You can also post questions or feedback on the http://www.dynamix.com/es3/beta/index.shtml forum. This page requires you to login, use the name "beta_tester" and password "Hampton486"
Our OpenGL driver is currently not finished, and will most likely not be ready until after the game ships.
All bugs should be e-mailed to tribes@dynamix.com. The subject line should read "Beta bug." Please fill out the following when reporting a bug:
If you are not a registered Beta tester, please include information about your computer system and connection to the internet. CPU speed, RAM, video card manufacture, etc.
There will be no more updates or patches to the Beta program, this "Gamma" version of the game is near final and the next copy of TRIBES you get will be the real thing.
If you do post information on the Beta board http://www.dynamix.com/es3/beta/index.shtml don't forget to include the version number of the game. The version of the game is displayed in the lower right corner of the main menu. For the Beta, the version of the client and server must match exactly. There are always a number of different versions of the game being played internally. Those that differ from your version will be grayed out on the Join server screen and you will not be able to join them. If the version column is visible, you can see which version the server is running.
The beta manual, located on the CD in the \manual directory, is just the printed manual, minus the fiction, timeline and descriptions of the four tribes, and of course, none of the fancy formatting. It should be complete and accurate, so feel free to report any discrepancies in the manual as bugs.
Hosting a game with more than a few players takes a fair amount of bandwidth. Hosting over a 28.8 modem connection is not recommended. There will be several servers running here at Dynamix, possibly some up at Sierra NW. For 28.8 modem players, joining a server is recommended.
If you wish to do a little testing without interference, host a game while you are not connected to the internet. You can also limit the number of players allowed or require a password.
If you wish to run a dedicated server, read the Dedicated Servers section below.
Packet rate controls the number of packets per second sent from the server to your client game. Packet size controls the approximate size of each packet. So a packet rate of 10 and a packet size of 200 means that the server will be transmitting to you an average of 2000 bytes per second. Reducing the packet rate and size will reduce the amount of data being sent to you and can help keep your modem connection from clogging up.
Packet frame is how often your client sends move information to the server. A slider currently controls this. Adjusting the slider to the left decreases the number of packets sent. Transmitting too much information on a poor connection can cause packet loss & game lag.
Those of you with faster connections may wish to run dedicated servers.
The dedicated server settings are located in the ServerPrefs.cs file in
the tribes\config directory. This is a plain text file and can be
edited with notepad. The basic variables to modify are the following:
$Server::HostName | This is the name of your host |
$Server::MaxPlayers | Maximum number of players on at one time |
$Server::Info | Information displayed about the server in the Game Info screen |
$Server::Port | The port address to used to communicate with clients |
The other variables will be discussed in more detail on our upcoming Dedicated Servers web page. This new web page currently resides at http://www.tribesplayers.com/tribesplayers/server.Note: This page is still under development.
To start the server, open a DOS box, cd into the TRIBES root directory and type:
infiniteSpawn tribes -dedicated
The inifiniteSpawn program will automatically restart the TRIBES server should it exit prematurely. Shut the server down by pressing the Quit button on the inifiniteSpawn window. TRIBES can be run without infiniteSpawn program, by simply typing from the TRIBES root directory:
tribes -dedicated
Client bandwidth consumption can also be set. The default bandwidth
settings for each client are currently in the ClientPref.cs file in the
tribes\config directory. We recommend you don't change the default
settings.
$pref::packetRate | Maximum packets per second |
$pref::packetSize | Approximate size of each packet (will vary slightly) |
The default values allocate 2K bytes/sec per client; ten packets per second at about 200 bytes each, approximately 16 Kbits. This is data going from the server to the client, bandwidth requirements going the other way are much smaller. If you are running a 32 player game, that's about 500 Kbits, about a third of a T1. If you have a 256 Kbit line, that's 16 players. Again, this is data going from the server (your machine) to the clients. Some connections (such as cable modems, ADSL etc.) can have different download vs. upload bandwidth (or transfer rate), you may have a 256 Kbit download stream but only a 64 Kbit upload. A 64 Kbit upload rate will only support four players. The bandwidth numbers can be adjusted and we will discuss the effect on the game in more depth on the Dedicated Server web page.
If you are playing the game from the same directory that you are hosting a dedicated server, any settings you change in the game on the Create Server Screen or the Options Networking page will be reflect in the ServerPref.cs and ClientPref.cs files.
Here a few problems we know about. Please report any problems you encounter, even if you think we might already know about it (though you could refrain from repeating this list back to us).
If you have a 3Dfx card, make sure you have the latest Glide drivers
installed. Included on the Beta CD in the \3Dfx directory are the latest
reference drivers release by 3Dfx. You may want to check the website of
your card manufacture before you install these.
FILENAME | OS | DESCRIPTION |
rkvg.exe | Win95/98 | Voodoo Graphics Reference Drivers |
oemrushs.exe | Win95/98 | Voodoo Rush (Single Board) Reference Drivers |
oemrushd.exe | Win95/98 | Voodoo Rush (Dual Board) Reference Drivers |
vbw95a.exe | Win95 | Voodoo Banshee AGP SGRAM |
vbw98a.exe | Win98 | Voodoo Banshee AGP SGRAM |
vbw9xp.exe | Win95/98 | Voodoo Banshee PCI |
rkv2.exe | Win95/98 | Voodoo2 Reference Drivers |
nt40vg.exe | NT4.0 | Voodoo Graphics Reference Drivers |
nt40v2.exe | NT4.0 | Voodoo2 Reference Drivers |
vbnt4a.zip | NT4.0 | Voodoo Banshee AGP/PCI |
These drivers are current as of Wednesday, December 9th, 1998. The latest 3Dfx reference drivers are available at http://www.3dfx.com/download/download.html.
The latest information on 3Dfx and Glide can be found at http://www.3dfx.com.
Copyright © 1997 3Dfx Interactive, Inc. The 3Dfx Interactive
logo, Voodoo Graphics and Voodoo Rush are trademarks of 3Dfx Interactive.
The default key bindings are all included in the manual, but here's a quick reference list if you want to hop right in:
A
Strafe Left
D
Strafe Right
S
Run Backward
W
Run Forward
C
Toggle PDA Map
I
Toggle PDA Inventory
O
Toggle PDA Objectives
V
Pop up chat menu
Z
Next Zoom FOV
E
Zoom FOV
R
Toggle First/Third person
Space Jump
P
Use pack (which includes deploy)
T
Global chat
Y
Team chat
U
Toggle chat window size
Ctrl-W Drop weapon
Ctrl-P Drop pack
Ctrl-A Drop ammo (of
selected weapon)
Ctrl-F Drop flag
Esc
To leave mission
1-9
Weapons
M
Throw mine
G
Throw grenade
K
HUD control dialog
Tab
Score list & Server Menu dialog
Alt-Enter Full screen mode
We hope that you enjoy playing Starsiege TRIBES. If you are running in any difficulties in getting the game to operate to your satisfaction, please read further. If the symptoms of the problem obviously point to sound or video issues, concentrate on those sections. Otherwise, please spend a couple of minutes reading the entire section. The time you spend here may well help you get TRIBES running and will help you to be prepared with information that will be helpful if you should need to contact Technical Support.
Section 1: Notes on Connection
If you cannot find a game to join, first check that you are connected to your ISP. If you are but still cannot connect, check your Filter settings. It is possible that they may be set so that no game can meet the criteria entered.
Section 2: Notes on Sound Problems
TRIBES uses DirectSound 6.0, which is a part of Microsoft’s DirectX programming interface, for sound generation. If you are having problems with distorted or no sound, check to make sure that your sound card drivers are DirectSound-compliant. To do so, run DXDIAG; it will be located in your C:\Program Files\DirectX directory on your hard drive. When running DXDIAG, choose the Sound tab. In the upper right corner of the dialog box, look for the line that reads "Certified:" If this says "No", then you should check with the manufacturer of your system or your sound card to determine if DirectX certified drivers are available. If you contact these companies via the Internet, you can usually obtain updated drivers free of charge.
Section 3: Notes on Video Problems
TRIBES supports hardware 3D video acceleration for 3DFX-chipset video cards though the Glide API when running in full-screen mode. When you start the game (or switch to full screen mode) you should see the 3DFX logo to show that you are running with hardware acceleration. As of this writing, we also working to implement software 3D acceleration so the game will work without a dedicated 3D card.
If you are experiencing display problems while in full-screen hardware mode, you’ll want to see if they persist when switching to software mode. Simply hold down the ALT key on the keyboard and press ENTER to switch to windows (software accelerated) mode. If the problems go away when running in a window, the problem is likely related to the device drivers that you are using with your 3D card. Contact the manufacturer of the card to verify that you have the most recent driver with the most current version of Glide. Additionally, you can contact 3DFX, Inc. via the Web at http://www.3dfx.com and directly obtain the most current version of Glide.
If problems occur while running in windowed mode, changing the color depth may help. To change to 16-bit color, right-click on your Windows Desktop and choose Properties from the pop-up menu that appears. Choose the Settings tab in the dialog box; it should be the one furthest to the right. Select the Color pull-down menu and choose 16-bit color; you may have to reduce your screen resolution if you are raising the color setting.
Section 4: Other Troubleshooting
The following are steps that can be taken to help correct non-game specific issues, such as random game crashes or performance problems.