Baseball 3D: Contents of Readme.txt File (Part 1)
  
PSS ID Number: Q184935
Article last modified on 03-12-1999
 
WINDOWS:1.0
 
WINDOWS
 

======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 \CART folder and double-click Mscart.exe.
Follow the installation instructions.
 
=============================================
 
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
 
=============================================
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
 
=============================================
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.
 
=============================================
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.
 
=============================================
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.
 
=============================================
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
 
======================================================================
Keywords          : kbreadme kbimu msgame bball3d kbfaq
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbinfo
=============================================================================
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.