+-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | The official Descent 3 FAQ | | | | v. 2.0 - 05/06/2002 | | | | latest HTML version @ http://www.descent-3.com/faq/ | | check the above URL for contact info | | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | (C) 98-2002 | | | | Originally written by: Recompiled and extended by | | ---------------------- -------------------------- | | Chris 'Gwar' Ledwith Moon | | Ken 'Prescience' Ito Kevin 'Sick_One' Murphy | | Scott 'fathom' Roberts to accompany the | | Wesley 'Arsentia' Fok 1.4 patch release | | | | Finalized by Moon and Fire11 to accompany the 1.5 patch release | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ =================== Table Of Contents =================== 0. What's new in this version? 1. Introduction 1.1 What is Descent 3 (henceforth called D3)? 1.2 Why didn't Parallax Software develop D3? 1.3 Wasn't Descent: Freespace supposed to be D3? 1.4 Do I need a 3D accelerator? 1.5 Is a D3 demo available? 1.6 What is D3 Sol Ascent? 1.7 What is D3 Mercenary? 1.8 Will there be a Mac/Linux/etc. port? 1.9 Is there a demo recording system in D3? 1.10 Will there be a Descent 4? 2. Troubleshooting -> Above all: update your system to the latest drivers <- -> and especially D3 to the latest patch which is 1.5! <- -> Also check http://www.descent-3.com/support/full15/ <- -> in case you can't find the answers you need below. <- 2.1 Starting the game brings up the message 'Sorry, your computer has a language not supported by this version of Descent 3' and the game stops. What gives? 2.2 How can I check my framerate? 2.3 How do I know which Video API or Sound mixer to use? 2.4 My framerate gets choppy when there is a lot of action, what can I do? 2.5 My framerate is always 50 fps, I hear others say they have over 100? 2.6 I can't see through transparent windows with my ATI Rage Pro Turbo AGP! 2.7 D3 hangs whenever I ALT-TAB out of the game into Windows on my Voodoo 3! 2.8 What is the best configuration for my modem? 2.9 What can I do to improve my modem connection? 2.10 My in-game loss meter shows loss like 100% sometimes! 2.11 Help, I can't start Mercenary: 'redbuddybot.oof not found'! 2.12 Help, I can't play D3 for the MAC on my iMac DV! 2.13 How do I migrate to the latest patch? 2.14 Why does 1.4 take significantly longer to load? 2.15 D3 gets an 'Error: Illegal font file: lohud.fnt'! 2.16 What happened to my PXO stats? Did I get demoted? 2.17 Every time a movie plays the game crashes. 2.18 Help, I lost my reticle after having patched to 1.4! 2.19 What patch should I use to see other players' servers? 2.20 How do I get rid of the D3 registration dialogue window? 2.21 I get a crash on level x at a certain spot! 2.22 Descent 3 will not auto-update? 2.23 How do I find out what version I am using? 2.24 Is there a no-CD crack for D3? 2.25 Bugs in 1.4 2.26 Bugs in 1.5 3. Gameplay 3.1 What ships are available in D3? 3.2 What about the Guidebot and it's objectives? 3.3 What's this 'use item' feature I heard about? 3.4 What's this mouselook feature I noticed some discussion about? 3.5 What's a so-called 'X-Factor' that's been introduced with D3? 3.6 How do countermeasures work? 3.7 What are the new weapons in D3? 3.8 Where can I enter command-line parameters? 3.9 How can I skip the intro movie? 3.10 What are wind tunnels? 3.11 What's wrong with the new automap? 3.12 I just picked up a Guided Missile, why doesn't it show up when I cycle through my secondary weapons? 3.13 How can I start D3 without having to use the launcher? 3.14 How can I extract the D3 music (mp3s available)? 4. Single-Player 4.1 What are the cheat codes and how do I activate them? 4.2 How many (secret) levels does D3 feature? 4.3 Are there any teleports and if not, how do I get to the secret levels? 4.4 How do I free Dr. Sweitzer in level 2? 4.5 Help, I can't enter Dr. Sweitzer's lab in level 3. 4.6 Those level 4 trains keep shredding me to bits, any hints? 4.7 I'm not worthy to get the Priest's Icon in level 6! 4.8 I can't escape the firetrap at the beginning of level 12. 4.9 How do I disable the Aft Matcen/where are the Stormtroopers in level 13? 4.10 Where's the trigger to activate the beam emitter in level 14? 4.11 Where is the key to Dravis' stronghold in level 15? 4.12 How can I disable the primary cooling fan in Mercenary lvl 3? 4.13 What about the Manual Pilot Powerup for the Guidebot? 4.14 I heard you could meet Jeff Slutter & Nate Goudie in Mercenary level 4? 4.15 Help, I keep getting smacked by an invisible force in Sol Ascent level 3! 4.16 Do you really have unlimited ships in D3? 4.17 I can't complete the shutdown engine objective in level 13! 4.18 Help, I can't trigger the remote bomb in Mercenary level 7! 4.19 How can I switch skill levels during gameplay? 5. Multiplayer 5.1 What network protocols are supported? 5.2 Are dedicated servers required for multiplayer games? 5.3 What is the maximum number of players D3 can support? 5.4 What network architecture does D3 use? 5.5 What is the minimum connection or modem required for play? 5.6 What Multiplayer modes are available? 5.7 How do I chat in a game? 5.8 How do I use text taunts? 5.9 How do I create and use audio taunts? 5.10 How do I create and use a ship logo? 5.11 How do I get my pilot picture to show like I see some pilots have? 5.12 How do I select a ship and why can't I select the Black Pyro? 5.13 Why do my Custom\Graphics and Sound Directories have so many files? 5.14 What about Lag and Loss while playing? 5.15 What packet per second setting should I use? 5.16 What is triple-chording and how does it effect my gameplay? 5.17 What's the Piggyback/observer mode? 5.18 Is there a way to bypass the PXO GUI? 5.19 How can I see what happens behind my back? 5.20 What are marker cameras? 5.21 How do I get rid of those 'you already have that weapon'- messages? 5.22 How can I ping my opponents? 5.23 I heard you can 'destroy' powerups, how is it done? 5.24 Where can I find players when PXO is down? 5.25 How do I permanently override the default settings for multiplayer games? 5.26 How does the PXO ranking system work? 5.27 When I browse for multiplayer games I don't see any servers!? 6. Dedicated Servers 6.1 What sort of system is required to run a dedicated server? 6.2 How much bandwidth do I need to run a server? 6.3 How do I set up a dedicated server? 6.4 What sort of settings should I use in general? 6.5 Some people say I should disallow all the mines, why? 6.6 How do I know what server commands are available? 6.7 Can I talk to players on my dedicated server? 6.8 How do I get a message to appear to the players as they enter the game? 6.9 When I use the $scores command it runs off screen, I can't see anything! 6.10 Can I do remote administration, if so how? 6.11 Can I do administration from within the game, if so how? 6.12 Can I run more than one server on a single computer? 6.13 What is the MultiSettingsFile command all about? 6.14 Can I disallow certain ships, if so how? 6.15 I understand 'DisallowPowerUp', why is there an AllowPowerUp command? 6.16 What does -framecap have to do with a server? 7. Linux Sever Setup 7.1 Installing the Linux Server 7.2 Passing command line parameters to your D3 Linux server 7.3 How do I install Mercenary on the Linux server? 7.4 Why doesn't Mercenary support Co-Op mode for single-player maps? 7.5 Why do I get a shared library error: 'main: error in loading shared libraries: undefined symbol: register_frame_info'? 7.6 Why does my server burn 100% CPU time during a level switch? 7.7 Why do I get weird port numbers associated with my server(s) in GameSpy? 7.8 Why is it *NOT* a good idea to run the server as root? 7.9 Why do I get the 'String Table Not Found' error? 7.10 Why does my server freeze during launching, or fail all together? 8. Development 8.1 I wanna make my own levels, is an editor available? 8.2 Is a converter available so I can play my favorite D1/D2 levels in D3? 8.3 What assistance can I get to make my own D3 MODs? 8.4 What MODs are currently available and where can I get them? 8.5 How can I modify my HUD so that the text doesn't overlap the rear view window? 9. Other online sources of information 9.1 Official Sites 9.2 Playing D3 via Internet 9.3 Support, Tools, Developers & Levels 9.4 Forums & Discussion 9.5 Descent News & Headlines 9.6 Tactics & How-To's 9.7 MODs 9.8 Miscellaneous 10. Credits 11. Revision History ================================= [0] What's new in this version? ================================= added: ------ [2.21] I get a crash on level x at a certain spot! [2.22] Descent 3 will not auto-update? [2.23] How do I find out what version I am using? [2.25] Bugs in 1.5 [4.19] How can I switch skill levels during gameplay? [5.27] When I browse for multiplayer games I don't see any servers!? [6.3] How do I set up a dedicated server? [6.15] I understand 'DisallowPowerUp', why is there an AllowPowerUp command? [6.16] What does -framecap have to do with a server? modified: --------- [1.10] Will there be a Descent 4? [2.24] Is there a no-CD crack for D3? [2.25] Bugs in 1.4 [5.11] How do I get my pilot picture to show like I see some pilots have? [9.x] New sites added ================== [1] Introduction ================== [1.1] What is Descent 3 (henceforth called D3)? ----------------------------------------------- D3 is the third title in the Descent series, the line of award- winning computer games created by Outrage Entertainment (former Parallax Software). Like it's predecessors, D3 is an intense action- oriented game set in a 3D environment which received rave reviews around the planet. [1.2] Why didn't Parallax Software develop D3? ---------------------------------------------- Although it may not appear to be so, Parallax Software DID produce D3 - or rather, one half of it. Parallax Software, when originally formed in 1993, had people in two locations (Ann Arbor, Michigan and Champaign, Illinois). For Descent, work was done in Champaign while the company searched for a mutual central location. After failing to find one, it was decided to reorganize Parallax into two companies, Outrage (Ann Arbor) and Volition Inc. (Champaign). Both companies still maintain strong links to each other. [1.3] Wasn't Descent: Freespace supposed to be D3? -------------------------------------------------- No! Volition Inc. planned to release their space-flightsim-combat- game under the name 'Freespace' but a disk compression utility had the name already registered in North America. So Volition changed the name to 'Descent: Freespace' which has been altered to 'Conflict: Freespace' in Europe. [1.4] Do I need a 3d accelerator? --------------------------------- Yes, you will need a Direct3D compatible 3D accelerator with at least 4 MB of onboard memory. Considering the rapid development in that sector, all current graphics boards should be fine. In case you're running on older hardware, a 3D accelerator that meets the minimum system requirements (i.e. a Riva128 video card) like Voodoo are sufficient. Other 3D accelerators such as the RivaTNT / Geforce and such also work fine with D3 as they are Direct3D compatible. D3 supports Direct3D, OpenGL, and Glide APIs. [1.5] Is a D3 demo available? ----------------------------- Yes, for the PC there are two of them, which are approx. 35 MB each (MAC: one demo of approx. 48 MB; LINUX: 1 demo of approx. 44 MB). PC Demo 1 features level 3, Piccu Station of the full version plus 2 multiplayer levels, The Core (2-8 players) and Polaris (16+ players). PC Demo 2 features level 1, Deimos of the retail version and only one, but very cool multiplayer level called Taurus (4-16 players). I haven't yet had a chance to check what levels the Mac and Linux demos feature. It's your decision which to try out. You can get them at these locations: PC http://descent-3.com/shareware/d3/ http://www.outrage.com/4_downloads.html#d3_demos http://www.interplay.com/descent3/fdemos.html MAC http://www.macgamefiles.com/download.taf?item=10200 LINUX http://www.lokigames.com/products/demos.php3 [1.6] What is D3 Sol Ascent? ---------------------------- D3 Sol Ascent is an OEM version (i.e. commercial version, no demo) of the D3 retail. It features levels 1-5 of the retail version whereas level 1: Deimos is also available for download as D3 Demo 2 and level 3: Piccu Station as D3 Demo 1. Sol Ascent also covers the multi-player levels of both D3 demos: The Core, Polaris & Taurus. However, this OEM-version version is only available bundled with Voodoo 3 (3000 not 2000!) boards and does *not* run on other boards! There've been some unconfirmed rumors that this version has been bundled with other hardware recently which would indicate that you could run it on other graphics boards as well. However, I personally doubt it and if you're interested in playtesting the game I'd still recommend the demos since Sol Ascent has many bugs and there are no plans for a patch. [1.7] What is D3 Mercenary? --------------------------- Mercenary is an official addon to D3 from the Outrage developers themselves. It features 7 gigantic single-player levels and a bunch of really weird multiplayer levels. As well you pilot a new ship: the Black Pyro which fires 2 missiles at once but can't fire secondaries when there's only 1 missile (of Concs, Homing or Cyclone) left. As well it features a different storyline, this time you're a Mercenary that's working for Dravis. Some people complained about this one as a cheap ripoff with not enough new features but I must say that levels 3 and 4 are the coolest Descent levels I've ever played. [1.8] Will there be a Mac/Linux/etc. port? ------------------------------------------ Yes, the final Mac and Linux ports have been released. For more info on the Linux client check out http://www.lokigames.com/products/descent3/. For more info on the Mac client check out http://www.graphsim.com/games/games-action.html. There's also a dedicated Linux server which can handle Win clients: http://www.outrage.com/4_downloads.html. See section [1.5] for URLs to download the demos from. [1.9] Is there a demo recording system in D3? --------------------------------------------- Yes! D3 has a new demo recording system, so you can continue to watch the exploits of your friends blasting robots (or yourself blasting your friends or yourself getting blasted by your friends) into oblivion. However, the demo recording system is far from perfect, IOW it's buggy! It's recommended to record and playback the demo on the same framerate. Otherwise you'd get really weird results, e.g. a demo recorded on 30 fps (frames per second) and played back on 90 fps would look as if someone would hold down the fast forward key. A good compromise would be to record the demo on 50 fps which should be achievable on any system that is capable of making D3 run at an acceptable speed; as well the demo does not get too large (nevertheless always zip it before sending it to someone!). This is the default fps setting so you do not have to change anything unless you didn't fiddle with the framecap parameter (which in that case would have to be adjusted as explained in section [3.8]). Patch 1.5 is supposed to fix a lot of demo bugs. [1.10] Will there be a Descent 4? --------------------------------- All that can be said for now is that there's no final decision yet. Check out Outrage for news on this topic. A few devoted members of the Descent community are currently working on 'their' version of Descent IV using D3 technology; maybe you wanna help them out with your creativity: http://www.descent4.net/. ====================== [2] Troubleshooting ====================== [2.1] Starting the game brings up the message 'Sorry, your computer ----- has a language not supported by this version of Descent 3' and the game stops. Update the game to the latest patch, this will remove the language check. [2.2] How can I check my framerate? ----------------------------------- D3 allows a few options for checking and testing performance. While in the game to see a real time framerate meter simply type 'frametime' or 'framelength' (without the quotes). A framerate meter will appear in the upper left corner of the screen (reenter to turn it off). To test your system's performance and framerate against other systems a command line option (see section [3.8] on where to add them) is available for use. The -timetest command allows D3 to run through a pre- recorded demo file, and places the full results in the D3 directory in a file called fps.txt. In the command line box enter -timetest .dem (don't forget the hyphen!) is any valid demo file. D3 includes a demo file called 'secret2.dem'. This file does not include any outdoor areas, but serves as a basic test. For example, in the command line enter -timetest secret2.dem -framecap 999 Then click the 'OK' button, and click 'Play'. It is important to include the -framecap 999 command. If this is not done the demo will run at the maximum default framecap of 50fps. D3 will run the demo and create the file fps.txt. [2.3] How do I know which Video API or Sound mixer to use? ---------------------------------------------------------- Always try to use the best video API and sound mixer for your system. This will vary depending on the amount of RAM, speed of the CPU, the type of video card, and sound card in the system. If the 3D game card is from the 3DFX Voodoo line then Glide (Voodoo family) will always offer the best performance. Other video cards that don't support Glide normally support a minimum of Direct3D (as a subset of Direct X). Some cards may also support OpenGl. In general Direct3D will work best although some people find better performance using OpenGl. This varies from card to card, and even between driver revisions. The choice of which graphics API the game will use is found in the setup menu under the video tab. Choose a graphics detail level in the game that makes sense. If you are running D3 on a Pentium 233, don't expect good performance at a high resolution with high detail. Choose an appropriate resolution for the game. D3 also offers a variety of 'sound mixers'. These are found in the setup menu under the audio tab. The mixer types supported are: Software Mixer: This is generally the best choice for performance. It mixes the sound internally and passes the mixed sounds to the sound card. Direct Sound: This is another common choice, and in some case will improve performance if the system does not have enough RAM. In this case the sounds are sent individually and the sound card mixes them. This reduces the required RAM and reduces the CPU load slightly, but will cause more transactions on the bus to the sound card. Direct Sound 3D: This is the Direct X version of 3D sound. If the card supports the feature it offers a slightly more 3D effect. It will also require more CPU power. On a lower end system this is not a good choice. Aureal 3D Sound: This is Aureal's proprietary 3D sound. If you have a sound card that supports the feature it offers a fairly good 3D sound effect. It will however use the most CPU overhead of any of the mixers. If you choose this option, please visit Aureal's web site and get the latest drivers. They have reduced CPU overhead quite a bit. Creative EAX: This is Creative labs proprietary 3D sound. It also offers fairly good 3D sound. It requires less CPU overhead than the Aureal, but is still power hungry. In general most systems will find that either the software mixer or the Direct sound will offer the best performance. The different 3D sound mixers offer a slightly more interesting experience, but at a cost. Unless you have a powerful system stick with a basic mixer. [2.4] My framerate gets choppy when there is a lot of action, ----- what can I do? Make sure all the video and sound card drivers are up to date. If you find that during game play and heavy battles the video and/or sound get choppy or slows down, make sure you are using either the Software or Direct sound mixer. Also you may consider adding more RAM. Try reducing screen resolution to 640 x 480, or even 512 x 384. Disable some of the 'eye candy' in the details menu. Try using the command line options -lowmem or -superlowmem. These can be very helpful if the system doesn't have much RAM. As a rule of thumb, a realistic minimum system is a 333MHz cpu with 64megs of RAM, and a Voodoo 2 or TNT card. For truly good performance a 500MHz+ CPU, 128 megs of RAM, and a Voodoo 3 or TNT2 is a good starting point. [2.5] My framerate is always 50 fps, I hear others say they have ----- over 100? D3 has a default framerate cap of 50 fps. This is done to help slower computers maintain a more constant framerate during play. In short, by only trying to render a maximum of 50 fps more power is left for each frame. If you have a powerful system you can uncap the framerate, or you may want to alter the maximum framecap. For example on a low end system you may want to use 30. A high end system maybe 100, or have removed the cap altogether. The framecap is controlled with the -framecap xxx command. Where xxx is the desired cap. For example -framecap 30, or -framcap 80. If the number used is 999, the framecap is removed altogether (see section [3.8] on how to enter these). Many players also find that the video seems smoother if Vsync is disabled in the video options of the main menu. [2.6] I can't see through transparent windows with my ATI Rage Pro ----- Turbo AGP! This is a known bug with some ATI Rage Pro Turbo AGP graphic boards (and even some others) which is related to the board's drivers. Since the 1.1 patch Outrage used a workaround: add the command line switch -NoRenderWindows (as explained in section [3.8]) which makes those windows become fully transparent. [2.7] D3 hangs whenever I ALT-TAB out of the game into Windows on my ----- Voodoo 3! This is a bug in the Voodoo drivers, update to the latest drivers! However, in some cases and system configurations this may still be a problem. [2.8] What is the best configuration for my modem? -------------------------------------------------- Always set the modem correctly according to the type you have. Trying to force more packets per second than the modem can handle will never help. Insure that any modem drivers are up to date. Insure that the modem is properly configured for windows. Note: See the following section for possible modem configuration and tips. [2.9] What can I do to improve my modem connection? --------------------------------------------------- There are a number of different types and brands of analog dial in modems. Many computers come with 'software' modems such as the USRobtics Winmodem. Many if not most other brands offer a software modem of some kind. They are not a good choice for gaming. Basically they depend on the computer to handle many of the modem tasks in software rather than having dedicated hardware for the purpose. They are less expensive than a hardware based modem, but tend to have higher loss, and higher pings. A hardware based modem is always better. In many cases it will shave 100ms off ping times. The preferred modem is the USRobotics Sportster or their new Gaming modem. A digital connection is of course the best: ISDN, xDSL, or a cable modem. If you have an analog modem, there are some things that you can try to improve gameplay. Some of the suggestions may seem contrary to what you might think, but prove true for many players, especially if using a software based modem. There are certain settings that can be found in the windows control panel under the modem icon. In Win98 for example, but similar in all win9x version: - Select the modem - Select Properties - Set the 'Maximum speed' to 57600 rather than 115200 (this is the speed the computer talks to the modem, not the connection speed of the modem) - Select the connection Tab - Click 'Port settings' - Set the Transmit Buffer FIFO to 3/4 setting rather than the default FULL (both Rx/Tx should be at 3/4) - Click OK - Click the 'Advanced' Button - In the upper left area is a check box for 'Compress data' - In most cases games will play best with this disabled, you need to test both ways, default is enabled. Enabled is clearly better for downloading and web browsing. In the case of games, sending a lot of small packets it will tend to be smoother play if it is disabled. [2.10] My in-game loss meter shows loss like 100% sometimes! ------------------------------------------------------------ The in game loss meter is an indicator, and nothing more. Due to the method used it will sometimes give an inaccurate number. These seem to be a few specific numbers. So if from time to time the loss is reported as one of the following percentages, it is likely a false indicator. 11%, 14%, 25% 33%, 50%, 66%, 75%, 83% 100%. There may be a few others, but these are known. It is also a clear indication when you see for example 0% loss, then 100%, then 0% most of the time, that the 100% loss is false. If the loss was accurate you would notice that all other players 'floated' during the prior 3 seconds, that you were unable to gather powerups, etc. The way D3 determines the loss, is that over a 3 second period the client keeps track of how many packets/bytes it received. At the end of that 3 second period the server will send a packet telling the client how many packets/bytes were actually sent. The client determines the loss and then displays the percentage of loss from that period until the next 3 second sample replaces it. True loss will tend to have a much greater variety of percentage displayed and be more constant. For example, if the display shows 8%, then 3% then 12%, etc. it is likely true loss. [2.11] Help, I can't start Mercenary: 'redbuddybot.oof not found'! ------------------------------------------------------------------ There seem to be a variety of problems with installing Mercenary for some people. In some cases it will install fine. In others it will install but generate an error when you attempt to run it. Three possible solutions: 1) Uninstall Descent 3, you can save your pilot files and such as explained in section [2.13]. Then do a clean install of D3 version 1.0 from the CD's. Start the game and configure the video, audio and other options, then install Mercenary. This will work for many. 2) If the first option does not work try a clean 1.0 installation of D3, and patch the game to at least 1.2. Configure the setup in the D3 launcher and after that install Mercenary over it which patches the game to 1.3 in the process (unless you hadn't already started from 1.3 certainly). 3) Use this technique if all else fails: clean up the descent 3 entries in the registry (after uninstalling descent 3) and do a clean 1.0 installation. Without starting the game, install Mercenary and the 1.4 patch in a row. After that start the game via the launcher. This contradicts the previous methods but worked for me. [2.12] Help, I can't play D3 for the MAC on my iMac DV! ------------------------------------------------------- It IS possible but there are some compatibility issues that got to be resolved before you can make it run. Contact graphsim at support@graphsim.com if you need assistance. [2.13] How do I migrate to the latest patch? -------------------------------------------- First of all: backup all your personal files from your \Games\Descent 3-subdirectories like: \*.plt your player files! \*.cfg maybe you made some dedicated config files all \custom\*.wav customized sounds and settings you might have \*.osf added; also copy the 'empty' file. They are \*.ogf spread over the several subdirectories in there \*.mps so don't overlook any! Also see section [2.14]. \*.dmfc \demo\*.* demo files \netgames\*.stats multiplayer stat files \savegame\*.* savegames After that connect to the internet and hit the auto-update button in the D3 launcher or check http://www.outrage.com for downloadable versions. In case D3 reports that some files are missing or not matching, delete the game, do a clean install of 1.0 and then retry. Server admins also should remove the '-nomultibmp' command-line parameter. Note that in some cases you might not be able to use your saved games that were saved in previous versions! [2.14] Why does 1.4 take significantly longer to load? ------------------------------------------------------ Since 1.3 had a bug that duplicated audio taunts and personal logo files which could soon lead to tons of them, the 1.4 patch added some check of these files. Therefore you should manually delete all the duplicates from the directories \Games\Descent 3\custom\sounds \Games\Descent 3\custom\graphics In each directory, copy out and save your taunts and logos (the ones you want to use). Also copy out and save the file named 'empty' in each directory. If any of the files you are saving have multiple CRC extensions, they should be discarded. The valid filenames should look like this 'goofsound_455affef.osf' (goofsound being the name, the _xxxxxxxx being the CRC). If it looks like 'goofsound_455affef_ffe3452.osf' (with 2 or more CRC's) dump it. Once you clean out the directories the game will load quickly again. [2.15] D3 gets an 'Error: Illegal font file: lohud.fnt'! ----------------------------------------------------------------- It's not quite sure what's causing it but here's a workaround: uninstall the game and manually remove all Outrage related stuff from the registry. Do a clean install and patch to 1.5, this should solve the problem. [2.16] What happened to my PXO stats, I got demoted? ---------------------------------------------------- Due to a Linux dedicated server bug the stats on PXO got corrupted and could only be fixed by using a backup from April 2000. Therefore all points you gathered from there on are lost! However, you can look forward to all the matches you got to play to regain your ranks now that the stats bug is fixed and counting continues ;) [2.17] Every time a movie plays the game crashes. ------------------------------------------------- The movie player is not fully compatible with some systems. The problem can sometimes be corrected by updating your video drivers. IF that doesn't work, use the '-nomovie' command-line switch. [2.18] Help, I lost my reticle after having patched to 1.4! ----------------------------------------------------------- A reproducible case of this bug was fixed in 1.5. It is uncertain if this is the only case. If you encounter this bug, you may want to extract the reticle images from the 'D3.HOG' into the main D3 directory. Each ship has a different set of reticle images starting with 'ret_', e.g. 'Ret_lguna.ogf'. To extract them you can use any HOG viewer/editor like HOG2 Workshop from http://www.descent-3.com/tools/. Linux users can use the command-line util 'HOG' from Outrage: http://www.outrage.com/files/hog.tar.gz. [2.19] What patch should I use to see other players' servers? ------------------------------------------------------------- By design players running different patches can't see each other. Only servers running the same patch as you do are visible in the games menu. So you should always upgrade to the latest patch (1.5) as explained in section [2.13]. [2.20] How do I get rid of the D3 registration dialogue window? --------------------------------------------------------------- On the Win9x systems you simply cancel this window 3 times on D3 startup and on the 4th time enter '123' and click 'forfeit' to get rid of this nag screen forever. However, in Win2k and NT4 you got to rename the file 'rega32.exe' in your '\Descent3\ereg'-directory to anything you want and you won't be bothered anymore. [2.21] I get a crash on level x at a certain spot! -------------------------------------------------- It sounds like you may have a corrupted saved game or your level x saved game is from another version of Descent 3. Try to start a new game at level x using the retribution option after selecting 'new game' from the main screen while using the pilot you normally use. [2.22] Descent 3 will not auto-update? -------------------------------------- First, you must find out what version of D3 you have. You can do this by looking at the top of the readme file that is located in the Descent3 directory. If you have a demo version, then you can goto http://descent-3.com/patches/d3/ to get a patch for it. If you have the Sol Ascent version, then you can't update it because there isn't a patch for this version. If you do have the full retail version, then you must find out what regional version it is. You should be able to tell by looking at the box or at the D3 cd-roms. There are the european version, the australian version, and the US version. Goto http://descent-3.com/patches/d3/ and get the patch that will work with your version and hopefully the auto-patcher will not give you the error message you have been receiving. [2.23] How do I find out what version I am using? ------------------------------------------------- The version you are using can be found in the header of the readme file that is located in the descent3 directory. [2.24] Is there a no-CD crack for D3? ------------------------------------- There is no need to get a no-cd crack. The requirement of having the D3 cd in the drive is removed in the 1.5 patch. [2.25] Bugs in 1.4 ------------------ Despite the great (and unpaid) efforts that have been put in the 1.4 patch there are still some bugs left. Check the D3 Feedback Forum at the DescentBB (http://www.descentbb.net/ubb/Forum6/HTML/001600.html) for a comprehensive bug list. Some of those single-player bugs mentioned there can not be circum- vented by any workarounds not even by reloading a save game. In case you'll find yourself in one of the situations listed below the only thing you can do is to replay the level! - level 6 Sometimes you beat the Homunculus but the mission doesn't end; he just sits there smoking and nothing happens. - level 12 Although you collected all 4 keys (otherwise you wouldn't been able to reach the Dragon in the first place) you cannot escape the level after you beat the Dragon. The door in the ceiling just won't open despite your key. - level 13 When you hit all switches in the engine surge chamber to turn the engines off, you get a 'tertiary objective completed'-message. The 'tertiary' should have read 'secondary' thus you're unable to complete this secondary objective; only in this case you can finish the level without having to replay it. [2.26] Bugs in 1.5 ------------------ At the time of writing this update to the FAQ (scheduled to be included with the 1.5 patch) it wasn't sure which of the numerous bugs would be fixed. Thus the first thing you should do is to check out the readme.txt that comes with the new patch and see which of the bugs concerning yourself might be fixed. As usual further info can be retrieved from the D3 Feedback section of the DescentBB. ============== [3] Gameplay ============== [3.1] What ships are available in D3? ------------------------------------- There are 4 ships in total in D3 whereas the Black Pyro is only available to owners of the Mercenary addon. In the single-player storyline you start out with the Pyro-GL, a modified version of the Pyro-GX of Descent 1/2. It performs much like the old ship. The second ship available is the Phoenix that you got to find at the end of level 6 and start to use in level 8. The third ship is the Magnum-AHT, which enters the single-player storyline in level 9 and can be used in level 10 for the first time. Once you've played the game through you can choose whatever of the 3 'standard' ships you like when starting a new game. As of yet, you cannot use the Black Pyro in Retribution and the other 3 in Mercenary. Also see section [5.12]. [3.2] What about the Guidebot and it's objectives? -------------------------------------------------- Contrary to it's predecessors, D3 develops a storyline as you advance through the levels. In the briefing at the beginning of each level you're given a short overview on what has to be done to advance to the next level. Your mission is split into several objectives that can be reviewed in-game by using your TelCom-system (SHIFT-TAB). In addition you got to use the Guidebot which now has a far larger influence on your way of completing the game. It always knows what to do next to fulfill the current objective. If you're not sure what to do next, take a look at the first command on the GB's menu; it will show you how to go on. [3.3] What's this 'use item' feature I heard about? --------------------------------------------------- Unlike D1/D2, you now have to use some items (keys and stuff) explicitly by pressing the 'use item'-key. When you run over a key or a data cartridge it's automatically placed into your inventory and you can cycle through these items. The default keys for 'use item' and 'cycle item' depend on the language version you're playing so check your config. Additionally you should enable the inventory listing in the HUD settings, so you can see whether the item you need is currently selected; if it's not just cycle through the items you've picked up. [3.4] What's this mouselook feature I noticed some discussion about? -------------------------------------------------------------------- As with Quake you are now able to use the mouse to make the ship face any direction your pointing the mouse at instantly. This gives mouselookers a certain advantage since they can turn and aim faster than you could usually do in Descent. As well you need less skill to control your ship which is one reason why this feature has been widely regarded as a bad move. However, it is turned off by default so you don't have to worry about it whenever you host a multiplayer game. [3.5] What's a so-called 'X-Factor' that's been introduced with D3? ------------------------------------------------------------------- It's a feature of the advanced AI that's been developed for D3. Every robot has a certain kind of behavior/attribute about it; eg. the Barnswallow collects powerups and puts them into it's net, the Orbot is highly inflammable... Summed up: the AI is frightening realistic. [3.6] How do countermeasures work? ---------------------------------- Countermeasures add a third weapons tier to D3. Instead of lumping the dropped weapons (e.g. proximity bombs) in with the secondary weapons, they have been grouped into their own new category. As with the 'use item'-feature (also see section [3.3]) you need to define certain keys for using and cycling countermeasures (check your config). [3.7] What are the new weapons in D3? ------------------------------------- primary ======= Vauss Cannon A dual-fire machine gun in the tradition of the Vulcan and Gauss Cannons. It's weaker than the Gauss, but stronger than the Vulcan. Napalm Cannon Your standard flamethrower. Burn baby, burn! Microwave Cannon Deforms the viewpoint of anything it hits, including players (cool effect!). EMD Gun Arcing electro-magnetic energy at your enemy like a homing weapon but without causing the typical alert sound. They never know what hit them. Mass Driver The perfect sniper weapon. It's telescopic range finder zooms in on your enemy to make you place the perfect shot. Calculate some reload time though. secondary ========= Napalm Missile Ejects Napalm upon impact and burns for ten seconds while dripping down onto the ground. Good for ambushes in tunnels. Frag Missile Much like the Smart Missile, the Frag Missile releases shrapnel upon impact but the smaller shrapnel do not home in on your target. Nevertheless very useful to seal some tube when enemies follow close behind. Cyclone Missile Separates in-flight into six smaller homing missiles from the main missile body. You'll need some distance to your target though. Impact Mortar Needs quite some timing due to it's comparatively slow traveling speed. Once released it'll go straight ahead and detonate in a huge explosion with a large blast radius after approx. 3 seconds. Blackshark Missile Keep quite some distance to your target since this missile creates a whirling maelstrom upon impact dragging everything in close range into it before the explosion of a dying star shreds the victims to bits. countermeasures =============== Bouncing Betty A pack of bouncing bomb which are difficult to avoid. Seeker Mines A mine that will seek out players, comparatively slow but dangerous in numbers. Gunboy Floating turret bomb. Not actually powerful but very distracting which gives you some extra moments to finish off your target. As well very useful as an alarm system in multiplayer games that notifies you of your opponent's position in the mine. Chaff Burst Doesn't do any damage but attracts homing missiles so you better have some handy. [3.8] Where can I enter command-line parameters? ------------------------------------------------ Open the D3 launcher and select setup | misc | optional D3 command line switches and add them with one blank space in between e.g. -framecap30 -nomovie (don't forget the hyphen). [3.9] How can I skip the intro movie? ------------------------------------- Add the line '-nointro' (without the quotes) to the command-line parameters (see above). [3.10] What are wind tunnels? ----------------------------- These are cool one-way tubes that catapult your ship from one end to the other very fast. Actually they are rather fun to ride especially in Mercenary level 3 or the Multiplayer level Half Pipe (of the Fury level set). Some people also refer to them as gravity tubes. View the 'secret2.dem' that gets installed with D3 to see what it feels like. In single play you should get the Guidebot back into your ship before you use them since you don't know whether you'll be able to get back to pick him up. [3.11] What's wrong with the new automap? ----------------------------------------- Well, everyone would agree that the new autompap looks terribly cool! Unfortunately it does not color unvisited parts of the mines differently when you've picked up the full map powerup! Instead you'll be shown the whole map in it's normal colors. Thus to prevent losing orientation avoid the full map so you can recognize unvisited rooms by a blinking portal (= connection between two rooms). Curiously enough secret areas do not show up on the (full) map unless you have visited them. Till then you'll only see a black portal indicating that something will be behind. [3.12] I just picked up a Guided Missile, why doesn't it show up ------ when I cycle through my secondary weapons? Most likely you have disabled it in the weapon auto-select menu. Under F2 | Config | Weapons you can set the priority of your weapons, i.e. the order in which they are cycled through as well as the priority of which one gets selected automatically when you run over a weapon that you hadn't picked up before. Any weapon that is disabled in this menu cannot be selected by use of the 'cycle weapons'-key but by pressing the corresponding key on your keyboard instead. For example, if you had the Guided Missile disabled from auto-select (generally a good idea) you have to press '7' twice to select it. [3.13] How can I start D3 without having to use the launcher? ------------------------------------------------------------- This is quite easy but note that you should have started D3 at least once using the launcher to properly adjust your hardware settings. Lets assume you installed D3 to E:\Games\D3; open the Windows explorer and click on the file 'main.exe' to drag it onto your desktop or into any Games-folder you might have. Now right-click the icon and select properties | shortcut, the top line should be changed to the following: E:\Games\D3\main.exe -launched This will bypass the launcher and start up the game a bit faster. Note that you should also add all the command-line parameters you had in the D3 launcher as explained in section [3.8]. For example, E:\Games\D3\main.exe -launched -pilot Moon -playermessages -nointro The last thing you can change is this tacky Windows icon for the shortcut (hopefully you also installed TweakUI that came with the Windows Powertoys to get rid of those annoying shortcut overlays). You should still have the properties | shortcut window open. Select 'change symbol' which causes Windows to pop up an error message saying that no symbols are available in the 'main.exe'. Instead of using one of the symbols offered in the list simply select 'browse' and click through to your D3 directory and on 'Descent3.exe' which offers the red-sun symbol. Certainly you can choose whatever icon you have on your system. This method is very convenient to have several D3-shortcuts with different command-line parameters on your desktop. So you could have one for a dedicated server, another for single-player only and so on. Check the 'readme.txt' that comes with D3 for an extensive list of command-line parameters. [3.14] How can I extract the D3 music (mp3s available)? ------------------------------------------------------- Contrary to basically all sound effects (except the PA-voices) the D3 music is not in the common WAV-format but in Outrage's compressed OSF-format. As of yet there is no converter available so you can only download some of the mp3s that have been released by Outrage and Jerry Berlongieri at: http://www.outrage.com/4_downloads.html#d3_mp3 http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/49/jerry_berlongieri.html However, here's a workaround for level designers who want to use some ambient music themes in their levels and need to preview them: extract the OSF files from the D3 HOG to your D3\custom\sounds directory, start D3 and select Pilots | Configure | Ship Configuration. Then from on the lower left of the screen use the up and down arrows in the first of the selection boxes named 'Audio Taunt #1'. You can browse through the extracted osf-files and listen to them by clicking the 'Play' button next to it. =================== [4] Single-Player =================== Following are brief answers to some scenes most single-players seem to have problems with. In case you need more thorough help like walkthroughs, map screenshots and how-to demos (or help on things not mentioned below) please visit http://moon.descent-3.com/. [4.1] What are the cheat codes and how do I activate them? ---------------------------------------------------------- Simply enter any of the following cheat codes during the game (i.e. wherever you are in a level). Note: Some of these codes do NOT work in multiplayer! The codes are not case sensitive and you only need to type in the last 8 characters, the full names listed below are easier to remember though. German players please note that 'Z' is 'Y' and vice versa. The codes followed by an asterisk (*) work in multiplay. all versions (*): Frametime: displays the Frames per second (FPS) - reenter to turn off WeirdTexture: displays textures at random (even the map is messed up) demos 1 & 2: BlimPieBest: full shield, energy, demo weapons plus 500 of each missile FreeItUp: all enemies killed LongChimp (*): play in chase view mode (cool) MightyAphrodite: Cloaking Device YummyFunYon: Invulnerability ZodIsGod: kills you Sol Ascent: BlackDove: Kills all enemies (even your Gunboys) ChowYunFat: full shields/energy, every weapon + 500 of each missile MonkeyDance(*): play in chase view mode (cool) Mortality: invulnerable Nosferatu: 'Zod strikes revenge'; shields get reduced PandorasBox: level jump Phantasm: Cloaking Device retail 1.5: ByeByeMonkey(*): play in chase view mode (cool) BurgerGod: invulnerability DeadOfNight: kills all bots FrameLength: frametime display IveGotIt: all weapons, energy, shields MoreClang: level jump OutlinEm(*): outlines each polygon displayed (for level designers) RenderStat(*): shows no of polys, vertices, and uploaded textures (ditto) Shananigans(*): shows the Outrage default texture (ditto) Teletubbies: turns a sun (outdoor level) into a Teletubbies face (argh!) Testicus: Cloaking Device TreeSquid: full map Tuberacer: 210 damage (ouch!) [4.2] How many (secret) levels does D3 feature? ----------------------------------------------- 15 levels + 2 secret levels. This may not sound very impressive compared to D1/D2 but please note that the D3 levels are about 3-4 times larger! Mercenary features 7 levels and NO secret levels. [4.3] Are there any teleports and if not, how do I get to the secret ----- levels? There aren't any teleports (except in Mercenary level 4). To reach a secret level you got to find a hidden data cartridge in levels 8 and 12. Once you picked it up and finished the level the usual way (by completing all primary objectives) you'll come out in the secret level. [4.4] How do I free Dr. Sweitzer in level 2? -------------------------------------------- You've got to create a diversion to make him get shifted to a lower security level where he can be picked up by the shuttle. After having gained entrance to the higher security levels by using (see section [3.3]) several keys, let the GB lead you to the Maintenance Gate. Shoot the grate to enter the service tunnel and use the right way till you come into a room with an acid vat. Try the levers, read the signs and you'll get the point. [4.5] Help, I can't enter Dr. Sweitzer's lab in level 3. -------------------------------------------------------- As said in the manual: use Vauss or missiles to destroy windows(!). [4.6] Those level 4 trains keep shredding me to bits, any hints? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Each train has a certain pattern you got to memorize. Watch the trains till you find the gap and afterburn to the next intermission. Keep checking the map so you can see which direction to go in. [4.7] I'm not worthy to get the Priest's Icon in level 6! --------------------------------------------------------- Watch the floor or ceiling (turn on your headlight) for visual clues that show you the right path. Note that you'll need to pass one square twice in different directions. [4.8] I can't escape the firetrap at the beginning of level 12. --------------------------------------------------------------- Shoot each tong as soon as it opens. After that shoot the forcefields with your Laser in such an angle that the reflected shots hit the generators on both sides of your ship (as you could see in the short cutscene at the beginning of this level). [4.9] How do I disable the Aft Matcen/where are the Stormtroopers in ----- level 13? Shoot a Frag or Guided Missile down the shaft to hit the trigger inside (as seen in the cutscene at the beginning of this level). The Stormtroopers are spread over the level and cannot be looked for by the Guidebot. Thus you should let the GB look for robots or powerups so he will lead you into parts of the level you haven't visited before. Do NOT pickup the full map because of it's limitations as explained in section [3.11]. You should take the Aft Matcen as the first objective since it's deactivation stops the production of further Stormtroopers. It's also quite good to visit the engine surge chamber early! BTW, there's a small bug in this part of the level, see section [2.21]. [4.10] Where's the trigger to activate the beam emitter in level 14? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Again the logs will help you out here: 'I searched for an hour before somebody said, "just remember who you work for"'. You now work for the CED so the hidden trigger must be (and is) the small CED sign under the generators in the large room where you placed the lens. Instead of shooting it, simply bump into it with your ship and the beam gets activated. [4.11] Where is the key to Dravis' stronghold in level 15? ---------------------------------------------------------- Left of the hall with the large lave tanks there's a control room with three wheels. Shoot the left one to drain the left lava pool and rush inside through the door at the ground of it. On the inside above the door you just emerged from is the trigger to open the room on the opposite side with the key. [4.12] How can I disable the primary cooling fan in Mercenary lvl 3? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Use the same technique as with the harzardous storage forcefield: place yourself as close as possible to the first forcefield and shoot the middle of it. With a bit of luck the shots bounce off the other forcefields and destroy the generator at the end of the tunnel. [4.13] What about the Manual Pilot Powerup for the Guidebot? ------------------------------------------------------------ Actually, this was already found in the original D3 Retribution HOG but it has not been used in any of these levels. As well, the occurrence in Mercenary level 4 seems to be a bug since the use of it does not have any effect. Presumably the scripting routines just weren't finished in time and someone accidentally placed this powerup instead of a working one in Mercenary level 4. Anyway, here's how to get it: there's one room with four large pillars that connects three levels of the planetoid. Fly up to the top level and then go straight ahead through the middle tunnel and over a small pond. Pass an insectoid generator to your left and shoot the second 'mirror forcefield' on the left side. In the room behind you'll find the 'new' GB powerup (which has some striking similarity to a joystick ) as well as an invaluable energy to shield converter. [4.14] I heard you could meet Jeff Slutter & Nate Goudie in Mercenary ------ level 4? Well yes, but they are hard to find! Exit the honeycomb mentioned above and take a close look at the textures on the opposite wall. There's a flythrough texture you should examine to give both of them a yell ;) [4.15] Help, I keep getting smacked by an invisible force in Sol ------ Ascent level 3! This is a bug as confirmed by some of the programmers. Sometimes you'll encounter those dudes which suddenly can become visible which is the only time where you can shoot and hit them. When they are invisible you can't hit them at all even if you know where they are. You can only keep moving to stay alive. As said before there will be no patch to fix this. [4.16] Do you really have unlimited ships in D3? ------------------------------------------------ Yes, as opposed to D1/D2 you can die as often as you want and it does not have any effect on your score or fulfillment of the objectives. Therefore, whenever you get killed you should feel ashamed and restart the level ;) [4.17] I can't complete the shutdown engine objective in level 13! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Due to a scripting bug that's still left over in 1.4 you get an incorrect message (tertiary objective) when shutting down the engine core. Simply consider this one as finished. [4.18] Help, I can't trigger the remote bomb in Mercenary level 7! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Usually the bomb gets triggered automatically as soon as you place it on the delivery pad and go down the central elevators to stop in front of a locked door with the boss bot behind. Due to a non- reproducible scripting bug the bomb does not always get triggered so you can only restart the game and try again (save games most likely won't work). It's not yet confirmed whether this bug still exists in 1.4 but this is likely due to the nature of it. [4.19] How can I switch skill levels during gameplay? ----------------------------------------------------- The following is a method you should only use when you're really stuck and just can't get past this certain boss bot and you don't want to resign to cheating. Save your game just before you're going to encounter that 'invincible' enemy of yours and quit the game to return to the D3 starting screen. Select Pilots | configure | difficulty and set it to a lower one you're currently at; maybe even to Trainee cause using this method already shows you're a real wimp ;) Now load your save game and see how easy it can be to win a dogfight. As soon as you advanced, save your game again and reset your skill level to something more challenging. Of course, the only thing that really helps is practice, practice, practice... ================= [5] Multiplayer ================= Below you'll find tons of answers concerning multiplayer issues. In case something is left unanswered or you need extensive advice on multiplayer tactics/games, etiquette or just wanna improve your flying skills, please visit Chris "Mobius" Davies' DESCENT 3 HELP @ http://planetdescent.com/d3help/index.html. [5.1] What network protocols are supported? ------------------------------------------- D3 supports a variety of protocols and online services: TCP/IP, IPX, Direct Serial, Modem to Modem, and PXO. PXO is a free service provided by Outrage which allows you start or join existing games online via virtually any internet connection. A chat interface is provided. You will find a large variety of dedicated servers and games variations. TCP/IP is supported for LAN and Direct Internet play. IPX is provided for LAN as well as Internet play with the use of programs such as Kali and Kahn. Modem to Modem play is available for 2 player games via direct modem to modem connections. Direct serial may be used to connect two computers with a simple serial cable. [5.2] Are dedicated servers required for multiplayer games? ----------------------------------------------------------- No, a dedicated server is not required though it will provide the best gameplay. D3 allows games to be hosted so that, for small games, a player may start (host) a game. It is always best in this case to have the player with the best connection (most bandwidth) host the game. Also see the section [5.14] referring to lag and loss and section [6] referring to setting up dedicated servers. [5.3] What is the maximum number of players D3 can support? ----------------------------------------------------------- D3 can support a maximum of 32 players. In the case of a dedicated server, the server itself counts as one player. So only 31 actual clients may join the game. In a hosted game, since the host is also a client, it is possible to actually have 32 players. Keep in mind this would require a very powerful computer to handle the client as well as manage a 32 player server. [5.4] What network architecture does D3 use? -------------------------------------------- D3 is based around a Client/Server architecture. This means there is always a server of some kind, whether a dedicated server or a listen server. A listen server is a hosted game, where the client is running on top of the server on a single computer. D3 offers a number of variations. A Dedicated C/S game is one where a computer acts as a dedicated server for all clients. The server is used to determine the action of the game, such as whether a shot hit another client, a door opened, etc. In simple terms, this model will offer the best game play. Since the client talks to the server rather than the other players, a player's ping (lag) is constant to all other players. A Hosted C/S (a listen server) acts the same as a dedicated server. The main difference being that the computer hosting the game will have zero ping to the server. On a LAN (Local Area Network) this is not important. In an online game this can offer a substantial advantage to the Hosting Client. The ping or lag to all other players will be constant as with a dedicated server. A Permissible C/S server model is also available. It may be used with either a dedicated server or a hosted C/S game. It is the same as the C/S models in every way with one exception: the shots are sent in a permissible fashion. This means that when you fire a weapon the shot is delayed by the amount of lag between you and the server. The obvious disadvantage is that in games with much lag it can be very difficult to deal with. The advantage is that if you see a shot hit a target, you are certain it did hit. This is not a good choice for most online games, but may be a good option in LAN games. A Peer to Peer game is a combination of two architectures. The person who starts the game acts as a host, or server but position and fire packets are sent directly between clients. In this model, clients also determine locally whether they were hit by incoming weapons. The host or server keeps track of powerups, level events such as doors, and actual damage and deaths. The ping to each player will vary, much as the true peer to peer model of Descent 1 and 2. All players other than the host will also experience some lag when picking up powerups, opening doors, etc. A Dedicated Peer to Peer has basically the same characteristics as a simple Peer to Peer game. The only difference being that the server functions are provided by a dedicated computer rather than a hosting client. [5.5] What is the minimum connection or modem required for play? ---------------------------------------------------------------- D3 requires a minimum of a 28.8 analog modem. Basically, the faster the better. A high speed connect such as ISDN, xDSL, or Cable modem will make the game much more enjoyable. [5.6] What Multiplayer modes are available? ------------------------------------------- Out of the box D3 supports a number of types of Multiplayer. - Anarchy: A free for all kill fest. Each player for themself. - Hyper Anarchy: A mode for advanced scoring if you possess the HyperOrb. - Robo Anarchy: Similar to Anarchy with enemy Robots. - Team Anarchy: Two to four teams compete against each other. - Capture the Flag: Two to four teams score points by capturing the opponent's flag, and placing it in their base. Actually, you have to run over your flag in your base to make the point! - Co-Op: A mode where you work as a team with other players against the robots. - Entropy: Two teams have three kinds of mini-bases: refueling centers, repair centers, and virus producers which can only be used by the players of the corresponding team. To win, the teams must take over all enemy bases by having a player gather 5 virus powerups and remain perfectly still in the enemy base for 3 seconds. Sounds weird but it's really cool and makes for a complex game of level control. Section [9.6] links to Tetrad's Entropy Guide. - Hoard: Hoards are collected after a kill, points are scored only by placing those orbs in a goal. The more orbs you place at once the more points you receive. For example, if you place 3 orbs in the goal you score 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 points. A must-have Team Hoard MOD is available, see section [9.7]. - Monsterball Points are scored by moving a 'Monsterball' with weapon's fire or even ship bumping into a goal. [5.7] How do I chat in a game? ------------------------------ To chat or send a message in a game, simply press the F8 key. Then type your message and hit . Use CTRL-F8 to send a message to your teammates only. While typing a 'keyboard' icon will appear over your ship in the game to alert the other players you are typing. It is considered bad form to shoot at or kill a player who is typing although accidents happen ;) To send a private message in a game, you can enter the other player's (or team's) name followed by a colon (:) and then your message. That message will be sent only to that player or team. It is only necessary to enter enough of the name to distinguish the player or team. For example: (if a player named Pilot is in the game) Pilot:This is a private message or Pi:This is a private message will work just as well as long as no other players have names beginning with the letters Pi. [5.8] How do I use text taunts? ------------------------------- D3 allows the use of eight preconfigured text taunt macros or messages. While in the game, these can be sent to the other players by pressing the 'Ctrl' key and a number key 1 through 8 (not those on the numeric keypad). To configure or customize the macros, enter the pilot configuration screen. This is done from the main menu of D3 by selecting The 'Pilots' menu. Then select the Pilot name you wish to configure macros for, and click 'Configure' followed by clicking 'Ship Configuration'. Then Click the 'Set Taunt Macros' button. At this point simply enter the text for each macro you would like to change. The top line is 'Ctrl 1' macro, the bottom is the 'Ctrl 8' macro. [5.9] How do I create and use audio taunts? ------------------------------------------- D3 allows the use of up to four audio taunts. These can be created with a simple tool like Windows Sound Recorder, or a variety of WAV studio apps. The file MUST be recorded in the 8 Bit, Mono, 22KHz format. Then it must be imported into D3 as a .OSF. In the process of importing and converting to an .OSF file Descent 3 will attempt to compress the sound file. After compression the resulting .OSF file must be no larger than 32 KBytes. In some cases it will seem to import and test correctly, but other players will be unable to hear the taunts, even though you hear them locally. This would indicate that the .OSF file is larger than 32 KBytes. To import a .WAV file go to main menu of D3 and select the 'Pilots' menu. Then select the Pilot name you wish to add the audio taunt file to, and click 'Configure' followed by clicking 'Ship Configuration'. Then Click the 'Import Sound' button. In the box that by default will read 'C:\Games\Descent3' enter the full path and file name of the .WAV file. Then click 'Open'. D3 will import and convert the file to the .OSF format used by D3. Then, from on the lower left of the screen, use the up and down Arrows in each of the selection boxes named 'Audio Taunt #1 through #4'. After selecting you can test the audio taunt by clicking the 'Play' button next to it. Click the 'OK' button at the lower right to return to the prior menu. Then click the 'Configure Keyboard' or the 'Configure Controller' button depending on which you would like to use to send the audio taunts. In the lower left section of the screen assign a key or controller button for each of the four audio taunts you wish to use. You may also use taunts that have been imported/downloaded to your system when you have joined games where they were used. [5.10] How do I create and use a ship logo? ------------------------------------------- D3 allows a custom logo to be shown on your ship's wing. The logo can be created using a tool like Tycoon's Descent III logo editor (see section [9.3]), or a program such as Photoshop or Paintshop Pro. The logo must be a 64 x 64 pixel image in .TGA format. Once an image is created, you will need to import it to D3, and configure it for use. Several other file formats are also supported. Importing a logo is simple and straight forward. This is done from the main menu of D3 by selecting The 'Pilots' menu. Then select the Pilot name you wish to add the logo to, and click 'Configure' followed by clicking 'Ship Configuration'. Then Click the 'Import Graphic' button. In the box that by default will read 'c:\Games\ Descent3' enter the full path and file name of the logo file. Then click 'Open'. D3 will import and convert the file to the .OGF format used by D3. Then from the 'Custom Textures' Menu in the upper left portion of the screen simply select the logo. It will appear in the preview box. You may also choose a logo that has been imported to your graphics directory (Descent3\custom\graphics). These are imported or down- loaded each time you join multiplayer game where logos are being used. A number of web sites also offer a variety of logos. [5.11] How do I get my pilot picture to show like I see some pilots ------ have? The Pilot pictures were done as a promotion prior to the release of D3. It required that a picture was submitted to Interplay by a certain date. In June 2001 ended another In-your-face collection (http://www.wildcards.org/zappafan/iyf2.html), initiated with Outrage's approval by a few members of the Descent community. Apart from those two occurrences there is no way to add new pictures, nor does Descent 3 have a method for transmitting them to other players. If your picture was submitted it may be selected in the pilot configuration menu by using the 'Choose Pilot Picture' Button. The pilot name must match the name of the picture. Otherwise an error message will inform you that no pictures are available for that pilot. Now when you have allowed audio taunts via the F6-menu you will see the pilot's picture beside the player name whenever one of his audio taunts is sent. [5.12] How do I select a ship and why can't I select the Black Pyro? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Different ships may be selected in the pilot configuration menu, by clicking the 'Ship Configuration' button. In the upper left corner the selection is made by using the up and down arrow keys in the 'Default Ship' selection box. There are 3 basic ships, and one special addon ship. Pyro-GL: This ship offers a good balance of speed, weapons, and maneuverability Phoenix: This ship offers high speed and maneuverability, but can carry less weapons, and has weaker shields. Magnum-AHT: This ship offers the highest weapons payload, and the strongest shields as a trade-off for less speed and maneuverability. Black Pyro: The Black Pyro is only available with the D3 Mercenary addon pack and is much like the Pyro-GL in speed and payload. It offers the ability to fire Concs, Homers and Cyclones in pairs, as well as a version of the Plasma Cannon that pulses. Besides you have a Microwave Cannon with three beams. [5.13] Why do my Custom\Graphics and Sound Directories have so many ------ files? Each time a player enters a multiplayer game, the server will send any logo and audio taunt files that are being used in the game. This way when someone sends an audio taunt for example rather than transmitting the audio each time only a signal packet is required to tell your system which file to play. When you join a game, only files you don't already have will be sent. Versions prior to 1.4 had a flaw that allowed many files to be sent over and over causing duplication. This has been fixed in version 1.4. So it is a good idea to trim away the extra and duplicate files. [5.14] What about Lag and Loss while playing? --------------------------------------------- Lag and packet loss are always a problem with online gaming. It is the nature of the internet. Some information is delayed, and some is lost. A complete description and discussion would take many pages. We will offer a brief overview and try to relay the concepts involved. A fairly long discussion is offered at the link below. It is centered around Descent 2, which works significantly different from D3, but still can offer a good deal of information on the subject and concepts: http://www.myrkul.org/descent.html. D3, being a server based game means that the server decides what was 'real'. The only variation to this is the peer to peer model, where each client determines if they were hit by an incoming shot. In the Dedicated C/S and the hosted C/S, the server will always make the decision. This means that lag and packet loss effect what you see, what you aim at, and what the server does. In short, Lag is the delay in the time it takes for data to make a round trip from the client (player) to the server and back again. The longer this period is the more lag there is, and the more difficult it can be to play and hit your target. The player needs to adjust for this period by leading the target. That is to aim in front of the target, where it will be in say 250 ms for example. Since by the time your shot reaches the server that is how far the target may have moved this can be very difficult against a good pilot. A good pilot will move often and in an erratic manner, making it very difficult to judge where to fire. Loss, or packet loss is when information being sent or received is lost due to data error or internet problems. This can cause some strange effects such as seeing ships 'skipping' or 'warping' from one point to another. Things such as shots that should have been a direct hit doing no damage. For example, if you fire a laser at a target, and the packet to the server is dropped then the server never receives the shot, and no damage is done, even though on your screen you saw the laser hit the target. This is also true in the peer to peer model. It may appear that a shot should have hit the target, when in fact the packet was lost. The best way to know you have hit a target is when you see the blue shield sphere around the ship glow. That shows that it is taking damage. D3 uses two basic types of packets. We will cover both briefly. Unreliable Packets: Are used to send ship position and weapons fire packets. As the name implies, this information is sent without any form of checks. It is assumed that the data was delivered. These packets are sent at a rate which can be altered by the server at start up. This is done with the pps (packets per second) setting. As an example, if a game is configured for 7pps, which is a common setting for online games then once every 143ms the server will send position information to the client. At the same rate the client will send position information to the server. If the fire rate of a weapon or battle exceeds the setting it is effectively increased. In other words, each time a fire packet needs to be send, it is sent. Each fire packet contains position information as well. If a fire packet fills the need for that periods position information then no position-only packet will be sent. This helps to reduce bandwidth requirements. If a client connects to a server that is set for 7pps, and the client is using a 28.8 modem for example, it will inform the server and the server will alter the rate for that client to 5pps. Reliable Packets: Are used to send all other types of information. Such as damage, deaths, powerup spawns, powerup pickups, level events such as doors. As the name implies these packets are checked by means of an acknowledgement. If a packet fails it will be resent. These packets are sent as needed, but at a maximum rate of 10 per second, or once every 100ms. The reliable packet will wait (2 * ping time) for a response, then assume it was lost and resend. [5.15] What packet per second setting should I use? --------------------------------------------------- The packets per second setting has two sides, the server and the client. The server or host setting determines the maximum pps that will be used by any client. For a server the determination is based on the bandwidth of the connection the server has, and the number of players in the game. As a rule of thumb using 7 or 8 pps seems best for online games. When setting up a server allow for 30 to 40 kilobits per second per client. As an example, if a game was to have 4 players the server should have at least 128kbits per second upload ability. It is also important to remember when starting a server or hosted game that items like mines (proximity mines, seeker mines, bouncing betties) greatly increase the required bandwidth for servers and players. They are best left out of online games. The client setting is determined in the setup screen of D3 under the network tab. It offers six possible settings, and should be set according to the type of connection or modem you have. The settings are, 28.8K Modem ....................... 5pps 33.6K Modem ....................... 6pps 56K Modem ......................... 7pps Single Channel ISDN ................ 8pps Dual Channel ISDN, Cable Modems .... 9pps T1, ADSL, 3, etc. .................. 12pps If you have a 56k modem that commonly only connects at 28.8 for example, then you should select the 28.8 setting. Also D3 will automatically adjust the pps of a client if it detects to much packet loss during a game. [5.16] What is triple chording and how does it affect my gameplay? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Triple chording is a method used to increase the effective speed of the ship. The ships allow for travel in three directions, forward/reverse, slide up/down, and slide left/right. By combining any three directions you effectively increase the speed of the ship to 1.7x. If only two directions are used then the increase is 1.4x. For example, if you move forward while sliding up and to the right you will move at a much higher speed than forward alone. This requires that you tilt the ship, in this case down and to the left to continue toward your target. This requires a bit of practice, but can be the difference between life and death in a multiplayer game. [5.17] What's the Piggyback/observer mode? ------------------------------------------ D3 allows a player to enter one of two modes of observer. These modes are selected by pressing the F6 key while in a multiplayer game followed by using the arrow keys to select observer from the menu. The first mode, known simply as observer mode allows the player to fly as a 'ghost'. The player is allowed to wander freely about the level, observing the game or exploring the level. In this mode you can not be seen by any other players nor can you fire at or damage other players. In this mode the ship will also be able to move faster than normal to aid in watching battles and things. The second mode is known as piggyback mode. In this mode you attach yourself to another player in the game as if you are looking through his eyes. In this mode a screen update is sent only at the rate of the packets per second setting. This can give a rather choppy view. For example in a game set for 7pps, you will only see 7 frames per second. Both of these can be useful when learning the game, to see what other players do, what tricks and techniques they use. [5.18] Is there a way to bypass the PXO GUI? -------------------------------------------- Yes, you can get a tool called 'Gate' @ http://descent-3.com/tools/ which will provide you with an interface you're used to from other chat clients like mIRC or KALI. It allows multiple private chat windows, game listings from chat, and many other user friendly items. [5.19] How can I see what happens behind my back? ------------------------------------------------- There are two ways to do this. First you can check your config on which key is bound to rear view. Whenever you press that key you'll get the rear view on your front screen as long as it is hold down. Release it to switch back to normal view. A more nifty way is the permanent small rear view window that gives you a reduced display of what's happening behind. Press 'SHIFT-F1' ('SHIFT-F2') to get the window in the lower left (right) of your screen. You won't see too much of a detail yet it can be the difference between life and death since you can't be ambushed so easy from behind. [5.20] What are marker cameras? ------------------------------- Marker cameras add a strategic dimension to multiplayer games! You can place a marker anywhere in a level by hitting 'F12' followed by any convenient name. The direction you're looking at when placing the marker will be the direction the camera is facing. After having placed a marker at a strategic place in the level e.g. your flag base, you can use it as a camera. Press 'SHIFT-F1' (SHIFT- F2) twice to get a small camera window in the lower left (right) of your screen which will show you the camera's perspective. Press the same keyboard combo again to cycle through the views. You can only have two marker cameras; when you place an additional one anywhere else in the level the first one gets deleted and so on. Thus you can place the markers at other places that seem to be more important. However, markers cannot be deleted manually! Once you placed a marker, it or it's replacements will stay till the level ends. Note that having two cameras may slow down your framerate and - even more important - gameplay itself since the cameras also send position packets like an additional player. This can and will quickly overload an online connection so it's best to use markers on really fast connects or LAN games only. [5.21] How do I get rid of those 'you already have that weapon'- ------ messages? Simply add the undocumented command-line parameter '-playermessages' (without the quotes) as explained in section [3.8]. [5.22] How can I ping my opponents? ----------------------------------- Press 'F7' to get the Stats Display which will list statistics on the current game including ping times, kills, deaths, etc. Use PageUp/PageDown to scroll the list. [5.23] I heard you can 'destroy' powerups, how is it done? ---------------------------------------------------------- Actually you can do this only with ammo and missiles. Every ship in D3 has a maximum payload of each weapon. For example, the Pyro can only carry 3 Megas. Now when you have picked up three and run over the 4th, this one vanishes which prevents your opponents from using it on you! [5.24] Where can I find players when PXO is down? ------------------------------------------------- In case you didn't register with KALI, your best bet is to visit the multiplayer forum at http://www.descentbb.net where people list their servers which can be easily connected to via direct TCP/IP. [5.25] How do I permanently override the default settings for ------ multiplayer games? Two convenient methods are described in section [6.12]. [5.26] How does the PXO ranking system work? -------------------------------------------- The scoring in a nutshell: Against an equally ranked pilot, you gain .52 points for a kill and lose .5 points for a death. These values are scaled by the rank of the other pilots you are fighting - so killing someone of a lower rank is worth less than killing someone of a higher rank. The formula looks something like this: ((difference in ranks) * 0.052) + .52)) The ranks are just values from 1-9. D3 readme states: For games played on Parallax Online (PXO), Descent 3 supports a ranking system that computes a lifetime rank for each player. This system is similar to the rankings used in chess; here are some of the features of this system: * New players start at 400. * Your ranking will increase with each win and decrease with each loss, but will increase more if you beat a player with a higher ranking than you, and will decrease more if you lose to a player with a lower ranking. * The numerical rankings correspond to named ranks. Note that it may take a very long time to reach the higher ranks. The numerical rank needed for each named rank is shown below. 0: Cadet 600: Ensign 900: Lieutenant 1200: Lt. Commander 1500: Commander 1800: Captain 2100: Commodore 2400: Rear Admiral 2600: Admiral 3000: Demigod * When you achieve a new rank, you'll be notified via a HUD message. * You can see the rank of each player in a multiplayer game on the player list, viewable by pressing the F7 key. * You can view a list on PXO of all Descent 3 players sorted by numerical at http://www.pxo.net/. [5.27] When I browse for multiplayer games I don't see any ------ servers!? You need to upgrade to the latest patch which is 1.5. Just hit your auto-update button in the D3 launcher or download it from http://descent-3.com/patches/. ======================= [6] Dedicated Servers ======================= [6.1] What sort of system is required to run a dedicated server? ---------------------------------------------------------------- At a minimum a Pentium 133 with 40 megs of RAM. A safer bet is a minimum of a Pentium 166 or better with 64 megs of RAM. The faster the better. Some people have servers on lesser systems, such as a Pentium 75 with 32 megs. This will work, and likely play ok for smaller games. [6.2] How much bandwidth do I need to run a server? --------------------------------------------------- The upstream bandwidth is most important for a dedicated server. That is the speed at which your connection can upload data to the internet. A good rule of thumb is 30 to 40 kilobits per second per player. So for example if your connection is an ADSL line with 128kbit upload, then you can run a 3 or 4 player dedicated server. If you do not allow enough bandwidth the game will be bad for everyone. [6.3] How do I set up a dedicated server? ----------------------------------------- There are two ways to set up a dedicated server. 1. Set it up manually or 2. Use the user friendly tool D3DSU found at http://www.westg8.com/d3/instructions.htm To do it manually, 1. Make sure you have a PXO account: because you will need to use your username and password in the Dedicated.cfg file. 2. Make sure you have updated D3 to version 1.5. 3. Modify the Dedicated.cfg file that is located in the games/descent3/ directory to look something like this: [server config file] PPS=5 TimeLimit=60 KillGoal=0 RespawnTime=30 GameName=put your game name here MissionName=fury.mn3 SetLevel=1 SetDifficulty=0 ScriptName=Anarchy ConnectionName=Parallax Online MaxPlayers=9 PXOUsername= putnamehere PXOPassword= putpasswordhere BrightPlayers=0 AllowMouselook=0 PXOHostingLobby=global You will have to modify some of the entries like PXOUsername and Password, MissionName, and GameName to whatever you wish to play. 4. Now just goto the D3 launcher and click the setup button and goto the misc. tab. There, you will see a text box. Add this to that text box: -dedicated Dedicated.cfg. 5. Now run D3 and the server should start up. Log on to PXO from another computer and you should see your server on the gamelist. [6.4] What sort of settings should I use in general? ---------------------------------------------------- A good setup for an online server is to use 7 or 8 pps (packets per second). Also 'AccurateCollisions' should be disabled, as it is by default. Rotational Velocity 'SendRotVel' should also be disabled, as it is by default, since it makes the position packets larger. A common config file might look like this: [server config file] PPS=7 Maxplayers=4 TimeLimit=60 KillGoal=0 RespawnTime=30 GameName=My Game MissionName=fury.mn3 Scriptname=Anarchy ConnectionName=Parallax Online PXOUsername= PXOPassword= SetDifficulty=3 AccurateCollions=0 SendRotVel=0 The last two commands are by default set to zero (off) so if they are not included that is fine. [6.5] Some people say I should disallow all the mines, why? ----------------------------------------------------------- This is true for online games. Mines of all kinds, including Proximity Mines, Seeker Mines, Bouncing Betties are all handled as robots, so they send out position packets just like a robot or another player. In a D3 multiplayer game, counter-measures can cause a small amount of network loss when they are released by a player. These can be removed, or disallowed from any server by including the commands in the config file. Example: DisallowPowerUp=Betty4Pack DisallowPowerUp=ProxMinePowerup DisallowPowerUp=Seeker3Pack [6.6] How do I know what server commands are available? ------------------------------------------------------- The manual offers a list and description of the most common commands. You can also type $help from the server console to get a list. Additionally you can type $help to get a little more detail. Example: $help kick will display the info on the kick command. [6.7] Can I talk to players on my dedicated server? --------------------------------------------------- Yes, it is very simple. Just place the word 'say' in front of any messages. The '$' is not required, and should not be used for this command. You can also send private messages to a player or team by using the player's name. Examples: say Hi I am the server (will send 'Hi I am the server' to all players). say bigboy:Hi this is a private message (sent only to the pilot bigboy). say bi:Hi this is a private message (sent only to the pilot bigboy, or any pilots whose names begin with the letters 'bi'). [6.8] How do I get a message to appear to the players as they enter ----- the game? A Message Of The Day may be added to the dedicated config file which will display for a few seconds to each player when they enter/join the server. This is useful to give a contact email address to report problems, or the like. This is done using the undocumented command MOTD. In the dedicated config just add a line such as MOTD=My Message. Example: MOTD=Report any problem to JohnDoe@Email.com [6.9] When I use the $scores command it runs off screen, I can't see ----- anything! The $scores command allows an additional parameter to be added. This allows the server operator to see only top portion of the list. This is useful for many things, including seeing the pings of the active players. Example: $scores 10 Will display only the top 10 lines of the scores screen. [6.10] Can I do remote administration, if so how? ------------------------------------------------ Yes. D3 allows you to TelNet into a server remotely and do any of the tasks or commands allowed locally. To do this you will need to add a couple of lines to the dedicated config file as follows. AllowRemoteConsole=1 (enables the function) ConsolePassword= (login password) Example: AllowRemoteConsole=1 ConsolePassword=secret Then with a TelNet program, such as that included with Windows you enter the IP address of the remote server, and a port number which by default is 2092. You will be prompted for the (case sensitive) login password, simply enter it. You can then enter any console command such as $help. If you would like to use an alternate port for control, or are running multiple servers on a single system which will require alternate ports for each server, add the command 'RemoteConsolePort' to assign the port in the dedicated config file. Example: RemoteConsolePort=2093 [6.11] Can I do administration from within the game, if so how? --------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, limited or basic admin is allowed from with in the game, i.e. when you are in the game as a client/player. This requires that a simple text file be written and placed in the D3 directory, and that a command option be added at launch time. A file named .dmfc must be created that contains the following lines: remoteadminpass remoteadmin on For example a file called ingame.dmfc might be created that reads: remoteadminpass secret remoteadmin on When launching D3 simply add the command -autoexec ingame.dmfc. When playing in a game, you can then login and enter basic commands. To login while in the game, Press F8 (the chat key) type '$remote login ' (in this case 'secret' without the quotes) You will see a message indicating that login was sucessful. You can then enter commands by again pressing the F8 key, and proceding each command with '$remote' (without the quotes). Example: $remote $setmaxplayers 5 would change the max number of player to 5 (which is the server + four clients). [6.12] Can I run more than one server on a single computer? ----------------------------------------------------------- Yes, with a few extra commands it can be done. Keep in mind that a more powerful computer is required. For example to run 2 servers on one computer it should be a 400MHz+ system with 128Megs of RAM. You will need to use the '-useport' command to assign an alternate game port. You will need to use the '-tempdir' command to assign an alternate temp dir. Also you should not alter the default framecap when running multiple servers. As an example, we can step through the requirements. We will assume you want to run two servers on one system. The first server can/will use all of the default ports and directories. So it would be launched as follows. From the D3 Launcher command line (under Setup, Misc): -dedicated server1.cfg To launch from the command line in the D3 directory it would be: main -launched -dedicated server1.cfg This server will use game port 2092, and remote admin port 2092, as well as the D3 default temp directory. The second server will require a temp directory, so create one. For example create a directory call d3temp in the root of C: (i.e. MD C:\d3temp). From the D3 Launcher command line (under Setup, Misc): -dedicated server2.cfg -useport 2093 -tempdir C:\d3temp To launch from the command line in the D3 directory it would be: main -launched -dedicated server2.cfg -useport 2093 -tempdir C:\d3temp This server will use game port 2093, and temp directory C:\d3temp. If you want to be able to TelNet in using remote admin, you will need to include a line in server2.cfg. For example, RemoteConsolePort=2093. Then the remote admin functions of both servers are available, one at port 2092, one at port 2093. [6.13] What is the MultiSettingsFile command all about? ------------------------------------------------------- The MultiSettingsFile command allows you save a game setup config created via the 'Start Game' menu. Then call that config file when starting a dedicated server. It is used by entering the command along with a path and file name. MultiSettingsFile= The default path of these settings files is C:\Games\Descent3\Custom\ Settings. The file is created by the following steps: - Enter the Multiplayer menu - Select a connection type (even if it is different from what you will want in the dedicated server, as that can be overridden). Direct TCP/IP is the simplest choice. - Click 'Start New Game' - Select the game type, game name, mission, etc. - Select Multiplayer options menu and set the pps, timelimit, respawn, etc. - Select Configure allowed Ships/Items if you like to remove items you do not want in the game. - Click 'Done' - Click 'Save Settings' - In the line that by default reads 'C:\Games\Descent3\Custom\ Settings' add the filename you wish to save this configuration as. For example: 'C:\Games\Descent3\Custom\Settings\Mysetup.mps' - Click Save. There is now a file called 'Mysetup.mps' in the settings directory. To use this as a basis for starting dedicated servers simply include it as the first command in the dedicated config file. It should be first so that any other commands can override settings you want changed. For example: [server config file] MultiSettingsFile=C:\Games\Descent3\Custom\Settings\Mysetup.mps PPS=7 Maxplayers=4 ConnectionName=Parallax Online PXOUsername= PXOPassword= The commands that follow override those contained in the MPS file. So the connection type, pps, etc. can be altered. The command is very useful if there a group of weapons you always wish to exclude from games for example, without having to use the DisAllowPowerUp command line after line. This feature is also useful when you want to have some basic settings apply to all of your multiplayer games. For example, if you're tired of readjusting the game mode from it's default setting 'Co-op' to anything you prefer, simply save your settings in the above mentioned directory under the name 'default.mps'. Now every time you enter the 'Start new game'-menu you already have your preferred basic settings to build upon. [6.14] Can I disallow certain ships, if so how? ----------------------------------------------- This can be done. It requires that an MPS file be created. MPS stands for MultiPlayerSettings. See the section above on the use and creation of MPS files. To disallow a ship or ships, simply disallow them in the screen for 'Configure allowed Ships/Items' when creating an MPS file. When a player enters a game with a disallowed ship, it will be forced to a PyroGL. [6.15] I understand 'DisallowPowerUp', why is there an AllowPowerUp ------ command? The AllowPowerUp command is the opposite of DisAllowPowerUp. It is mainly used to add items back that may have been disallowed with the use of an MPS file. As an example you may base a number of dedicated server files off of a single MPS file. That MPS file may disallow the Napalm Cannon. Yet in one of the dedicated server configs you want the Napalm Cannon. So you would simply add the AllowPowerUp command after the MultiSettingsFile command. Example: [server config file] MultiSettingsFile=C:\Games\Descent3\Custom\Settings\Mysetup.mps AllowPowerUp=Napalm The AllowPowerUp command must follow the MultiSettingsFile command, since all it is doing is resetting the variable found in the MPS file. [6.16] What does -framecap have to do with a server? ---------------------------------------------------- The server, just like the client runs at a default framerate of 50fps. Although the server does not actually render video of the game, it does all of the server calculations such as missile tracking for example. If the server is dedicated to running a single game, and nothing else this framecap can be removed. It may make for a more accurate game, particularly on LAN. This is done by simply adding the command '- framecap 999' (without the quotes) to the launch command. As with the client you can also choose a different framecap. This should not be done if the system running the computer has multiple servers running, or is running any other tasks. ======================== [7] Linux Server Setup ======================== [7.1] Installing the Linux Server --------------------------------- First read the README that comes with the Linux server distribution. It will save you grief later! After you read the README, here is some useful supplemental information about installation. You do not need to copy over 'd3voice1.mn3' or 'd3voice2.mn3'. You also do not need to copy over d3.mn3 or d3_2.mn3 if you do not want to host games with the single-player maps. [7.2] Passing command line parameters to your D3 Linux server ------------------------------------------------------------- In the Linux server, there seems to be some problems with two part command line parameters. An example of a two part parameter is something like '-useport 2022', or '-tempdir /var/temp'. Problems occur when the server sees only -tempdir and no specifying directory, even though you specify it! The solution to this problem is to wrap all two part parameters in quotation marks. So '-useport 2022' would look like '-useport 2022' and '-tempdir /var/temp' would look like '-tempdir /var/temp'. I am not sure if this is a D3 Linux server issue, or a tcsh issue. I never cared to investigate this further since a solution exists for the problem. [7.3] How do I install Mercenary on the Linux server? ----------------------------------------------------- This is something that is not documented. You need to copy merc.hog over to the Linux server, and then rename it to extra13.hog, thereby erasing the extra13.hog file which came with the distribution. All the files in extra13.hog are also in merc.hog. You need to do this if you want to play the Mercenary single player maps in Anarchy mode, or the multiplayer maps. Do not forget to copy over the Mercenary MN3 files into the Linux D3 ./missions directory. [7.4] Why doesn't Mercenary support Co-Op mode for single-player ----- maps? Because there wasn't enough time to fully find and fix all the bugs with Co-Op Mercenary. [7.5] Why do I get a shared library error: 'main: error in loading ----- shared libraries: undefined symbol: register_frame_info'? Due to differences in Linux distributions, two versions of main have been supplied, which are 'main' and 'main.gz'. If you get the error above, ungzip 'main.gz' and use that version. The .gz version has a stdc++ library dependency, and if you do not have it on your system you will need to install it on your machine. The version of libstdc++ you will want is 2.9.0, which maybe found on your distribution CD, or on the Web. [7.6] Why does my server burn 100% CPU time during a level switch? ------------------------------------------------------------------ This only occurs when PXO goes down, and the server is very stubborn and sits there twiddling it's thumbs until it successfully writes the statistics for the level to PXO. At least this is my theory of what happens, but the bottom line is it does not change. [7.7] Why do I get weird port numbers associated with my server(s) in ----- GameSpy? Good question. I do not fully understand what causes this, but I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that your machine has 2 NICs in it. The solution to the problem is to bind D3 to an IP of a NIC. This is achieved by using the -useip command line parameter when you are launching the server. You should also read section [7.2] when doing this. [7.8] Why is it *NOT* a good idea to run the server as root? ------------------------------------------------------------ As a general rule of thumb, if you can avoid running something as root, do so. D3 is one of those applications which do not need to run as root! Generally this is done for security purposes, there could be something inside D3 which can be exploited by a external hacker, and could gain root access to your machine. Running the server as a non-root user, at least makes life more difficult for the hacker. [7.9] Why do I get the 'String Table Not Found' error? ------------------------------------------------------ Obviously you did not README that comes with the D3 Linux server! You need to copy d3.hog from your windows installation. [7.10] Why does my server freeze during launching, or fail all ------ together? Here is a list you can go down to help you trouble shoot. The list is valid if you run either a single or multiple servers on your machine: - If this is your first time trying to launch the server, read section [7.1]. - Make sure /usr/lib/dmfc.so.1.0 is installed properly. - Make sure all files in ./online and ./netgames are the latest version, and not stale leftovers from a previous version. - Check your server .cfg file. - Switch your server to Direct TCP~IP mode. This will eliminate PXO out of the equation. If PXO is down, your server won't register with PXO and fail to start up. - Ensure that the port you are launching D3 on is not already used by another application. You can use the netstat command to figure out if there is a port conflict. Just for quick diagnostics, try running the server under a different port number, using the command line -useport . - Ensure the GameSpy port is not conflicting with another application. Again use netstat to figure out who is using that port and to find a free one. For quick diagnostics, use -gamespyport to change the port. NOTE: even though you're not posting your server to GameSpy, the port is still USED! Therefore the point above still applies regardless if you are registering your server with GameSpy or not! Make sure you read section [7.2]. It's possible D3 is seeing only one piece of a two part command line parameter. D3 does not complain if it does not see the value for the parameters like -useport, -gamespyport, or -useip. ====================== [8] Development/MODs ====================== [8.1] I wanna make my own levels, is an editor available? --------------------------------------------------------- Yes! At http://www.planetdescent.com/site/files/d3/utilities/development.asp you can get the latest version of D3 Edit. As D3 has a new, more complex engine the editor is kinda complex and more difficult to use than the old DMB2. [8.2] Is a converter available so I can play my favorite D1/D2 ----- levels in D3? Currently not. Though rumors have been confirmed that such a converter exists, the author almost definitely does not plan to release it to prevent tons of unapproved ports of original D1/D2 levels. A possible way to port a certain level (after having received the author's permission, certainly) is to get the Descent Manager tool 'Levelview' from http://www.descent-network.com/descman/ and convert the level to the dxf-format. After that you can convert it to the Outrage room format with dxf2orf. Now you've got the whole level as a room file that can be imported into D3 Edit. However, you got to flip most of the normals manually as well as retexture the whole level plus add all the scripting and stuff which is quite a lot of work... [8.3] What assistance can I get to make my own D3 MODs? ------------------------------------------------------- Well, currently some MOD's are already available (see section [9.7]) and others are in the works. Possibly the best place to start, if you wanna work on MODs yourself, is the D3sdk Webpage @ http://d3sdk.warpcore.org/. As they say: 'This should be one of the most extensive resources for making D3 Mods on the web. We have several great minds at work to help everyone get the creative juices flowing. Hopefully we can help you unlock and create the most mind blowing mods to ever hit the multiplayer scene. The Sky is the Limit and we're here to help you get there.' [8.4] What MODs are currently available and where can I get them? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Please see section [9.7]. [8.5] How can I modify my HUD so that the text doesn't overlap the ----- rear view window? I always thought it was annoying to have the display settings overlap the rear view and cam view window so I took some hours of experimenting. Well, here's how to do it: in this example I will change both the name *and* position of the Shields, Energy and Afterburner display on the Pyro's HUD; once you get the hang of it you can modify other gauges/ships/languages accordingly. - extract 'D3.str' and 'hud.inf' from the D3 HOG - open 'D3.str' in any text editor and jump to the line which describes the settings to be modified, in my case: !/!550: Shields display on the hud !/!551: Hud display for energy !/!552: Hud display for afterburner - the lines below these 'headlines' determine the name of the setting on your HUD - change 'Shields' to 'S' 'Energy' to 'E' 'Afterburner' to 'A' - save the file and copy it to the D3 root directory, e.g. e:\games\Descent3\d3.str - open 'hud.inf' in any text editor and jump to @ shields type=3 rgb=96,96,240 pos=262,320 textpos=1,440 create - 'textpos' denotes the coordinates of the shields display on your HUD set to a default resolution of 640x480. On other resolutions the coordinates will automatically be adjusted by a certain percentage so you'll get similar results. To find your preferred position for a setting you should take a screenshot at 640x480 and set the new coordinates on it. - modify the textpos coordinates of Shields, Energy and Afterburner as you like, save the file to the D3 root directory and start D3 To give you a first impression on how it's gonna look like, check out my modified Pyro HUD at http://www.descent-3.com/faq/stuff/moonshud.zip. Simply unzip the files to your D3 main directory and start a game with the Pyro. I'm quite sure you'll find some interesting stuff in these text files so have fun exploring. Note that these settings only apply to your system, e.g. if you change some statistical messages like 'Moon experiences technical difficulties' to 'Well Moon, doesn't that just take the biscuit?' the other players won't see the latter. ========================================= [9] Other online sources of information ========================================= Due to the rapid change of the net and the Descent community a lot of links may become outdated rather quickly. So it's quite likely the info you're looking for still exists but not necessarily at the URL linked to below. In that case your best bet is to check the large sites like PlanetDescent or Descent-3.com for info on missing topics. [9.1] Official Sites ------------------- http://www.pxsoftware.com Where it all began! http://www.outrage.com/ The guys who made it happen! http://www.graphsim.com/games/games-action.html D3 for the Mac http://www.lokigames.com/products/descent3/ D3 for Linux http://www.volition-inc.com/ The other half ;) Working on cool games like Freespace, Red Faction and Summoner [9.2] Playing D3 via Internet ----------------------------- http://www.pxo.net Free online gaming service - meet your opponents here http://www.kali.net Join server -> Descent <- to meet tons of hardcore Descenters http://www.myrkul.org/descent.html Tips on how to reduce lag http://d3shiva.dhs.org Shiva's SOD site with the servers, etc. and Linux support [9.3] Support, Tools, Developers & Levels ----------------------------------------- http://www.descent-3.com/support/full15/ Support, Known Bugs & Workarounds. http://www.descent-3.com Patches, Tools, Developer & Goodies. http://www.warpcore.org/~d3sdk/ The source for MOD-developers. http://www.planetdescent.com/d-section/products/dh2e11/ Tycoon's D3 logo editor. http://www.wildcards.org/zappafan/ 1000+ cool reviews & download of custom-made Descent levels. [9.4] Forums & Discussion ------------------------- http://www.DescentBB.net/ THE place to talk about everything Descent. http://www.descentforum.de/forum/ THE place to talk about everything Descent in German. http://feedback.interplay.com/descent3/ Unmoderated fan talk; archive only, no new postings. alt.games.descent Usenet #300baud, #descent on EFFNET IRC [9.5] Descent News & Headlines ------------------------------ http://www.planetdescent.com/ News & Stuff. [9.6] Tactics & How-To's ------------------------ http://planetdescent.com/d3help/index.html Chris "Mobius" Davies' Descent 3 Help. Extensive advice on multiplayer tactics/games, etiquette and how to improve your flying skills. http://descent2.com/hoppe/ Descent Dogfight Tactics http://moon.descent-3.com Walkthroughs, Map-Screenshots & How-To-Demos on Descent 1-3 http://www.descent3d.com/articles/tetrad-entropy.shtml Tetrad's Entropy Guide http://www.descent3d.com/articles/hattr-mball.shtml MadHattr's Monsterball Guide [9.7] MODs ---------- http://sirian.warpcore.org/guardian.html A cool MOD that needs a few more words to explain so check it out http://www.planetdescent.com/site/files/d3/mods/index.asp http://www.levels4you.com/d3/index.php3?page=mod These sites have a slew of MODS [9.8] Miscellaneous ------------------- http://www.descentants.com/ D3 Team Play and the D3 Teams League ============== [10] Credits ============== Thanks to the original authors as mentioned above in the copyright. Thanks also to all contributors of the Descent community on the DBB & in alt.games.descent who raised, discussed and answered a good deal of the questions and answers we used in this FAQ - you know who you are! Thanks to Heiko 'HH-Soft' Hermann for offering webspace for the FAQ on his ever growing Dnet. Thanks to Peter 'Shiva' Maly for his Linux Server insight. And above all kudos to Parallax and Outrage without whom the whole stuff just would not have been possible. We owe you, guys! ======================= [11] Revision History ======================= v. 2.0 added: a lot of stuff to accompany the 1.5 patch release [2.21] I get a crash on level x at a certain spot! [2.22] Descent 3 will not auto-update? [2.23] How do I find out what version I am using? [2.25] Bugs in 1.5 [4.19] How can I switch skill levels during gameplay? [5.27] When I browse for multiplayer games I don't see any server!? [6.3] How do I set up a dedicated server? [6.15] I understand 'DisallowPowerUp', why is there an AllowPowerUp command? [6.16] What does -framecap have to do with a server? modified: [1.10] Will there be a Descent 4? [2.24] Is there a no-CD crack for D3? [2.25] Bugs in 1.4 [5.11] How do I get my pilot picture to show like I see some pilots have? [9.x] New sites added v. 1.77 added: [2.21] Bugs in 1.4 modified: [9.8] New site added v. 1.76 added: [2.20] How do I get rid of the D3 registration dialogue window? [4.18] Help, I can't trigger the remote bomb in Mercenary level 7! [5.26] How does the PXO ranking system work? modified: [1.5] Is a D3 demo available? [1.8] Will there be a Mac/Linux/etc. port? v. 1.75 added: [3.14] How can I extract the D3 music (mp3s available)? [4.17] I can't complete the shutdown engine objective in level 13! [8.5] How can I modify my HUD so that the text doesn't overlap the rear view window? modified: [2.11] Help, I can't start Mercenary: 'redbuddybot.oof not found'! v. 1.74 added: [2.16] What happened to my PXO stats? Did I get demoted? [2.17] Is there a no-CD crack for D3? [2.18] Help, I lost my reticle in D3 after having patched to 1.4! [2.19] What patch should I use to see other players' servers? [9.7] some new links v. 1.72 added: [2.15] D3 on Win2K gets an 'Error: Illegal font file: lohud.fnt'! [4.16] Do you really have unlimited ships in D3? v. 1.71 added: [2.13] How do I migrate to the latest patch? [2.14] Why does 1.4 take significantly longer to load? v. 1.7 new sections added, yet too much to list them separately v. 1.4 heavily revised edition to accompany the 1.4 patch release v. 0.1 - 0.35 initial releases by the original authors --EOF--