
                	 JAGGED ALLIANCE 2
                     Readme File - May 1999
                          Version 1.0.0.1



       TABLE OF CONTENTS

       1.0 Installation
       2.0 Computer Requirements
       3.0 Video Troubleshooting
       4.0 Sound Troubleshooting
       5.0 Technical Tips
       6.0 Driver Update Web Links
       7.0 Manual Addendum
       8.0 Customer Service
       9.0 End-user License Agreement



------------------
(1.0) INSTALLATION
------------------


(1.0.1) Installing the Game
-------------------------------

1.	Place the Jagged Alliance 2 Install CD in the CD drive. Follow 
	the on-screen prompts.

	If you insert the Install CD in the drive, and a menu screen does 
	NOT appear, then:  

1.	Click on My Computer, then click on the icon for your CD drive.
2.	Click on the Setup program.  Follow the on-screen prompts.


(1.1) Installation Options
---------------------------

When you install JA2 for the first time, you have the choice of various
installation sizes. We recommend that you use the largest possible
installation option for your hard drive. The more room JA2 has on your
hard drive, the smoother the game will play.

In addition, when you run JA2, you will need around 30 MBs of free hard
drive space for files that are created when playing and for saving games.
The game will warn you whenever you become low on hard drive space.


(1.2) Play CD
-------------

Regardless of the Installation option, in order to play JA2 you will
be required to insert the JA2 Play CD in the drive from which you
installed the game. The game will not run without this disc in your 
the CD-ROM drive.


(1.2.1) Multiple CD-ROM Drives
------------------------------

If you have more than one CD-ROM drive installed, or have a CD-ROM drive
and a CD-R Drive, you can run into problems with the Play CD. If you
installed from your CD-ROM drive but try to play the game from the 2nd CD
drive, JA2 will not find the Play CD. To get around this problem, you will
need to edit the 'JA2.INI' file at the root of your installed JA2 directory.
On the 2nd line where it states "CD=X"; 'X' is the drive letter for your
Play CD CD-ROM drive. Make the change, save the changes, and then start the
game. Everything should work fine.


(1.3) Improving game performance
--------------------------------

Gameplay performance can be increased depending on the size of the install.
Choosing a full install will maximize performance and enjoyment, whereas a
minimum install will result in wait-states while your CD-ROM is accessed.
If you have a slow CD-ROM drive, or one that has a long spin-up cycle and
you did not perform a full installation, you do not need to re-install JA2.

To speed up gameplay, you will need about 350 MBs of free hard disk space
on the JA2-installed volume.

- Insert the JA2 Play CD into your CD-ROM drive.
- Select and copy 'Speech.slf' into your '\JA2\Data' directory.

The game can be further sped-up by copying another file; 'NPC_Speech.slf'.
You will still need to have the JA2 Play CD in your drive to play.


(1.4) Game Hints
----------------

If you're having trouble getting started, read the opening Tutorial section
of the manual. The Tutorial walks you through the opening steps of JA2.

If you have an Internet connection, you can join public message boards that
cater to strategy gaming discussions. An example of a popular Jagged Alliance
board is 'Terra Virtua'. Membership is free. The web address is:

   http://www.terravirtua.com/



---------------------------
(2.0) COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
---------------------------

Minimum Computer Specs:

Intel Pentium(TM) 133 MHz
Windows(R) 95/98/NT 4.0 SP3
16 MB Memory
DirectX 2.0
Video card that supports 16-bit DirectDraw calls. 
100% Windows 95 compatible Mouse and Sound card.
4x CD-ROM drive.
External speakers.


Recommended Computer Specs:

Intel Pentium-MMX(TM) 166 MHz
Windows(R) 95/98/NT 4.0 SP3
32 MB Memory
DirectX 6.1 (or later)
DirectX certified 4MB PCI/AGP Video card (see notes below)
DirectX certified ISA/PCI Sound card
6x (or faster) CD-ROM drive.
External speakers w/ Sub-woofer.


(2.1) OS Compatibility
----------------------

Jagged Alliance 2 has been tested under the following OS's:

- Windows 95, 95a, 95b, OSR 2.0, OSR 2.1
- Windows 98, Windows 98 OSR 2.0
- Windows 2000 Professionnal, Beta 3.


(2.2) CPU Compatibility
-----------------------

Jagged Alliance has been tested on the following processors:

- Intel Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Celeron, Celeron-A.
- AMD K6, K6-2
- Cyrix 686

At the time of release, JA2 does not offer AMD 3D-Now! nor
Intel Pentium-III SSE instruction optimizations.


---------------------------
(3.0) Video Troubleshooting
---------------------------

Jagged Alliance 2 is one of the first 16-bit DirectDraw games. We've
noticed problems with some video cards that don't appear to fully
support 16-bit DirectDraw. If you are experiencing poor performance
that does not correlate with the general speed of your machine, chances
are your video card driver does not fully support 16-bit DirectDraw calls.
We've tested a number of video cards that have display problems. There are
three identified problems with video cards:

- Incompatible Drivers
- Old or problematic BIOS versions
- DirectX driver certification.

We hope this section will correct any problems you may have.


(3.1) Matrox Millenium I
------------------------

If you have this card, you may experience sluggish video performance.
Based on tester feedback, we recommend you install Matrox's PowerDesk
v3.63 drivers in conjunction with MS DirectX 5.2. Installing Matrox's latest
driver, PowerDesk 4.12, may not correct the slowdown problem.

To download PowerDesk v4.12, please follow this link:

   ftp://ftp.matrox.com/pub/mga/millennm/win95/1677_412.exe

If this does not help, see the 'Diamond Stealth II S220' notes below.

In addition, Matrox has released a Unified BIOS update for most cards.
This update will 're-program' the BIOS chip on your video card, often
times adding or even correcting troublesome compatibility.

Please follow this link to obtain the BIOS update. Please note that
'Flashing' your BIOS improperly can ruin your card. Make sure to read
any enclosed readme files with the Matrox BIOS flasher.

   http://www.matroxusers.com/BIOS/Bios/setup345.zip


(3.1.1) Matrox Millenium II
---------------------------

A few reports have be recieved that the Millenium II has similar problems
as the Millenium I. The latest drivers for this card cand be found at:

   http://www.matroxusers.com/Driver/win98/1677_426.exe


(3.1.2) Matrox G200 Series
--------------------------

We've heard mixed reports from G200 users that performance is slower
than expected on this card. We recommend that you download the latest
drivers from Matrox. Early reports indicate that this has corrected
problems with JA2 and Windows 95/98.

Latest Non-certified Driver:

   http://www.matroxusers.com/Driver/win98/1677_451.exe

Latest Certified Driver:

   http://www.matroxusers.com/Driver/Win9x/w9x_430.exe


(3.2) Matrox Mystique 220
-------------------------

Isolated cases of Mystique 220 users have reported a similar slowdown.
Although we don't have a formal solution for this card, we recommend that
you download and install the Matrox Mystique 220 v3.82 drivers from this link: 

   http://www.matroxusers.com/Driver/Win95/1677_382.exe

If this does not help, see the 'Diamond Stealth II S220' notes below.


(3.3) Voodoo Rush cards
-----------------------

Single board Voodoo Rush-based cards such as the Alliance AT25 and Intense 3D
with 6MB VRAM have shown cursor redraw errors. Graphics around a moving cursor
are distorted between screen scrolls. Although we tested these cards,
the solution we have is only a work-around. This card is no longer sold,
and as such, drivers are no longer updated.

Please follow the Diamond Stealth resolution to correct issues with this card.

Current 3Dfx Reference Driver version - 4.10.01.2073


(3.3.1) Voodoo Banshee cards
----------------------------

(3Dfx Interactive finally released Public Reference Drivers to OEM
manufacturers. Until Non-Reference board makers can issue their own
tailored drivers, we cannot provide adequate support for the Banshee.)

Current 3Dfx Reference Driver version-4.01.0234.100   BIOS-1.02.02 (v1.0)

The 3Dfx Banshee chipset can be found on the following cards (PCI & AGP):

Creative Labs 3D Blaster Banshee
Diamond Multimedia Monster Fusion
Guillemot MaxiGamer Phoenix
Quantum3D Raven
Power Color EvilQueen


(3.4) Diamond Stealth II S220
-----------------------------

Once again, tester feedback has helped us find a work-around for sluggish
performance with this card. With DirectX installed, the DirectDraw
'Hardware Acceleration' option is turned-on by default. Turning it off seems
to help scrolling and frame rates on the Stealth II S220 and in many instances,
for the above mentioned Matrox cards as well. To turn it off, follow one of
these two methods:

a) Got to the Start button in your Task Bar.
b) Select 'Find' and search for "DXTool".
c) Launch DXTool.
d) A screen of DirectX info will appear. Deselect the 'Use DirectDraw Hardware
   Acceleration' option.
e) Click 'OK' to close and quit DXTool.


If you have the 'DirectX' control panel installed, follow these steps:

a) Go to the Start button in your Task Bar.
b) Select 'Settings', and then 'Control Panel'.
c) Open the DirectX control panel.
d) Go to the DirectDraw tab.
e) Uncheck the 'Use Hardware Acceleration' option. Click on 'OK'.



--------------------------------
(4.0) Sound Card Troubleshooting
--------------------------------


(4.1) Ensoniq AudioPCI
----------------------

This card is now supported and re-manufactured by Creative Labs.
When scrolling during combat, this card may produce some skipping.
Older drivers produce more skip, whereas newer drivers produce less.
Please download these drivers to decrease or solve this problem:

   http://www.soundblaster.com/wwwnew/tech/ftp/ftpnew.html


(4.2) MonsterSound series
-------------------------

This includes the M80, MX200, and MX300 PCI boards.
We have heard some reports that the in-game music may sound garbled.
Please download the latest drivers:

   http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/driver-index.html


(4.3) Sound Blaster Live
------------------------

Although we have not heard of any problems with this card, we do
recommend that you download the latest Live! drivers from Creative:

   http://www.soundblaster.com/wwwnew/tech/ftp/ftpnew.html


--------------------
(5.0) Technical Tips
--------------------

A general rule of thumb with Video cards is to ensure that you have the latest
driver available. However, since Jagged Alliance 2 has 16-bit DirectDraw calls,
not all new drivers solve this issue. In some cases, your problems may lie with
other system-related problems. Please follow these guidelines to help solve any
other problems you may have:

(5.1)  Installing DirectX 6.1 may not help, as drivers need to be certified
       to work properly. Reverting your system to DirectX 5.0 or 5.2 may help
       with your card if your manufacturer has not updated its drivers.

(5.2)  If you have Windows 98 on your computer, older cards may not be fully
       compatible. Check your card manufacturer's web site for info on Win 98
       driver updates.


(5.3)  If your computer crashes frequently, run Scandisk by right-clicking on
       your hard drive(s) and selecting Properties. Severe mapping errors on
       drives could lead to crashes in JA2 or your operating system when
       saving games etc. Scandisk under Window NT may require you to restart.

(5.4)  If you have more than 32 MBs of memory and are experiencing poor
       performance due to hard disk swapping, you may have fragmented hard
       disk space. Defragment your hard disk(s) to improve performance.

(5.5)  If your system performs erratically and you cannot pinpoint the problem,
       you may want to scan your computer's hard disks for viruses. Certain
       recent viruses such as the 'Win32 CIH' virus infect games and cause them
       to misbehave. If you are a frequent Internet downloader, you may be
       infected with a strain of the Win32 CIH virus.

(5.6)  If you use an early generation DVD-ROM drive, and use this as your Play
       CD source and experience Cinematic or speech stuttering errors, there is
       a solution. Go to your System Properties control panel, select Device
       Manager, click on CDROM, and then select the properties for your CD-ROM
       device. When the CD-ROM properties window appears, select the Settings
       tab, and check-on the 'DMA' box. Restart your PC to effect changes.

       Likewise, if you have a Pentium-II or Celeron class PC, you can increase
       hard disk performance by enabling DMA-buffering. To do this, Go to your
       System Properties control panel, select Device Manager, select System
       Devices in the list, open it and select Direct Memory Access Controller.
       Open its properties, select the Settings tab, and check-on 'Reserve DMA
       Buffer'. Set its Reserved Kbytes to '64'. Close all windows and restart.


(5.7) DirectX Certification
---------------------------

Depending on which version of MS DirectX you have, your 2D video card(s)
and sound card need to be certified for use with it. We strongly recommend
that you verify that this is in fact the case.

Although JA2 requires a minimum of MS DirectX 2.0 to play, Microsoft has
released several new versions since. The newest versions add compatibility
for 3D acceleration, 3D sound, and online gaming. The most common version of
DirectX is v5.0. Hence, most shipping drivers should be DirectX 5.0 certified.

If you have installed DirectX 6.1, chances are that your sound and
video cards may not be certified for use with this version. OEMs are slowly
adding compatibility for DirectX 6.1 as most new Direct3D games require it.
Please check with your video and sound card company's website for the latest
DirectX 5.0 or 6.1 certified drivers. If you would like to upgrade your
copy of DirectX to the latest version, please follow this URL link:

   http://www.microsoft.com/directx/default.asp 


-----------------------------
(6.0) Driver Update Web Links
-----------------------------

Most manufacturers release new software drivers to correct bugs or add
compatibility to new operating systems. If you are experiencing
video and/or sound card problems with Jagged Alliance 2, we recommend
you upgrade your drivers to the latest available versions. At the
time of press, listed below were the most recent software drivers.


(6.1) Video Card Drivers
------------------------

Acer Peripherals
(PA Card Family)
   http://www.aopen.com.tw/tech/addon/default.htm

ATI Technologies
(Mach 32, Mach 64, Rage II series, Rage Pro, Rage 128)
   http://support.atitech.ca/

Canopus Corporation
(Spectra 2500, Total3D 128V)
   http://www.canopusvideo.com/support.htm

Creative Labs
(Graphics Blaster, 3D Blaster family)
   http://www.soundblaster.com/wwwnew/tech/ftp/

Diamond Multimedia
(Stealth & Viper family)
   http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/driver-index.html

Matrox
(Millenium I & II, Mystique, G100, G200 family)
   http://www.matrox.com/mgaweb/drivers/home.htm
   http://www.matroxusers.com/

S3
(S3 Virge, Trio, Savage3D)
   http://www.s3.com/bbs/0main/topindex.htm

STB Systems
(Velocity 4400)
   http://www.stb.com/drivers/

Trident
   http://www.tridentmicro.com/trident/html/drivers.htm


(6.2) Sound Card Drivers
------------------------

Avance Logic
(ALS Series)
   http://www.realtek.com.tw/cp/download.htm

Cirrus Logic
(Crystal Dynamics)
   http://www.cirrus.com/drivers/audiodrv/win_95.html

Creative Labs
(SoundBlaster 16/32/AWE, 128PCI, Ensoniq, Live!)
   http://www.soundblaster.com/wwwnew/tech/ftp/ftpnew.html

Diamond Multimedia
(Monster Sound, Sonic Impact, Sonic Sound)
   http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/driver-index.html

ESS Technology
(ESS488, ESS688, ESS1488, ESS1688, ESS18xx)
   http://www.esstech.com/Technical/drivers/downloadable/drivers/driver.htm

Jaton
(SonicWave 4D)
   http://www.jaton.com/web/support1.htm

S3
(SonicVibes)
   http://www.s3.com/bbs/617drv/index.htm

Yamaha
(DB50XG, SW1000XG, WF192D, WF192XG)
   http://www.yamaha.com/ycaservice/frame2.htm



-------------------------
(7.0) JA2 Manual Addendum
-------------------------

(7.1) Automatic Save Games
-----------------------------------
If you create a file named AutoSave.pls and place it in the same folder
where JA2 is installed, the game will automatically be saved during turn
based combat as soon as you hit "done" (turn). The save will either be
named "auto00.sav" or "auto01.sav" (they alternate every turn). These
are regular saves that can simply be renamed and loaded from the normal
Load Game screen. They also can be loaded without renaming them
using ALT+A (for the LATEST save) and ALT+B (for the older one) from 
the Load Game screen.

Note that it doesn't matter what the contents of the AutoSave.pls file
is; the program merely checks for the existence of the file.



----------------------
(8.0) Customer Service
----------------------


(8.1) Technical Support 
-----------------------

[Contact information for localization partners]



--------------------------------
(9.0) End-user License Agreement
--------------------------------

Jagged Alliance 2 Copyright  1999 Sir-Tech Canada, Limited.
All rights reserved.

No part of this software or printed material may be reproduced in any way,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior permission in writing
from the publisher, except from reviewers, who may quote brief written
passages to be printed or quoted in a magazine, newspaper, radio, or
television.

Jagged Alliance(TM) is a registered trademark of 1259191 Ontario Inc.
Other trademarked names are the property of their individual owners and
use of such names without mention of trademark status is not a challenge
to their status.

Win95, Windows 95, Win98, Windows 98, Windows NT, DirectX, DirectDraw,
DirectSound are copyrights of Microsoft Corporation.
All other products are trademarks of their respective owners.
