
                      ͻ
                                               
                          RELEASE NOTES FOR    
                           DESCENT 2  v1.1     
			          PRIVATE LABEL      
                                               
                      ͼ

                
                    ! DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THIS GAME !
                   DESCENT 2 IS A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT

                       See section 11 for details
                

                         ͻ
                          TABLE of CONTENTS 
                         ͼ

                      1. VERSION CHANGES

                      2. MANUAL ADDENDA

                      3. DESCENT 2 FEATURES
                            a. Feature List
                            b. Notes on New Features

                      4. COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS

                      5. TIPS FOR NEW PILOTS

                      6. USING SPECIAL JOYSTICKS & CONTROLLERS

                      7. VR HEADSET INFORMATION

                      8. MINOR BUG FIXES SINCE VERSION 1.0

                      9. S3 VIRGE VERSION

                     10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT

                     11. DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION




                          ͻ
                           1. VERSION CHANGES 
                          ͼ

DESCENT 2 FULL VERSION

1.0 Initial PC DOS release
1.1 Initial Mac release; PC DOS update

Features new for version 1.1:

    - Main menu screen now shows version number
    - Added toggle bomb function to keyboard config
    - Added commandline options for packets per second ("-packets #")
      and short packets (-shortpackets)
    - Added lifetime rankings to multiplayer (-norankings to disable)
    - Added "move:" command to move players to other team
    - Capture-the-flag now can be played in modem games
    - 'ping:' command now works in modem games
    - When joining netgame, the 'U' key shows players in the game
      (type "!names" from F8 prompt to disable sending of names)
    - When playing a non-D2 audio CD, tracks 1-3 can now be played.
    - Small windows (i.e. rear view, missile view, etc.) now work in 
      stereo modes
    - Now supports version 2.0 drivers for the Forte VFX-1 headset
    - PrintScreen support in stereo modes (see section 2)
    - Added no redundancy switch to suppress duplicate messages
      (-noredunancy)

See section 3 for Feature additions since Descent 1.

Major bugs fixed for version 1.1

    - Level 20 & 24 bosses were invulnerable on higher difficulty levels
    - Redbook no longer skips on Adaptec SCSI cards (& others)
    - Sounds no longer disappear after playing for several hours
    - 800x600 mode now works correctly on Matrox Millennium cards
    - CD is now detected properly if there are multiple CD-ROM drives 
      in the system
    - Redbook audio now works with multiple CD-ROM drives
    - CD is now detected properly under OS/2
    - Fixed divide overflow crash on AST machines
    - Level 6 had two red goals in capture the flag mode
    - Low-res main menu no longer says "Beta Version"
    - Movie & sound effects now work correctly on GUS cards
    - Eliminated redbook pause when going to next track

See section 9 for a more complete list of bugs fixed since version 1.0


                          ͻ
                           2. MANUAL ADDENDA 
                          ͼ

The following are supplemental items/changes to the DESCENT II manual.
If you can find no information regarding a problem you're having,
Section 9 below lists several sources of DESCENT II support.

There is an online version of the manual provided on this CD.  To view it, 
open the folder 'Manual' found on the root of the CD.  If you do not 
already have Acrobat Reader installed on your system, you will need to run
the file 'AR32E30.EXE' to install it.  If you have Windows 3.1, you will 
need to run 'AR16E30.EXE' instead.  Once installed, just double-click 
on the file 'Descent2.pdf' to view it.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR WINDOWS 95 USERS


This readme file pertains to the DOS version of Descent II.  If you 
wish to run Descent II under Windows95, you should install Descent II
fron within Win95.  To to this, insert your Descent II disk, and when
the autorun menu comes up, select "Install".  To manually bring up the
autorun menu, open up "My Computer", then double-click on the "Descent_ii"
CD icon.

USING PRINTSCREEN IN STEREO MODES


Descent II uses the PrintScreen key to save screenshots from within the game.
Normally, these images are saved sequentially with the name "Screen00, 
Screen01, etc."  When playing in stereo modes, PrintScreen will save a
separate image for each eye. These images are also numbered sequentially, 
but are named "Left01" and "Right01" respectively. Please note that images 
saved in stereo are exactly half the height of the current resolution.
For example, grabbing an image in 320 x 200 mode will result in 2 images 
that are 320 x 100 each. 


CHANGES & CORRECTIONS

- On page 10 of the manual, the Options menu is said to contain sound
  volume sliders and other options.  These have all been moved into a
  Sound Effects & Music submenu found on the Options menu.

- In the Options/Sound menu, you can now enable/disable redbook music
  by using the Disable CD Music toggle.  Volume levels can be adjusted
  individually.

- On page 15 of the manual, the Always Show High-res Automap toggle was
  left out of the Toggles menu.  Enabling this will always run the Automap
  in 640x480 instead of the 320x200 default.

- On page 17 of the manual, the Guide-Bot menu key is mistakenly listed
  as SHIFT-F2.  The actual key is SHIFT-F4.

- On page 19 of the manual, the Cycle Primary/Secondary keys are mistakenly
  listed as DEL/,.  The actual keys are "," for Primary and "." for
  Secondary.

- On page 31 of the manual, the Flash Missile was not mentioned.  This
  missile will blind opponents with a bright flash of light.  When robots
  are hit with these missiles, they will become briefly disoriented and
  will be more vulnerable to attack.

- On page 41 of the manual, label #12 (the ProxBomb/SmartMine count) was
  not labeled on the screenshot.  This display appears in the lower right
  of the cockpit below the key displays.

- On page 46 of the manual, the Multiplayer section states the delay for
  incoming players to be accepted as 5 seconds.  The delay is actually 8
  seconds.

- On page 57 of the manual, the Bright Player Ships toggle was left out
  of the Start Netgame options.  When enabled, this will make the player
  ships brighter and easier to see in dark corridors.

- In the VR Headset controls section of the manual, the following changes
  were made to the keys:

     Alt+F5 [VR Reset]
        o On the CyberMaxx, toggles victor mode on/off
        o Centers the head tracking
        o Resets all stereoscopic parameters to default
     Alt+F9  [Decreases the interaxial separation]
     Alt+F10 [Increases the interaxial separation]



SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS


REDBOOK AUDIO TRACK LIST
------------------------
         
The following is a listing of the redbook songs that appear on the 
DESCENT II CD. Please note that track one is game data and should not be 
played on audio CD players. 
    
   2) Title (menu)
      Composer - Brian Luzietti
      Mixed by - Charles Deenen

   3) Crawl (credits)
      Composer - Brian Luzietti
      Mixed by - Charles Deenen

   4) Glut
      Composer - Ogre of Skinny Puppy
                 Mark Walk

   5) Gunner Down
      Composer - Brian Luzietti
      Mixed by - Charles Deenen

   6) Cold Reality
      Composer - Larry Peacock
                 Brad Cross
                 Leslie Spitzer
      Mixed by - Bob Brown

   7) Ratzez
      Composer - Ogre of Skinny Puppy
                 Mark Walk
   8) Crush
      Composer - Brian Luzietti
      Mixed by - Charles Deenen
     
   9) Composer - Mark Morgan
     
  10) Haunted
      Composer - Type O Negative

  11) Are You Descent?
      Composer - Ron Valdez
      Mixed by - Johann Langlie
     
  12) Techno Industry Composed and mixed by 
      Johann Langlie
     
  13) Robot Jungle 
      Composed and mixed by - Johann Langlie
     
Netgame Info and User Queries 

When sitting on the Multiplayer/Join Netgame screen, you can now hit "I"
to get more detailed info on a netgame in progress.  This feature was added
after the manual went to print.  As of version 1.1 pressing the "U" key on
this screen will show a list of players in the game. You may disable name
sending from within a game by pressing f8 and typing "!names".

Multiplayer Rankings


Version 1.1 of Descent II features a system that ranks players in 
multiplayer games based on their lifetime kill record.  Information is 
stored everytime you kill or get killed by someone.  The better you get, 
the higher your rank.  Rankings start at 'Cadet' and continue up to 
'Admiral'.  

You will advance to the next rank for every 375 kills that you score.  
However, if your lifetime efficiency is below 60% you will advance 
much more slowly, and the lower your efficiency the slower you'll advance.

If the "-norankings" command line switch is used your machine will not 
display rankings for any player.  However, your machine will still send your
pilots' rank to the other players in the game.

Moving players in team games


If you are the 'master' of a team netgame and you wish to move players
to other teams, press F8 and then type 'move:<player>' where <player> is 
the name of the person to be switched.  

Example: 
 move:Sirloin

Afterwards, if Sirloin was on the blue team he will be switched to the red
team, and vice versa.


CD/MIDI Track Advancing

Also undocumented in the manual is the use of ALT -/+ keys (ALT-minus and
ALT-plus).  Using these keys in the game will play the previous/next
redbook track on the CD.  If you're listening to MIDI music, it will
advance to the next level song. 


GuideBot & Markers

The GuideBot is now able to find markers you have placed.  Hitting SHIFT-2
twice will send him to marker #2, hit SHIFT-1 to find marker #1, etc.


the Strategy Guide

Descent II: The Official Strategy Guide is available from Prima Publishing.
To order, call 800-531-2343.  Also available at better bookstores and
multimedia outlets nationwide.


DESCENT II and Internet Head-to-Head Daemon (IHHD)

While playing Multiplayer DESCENT II through the IHHD software is possible,
it is not recommended.  The delay in packet delivery will almost
certainly lead to strange results.  You may see players jump around
suddenly, or even disappear for several seconds at a time.  You may also
witness players not dropping powerups when killed, staying cloaked too
long, or other unfavorable results.  See Section 8 for additional ideas
and suggestions.


DESCENT II and Novell's NETX

When playing network games, all players should either have NETX loaded 
or all players should not have NETX loaded.  If one player has NETX 
loaded and the other player doesn't, this will cause noticeable 
slowdowns and delays when starting netgames.


DESCENT II and OS/2

To get DESCENT II to run under OS/2, just increase your DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT
to 8 megs or more.  Descent should then run perfectly with full sound.
If your joystick behaves strangely under OS/2 try using the "-JoyPolled"
command line option.  Keep in mind that DESCENT II does not officially
support OS/2.


DESCENT II and Windows 3.1x

Use the following settings in your PIF file:

   Optional Parameters:  -JoyPolled
            EMS Memory:  KB Limit -1
            XMS Memory:  KB Limit -1
         Display Usage:  Full Screen
             Execution:  Exclusive

If you use a joystick, the -JoyPolled option uses an alternate method of
joystick reading that should increase performance under Windows.
Keep in mind that Descent does not officially support Windows.



                         ͻ
                          3. DESCENT 2 FEATURES 
                         ͼ
ͻ
 3a. Feature List 
ͼ

The following is a somewhat-complete list of full-version DESCENT II
features.

Major features:

30 new levels
30+ new robots, including new bosses

10+ new weapons/powerups
  afterburner
  full-map powerup
  ammo rack powerup
  energy->shield transfers
  flash/stun missiles
  guided missiles
  smart mines
  headlight powerup
  more!

Redbook CD soundtrack featuring Ogre from Skinny Puppy
full motion, high-resolution cinematics
new anarchy levels
flowing water, lava, and seismic disturbances
advanced AI including thieves, snipers, and escort robots
640x480 support with high resolution cockpit, as well as other hi-res modes
enhanced lighting effects (blastable lights!)

new multiplayer features:
        capture the flag game mode
        option to disallow any weapon
        play by kills or time limit
        player handicapping
        flexible player limits
        improved slow-packet handling
        restricted game mode

Minor features:

new redbook, MIDI, FM soundtrack with new digital sound effects
automap markers w/text descriptors
minefields
new control boxes, forcefields and triggers
multiple HUD camera views including teammates, missiles, and markers
custom weapon autoselection priorities
advanced secret level system
ability to drop weapons

Robot AI behaviors:
   GuideBot
   Thief
   Snipers
   Energy Drainers
   More advanced Brain behavior
   Robots which fire two different kinds of weapons
   Robots which attempt to get behind the player in battle
   More dynamic robot behavior, more complex strategies based on the player.


ͻ
 3b. Notes on DESCENT II Features 
ͼ


THIEF-BOTS

Not all new robots are designed to help you.  Thief robots are fast and
evil robots, designed to steal your weaponry when you least expect it.
If you kill a Thief robot, he will drop items he has stolen from you.  If
he's stolen more than a few items, however, there is always the chance one
or two have been destroyed.


GUIDED MISSILES

Guided missiles can be a great weapon in any single- or multi-player game.
When you fire one of these, your pitch/bank controls will control the
flight path of the missile.  Remaining controls (throttle, sliding) will
still control your ship.  You will continue to control the Guided missile
until it runs out of fuel (30 seconds), it hits an object or wall, or until
you hit the fire key again (at which point the Guided missile will "home"
like a Homing missile).

By default, the Guided missile view will be displayed in the secondary
weapons display.  The view can be enlarged by using the appropriate toggle
in the Options/Toggles menu.


THE AFTERBURNER

New to the DESCENT II display is the Afterburner.  In Cockpit mode, the new
gauge appears as a red energy bar on the left side (the key display has been
moved to the right side).  This new energy bar will only activate if you
are currently carrying the Afterburner.  In Status Bar mode, it appears
below the main Energy Gauge.  In Full Screen, it appears as a percentage
above the Energy/Shield display on the left (if Afterburner is available).

The Afterburner uses a separate energy bank, which charges from your main
Energy.


AUTOSAVE/RESTORE BACKUPS

New in DESCENT II... When you save over an existing savegame, it will copy
the old one to a backup file.  This allows you to restore the old one in
case you accidentally overwrote it.  The backup game appears as
"[autosave backup]" at the bottom of the Restore Game list.

Likewise, whenever you Load a saved game, the game will save your current
game in the backup slot.  This will allow you to "undo" the restore in
case it was accidental.  Thank Mike for this welcome addition to DESCENT II!


BOMB DISPLAY

A new ProxBomb/SmartMine display has been added to your screen.  It appears
as a red or gold "B:xx" counter somewhere on your screen.  In Cockpit
mode, it appears in the lower right corner.  On the Status Bar, it's in the
lower left of the Secondary Weapons display.  In Full Screen, it's above
your current weapons display on the right.  If you have no ProxBombs or
SmartMines, this display will be blank.

This display tells you what weapon will be dropped when you hit the Drop
Bomb key (default is 'B').  If the display shows a red-colored "B:04" it
means you have four ProxBombs ready to be dropped.  A gold-colored display
indicates SmartMines.  Note that this does not indicate that the weapon is
"armed" as a Secondary weapon, and only refers to the Drop Bomb key
functionality. You may also assign a key of your choice to toggle between 
SmartMines and ProxBombs in the customize keyboard menu. 

NOTE: This display will reflect the ProxBomb/SmartMine positions in the
Secondary Autoselect Ordering menu, even if they appear below the "Never
Autoselect" line.  Example: Both ProxBombs and SmartMines appear below the
"Never" line, but ProxBombs appear higher.  The "B:xx" display will change
to ProxBombs over SmartMines if you have some of each.



                       ͻ
                        4. COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS 
                       ͼ

The following DOS command-line options are available in DESCENT II.
Upper/lowercase is not significant.

 General Options:

  -Verbose        Shows initialization steps for tech support
  -LowMem         Lower animation detail for better performance with low memory
  -NoLowMem       Force high animation detail even when low memory
  -NoMemCheck     Disables memory requirement checking
  -NoDOSCheck     Disables DOS version checking
  -NoFileCheck    Disables the file handles check
  -NoHighRes      Disables 640x480 mode for menus and movies
  -ForceVesa      Enables VESA linear frame buffering (if available)
  -Subtitles      Turn on movie subtitles (English-only)

 Input devices:

  -NoMouse       Disables mouse drivers
  -NoJoystick    Disables joystick support
  -JoyPolled     Poll joystick w/ counter.  Use for Windows, OS/2
  -JoyBios       Use the system BIOS for joystick.
  -JoyNice       Joystick poller allows interrupts to occur
  -GamePort      Use Colorado Spectrum's Notebook Gameport

 Sound & Music:

  -Volume <v>    Sets sound volume to v, where v is between 0 and 100
  -NoSound       Turns off sound & music
  -NoMusic       Disables music; sound effects remain enabled
  -DisableSound  Completely disable sound system (also disables movies)
  -NoLoadPats    Disables patch loading for Gravis UltraSound
  -Sound22K      Use 22KHz sounds, even if machine has less than 16 MB
  -Sound11K      Use 11KHz sounds, even if machine has more than 16 MB
  -No16Bit       Disable 16-bit sound (movies only)

 Network & Modem:

  -CtsRts        Enables CTS/RTS handshaking during null-modem games
  -NoNetwork     Disables network drivers
  -NoSerial      Disables serial drivers
  -Packets #     Specifies the packets per second where # is the number
                 of packets
  -Shortpackets  Turn on short packets
  -Norankings    Disable multiplayer ranking system
  -Noredunancy   Suppresses duplicate messages such as "You already have ..."



                       ͻ
                        5. TIPS for NEW PILOTS 
                       ͼ

Here are a few things that help new players adjust to the fully 3D world
and intelligent robots of DESCENT II.  Heed these tips and you'll soon be
blasting robot hordes (and your friends!) with ease.

     o Use a quality joystick.  Thrustmaster, Advanced Gravis, Logitech
       and CH Products provide full lines of controls well suited to 3D
       flying.

     o If you use a two-button joystick, try keeping one hand on the
       A and Z keys to control your FORWARD and REVERSE.

     o If you're up against a wall, try using REVERSE to back away 
       instead of turning around.

     o Learn how to SLIDE well.  Using vertical sliding instead of pitching
       will help keep you upright.  If your joystick has a Hat Switch, 
       use it to slide.

     o Rescue the hostages!  If you rescue all hostages in a mine, you
       receive a full rescue bonus.  But be sure you make it out after
       picking them up - if your ship's destroyed, so are they.

     o Try clearing a path to the exit before you attack the Main Reactor.
       You may run out of time if you're battling hordes of robots on
       your escape!

     o Look for secret doors.  Weapons and ammo are often behind them.                      
       They can be a different color, or have small seams running down
       them.  Keep in mind, DESCENT II is fully 3D, and secret doors aren't
       only in the walls...

     o DON'T SIT STILL.  The best way to stay alive is to keep moving.
       Using SLIDE to circle a target while you're firing is very
       effective.

     o Learn to use your ship's Automap.  It can reveal things your
       eyes may miss.




               ͻ
                6. USING SPECIAL JOYSTICKS & CONTROLLERS 
               ͼ

Thrustmaster, Gravis Phoenix, CH, and Logitech controls are fully supported
by DESCENT II.  The device control files (DESCENT2.ADV, DESCENT2.M50,
D2WCS.M50, D2TQS.M50, DESCENT.PHX, and DESCENT.KEY) can be found in the
\CONTROLS subdirectory.  If you have a Wingman Extreme, Flight Force Pro,
or other FCS-style stick, you should use the "Thrustmaster FCS" option.

      SpaceBall Avenger:  In the \CONTROLS subdirectory on your DESCENT II
                          CD there is a self-extracting zip file
                          (AVGRD2.EXE).  This archive contains the drivers
                          and instructions needed to use your Avenger with
                          DESCENT II.

       Thrustmaster FCS:  Choose "Thrustmaster FCS" under Options/Controls.
                          This is for players NOT using the WCS.  If you
                          use the WCS throttle with the FCS, follow
                          instructions for the WCS below.

     * Thrustmaster WCS:  Load the DESCENT2.ADV file into your WCS.  In
           Mark II        DESCENT II, choose "Joystick" under
                          Options/Controls.  Now choose "Configure Above"
                          and change the THROTTLE entry to respond to the
                          WCS (the Y2 axis).

    * Thrustmaster FLCS:  Load the D2FLCS.B50 file into your FLCS. 
                          If you also use a WCS throttle, no program should
                          be loaded into the WCS.

     * Thrustmaster TQS:  Load D2TQS.B50 into your FLCS.  This will
                          automatically configure your TQS for DESCENT II.
                          Follow directions above to configure your throttle
                          entry in DESCENT II.

         Gravis Phoenix:  Load the DESCENT2.PHX file into your Phoenix. In
                          DESCENT II, choose "Joystick" under Options/Controls.
                          Now choose "Configure Above" and change the
                          THROTTLE entry to respond to the throttle
                          slider (the Y2 axis).

      Logitech Cyberman:  You must have the Cyberman MOUSE.COM driver loaded
                          before you run DESCENT II.  If you have a standard
                          mouse connected as well, you will need to use the
                          "/dual" option when you load MOUSE.COM.  See
                          Cyberman docs for details.  

       NoteBook GamePort: Run DESCENT II with the -JoyBios command line switch
                          and everything should work like normal.  Make sure
                          that you have the joystick TSR installed.

Calibration Note:  When using one of the analog throttles listed here or
                   the CH Flightstick, you will be prompted to calibrate
                   your throttle as well as your joystick.

*  >> NOTE TO WCS and FLCS USERS:  Because these devices intercept the
      keyboard signals, your ship may fly strangely when you also hold down
      keyboard keys (like 'A' and 'Z').  If you keep the WCS or FLCS on
      your system, it's recommended that you use those devices for throttle
      control and sliding, not the keyboard.




                       ͻ
                        7. VR HEADSET INFORMATION 
                       ͼ

If you have questions about the headsets, the manufacturers can be 
reached at the following numbers:

      - VFX-1 Head Mounted Display, by Forte Technologies, Inc.
        tel: 716-427-8595
        fax: 716-292-6353

      - CyberMaxx HMD, by VictorMaxx Technologies, Inc.
        tel: 1-800-279-6880
        fax: 708-267-0037

      - i-glasses!, by Virtual I-O
        tel: 800-646-3759
        fax: 206-382-8810
        net: vio@vio.com

      - 3D-MAX shutter glasses by Kasan
        http://pcvr.kasan.co.kr
        Europe: 011-46-18-187777

               


                   ͻ
                    8. MINOR BUG FIXES SINCE VERSION 1.0 
                   ͼ

    - A trigger in level 24 blue key area was changed to 1-shot
    - A trigger on L24 is now linked to correct door
    - You are no longer able to become trapped in small room on L24 
    - When in 800x600, the window size now displays properly between levels
    - Pressing F3 while flying a guided missile no longer shows the cockpit
      for 1 frame
    - While flying guided missiles in a big window, the label no longer 
      overdraws HUD messages 
    - Problems joining team games with high-latency connections are fixed
    - Fixed incorrect "killed by ..." messages 
    - In demo mode, the reticle is now correctly displayed after firing a 
      guided missile
    - In demo mode, the flag goals are now textured properly
    - Headlights no longer stay on after thief steals them
    - Endgame movie now only plays for the built-in mission
    - Subtitles now match the spoken text in intro and endgame movies
    - A monitor on the alien levels was missing an animation when the
      mine was destroyed
    - Robots that the boss 'gated in' no longer explode with the force of 
      a mega missile when they time out
    - Improved the handling of demo recording when disk space runs out
    - Fixed boss cloaking problems in demo that could cause crashes
    - Shift-ESC now exits properly when in multiplayer game
    - Joining netgames is now more tolerant of dropped packets
    - When configuring joystick, now you cannot reassign axis until cleared
    - When omega cannon is picked up, it now has the energy it had
      when it was dropped
    - Improved disk full error checking for game save
    - Improved respawning location for flags & weapons
    - Improved low-memory performance by fixing data problem
    - Typing a key to jump ahead in scrolling menus now works correctly
    - Guided missiles now show correct reticle in demo playback
    - Flag goal textures are now set during demo playback 
    - 'Customize above' now configures the keyboard if the 'Keyboard only'
      option is selected
    - Fixed a problem with the robot briefings on systems left idle for
      long periods of time
    - Number '9' character for automap marker label now more lovely
    - 'Win95 Joystick' no longer shows up as option in a DOS game when 
      creating a new pilot
    - Fixed omega cannon firing problems caused by ship having no energy,
      but, none-the-less, charging. 
    - Omega cannon charge is now always displayed when switching 
      to Omega cannon
    - Cruise text no longer overwrites other text on high-res HUD
    - Ambient sounds now pause while in automap
    - Made boss robots more responsive in coop and robo-anarchy games
    - Formatting errors in restore game menu were corrected
    - Weapon lock message is now not overwritten by small view windows
    - Fixed marker view window labels to match numbering in automap
    - All-weapons cheat now gives shareware and registered weapons
    - Kill-all-robots cheat no longer kills the boss, making it possible
      to finish level
    - Homing weapons cheat is now reset when a game is loaded or a new
      level is started
    - Wingnut cheat now cleared when a game is loaded or a new level is 
      started
    - Level warp cheat now sets cheater flag
    - Fixed robots becoming invulnerable when using monster-mode cheat
    - Improved boss behavior in coop and robo-anarchy games
    - Killing boss no longer resets the timer in time-limited games
    - Exiting the screen resolution menu without making any changes
      no longer changes window size
    - On level 6, it was possible to get the yellow key without triggering
      the door to exit room
    - Made descent.net & descent.usr files more format-tolerant
    - Fixed restore game menu on 640x400 screen
    - Fixed background redraw bug caused by dying while playing in a
      small window
    - Fixed palette problems on 'prepare for descent' message 
      during demo playback
    - Fixed some problems recognizing a new disc when switching CDs
    - When dying in a secret level after destroying the base level, weapons
      are now lost

                          ͻ
                           9. S3 VIRGE VERSION 
                          ͼ

The version of Descent II for the S3 Virge chipset is shipped as a
seperate executable.  During installation, you will be asked if you
want to install the S3 version.  

If you have installed the S3 version, run Descent II on your Virge 
card, by typing:

   d2v

Note that the current S3 executable is version 1.1.  Features new to
version 1.2 are not present in the S3 version.
   
If you run Windows 3.1 before running Descent II/Virge, you may 
experience graphics problems when you run Descent II/Virge.  If you
experience this, reboot your computer and rerun Descent II.

The S3 Virge version is a DOS executable.  If you want to run under 
Windows 95, please make sure you have done the following:

    - Go into the Control Panel/System/Performance/File System/CD-ROM
      dialog.  First, make sure the Supplemental Cache Size is set to
      Large.  Secondly, if you have a 2x CD-ROM drive, make sure the
      Optimize Access Pattern dialog is set to "Double Speed Drives"
      (if you have a 4x CD, use "Quad Speed Drives", etc.).  This will
      ensure good movie playback.

    - The DOS shell from which you run Descent II/Virge must have the
      correct memory settings.  Bring up the Properties menu, and 
      select the Memory tab.  Under "MS-DOS protected-mode {DPMI}
      memory", select 16384.  If you create an icon to run Descent
      ii/Virge, be sure to make this change to the icons properties.

Other Win95 items:

    - DESCENT II normally uses the PrintScreen key to take screenshots of
      the game.  If you wish for this key to function in the normal fashion,
      go to the Properties/Windows Shortcut Keys dialog.  Make sure the
      checkbox next to "PRTSC" is enabled.  This will restore the Win95
      default setting for this key.

    - Disable any screen savers you have running.  These will interrupt
      gameplay and possibly cause it to lock-up.

    - If you get an "HMI Driver Not Found" error, you should simply
      re-start DESCENT II.

    - Do not switch to another program while running Descent II/Virge.
      This could cause Descent II/Virge to become unstable.


                          ͻ
                           10. TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
                          ͼ

For the support for all your games bought through GOG.com, please visit our Support page at http://www.gog.com/support. 
If you're logged in, go directly to "Support" page, where you can see a list of all your Good Old Games, otherwise you can find the game you're looking for through the smart search. Choose the game that you have problem with, and see whether the solution isn't already posted. If not, go to the "Contact us" page, select "Technical issues with games" and hit "Continue" to send us a message describing your problem. Fill all the required fields with proper data - please enter as much details as you can, this will help us solve your problem faster. All your messages and our replies will appear on your "My Account" page. 




                    ͻ
                     11. DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION 
                    ͼ

                
                    ! DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THIS GAME !
                   DESCENT II IS A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT
                

         Please report Software Piracy to the SPA: 1-800-388-PIR8

If you wish to distribute DESCENT II, grab the 3-level Interactive Demo from
one of the sites listed below.  See Software License below for specific
distribution information of the DESCENT II Interactive Demo.

The DESCENT II INTERACTIVE DEMO (as well as current updates) can be found at
the following locations:

         

               SOFTWARE USE LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE 

  General Produt License.

  This Modem-play Local Area Network version of 'Descent II Private Label 
  for Dos' is intended solely for your personal noncommercial home enter-
  tainment use. You may not decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the 
  Software, except as permitted by law.  Interplay Productions and Parallax 
  Software retains all rights, title and interest in the Software including 
  all intellectual property rights embodied therein and derivatives thereof.
  The Software, including, without limitations, all code, data structures,
  characters, images, sounds, text, screen, game play, derivative works
  and all other elements of the Software may not be copied(except as
  provided below), resold, rented, leased, distributed(electronically or
  otherwise), used on pay-per-play, coin-op or other for-charge basis, or
  for any commercial purpose.  Any permissions granted herein are provided
  on a temporary basis and can be withdrawn by Interplay Productions at any
  time.  All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

  Modem and Network Play.

  You may play the Software via modem transmission with another person or
  persons directly without transmission through a third party service or
  indirectly through a third party service only if such service is an
  authorized licensee of Interplay.  Authorized licensee services are
  listed on the Interplay Productions World Wide Web Site Address
  http://www.interplay.com.  This limited right to transmit the Software
  expressly excludes any transmission of the Software or any data streams
  thereof on a commercial basis, including, without limitation, transmitting
  the Software by way of a commercial service which translates the protocols
  or manages or organizes game play sessions.

  Acceptance of License Terms.

  By purchasing and retaining the Software, you assent to the terms and
  restrictions of this limited license.  If you do not accept the terms of
  this limited license, you must retain the software together with all
  packaging, manuals and other material contained therein to the store
  where you purchased the Software for a full refund.

  This software product and the manual are copyrighted and all rights are 
  reserved by Interplay Productions and are protected by the copyright 
  laws that pertain to computer software.  You may not copy the software 
  except that you may make one copy of the software solely for backup or 
  archival purposes.  You may not loan, sell, rent, lease, give, sub 
  license, or otherwise transfer the software (or any copy).  You may not 
  modify, adapt, translate, create derivative works, decompile, 
  disassemble, or otherwise reverse engineer or attempt to reverse 
  engineer or derive source code from, all or any portion of the software 
  or anything incorporated therein or permit or encourage any third party 
  to do so.

        DESCENT COPYRIGHT (C) 1998 PARALLAX SOFTWARE CORPORATION
                           ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

        ALL TRADEMARKS ARE PROPERTY OF INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS
                           ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
    INTERPLAY PRODUCTIONS IS THE EXCLUSIVE LICENSEE AND DISTRIBUTOR.


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