========================================== Act of War: Direct Action (tm) Readme File ========================================== Patch version 1.06 June 30, 2005 ========================================== ========================================== 0. CONTENTS ========================================== 1. MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS 2. INSTALLATION 2a. Auto-Patching 2b. Manual Patching 3. PATCH NOTES 3a. Version 1.06 (“Patch 4”) 3b. Version 1.05 (“Patch 3”) 3c. Version 1.04 (“Patch 2”) 3d. Version 1.03 (“Patch 1b”) 4. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 4a. General Game Play And Functionality Notes 4b. Gamespy 4c. Cd Keys, Copy Protection And Online Play 4d. Ladder Site 4e. Map Editor & Mods 4f. Cheats & Unit Stats And Data 4g. The Intro Movie 4h. Changing Install Language On A European Master 5. COMMANDS 5a. Unit Commands 5b. General Building Commands 5c. General Construction Unit Commands 5d. General Game Commands 5e. Navigation/Selection Commands 6. TECHNICAL NOTES 6a. Disc Authentication Issues 6b. Performance Notes 6c. Compatibility Notes 7. END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT ========================================== 1. MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS ========================================== * Windows 2000/XP * Pentium® 4 1.5 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 1500+ or higher (Pentium® 4 2.5 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 2500+ recommended) * 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM recommended) * DirectX 8.1 compatible 64 MB video card (128 MB video card recommended) with full hardware support for vertex and pixel shaders (i.e. not GeForce 4 MX or Intel Extreme Graphics Family) * 2x DVD-ROM drive (6x recommended) * DirectX 9.0c * sound card, mouse, keyboard * 7 GB free hard drive space Please scroll down to section 6 of this document for a full list of compatibility issues. ========================================== 2. INSTALLATION ========================================== PLEASE NOTE that Saved games created using the *retail* version of Act of War will NOT be compatible with this patch! If you have a campaign in progress, we recommend that you first finish it before you install this patch. (Saved games and replays created using patched versions ARE compatible with this version 1.05 (“Patch 3”)). 2A. AUTO-PATCHING ------------------------------------------ * Launch Act of War. * Click the Online Button. * Follow the instructions. 2B. MANUAL PATCHING ------------------------------------------ If, for whatever reason, you cannot use the auto-patching feature, you can also download and install the patch manually: * Make sure that you have launched Act of War at least once before applying any patch. * Paste this link into your browser: ftp://ftp.atari.com/patches/aow/ and copy the file ActOfWar_DirectAction_Patch3.exe to your Hard Drive. * Double-click the file "ActOfWar_DirectAction_Patch3.exe" * The installer will automatically detect the location of Act of War and copy the appropriate files to the game directory. * If you uninstall the original game and there are still files from the patch left behind, you may encounter problems if you don't first manually delete these files. ========================================== 3. PATCH NOTES ========================================== 3A. VERSION 1.06 (“PATCH 4”) ------------------------------------------ FUNCTIONALITY TWEAKS/ADDED FEATURES * Localisation bug fixed in asian version. * Fixed exploit. During online play, the player could make his unit enter in the other players' units or buildings, making them invincible. * Fixed aircraft flight level in the map "Highway". * "Unigenerror #2" for message "server is full" is localized in asian version. * Longer time-outs for 2v2 War Room games. * The in game subtitle background now enlarges to match the subtitle text height. * Use of ABRAMS FSAP ability visible in replays ( not for previously done replays though ). * Bug fix: sometimes units fighting inside buildings would get stuck instead of killed, effectively taking the building out of play. * "bigbrother" cheat is now automaticaly activated while watching a game replay. Editor * Some dialog boxes in French were translated in English. * Fixed bug in Minimap generation. * Fixed bug that prevented users from finalizing the map. * Loading bar added while ęrforming the terrain lighting computation. * Small editor adjustment. 3B. VERSION 1.05 (“PATCH 3”) ------------------------------------------ FUNCTIONALITY TWEAKS/ADDED FEATURES * Map Editor, and support for importing custom made maps into the game * 5 new maps and one old one: - Highway (1v1) - Tver Hazard (1v1) - Four Lakes (2v2) - Sand Sky (2v2, FFA) - Fort Fog (3v3) - Freedom Temple (3v3) * Increased construction time for Consortium Motor Pool and the Task Force Talon Vehicle Command Center slightly * Lowered the BTR-80's speed slightly * Lowered the BTR-80's hit points slightly FIXES/CORRECTIONS/OPTIMIZATIONS * Bug fix: Under certain circumstances, AK-74s defending buildings got wrong armor type * Bug fix: the BTR-80s fired anti-tank shells instead of anti-tank missile * Bug fix: you got the full amount back when selling your starting Derrick * Pressing SHIFT to queue building constructions now recognizes the TAB key (to rotate buildings) * Out-of-synch issue addressed = could occassionally result in invincible units and buildings * The Message of the Day now has a scroll bar * Fixed issue where your units could sometimes enter an enemy Sleeper Cell and become invisible in online games 3C. VERSION 1.04 (“PATCH 2”) ------------------------------------------ FUNCTIONALITY TWEAKS/ADDED FEATURES * New map: Alcatraz, 1v1 map for War Room and Fort Irwin. * Game Replay: various user interface improvements * Game Replay: contents of structures and transports are now displayed * Game Replay: money and energy are now displayed * Game Replay: replay save files are smaller * Engagement Mode: you can now Quit without Surrendering * Chat: nicknames are now in color * Chat: "X has joined/left" messages are no longer displayed in the chat lobbies * Observer mode: chat is now accessible in Observer mode * Observer mode: messages are now displayed as players get defeated * Gameplay: rotation of structures (press the TAB key before placing to rotate) FIXES/CORRECTIONS/OPTIMIZATIONS * Various anti-cheat measures that disable all cheats we have seen to date. Detected cheaters will be kicked out of the game session with a Loss result. * Bug correction: when someone lost without Surrendering, occassionally the Observer mode wasn’t accessible * Bug correction: you are no longer able to see opposing players’ beacons * Bug correction: under certain circumstances, a mixed selection of SHIELD units in Gatling and Missile Launcher mode failed to return fire if attacked while having a STOP command * Bug correction: destroying a bank no longer causes a crash * Bug correction: returning a heavily wounded Mortar Team to the Field Hospital no longer causes a crash * Bug correction: under certain circumstances, launching two Tactical Weapons simultaneosly on the same spot could cause a crash * Bug correction: sometimes the connection was lost during a Quick Match hook-up * Bug correction: under certain circumstances with serious lag in a multiplayer game, the lagging player’s loading screen would freeze at 100%, forcing a hard reset * Bug correction: replays were sometimes not synchronized correctly before the launch of the game, resulting in blank replay files * Bug correction: under certain circumstances with severe lag, it was possible to capture a POW several times * Bug correction: under certain circumstances, a quick Surrender or Disconnect could be recorded as a Win or a Loss in the ladder ranking * German localization correction: when you can’t build a structure in a certain location, the voice over informs you that you *can’t* build there. * Clarified error message when an incorrect password is entered + added option to request password to be sent by e-mail * Optimization: several latency/bandwidth optimizations have been made, especially improving performance in bigger games * Optimization: faster downloading of players' profiles * Possible fix for the "38% crash on loading screen" issue (likely caused by a memory allocation failure); as we still however haven't been able to reproduce this bug internally, we also haven't been able to verify this fix. 3D. VERSION 1.03 (“PATCH 1B”) ------------------------------------------ FUNCTIONALITY TWEAKS/ADDED FEATURES * NAT NEGOTIATION: if you are behind a router that supports NAT negotiation (the majority of all routers, but not all), you will not need to manually forward incoming data traffic to a specific port. (You may still need to configure your firewall; we can't really override that.) * REPLAY OPTION: by selecting "Save replay" on the end-game screen of an Engagement, LAN or Online game, you can save a replay of the game for future viewing through the LOAD > LOAD REPLAY menu. (If you accidentally skip the save step, before launching a new game, you can also go into the folder "\AOW\Replay\Last", and copy the three files "AutoMovie.rpl", "AutoMovie.sad" and "AutoMovie.sav" to its parent folder. They will now be available in the LOAD REPLAY menu under the name "AutoMovie"; the files can be renamed in Windows.) * Updated Credits with Atari Europe. FIXES/CORRECTIONS/OPTIMIZATIONS * Fixed issue which caused BlackHawk helicopters not to pick up heavily wounded soldiers if they had a queued command. * Fixed crash when you sold a Stealth Armor Lab. * Fixed issue where more than 8 Construction units could be queued to be deployed at an HQ. * Fixed issue where infantry could get killed from walking into a construction footprint. * Fixed issue where upgrade options for Strykers and AK-74 soldiers would sometimes be incorrectly disabled due to lack of funds. * Fixed issue where non-combattants wouldn't respond to keyboard shortcut for Repatriation. * Fixed issue which allowed you to override normal power limits by queueing construction actions. * Fixed issue which would sometimes cause vehicles exiting a Repair Depot to get stuck. * Fixed issue where audio would sometime continue to play when game was minimized. * Improved stability when the user's PC is locked while game is still running (may still cause problems in certain cases; we advise you to always save your game before locking your PC). * Disabled Continue Campaign button if you have already finished the Campaign. * Added warning that you'll spoil the story if you're skipping ahead in the campaign. * Fixed miscellaneous text glitches. * Fixed miscellaneous stability issues. ========================================== 4. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ========================================== 4A. GENERAL GAME PLAY AND FUNCTIONALITY NOTES ------------------------------------------ * Please note that if you host an online or LAN game with one or more A.I.-controller players, these A.I.-controlled players will not be migrated to a new host if the original host is disconnected or leaves the game. * By pressing Alt-I or clicking the icon of Lieutenant Vega to the right-hand side of your screen, you will find information about the new units, structures, abilities and gameplay features in the current mission. This feature is not available while a cinematic is playing. * Note that you cannot enter any buildings or climb any rooftops in the first mission. For game balancing and/or technical reasons, some buildings/rooftops in later missions aren't accessible either. * If your internet connection is lost while connected to the online lobby or a game session, for example if your cable is disconnected, you may need to exit Act of War before you can log on again. * Please note that the information in Duty Time and Rank in your online profile only takes your WAR ROOM (i.e. ladder games) into account; not online games played in Fort Irwin, LAN games, or Engagement single-player games. Also, they are not updated in real-time; you may need to log off and log on again for this information to be updated. * Please note that medals are awarded from online play in the War Room only; not in LAN games, single-player games, or online games in Fort Irwin. * Queueing Defend Zone/Heal Zone/Repair Zone Commands: Please note that these commands are "infinite", and therefore you can't really queue up other commands (such as a build command) to occur after them, as they won't get executed. For the same reason, a construction unit with one of these orders won't be selected when you toggle through with the "Zz" button. * Please note that games created in one room of the Fort Irwin Virtual Battlefield area are not visible to other rooms, i.e. if you create a game in the Main room, players in other rooms will not be able to see that game. * In the game staging screen, if you want to send a private chat message to a specific player, you can type "/w [player name]" before your message, i.e. if you want to send the message "Sox rule!" to a player called GOPATS, you should type "/w GOPATS Sox rule!". (Note that player names may be case sensitive.) 4B. GAMESPY ------------------------------------------ * GameSpy provides a free-of-charge match-making and stats tracking service for Act of War: Direct Action. They do not host the patch or the Online game sessions. If you have latency problems in the game, this is caused by one of the players having a slow connection or PC -- not by GameSpy. * If you have problems finding a unique nick, we suggest adding a "clan tag" to the beginning of your nick, i.e. "[REDSOX]MannyRulez" * Please note that when creating a new GameSpy user profile, you cannot enter an e-mail address that contains two dots in the domain name, such as "gamer@us.freedomain.com". * If you get a message "Invalid password" when creating a new user ID, it means that there is already an existing account using the same E-MAIL ADDRESS. Try again using a different e-mail address, or try and remember what password you used when you previously created a GameSpy user ID with the same e-mail address (probably for another game). * If you have problems logging on or connecting to the GameSpy server, please verify that your internet connection is OK and try again in a couple minutes. 4C. CD KEYS, COPY PROTECTION AND ONLINE PLAY ------------------------------------------ * Please don't make illegal copies of Act of War: Direct Action. Thanks in advance. * You'll need to enter a CD Key when you install the game. On U.S. versions of Act of War, this is printed on the inside of your manual cover, on European versions it’s printed on a sticker under the DVD in its case. * Each time you launch the game, it will 1) look for the presence of the Act of War DVD in the drive, and 2) look for the presence of a valid CD Key in your registry. (Once you've launched the game, you can remove the DVD if you wish.) * Each time you log on to GameSpy to play Online, your CD Key is validated against an online database. If the records match, you'll be logged in to the online lobby. If they don't match, or if for whatever reason you can't connect to the authentication server, you'll get an error message. Please double-check your login details and connection and try again. * IMPORTANT!!! When logging on to GameSpy, if your CD Key is already in use by someone else, that person will immediately be disconnected without any warning, explanation or error message. Read that again. It means that if you give your CD Key to someone else, that person will always be able to automatically kick you out of your Online game, at any time, without any notice or warning. So, DON'T GIVE OUT YOUR CD KEY! Each logon attempt is IP tracked and it is possible to identify CD Key violations, please contact Atari Customer Support if you believe your CD Key has been hi-jacked (=if you FREQUENTLY find yourself kicked out to the Main Menu with an error message saying "Connection to online server lost".) * Each time you log on to GameSpy, we'll also verify that you have the latest version of the game installed. If you don't, you'll be requested to download the latest patch to be able to play Online. 4D. LADDER SITE ------------------------------------------ The official ladder site can be found here: http://gamestats.gamespy.com/actofwar/ 4E. MAP EDITOR & MODS ------------------------------------------ The map editor is included in Patch 3. We're investigating various ways to allow you to easily modify units and game characteristics through the Map Editor, we may or may not be able to get this into the first version of it. 4F. CHEATS & UNIT STATS AND DATA ------------------------------------------ The strategy guide from BradyGames contains a handful cheat codes and stats and data for all units in the game, as well as a full walkthrough of the campaign and a bunch of multiplayer strategy hints and tips from the developers and testers in Atari's QA department (who have spent thousands and thousands of hours beating each other up in multiplayer…) 4G. THE INTRO MOVIE ------------------------------------------ If you skip or miss the intro movie, you can watch it again by copying the three files in the folder "\VIDEO" on the game DVD to your hard drive, rename the file "ENG_Cutscene_00.wav" to "Cutscene_00.wav", and then drag the file "CutScene_00.avi" to the application "mplayerc.exe". 4H. CHANGING INSTALL LANGUAGE ON A EUROPEAN MASTER ------------------------------------------ For European users, if you want to install the game in a different language than your Windows version, hold down SHIFT when inserting the game DVD (to diasble the autorun feature), then right-click your DVD-drive icon in "My Computer", select Open, and double-click the file "setup.exe". You should now get a language selection menu instead. ========================================== 5. COMMANDS ========================================== 5A. UNIT COMMANDS ------------------------------------------ A Attack M Move S Stop D Defend/Heal Zone/Repair Zone T Land/Take Off C Capture U Unload immediately V Unload on location W Crawl/stand up O Load B Ambush Z Attack area 5B. GENERAL BUILDING COMMANDS ------------------------------------------ O Set rallypoint L Sell 5C. GENERAL CONSTRUCTION UNIT COMMANDS ------------------------------------------ X Open Undercover/Defcon 3/Battlefield Construction menu C Open Revealed/Defcon 2/SHIELD Technology Construction menu V Open Defcon 1/Drone Technology Construction menu E Return to previous construction menu TAB Rotate structure footprint before placement on map 5D. GENERAL GAME COMMANDS ------------------------------------------ F1 Launch Tactical Weapon F2-F4 Launch airstrike F5 Quicksave F10 Quickload ' Chase camera on selected unit Alt-' Aircraft chase camera ESC Pause game SPACEBAR Center camera on last message BACKSPACE Center camera on Headquarters ENTER Open/send chat message = Center camera on idle construction unit TAB Toggle unit type within selection SHIFT Keep pressed to queue commands, or to add/subtract units to a selection Alt-O Display objectives (single-player) or list of players (multiplayer) Alt-I Display intelligence (single-player only) 5E. NAVIGATION/SELECTION COMMANDS ------------------------------------------ LEFT MOUSE Execute command/select unit RIGHT MOUSE Move Mouse wheel Zoom in/out Cursor Move map CTRL Keep pressed while left-clicking on a unit to select all units on the screen of the same type (or double-click the unit) SHIFT Keep pressed while left-clicking on a unit to add/subtract units to a selection CTRL-# Assign hotkey (number between 1 and 0) to selected unit(s), or a building # Select hotkeyed group ## Center camera on hotkeyed group ========================================== 6. TECHNICAL NOTES ========================================== Please note that Atari assumes no responsibility for any problems you may encounter as an effect of following any of the suggestions given here. In case of techincal problems, please always contact your local Atari customer support office. 6A. DISC AUTHENTICATION ISSUES ------------------------------------------ Regardless how or when, if you experience that the Act of War disc is not recognized as a valid disc (i.e. it can't be opened, accessed, read from, or you get an error message along the lines of “Disc could not be verified within time limit"), this is caused by the copy protection for some reason not recognizing your game DVD as a valid Act of War disc. In this case, please make sure * you have no potentially dodgy disc emulation/duplication software installed * your DVD drive can read dual-layer DVDs * your game DVD is clean and unscratched * you have the latest drivers for your DVD-drive If this doesn't help, and you can install but not launch the game, please follow these steps: * Locate your Act of War executable (default location is "C:\Program Files\Atari\Act of War - Direct Action") * Right-click "ActOfWar.exe" and select the option "Launch Analysis" (normally third from the top under "Open" and "Run as...") * Follow the instructions. * ZIP the file "AnalysisLog.sr0" * Contact your local Atari Customer Support as described in the game manual, and make sure they receive this ZIP file along with any other data and contact details requested. If you cannot access the game disc at all, please contact your local Atari Customer Support as described in the game manual and give a detailed explanation of your issue and your PC configuration. Some specific workarounds reported from other players via the forums: * If you have a combo drive (that also can write CDs and/or DVDs), try disabling digital CD audio for the device. Under Win XP: My Computer => Right-click your DVD-drive => Properties => Hardware => select your DVD-drive => Properties => Properties => uncheck "Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM device". (thanks coldkill, muppetts and and Mobilemick). * If you have a Pioneer drive, please visit http://www.pioneer-eur.com/eur/support_software.jsp?category=support/software to ensure you have the latest firmware (thanks Jenard). * If you have a Plextor drive and experience this problem, you can try using the PlexTool application that came on the install disc, and try on different speed settings (thanks Buadyen and m_sunny10). * It seems the copy protection on the disk does not like Sonic DLA (drive letter access) with some DVD drives. Right-click the DVD drive => Properties => DLA tab => uncheck "Enable DLA on drives" (thanks Krayzee and performance4men). 6B. PERFORMANCE NOTES ------------------------------------------ * The game will automatically detect the capabilities of your hardware configuration and choose an appropriate quality setting. If you choose to increase your quality settings -- shadows, resolution, audio quality -- you may experience performance issues. In particular, lower-end video cards with support for pixel shader 2.0, such as the GeForce FX5200, FX5600, FX 5800, and the Volari XGI series, will typically run better with the SHADOW setting set to LOW. * As a general rule, almost completely regardless what problem you have with the game, the first thing to check is that you have the latest drivers for your video card. These can be downloaded from the web site of your video card manufacturer. 6C. COMPATIBILITY NOTES ------------------------------------------ * As is noted in the minimum requirements not all video cards have hardware vertex and pixel shader support even though they have the required video memory available. Here is a non-exhaustive list of video cards that are not supported: ATI Radeon 7200 ATI Radeon 7500 Intel 82810 Integrated Graphics Intel 82815 Integrated Graphics Intel 82830M Integrated Graphics Intel 82845G Integrated Graphics Intel 82852 Integrated Graphics Intel 82855 Integrated Graphics Intel 82910GL GMA 900 Integrated Graphics Intel 82915G GMA 900 Integrated Graphics Intel 82915GV GMA 900 Integrated Graphics Intel 82855GM Extreme Graphics 2 Intel 82865G Extreme Graphics 2 Intel 82865GV Extreme Graphics 2 Mobile Intel 915GM/GMS Express Integrated Graphics Mobile Intel 910GML Express Integrated Graphics Nvidia GeForce 2MX Nvidia GeForce 2GTS Nvidia GeForce 4MX SiS Xabre series video cards If you have any of these video cards please contact your system vendor for assistance in upgrading your video card. * Matrox P750 and Matrox Parhelia: Depending on your hardware configuration and driver version, you may experience random lock-ups and freezes, and the videos displayed in the background of the main menu may flicker, stutter or not be played at all. Try installing a different driver. * XGI Volari V8 and V3XT: Depending on your hardware configuration and driver version, you may experience issues with interface graphics not displaying properly. Try installing a different driver. * With 256 MB of RAM you may experience random lock-ups when Windows is swapping memory to the disc. Terminate all other applications, including those running invisibly in the background to minimize these issues. * Windows XP SP2 introduces the NX security feature for Athlon 64 processors, and for Intel processors with names ending with the letter "J" (such as the “520J”). This feature can make the game crash during startup, if so you have to disable it. To do so, please follow these steps: - Click START > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced - Click Performance > Settings - Select the Data Execution Prevention tab and make sure that the first option ("Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only") is selected. Also, you should get the latest AMD processor drivers and tools for Athlon 64 from www.amd.com. * If you have an AMD Athlon 64 processor and experience issues with Windows XP rebooting your PC seemingly spontaneously, make sure that you have the latest processor drivers (available for download from www.amd.com). * If you have a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card and a 5.1 speaker set-up, no audio will be played from the center channel even if you select the "3D" sound driver option. * Crash at 30-38%: Users have been reporting an issue where after you've installed the patch the game will either crash to the desktop or freeze on the loading screen at between 30% to 38%. We are currently in the process of trying to track down this issue but, in the meantime here are some steps to try that have worked for some users who are experencing this issue: 1. Try launching the game in Compatibility Mode: * Locate your Act of War executable (default install path: "C:\Program Files\Atari\Act of War - Direct Action") * Right-click the file "ActOfWar.exe", select Properties > Compatibility tab > Check the box "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and then try either "Windows 2000" or "Windows NT". 2. If you have an ATI-based video card running the latest Catalyst 5.3 drivers, try downgrading your drivers to the 5.2 Catalyst drivers to see if this helps. 3. Also, if you have an ATI-based video card, you can try disabling the VPU recover feature (thanks Morpheus11); START > Control Panel > Display > Settings tab > Advanced > VPU Recover > uncheck "Enable VPU Recover". 4. Update the chipset drivers for your motherboard. * If you have an Intel-based system go to http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Detail_Desc.asp?agr=N&ProductID=816&DwnldID=8178 * If you have an AMD-based system using a VIA-based chipset go to http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=2&Type=1 * If you have an AMD-based system using an Nvidia-based chipset go to http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp and download the latest Nforce drivers. * If none of these steps help please 1) refer to this forum thread: http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=459532, and 2) contact your local Customer Support department and provide a copy of your DXDIAG file to the representative along with details as to what steps you have taken to resolve this issue. * If, when you launch the game nothing appears to be happening, try hitting ctrl-alt-del to open the Task Manager. If the Act of War process is running, terminate it, then try running Act of War in Compatibility Mode: * Locate your Act of War executable (default install path: "C:\Program Files\Atari\Act of War - Direct Action") * Right-click the file "ActOfWar.exe", select Properties > Compatibility tab > Check the box "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and then try either "Windows 2000" or "Windows NT". FLICKERING GRAPHICS * If you have problems with flickering graphics, try setting the mouse cursor to "SMALL" in the in-game options (thanks Troll-Killa). * ATI Video Cards: Act of War sometimes causes an issue with full screen Anti-Aliasing on some ATI cards, resulting in a flickering screen during the game. If you experience this, try disabling it (or simply hit the Windows key to play the game in windowed mode). NVIDIA VIDEO CARDS * If you experience issues with the ground or unit textures not displaying properly (i.e. gray), try verifying against the settings in this thread by Tybalt: http://www.uk.atari.com/third_party/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7597 before reporting the error to Customer Support. * Please note that the GeForce4 MX isn't supported by the game because it doesn't have pixel/vertex shader support. * please check out this thread from the UK forum for more information about nVidia card compatibility: http://www.uk.atari.com/third_party/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=157005 ATI VIDEO CARDS * Act of War sometimes causes an issue with full screen Anti-Aliasing on some ATI cards, resulting in a flickering screen during the game. If you experience this, try disabling it (or simply hit the Windows key to play the game in windowed mode): * Open the ATI control center => Settings => ATI Display Settings => 3D => Use Custom Settings => Custom => Anti-Aliasing; make sure the "Application preference" is checked. * We've seen some forum reports that downgrading your Catalyst drivers from 5.3 to 5.2 has solved various graphical issues; our internal compatibility lab has however not experienced any issues with the 5.3 drivers. AUDIGY SOUND CARDS We have heard of several random issues from people with Audigy 2 sound cards, perhaps related to driver bugs. We have tested thoroughly with this card, without experiencing any issues. Nevertheless, some forum posts have suggested these work-arounds have helped them resolve their problems. * Set the Sound Hardware acceleration to low. START => Run... => type "dxdiag" => Sound => set the "Hardware Sound Acceleration Level" to the lowest notch. * Make sure your Sound option in-game is set to "Stereo". TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND HELP The Atari Customer Support site (http://atarisupport.com) is a great source of information and also contains a link where you can send an e-mail about issues that do not appear in the various help sections. It's in English but contains links to your local Customer Support sites, too. This Act of War forum (http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=354) is also a very good way to get fast and helpful feedback from other gamers who have had the same or similar questions. Please note though that the presence of Atari representatives on this forum is limited; for any technical issues, please contact Customer Support. ========================================== 7. END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT ========================================== IMPORTANT - READ CAREFULLY: Please be sure to carefully read and understand all of the rights and restrictions described in this End-User License Agreement (“EULA”). CLICKING "ACCEPT" BELOW INDICATES THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE EULA. AGREEMENT This document is an agreement between you and Atari, Inc. and its affiliated companies (“Company”). The enclosed software game disc(s), cartridge or Game Pak (“Software”) and any accompanying printed materials are licensed to you only on the condition that you accept all of the terms contained in this EULA. By opening this package and installing or otherwise using the Software you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA you may not install or use the Software and within 15 days of purchase you must call the Tech Support telephone number listed in the manual accompanying the Software (the “Manual”). Select the Automated Phone System’s Main Menu option for Consumer Services and follow the prompts. You will be given a Return Merchandise Authorization number (RMA #) by the technician. You then have 15 days from the date of this contact to return the Software in its protective covering, the Manual and the original sales invoice to the address supplied to you. If this is a PC product, when you install the Software you will be asked to review and either accept or not accept the terms of the EULA by clicking the “I Accept” button. By clicking the “I Accept” button you acknowledge that you have read the EULA, understand it and agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. COPYRIGHT The Software is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. All title and copyrights in and to the Software (including but not limited to any images, photographs, animations, video, music, text and “applets” incorporated into the Software) and any printed materials accompanying the Software are owned by the Company or its Licensors. GRANT OF LICENSE The Software is licensed and not sold to you and its use is subject to this EULA. The Company grants you a limited, personal, non-exclusive license to use the Software in the manner described in the user documentation. The Company reserves all rights not expressly granted to you in this EULA. PERMITTED USES 1. If the Software is configured for loading on a hard drive, you may install and use the Software on a single computer. 2. You may make and maintain one copy of the Software for backup and archival purposes, provided that the original and copy of the Software are kept in your possession. 3. You may permanently transfer all your rights under this EULA, provided you retain no copies, you transfer all of the Software (including all component parts, the media and printed materials and any upgrades) and the recipient reads and accepts this EULA. RESTRICTIONS 1. You may not delete or obscure any copyright, trademark or other proprietary notice on the Software or accompanying printed materials. 2. You may not decompile, modify, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise reproduce the Software. 3. You may not copy, rent, lease, sublicense, distribute, publicly display the Software, create derivative works based on the Software (except to the extent expressly permitted in the Editor and End-User Variation section of this Agreement or other documentation accompanying the Software) or otherwise commercially exploit the Software. 4. You may not electronically transmit the Software from one computer, console or other platform to another or over a network. 5. You may not use any backup or archival copy of the Software for any purpose other than to replace the original copy in the event it’s destroyed or becomes defective. EDITOR AND END-USER VARIATIONS If the Software includes a feature that allows you to modify the Software or to construct new variations (an “Editor”), you may use such Editor to create modifications or enhancements to the Software, including the construction of new levels (collectively the “Variations”), subject to the following restrictions. Your Variations: (i) must only work with the full, registered copy of the Software; (ii) must not contain modifications to any executable file; (iii) must not contain any libelous, defamatory or other illegal material, material that is scandalous or invades the rights of privacy or publicity of any third party; (iv) must not contain any trademarks, copyright-protected work or other property of third parties; and (v) may not be commercially exploited by you, including but not limited to making such Variations available for sale or as part of a pay-per-play or timesharing service. TERMINATION This EULA is effective until terminated. You may terminate this EULA at any time by destroying the Software. This EULA will terminate automatically without notice from the Company if you fail to comply with any provisions of this EULA. All provisions of this EULA as to warranties, limitation of liability, remedies and damages will survive termination. LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES You are aware and agree that use of the Software and the media on which is recorded is at your sole risk. The Software and media are supplied “AS IS.” Unless otherwise provided by applicable law, the Company warrants to the original purchaser of this product that the Software storage medium will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. The warranty is void if the defect has arisen through accident, abuse, neglect or misapplication. If the Software fails to conform to this warranty, you may at your sole and exclusive remedy, obtain a replacement free of charge if you return the defective Software. Follow the Product Return Procedures described in the Manual. The Company does not warrant that the Software or its operations or functions will meet your requirements, or that the use of the Software will be without interruption or error. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE, THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING AND WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE, THE COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE IN TERMS OF ITS CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS OR OTHERWISE. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF OR LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY IN NO EVENT WILL THE COMPANY OR ITS EMPLOYEES OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR INJURY TO PERSON OR PROPERTY, FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, LOSS OF PRIVACY, FAILURE TO MEET ANY DUTY AND NEGLIGENCE) ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE USE OR INABILITY TO U.S.E THE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF THE COMPANY OR AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN NO EVENT WILL THE LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY FOR DAMAGES WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE EXCEED THE AMOUNTS ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE SOFTWARE. CHOICE OF LAW AND VENUE This EULA is governed by the laws of the United States of America and the State of New York, exclusive of its conflicts of law provisions. The exclusive venue for litigation regarding or arising from this EULA is New York County, New York and you agree to submit to the Jurisdiction of the courts of New York County, New York for any such litigation. MISCELLANEOUS If any provision or portion of this EULA is found to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, it will be severed from and in no way affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions of the EULA. This EULA constitutes the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding the Software and its use. ===================== Act of War: Direct Action © 2005 Atari Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Developed by Eugen Systems. This product contains software technology licensed from GameSpy Industries, Inc. (c) 1999-2004 GameSpy Industries, Inc. GameSpy and the "Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Portions of this software are copyright © 1996-2002 The FreeType Project (www.freetype.org). All rights reserved. Portions of this software are copyright © 2005, Xiph.Org Foundation. All rights reserved. Windows and DirectX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Pentium is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.