Microsoft KB Archive/184935

Baseball 3D: Contents of Readme.txt File (Part 1)

PSS ID Number: Q184935 Article last modified on 03-12-1999

WINDOWS:1.0

WINDOWS

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The information in this article applies to:

 == Microsoft Baseball 3D, version 1.0 == 

= SUMMARY =

This article contains a partial copy of the Microsoft Baseball 3D version 1.0 Readme.txt file. To view part 2 of the Baseball 3D Readme.txt file, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q184936 Baseball 3D: Contents of Readme.txt File (Part 2)

This file is located on the Baseball 3D CD-ROM in the Baseball 3D folder and in the root directory. This text has not been modified and appears as is.

= MORE INFORMATION =

= README.TXT =

Microsoft Baseball 3D General Issues Readme April 1998

= (c) Copyright 1998 Microsoft Corporation =

Welcome to Microsoft Baseball 3D.

This file contains important information about version 1.0 of Microsoft Baseball 3D. If you are looking for information on 3D video card drivers or other 3D card issues, please check the Driver and 3D Card Information help file on the installation CD or on the Windows Start menu where Baseball 3D is installed.

Other Sources of Information on Baseball 3D:

The online Player’s Guide for Baseball 3D includes helpful information on playing the game and maximizing your machine’s performance. To access the Player’s Guide, click the Help button in the upper right corner of any pre-game screen and then click Player’s Guide.

Important information for Windows 98 users:

Because Baseball 3D was released before Windows 98, we were only able to test it with some of the 3D card drivers that are optimized for Windows 98. If you are running Windows 98 and have trouble running Baseball 3D or displaying the game graphics, check with your 3D card manufacturer for an updated display driver. For card manufacturer contact information, see the Driver and 3D Card Information help file on the Windows Start menu where Baseball 3D is installed.

Important note for ATI Rage Pro AGP card owners running Windows 98:

If you have an ATI Rage Pro AGP 3D card (such as All-in-Wonder Pro, XPERT@Play, XPERT@Work, or XPERT XL) and you’re running Windows 98, Baseball 3D will not run on your system with the video driver that is included with Windows 98 or on the Baseball 3D CD-ROM. You should visit the ATI Web site for an updated Rage Pro display driver that has a build number greater than 4.10.2323. Point your Web browser to the following address:

http://www.atitech.com/

To install the driver, follow the ATI installation instructions, or see the Driver and 3D Card Information help file on the Windows Start menu where Baseball 3D is installed.

Try the Microsoft CART Precision Racing trial version:

Push the limits of racing reality first hand! Try the CART Precision Racing trial version that is included on the Baseball 3D CD-ROM. From Windows Explorer, open your CD-ROM drive (make sure the Baseball 3D CD is in the drive). Open the folder and double-click Mscart.exe. Follow the installation instructions.

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Contents


 * 1) System Requirements
 * 2) 3D Card Notes 2.1 Getting 3D card and driver information 2.2 3D graphics acceleration required 2.3 Restart computer after enabling 3Dfx card 2.4 Diamond Monster 3D II users should use drivers on CD
 * 3) Game Play and Graphics Issues 3.1 Restart Baseball 3D after changing screen resolution 3.2 Baseball 3D closes after changing screen resolution during game 3.3 Tips for improving graphics 3.4 Graphics may not display correctly in the game 3.5 Results for season-ending tiebreaker game
 * 4) Game Performance Tips and Issues 4.1 Tips for improving frame rate 4.2 Change screen resolution to improve performance 4.3 Game may have refresh rate problems with older monitors 4.4 Sound stutters or chirps on some systems
 * 5) General Manager Notes 5.1 About the General Manager 5.2 How to save GM changes for a Season in progress 5.3 How to save GM changes for a new Season 5.4 How to save GM changes for Single Game play 5.5 Retrieving Baseball 3D’s default player database 5.6 Player portraits don’t display with minimum or typical install
 * 6) Game Controller Notes and Issues 6.1 Do not switch game controllers while game is open 6.2 Diagonal controls may not work on some keyboards 6.3 Default controller commands cannot be changed 6.4 Game does not support two-button controllers
 * 7) Microsoft Technical Support 7.1 When You Have a Question 7.2 Online Self-Help Tools 7.3 Other Self-Help Tools 7.4 Direct Assistance with a Microsoft Technical Support Engineer 7.5 Other Microsoft Services

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================================ 1. System Requirements =============================================

To play Microsoft Baseball 3D, you need:


 * Microsoft Direct 3D-compliant 3D graphics accelerator card with at least 2 MB of VRAM
 * Multimedia PC with 133 MHz or higher processor
 * Microsoft Windows 95 operating system
 * 16 MB of RAM (32 recommended)
 * 45 MB of available hard disk space
 * Quad-speed CD-ROM drive
 * Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
 * Windows 95-compatible sound board
 * Headphones or speakers (recommended)
 * Supports force feedback hardware compatible with Microsoft Direct Input API

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================================ 2. 3D Card Notes =============================================

2.1 Getting 3D card and driver information:

Baseball 3D requires that you have a DirectX-compliant 3D graphics accelerator card installed in order to run the game. For the game to run correctly with your card, you should have the most up-to-date drivers installed. For information on 3D card and video driver issues (including how to get and install drivers), please see the Driver and 3D Card Information help file. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, Microsoft Games, Baseball 3D, and then click Driver and 3D Card Information.

2.2 3D graphics acceleration required:

Many computers come with 2D graphics accelerator cards. However, Baseball 3D requires that your card supports 3D graphics acceleration. If your video card does not support 3D graphics acceleration, the game will not run. Baseball 3D will work with many 3D accelerator cards, including cards by Diamond, Creative Labs, ATI, Matrox, VideoLogic, STB, Sierra, Canopus, Intergraph, and Hercules. It will also work with cards based on chip sets and technologies by Rendition, 3Dfx, PowerVR, Matrox, ATI, Cirrus Logic, 3DLabs, S3, and Nvidia.

See the Driver and 3D Card Information help file for more information. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, Microsoft Games, Baseball 3D, and then click Driver and 3D Card Information.

2.3 Restart computer after enabling 3Dfx card:

If you enable your 3Dfx card, restart your computer before starting Baseball 3D. Otherwise, the game may not run.

2.4 Frame rate is slow with Diamond Monster 3D II card:

Baseball 3D’s frame rate is slow using the Diamond Monster 3D II card with the retail driver version (mnstr2.drv version 4.10.1.200). To speed up the frame rate, use the driver available on the Baseball 3D CD-ROM. For installation instructions, see the Driver and 3D Card Information help file. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, Microsoft Games, Baseball 3D, and then click Driver and 3D Card Information. Browse for the topic Updating Video Drivers for 3Dfx Cards.

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================================ 3. Game Play and Graphics Issues =============================================

3.1 Restart Baseball 3D after changing screen resolution:

On some systems, you may need to restart Baseball 3D after changing your screen resolution in the Options/Performance dialog box. Baseball 3D may not run correctly if you do not close and restart the game.

3.2 Baseball 3D closes after changing screen resolution during game:

Baseball 3D may quit if you change your screen resolution while a game is in progress. Depending on your system, there are a few things you can do. First and foremost, always change your screen resolution before starting a game. If you are playing a game and decide you want to change the resolution, quit the game first. If Baseball 3D has already closed, try restarting Baseball 3D and/or your computer. If the game does not restart, uninstall and then reinstall the game. If that does not work, then remove and reinstall the driver for your card.

3.3 Tips for improving graphics:

On some systems, you may occasionally encounter problems with the in-game graphics. However, there is usually a simple solution for getting the graphics to display correctly. Following is a list of adjustments you can make to improve your graphics display. See section 3.3 for a list of specific issues.


 * Try turning off Mip Mapping and/or Triple Buffering in the Performance dialog box on the Options menu.
 * Press CTRL+F5 in the game to refresh the graphics. This may take several seconds to complete.
 * Press CTRL+F7 in the game to toggle between Draw Primitive and Execute Buffer modes. This may help if you see blue flashing on the screen.
 * Close and restart the game. Sometimes, refreshing the graphics may not repair a graphics issue. In this case, try closing and restarting the game.

3.4 Graphics may not display correctly in the game:

Following is a list of issues that may affect the game graphics, followed by things you can do to improve the situation.

Sample graphics issues:


 * Textures turn white after changing screen resolution during a game. On some systems, player faces and uniforms may turn white after you change the screen resolution during a game. If this happens, you must close and restart the game to fix the problem.
 * Pink outline on graphics. On some systems, you might see a pink outline on graphics in the game. If you encounter this, you can try to improve the graphics by turning OFF triple buffering in the Performance dialog box on the Options menu.
 * Graphics may display in the wrong place on screen. If you encounter this problem, you can try to improve the graphics by turning OFF mip mapping and triple buffering in the Performance dialog box on the Options menu.
 * Parts of outfield may not display correctly. On some systems, parts of the outfield graphics may not display correctly (for example, some may appear white). You can try to fix this problem by turning OFF mip mapping in the Performance dialog box on the Options menu.
 * Graphics may not display correctly after returning to game. On some systems, the in-game graphics may not display correctly (for example, colors are wrong) after returning to game play from another application or a pre-game screen. If you encounter this problem, press CTRL + F5 to refresh the graphics. The refresh process may take several seconds.
 * Field radar does not display correctly. On some systems, the field radar graphic may sometimes appear out of place on screen (should be in top right corner). The graphic may also look discolored or messy at times. In both cases, press CTRL + F5 to refresh the graphics. The refresh process may take several seconds.

3.5 Results for season-ending tiebreaker game:

If there is a tie in the standings at the end of a season, Baseball 3D simulates a tiebreaker game to determine the playoff participants and displays the score for you in a dialog box. However, the game score will not appear on the season schedule.

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================================ 4. Game Performance Tips and Issues =============================================

4.1 Tips for improving frame rate:

On some systems, you can improve the game’s frame rate by disabling the synchronize vertical refresh feature (sometimes called “Vsync in flip”). If the game is running slowly and your 3D card includes the option to disable vertical refresh, try disabling this feature. To determine if your 3D card includes this feature, right-click on your Windows desktop and click Properties. If there is a tab for your 3D card in the Display Properties dialog box, click to open it. Look for a checkbox for the vertical refresh feature and turn it off. If your card lets you manually set the refresh rate, you may find that changing it from 60Hz may improve your frame rate when running at resolutions other than 640x480. If you experience graphics problems in the game after changing these options, you can switch these options back to the original settings.

4.2 Change screen resolution to improve performance:

When Baseball 3D is started, it automatically selects a screen resolution based on your computer’s configuration. You can change the default screen resolution to try to improve the game’s performance on your system. On the Options menu, go to the Performance dialog box and select a lower screen resolution if you want to improve the speed at which the game runs. Select a higher resolution (if available) to improve the game graphics.

NOTE: You should restart Baseball 3D after changing the screen resolution.

4.3 Game may have refresh rate problems with older monitors:

If you run Baseball 3D on a system with an older monitor (5 or more years), you may have trouble finding a monitor refresh rate setting that works with the game. If your screen displays only wavy lines when you start the game, you should try changing the refresh rate in your Windows Display Properties.

4.4 Sound stutters or chirps on some systems:

On some systems, there are conflicts between the video card, sound card, and CD-ROM drive that may cause stuttering or chirping sounds during game play. You can try a few things to prevent the stuttering or chirping:


 * In the Performance dialog box on the Options menu, turn OFF triple buffering and switch to LOW player detail.
 * In the Sound dialog box on the Options menu, try turning off some of the sound options, such as crowd noise.
 * In single game play, choose a different stadium on the Select Teams screen.
 * If you used the “Typical” installation size and sound stutters during a game, try reinstalling the game using the “Full” installation size.

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================================ 5. General Manager Notes =============================================

5.1 About the General Manager:

The General Manager is a separate application from Baseball 3D that lets you edit players and rosters, trade players, create players, and change default starting lineups. You can open the General Manager by clicking the Windows Start button, then clicking Microsoft Games, Baseball 3D, General Manager. It cannot be opened when Baseball 3D is open. See the General Manager topics in the online Player’s Guide for information on using the application.

5.2 How to save GM changes for a Season in progress:

When you have a season in progress, do the following to make your General Manager changes appear in that season.

CAUTION: If you save the database as “currentseason.dat”, you will overwrite the copy of Baseball 3D’s default database on your hard disk. In order to retrieve the original default database, you will need to start a new season, thus deleting all saved results. See section 5.5.


 * 1) Open the General Manager and click the Open button.
 * 2) Select the current season database and click Open.
 * 3) Make your changes and then click Save.
 * 4) In the Save dialog box, select the database that is currently open, then click Save.
 * 5) Close the General Manager.
 * 6) Open Baseball 3D and click Season to resume your current season. Your changes will appear in the rosters and in game play.

Note: These changes do not affect Single Game play. See section 5.4.

5.3 How to save GM changes for a new Season:

If you want to start a new season that includes changes you make in the General Manager, do the following.


 * 1) In Baseball 3D, click Options on any pre-game screen, then click Start New Season. This will save a new season database over your current season.
 * 2) Select a league configuration and click OK.
 * 3) Close Baseball 3D.
 * 4) Open the General Manager and click the Open button.
 * 5) Select the database with the name of the league configuration you selected above. If you selected “1998 MLB Season (CD)”, then select “currentseason” and click Open.
 * 6) Make your changes in the GM and then click Save.
 * 7) In the Save dialog box, select the database that is currently open, then click Save.
 * 8) Close the General Manager.
 * 9) Open Baseball 3D and click Season. This will start a new season that includes your General Manager changes.

NOTE: These changes do not affect Single Game play. See section 5.4.

5.4 How to save GM changes for Single Game play:

If you want to make changes in the General Manager that appear in Single game play, do the following.


 * 1) Open the General Manager.
 * 2) If you want to open a specific database, click Open and select the database file.
 * 3) Click Open.
 * 4) Make your changes in the GM and then click Save.
 * 5) Type a name for your database (such as “myseason”) and then click Save. The name must end in “season.” The database should not be saved as currentseason.dat.
 * 6) Close the General Manager.
 * 7) Open Baseball 3D and click Options on any pre-game screen, then click Start New Season.
 * 8) Click OK to overwrite your current season.
 * 9) In the league configuration dialog box, select your new database (myseason) and click OK.
 * 10) On the Choose Game screen, click Single Game. From there you can set up a game that includes your changes.

5.5 Retrieving Baseball 3D’s default player database:

If you save changes in the General Manager as currentseason.dat, you will overwrite the copy of Baseball 3D’s default database –“1998 MLB Season”– that is on your hard disk. In order to retrieve this database, you will need to start a new season, which deletes all currently saved information. If you want to be able to use your changes in the General Manager over several different seasons, you should save all GM changes as a different name that ends in “season.dat” (such as myseason.dat). Then, when you start Baseball 3D, go to the Options menu and click Start New Season. In the Select League Configuration dialog box, select the name of your new database (myseason.dat).

5.6 Player portraits do not display with minimum or typical install:

In order to see player portraits within the General Manager, you must use the Maximum installation option. If you used the Typical or Minimum installation option, you will not see a portrait when you edit a player.


 * End of Part 1 -

Additional query words: 1.00 msgame read me setup install installation hints troubleshooting howto

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========================================================= Keywords : kbreadme kbimu msgame bball3d kbfaq Version : WINDOWS:1.0 Platform : WINDOWS Issue type : kbinfo ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.