Westwood Studios Official Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun Frequently Asked Questions Version 1.13.2 PREFACE: This document is the official posting of frequently asked questions regarding the latest in our Command & Conquer universe, Tiberian Sun. All information contained herein is copyright 1999 by Westwood Studios. You are allowed to distribute it freely, but not to make changes. --- PART 1: GENERAL INFORMATION --------------------------------------- 1.1 What is Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun? 1.2 System Requirements 1.3 Serial Number 1.4 Technical Issues 1.5 Faster Play 1.6 Miscellaneous 1.7 The latest update --- PART 2: QUESTIONS ABOUT GAME PLAY ----------------------------- 2.1 Gameplay Issues 2.2 Mission Issues --- PART 3: HINTS AND CHEATS----------------------------------------------- 3.1 Any cheat codes? 3.2 Where can I get hints? --- PART 4: GETTING HELP ----------------------------------------------------- 4.1 Technical Support **************************************************************************** GENERAL INFORMATION **************************************************** **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1 WHAT IS COMMAND & CONQUER TIBERIAN SUN? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun is a real-time strategy-combat game developed by Westwood Studios, the creators of Command & Conquer, Dune 2000, and Red Alert. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.2 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun (2 CD-ROMs) requires at least the following system configuration: Pentium 166MHZ or better (Cyrix and AMD processors may have higher requirements) Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3.0 installed 32MB of RAM 4x CDROM drive using 32 bit Windows 95/98 driver 150MB free hard drive space, 250 recommended Graphics: High Color/16-bit (65,535 colors) capable 2 MB PCI or AGP DirectX 6.0 compliant video card with DirectDraw compatible driver. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.3 SERIAL NUMBER ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The serial number is required for installation of Tiberian Sun. It can be found on the back of the jewel case. It looks like this: xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxx. These numbers are unique. We allow each user to register TWICE with this serial number so that, in effect, you can play on two PCs online with one set of disks. We do keep track of the numbers and when we determine that more than two numbers are being used simultaneously, that number is deactivated. If you try to play online and you are told that your serial number is banned, you will need to contact Webhelp@Westwood.com to make arrangements for a new serial number. See also section 1.4, part d. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.4 TECHNICAL ISSUES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have discovered a few issues that will affect gameplay. a. My system crashes during install./I get an internal error message./General Page Fault. This is caused almost exclusively by attempting to install/run the game with the barest of minimum requirements while running other tasks in the background (i.e. virus checkers, Fastlane by Earthlink, etc.). For most people, end tasking these other programs from the Task Manger will fix the problem. It is still wise to add more memory, though. Some people have solved the problem by downloading the latest Service Pack for Windows 95 (or Windows 98) from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com). If you are sure that none of the programs running in the background are causing problems in Tiberian Sun, then invalid page faults could be the result of problems with your DirectX installation. If you continue to get these types of problems, send a copy of the "except.txt" file to Webhelp@Westwood.com. This file contains certain debug information that can help us assess the problem a little faster. b. CDROM issues If you have only a CD-Writer as a drive, it can cause a component of Tiberian Sun to fail. It is suggested that a CD-ROM only drive be installed. Contacting the manufacturer of your drive might help. There also seems to be an issue for those of you that are using a Plextor 32x SCSI CDROM (and possibly other Plextor drives). There is no current fix for this, but we are aware of the issue and we are working on it. You might have some luck contacting Plextor and asking for new drivers. c. Cyrix 166 We have reports that people with a Cyrix 166 can't run the game. Our requirements are for a Pentium 166 machine. The latest update fixes many of the Cyrix issues. d. Banned Serial Numbers This issue accounts for roughly 85% of all reported problems. The following info is posted on the web page that is referenced to when this happens: Banned serial numbers are often the result of invalid or corrupt registration information in your Windows registry, possibly caused by unauthorized hacks/cheats or pirated versions of our game. In order to remove this information, completely uninstall the game. Then, go to: Start, Run, and type "regedit". When your Registry Editor program appears, hit the F3 key on your keyboard. Type "tiberian sun" in the space provided and hit "Find". When it finds a key with Tiberian Sun, hit the delete key to delete it. Hit the F3 key again and do the same thing for every instance of "tiberian sun" until it says that it has finished searching through the registry. Restart your machine and then reinstall the game. Note however, that if you have ever downloaded any illegal version, cheat, hack, trainer, or any other addition for Tiberian Sun not specifically released by Westwood Studios, we are unable to provide any technical support for problems related to these applications. Because we have no control over what these programs enter into your registry, we are unable to assist in the removal of the problematic information. You must completely remove all traces of these programs manually in order for Tiberian Sun to work correctly. If you go through this process and are still unable to use your serial number, you may need to format your hard drive, reinstall the operating system, and then reinstall the game. e. Installing the latest drivers for your sound card and video card (and then, in turn, reinstalling DirectX) can take care of many slowdown and lock-up problems. You can find a pretty comprehensive list of websites for these updates by reading the Westwood.hlp file on your Tiberian Sun disks. You can also visit our website at www.Westwood.com/support and follow the links. f. Network play/ games out of sync... Make sure that all of the systems have been upgraded to 1.13. Having just one system at 1.08 will cause the entire game to crash. Also, if you are playing with a network utilizing more than 2 PCs, it is strongly suggested that you use a 100mb-network card in each machine. Using only a 10mb card can result in losing connection quite frequently. Another hint to ensure maximum playability is to use somewhat like machines. Configure all systems for maximum performance by shutting down unneeded tasks via the task manager. Another file that you should send to us (in the event of an out of sync error) is the "syncx.txt" (where x is a number between 0 and 7 depending on the player number in the game. A file is written to each players directory) file. For these errors, we would need the syncx.txt files from ALL of the machines. g. Battle clans The entire system is menu driven and can be done by following the prompts that appear when setting up your clan. If you are still having problems with this, you can contact Webhelp@Westwood.com for assistance. h. Sometimes the EMM386.exe app will cause a black screen on startup. Removing this reference from your config.sys file may help solve this problem. The EMM386.exe file is an executable application that is used in running DOS based games. You do not have to totally remove this file. You can type "REM" (which means remark) in front of it so that the file is there and can be activated by removing the REM if you still play DOS based games. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5 FASTER PLAY ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- a. Multiplay connection hints... Most people are under the assumption that the slow downs in games are because of the Westwood servers. This is entirely inaccurate. Westwood sets up the game so that when the game starts, it becomes a peer to peer connection. You aren't connected via Westwood in the game. In fact, some of you have no doubt received the message that your connection with Westwood had been lost, but you were still able to play the game with your online opponent. There are ways to increase the connectivity though. These options can be found under your options menu: ? You can turn the music off. ? You can change the visual detail settings to a low. ? You can turn the targeting lines off. ? When setting up a game you might mention your location and the type of connection you have. ? Play people that are somewhat close to you with a better connection. If you play someone in your city with the same cable modem service, you're going to have a great connection. ? Before accepting a game, make sure that all of the players have ping rates that appear as short green bars. The shorter, the better. ? Always check your game speed settings before starting a new game. The setting that is current at the start of the game is the same setting that it was at the end of the last game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6 MISCELLANEOUS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Can the game be spawned? A: No. Q: Does the game work with a wheel mouse? A: Yes. The wheel can be used to scroll up and down the build list. Q: Is there a desktop theme for Tiberian Sun? A: Yes! Go to our webpage at www.Westwood.com for more details on downloading it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.7 THE LATEST UPDATE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a copy of the readme file that comes with the latest update (Ver. 1.13, dated September 29, 1999): Tiberian Sun Patch Ver. 1.13 September 29, 1999 The following is a list of bugs and additions included in this patch. Design related issues. Only effective in multiplay and skirmish. Nod Artillery: Rate of fire decreased Damage decreased, approximately 20% Less effective against infantry Nod SAM site: Power requirements are now double. GDI Disc throwers: Disc throwers now explode when killed and damage any nearby units. Concrete and Firestorm walls: These walls now build like laser fences. If you place one wall section and then place a second, a line is drawn indicating that a wall segment will be built between the two sections. You are only charged for the cost of the end pieces of the wall, not the connecting pieces. Also, walls can be sold but you will not receive money for sold sections. Note: If there is an obstacle such as a unit or structure that appears between the sections during placement, the two sections will not connect. Bug fixes: Structures cannot be built off of laser fence posts. If you wall your MCV in and undeploy it, it no longer disappears. Holding down 'X' (scatter) key or any other keyboard 'event' generating command causes disconnect in modem or dialup internet game. Hunter Seeker code prioritizes targets that could affect end-game situations in multiplayer. When harvester truce is enabled, hunter-seekers will no longer destroy harvesters. Trainer programs can no longer cheat to unshroud the map. Trainer programs cannot be used to disable Fog of War during a game where Fog of War has been enabled. When the message `Computer has been defeated' is printed when an AI loses, the message is printed in the color that matches the AI's units. The crash caused when an engineer captures a construction yard while the building placement cursor is active is fixed. Banshees can now fire on enemy units or force-fire on the ground within the area of effect of a stealth generator. When ordering air units to travel to the top few spaces of a map where there is a lot of water, aircraft now land on the nearest spot of dry land rather than directly on the water. The Firestorm defense no longer stays up indefinitely when power goes low. The crash when destroying a vein hole monster has been fixed. This crash usually only happened after an extended period of gameplay once the vein hole monster has been killed. The game can now run from any valid CD drive, not just the one with the first drive letter. French and German sidebar text no longer overflows onto sidebar icons. Ping meters are no longer partially covered by the scrollbars in the WOL lobby. Find game dialog has been sped up. Occasionally when joining a full game channel an incorrect error message is displayed in your message window. This no longer happens. We have had reports of some people having problems updating to version 1.13. This is often caused by people having any kind of cheat, trainer, or editor installed. You must remove these items before updating. The best way is to just uninstall Tiberian Sun, remove the folder, and reinstall the game. **************************************************************************** QUESTIONS ABOUT GAME PLAY********************************************* **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1 Gameplay Issues ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- During gameplay we have come across a few items of interest. a. Sometimes a spurious synchronization bug happens. This has been traced to ISP issues. b. The game will not run from the second (or third, etc.) CD-ROM drive. It must run from the first CD- ROM drive. This is bad if the first CD-ROM is a writer, as this might cause Macrovision to fail. If this happens, try putting a TS CD in both drives. The latest update fixes this issue. c. The game will lock if you put in a non-valid CD into the drive when prompted to select OK. If a non- valid CD has been placed in the drive, the user must eject the CD from the My Computer-CD Drive- Eject option. d. For our internet users that are using Earthlink or Mindspring, we have discovered that the application that they provide to you, FASTLANE, will cause the game to crash. You can press ctrl-alt-del and access the system manager and endtask ARMON32. You will then be able to play. There may also be similar applications from other ISPs. When in doubt, close everything but systray and explorer. e. For multiplayer games of TS a seperate issue has arisen. There are those unscrupulous characters out there that have deliberately downloaded certain cheats and trainers. While for the most part these trainers and cheats don't work anymore, they cause the game to be reported as a wash. The people who do this kind of thing are cheaters. And we know who they are. A few of you may have logged in and suddenly find your points have dropped by 1000. A new format for dealing with cheaters is coming soon and will feature a means for reporting cheaters. One entire clan is on the verge of permanent expulsion from Westwood Online. Westwood realizes the value of the contest every month and has taken steps to deal with this issue (check our web page often for announcements). f. Map editor/generator... While there is no map editor, there is a random map generator that has many parameters that are adjustable. You can save these generated maps if you do so before you start the game. Once the game has started, you cannot save it. The difficulty level of the AI is set before the game begins. Once the game starts you will not be able to adjust the AI level. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2 Mission Issues (All of these issues have been addressed in the latest update, version 1.13) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During the NOD campaign where you are required to capture Jake McNeil, there is an issue. McNeal will leave the base once GDI detects your presence. He will flee to the top right of the map. You then have 30 minutes to capture him; or else he will fly away. Sometimes you will not receive a Mission Failed message. You will need to restart the mission manually. During NOD mission 3, if you destroy the temple before the characters are released the mission will never end. It is very hard to do this. It has to be done without opposing NOD forces ever detecting your presence. The final game score is a bit confusing. Points are awarded based on type of unit lost or killed. This sometimes results in the last person not always having the higher score! **************************************************************************** HINTS AND CHEATS********************************************************* **************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 ARE THERE ANY CHEAT CODES? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO! There are no official cheats, hacks, or editors for Tiberian Sun. Westwood Studios does not condone their use as it takes away from the original gameplay. Thus, there is no support for any cheat, hack, or editor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.2 WHERE CAN I GET HINTS? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are a number of places to get hints for Tiberian Sun. Some of these include the following: ? Visit our website at www.Westwood.com ? Call the hintline at 1-900-288-4744 (U.S., 95› a minute) or 1-900-451-4422 (Canada, $1.25 a minute). Callers under 18 must have parent or guardian's consent. Touch tone phone required. Charges are subject to change. ? There are several hint guides that can be purchased. You can find some of these guides at the Electronic Arts website, www.EA.com. ? Try hanging out in the Tiberian Sun game channel. You never know when someone will drop you a hint. The Westwood Online Tiberian Sun Chat Channel is also available. **************************************************************************** GETTING HELP************************************************************** **************************************************************************** For online support, email Webhelp@Westwood.com. For telephone technical support, you can call (650) 628-4319 Monday through Friday between 8:30 - 11:45 AM or 1:00 - 4:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time.