Playing Diablo Over Battle Net example essay topic

A Quick Note From The Designers First of all, thank you very much for buying Diablo. We have worked hard to create a game that you will want to spend many, many hours playing. To further that end, we have added some features in Diablo that may not be apparent at first glance. Diablo is a VERY different play experience depending on which character class you choose.

The tactics and strategies employed by the Warrior, for instance, would be sheer folly for a Sorcerer to attempt. Many high level items and spells will only be useable by certain classes. After you defeat Diablo, try another game with a different character class. You won't be disappointed.

Diablo also randomly generates every level of the labyrinth, including the rooms, hallways, lights, shrines, fountains, cauldrons, pools, special themed areas, treasures and monsters. The list just goes on, but what it boils down to is each time you enter a new level within the labyrinth, you will have new things to do and discover. Finally, Diablo takes on an entirely different feel when you are in a multiplayer game. The interaction that occurs, the new strategies and the difference in how you have to think all make for a very exciting and very new experience. Again, thank you for grabbing that Diablo box off of the shelf. Always remember: If you think you " ve found everything - you " re wrong...

Blizzard Entertainment DIABLO Copyright (c) 1996 BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, All rights reserved Diablo and Battle. net are trademarks and Blizzard Entertainment is a trademark of Davidson and Associates, Inc. For news and updates visit web Contents: 1. Hints, Tips & Tactics 2. Windows 95, Windows NT & Microsoft DirectX 3. Video Cards 4. Sound Cards 5.

Virtual Memory Settings 6. Multiplayer Diablo 6. a. Playing Diablo over Battle. net 6. b. Connecting to Battle. net through America Online 6. c.

Playing Diablo over a Local Area Network 6. d. Playing Diablo over a Modem 6. e. Playing Diablo over a Serial Cable Connection 7. Software Compatibility 7. a. Microsoft PowerToys 7. b. NEC Merlin 8.

Video Playback 9. Updates, Patches & General Troubleshooting 10. Uninstalling 10. a. Uninstalling Diablo 10. b. Uninstalling Battle. net 1. Hints, Tips & Tactics Keyboard Shortcuts: F 1: Open Help Screen Esc: Display Main Menu Tab: Display Auto-map Space: Hide all info screens S: Open Speedbook B: Open Spell book I: Open Inventory screen C: Open Character screen Q: Open Quest log F: Reduce screen brightness G: Increase screen brightness Z: Zoom Game Screen + / -: Zoom Auto map 1 - 8: Use Belt item Caps Lock: Toggle between Player Friendly and Player Attack F 5, F 6, F 7, F 8: Set hot key for skill or spell F 9, F 10, F 11, F 12: Send Macro message in multiplayer Shift + Left Click: Attack without moving CASTING SPELLS USING THE SPEEDBOOK Left-clicking on the "readied spell" button will open the "Speedbook" which allows you to select a skill or spell for immediate use.

To use a readied skill or spell, simply right-click in the main play area. USING ARCHITECTURE AS A TACTICAL POSITION There are many place in the labyrinth that the character can use to his advantage when in combat. Two basic examples of these are barrels and doorways. Barrels not only are sources of hidden treasures, but they also provide excellent blocking terrain for ranged attacks. Since barrels can be have spells or arrows fired over them, a sorcerer or rogue properly positioned behind a cluster of barrels can fight back a large group of oncoming creatures.

Doorways can also be used very effectively for singling out monsters when encountered in large groups. If you are swarmed by a large group of creatures in the labyrinth, an excellent tactic is to position your character just on the other side of a doorway and take them on one at a time as they enter into the doorway. There are numerous other areas within the labyrinth that can be used as strong tactical positions by players who are looking for them. Keep your eyes open and your weapons ready!

RESISTANCE AND IMMUNITY Certain monsters in the labyrinth are resistant or even immune to different types of magic. After killing several monsters of the same type, your character will learn the resistances and immunities that these creatures have. Unique creatures (those whose names are displayed in gold text) may also have resistances or immunities. While your character does not know the immunities or resistances of a unique monster, he will know if some type of immunity or resistance exists. Should you have difficulty killing a unique monster with an attack such as fire bolt, the creature may have a resistance or immunity to fire based attacks. Try using an electrical (lightning) or magical (stone curse) attack instead.

I LOVE THIS GAME, BUT IT'S A LITTLE TOO TOUGH... Depending on the items you find, spells you learn and creatures you encounter, each game will play very differently - even with characters of the same class. Because of the randomness of Diablo, some labyrinths will be more challenging than others. Until you are an expert spelunker, you may find a dungeon too difficult. If this is the case, you can use the 'New Game' option to take your character (complete with stats, experience, and inventory) into a new labyrinth where you can fortify him with additional gold, items, spells, and experience from earlier levels.

2. Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 & Microsoft DirectX Diablo is a Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 game that utilizes Microsoft DirectX. DirectX is included on the Diablo CD and can be installed from the Diablo setup program. Windows NT 4.0 does not require that you install Microsoft DirectX as it is already part of the operating system. For users who are running both Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 on their systems, please note that multiplayer characters created within one will not be available while playing under the other OS (i. e., characters created while playing under Windows 95 are not available while you are playing under Windows NT 4.0) If you have difficulty running Windows 95 after these new Microsoft DirectX drivers have been installed, please contact Microsoft technical support at: USA telephone: 1-800-426-9400 International telephone: 001-206-882-8080 web 3. Video Cards S 3 Vision 968: If you have a video card with a Vision 968 chipset (Diamond Stealth 64 3000 Series, #9 Motion 771, etc.) you will need to obtain the latest DirectX drivers from your video card manufacturer.

As of the release date, many of these cards were still not supported under DirectX 3.0. Tseng chipsets: If you experience problems, use the drivers that come with DirectX 3.0. The drivers that are supplied by Tseng are not compatible as of release date. S 3 Virge 3 D: If you have a card with the Virge 3 D chip, use the Virge driver from the DirectX 3.0 CD and NOT the OEM driver, or the driver from the video card manufacturer. 3 D labs GLINT Delta: As of the release date, these new graphics adapters have Direct Draw drivers that do not work with some applications. You may experience occasional "hard freezes" that will cause your computer to lock up.

Specific drivers that support DirectX may be available in the future. Matrox Millennium: If you have a Matrox Millenium card and are experiencing random lockups or palette glitches, please download the latest version of the video driver from their website. Also, If you are running in a "dual desktop" mode with two Matrox Millennium adapters and two monitors, you must change the desktop size in the display properties to 12801024 or less before running Diablo. For a list of video card manufacturers visit our on-line support at: web 4. Sound Cards Aztec Sound Galaxy: You may notice music skipping on some systems.

This is due to incompatibilities between Windows Direct Sound and the Aztec drivers. As of the release of Diablo the drivers that Aztec supply do not correct this. Specific drivers that support DirectX may be available in the future from Aztec. Diablo requires a Windows 95 compatible sound card. If you should encounter any problems with your sound card, make sure that all current Windows 95 and DirectX compatible drivers are installed and, if necessary, contact your sound card manufacturer.

For a list of sound card manufacturers visit our on-line support at: web 5. Virtual Memory Settings Diablo may need to use more RAM than is present on your system. Windows 95 automatically takes care of this by using what is known as "Virtual Memory" - it uses space on your hard disk to simulate the memory it needs and swaps data back and forth from your hard disk as required. Windows 95 allows you to manually set the amount of hard drive space it uses for Virtual Memory. In our experience, we have found that letting Windows 95 manage your Virtual Memory is easiest and best for performance.

To let Windows 95 manage your virtual memory, go to the Windows 95 START menu, select SETTINGS, CONTROL PANEL, then double-click SYSTEM, click PERFORMANCE, FILE SYSTEM, VIRTUAL MEMORY and then select "Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings (recommended) ". If you are running low on virtual memory, you may need to free up space on your hard drive. 6. Multiplayer Diablo 6. a.

Playing Diablo over Battle. net Battle. net is an Internet gaming service provided by Blizzard Entertainment which allows players to meet up, challenge other players, and join games, all without paying any special connection charges. In order to use Battle. net, your computer must have the TCP / IP protocol installed, and must provide TCP / IP support for 32-bit applications. If you connect to the Internet using Windows Dial-up Networking, and browse the web with Netscape Navigator version 2.0 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, then you probably already have the correct TCP / IP software installed. However, if you connect to the Internet with a proprietary dialer or browse the web with Netscape 1. x or another 16-bit web browser, then it is likely that your system is not configured to support 32-bit applications. In this case, you should contact your Internet Service Provider to obtain updated software.

"I can chat with other users, but I can't join a game". In order to play in a multiplayer game, your system must be able to receive packets of game data (technically, UDP packets) from other players. Some service providers don't allow incoming data of this type, or don't provide users with a unique Internet address to which packets can be sent. If you are unsure whether your provider is blocking this type of connection, please contact them for more information.

If you are trying to play Diablo through a computer that is directly connected to the Internet through your employer or other organization, you should be aware that some companies block certain types of incoming data to their networks. To play multiplayer games on Battle. net, you may have to ask your network administrator to allow incoming UDP packets on port 6112.6. b. Connecting to Battle. net through America Online To connect to Battle. net through AOL, you will need to use the 32-bit Windows 95 AOL client software. If you are unsure as to whether you already have this, please contact AOL directly. Also, AOL's connection to the Internet is often very slow, which can make multiplayer games between AOL users and users of other service providers almost unplayable. 6. c. Playing Diablo over a Local Area Network Diablo supports multiplayer gaming over IPX-compatible networks.

If your computer is connected to a local area network, but you are not sure whether it is IPX compatible or not, ask your network administrator. "I have IPX but I can't join a game, or people can't join my game". Diablo will not play across network segments. If you are not sure whether your network is segmented or not, contact your network administrator.

You should also verify that all computers on the network are using the same frame type. You can change the frame type that a computer uses in the Network section of the Control Panel. For more detailed information on setting up and diagnosing troubles with a Local Area Network, please see the Network. doc file on the Diablo CD. 6. d. Playing Diablo over a Modem To play Diablo over a modem, you must ensure that your modem is configured properly in the Microsoft Windows Modems control panel. "My modem won't dial a number or answer an incoming call". Here are some things to try: - Disable any messaging software such as Comm.

Central or any other answering machine software. - Disable any Fax software that is installed on your system. - Close any other programs which may be using the modem. You should also verify that your modem's INIT string is correct.

Your modem manufacturer will be able to help you with this. For more detailed information on setting up and diagnosing troubles with a Local Area Network, please see the Modem. doc file on the Diablo CD. 6. e. Playing Diablo over a Serial Cable Connection You can play Diablo head to head using a null modem cable. Simply connect the null modem cable to a free serial port on each computer and select Direct Cable Connection from within Diablo. One player should then select Create Game; the other should wait until the game is running, then select Retry Connection to join it. "My direct link setup isn't working."I can get multiplayer games started, but they lock up during gameplay".

You must ensure that the serial port you are using is correctly configured in the Windows control panel. Also, verify that it is not being used by other applications, and that it does not have an IRQ conflict with another serial port, modem, or mouse on your system. If you are unsure how to do this, read the file Serial. doc on the Diablo CD. "Is it true that Diablo supports up to four-player serial games through daisy-chained serial cables" Yes. However, this process is complicated and is recommended only for technically advanced users. For more information, see the file Serial. doc on the Diablo CD.

7. Microsoft PowerToys If you have the Microsoft PowerToys system extensions installed you may experience a black screen upon booting Diablo, although the sounds may still be audible. If this happens, you should remove the Microsoft PowerToys while playing Diablo. 7. b. NEC Merlin If you are using a NEC computer with the Merlin assistant, you may experience video problems when starting the game. If this happens, disable Merlin by removing the icon from your Startup menu and rebooting your computer. For additional information, contact NEC technical support at (800) 632-4554.8.

Video Playback If video playback is slow or choppy on your system, you can adjust the size of the playback window using the Vid Size utility, which is installed in the Diablo directory. 9. Updates, Patches & General Troubleshooting You can check Blizzard's web site (web) for the latest information on updates and patches for Diablo. Also, whenever you connect to Battle. net, your software will automatically be upgraded to the latest version. For more information on Battle. net, see the "Playing Diablo over Battle. net" section in this file. IMPROVING GAME SPEED There is a possibility of slower game play on slower systems while music is playing.

For better performance, the music volume should be set to zero. Music and sound volumes may be set by using the Options menu while playing Diablo. You can change the cache size of your CD-ROM to increase performance and decrease CD load times. This can be done by opening the START menu from your task bar, selecting SETTINGS and then opening the CONTROL PANELS folder. Now open your SYSTEM properties file and select the PERFORMANCE tab. Click on the FILE SYSTEMS button and select the CD-ROM tab.

Every CD-ROM uses different cache sizes and access patterns, so you may need to experiment with these to find the optimum setting for your CD-ROM. If you have less than 16 MB of RAM, you will want to set your cache size to as low as possible. If you have more than 16 MB of RAM and are experiencing slowdown, you can increase cache size if possible. Another method of increasing performance in Diablo is to add RAM to your computer if you are playing on an 8 MB system. Windows 95 uses about 2.5 MB of your available RAM, and this causes Diablo to use virtual memory. This process is slower than using RAM directly, and while the speed of your processor is a factor in the performance of the game, additional memory can greatly enhance your game speed on baseline systems.

PROGRAM CONFLICTS Diablo is a Windows 95 program that is capable of running while other programs are running in the background. For best performance we suggest you shut down all other programs (including your Microsoft Office toolbar) while playing. MULTIPLE CD CHANGERS Diablo supports the use of multiple CD-ROM drives and CD changers on a single system, so please feel free to play your Diablo CD from any properly configured CD-ROM drive. 10. Uninstalling 10. a Uninstalling Diablo Diablo can be uninstalled from the Autorun menu or through the Diablo group in your start menu. When uninstalling Diablo, you will be asked if you also wish to delete your saved games.

Checking this box will delete all saved games of Diablo. Should you wish to keep your saved games on your hard drive, DO NOT check this box when prompted. For users who are running both Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 on their systems, please note that you must uninstall Diablo from the same OS where it was installed (i.e. if you install Diablo under Windows 95, you must uninstall from Windows 95 as well). 10. b Uninstalling Battle. net To uninstall Battle. net you will need to open the START menu from your task bar. Open the CONTROL PANELS folder and select ADD / REMOVE PROGRAMS. You will see Battle. net in the program list and to remove it, select Battle. net and click the Add / Remove button.