FAQ Version 4.2 / Oct, 31 2001 |
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Technical Questions |
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[Answers] Technical Questions |
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I keep getting a
Direct Draw Error after starting the game. Solution: Reinstall DirectX 6.0. Two tool files, Dxdiag.exe and Dxtool.exe have been included on the CD so that you can check the configuration of DirectX. Another possibility is that your monitor is not set up correctly. The best thing to do in this instance is to go into the 'Display Properties' in windows (right click on your desktop area and choose properties with the left mouse button) and go into the settings menu. From here you should have access to some kind of 'advanced settings' menu (it differs between operating systems and graphics card drivers). Within this menu you can change the monitor settings for your machine. If your monitor is not available in the current drivers supplied by windows, try changing the monitor to a Standard Monitor Type, Super VGA with a resolution suitable for your graphics card (1024 x 768 should suffice).
I get a Direct Input
Error message after the game starts! The "Direct Input Error" occurs when a DOS mouse driver is also loaded in addition to the Windows mouse driver while the computer is loading. Remove or comment out the line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT that loads the DOS mouse driver and your problem should be solved. In a few cases some mouse drivers from other manufacturers cause problems (Genius, Logitech). You can work around this problem by going to the control panel and choosing the Microsoft mouse driver for a serial mouse. Using a Genius EZScroll mouse with a mouse driver, version 4.05 (EZS95.ZIP) provides good results. You can download this driver at http://www.jci.co.jp/download/easyscrl.html.
I am an NT4 user -
which Service Pack is necessary? Windows NT4 users will need Service Pack 4 for Multiplayer and Singleplayer mode. With Service Pack 3 you will only be able to play in Singleplayer mode. NT2000 users do not need to install service packs to play "The Settlers III". I am an NT user -
should I use dithered shadowing? Both types of shadowing, dithered and transparent, function without any problems. Transparent shadowing requires more memory though and can slow down game play on slower computers with little RAM. When I create a game,
the resource menu is covered up and I can't read the last line. What does it say? The word at the bottom is: High. How can I configure my
Proxy Server to be able to play THE SETTLERS III over the lobby system? Configuration of the MS Proxy Server 2.0 for The Settlers III Introduction Thanks to Peter Prade and Michail Jones we have finally managed to find an initial solution for the proxy problem. Because none of us is terribly experienced in these matters, the current solution has a few weak points. Whoever has different proxy programs will have to pick out the information necessary to configure his/her proxy. I think, though, that experienced sys admins will be able to get things moving with the info and MS Proxy specimen configuration provided here. The configuration listed here draws on the Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0. It allows the connection with several clients over the proxy to the Blue Byte Lobby system. Players behind the proxy server can only join games; unfortunately they cannot create them. If you have any suggestions for improvement or questions about the configuration, please submit them to the forum. We will then do our best to help you and provide updated information about any improvements. PLEASE NOTE: We do not guarantee that this configuration will work. PLEASE ALSO NOTE: Breaches in security could occur if Settlers III is played over a proxy or firewall. Regarding the Ports With respect to the network, The Settlers III is divided into two parts. First, there is the lobby area with the game lists and chats. Second, there is the game itself. In the first part, a pure UDP protocol is used. For the game itself, DirectPlay 6.0 is used. Table of the Protocols and Ports Used Lobby:
* The ports from 3346 upwards are only used when the ports 3343-3346 have already been occupied. This could happen on the proxy server depending on the number of players. In practice, it should be sufficient to make ports 3343-3350 free. DirectPlay:
Configuration of MS Proxy Server 2.0 A number of protocols have to be set up and in addition, modifications to the mspclnt.ini file have to be made. We have put together a file for the protocols which can be imported into the Management Console with the Load command. [@MSP_WSP
Protocols]Proto1=DirectPlay (client)Proto2=DirectPlay (Host)Proto3=Siedler 3 Lobby
(3343)Proto4=Siedler 3 Lobby (3344) [DirectPlay (client)] SecondaryPorts=2300-2400,IN,TCP;2300-2400,OUT, [DirectPlay (Host)] [Siedler 3 Lobby (3343)] The following excerpts have to be placed in the mspclnt.ini file, which is typically located in the directory \Msp\Clients: [Common Configuration] [S3] Depending on the adjustments, the mspclnt.ini file will then be replicated on the client computer either every couple of minutes or following a reboot. The replication can also be forced with the Winsock Client Applet in the control panel. The installation
program wants me to install DirectX 6.0 although I've already got it installed. What's the
story? In general it is advisable to reinstall the version of DirectX 6.0 supplied with the game. Then DirectX related driver problems can be eliminated. Can I delete the chat
line in the lobby without having to backspace it? Yes, you can do this with the "Del" key above the arrow keys. I can't get a
connection to the lobby server over the Internet. Why not? Your Internet access is probably not completely transparent, that is, your provider uses a so-called proxy server and not all of the ports necessary for the game are accessible. Customers of some providers should not use the connection software of their provider for accessing the Internet but rather gain access by configuring access over a normal Dial Up Networking account. The Blue Byte Hotline will be happy to give you further information about how to configure this. If you do require help from the hotline staff, please ensure that you have all the details of your account to hand (connection phone number, username, password, etc).
Where do I find my
serial number? The serial number is on a sticker on the back of your CD booklet and can be seen when you open the CD case. If there is no serial number for some reason, please send the booklet to us at the following addresses: For USA: You will get a new booklet including a serial number. How do you configure a TCP/IP network so that you can play SETTLERS III on a LAN?  
You have to assign every workstation its own IP number (for example, computer 1: 192.168.0.1, computer 2: 192.168.0.2 etc.). For the subnet mask you should enter 255.255.255.0. You can make these changes by entering the network menu under Settings / Control Panel, and then going into the properties of the TCP/IP protocol connected to your network card. The file converter
crashes soon after it starts. What's wrong? If you have 32 MB RAM, it is possible that not enough memory is available. Make sure that you have at least 100 MB free hard disk space available after installation and that no other programs are running in the background. You can also start the file converter direct
from the Windows Explorer without having to start the game first. This problem has been fixed in the v1.23 update for the game. When I click on the
button to start the tutorial or a campaign, the screen with the three helmets appears and
then the game loads forever or crashes. What's the problem? You probably have an incompatible or out of date graphics card driver installed. Please get in touch with the Blue Byte Hotline. There you can find out which driver you should use. You will most likely find that if you go to the home page of the manufacturer of your graphics card and download and install any driver or bios updates for your card, that the problem will be fixed. Can I play Settlers 3 with Windows XP? The game “The Settlers III” was not developed for Windows XP and was not tested for it. To play “The Settlers III” under your Windows Full Version, you only need to install a secondary Bootpartition with Windows 98.
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