?

Yes. The game music is streamed from the CD. Starting with track 2, all the music tracks will play on an audio CD player (e.g. CD player in car, house stereo).


Can I run the game without the CD in the drive
Can I run the game without the CD in the drive?

In order to play Dark Reign, either single player or over the Internet, the CD must be in your CD-ROM drive at all times. To join a LAN (i.e. Local Area Network) game, the Dark Reign CD is required in at least one computer for up to four players.  Two game CD's are required for five or more players.


Color Settings

This game utilizes the DirectDraw libraries of Microsoft's DirectX. Some video cards do not yet have driver support for DirectDraw. Updated drivers are being developed by manufacturers to remedy this. To obtain information on these updates, contact your Video Card Manufacturer and download their latest Windows 95 drivers for your video card. If you are not sure about your video card or its capabilities, please refer to the section called Check Your Display Type Settings for more information, or contact  your Video Card Manufacturer.

To Change Your Color Setting:

You need to change the Color palette box of the window shown below to at least 256 Color. To go to the Display Properties window to change it, click here.

If you choose to make this change at some other time, you can always return to this Help file and try again, or follow the steps listed below to access these settings.

1.	Place your mouse cursor over an empty area of your desktop and right-mouse click.  At the bottom of the list that appears, click on Properties. This will bring up the Display Properties window. You can also open this window by choosing the Start button, Settings · Control Panel, and double-clicking the Display icon.

2.	Choose the Settings tab and change the color setting to 256 Color as shown in the Color palette box above.

If you have a video card that supports 256 Color, but you cannot select this as an option, check to see that you have the most updated Windows 95 video driver.


Common Audio Problems

Half of the problems with sound cards are remedied by newer sound card drivers.  This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your Sound Card Manufacturer for details.

Game Specific:

Can I listen to the game soundtrack on my audio CD player?

General:

Installing a new sound card.

I just installed a new sound card. How come I’m not getting any sound?

Checking your sound card for conflicting settings.

I have only partial or no sound when running the game.

I have a Diamond Telecommander sound/modem card and it does not work with the game.  What do I do?

I have a Packard Bell with little and/or no sound when playing the game.

I have an Advanced Gravis UltraSound ACE and I am experiencing severe lock-up problems.

Why is the sound fuzzy on my Sound Blaster Pro 2 sound card?


Common CD-ROM Problems

If you encounter any CD-ROM drive problems, make sure you have the latest 32-bit CD-ROM drivers installed.  Most problems are the result of 16-bit CD-ROM drivers.  To see if your computer is using 16-bit drivers, follow these steps:

1.	Right mouse click on MY COMPUTER.

2.	Choose Properties.

3.	Select the Performance tab.

If File System does not state "32-bit", then you need to update your CD-ROM drivers.  Please contact your CD-ROM drive manufacturer for details.


Common Input Device Problems

Game Specific:

100% Windows 95 Microsoft compatible mouse and driver are required when using Dark Reign and your mouse.  If you are experiencing problems with your mouse and the game, you should contact your mouse manufacturer to obtain the most up to date mouse driver available.

General:

Mouse


Common Tips & Troubleshooting for General Issues

Half of the problems with sound cards and video cards are remedied by newer drivers.  This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your Sound Card Manufacturer and/or Video Card Manufacturer for details.

Game Specific:

Why does the game sometimes quit to the desktop?

Can I run Dark Reign on Windows 3.1, Windows NT or OS/2?

Can I run the game without a CD in the drive?

Can I listen to the game soundtrack on my audio CD player?

The taskbar hides a portion of the game window. Can I fix this?

General:

My screen saver runs slowly when the game is running. What can I do about that?

The fonts on my game screen are too large and extend off the screen. Why is this happening?

Power Saver Functions

Ctrl-Alt-Del locks up my system.

How can I improve performance?

Where do I go for game updates and/or patches?


Common Troubleshooting Tips

Activision thoroughly tests its games on a variety of systems before they are released, but it is virtually impossible to test on all combinations of software and hardware. Many of the issues you may encounter in Windows 95 are caused by device drivers for video cards, sound cards, and CD-ROM drives that are not fully compatible with the Windows 95 operating system and/or DirectX. The following troubleshooting tips are intended to assist you in solving some of the common issues that occur with the Windows 95 operating system and the game.

Installation - This will focus on basic problems that might occur during the installation process.

DirectX 3a - This will explain the DirectX 3a process and state general answers to frequently asked questions.

Autoplay - This is where to go if you are encountering problems with the title screen automatically appearing.

Video - Where to go if you are encountering video related problems.

Audio - Where to go if you are encountering audio related problems.

CD-ROM - Go here if you are encountering CD-ROM related problems.

Input Devices - Where to go if you are encountering input device related problems (e.g. mouse).

General Issues - Commonly asked questions.


Common Troubleshooting Tips for Playing Dark Reign Multi-play

Network - Tips on Network (LAN) play.

Modems - Tips on modem play.

Null Modems - Tips on null modem play.

Internet - Tips on Internet play.


Common Video Card Problems

Half of the problems with video cards are remedied by newer video card drivers.  This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your Video Card Manufacturer for details.  Another consideration when experiencing video corruption is to update your mouse driver.  This has seemed to fix many problems with Logitech® and other mice in the past.

Game Specific:

I have an ATI Mach64 and keep getting errors (e.g. DIBENG.DLL).  What should I do?

I am having problems running the game with my STB video card.

When I launch into a mission, the screen goes black and freezes.

Why do I have wavy lines across my screen when I enter a mission?

How do I set my display for 256 Color?

General:

The images are very choppy and slow while playing the game.

I installed a new video card, and the game doesn't look right. What do I do?

Changing the standard Windows 95 cursors causes video corruption.

When I launch the game from the title screen or from the taskbar, my screen stays blank and the game doesn't start. What should I do?

Game graphics are faded and/or strange in appearance.

The fonts are too large and/or extend off the screen.


Credits

Director

Josh Resnick

Producer

Greg Borrud

Lead Designer

Trey Watkins

Lead Programmer

Dr. Ian Davis

Art Director

Rodney Walden

Associate

Game Designers

Robert Berger

James Farley

Dave Osper

Creative Consultant

Ron Millar

Asset Manager

Joseph Donaldson

Production Coordinator

Matthew Paul

Writer

Robert Berger

Additional Writing

Joseph Donaldson

Programmer

Brad Werth

Shell Programmers

James Anhalt

John Peck

Additional Programming

Dan Kegel

Jeff Landers

Dominic Weber

2D Artists

Franz Boehm

Chris Guzman

Michael Groark

Lateef Priester

Roger Walco

Rodney Walden

3D Artist

Paul Waggonner

Sketches and Storyboards

Brad Thornton

Additional Sketches

James Mayeda

Tactics Engine

Auran

Lead Programmers

Carl Chimes

Andrew Payne

Programmers

Gordon Moyes

Matthew Versluys

Craig Allsop

Michael Judd

Adam Iarossi

Additional Programming

Mike Thomas

James Podesta

Engine Configuration

Tristan Mott

3D Artists

Lachlan Creagh

Shawn Eustace

Fiona Whipp

Jamie Lack

2D Artist

Brad Welch

Auran Web Design/Help Desk

Rachael Nixon

Audio

John Murphy

Art Director

Jacob Hutson

Engine Producer

Brendan Andrews

Engine Director/Tactics Engine Concept

Greg Lane

Shell Art

Equinoxe

Henry Cheng

Andy Chung

Brian Heins

Anthony Phung

Aryeh Richmond

Sean Ro

Cut Scene Scripts

Trey Watkins

Intro Movie

Blur Studios

Ryan Berg

Steve Blackmon

Cat Chapman

Sam Gebhardt

Juan Granja

Tim Miller

Tim Montijo

Larry Paolicelli

Eric Pinkel

Duane Powell

Jennifer Rama

David Stinnett

Greg Tsadilas

Segue/Outro Movie

Tim Hoffman

Larry Paolicelli

Sound Design

Soundelux Media Labs

Audio Supervisor

& Sound Design

Scott Gershin

Gregory J. Hainer

Sound Designers

Bryan Celano

Bryan Bowen

Peter Zinda

Ron Hill

Voice Over Recording

and Processing

Scott Gershin

Peter Zinda

Cinematics Mixing

Melissa Hofmann

Additional

Sound Effects

and Engineering

Michael B. Schwartz

Original

Musical Score

Jeehun Hwang

Video Processing and Compression

Chris Hepburn

AV Assistants

Brian Bright

Kenny Ramirez

Senior QA Project Lead

Marc Turndorf

QA Project Lead

Tyler Scott

Associate QA Project Lead

Curtis Shenton

Quality Assurance Test Team

Eric Baudoin

Aaron Casillas

Sean Hendon

Todd Jefferson

Chris Keim

Todd Komesu

Daniel Hagerty

Frank Oh

Jai Polidore

Matt Powers

Clay Retzer

John Sherwood

Nadine Theuzillot

Kelly Wand

Installer & Splash Screen Programming

Eric Schmidt

Installer Art

Jarett Farmer

Production Coordinator, Cross Production

& Technical Help Files

Ronnie Lane

Voice-Over Talent

Kimberly Brooks

(Computer Voice)

Robert Berger

Greg Borrud

Stuart Calof

Joseph Donaldson

Brian Diggs

Hardy LeBel

Ron Millar

Josh Resnick

Reiner Schone

Jay Sosnicki

Mike Vaez

Localization Team

Associate Producer

Seth Gerson

Production Coordinators

Brian Diggs

Nicky Kerth

Director Of Cross Production

Nathalie Desch‰tres

Associate Producer, Cross Production

Adam Goldberg

Production Coordinator, Cross Production

Tanya Martino

Localization Consulting

Daryl Pitts

Seth Grenald

Managing Director Europe

Bob Dewar

Marketing Director Europe

Janine Johnson

Sales Director Europe

John Burns

European Development Manager

Simon Harris

Managing Director, Australia

John Watts

General Manager, Latin America

Ernie Maldonado

Asset Localization (German/French/Spanish/Italian)

Frederic Journoud

Tricia McKinley

Janis Shea

Larry Wade

IDOC, Inc.

Audio Production Supervisor (Spanish)

Michael B. Schwartz

Sound Director (German/French)

Charles De Vries

International Voice Localization

Sound Director (Spanish)

Grabaciones Y Doblajes, s.a.

Sound Engineering (German/French/Spanish)

Bill Black

Big Fat Kitty Productions

French 2nd Director

X‡vier Nathan

Assistant to Voice Director

Veronique Colas

Recording Studio

SpringWest

Recording Engineer

Juan Hendo

Voice Talent

Corinne Lorain

Frank Bruynbroek

Mark Eckelberry

Christian Aubert

Xavier Nathan

Spanish Voice Talent

Victor F. Millet

Arturo Mercado

Nora GutiŽrrez

Magdalena Questa

Mayleth Sierra

Nancy Mackenzie

Patricia Bola–os

Francisco Colmenero

Raœl Aldana

Genaro V‡squez

Yamil Atala

Jessie Conde

Raœl De La Fuente

Luis Pedro Ayala

Lorenzo Ort’z

Ismael Mondrag—n

Linguistic QA

Salvador, Fernandez

Marketing, Public Relations, and Packaging Product Manager

Michael Radiloff

Publicist

Jamey Gottlieb

Associate Product Manager

John Heinecke

Packaging Design

Erik Jensen

Cindy Whitlock

Packaging Illustration

Blur Studio

Jeff Wack

Packaging Copywriter

Veronica Milito

Documentation

Michael Rivera

Belinda M. Van Sickle

Creative Affairs Senior Creative Executive

Christopher B. Hewish

Senior Games Analyst

Jonathan Moses

Games Analyst

Eric Gewirtz

Brad Santos

Senior Vice President of Studio

Alan Gershenfield

Director of Production

Scott Lahman

Director of QA and Customer Service

Jim Summers

QA Manager

David Arnspiger

Special Thanks

Bill Anker

John Baker

Kirsty Barker

Rick Baumgartner

Dion Brain

Bryant Bustamante

Matt Candler

Elizabeth Capps

Christian Casparian

Sarah Cigliano

Ed Clune

Steve Crane

Scott Culbertson

Eveline Cureteu

Julian Da Silva

Marci Ditter

Graham Edelsten

Kelly Egan

Maria Flagg

Judy Gates

Ashleigh Gibbs

Larry Goldberg

Ron Gould

Andrew Greening

Seth Grenald

Lieutenant Paul Hay

Molly Hinchey

Bob Jensen

Eric Johnson

Catheryn Kanuck

Brian Kelly

Bobby Kotick

Mark Lamia

Teresa Landgraff

Mitch Lasky

Maryanne Lataif

Lava Lounge

Suzette Lavine

Margaret Lawson

Leviticus

Ben LeRougetel

Howard Marks

Tanya Martino

Noel Maxam

Heather Maxwell

Mondo Media

Page Morris

Stephanie O'Malley

Christine Pavlina

Barry Plaga

Jean Powell

Samantha Resnick

Matt Rosenburg

Kelly Rogers

George Rose

Martin Sansing

Ron Scott

Kim Shattuck

David Silverman

Dan Stanfill

Kip Stolberg

David Vonderhaar

Denise Walsh

William Westwater

Steven White

Steve Willsey

Dr. Mark Woodhouse

War Room

Rachel Lewis

William Liu

Jorge Maldonado

Michael Malone

Thomas Mix

John Nguyen

David Rodecker

Clifton Shaw

Conan Teng

External Play Balancers

Mark Agustin

Kevin Amico

Rigel Anderson

Deidre Anderson

Jean-Ray Arseneau

Jon Bachrach

Marc Baime

Nicholas Bali

Kenneth "K.C." Baltz

David Barron

Robert Berger

Andrew Bohne

Chad Bordwell

Michael Brinton

Joey Buck

Jean-Claude "Frenchie" Bureau

Curt Burgess

Stuart Calof

Michele Case

Robert Cashman

Chris Chao

Myron Chen

John Chiu

Anne Marie Clogston

Dave Cohen

Kevin Cohen

Terry Cohen

Kevin Combs

Justin Cooney

Doug Cronkhite

Rick Culler Jr.

Justin Dahlke

Sean Daniels

Todd Dayton

Maxwell DeChant

Kevin Dorsey

Paul Dunlap

Michael Dwiel

Craig Edrington

Steve Elwell

Mark Falk

Jason Feosback

Lance Fernald

Richard Fielder

Steve Flowers

Brian Gartland

Chuck Geary

Shemek Gedek

Rich Gerow

Eric Gewirtz

Michael Gibson

Brian Grapatin

Matthew  Gray

John Hamilton

Philip Hansen

Pany Haritatos

Brian  Harris

John Harris

Jonathan Hemingway

Jason Henderson

Tom Hepner

Toby Herman

Joel Hills

Randal Hoekstra

Chris Huber

Bill Hutchison

John Ireton

Nic Jansma

Michael Patrick Johnson

Mark Kaelin

Ted Kao

Scott Kasai

Michael Kelly

Adam Kemp

Kenneth Kil

Eddie Klaynberg

Xaeriq Knight

Brad Kohn

Jesse Labrocca

Gary Lapidus

Tom Laverty

Howard Lee

Paul Lee

Jacqueline Lee

Jaret Lehman

Bruce LeSourd

Matthew Lewis

Larry Lieb

Charles Little

Yi Liu

Peter Lolley

Shawn Lovill

Woody Lovill

Derek Lung

Paul Main

David Mank

Irek Markowski

Robert Mason

Karl Mathias

Michael McCart

Gary McCoy

Brad McGraw

Sean McKay

Richard Mi

Eric Michard

Scott Musack

Justin Nafziger

Juan (Giovanni) Negron

Vinh Nguyen

Dean O'Donnel

Karen Oettel

Jared Ong

Richard Payne

Gary Peifer

Alexander Pelton

Ron Pepper

Mike Perla

Hoang Pham

Fred Philipp

Roderick Pommier

Alan Precourt

Tony Price

Lonnie Radford

Raevyn Ralphs

Marc Reissig

John Rekalske

David Rekalske

Mark Richards

Tim Richardson

Geoffrey Richcreek

Dan Rodrigues

Joe  Ruffolo

Brant Rusch

Todd Sampson

Thevin Sattayatam

Bret Schnepf

Matt Schreiner

Bob Selby

Andy Serwatuk

Joe Shackelford

John Shackleton

Jeff Shaffer

Takeshi Shimamura

Jee Shin

Nathan Shnidman

Carl Sipp

Martin Sleeman

Marc Smith

Dakota Smith

Ryan Smolar

David SooHoo

Brent Southard

Andrew Stein

Jeff Sterck

Matt Stipes

Eric Strandberg

Leo Sutedja

Kevin Swisher

Jeff Sylvan

Dave Thomas

Andy Trapani

Chris Umali

Jack Utley

Aaron Vanek

Joel Vinyard

Brian Wade

Justin Wahlstrom

Yuzo Watanabe

Alan Wexelblat

Scott Wilkins

Todd Wilson

Timothy Wilson

Malik Woods

David Wright

John Yan

Mike Zemina

Eric Zolnowski

Jeffrey Zwelling

Jay Adams

Cory Aiken

Anthony Anzalone

Brian Bartlow

Brian Bates

Steven Beigelmacher

Robert Broglia

Brian Brushwood

Marko Buric

Terry Carl, Jr.

John Chapman

Rob Contaldi

Larry Cooper

Aaron Corcoran

Greg Crowder

Bobby Danforth

Mike Darling

Brian Decker

David Drell

Matt Duncan

Stephen Farquhar

Steven Ferreira

Brian Fisher

Jason Gentry

Joe Giddings

John Gingrich

Gary Gong

Jeff Graham

Daniel Grant

Mark Greenberg

Andy Greening

Antonia Harris

Matt Holmes

Lei Hu

David Isenor

Robert Jansen

Christopher Johnson

Darren Jones

William Jordan

Eric Junker

John Karcz

Wayne King

Randal Kinley

Deon Knecht

Eric Kristoff

Brandon LaGrange

Jon Lambert

Stanley Law

Dennis Lee

Mitch Leon

Guy Link

Cris Litvin

Michael Mancini

Todd Manion

Bryan Marshall

James McCutcheon

David Miller

Patrick Neil

Jonathan Nelson

Matt Newman

Danny Osborne

Chris Parson

Steven E. Petty

Jon Robben

Randy Rose

Douglas Roy

Kevin Saba

Dylan Savage

Steven Schulte

Michael Siegel

Joe Spina

Jonathan Taggart

Brian Taylor

Don Tulloch

Victor Vergara

Nick Vertodoulos

Todd Wagner

Nicole Williams

Alexander Wills

Based on Design created by

Greg Borrud

Chris Hewish

Josh Resnick

Trey Watkins

Based on Technology created by

Auran

Quality Assurance and Customer Support Team


Customer Support

If you have any comments, questions, and/or suggestions about Dark Reign or any other Activision product, please feel free to contact us. If you are experiencing difficulty, please consult this help file before contacting Customer Support. The help file contains the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions and may quickly provide a solution to your problem. If, after reviewing the Dark Reign Help file, you are still experiencing problems, please feel free to contact us through any of the services listed. So that we can better help you, please be at your computer and have the following information ready:

1.	Complete product title

2.	Exact error message reported (if any) and a brief description of the problem

3.	Your computer's processor type and speed (e.g. Pentium 90MHz)

4.	Video and sound card makes and models (e.g. Diamond Stealth 64 video, Sound Blaster 16 sound...)

Customer Support:

North America

UK and Europe

Australia and Pacific Rim

For Technical Support and Customer Service in areas not listed, please contact your local distributor or Activision via online (please note, online support is in English only).

Please Note:  The network portion of this game is supported via our online services only. (available in English only)

Locations for Updates and/or Patches:

Where do I go for Game Updates and/or Patches?


Customer Support (On-line)

Dark Reign Multi-player technical support is available through our online services only. Due to the complex nature of network games, please provide the following information when requesting technical support for Dark Reign Multi-player.

NOTE: Except where noted, the following requested information can usually be found:

In Windows 95:	Click on the Start button, select Settings, then choose Control Panel. Double-click on the System icon. From this point, click on the Device Manager tab.

1.	What kind of processor does each machine have (found on the General tab)?

2.	What kind of video and sound cards do the machines have?

3.	Are you using a joystick? If so, what brand and model? What is it using as a game port (e.g. sound card, dedicated game port)?

4.	What size install did you use?

5.	How much free disk space do you have? (This can be found by opening the Windows Explorer and looking at the bottom of the window.)

6.	How much RAM is in each machine? (This information can be found by right mouse clicking once on My Computer and choosing Properties. Click on the General tab. RAM will be listed.)

7.	Is your Virtual Memory configured manually or was it set by Windows 95? If manually, what are the specifications? (This information can be found by going to the Performance tab adjacent to the Device Manager tab.)

In addition, please note whether you are using a modem, internet connection, or LAN to play Dark Reign Multi-player and have the following information available.

If you are using a modem:

NOTE: In Microsoft Windows 95, your modem settings can be found by opening the Control Panel, double-clicking on Modems, and examining the Properties.

1. 	What kind of serial chip (i.e. 16550 or 8250) does your modem have? You can find out by running MSD.EXE in DOS and pressing the C key. If you try to run MSD.EXE in Windows, you will be warned that the diagnostics will not perform an accurate test. Continue on with the diagnostics. If your serial chip is an 8250, stop right there  Dark Reign Multi-player doesn't support it, nor do most other games. You'll need to get a serial port or modem with a 16550 serial chip. (The 16550 has special FIFO memory that makes it much less likely to lose data than the old 8250.)

2.	What kind of modem is on each end (brand, model, speed, internal or external)?

3.	On which port is your modem configured?

4.	Is each modem configured correctly for your operating system?

5.	Does Hyper Terminal (or any other terminal program) work with your modem? This is an easy way to test whether or not your modem is configured correctly.

6.	At what speed are you connecting?

7.	Are you using any data compression or error correction? (We do not recommend using either with the game.)

If you are using an external modem:

1.	What kind of serial card is being used?

2.	Do you have a seven-wire serial cable?

If you are on a LAN:

1.	Can you see other computers on the network?

2.	What is your network configuration?

3.	What brand of network card do you have?

4.	What network software are you running? What version number?

Activision Online Services:

Services with Activision Forums, E-Mail and File Library Support

America Online: Use keyword "Activision" to locate the Activision forum.

 	CompuServe: 76004,2122 or [GO GAMBPUB]

Activision BBS: (310) 255-2146 Up to 33,600 baud; Settings: 8 Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit (8, N, 1)

Internet

http://www.activision.com

E-mail

support@activision.com


Dark Reign Information

Minimum System Requirements for Dark Reign

Minimum System Requirements for Dark Reign Multi-player


DirectX
DirectX 3a

Upon completion of the Dark Reign setup, the install process will continue by determining if Microsoft DirectX 3a needs to be installed on your computer. If so, the Microsoft DirectX 3a setup program will install the appropriate files on your computer. If you choose not to install DirectX 3a, and you find that later you need to install DirectX 3a, follow these directions. With the Dark Reign disc in your CD-ROM drive, install Microsoft DirectX 3a by right-clicking on the Dark Reign CD icon to get the Context menu. From that menu, select Install DirectX.

Who makes DirectX and how can I contact them?

Microsoft created DirectX.  If the answer to the question you are looking for is not found on this page you may want to contact Microsoft via mail at:

Microsoft Customer Sales and Service

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA   98052-6399, USA

Microsoft can also be reached in the USA at (800) 426-9400, or internationally at +1(206) 882-8080.

What is DirectX and why do I need it?

Microsoft's DirectX 3a is an API (Application Programming Interface) set that increases the speed at which games play under the Windows 95 operating system. These APIs allow direct access to the enhanced features of hardware under Windows 95. With DirectX 3a, a program has instant access to the hardware, allowing for great advances in graphics, sound, video, 3-D, and network capabilities of games.

Since Windows 95 and DirectX 3a are relatively new in the computer world and have not achieved compatibility with some older video cards, many manufacturers are releasing updated drivers for Windows 95 to meet the DirectX standard. If you are not sure about your video card's compatibility, consult the company that makes your video card.

If the Microsoft DirectX Installer does not detect DirectX 3a on your computer, it can install DirectX 3a for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX 3a to take effect.

If you have other Windows 95 games on your computer, chances are you already have an earlier version of DirectX installed on your computer. In this case, the Microsoft Installer will write over that version with DirectX 3a.  At that point, the DirectX installation process will be complete. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If you already have DirectX 3a installed on your computer, the Microsoft DirectX 3a installer will detect that and not overwrite any DirectX 3a files.  You will not need to restart your computer after installation in order to run Dark Reign.

DirectX 3a should not affect any titles designed for the original version of DirectX. Should you encounter difficulties with DirectX 3a, please contact Microsoft for further information.

How do I check to see if my computer supports Direct X?

1.	Place the disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from any autoplay screens.

2.	Double-click on "My Computer".

3.	Right-click on your CD-ROM drive and choose Install DirectX.

If any of the components of DirectX are not certified, please call your hardware manufacturer for the updated drivers that support DirectX.

I am having problems with running Dark Reign and I think it might be related to my Direct X installation. What should I do?

If you experience problems running Dark Reign, try turning off the enable 3D acceleration option in the DirectX setup program.  To disable 3D Acceleration, double click on the dxsetup icon located in Program Files\DirectX\Setup. Uncheck the option for 3D acceleration in the middle of the DX Setup window.

I have heard DirectX is not compatible with some video cards. What can you tell me about that?

Windows 95 and DirectX are relatively new in the computer world and have not achieved compatibility with some older video cards. Many manufacturers are releasing updated drivers to meet the DirectX standard. If you are not sure about your video card's compatibility, consult the Vendor List for the company that makes your video card.

If I don't have DirectX, will Dark Reign install it for me?

Yes. If the Microsoft DirectX Installer does not detect DirectX on your computer, it will install DirectX for you. After installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer in order for DirectX to take effect.

If the DirectX Installer copied over a previous version, will the UnInstaller remove DirectX 3a? How will this affect my other Windows 95 games?

DirectX 3a will remain on your computer and you will be able to run other Windows 95 games that use Microsoft’s DirectX libraries.  DirectX 3a should not affect any titles designed for the original version of DirectX.  Should you encounter difficulties with DirectX 3a, please contact Microsoft for further information (address and phone number stated above).

How do I restore my video and/or audio drivers once DirectX has been installed?

1.	Place the disc in the CD-ROM drive and exit from any autoplay screens.

2.	Double-click on "My Computer".

3.	Right-click on your CD-ROM drive and choose Install DirectX.

Choose the button that satisfies your want (e.g. Restore Audio drivers). This process will install your past drivers and prompt you to restart Microsoft Windows.


Electronically Registering

There are three ways to access the registration for Windows 95:

•	Select Register Now during the installation process.

•	Insert the Dark Reign CD.  From the Dark Reign title screen, click on More. Then, click on E-Reg.

•	Right-click on the Dark Reign CD icon with the disc in your CD-ROM drive and select Electronic Registration from the menu.


Finding Other Dark Reign Multi-players for Modem and Internet Play

If you have e-mail and access to the World Wide Web, you can access several sites that maintain lists of people who are looking for other Dark Reign Multi-players with whom to battle. You can get a list of these sites at www.activision.com.

If you have America Online access, you may also find people interested in Multi-play in the Dark Reign discussion group located in the Activision forum. Go to keyword ACTIVISION, select General Discussion Areas, then click on Dark Reign.

If you have CompuServe, try GO ACTIVISION.


How do I start Dark Reign Multi-play?

To start Dark Reign Multi-play, please follow these instructions.

1.	Launch Dark Reign.

2.	From the Main Menu screen click on Multi-player.

3.	Enter your name and select the connection type (depending on how you can connect to other players).

4.	If a game is already displayed in the list of available games that you want to play, click JOIN GAME.  Otherwise, click on CREATE GAME to begin your own game.


How to Start the Game

How do I start the game? - Basic instructions on how to begin playing the game.

How do I start network game play? - Basic instructions on how to begin playing the network version of the game.


I am having problems running the game with my STB video card.

We have experienced numerous problems with STB video cards running the STB Vision 95 set of display tools.  Please install the STB driver without the STB Vision 95 display tools.  If further information is needed, please refer to the video card manual or contact STB Systems, Inc. for instructions on how to change your video card driver.


I have an ATI Mach64 and keep getting errors (e.g. DIBENG.DLL).  What should I do?

Please follow the instructions provided, for they will allow your video card to meet the requirements for certain video conditions.

(1) 	Click the START button and select RUN.

(2)	Type in SYSEDIT and click OK.

(3)	Select the window that is titled SYSTEM.INI (e.g. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI).

(4)	Within the window, scroll down until you find the following text. It should look like the following.  If not, add it:

[DISPLAY]

STRETCHENGINE=0

Make sure STRETCHENGINE is equal to 0 and not to 1.

(5)	Then select File from the pull down menu and choose Save.

(6)	Exit all windows and restart the system.


Information for Dark Reign Multi-play

NOTE: For your benefit, we have created a Readme.doc file that contains last minute information that could not be included in this on-line help file.  If information is not found within this on-line help file, please view our Readme.doc file.

Minimum System Requirements for Dark Reign Multi-play

How do I start Dark Reign Multi-play?

Finding Other Dark Reign Players for Modem and Internet Play

Common Troubleshooting Tips for Playing Dark Reign Multi-play - Where to go when you are having problems.

Check the Activision website at www.activision.com for information and updates on Dark Reign Multi-play.  Please note that Customer Support for Dark Reign Multi-play is available via our online services only.


Installing & Uninstalling the Game

Before the installation

Installing Dark Reign for Windows 95 - This contains install instructions and information about this version.

Electronically Registering

Uninstalling the Windows 95 version of the game - Basic instructions on how to uninstall the game.

Common Installation Problems - Problems that might be encountered before and/or after installation.


Installing the Game

How to Install

1.	Before installing, close all other applications. Also make sure Virtual Memory (located in your System Control Panel under Performance) is not disabled.

2.	Insert the Dark Reign CD into your CD-ROM drive and wait a few moments until the Dark Reign title screen appears. (If the title screen does not appear, please refer to the AutoPlay Troubleshooting section.)

3.	Click the Install button to begin the installation process and follow the on-screen instructions.

NOTE: Dark Reign has 2 install sizes.  The game will play faster and smoother with the larger install size. Dark Reign can access game art and sound much faster from your hard drive than from your CD, so the more Dark Reign files installed on your hard drive, the quicker the game will play.

4.	After Dark Reign installation is complete, your computer will install Microsoft's DirectX 3a drivers if you do not already have them. After installation of DirectX 3a is complete, you will need to restart your computer for the new drivers to take effect. For more information on DirectX 3a, see the DirectX 3a section of this file.

5.	You can now run Dark Reign for Windows 95 by choosing Start · Programs · Dark Reign · Dark Reign from the Start menu or by clicking Play on the Dark Reign title screen.


Internet

I am hosting a game on a 14.4 modem and my friend cannot see my game. Is there something wrong?

There may be some problems seeing games hosted by 14.4 modems.  If the delay or packet loss between your computer and your opponent's computer is too high, your game may not appear in your opponent's available games list.  You can ping your opponent's computer to see the delay and packet loss between his/her computer and yours.  Have the opponent run WINIPCFG to tell you his IP address, then open a DOS window and type PING followed by the IP Address (e.g. PING 206.79.52.113).  If Ping reports a delay of above 500MS or a packet loss above 25%, you may have problems connecting or playing.

I have both a TCP/IP Network adapter card and Modem adapter installed on my machine and I can’t use my dial up account.  What is wrong?

Dark Reign Multi-play might not see Internet games if you are dialing out to an Internet provider and your computer also has a TCP/IP compatible protocol installed for your network adapter card.  You have to remove the TCP/IP protocol for your network adapter card before you will be able to use your dial up connection.

Is there any way that my computer can be the server for my own game of Dark Reign Multi-Play?

Another method of hosting an Internet game is to use your own computer as a host/server. After dialing into your Internet provider, run WINIPCFG in Windows 95 to find your IP address.  This information is displayed in the box labeled IP Address. Without disconnecting from your server, start Dark Reign and select "Manual IP" from the Multi-player menu.  Create a game as usual. When the Connect to Server box comes up, put in the IP address assigned to your computer (found from using WINIPCFG) and broadcast your game. Other people must know your IP address, click on "Add Player" and then add your IP to their list in order to join your game.


Minimum System Requirements for Dark Reign

100% Microsoft Windows 95 compatible computer system  (including compatible 32-bit drivers for CD-ROM drive, video card, sound card, and input devices)

Windows 95 operating system

Processor Type: Pentium 90MHz

256 Color (640x 480) VLB or PCI video card with 1MB RAM

100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card

Double speed CD-ROM drive (300K/second sustained transfer rate).  Quad speed CD-ROM required to play movies.

100% Microsoft compatible mouse and driver

Memory:

16MB RAM:

90MB of uncompressed hard drive space for minimum install.

Additional 40MB of uncompressed hard drive space for virtual memory.

NOTE:   The Windows 95 version uses new Microsoft DirectX 3a technology, and requires that your system have the most updated drivers that fully support DirectX.

NOTE:   In order to play Dark Reign, either single player or over the Internet, the CD must be in your CD-ROM drive at all times. To join a LAN (i.e. Local Area Network) game, the Dark Reign CD is required in at least one computer.

Dark Reign may have trouble working with some 1993 or earlier Matsushita CD-ROM drives. These CD-ROM drives have trouble reading beyond 63 minutes on CDs, and Dark Reign uses the full CD. These drives were sold under the names of Panasonic, JVC, Reveal, Creative Labs and Plextor. Gameplay may occasionally slow down and the CD-ROM drive will be accessed constantly. We highly recommend that you upgrade to a newer CD-ROM drive to avoid problems with other programs in the future.

Click here if you have a NexGen Pentium compatible processor or click here if you have a Cyrix 686 processor and are receiving a warning message during the install process.


Minimum System Requirements for Dark Reign Multi-play

To play Dark Reign Multi-play you will need one of the following:

100% Windows 95 compatible network

IPX network

TCP/IP network

100% Windows 95 compatible modem (14.4 Kbps for head to head modem play, 28.8 Kbps required for Internet play).

Null-modem cable and serial port with 16550 UART

You must also meet the minimum system requirements for Dark Reign.  They are as follows:

100% Microsoft Windows 95 compatible computer system (including compatible 32-bit drivers for CD-ROM drive, video card, sound card and input devices)

Windows 95 operating system

Processor Type: Pentium 90MHz

256 Color (640x 480) VLB or PCI video card with 1MB RAM

100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card

Double speed CD-ROM drive (300K/second sustained transfer rate).  Quad speed CD-ROM required to play movies.

100% Microsoft compatible mouse and driver

Memory:

16MB RAM:

90MB of uncompressed hard drive space for minimum install.

Additional 40MB of uncompressed hard drive space for virtual memory.

NOTE:	Dark Reign uses new Microsoft DirectX 3a technology, and requires that your system have the most updated drivers that fully support DirectX.

NOTE:   In order to play Dark Reign, either single player or over the Internet, the CD must be in your CD-ROM drive at all times. To join a LAN (i.e. Local Area Network) game, the Dark Reign CD is required in at least one computer.

Click here if you have a NexGen Pentium compatible proccesor or click here if you have a Cyrix processor and are receiving a warning message during the install process.


Modems

How can I get more speed out of my modem?

1.  Upgrade your modem (applies to 14.4 users).

2.  Turn off any software and/or hardware compression used by your modem.

My modem does not respond when I call the modem of another player who has just disconnected from a previous game.

If it is an external modem, switch it off and then on and try to reconnect. If it is an internal modem, exit Dark Reign and restart the game.

How do I disable call waiting?

If your phone line has the Disable Call Waiting feature, you can disable call waiting by including the appropriate command in front of the phone number you are calling. This will prevent anyone from interrupting the call. For example:

Name: Frankie

Number: *70,,,1-818-555-1212

Where "*70" is the code to disable call waiting, and the commas (,) are simply used to provide a delay so your modem can hear the special dial tone that acknowledges your code. Check with your local phone company regarding how to disable call waiting for your particular area. You might need to use another code instead of *70, for instance, #70.

NOTE: Only the person placing the call can disable call waiting.

The person I was playing with got disconnected and now I want to play again. What do I do?

You must return to the Dark Reign main menu and repeat the process you used when you connected the first time.

There seems to be a lag in gameplay when using modems and slower machines.

Try turning off software and hardware compression in your modem setup in Windows 95 to increase performance.

Your machine might have an old 8250 serial chip. You need to upgrade to a serial port with a 16550 serial chip. You can tell what kind of serial chip you have by running MSD in MS-DOS.


Network

I start the game, select IPX, and the screen says "Network driver not available". What should I do?

You might have left another copy of Dark Reign running in the background. You can only run one copy of Dark Reign at a time. If this isn't the case, you probably need to load an IPX driver.

To load an IPX driver in Windows 95, go to the Start menu and choose Settings · Control Panel. Click on Networking and make sure that you have an IPX or IPX-compatible driver listed. If you don't, try the following: Double-click on Add, then double-click on Protocol. Click on Microsoft, and finally double-click on IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol.

Technically inclined people who want to connect an IPX driver to a modem instead of an Ethernet card may be able to do so in the Protocol control panel in Windows 95.

We are trying to play an IPX Dark Reign Multi-play game and we can’t always get everyone into the game. What should I do?

Make sure that everyone is not trying to launch into the game at the same time. Try launching into the game one at a time.


Null Modems

If you have two computers in the same room, but they don't have Ethernet cards, you can use a direct serial connection to play a two player game of Dark Reign.  To do this, get a null modem cable (also known as a Laplink™ cable), and plug each end into a serial port on one of the computers.

When I choose COM1, it tells me "Could not open service."

If the mouse is on COM1, you can't use COM3; if it's on COM2, you can't use COM4.  This is because COM1 and COM3 share the same IRQ.


Starting the Game

After installing the game, choose the START button and select PROGRAMS. Click on Dark Reign and choose Dark Reign. You can also start the game by inserting the Dark Reign CD into the CD-ROM drive and choosing PLAY from the splash screen.


Supported Operating Systems

This game supports one operating system at this time: Microsoft Windows 95.

The following operating systems are not supported:

MS-DOS 6.22

MS-DOS Mode 7.0

Microsoft Windows 3.1X

Microsoft Windows NT

IBM OS/2 (All Varieties)


Table of Contents

NOTE: For your benefit, we have created a Readme.doc file that contains last minute information that could not be included in this on-line help file.  If information is not found within this on-line help file, please view our Readme.doc file.

System & Setup Requirements

Installing & Uninstalling the Game

How to Start the Game

Game Play - The on-line players manual.

Information for Dark Reign Multi-play

Common Troubleshooting Tips - Where to go when you are having problems with the game.

Vendor List - A directory of hardware/software companies for compatibility issues.

Activision Customer Support - Information about our support services.

Hints - Where to go when you need hints.

Credits - The people who made this game possible.


Taskbar Always on Top

In order to launch Dark Reign, the Windows 95 taskbar cannot have the option Always On Top selected.

For directions on how to turn this option off, please see the Microsoft Help system.  Click Here to display the Microsoft Help system subject on Configuring the Taskbar.


The taskbar hides a portion of the game window. Can I fix this?

This can happen if your taskbar is always on top. You can hide the taskbar by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties. Click Auto Hide and then OK. The taskbar will hide when it is not used.  To make the taskbar reappear, place your mouse in the area where the taskbar once was and it will appear.


Uninstalling the Game

How to uninstall Dark Reign.

The Uninstall option in Dark Reign allows the game to remove itself completely from your hard drive. From the Start button, go to Programs · Dark Reign · Uninstall Dark Reign and follow the Uninstaller instructions.

NOTE: You should always uninstall the game with the Uninstaller provided.

If you remove the game from your hard drive by dragging your Dark Reign folder to the Recycle Bin, certain files may be left behind causing problems with a later reinstallation of the game.  Should this occur, completely remove all Dark Reign files from your computer and complete the following steps:

1.	Make sure you have deleted the entire directory to which you installed Dark Reign.

2.	Remove Dark Reign from the Start menu.

a.	From the Start button, go to Settings · Taskbar.

b.	Select the Start Menu Programs tab.

c.	Click the Remove button.

d.	Highlight and then delete the entire Dark Reign entry.

3.	You must also clean up the Windows 95 Registry in order to be able to reinstall Dark Reign again.

a.	Go to the Start menu on your taskbar.  Select Run.

b.	In the Run dialog box, type REGEDIT and click on the OK button.

c.	Once REGEDIT is open, double-click the entry called HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE.

d.	Double-click on SOFTWARE. If you have any other Activision programs installed, open the Activision folder and delete only the Dark Reign folder. Otherwise, delete the entire item called Activision.


When I launch into a mission the screen goes black and freezes.
When I launch into a mission, the screen goes black and freezes.

We have found this to be the case when you do not have DirectX certification. In most cases you can fix this problem by updating your video card drivers. This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your Video Card Manufacturer for details.

Another possible cause could be that the CD is not in the CD-ROM drive.  Please insert the Dark Reign CD before you attempt to start the game.


Why do I have wavy lines across my screen when I enter a mission
Why do I have wavy lines across my screen when I enter a mission?

We have found this to be the case when outdated DirectX drivers are present on a system. This can be fixed by updating your video card drivers. This is highly recommended and is usually free and easy to do. You can contact your Video Card Manufacturer for details.


Why does the game sometimes quit to the desktop?

Occasionally, Dark Reign will suddenly quit to the desktop.  This may be the result of a conflict with the EZDesk desktop utility, which is used to organize icons on your desktop.  Disable EZDesk whenever playing Dark Reign.

The game may also suddenly minimize to the taskbar if you are running an electronic mail program (e.g. MS Exchange) in the background.  Quit all applications before playing Dark Reign.