Most Common Problems
Wing Commander III : Heart of the Tiger
Version 2.0
2-1-95
Written, compiled and updated by :
Anthony L. Sommers
Assistant Project Leader
Wing Commander III QA Team
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This has been provided as a supplement to the Wing Commander III documentation. It details a number of the most common questions asked and their solutions.
It is recommended that the Playguide, Install/Troubleshooting Guide AND the README.TXT file on the CD are also read in addition to this file.
This file will be updated continuously and can be found on our BBS (512-331-8559) or on the Internet (ftp.ea.com /pub/patches/wc3help.txt).
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[INDEX]
0.0 Making a BOOT DISK for Wing Commander III
1.0 Movies pausing (starting and stopping)
2.0 Long load times
3.0 The "DOTS"
3.1 You see "Loading Wing Commander III ......." and it returns
you immediately back to the CD-ROM drive prompt
3.2 Lockups at the fourth or sixth dot
4.0 Error messages
4.1 This error may be the result of a bad CD-ROM read...
4.2 A processor exception has occured.
Your system may be unstable at this point.
4.3 Critical error on file : ..\..\data\movies\origin_s.mve or
Critical error on file : ..\..\data\movies\opening.mve
4.4 Exception 13 happened :)
4.5 CVMManager::getPtr () failed
4.6 Write failed on file : SWAPFILE.$$$
4.7 Malloc () failed
4.8 Non system disk or disk error
Replace and strike a key when ready
4.9 Invalid drive specification
5.0 Lockups
5.1 Lockups after the fourth or sixth dot
5.2 Lockups During opening movie, [ESC] takes you further into
the game
5.3 Lockup at the joystick calibration screen
6.0 Reboots
7.0 Gameplay
7.1 Movies are of "poor quality"
7.2 No descriptions of possible actions (Attend Briefing, etc.)
7.3 TAB and ~ (afterburners) do not work in spaceflight
7.4 Installation program rates machine slower than normal
7.5 Crackling sounds in SVGA
7.5.1 Cirrus Logic GD-542x
7.5.2 Orchid Kelvin 64
8.0 Specific Hardware
8.1 Control (keyboard, mouse, joystick)
8.1.1 Flightstick Pro support
8.1.2 Thrustmaster and Logitech Wingman support
8.1.3 WING3.ADV compiler errors
8.1.4 Programmable keyboards
8.2 Video cards
8.2.1 Diamond Viper VLB
8.2.2 Matrox PCI
8.2.3 Hercules Graphite
8.2.4 Compaq QVision
8.3 Sound cards
8.3.1 Mozart by Oak Technologies
8.3.2 Media Chips MAD 16
8.3.3 Media Magic 16 (ISP16 and MAGICS20)
8.4 Miscellaneous (CPUs, hard drives, SCSI host adapters, etc.)
8.4.1 Cyrix 486 processors
8.4.2 AMD processors
9.0 Patches
9.1 WC3JOY.DLL, the joystick patch
10.0 Problem CD-ROM drivers and their updates
11.0 Acknowledgements
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[0.0] Making a BOOT DISK for Wing Commander III
Almost all problems can be solved by making a boot disk for Wing Commander III. Regardless of the total amount of RAM and/or conventional memory, processor speed/power, etc., the boot disk will set up your computer specifically to run Wing Commander III. Expanded Memory Managers (EMM386, QEMM386, 386MAX, NETROOM, etc.) are not needed and if configured incorrectly, will often conflict with our own protected mode memory manager.
To make a boot disk for Wing Commander III, please use the following instructions :
1) Place a blank disk in drive A:
2) Type C: and press [ENTER]
3) Type FORMAT A: /S and press [ENTER]
4) Type A: and press [ENTER]
5) Type COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS and press [ENTER]
6) Type COPY C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and press [ENTER]
7) Type EDIT A:\CONFIG.SYS and press [ENTER]
8) Different computers have different sound cards, CD-ROM drives, etc.
Therefore, after the first 5 initial lines, we cannot list out the exact lines needed. However, the original lines from your hard disk CONFIG.SYS will be there, and you can try to make sure lines of the CONFIG.SYS on the boot disk read somewhat like the following :
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=LOW
FILES=25
BUFFERS=99
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS\ /P
DEVICE=C:\<path>\<possible sound card drivers>
DEVICE=C:\<path>\<CD-ROM drivers>
DEVICE=C:\<path>\<possible mouse driver>
Lines to make sure you want to remove from the CONFIG.SYS of the
boot disk :
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE … DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE ...
9) After you are finished with the CONFIG.SYS, press [ALT-F], then [X],
then [Y]. You should return to the A: prompt.
10) Type EDIT A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and press [ENTER]
11) Similiar to CONFIG.SYS, since different computers have different
sound cards, CD-ROM drives, etc., we cannot list out the exact lines needed for the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. However, the original lines from your hard disk AUTOEXEC.BAT will be there, and you can try to make sure lines of the AUTOEXEC.BAT on the boot disk read somewhat like the following :
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\DOS
C:\<path>\MSCDEX.EXE ...
<possible soundcard lines (SET BLASTER=, SET SOUND=, etc.)>
<possible mouse driver line (C:\DOS\MOUSE or C:\MOUSE\MOUSE)>
Lines to make sure you want to remove from the AUTOEXEC.BAT of the
boot disk :
C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE … C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE …
12) After you are finished with the CONFIG.SYS, press [ALT-F], then [X],
then [Y]. You should return to the A: prompt.
13) Reboot your computer with the new boot disk. You may now try to
install/run the game!
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[1.0] Movies pausing (starting and stopping)
The movies pause because data cannot be transferred from the CD-ROM drive to our game at a sustained rate. The following may be attempted to help alleviate movie pausing :
1) Play the movies in VGA. There is roughly 4 times as much data in
SVGA to display to the screen than in VGA. Run the installation with WC3 -I and make sure Movie Video Mode is VGA. You may also go to the Main Terminal, under Controls/Graphics Modes/Movies and click on the box next to VGA.
2) Make sure your CD-ROM driver is up to date. You will need to contact
your CD-ROM drive manufacturer to see if you have the latest
version. You can check the list of problem CD-ROM drivers at the end
of this file to see if your driver needs to be updated.
3) We test the speed of your machine and rate it according to the time
it takes for certain actions to be completed (see README.TXT for more information). The benchmarks for your system are accurate. You must make sure you rate at least :
0-25 for CPU Speed. Lower score = Faster processor
0-12 for Video Card Speed. Lower score = Faster video card 300+ for CD-ROM drive transfer rate. Higher rate = Faster CD-ROM
If you do not meet any of the above requirements, you probably will
experience movie pausing, even in VGA.
NOTE : If the installation program specifically detects that a
particular component is too slow, you will see a message that will let you know. There may not be anything that can be done about the movie pausing if you encounter one of these messages.
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[2.0] Long load times
If you are experiencing long load times (in excess of approximately 2 minutes), the following are suggested to help make the transition from gameflow to spaceflight a little shorter :
1) Check to see if you are using disk compression. If so, there may not
be anything else that can be done. (Of course, suggestions 2-6 may be attempted, but may have no effect...)
2) The disk utilities listed below (with the exception of SCANDISK) are
shipped with DOS 6.0 and above (SCANDISK is shipped with DOS 6.2 and above). Consult your DOS manual for more in-depth instructions on how to use them.
It is recommended that before you play, you do the following for
drive C: and the savegame drive (if it differs from drive C:) :
CHKDSK C:
or better,
SCANDISK C:
CHKDSK and SCANDISK check and repair hard disk file damage. If any
damage is found, you will want to remove the C:\WC3 directory and the savegame directory (if it is different) with :
DEL C:\WC3
RD C:\WC3
and repair any damage found according to the instructions in your
DOS manual.
2) Severely fragmented hard drives are a top cause of long load times.
You will then need to run a defragmentation utility doing a "full optimize" for the savegame drive. For example :
DEFRAG C: /F
4) If enough disk space is available, try copying all 42 MB to the HD.
Try lower settings if less disk space is available.
5) In the CONFIG.SYS of your boot disk, use BUFFERS=99. Each buffer
uses 532 bytes of conventional memory, so this will use approximately 50K.
6) If you have enough memory, you may try to squeeze in a 100K
SMARTDrive cache. After SMARTDRV.EXE, specify the savegame drive
letter. It is DEFINITELY NOT HELPFUL to have an amount lower than
100K, this will increase load times. For example :
C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE C 100
*7) More RAM will definitely shorten load times.
———————————————————————- [3.0] The "DOTS"
The "dots" signify the progress of the initialization phases of the game. Here are some things to check :
1) Set up a BOOT DISK! :)
2) Make sure your VESA driver is current and up to date. Try "UNIVBE",
or playing in VGA with "WC3 -V".
3) Make sure you have a 100% compatible mouse driver. Attempt to REM
out your mouse line and see if the problems persist.
4) You have a clean hard disk with at least 25MB of free space (50MB
if you are using disk compression).
5) Check sound card settings and compatibility. Try disabling your
sound card to see if that allows you to get into the game.
6) Make sure your CPU is 100% Intel compatible.
[3.1] You see "Loading Wing Commander III ……." and it returns
you immediately back to the CD-ROM drive prompt
Edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file of your boot disk and type REM at the beginning of your mouse driver line. You are not using a 100% compatible mouse driver. Please refer to the Install Guide for more information in obtaining a 100% compatible mouse driver.
[3.2] Lockups at the fourth or sixth dot
Run the installation program with WC3 -I and select NONE for "Setup Music Card" and "Setup Digital FX Card". If you can now get into the game, either your sound card is not set up correctly or your sound card is not 100% compatible with the selection you are trying to choose. Please verify your sound card settings and try again.
We do know of a few problem sound cards that may lockup. (See section 8.3 below.)
[4.0] Error messages
[4.1] This error may be the result of a bad CD-ROM read…
Don't panic, you don't necessarily have a bad CD. Simply make sure you're using a boot disk, and try again. If you cannot solve the problem with a boot disk, see if your error message ABOVE the "This error…" is listed anywhere in the Install/Troubleshooting guide, the README.TXT file, or this help file. You may want to try exchanging the CDs at the place of purchase to see if a new CD actually solves your problem.
[4.2] A processor exception has occured.
Your system may be unstable at this point.
1) Make sure the line DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS is in your CONFIG.SYS.
2) If you have the following :
Hardware : Mitsumi CD-ROM model FX001/FX001D
CONFIG.SYS : DEVICE=C:\<path>\MTMCDAE.SYS /D:MSCD001 <parameters>
HOW to solve :
Use the MTMCDAS.SYS driver found in the same directory. If
this driver is not in the directory, look on the disks that came
with the CD-ROM.
DEVICE=C:\<path>\MTMCDAS.SYS /D:MSCD001 <parameters>
As an alternate solution, you may try /T:S on the MTMCDAE.SYS
line. Use this if the customer does not have MTMCDAS.SYS on
his/her hard drive.
DEVICE=C:\<path>\MTMCDAE.SYS /D:MSCD001 /T:S <parameters>
Mitsumi BBS 408-970-0761
Sales 516-752-7730
Tech Support 408-970-9699/9730
3) Make sure you're using a 100% Intel compatible processor. Other
processors may not be compatible with our game.
[4.3] Critical error on file : ..\..\data\movies\origin_s.mve or
Critical error on file : ..\..\data\movies\opening.mve
after several seconds of viewing the introduction.
1) If you have the following :
Hardware : Phillips LMS 206 CD-ROM drive
CONFIG.SYS : DEVICE=C:\<path>\DD260.SYS /D:MVCD001 ...
How to solve :
Try adding the "/F:5" parameter to the end of the line. You may
alternately try "/F:1". This will attempt to clear a conflict
between the CD-ROM interface and the soundcard.
DEVICE=C:\<path>\DD260.SYS /D:MVCD001 /F:5 …
2) If you have the following :
Hardware : Mitsumi 4x IDE CD-ROM drive and an enhanced IDE hard
drive CONFIG.SYS : DEVICE=C:\MTM\MTMCDAI.SYS /D:MTMIDE01 /P:170,15
How to solve :
There seems to be an incompatibility with our game, certain
motherboards and this setup. We are currently researching this.
There is no solution at this time.
3) You may want to verify that you have the latest CD-ROM driver for
your CD-ROM drive. See section 1.0 for more information.
[4.4] Exception 13 happened :)
Make a boot disk and retry. Also please review section 6.0 which discusses reboots. The same possible solutions apply to the Exception 13 error messages.
[4.5] CVMManager::GetPtr () Requested: 397984, Available: 379932
Hardware : Generally 8 MB machines
CONFIG.SYS : DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE 7168 RAM
DEVICE=C:\<CD-ROM Driver> /M:<Large number>
AUTOEXEC.BAT : C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE <Large number>
C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /E /M:<Large number>
Why this occurs :
You will find this error code on mission J003 on disc 3.
Basically, you have just barely enough extended memory to run
the game, but not enough to load the mission data.
HOW to solve :
You will have to load all drivers possible into conventional, and
try not to use as little extended memory as possible.
1) REM out EMM386.EXE and DOS=UMB. This will load all drivers
into conventional memory, freeing upper memory.
2) On the CD-ROM driver line in the CONFIG.SYS, remove the switch
or lower the amount of CD-ROM buffers allocated (if this is
what the /M switch for that particular driver does).
3) REM out SMARTDRV.EXE from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
4) Remove the /E switch from the MSCDEX.EXE line and lower the
buffers from the number specified after the /M: to 5.
5) Use DOS=LOW in the CONFIG.SYS of your boot disk.
6) 99.9% of the time, 1-5 work just fine. If 1-5 have no effect,
as a last resort, re-run the installation program and disable
sound for that particular mission.
[4.6] Write failed on file : SWAPFILE.$$$
Hardware : Badly fragmented hard drives
Things to try :
1) Make sure you have enough free space on the drive you're trying
to run the game on. You should have at least 25 MB of
uncompressed space. If the hard drive is compressed, the size
should move up to 50 MB.
2) Make sure there are NO lost allocation units, cross-
linked/truncated files, bad sectors, etc. Use SCANDISK or CHKDSK
to check for the presence of file damage and repair accordingly.
3) DEFRAG completely with "DEFRAG C: /F"
For a more detailed explanation of using CHKDSK, SCANDISK and
DEFRAG, refer to section 2.0, "Long load times," or your DOS manual.
[4.7] Malloc () failed
This error may occur if you MANUALLY flew toward the way point. ALL (not most, not some, ALL) nav points should allow you to auto-pilot to the next nav allowing you to complete the nav area task. This may involve killing fighters, linking with transports, mining jump buoys, etc. For example :
If the you must escort transports, the you MUST auto-pilot link with
the transport by flying within 500 units of the transport to establish the link. The auto-pilot light will then light up, and auto-piloting is possible. PRESS "A" to autopilot to the next nav- point.
[4.8] Non system disk or disk error
Replace and strike a key when ready
This is a DOS error which means that the boot disk that you created for the game does not have the DOS system files on it. You will need to :
1) Restart your computer with the boot disk out of the A: drive. Go to
the DOS prompt (exit Windows).
2) Type C: and press [ENTER]
3) Place the boot disk in drive A:
4) Type SYS A: and press [ENTER]
5) Reboot your computer with the disk in the drive after the SYSTEM
TRANSFERRED message.
[4.9] Invalid drive specification
Your CD-ROM drive has not loaded properly or the drive letter has changed. When MSCDEX loads, it will tell you the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive :
DRIVE D:= MSCD001
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[5.0] Lockups
Make a boot disk and retry.
[5.1] Lockups after the fourth or sixth dot
See section 3.2.
[5.2] Lockups During opening movie, [ESC] takes you further into
the game
You have chosen the incorrect sound card settings or have an IRQ or DMA conflict with your sound card and another device in your system. Verify your sound card settings are "conflict free" and re-run the installation program.
See the Install Guide for more information.
If you have an SB16 and you are sure your sound card settings are correct <this may not work for everyone>, but you may want to try to set the low and high DMA to the same channel in the boot disk's AUTOEXEC.BAT :
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
SET SOUND=C:\SB16 C:\SB16\SBCONFIG /S or C:\SB16\DIAGNOSE /S
SBCONFIG and DIAGNOSE will dynamically set the IRQ and DMA of your sound card according to the settings in the SET BLASTER line. Refer to your SB16 User's Guide for more information.
[5.3] Lockup at the joystick calibration screen
We are unsure why this happens, but with a bit of troubleshooting, we should be able to find the cause :
1) Make sure you have only one joystick port active. If you do not, you
may have a joystick port conflict. Resolve and retry.
2) Remove the joystick completely, and see if you can get into the
game's installation program. Plug in the joystick after the game has been installed and calibrate from within the game.
3) Try another joystick.
4) If you have more than one joystick port, disable the current
joystick port and the second joystick port and retry.
5) Try the Wing Commander III Joystick Patch (section 9.1).
6) Disable all open joystick ports and try using a speed adjustable
gamecard.
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[6.0] Reboots
Reboots normally occur when going after Flint, during Behemoth mission, planet ascension, switching CDs, or (R)eplaying a mission after you have died or ejected.
The most common cause of a reboot is a video card with the S3 chipset. There is a problem reinitializing the video mode when going from mission to mission or from mission to movie to mission (as opposed to from mission to gameflow to mission).
The video cards reboot if in SVGA when this occurs. We are currently researching this, but a solution at this time is to go into installation program with WC3 -I and set the Spaceflight Video Mode to VGA. If you want to play in SVGA that is fine, but you must manually switch to SVGA with ALT-3 or ALT-4. The mission MUST LOAD UP in VGA.
Some other possibilities :
1) If you have the following :
Hardware : BUSLogic 542S SCSI Host Adapter
HOW to solve :
You will need to use EMM386.EXE and possibly exclude DC00-DFFF.
The address range is used by the host adapter and may conflict
with Wing III. You must consult your documentation for specific
information on which range to exclude. For example :
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM X=DC00-DFFF
BusLogic BBS 408-492-1984
Tech Support FAX 408-492-1542
Tech Support 408-492-9090
Tech Support 408-988-7338
2) If you have the following :
Hardware : PAS 16 and a SCSI CD-ROM Drive connected to the PAS 16
CONFIG.SYS : DEVICE=C:\<path>\TSLCDR.SYS /D:MVCD001 /R
HOW to solve :
You will need to download 316.EXE or 318S-MV.EXE from the
MediaVision BBS to upgrade TSLCDR.SYS to version 3.16 or 3.18.
316.EXE should be sufficient. 318S-MV.EXE is only needed if you
have a Sony 55S or a Sanyo 94S CD-ROM drive.
316.EXE contains :
MSCDEX EXE 25,377 02-12-93 6:00a
README DOC 1,344 10-04-93 4:04p
TSLCDR SYS 35,201 04-26-94 3:36p
318S-MV.EXE contains :
MSCDEX EXE 25,377 02-12-93 6:00a
TSLCDR SYS 35,425 11-11-94 10:53a
README DOC 1,372 12-06-94 4:50p
NOTE : MSCDEX.EXE included in this executable is version 2.21.
Version 2.23 is a requirement for the game. If you do not already
have Version 2.23 (it is shipped w/ DOS 6.2 and up), you will need
to contact Microsoft for the latest version.
Media Vision BBS 510-770-0968 14400bps
BBS 510-770-0527
General 800-684-6699
Tech Support 800-638-2807
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[7.0] Gameplay
[7.1] Movies are of "poor quality"
If "streaks" are seen, either your gamma correction or monitor brightness is TOO high. Adjust the brightness of your monitor and/or gamma correction so that "Origin Presents" and "A Chris Roberts Game" fades to complete darkness. This should lessen the "streak"ing effect.
[7.2] No descriptions of possible actions (Attend Briefing, etc.)
A 100% Microsoft compatible mouse driver must be installed in order to get gameflow descriptions (ie. Talk to Hobbes, Attend Briefing, etc.)
[7.3] TAB and ~ (afterburners) do not work in spaceflight
The use of afterburners (TAB or ~) or slide (CAPS LOCK and /) will not work when mouse flight is enabled. You will have to double-click the right mouse button to afterburn, or use a joystick or the keyboard. The control type can be changed in the Spaceflight Options Menu (ALT-O).
[7.4] Installation program rates machine slower than normal
If CPU Speed is rating slower than normal, make sure that both internal and external CPU caches are enabled. Also, check to see that the turbo button is on. Our benchmark scale applies to Intel microprocessors. Other processors tested may show a result slower than their Intel counterparts. Contact the microprocessor manufacturer for a more detailed explanation.
[7.5] Crackling sounds in SVGA
In SVGA, you hear crackling/static/popping sounds from the sound card. First, make sure you do not an IRQ or DMA conflict.
[7.5.1] Cirrus Logic GD-542x
If the you have the Cirrus Logic GD-542x video card, you may download 542XVGA.EXE from the Cirrus Logic BBS. It upgrades the video BIOS to 1.41.
Cirrus Logic BBS 510-440-9080
General 510-623-8300
[7.5.2] Orchid Kelvin 64
If you have the Orchid Kelvin 64 there is currently no solution for this problem. We are in contact with Orchid working on a solution.
Orchid Technology BBS 510-683-0327
General 510-683-0300
Sales 800-767-2443
Tech Support 510-683-0323
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[8.0] Specific Hardware
There are several hardware specific issues that need to be addressed as follows.
[8.1] Control (keyboard, mouse, joystick)
It is very important that 100% Microsoft-compatible mouse drivers are used. It has been noted that non-100% Microsoft-compatible mouse drivers will cause lockups during game initialization or during the movies.
There is no mention how the Flightstick Pro or Thrustmaster FCS Mark I is supported in the documentation for the game. They are supported as follows :
[8.1.1] Flightstick Pro support
Coolie Hat UP F1 (Forward View, Toggle Cockpit On/Off)
Coolie Hat LEFT F2 (Left View, Pan Left -it DOES pan) Coolie Hat RIGHT F3 (Right View, Pan Right -it DOES pan) Coolie Hat DOWN F4 (Rear/Turret View)
Trigger FIRE Guns
Left TOP Button Joystick Button 2 Middle TOP Button "Y" - Lock target and Match Speed Right TOP Button Fire Missiles
[8.1.2] Thrustmaster (w/o the Mark II) and Logitech Wingman support
Hat NOT SUPPORTED
Trigger FIRE Guns TOP Thumb Button Joystick Button 2 BOTTOM Thumb Button Fire Missiles Pinky Button "Y" - Lock target and Match Speed
[8.1.3] WING3.ADV compiler errors
HOW to solve :
Edit the WING3.ADV file and remove the ( and ) (open and close
parentheses) from the lines w/ LALT and LCTL. Recompile, and it
should work fine.
The corrections to the file are listed below :
REM WING COMMANDER THREE by ORIGIN SYSTEMS
REM Written and Tested November 1994
REM ****************************************************************
REM Base Switch Settings
REM Black Hat switch = Digital
REM Red Switch = Digital
REM Game Settings: Regular Joystick if FCS is plugged into WCS
REM
GAME 1 70 REM DIGITAL CONTINUOUS 70 MS Delay
BTN UB ENT REM WEAPON FIRE
BTN MB TAB REM AFTERBURNERS
BTN LB Y REM TARGET AND MATCH SPEED
BTN HU F1 REM FRONT VIEW/COCKPIT TOGGLE
BTN HR F3 REM RIGHT VIEW
BTN HD F2 REM REAR VIEW
BTN HL F4 REM LEFT VIEW
BTN 1 /U S REM SHIELDS VDU
/M G REM TOGGLE GUNS
/D LALT W REM "WHAT'S YOUR STATUS"
BTN 2 /U D REM DAMAGE VDU
/M M REM CONFIGURE MISSILE
/D LALT A REM "ATTACK MY TARGET"
BTN 3 /U P REM POWER VDU
/M L REM LOCK TARGET
/D LALT B REM "BREAK AND ATTACK"
BTN 4 /U ] REM INCREASE CURRENT POWER SYSTEM 5%
/M T REM NEXT TARGET
/D LALT T REM RANDOM TAUNT
BTN 5 /U [ REM DECREASE CURRENT POWER SYSTEM 5%
/M a REM AUTOPILOT
/D W REM FULL MISSILES
BTN 6 /U LCTL ] REM TOGGLE LOCK CURRENT SYSTEM
/M E REM DROP DECOY
/D F REM FULL GUNS
RKR UP | REM NULL FUNCTION
RKR DN | REM NULL FUNCTION
THR 30 1 = - \ \ \ \ REM THROTTLE CHARACTERS
BTN MT /P /N BSP /R = REM THROTTLE CONTROL FROM IDLE TO OFF
[8.1.3] Programmable keyboards
Turn OFF the program function. (Usually FUNCTION-SUSPEND MACRO or something similar. Also, REM out any lines that may install a programmable keyboard device driver.
[8.2] Video cards
Our game is having a problem with the following video cards :
[8.2.1] Cirrus Logic
Crackling sounds in SVGA. See section 7.5.1.
[8.2.1] Diamond Viper VLB
The VPRMODE VESA program seems to cause random pixels and screen trash. This appears to only be with the VLB version of the card in SVGA. We are in contact with Diamond. For now, you will need to play in VGA with WC3 -V.
[8.2.2] Matrox PCI
The Matrox PCI Windows Accelerator card seems to score poorly for during video card testing (a rating of 43, when 12 is needed to play the game). You will need to select VGA for Spaceflight and Movies, and on some machines, the movies appear to run smoothly, on others pausing is unavoidable. Contact Matrox for more information.
[8.2.3] Hercules Graphite
To use the HERCULES Graphite video card, the following line in AUTOEXEC.BAT is needed :
C:\HERCULES\VESA C:\HERCULES\HG_OLD1.CRT
[8.2.4] Compaq Qvision
We are working with Compaq on a solution for the screen trash problems in SVGA with the Compaq Qvision. For now, you must play in VGA (WC3 -V).
Compaq Computer Systems BBS 713-378-1418 14400bps
Compaq General 713-370-0670 Compaq ....................T/S 800-888-5858
[8.3] Sound cards
[8.3.1] Mozart by Oak Technologies
The MOZART sound card (created by Oak Technologies) seems to lock up after the "fourth" or "sixth" dot. We are currently working with Oak Technologies on a solution. There is no work-around for this problem at this time, you will have to play the game with NO SOUND. You can recognize a Mozart sound card by spotting the following lines in the configuration files :
CONFIG.SYS : DEVICE=C:\MZT\MZTINIT.SYS /A220 /I5 /D1 /G /V7
AUTOEXEC.BAT : SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
SET SOUND=C:\MZT
[8.3.2] Media Chips MAD 16
The Media Clips MAD 16 sound card must be configured as a Sound Blaster Pro. You must add a parameter which is not normally found on the M16INIT line (/C). You can recognize a MAD 16 by spotting the following lines in the configuration files :
CONFIG.SYS : DEVICE=C:\MAD16\CDSETUP.SYS /T:S /P:340 /I:5
AUTOEXEC.BAT : SET MAD16=C:\MAD16
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
C:\MAD16\M16INIT /B /C
[8.3.3] Media Magic 16 (ISP16 and MAGICS20)
Media Magic 16 sound cards (MAGICS20 and ISP16) work great with the game, but in the installation program, should be set as Sound Blaster Pro. Sound Blaster/Compatibles will cause lockups. The following lines will appear in AUTOEXEC.BAT if the customer has any of these cards :
AUTOEXEC.BAT : SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
SET ISP16=C:\ISP16
C:\ISP16\ISPINIT /B
AUTOEXEC.BAT : SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
SET SOUND16=C:\MAGICS20
C:\MAGICS20\SNDINIT /B
AUTOEXEC.BAT : SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4
SET SOUND16=C:\DIAMOND
C:\DIAMOND\SNDINIT /B
[8.4] Miscellaneous (CPUs, hard drives, SCSI host adapters, etc.)
[8.4.1] Cyrix 486 processors (DLC, SRX2, DRX2, DX, DX2)
If configured incorrectly, these have been found to cause random lockups and Exception 13s. We are working together with Cyrix, and the most common problem we have found is the processor is being used in an incompatible motherboard.
[8.4.2] AMD processors
The AMD microprocessors seem to function adequately.
[9.0] Patches
Only one patch is available at this time for Wing Commander III.
[9.1] WC3JOY.DLL, the joystick patch
This patch is for users who are experiencing problems with joystick calibration (lockups, bad calibration, etc.) See the README.TXT of the patch file for more information on how to install and use the patch.
To remove the patch, type DEL C:\WC3\WC3JOY.DLL and press [ENTER].
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[10.0] Problem CD-ROM drivers and their updates
If you are experiencing problems with Wing Commander III (bad CD reads, movie pausing, etc.) make sure your CD-ROM driver is up to date. The following is a list of CD-ROM drivers we tested the game with and we know that work with the game and their locations.
* NOTE : These may not be the latest CD-ROM drivers. You will need a
driver of this version or later.
+ This is a location where you can find the driver. It is not the
original source for the driver.
Driver Name Driver Driver Filename Driver Location
Version Date to DL
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ASPICD.SYS 3.13 6-10-94 N/A Adaptec
BBS 408-945-7727
TECH 408-945-2550
+ Creative Labs
BBS 405-742-6660
TECH 405-742-6622
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CDMKE.SYS 4.04 12-3-93 N/A + Reveal
BBS 818-704-6321
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DD260.SYS 1.42 MediaVision
BBS 510-770-0968
TECH 510-252-4315
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MTMCDAE.SYS 1.17 7-14-93 CDAE.EXE or Mitsumi
or FX116.EXE BBS 408-970-0761
MTMCDAS.SYS 1.16 TECH 408-970-9699 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SBCD.SYS 4.19 4-30-94 CD-DOS.EXE Creative
BBS 405-742-6660
TECH 405-742-6622
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SLCD.SYS 1.73a 173A.EXE Sony
BBS 408-955-5107
SLCD173.EXE MediaVision
BBS 510-770-0968
TECH 510-252-4315
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TSLCDR.SYS 3.16 4-26-94 316.EXE MediaVision
BBS 510-770-0968
TECH 510-252-4315
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[11.0] Acknowledgements
I would like to express thanks to the following people :
PS : James Flores, Kay Gilmore, Andrew Hofmann, Bill LaCoste,
Jeremy Mappus, Chico Marvici, Donna Mehnert, John Moreland, Reece Thornton, Todd Wachhaus, Marie Williams
PD : Frank Savage, Jason Yenawine
all of QA, Customer Service, and the Wing III Development Team.
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