Version F12.0
Thank you for purchasing Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos. We hope you enjoy playing this game as much as we have enjoyed creating it. This file contains the latest information on installing and running the game. Please read this file to help you get the most out of the game on your computer.
For the latest news and updates visit our website at http://www.independencewar.com.Please don't make illegal copies of Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos. It takes a committed team of hard-working people to make a game of this kind. By purchasing this game you have signaled your support for us to continue to make games of this size and quality in the future.
Thank you,
Everyone at Particle Systems
AMD® K6-2 350 MHz or Intel® Pentium® II 300MHz or better.
64 MB RAM.
16 MB DirectX®-compatible 3D Video Card.
600 MB hard drive space for installation.
128 MB hard drive space after installation.
Microsoft® DirectX®-compatible sound card.
4x CD-ROM drive.
AMD® Athlon® or Intel® Pentium® III or better.
128MB of RAM.
Microsoft® DirectX®-compatible sound card.
16x CD-ROM drive.
600 MB hard drive space for installation.
128 MB hard drive space after installation.
3-axis 4 button joystick with a 4-way hat switch
28.8 Kbps modem for internet multiplay
Microsoft DirectX 8.0a (installed by the game)
600MB of free space on the hard disk for installation
128MB of space on the system disk after installation (for virtual memory).
TCP/IP LAN to play Local Area Network games
An Internet connection to play over the Internet
We recommend defragmenting your hard disk before installing Edge of Chaos. For more information see your Windows documentation.
After starting your computer place the CD marked EDGE OF CHAOS Install Disk into your CD-ROM drive. The set-up program will then start automatically. Follow the on screen instructions to install the game.
If you do not have Autoplay enabled, open My Computer and double-click on the icon for your CD-ROM drive, then double-click on SETUP.EXE to start the install program.
Microsoft (R) DirectX 8.0a (R) will be installed automatically if it is required. If you already have DirectX 8.0a or later, the installer will skip this step.
After the game has been installed you can play from the Windows Start menu or by inserting the CD marked EDGE OF CHAOS Play Disk. You must have this CD in the drive to play the game.
Select the "Add/Remove Programs" from the Control Panel and highlight "Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos" component before clicking the "Add/Remove" button. This will remove the main Edge of Chaos program and data files. However files created by the user while playing the game (such as savegame files) will remain. These can be manually deleted.
NOTE: A copy of the the Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos game manual is located in the root directory of the Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos Install Disk . It has been converted to Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® (.PDF) format. For your convenience, Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® has been included on the Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos Install Disk , and can be installed by running the setup utility "[cdrom]:\Acrobat\setup.exe".
As described in the combat manual, your ship will usually be protected by LDA shield systems. Each LDA can only defend against a single target.
Hostiles tracked by your shields are indicated on the HUD by small triangles by their target brackets. A triangle above the target brackets shows that your upper shield is tracking the target.
Conversely, a triangle below the target brackets indicates that your lower shield is tracking the target. If your vessel is only fitted with one shield, then it is represented by the upper triangle.
Your shields try to track the closest hostile within their arc of coverage. This means that you can have one hostile tracked by both shields. If all hostiles are in your rear quarter, then none of your shields will be able to track them.
In addition to controlling the Starmap using the cursor keys or joystick hat switch, you can use the mouse. Click the left mouse button on a location to select it. The map will scroll and zoom to view the selected location. Click the left mouse button on the location again to close the map and target the selected location. Click the right mouse button to zoom out one level.
You can also scroll the map by moving the mouse pointer to the edge of the screen. Please note that you can not click on the central HUD menu symbols, these operate in the normal way as described in the manual.
Multiplayer icons appear on the bottom left of the reticle for some types of multiplayer game:
You can scroll immediately to the top and bottom of the contact list by pressing the HOME and END keys.
You can cycle through all mission-critical ships on your contact list using the C key.
If you are using an automatic loadout then it will update automatically with any new ship systems you acquire during the game. For example, if you have a standard PBC, and obtain a Heavy PBC, then the automatic loadout will fit the new weapon in preference to the old one.
If you are using a custom loadout, you will need to manually fit any new hardware to your ship before you launch.
New additions to your inventory are indicated with a + symbol.
THE TRADE SCREEN
In the trade screen you can see how many items you have in stock of the type that you are trading for in the bottom window.
Two features have been provided in the game for advanced players who make use of multiplayer games over the internet.
You can password protect your server by changing the appropriate section of your flux.ini file in the main game directory (this can be edited using a standard text editor such as notepad).
[FcServer]
password = "your password"
Anyone trying to join your server must supply the same password in their flux.ini file under the FcClient section:
[FcClient]
password = "your password"
If the server password is set to "" then any player is allowed entry.
You can make your server invisible to GameSpy and the in-game internet browser by changing the 'internet visible' setting in the flux.ini file:
[FcServer]
internet_visible = 0
Players can still join the game provided you tell them your IP address and session name. They can supply this information to the game as command-line parameters, which will make the game connect to your server.
To do this, open the Edge of Chaos install directory and create a new shortcut, as follows:
Target: "install-directory\bin\release\loader.exe -hsn your-server-name -hip your-IP-address"For example:
Target: "C:\Program Files\Infogrames\Edge of Chaos\bin\release\loader.exe -hsn MyServer -hip 192.168.1.100"
To return to base quickly without having to watch while your ship travels the intervening distance, select Lucrecia's Base on the contact list and activate the docking autopilot with the F8 key.
If you have LDSI missiles fitted to your ship, you can fire one at your current target by hitting the I key.
During the game, you may acquire an automatic ship-mounted turret. This will automatically target and shoot at any nearby enemy ships in range. If you are trying to be stealthy, you can disable the turret in the engineering screen by selecting it and pressing the FIRE button or ENTER key.
Turret fighter commands such as Fire at Will and Cease Fire only function while they are docked to your ship. Once undocked turret fighters can be control using the usual wingman control system described in the manual.
Identical weapons appear together on the HUD weapon cycle and, by default, fire in chain mode. In this mode, all linked weapons fire one after another, at a higher fire rate. If you manage to obtain a weapon link during the game, then you gain the ability to toggle between chain mode and salvo mode. In salvo mode, all linked weapons fire together in a single burst, but you must then wait for them to recharge before firing again.
The default fire mode can be selected in the "Customise" screen of the base loadout menu. You can also toggle fire modes during flight by pressing the F key or selecting TOGGLE FIRE MODE from the WEP section of the command menu.
When guided missiles are targeted and launched towards your spacecraft you can distract them using an 'ECM Flare' countermeasure. This is a spoofing device which misleads the incoming missile into colliding with the countermeasure instead of its intended target. If you have a countermeasure launcher mounted on your spacecraft these ECM Flares will be launched automatically by your ship's systems. Be warned, these countermeasures are not 100% effective.
It is possible to take screen shots of the game using the F12 key. The screen shot files are placed in the main game directory and are called shot[number].bmp.
This is the full list of key controls for Edge of Chaos. This list includes all the keys from the manual and key guide, as well as the new controls documented in the addenda.
| Key | Function |
| F1 | Cycle Internal Views |
| F2 | Cycle Tactical Views |
| F3 | Cycle External Views |
| F4 | Drop Camera |
| F11 | Director Mode |
| Key | Function |
| Numeric Keypad 2 | Tilt Camera Down |
| Numeric Keypad 4 | Pan Camera Left |
| Numeric Keypad 6 | Pad Camera Right |
| Numeric Keypad 7 | Roll Camera Left |
| Numeric Keypad 8 | Tilt Camera Up |
| Numeric Keypad 9 | Roll Camera Right |
| Numeric Keypad '-' | Zoom Camera Out |
| Numeric Keypad '+' | Zoom Camera In |
| Key | Function |
| F5 | Disengage Autopilot |
| F6 | Autopilot Approach |
| F7 | Autopilot Formate |
| F8 | Autopilot Dock |
| F9 | Autopilot Pursuit |
| Key | Function |
| 1 | Report In |
| 2 | Defend Me |
| 3 | Attack My Target |
| 4 | Defend My Target |
| 5 | Dock to my Target |
| 6 | Wingmen Halt |
| Key | Function |
| 7 | Turret Fighter Cease Fire |
| 8 | Turret Fighter Attack Target |
| 9 | Turret Fighter Fire at Will |
| 0 | Turret Fighter Dock/Undock |
| Key | Function |
| Q | Target Last Attacking Ship |
| E | Cycle Enemy Contacts |
| R | Target Nearest Enemy |
| C | Target Next Critical Ship |
| T | Pick Target |
| Y | Sub-target / Tag Cargo |
| , | Cycle Contacts Down |
| . | Cycle Contacts Up |
| Home | Select first contact in list |
| End | Select last contact in list |
| Key | Function |
| Return | Next Primary Weapon |
| Backspace | Next Secondary Weapon |
| F | Toggle Fire Mode |
| X | Turn Aim Assist On/Off |
| I | Launch LDSI Missile |
| Z | Zoom (sniper mode) |
| Space | Fire Selected Weapon |
| Key | Function |
| - | Set Speed (Decrease) |
| + | Set Speed (Increase) |
| L | Manual LDS On/Off |
| R | Target Nearest Enemy |
| W | Forward Thrust Override |
| A | Left Thrust Override |
| D | Right Thrust Override |
| S | Reverse Thrust Override |
| N | Flight Assist On/Off |
| U | Undock |
| Ctrl | Hold to Disable Flight Assist |
| Alt | Hold to Enable Lateral Thrusters |
| Key | Function |
| Cursor Up | Command Menu Up |
| Cursor Left | Command Menu Left |
| Cursor Right | Command Menu Right |
| Cursor Down | Command Menu Down |
| Enter | Command Menu Select |
| Backspace | Command Menu Cancel |
| Key | Function |
| Esc | Menu |
| J | Call Jafs for Cargo Pickup |
| Delete | Skip Current Dialog |
| Key | Function |
| SHIFT + Cursor Up | Reset Distribution |
| SHIFT + Cursor Left | Full Power to Weapons |
| SHIFT + Cursor Right | Full Power to Shields |
| SHIFT + Cursor Down | Full Power to Engines |
| Key | Function |
| ` | Chat |
| SHIFT + ` | Team Chat |
| Tab | Scores |
| SHIFT + 1 | Default Taunt 1 |
| SHIFT + 2 | Default Taunt 2 |
| SHIFT + 3 | Default Taunt 3 |
| SHIFT + 4 | Default Taunt 4 |
We have provided several different control configurations with Edge of Chaos. Select control configurations from the Control Style list in the options screen. Advanced users can create their own custom control configurations if they wish to. You can bind any joystick or mouse axis, and joystick, mouse or keyboard buttons to any of the game's commands. For example, if you have a second joystick, you could configure it to control lateral thrusters for extra flexibility in combat.
To create a new configuration copy the default.ini file in the configs directory to a new file and give it an appropriate name. The filename must end in .ini, for example my_controls.ini. Edit this new file with a standard text editor such as Microsoft (R) Notepad. The configuration file lists all the game commands and their control bindings, in the following format:
[game function]
Name of Input Device, Name of Button or Axis
For example the binding which fires ship's current weapon looks like this:
[icPlayerPilot.CurrentWeaponFire]
Joystick1, JoyButton1
Keyboard, Space
This allows you to fire the current weapon using the SPACEBAR or joystick fire button. If you wanted to fire your current weapon using the H key as well, you would add a line to the binding, as follows:
[icPlayerPilot.CurrentWeaponFire] Joystick1, JoyButton1 Keyboard, Space Keyboard, H
For more examples of control bindings, consult the default config file, called default.ini.
This guide is provided for users who are having problems with the game on their computer. If the problem persists after trying these suggestions please consult the Technical Support FAQ
If the problem still persists after consulting the FAQ we recommend contacting Infogrames Technical Support.
If you experience any crashes or graphical corruption while playing the game, we recommend the following:
If you have Windows accessibility features installed on your computer, then the StickyKeys feature may cause problems while playing the game. StickyKeys is activated by pressing the Shift key five times. If this causes control problems or the game returns you to the desktop, you will need to disable the StickyKeys shortcut key while playing Edge of Chaos.
In most circumstances you will be able to return to the game by clicking on its icon on the Task Bar. If this doesn't work, you may be able to fix the problem by obtaining updated graphics card drivers. If you try and return to the desktop while the game is loading, and the game crashes, then we recommend resetting your computer before continuing play.
This is a known problem, and has been traced to the IDE transfer settings for high-speed CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives. If your drive is using programmed input/output (PIO) mode, it may place too high a load on the CPU and cause the movie playback to stutter. To fix this problem, you will need to change your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive transfer mode to direct memory access (DMA).
For Windows'95, Windows'98, and Windows ME:
For Windows 2000:
You may need to have administrator privileges to perform this operation on Windows 2000. If you do not have administrator privileges, or are not sure what to do, you should contact your system administrator.
This can be caused by fragmentation of your hard disk. We recommend defragmenting your hard disk before installing the game.
We recommend using the most recent driver available for your video card, particularly if you are experiencing any graphical problems running the game. These will usually be available from your video card manufacturer's website - refer to your video card documentation or consult your vendor for details.
If you still experience problems after updating, you can try using reference drivers provided by the manufacturer of your card's chipset. These drivers are generally not supported by the card manufacturer, and you install them at your own risk. If in doubt, consult your video card manufacturer's technical support department before proceeding.
Refer to your video card documentation or vendor
for details of the chipset your video card uses.
This is caused by the use of a 16-bit screen mode. This problem is easily fixed by selecting a 32-bit screen mode from the options screen.
We recommend using the most recent driver available for your sound card, particularly if you are experiencing any audio problems running the game. These will usually be available from your sound card manufacturer's website - refer to your sound card documentation or consult your vendor for details.
Edge of Chaos uses MPEG Layer-3 (MP3) audio for music and ambient sound effects. For the game to play this type of music, you must have MP3 audio codec software installed on your computer. Edge of Chaos provides suitable audio codecs with DirectX during the installation process.
If you later install a different MP3 audio codec, you may experience audio problems with Edge of Chaos. If you experience crashes in the front end or during the game, while music is playing, then please try the following:
This problem has been reported on computers that have multiple controllers attached, or that have had different models of controller attached at different times. Edge of Chaos always assigns Joystick 1 to the first controller in Windows' list of controllers.
To solve the problem, you will need to move the controller you want to use to the top of the list:
Advanced users with multiple controllers can configure them for Edge of Chaos manually by editing their control configuration files. Refer to the custom controls section for details.
Some people have experienced problems connecting to internet games through a firewall, proxy server or while using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). You should consult Microsoft Knowledge Base Article Q240429 which advises you on how to set up your network to allow DirectPlay to work over these types of connection.
Phone assistance : 425-951-7106 (24hr Interactive Voice Response and Faxback, live support Monday-Friday 8.00am - 6.00pm (PST), closed major holidays)
Fax : 425-806-0480
For further information visit the official web sites:
http://www.independencewar.com
To meet and chat with other Independence War 2 players you can use Infogrames' community web sites:
North America: http://ina-community.com/forums/
Europe: http://www.uk.infogrames.com/forums/
Version F12
General fixes
Mission fixes. WARNING: Contains plot spoilers!
Act One: Hoffer's Wake
Act Two: The Badlands
Act Three: The Edge of Chaos
Version F12
US release version
(c) Particle Systems Ltd. 2000/2001
(c) Infogrames 2000/2001
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