
               Thank you for playing Despair!

U-Neek Software
Copyright 7/95.
9404 North Farm Road 127
Willard, MO. 65781

 This game was created with the Pie 3D Game Creation System.
You to can create games like this with No Programming experience! 


SOUND TOO LOUD?
---------------
  Despair leaves your volume settings exactly as you last set them.
If you need to change volume of sound effects, music or both,
please consult your sound card manual.  Most sound cards come with 
DOS utilities to adjust volume levels.  Windows utilities won't work,
however, because when you exit Windows, it will reset your volume settings
to the settings when you entered Windows.
  We have included the program VOLUME.EXE which you can use to set the
volumes of your sound card.  This program can be used by typing the 
values in, or also using command line options, in case you want to make
a batch file that sets your sound volume levels.
  The VOLUME program sets the standard SB Pro volume levels.  Many sound
cards have other volume controls that override the SB pro levels.  See
your sound card manual for more info on changing your sound levels.
  To use VOLUME, just type VOLUME.


Problems running the game?
--------------------------

GAME REPORTS BAD INSTALLATION/MISSING DATA DIRECTORY
----------------------------------------------------
  When the files are installed correct, there should be a subdirectory
called 'DATA' on your hard drive.  If that is not present, then the
Despair game will not work.


GAME FAILS WITH CRITICAL ERROR  (blue screen)
---------------------------------------------
  If you get Critical Error #165, then you either don't have any EMS
or XMS memory, or else your sound card is either not Sound Blaster
compatible, or your card IS compatible but the sound card driver is
not loaded.  Some sound cards need to have some driver loaded in your
config.sys in order to properly act like a Sound Blaster card.  If 
you are getting CE #165, it is worth trying to run with sound off.
Also, try the 'pnocomp' commands below...

  Also check to make sure you have FILES=25 or greater in your config.sys.

  If you have enough memory to get into the demo without the memory 
message, but the demo fails,  then try turning the sound off.  If it
fails after selecting 'Play Despair', then try the following
command line:

pnocomp f pdata c                  ( for keyboard control )
pnocomp f pdata c m                ( for mouse control )

MEMORY
------
NOTE:  You can check your current memory status by typing 'MEM' at the DOS
prompt.  This will report the 'largest executable program size', which is
what you need to know.  It also reports EMS and XMS RAM available too. 

  Memory is the biggest cause of problems.  After you get the memory message
and exit, type the command 'TYPE MEMFAIL' at the DOS prompt.  You will then
get a report explaining the short coming.   If you don't have any EMS 
or XMS memory, then you will need HIMEM.SYS or/and EMM386.SYS in your
config.sys file.  If you don't have enough DOS ram, please read on.

  If the demo refuses to run because of memory limitations, you will have
to free up some more memory to run the 3D game portion of the demo.

But I have 8 Megabytes!!!!!????

  If you have 4Meg RAM in your computer, you have more than enough to run
the DEMO, but the way it is configured is the problem.
 
  The amount of memory in your computer is irrelevant because DOS can only
use the first 640k of RAM.  What matters for DOS programs is how the first
640k is configured.  Don't be angry with us for this problem, it isn't our
fault.  It is Microsoft who never upgraded DOS beyond the initial IBM PC's
640k capabilities!

BUT DON'T WORRY
---------------
  You can bypass the memory test to play the GAME.  If you truly don't have
enough conventional RAM free, you can still see the slide show and the info.
If you try to run Despair, however, you might run into a error
message, or it may lock up.  If you bypassed the memory test, you may want
to try the game with sound off, which uses 8k less memory.

HOW TO FREE UP MEMORY
---------------------

  If you aren't comfortable with editing your config.sys file, then perhaps
you have made boot disks for other games.  Try 'em out.  You'll need one that
boots with more than 580k free and an EMS memory driver.  Many DOS games have
required this in the past.

  If you do want to try editing your config.sys file, make sure you make a
back up copy of your original, and MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BOOT DISK because if
you louse it up, your computer might not boot up.

  Please use these suggestions as general only.  To be sure of what you are
doing, consult your DOS manuals.

  What you'll want in general is to have the following in your config.sys
file, which is the root directory of your drive c:
( you of course need to change the following to use the correct name of the 
DOS directory that you have on your system. )

device=c:\dos\himem.sys
rem   If the following line has 'NOEMS' on it, TAKE THIS 'NOEMS' out!
device=c:\dos\emm386.sys
dos=high

  If you don't have any EMM386.SYS in your DOS directory then, just
leave out the 'emm386' line above.  The demo will run using XMS memory 
only, but performance will be slightly lower.

  You may also need to have a sound card driver in there too, in order
to get sound to work.  You may want to use 'LOADHI' to load this sound
driver high.  Please refer to your DOS manual on how to load things high.

  Also, you may want temporarily REM out some of your TSR's in your
autoexec.bat file.  In particular, the CDROM drivers can take up alot of
conventional DOS ram.  It may be possible to 'LOADHI' those, so they
are still loaded, but in 'high' memory that doesn't use up any of the
precious lower 640k.

  Of course buying a commercial memory manager like QEMM or others will
also free up lots of memory, and have extensive manuals packed with info.

NOTE:  If doing things like the above suggest don't even come close to 
freeing up enough RAM.  If this is the case, then perhaps your hard drive
is 'STACKED'.  In this case, your RAM is being used up by this compression
software.  Please consult your manual.

   
