Monster Truck Madness(R) 2 Trial Version FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) April 1998. (c) Copyright 1998 Microsoft Corporation. This document includes answers to commonly asked questions about playing and optimizing the performance of the retail version of Monster Truck Madness 2. Some of the questions and answers below may not apply to the Trial Version of Monster Truck Madness 2. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: To read this file in Notepad, click Word Wrap on the Edit menu. ----------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON MONSTER TRUCK MADNESS 2: Monster Manual, the online Help system for Monster Truck Madness 2, includes helpful information on playing the game and maximizing your performance. To access Monster Manual, click the Monster Truck Madness 2 Help menu and then click Monster Manual. README.txt, located in the folder where Monster Truck Madness 2 is installed, includes important information specific to Monster Truck Madness 2 that is not included in the jewelcase booklet, online Help, or this FAQ file. Also, don't forget to visit our World Wide Web site to obtain the latest information. The URL for the Monster Truck Madness 2 Home Page is: http://www.microsoft.com/games/monster/ ================================================================= Table of Contents ================================================================= (1) How does the Trial version of Monster Truck Madness 2 differ from the retail version? (2) How can I make the game run faster? (3) Can I use tracks from Monster Truck Madness Version 1 with this new version of the game? (4) How do you turn off Army Armstrong commentary? (5) How do I turn off the music that plays when I'm not actually racing? (6) How do I hook up my steering wheel and pedals to work correctly with Monster Truck Madness 2? (7) When switching views while driving, what's the fastest way to switch back to cockpit view for my truck? (8) Is there anything I can do to make my joystick (or steering wheel) a little less twitchy? (9) Can I adjust the amount of force I can feel with my force feedback controller? (10) How can I adjust the volume of music in the game? (11) How can I display frame rate? (12) How do I connect up with other people and their computers for multiplayer racing? (13) The trucks in Monster Truck Madness 2 seem to have more grip than I expected. Is there anything I can do to decrease the amount of grip when I'm driving? (14) List of URLs for major video adapter manufacturers (15) Are there any hidden surprises in Monster Truck Madness 2? ================================================================= (1) How does the Trial version of Monster Truck Madness 2 differ from the retail version? A. For details on how the Trial version of Monster Truck Madness 2 differs from the retail version (and to find out just what you are missing!), see the topic "Notes on the Trial Version of Monster Truck Madness 2" in Monster Manual, the online Help system. In the game, click the Help menu, and then click Monster Manual. ================================================================= (2) Q. How can I make the game run faster? A. The level of detail displayed in the graphics has a significant impact on how fast the game runs. Experiment with turning Graphics options (Graphics command on the Options menu) on and off to find the right combination of graphics and speed. For example, set Image Quality to Low (Faster), turn off the Textured Sky, Shadows, and Allow Damage options. You can also try setting Scenery to Sparse (Faster). Turning off the dashboard and steering wheel in cockpit view can also make the game run faster. Reducing the number of computer trucks you're racing against may also make the game run faster. To reduce the number of computer opponents, click Game on the Options menu, and then, under Computer Opponents, click the arrows to reduce the number of default computer opponents. Then click OK. ================================================================ (3) Q. Can I use tracks from and created for Monster Truck Madness Version 1 with this new version of the game? A. Yes, you can race the tracks featured in and created for Monster Truck Madness Version 1 with this new version of the game. For complete details on importing Version 1 tracks and trucks, see section 1 of README.txt (located in the folder where you installed Monster Truck Madness 2). ================================================================ (4) Q. How do I turn off Army Armstrong commentary? A. If you find the pressure of a master commentator too much to handle, you can silence Army Armstrong at any time, in both his verbal and text-based forms. To turn off Army Armstrong commentary, follow the steps below: (1) On the Options menu, click Game. (2) Under Commentary, clear the Show Commentary and Hear Commentary check boxes. (3) Click OK to close the dialog box. ================================================================ (5) Q. How do I turn off the music that plays when I'm not actually racing? A. To turn off the music that plays when you're not racing, follow the steps below: (1) On the Options menu, click Sound. (2) Under Options, clear the Play Prerace Music check box. (3) Click OK to close the dialog box. ================================================================ (6) Q. How do I hook up my steering wheel and pedals to work correctly with Monster Truck Madness 2? A. For complete instructions on how to install specific types of race car controllers for use with Monster Truck Madness 2, see the "Configuring Your Race Car Controller" section of Monster Manual (Help menu in Monster Truck Madness 2), or the "Controller Configuration Notes and Troubleshooting" section of README.txt (included in the folder where you installed Monster Truck Madness 2). These sections include topics on installing the following types of controllers: ThrustMaster NASCAR (R) Pro Racing Wheel (outside U.S., ThrustMaster Formula One Racing Wheel), ThrustMaster Formula T1 and T2, ThrustMaster Grand Prix 1, and CH Products Pro. ================================================================= (7) Q. When switching views while driving, what's the fastest way to switch back to cockpit view for my car? A. Press CTRL+1 to return to cockpit view from any game view. (You can change views while driving by pressing V; you can also jump into your opponents' trucks while they're driving by pressing K.) ================================================================= (8) Q. Is there anything I can do to make my joystick (or steering wheel) feel a little less twitchy? A. Yes. Adjusting the Null Zone setting for your joystick or steering wheel may help make your driving experience a little less twitchy. To increase the Null Zone setting and reduce the twitchiness, click Controls on the Options menu, confirm that the controller you want to adjust is selected under Primary Driving Control, and then click Customize Controller. Drag the Null Zone slider control to the right to increase the Null Zone setting. You may have to experiment to find the perfect setting for your driving style. ================================================================= (9) Q. Can I adjust the amount of force I can feel with my force feedback controller? A. Yes. By adjusting the Crash Force setting, you can tweak the feel and response of your force feedback controller. To adjust the setting, click Controls on the Options menu, and then click Customize Controller. Confirm that the Use Force Feedback check box and the appropriate controller type (joystick or steering wheel) is selected, and then drag the Crash Force slider control to adjust the amount of force you can feel with your force feedback controller. You may have to experiment to find the perfect setting for your force feedback style. ================================================================ (10) Q. How can I adjust the volume of the music in the game? A. Use the Windows Volume Control to set your audio level, and keep in mind that you can insert and play music from any audio CD while you are playing Monster Truck Madness 2 (works best if you chose the Complete option when you installed the game; otherwise, you may have to swap CDs in the drive.) =============================================================== (11) Q. How can I display frame rate? A. Type FRAME while you are driving. The frame rate calculation appears in the lower right corner of the screen. To turn it off, type FRAME again. =============================================================== (12) Q. How do I connect up with other people and their computers for multiplayer racing? A. If your computer is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, or if you have a modem, it's easy to start a multiplayer session and get racing against human opponents. Monster Truck Madness 2 even helps you find players who are ready to play when you are. For complete details on hosting or joining each type of multiplayer session, see the "Multiplayer Racing" book in the Monster Manual, the online Help system. Here's how to get started: 1. Start Monster Truck Madness 2. 2. Click Driver Check-In. 3. Click Multiplayer. 4. Click the Connect button. 5. Follow the directions on the screen, and you're on your way! ================================================================ (13) Q. The trucks in Monster Truck Madness 2 seem to have more grip than I expected. Is there anything I can do to decrease the amount of grip when I'm driving? A. Yes, there are several things you can do to decrease the amount of grip you get with your truck. First, the amount of grip your truck displays depends on the skill level you're using. If you're driving as a rookie, you get plenty of grip. Things get slippier if you're driving at the intermediate or professional levels. If you think you've got too much grip, try racing as an intermediate or professional. If you really want to "lose your grip," go to the Garage and choose the Shallow Cut tire option, and then head out on the track for a race with the Snow weather option selected (Races screen). ================================================================ (14) List of URLs for major video adapter manufacturers: ATI www.atitech.com Canopus www.canopuscorp.com creative labs www.creaf.com Diamond Multimedia www.diamondmm.com Hercules www.hercules.com Intergraph www.intergraph.com Jazz Multimedia www.jazzmm.com Matrox www.matrox.com Number Nine www.Nine.com Orchid www.orchid.com STB Technologies www.stb.com Videologics www.videologic.com ================================================================= (15) Q. Are there any hidden surprises in Monster Truck Madness 2? A. The official Monster Truck Madness 2 Team response: "That's for us to know and you to find out!"