FM4X: New York Rebellion + Orbital Oblivion + Anarchy Village + The Uprising ============================================================================ This file contains important information regarding the Duke Nukem 3D bundle "FM4X". It is recommended to read it fully before starting to play. Note the information written here may change as the bundle gets updated after its original release. All information contained here may not be valid with future versions of the pack. In case of any problems, always have the latest version of the bundle beforehand, so as to check whether a problem, issue or bug found on a previous version was fixed in the latest one. Thank you very much for choosing "FM4X". Introduction ============ "It's time to abort your whole freakin' species" - Duke's last words spoken to the alien queen as she gets splattered into liquid pulps of blood and splatter in her aquatic spot. It's been exactly one year after. A hero on its own and highly respected, Duke Nukem is the man the world needed to be safe from any threats the earth should ever face. The hero himself has been resting this whole year - nothing could be more perfect than a good old cheap wine, some cigarettes and even R&R in his beloved home. Fast forward a few days later - a huge spectrum of colors spark through the sky of the United States and a huge spaceship boulders down to earth as fast as a flashlight, ripping apart a huge chunk of earth and trembling down the whole country. "They are back! But how?", Duke shrugs while glancing at the wrecked streets near his place. They are attempting a second try to invade earth, and this time they are anticipating Duke, so as to not fail again. Not long after, Duke's telephone rings uncontrollably... "I guess its time to do another favor to the world...", speaks as he answers the phone, greets the Colonel and awaits new instructions. Installation ============ FM4X should run with the same system requirements as the original game. However, every map included in the bundle are slightly more detailed and more complex than the original Duke3D levels, and because of that, FM4X was tested and optimized with the following specifications: MINIMUM *Pentium 90MHz Processor (Single Player) *Pentium 120MHz Processor (Offline/Online Dukematch) *8MB RAM *40MB Hard Disk Space for FM3X Registered 1.3D Version *60MB Hard Disk Space for FM4X Plutonium/Atomic 1.4+ Game Version RECOMMENDED *Pentium 120MHz Processor (Single Player) *Pentium 150MHz Processor (Offline/Online Dukematch) *16MB RAM *40MB Hard Disk Space for FM3X Registered 1.3D Game Version *60MB Hard Disk Space for FM4X Plutonium/Atomic 1.4+ Game Version For music included in FM4X, the following soundcards are fully supported: *AdLib / AdLib Gold *SoundBlaster 1.0 or compatible / 2.0 / Pro 1.0 / Pro 2.0 / 16 *Gravis Ultrasound [Original 4.11 release and 4.11 W/ Pro-Lite Patches 1.61 extension] *Roland Sound Canvas SC-55 / SC-88 / General Midi Sound Man 16, Pro Audio Spectrum, AWE 32, SoundScape and Wave Blaster have not been tested before the release of FM4X. If you are the owner of a Gravis Ultrasound and have it configured in the game, you must delete or backup your ULTRAMID.INI file in order to hear the soundtrack as closely as intended. The minimum version required for the Gravis Ultrasound music is the original factory 4.11 version. Nonetheless, the 4.11 version with the Pro-Lite Patches 1.61 extension is strongly recommended. Directory listing ----------------- The following files are contained in the installer package. If any file is missing or corrupt, please reinstall from original media disk. In the case it still happens to be missing or corrupt files, you should obtain another copy of the original disk file. NOTE: D is the default CDROM drive. Replace with the letter of your real drive if is not D. D:\ ATOM.RTP 12-08-1999 12:00:00 FILE_ID.DIZ 12-08-1999 12:00:00 FM4XHELP.EXE 12-08-1999 12:00:00 FM4XHELP.TXT 12-08-1999 12:00:00 PLUT.RTP 12-08-1999 12:00:00 INSTALL.EXE 12-08-1999 12:00:00 PATCH.EXE 12-08-1999 12:00:00 PATCHDOS.EXE 12-08-1999 12:00:00 PATCHW32.DLL 12-08-1999 12:00:00 REG.RTP 29-09-1998 12:00:00 D:\TXT AFT.TXT 30-04-1997 22:00:00 ALPHCORE.TXT 25-02-1997 09:00:00 ASTEROID.TXT 31-01-1997 12:00:00 BCHCONDO.TXT 07-03-1998 17:00:00 BCRADLE.TXT 31-03-1999 22:00:00 BOILCLIF.TXT 03-04-1998 01:00:00 CASTWIND.TXT 23-01-1999 22:00:00 COLISEUM.TXT 14-02-1998 00:00:00 CRESCINN.TXT 17-05-1998 17:00:00 CROSSRD.TXT 13-03-1997 22:00:00 CYCLER.TXT 02-02-1997 12:00:00 DARKPALM.TXT 27-09-1996 17:00:00 DEMOUNT.TXT 10-02-1997 10:00:00 DSL.TXT 09-11-1996 15:00:00 DURANGO.TXT 24-12-1997 06:00:00 FUNFAIR.TXT 03-03-1999 14:00:00 GALLERY.TXT 30-12-1996 11:00:00 GHOST.TXT 05-05-1998 00:00:00 GNUNET.TXT 27-01-1997 23:00:00 GROTTO.TXT 01-12-1998 03:00:00 HELECOPT.TXT 20-04-1998 13:00:00 HOSPITAL.TXT 11-02-1999 05:00:00 INTERCOM.TXT 13-01-1997 13:00:00 JUNGLE.TXT 22-01-1998 13:00:00 KNOCKOUT.TXT 01-06-1998 09:00:00 LAUNCHCT.TXT 02-12-1996 12:00:00 LAVAREEF.TXT 20-12-1996 22:00:00 LONSTRET.TXT 14-10-1996 07:00:00 LOOPY.TXT 15-02-1998 04:00:00 MOUNTAIN.TXT 12-10-1998 17:00:00 NATVAL.TXT 24-12-1998 23:00:00 OBSERVAT.TXT 01-01-1997 14:00:00 PIPEDRM.TXT 17-11-1998 01:00:00 RAINFRST.TXT 31-10-1998 12:00:00 SEWCONF.TXT 03-11-1996 09:00:00 SKYSCRAP.TXT 07-01-1997 02:00:00 SLIMEREF.TXT 08-09-1996 12:00:00 SLIMERFO.TXT 08-09-1996 00:00:00 SPINROOM.TXT 03-01-1997 09:00:00 TEMPMAN.TXT 22-02-1999 13:00:00 TERRAN.TXT 02-04-1997 15:00:00 ULTRAPOW.TXT 10-01-1999 00:00:00 UNI.TXT 27-02-1998 20:00:00 USERMAP.TXT 16-10-1996 08:00:00 VIEWPORT.TXT 16-03-1997 09:00:00 And when installing FM4X, the following files will be generated on your Duke3D game folder depending on which version was selected: FM3X.EXE - Executable launcher for FM3X initialization. FM3X.GRP - GRP Data File. FM3XDEFS.CON - Definitions CON file. FM3XGAME.CON - Game CON file. FM3XUSER.CON - User CON file. FM4X.EXE - Executable launcher for FM4X initialization. FM4X.GRP - GRP Data File. FM4XDEFS.CON - Definitions CON file. FM4XGAME.CON - Game CON file. FM4XUSER.CON - User CON file. Initializing ============ After proper installation, you can decide whether to run the launcher included in the installation, or manually by using command line parameters. If you want to use the launcher, use is fair and simple. Read the following sections to understand its use. If, however, you want to play manually with command line parameters, you need to call the game as follows: "DUKE3D /xFM4XGAME.CON /gFM4X.GRP", and afterwards use any parameters of your desire. Please refer to the original game's help documentation for a list of available parameters. The launcher ("FM4X.EXE") is a fully featured program which can let you access FM4X whether normally or with custom options. By running this launcher, you can play a normal single player game, select a particular level with varied parameters or even play a multiplayer network game. The "Standard game load" will let you choose between a normal single player game, a fake multiplayer option (2 to 8 players available with fake AI enabled) and a real network game (passed to SETUP.EXE). Custom game configuration ------------------------- The "Custom game configuration" will let you choose from a wide array of options to load a particular level of FM4X - even the DukeMatch bonus levels, which can only be accessed from this module. The following options are present: *Game type: Single Player, DukeMatch [Spawn], Cooperative Play and DukeMatch [No Spawn]. *Number of Players: Between 2 to 8 players for an offline game (not applicable on Single Player). *Episode #: The current episode of FM4X selected. *Level #: The current level for the selected episode of FM4X. *Skill: "Piece Of Cake", "Let's Rock", "Come Get Some" and "Damn I'm Good". There is a fifth skill "No monsters" which has no initial monsters, only respawn and bosses. *Respawn: Sprites which are going to respawn. "None", "Monsters", "Items", "Inventory" and "All". *Record Demo: If enabled, a demo will be recorded on the currently selected level with all set parameters. *No Monsters: If enabled, no monsters will be present in the game. Unlike the "No monsters" skill, not even the respawn and bosses will appear. *No Sound: If enabled, the sound will be disabled on startup. *No Music: If enabled, the music will be disabled on startup. *Fake AI: If enabled, DukeBots on a multiplayer offline session will actually play against you. (Atomic 1.4+ Only) *Memory Check: Enabled by default, if disabled will allocate as much memory as possible for diagnosis and problem solving. (Atomic 1.4+ Only) *Executable file: "DUKE3D.EXE" runs the game in offline mode while "SETUP.EXE" calls the setup routine to configure a real multiplayer game. Network information ------------------- If the executable file is set to "SETUP.EXE", the screen will show up a few additional options, except if Game type is set to Single Player. *Network mode: "Auto-Detect", "Client-Server" or "Broadcast". -"Auto-Detect" will select the best mode depending on the number of players available on the network sessions. To override that configuration, select "Broadcast (2-4 players)" or "Client-Server (5-8 players)". For novice user, it is best to leave this default. Expert players, otherwise, can fiddle with this parameter for better network performance. *Send fewer packets: "Auto-Detect", 1, 2 or 4. -If your network allows for better error correction, has a better recovery system, or most players are in a virtual IPX network or a real LAN, a bigger number of pack losses can be tolerated in the network session, therefore cutting the update rate for packets. It is strongly advisable to leave this default, unless required by the network administrator otherwise. After accepting the custom parameters, the setup program will load and will let you choose to prepare a multiplayer game in any hardware supported, supporting all modes of the original game (Modem, Serial, IPX). Any parameters passed from the FM4X launcher will be passed to the setup program, which in turn will pass them to the original game. Level listing ============= The following list presents all the available levels in FM4X, including the exclusive DM bonus episode. For the first episode, level 7 can be accessed in-game on DukeMatch by finding the secret exit from the previous level. Levels 8 to 11 can only be accessed by command line parameters or by the FM4X launcher (Level 8 can be accessed in-game by completing level 7). The DukeMatch Bonus episode can only be accessed through the launcher. This is because of CON structure limitations. The User CON file does not support additions of extra episodes. The only workaround found was to extract the level during the use of the launcher and treat it as a user map. FM1X: New York Rebellion ------------------------ FM1X01: Sweeney Slime Refinery<+> FM1X02: Dark Palm Hotel FM1X03: Lonely Street FM1X04: Sewer Confines FM1X05: The Lava Reef (Boss level) FM1X06: Launch Center (Secret level 1) FM1X07: Damned Space Life (Secret level 2) FM1X08: User Map (Hidden level!?!) FM1X09: ClipArt Gallery (Multiplayer DukeMatch exclusive level 1) FM1X10: Spinning Rooms (Multiplayer DukeMatch exclusive level 2) FM1X11: Skyscrapers (Multiplayer DukeMatch exclusive level 3) FM2X: Orbital Oblivion ------------------------ FM2X01: SS Observatory FM2X02: Intercommunication FM2X03: GnuStella Network FM2X04: Optical Demounter FM2X05: Alpha Core FM2X06: Lunar Crossroads FM2X07: Terran Moonshaft FM2X08: Alien Fusion Tower FM2X09: Viewport (Boss level) FM2X10: Cycling Perimeter (Secret level 1) FM2X11: Asteroid Stronghold (Secret level 2) FM3X: Anarchy Village ------------------------ FM3X01: Durango Club FM3X02: Helecopt Road FM3X03: Boiler Cliff FM3X04: Summer Beach Condo FM3X05: Jungle Bay FM3X06: Ghost House FM3X07: Crescent Inn FM3X08: Knock-Out Factory FM3X09: Coliseum (Boss level) FM3X10: Loopy Shelter (Secret level 1) FM3X11: University (Secret level 2) FM4X: The Uprising<*> ------------------------ FM4X01: Mountain Pass FM4X02: Nature Valley FM4X03: Rainforest FM4X04: Frosty Grotto FM4X05: Pipe Dreams FM4X06: Castle In The Winds FM4X07: Fun Fair FM4X08: Sanatorium FM4X09: Temple Manor FM4X10: Birth Cradle (Boss level) FM4X11: Ultrapower! (Secret level 1) FM5X: DukeMatch Bonus ------------------------ FM5X01: Thermal Waters FM5X02: Epsilon Workshop FM5X03: Hive-N-Sip-N-Kill FM5X04: Crystal Glacier FM5X05: Rotomotor FM5X06: Flickering Lights FM5X07: Megaton Delirium FM5X08: Beachwoods FM5X09: Overlapping Seasons* FM5X10: Yamato Seabase* FM5X11: Poisonous Brawl* <+>Accesible only as a user map or by command line parameters. <*>Not available on Registered FM3X. Defined as episode 4 with FM4X numbering on Registered FM3X. Map memory ========== The following list presents all data respecting the memory usage on the original 1.4+ BUILD editor. The information is presented as a 7-tuple variable with the data sorted as follows: (ID,Name,Tiles,Sprites,Actors,Memory,W/Duke), where ID is the code of the level, Name is the level name, and the rest of the tags are the approximate values of memory used in the map, taken directly from the BUILD editor with the '+M function key. FM1X: New York Rebellion ------------------------ (FM1X01,Sweeney Slime Refinery, 0580964, 0198039, 0645091, 1424094, 1795310) (FM1X02,Dark Palm Hotel, 0710116, 0328941, 1111773, 2150830, 2522046) (FM1X03,Lonely Street, 0776932, 0213199, 0657892, 1648023, 2019239) (FM1X04,Sewer Confines, 0622080, 0193766, 1131777, 1947623, 2318839) (FM1X05,The Lava Reef, 0778240, 0240231, 0947318, 1965789, 2337005) (FM1X06,Launch Center, 0431936, 0170967, 1641648, 2244551, 2615767) (FM1X07,Damned Space Life, 0274180, 0119201, 1477193, 1870574, 2241790) (FM1X08,User Map, 0151556, 0056663, 0000000, 0208219, 0579435) (FM1X09,ClipArt Gallery, 2312704, 0112563, 0000000, 2425267, 2796483) (FM1X10,Spinning Rooms, 0140292, 0036939, 0000000, 0177231, 0548447) (FM1X11,Skyscrapers, 0164352, 0093424, 0000000, 0257776, 0628992) FM2X: Orbital Oblivion ------------------------ (FM2X01,SS Observatory, 0481092, 0180345, 0622633, 1284070, 1655286) (FM2X02,Intercommunication, 0631476, 0169223, 1336967, 2137666, 2508882) (FM2X03,GnuStella Network, 0760260, 0265048, 1477193, 2502501, 2873717) (FM2X04,Optical Demounter, 1115432, 0221934, 0947318, 2284684, 2655900) (FM2X05,Alpha Core, 1131460, 0288459, 1336967, 2756886, 3128102) (FM2X06,Lunar Crossroads, 1313476, 0466176, 0947318, 2726970, 3098186) (FM2X07,Terran Moonshaft, 0737880, 0308772, 0947318, 1993970, 2365186) (FM2X08,Alien Fusion Tower, 1080708, 0465897, 0947318, 2493923, 2865139) (FM2X09,Viewport, 0499204, 0164616, 1462446, 2126266, 2497482) (FM2X10,Cycling Perimeter, 0285188, 0115438, 0787088, 1187714, 1558930) (FM2X11,Asteroid Stronghold, 1017860, 0318879, 0947318, 2284057, 2655273) FM3X: Anarchy Village ------------------------ (FM3X01,Durango Club, 0815588, 0372233, 1131777, 2319598, 2690814) (FM3X02,Helecopt Road, 1007876, 0429285, 1183213, 2620374, 2991590) (FM3X03,Boiler Cliff, 0234724, 0208091, 1131777, 1574592, 1945808) (FM3X04,Summer Beach Condo, 0924580, 0433381, 1131777, 2489738, 2860954) (FM3X05,Jungle Bay, 0647168, 0334094, 0947318, 1928580, 2299796) (FM3X06,Ghost House, 0496692, 0417385, 1661652, 2575729, 2946945) (FM3X07,Crescent Inn, 1037892, 0350883, 1131777, 2520552, 2891768) (FM3X08,Knock-out Factory, 0975264, 0421519, 0947318, 2344101, 2715317) (FM3X09,Coliseum, 0873824, 0227281, 1881314, 2982419, 3353635) (FM3X10,Loopy Shelter, 1066188, 0351489, 1022983, 2440660, 2811876) (FM3X11,University, 1108420, 0434951, 1444118, 2987489, 3358705) FM4X: The Uprising ------------------------ (FM4X01,Mountain Pass, 1443268, 0544952, 1131777, 3119997, 3491213) (FM4X02,Nature Valley, 1318768, 0654191, 1713088, 3686047, 4057263) (FM4X03,Rainforest, 1002404, 0570988, 0927314, 2500706, 2871922) (FM4X04,Grosty Grotto, 1560773, 0562534, 1661652, 3784959, 4156175) (FM4X05,Pipe Dreams, 1354340, 0427882, 1661652, 3443874, 3815090) (FM4X06,Castle In The Winds, 0704640, 0384289, 0947318, 2036247, 2407463) (FM4X07,Fun Fair, 1602300, 0854981, 1713088, 4170369, 4541585) (FM4X08,Sanatorium, 1611704, 0757489, 1521426, 3890619, 4261835) (FM4X09,Temple Manor, 1529892, 0653316, 1661652, 3844860, 4216076) (FM4X10,Birth Cradle, 1126784, 0235372, 1661652, 3023808, 3395024) (FM4X11,Ultrapower!, 1795133, 0596068, 1131777, 3522978, 3894194) FM5X: DukeMatch Bonus ----------------------- (FM5X01,Thermal Waters, 0315392, 0211565, 0000000, 0592492, 0963708) (FM5X02,Epsilon Workshop, 0758954, 0172874, 0000000, 0931828, 1303044) (FM5X03,Hive-N-Sip-N-Kill, 0153600, 0047094, 0000000, 0200694, 0571910) (FM5X04,Crystal Glacier, 0122624, 0090874, 0000000, 0213498, 0584714) (FM5X05,Rotomotor, 0133120, 0046927, 0000000, 0180047, 0551263) (FM5X06,Flickering Lights, 0228352, 0079370, 0000000, 0307722, 0678938) (FM5X07,Megaton Delirium, 0684736, 0118233, 0000000, 0802969, 1174185) (FM5X08,Beachwoods, 0250624, 0155243, 0000000, 0405867, 0777083) (FM5X09,Overlapping Seasons, 0423936, 0171827, 0000000, 0595763, 0966979) (FM5X10,Yamato Seabase, 0850452, 0172533, 0000000, 1022985, 1394201) (FM5X11,Poisonous Brawl, 0519680, 0109591, 0000000, 0629271, 1000487) Soundtrack ========== The whole soundtrack in FM4X is listed on the following section. All music was taken from different sources, so for each level listed, the song used is listed, along with its name and credited source. A list of all sources is available after the songs list. Just match the character in brackets with the list following after. FM1X: New York Rebellion ------------------------ Sweeney Slime Refinery : MYSTERY.MID {1} - Mysterious Meander Dark Palm Hotel : NIGHT.MID {1} - Nightscape Lonely Street : MONSTER.MID {1} - Monster March Sewer Confines : TECHNO1.MID {2} - Techno Riding The Lava Reef : TEST01.MID {1} - The Ultimate Test (1) Launch Center : HRPDREAM.MID {1} - A Sad Dreaming Damned Space Life : DIABLO01.MID {3} - Diablo User Map : NIGHT.MID {1} - Nightscape ClipArt Gallery : MONSTER.MID {1} - Monster March Spinning Rooms : TECHNO1.MID {2} - Techno Riding Skyscrapers : TEST01.MID {1} - The Ultimate Test (1) FM2X: Orbital Oblivion ------------------------ SS Observatory : SPACEORC.MID {1} - Space Orchestra Intercommunication : GRAVITY.MID {4} - Crazy Gravity GnuStella Network : MOOD5.MID {2} - The Fifth Mood Optical Demounter : PASSPORT.MID {5} - Passport, Please Alpha Core : ODYSSEY.MID {6} - Odyssey Lunar Crossroads : ACTION1.MID {2} - A First Action Terran Moonshaft : FUNK3.MID {2} - Funk 3 Alien Fusion Tower : EMBER.MID {7} - City Of Ember: The Messenger Viewport : DRKSIEGE.MID {7} - Dark Siege Cycling Perimeter : STACCATO.MID {2} - Staccato Asteroid Stronghold : SPACE.MID {1} - It's Dark In Outer Space! FM3X: Anarchy Village ------------------------ Durango Club : JAZZ3.MID {2} - Jazz 3 Helecopt Road : ITSHOP.MID {2} - It's Hop Boiler Cliff : CANYON.MID {5} - Trip Through The Grand Canyon Summer Beach Condo : FUNK2.MID {2} - Funk 2 Jungle Bay : FLOURISH.MID {8} - Flourish Ghost House : VAMPIR01.MID {3} - Vampires Crescent Inn : IMAGE1.MID {2} - Image 1 Knock-out Factory : IMAGE2.MID {2} - Image 2 Coliseum : TRICKT01.MID {3} - Trick Or Treat Loopy Shelter : SRCHEVIL.MID {9} - Search Evil University : DREAMY.MID {0} - Lite 'N Dreamy FM4X: The Uprising ------------------------ Mountain Pass : METBLAST.MID {0} - Metal Mosh Nature Valley : COLDWAVE.MID {A} - Cold Waves Rainforest : JUNGCHAS.MID {9} - Jungle Chase Frosty Grotto : MICROMON.MID {6} - Micromon's Final Song Pipe Dreams : ODYSSEY2.MID {6} - Odyssey 2 Castle In The Winds : ODYSSEYS.MID {6} - Odysseys Fun Fair : BLUESY2.MID {2} - The Second Bluesy Sanatorium : TECHRAP.MID {B} - Techno Rap Temple Manor : TK_EATS.MID {A} - T.K Eats My Shirts Birth Cradle : TAKEAWIL.MID {B} - Take A Will Ultrapower! : WINRAGE.MID {6} - MONOLITH Compound 3D FM5X: DukeMatch Bonus ------------------------ Thermal Water : HRPDREAM.MID {1} - A Sad Dreaming Epsilon Workshop : FUNK3.MID {2} - Funk 3 Hive-N-Sip-N-Kill : VAMPIR01.MID {3} - Vampires Crystal Glacier : NIGHT.MID {1} - Nightscape Rotomotor : STACCATO.MID {2} - Staccato Flickering Lights : IMAGE2.MID {2} - Image 2 Megaton Delirium : MYSTERY.MID {1} - Mysterious Meander Beachwoods : FLOURISH.MID {8} - Flourish Overlapping Seasons : COLDWAVE.MID {A} - Cold Waves Yamato Seabase : ODYSSEY2.MID {6} - Odyssey 2 Poisonous Brawl : TAKEAWIL.MID {B} - Take A Will Credits for MIDI sources ------------------------ {1} Galaxy OnLine [TVML Ltd.] {2} Compaq Voyetra AS2 [Compaq Computer Corporation] {3} Office XP Media Content [Microsoft Corporation] {4} Crazy Gravity [XLM Software & Webfoot Technologies] {5} Windows 3.11 for Workgroups [Microsoft Corporation] {6} Windows 95 Game Sampler CD 1/2 [Microsoft Corp. & Monolith Productions] {7} mfiles.co.uk [Music Files Ltd.] {8} Windows Millenium Edition [Microsoft Corporation] {9} 3D Movie Maker [Microsoft Corporation] {0} Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0 [Microsoft Corporation] {A} WinGroove [Hiroki Nakayama] {B} Gravis Ultrasound [Advanced Gravis Computer Technology] Information and troubleshooting =============================== This section covers a few additional tips, problems or questions you may encounter during the game. It is strongly recommended you read this section, it can really help if you have any problems or doubts. ->CORRUPTED FM4X BUNDLE AFTER INSTALLATION: Make sure, by any means, you do not have any files thay may conflict with any internal files of the FM4X group file. It may cause to malfunction and crash the game. Also, do not tamper with the files required for the game. If any problem arises with tampered files, it is your responsibility. ->DEGRADED PERFORMANCE ISSUES: Since the FM4X maps are slightly more complex and detailed than the original maps, the requirements are slightly higher. If you experience slowdowns or performance issues in a minimum PC, you should try to lower detail, turn off sound or shrink the view screen to gain speed. Multiplayer games, on the other hand, are quite more demanding than solo play. Dealing with many players on a network game or offline game will seriously tax the PC to a big extent. It is seriously recommended (in case you barely reach the minimum requirements) to upgrade your PC. Not only you will resolve your performance issues, but your system in general will run much better with newer and more powerful equipment. ->DEMO PLAYBACK: If you have demo files in your Duke3D directory, the internal demos for FM4X will not play correctly. Those files are stored inside the group file, so as to not interfere with external files and have a cleaner game directory. It is recommended you backup your external demo files before you play. That way, you will be treated with a few game demos of levels from FM4X. ->DUKEMATCH BONUS EPISODE INFORMATION: It is important you own full read/write access to the directory you are using. If you are using the launcher to play the bonus episode, it will extract the corresponding music as listed in FM4XUSER.CON (you can't change it - it is hard-coded in the launcher which track it extracts) and rename to the default user map MIDI. If the launcher can't write to the directory, the default MIDI will play. Not a game breaking bug, but still a bit annoying if you like to listen to the music. ->HELP! I'M LOST!: Yes! It happens, even in the easiest of games which has long maps - the case you get lost is quite recurrent, and FM4X is not exent of it. Although all maps have been made to be as easy for exploration as possible, a few of them can be quite misleading and exhausting, especially the longer maps on the series. As such, if you get lost, search a bit for clues. If you are still stuck in an area after searching for a path for quite a while, you can message me to my mail address at the end of this document and I'll gladly help you in completing the level you are currently stuck. ->MEMORY CORRUPTION: You should not face this problem if you are playing small maps, but if you reach larger maps, that is indeed a hassle. In the exceptional case you are facing extremely severe anomalies: corrupted play, distorted view, strange actor behavior, weapon malfunction, granular crashes or (worse yet) game freeze, you are facing memory corruption. I've found that the 1.3D release only handles up to 8MB of main memory, no matter how much primary memory (RAM) you have. This leads to a serious problem in the engine when running large-sized user maps. Since larger maps require quite a chunk of memory to run properly, the engine does not have enough memory to load the map data - this leads to overwriting vital game functions of the game, thus leaving a whole, unplayable, mess. Conversely, the Plutonium and Atomic releases have a different memory handling routine and do not suffer this bug. I won't delve further into this problem, but if you suffer this problem, do the following: Restart the game to eliminate memory residuals, reduce view detail, turn sound off, set resolution to the lowest (320x200) if playing on a higher VESA mode, shrink the view screen and then restart the level. You can check the memory table above to review which levels can lead to this problem. Mostly levels above 3M of size are the ones to worry about. ->MULTIPLAYER OUT OF SYNC AND CONNECTION FAILURES: Obviously all players participating in the network session need to have the exact same version of FM4X to run properly. That means having all files in order and verbatim. Having no more than 4 players in a IPX network session can really help in keeping a stable connection, even though all FM4X maps which have DukeMatch capabilities support the maximum 8 players. The launcher has additional parameters you can configure in the "Custom game configuration" screen. If you are having problems with network games, you can change any options listed for a real network game to see if the network performance improves. ->MUSIC SOUNDCARD INCOMPATIBILITIES: The soundtrack for FM4X was taken from different sources, but of in-game test analysis, I can assume the original equipment used for all tracks is on a Roland Sound Canvas SC-55. If you have the game configured on any other soundcard, you may not hear the instruments as intended from the original authors. But on a way or another, they still sound quite good, giving it some kind of "full" support. Also, remember you must remove your ULTRAMID.INI file from your game directory if you are using the Gravis Ultrasound, or the instrument set you'll hear will be completely irregular or non-functional. Contact ======= Contact information is available at the following address: cristomarquez@udec.cl Inquiries, comments, criticism, question and any other sorts of text is always welcome, and even appreciated. You can also follow or comment in many Duke3D sites scattered through the internet. Go ahead and search for them. There are plenty of those around and I surely doubt they are going to fade anytime soon. Thank you very much for choosing FM4X. Have a wonderful day and happy gaming! And don't forget to look for secrets... they are hidden everywhere. - Fernando Marquez - August 12, 1999 @ 12:00:00