ALIENS - Guide for Aliens vs. Predator
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Aliens Versus Predator 2
*******************************************************************
Frequently Asked Questions
about
Aliens Versus Predator 2
(aka "AVP2")
Index
=====
Performance and Troubleshooting
1) What are the minimum system requirements for the game?
2) What do the "Custom Performance" options do?
3) What else can I do to improve game performance?
4) Does AVP2 support Windows XP?
5) Are there any known issues or recommendations concerning
hardware used to run the game?
6) I'm having trouble running the game but I'm not sure what the
problem is. Is there any way I can try to narrow it down?
8] AUTHORS INTRO
Saving, Loading and Profiles
7) I'm getting errors while installing the game, or finding that
certain levels won't load. What can I do?
8) How do I clear the binding on a control?
9) I made a new Profile and now my saved games are gone! Where did
they go?
10) I deleted my Profile and now my saved games aren't showing up!
How can I get them back?
11) I uninstalled the game and don't want to keep my old save
files. What do I do?
12) Why can't I save sometimes while I'm fighting?
Playing Multiplayer
13) What's the difference between "LAN" and "Internet" Multiplayer?
14) What's a CD-Key?
15) I lost my CD-Key! What do I do?
16) What can I do to improve game performance in multiplayer?
17) How do I change characters while in a multiplayer game?
18) How do I change my name while in a multiplayer game?
19) How do I use Spectator mode?
20) How can I send a private message?
21) Why is there sometimes a star icon next to a player's name?
22) How can I control a server while playing, and what commands are
available?
23) Why do some servers have "[D]" at the end of their name?
24) How can I tell what gameplay rules have been set for the
server?
25) I get a notification that an update is available but the
AutoUpdate utility doesn't find one. What do I do?
Hosting a Server
26) How can I host a game and play at the same time?
27) What do I need to run a non-dedicated server?
28) What are the recommended settings for a non-dedicated server?
29) What is a dedicated server?
30) What do I need to run a dedicated server?
31) What are the recommended settings for a dedicated server?
32) How do I start the dedicated server?
33) What does the information in the dedicated server window mean?
34) How can I communicate with players who join my dedicated
server?
35) I want to run a server on a machine that can't run the game
itself. What can I do?
Mods
36) Why does the game give me "resource" errors when I try to join
certain servers?
37) How do I install custom mods?
38) How do I run custom mods on a dedicated server?
39) How can I make my own levels and mods for AVP2?
Further Resources
40) Where do I go for official technical support?
41) Where can I find other AVP2 resources?
Performance and Troubleshooting
===============================
1) What are the minimum system requirements for the game?
P3 450 or equivalent processor
128 MB RAM
16 MB DirectX 8-compatible D3D video card
16-bit DirectX 8-compatible sound card
750 MB free hard drive space (815 MB free space required if
DirectX is not already installed)
4x or faster CD-ROM drive
English Windows compatible keyboard and mouse
English Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000
DirectX 8a or higher
56k DirectPlay-compatible TCP-IP Internet connection for
Internet play, or a NIC (Network Interface Card) and intranet
connection for LAN play
2) What do the "Custom Performance" options do?
The "Options-->Graphics-->Custom Performance" menus contain
advanced user options you can use to tweak the appearance and
speed of the game.
GENERAL:
Texture Depth:
Toggle between 16 and 32-bit textures. 32-bit textures
are much smoother and more detailed than 16-bit textures,
but increase load times, require more video and system
RAM and may slow down the framerate on some video cards.
If you have an older video card, particularly one with
only 16 MB of RAM, it is recommended that you keep this
setting on "16-bit."
Lightmap Resolution:
Toggle between 16 and 32-bit lighting textures. As with
normal textures, 32-bit lightmaps are smoother in
appearance but require more RAM, loading and processing
time.
Shadows:
Toggle character shadows on/off. Turning them off give a
slight performance boost on slower systems.
Detail Textures:
Toggle detail textures on/off. Detail textures provide
the tiny details you see on the world when you look at
objects at close range. Turning them off will yield a
slight increase in framerate. Some older cards may not
support detail textures: if everything in the game looks
flat white, try turning detail textures off.
Environment Chrome:
Toggle environment chrome mapping on/off. Environment
maps provide the shiny surface effects you see on some
metallic surfaces in the game. Turning this off will
improve performance, particularly on older video cards.
Model Chrome:
Toggle model chrome on/off. Model chrome is the shiny
surface effects you see on some glass and metal models,
such as certain of the predator's weapons. Turning this
off will improve performance, particularly on older video
cards.
Trilinear Filtering:
Toggle trilinear filtering on/off. Trilinear filtering
makes textures look smoother when viewed at an angle. It
is not supported by all video cards, and may also
decrease performance.
Triple Buffering:
Toggle triple buffering on/off. Triple buffering can
provide smoother framerates by causing the video card to
store an extra rendered frame before sending it to the
monitor. Triple buffering requires additional video RAM;
16 MB card users may want to keep this setting off if
they are running the game in a high screen resolution.
Draw Sky:
Toggles sky rendering on/off. When off, the sky will just
be a flat color but rendering performance will be
slightly higher.
EFFECTS:
Draw Weapons:
Toggles player-view models such as your hands and gun
on/off. When turned off you won't be able to see your
hands, however since the game no longer has to draw these
models the framerate will improve slightly.
Muzzle Flash Light:
Toggle muzzle flash dynamic lighting on/off. Turning this
off may improve performance in intense gunfights. You may
also wish to turn this setting off if you find the
flashing irritating.
Shell Casings:
Toggle shell casing models on/off. Turning them off will
improve performance on slower systems.
Weapon Impacts:
Toggle Weapon impact detail between Low, Medium and High.
Higher settings create more effects (sparks, smoke,
debris) where weapons hit solid surfaces. Turning this
setting down may improve performance on slower systems
when weapons are firing.
Debris:
Toggle Debris detail between Low, Medium and High. Higher
settings create more pieces when objects break. Turning
this setting down may improve performance on slower
systems when objects break.
TEXTURES:
Overall:
Toggles overall game texture detail between Extra-low,
Low, Medium, High and Extra-high. Higher settings provide
more surface detail. Lower settings decrease load times
and may improve performance, particularly on systems with
low RAM.
World/Sky/Characters/Weapons/Props/Effects:
You can set texture detail for specific types of objects
using the arrow sliders. Experiment with different
settings to find your own preferred balance between
visual detail and game performance.
3) What else can I do to improve game performance?
- To increase the rendering speed of the game, go to the
Options-->Graphics menu and lower the "Resolution" and/or the
"Performance" settings.
- Users with 128 MB system RAM and/or 16 MB video cards,
particularly cards which do not support S3TC compression, may
improve game performance by setting "Texture depth" to "16-bit"
in the "Options-->Graphics-->Custom Performance-->General"
menu. Lowering "Overall" texture detail in the "Options-->
Graphics-->Custom Performance--> Textures" menu may also boost
performance.
- If you are experiencing periodic hitches in performance, try
setting sound detail to "Low" in the Options-->Sound menu.
- Shut down all non-essential programs before you run the game.
- If you haven't done so in several weeks of use, you may find
that defragging your hard drive will yield improved
performance. Window's disk defragmentation tool is generally
found in the Start Menu at "Programs\Accessories\System
Tools\Disk Defragmenter."
- Task-switching with ALT-TAB back to the desktop while running
the game is not recommended.
- Make sure your sound, video and motherboard drivers are up to
date. We recommend using the latest reference drivers available
from your chip manufacturer. Major vendor sites include:
http://www.soundblaster.com - Drivers for Soundblaster sound
cards.
http://www.nvidia.com - Reference drivers for TNT and GeForce
video cards.
http://www.3dfx.com - Reference drivers for 3dfx Voodoo video
cards.
http://www.ati.com - Reference drivers for ATI video cards,
including the Radeon.
http://www.matrox.com - Reference drivers for Matrox Graphics
video cards, including the G400 and G450.
http://www.viatech.com - Reference drivers for VIA-based
motherboards.
http://www.amd.com - Reference drivers for AMD motherboards.
4) Does AVP2 support Windows XP?
While not officially Windows XP certified, preliminary testing
has not uncovered any WinXP-specific compatibility issues.
5) Are there any known issues or recommendations concerning
hardware used to run the game?
a) sound cards
Diamond MX400:
- May hear static when sounds play while running under
Windows 95 or 98.
TBS Daytona:
- "Illegal Operation" error may occur during game
installation under Win98SE or WinMe, and the system loses
sound until rebooted.
Yamaha YMF719:
- This sound card is unsupported by AVP2.
ESS Maestro1-ES1948F:
- May not get sound using the current drivers under
Windows XP.
b) video cards
General:
- On a multimonitor system, changing your screen
resolution in-game may change your display back to the
first monitor. To correct this, run avp2.exe, click the
Display button and re-select the correct display.
3dfx Voodoo Cards:
- The mouse pointer may flicker on the menu screens.
3dfx Banshee and Voodoo 3:
- The Options-->Display menu on the avp2.exe game
launcher and the Options-->Graphics menu in the game will
allow you to select 32-bit color resolutions but these
resolutions are not supported by the video card, and the
resolution will reset to the previous 16-bit depth.
- Detail Textures and Environment Maps will not display.
3dfx Voodoo 4:
- The game may crash when run on a Voodoo 4 in Windows
95.
3dfx Voodoo 5:
- The user may encounter rare crashes when running in
High or Best detail. It is recommended that you use
Medium or Low detail for the "Performance" setting on the
"Options-->Graphics" menu screen when running the game on
this video card.
ATI Radeon:
- There may be some artifacting around lettering on the
menus.
- Fog does not render with the Radeon's default driver
settings.
- The smartgun's crosshair may look like a green square.
Matrox G200:
- May experience low framerates during gameplay.
- The smartgun's crosshair may look like a green square.
- Does not run the game under Windows XP.
Matrox G400, G450:
- May experience low framerate in vision modes.
- The smartgun's crosshair may look like a green square.
- May experience some odd lighting artifacts.
Nvidia GeForce 2:
- User may find areas in the game where sections of the
screen lose textures. This bug appears to have been
introduced with the Nvidia 21.81 drivers. It may be
resolved with a future driver release. It can be avoided
in most cases by setting "Detail Textures" and
"Environment Chrome" to "Off" in the "Options-->
Graphics-->Custom Performance" menu.
Power VR Kyro and Kyro 2:
- Menu options do not display at 32-bit screen depths.
They show up at 16-bit screen depths. If using a Kyro
card, it is suggested that you use the "Display" button
on the game Launcher to select a 16-bit mode before
running the game. This issue may be resolved by a future
driver release.
- Polygon distortion may be visible in the skies when
using vision modes.
- Certain trim textures may appear unusually bright.
- Blocks may appear around certain objects.
S3 Savage 2000:
- User may encounter some odd lighting artifacts.
S3 Savage 3:
- AVP2 does not run on the Savage 3. This card no longer
has active driver support.
S3 Savage 4:
- Significant graphical corruption. This card no longer
has active driver support.
c) input devices
Logitech Mice:
- When the scroll wheel is set to a special function in
Mouseware, activating the scroll wheel during gameplay
may have undesired results. Setting the scroll wheel's
function to "Middle Mouse Button" in Mouseware should
resolve the issue.
Mad Catz Panther DX:
- Binding a control to "Z rotation" will cause the view
to spin in circles.
All joysticks:
- Joystick hats are not supported by the control binding
system. Your joystick software may be able to bind the
hat to equivalent keyboard keys.
- If your analog joystick doesn't seem to be working
after you've set up the control bindings, try setting
"Analog" to On for the non-working axes. Note that this
won't actually provide true analog control.
6) I'm having trouble running the game but I'm not sure what the
problem is. Is there any way I can try to narrow it down?
If you're encountering problems running the game, you can try
tweaking some advanced settings in the "Options" window on the
game launcher (double-click AVP2.exe and click the "OPTIONS"
button). Please note that this is for advanced users only,
since tweaking these settings could very well create other
problems in the game.
Disable Sound
If this box is checked, there will be no sound effects in
the game. Dialogue and lipsynching will also not play
correctly. Music will still play. If you are experiencing
problems running the game and suspect your sound card may
be the cause, you might check this box and see if the
problem goes away--if it does then the problem definitely
lies with your sound hardware or drivers.
Disable DirectMusic
If this box is checked, there will be no dynamic
DirectMusic in the game. Certain short music clips may
still play.
Disable Logos
If this box is checked, the intro logo movies will not be
shown. Use this if your system is having trouble playing
these movies.
Disable Triple Buffering
If this box is checked, video output will not be triple
buffered. May help performance on certain video cards,
particularly PCI cards.
Disable Joysticks
Disables input from joysticks and gamepads. Certain
joysticks and gamepads may interfere with normal mouse or
keyboard control in the game. If you suspect this is
occurring, checking this box before running the game may
resolve the problem.
Disable Hardware Cursor
If the mouse pointer is missing, flickering or otherwise
distorted in the game menus, checking this box may fix the
problem.
Saving, Loading and Profiles
============================
7) I'm getting errors while installing the game, or finding that
certain levels won't load. What can I do?
- Installing the game by having the two game disks in two
separate CD-ROM drives on the same machine is not supported.
- Certain CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives may have difficulty
copying game files during installation. If you consistently
encounter errors during game installation, try one or more of
the following:
- Choose "Compact" when asked for your install size at the
beginning of the installation procedure. If you still want
the functionality of a Typical install, you can try copying
the alien.rez, marine.rez, multi.rez and predator.rez files
from Disc 1 to the directory where you installed the game
on your hard drive. To copy the file, Double-click on My
Computer, double-click your CD drive (usually "D:"), right-
click on the desired file and select "Copy" from the pop-up
menu. Then navigate to the game directory on your hard
drive (default is "c:\program files\fox\aliens vs predator
2"), right-click in the window and select "Paste." Do this
for each of the four files.
- If you still get errors during a Compact installation,
you can try copying the contents of both discs to your hard
drive, then installing from there. Note that you must have
3 GB of free space on your hard drive in order to attempt
this!
1) Insert disc 1.
2) Close the game Launcher window when it appears.
3) Double-click on "My Computer" and open your CD-ROM
drive (usually "D:").
4) Select all files in the window by holding the ALT key,
then pressing the A key on your keyboard. If this didn't
work, make sure you have the window selected first by
left-clicking in a blank area in the window.
5) Once all files are selected, hold the CTRL key and
press the C key to Copy them to the clipboard.
6) Double-click on "My Computer" and open your hard drive
(usually "C:").
7) Right-click on an empty spot in the window and select
the New-->Folder option on the pop-up menu.
8) Name this folder "Disk1."
9) Open the new folder, make sure it is selected by left-
clicking in the blank window.
10) Hold the CTRL key and press the V key on your
keyboard. This will begin copying the files from your CD-
ROM drive to the hard disk.
11) Once all the files have copied over, insert disc 2
and repeat steps 3-7.
12) Name the new folder "Disk2."
13) Open the new folder, make sure it is selected by
left-clicking in the blank window.
14) Hold the CTRL key and press the V key on your
keyboard. This will begin copying the files from your CD-
ROM drive to the hard disk.
15) Once all the files have copied over, open the "Disk1"
folder and double-click the "Setup.exe" file.
16) Follow the normal installation routine. When you are
asked to insert Disk 2, change the "Disk1" part of the
text in the command line window to "Disk2" and press the
button to continue.
8) How do I clear the binding on a control?
To delete a control binding in the Options-->Controls menu,
highlight the control, but don't click on it, and press the
[DELETE] key on your keyboard.
9) I made a new Profile and now my saved games are gone! Where did
they go?
AVP2 stores saved game files separately for each Profile. Saved
games made while using one Profile will not show up in the Load
Games screen when using a different Profile. Go to the
"Profile" screen from the main menu and reload the previous
Profile to regain access to your old saved games.
10) I deleted my Profile and now my saved games aren't showing up!
How can I get them back?
Aliens Versus Predator 2 stores save files for each user
Profile separately. If you delete your Profile in the Profiles
screen, the save games for that Profile will not be removed.
This is done intentionally to protect against loss of save
games in the event of accidental Profile deletion. To regain
access to your save files, just create another Profile with the
same name as the deleted one.
11) I uninstalled the game and don't want to keep my old save
files. What do I do?
To delete your old save files after uninstalling the game, use
Windows Explorer to browse to the folder in which AVP2 had been
installed, select the "Save" folder and press the Delete key on
your keyboard.
12) Why can't I save sometimes while I'm fighting?
You will be unable to save while switching weapons. Once the
weapon switch animation finishes, saving is allowed.
Playing Multiplayer
===================
13) What's the difference between "LAN" and "Internet" Multiplayer?
You'll see that Multiplayer has been split in to two separate
areas on the game main menu: "Multiplayer Internet" and
"Multiplayer LAN."
Multiplayer Internet
Allows you to join or host a game over the Internet and
play with other players through your Internet connection.
Multiplayer LAN
Allows you to join or host games running on your Local Area
Network ("LAN"). Business offices, schools and cyber cafes
often have a LAN connecting all the computers in the
building, so this allows you to find other games on the
local network easily or to host a game which only those on
the local network can join.
14) What's a CD-Key?
The CD-Key is required to player Internet multiplayer. Make
sure you write down your CD-Key code in safe place! If you
uninstall the game and then reinstall it later, you will have
to re-enter your CD-Key.
15) I lost my CD-Key! What do I do?
If you lose your CD-Key, please contact Sierra customer service
(see the answer to question number 40, "Where do I go for
official technical support?").
16) What can I do to improve game performance in multiplayer?
Multiplayer performance will depend on the quality and speed of
your Internet connection. If you are experiencing poor
performance in multiplayer, try the following:
- Make sure you choose the connection speed most appropriate to
your Internet connection. "Join Connection Speed" is found on
the "Multiplayer Internet" and "Multiplayer LAN" menus. If you
are playing on a 56k modem, make sure you set Connection Speed
to "56K."
- Play on Dedicated rather than non-Dedicated servers. Since a
dedicated server machine is just running the server software
and not the game itself, freeing the computer from having to
use RAM and processor time for the game graphics, a dedicated
server will tend to run smoother than a non-dedicated server.
You can use the "Dedicated" filter at the bottom right of the
Find Games list to set the list to display only Dedicated
servers. Also, a dedicated server will have "[D]" at the end of
its name in the server list.
- Play on servers whose "ping" (round-trip signal time, in
milliseconds) is lowest for you, as shown in the server list.
Ping times under 200ms will offer the best performance.
- Play on servers with fewer players. The more players there
are in a server, the more data your computer will have to
download.
- Avoid playing during peak Internet traffic hours. Internet
traffic is generally heaviest between 5 and 10 pm Monday
through Friday. Depending on your ISP (Internet Service
Provider) you may experience decreased performance during these
times.
- Contact your ISP to make sure that your Internet connection
software is configured correctly.
- Players behind a firewall may encounter difficulty finding
and joining Internet games. Consult your network administrator
for help in resolving these issues.
- We recommend that systems running a dedicated Internet server
have at least a 128K Internet connection. If your server seems
to have performance issues, try limiting the total number of
players allowed in the game. Use the bandwidth setting in the
Host options to prevent bandwidth overload.
17) How do I change characters while in a multiplayer game?
Pressing F1 during play brings up the character info screen,
showing all the available characters. To change to a different
character, click on the desired character and press F1 again to
close the character info screen. If you switch teams during a
team game such as Evac or Overrun you will have to wait for the
next round before you can re-enter the action, meanwhile you
will remain in Spectator mode.
18) How do I change my name while in a multiplayer game?
To change your name while playing in a game, open the chat
window (the default control to do this is the [Enter] key) and
enter a command in the format
name newname
where "newname" is the new name you want to have. This name is
temporary, however, and only lasts as long as you remain in the
current server. To change your name permanently use the Name
field under the "Player" tab in the Multiplayer "Join" screens.
19) How do I use Spectator mode?
Before you respawn in multiplayer, press F1 to switch to
Spectator mode. You'll also enter Spectator mode automatically
while waiting for a round to start or end in team-based modes
such as Overrun and Evac.
Spectator mode has two variations: Observe Point mode and Free-
Fly mode. In Observe Point mode you watch the action through
fixed cameras placed throughout the level, while in Free-Fly
mode you may fly throughout the level, even going through
walls.
Observe Point mode has on-screen controls you can operate with
the mouse, or via keyboard keys as follows:
Right Arrow: takes you to the next observe point
Left Arrow: takes you to the previous observe point
Spacebar: takes you to a random observe point
F2: switches to Free-Fly mode
F1: opens the character info screen, allowing
you to switch characters
The "> Respawn <" button, if available, will start you back
in the game.
Free-Fly mode offers the following functions:
Fire: takes you to the next observe point
Alt-Fire: takes you to the previous observe point
Next Vision Mode: takes you to a random observe point
F2: switches to Observe Point mode
F1: opens the character info screen but will
not allow you to switch characters
Mouse: controls your direction
Forward: moves you in the direction in which you
are facing
Backward: moves you away from the direction in
which you are facing
Strafe-Left: moves you left
Strafe-Right: moves you right
Crouch: moves you down
Jump: moves you up
Turn Left: turns left
Turn Right: turns right
Look Up: looks up
Look Down: looks down
20) How can I send a private message?
To send a chat message to one player only, start the message
with the player's name in pointy brackets. For instance if you
entered the chat message
Hey, how's it going?
then only the player named "mandiller" would get the message.
21) Why is there sometimes a star icon next to a player's name?
The star next to a player's name in the frag table indicates
that they are the current "server controller." The server
controller can use commands to rotate levels, boot players, and
so forth. See the answer to the next question for more on
server controllers.
22) How can I control a server while playing, and what commands are
available?
When someone hosts an AVP2 game they can specify a unique
"Control Password." If you enter enter the Control Password
successfully while in a server, you become the "server
controller."
The command for entering the password is as follows:
control password
where "password" is the Control Password (or "Control PW" for
short) set by the server controller. The default Control
Password is "AVP2" but if the server operator has set a unique
password, you will need to find out what their password is
before you can become the server controller.
If any other player enters the correct password while you are
server controller, they will replace you as server controller.
In addition to controlling the start times of team-based games,
the server controller can input the following commands in the
Message window:
kick [playername]
Boots a player from the server. Replace "[playername]"
with the name of the player you wish to remove.
prevlevel
Ends the current match and switches to the previous map.
nextlevel
Ends the current match and switches to the next map.
restart
Restarts the server at the first map in the rotation.
23) Why do some servers have "[D]" at the end of their name?
Dedicated servers have "[D]" added to the end of their server
name. See the answer to question 16, "What can I do to improve
performance in multiplayer," for a description of the
difference between playing on dedicated and non-dedicated
servers.
24) How can I tell what gameplay rules have been set for the
server?
To see the rules for a specific server while viewing the Find
Games list, click the server's name to highlight it, then click
the "Server Info" tab at the top of the list. This will show
the various settings the server operator has chosen for the
server.
To view the server's rules while playing in the server, hold
the [F3] key.
25) I get a notification that an update is available but the
AutoUpdate utility doesn't find one. What do I do?
If a window appears telling you that an update is available,
but the AutoUpdate utility which launches when you hit "Okay"
on this window does not find an update you can download, it may
be available shortly. Check the official web site at
avp2.sierra.com for news and status reports.
Hosting a Server
================
26) How can I host a game and play at the same time?
To start a game in which you can play along with other players,
make sure that you have "Dedicated" set to "No" under the
"Game" tab in the "Host" game menus. A game hosted with this
option set to "No" is often referred to as a "non-Dedicated"
server. If you have this option set to "Yes" the game will
launch the dedicated server instead.
If you are interested in running a server for an extended
period of time, a dedicated server will be more suitable than a
non-dedicated one. See the answer to question 29 for more
information on dedicated servers.
27) What do I need to run a non-dedicated server?
Technically you can run a non-dedicated server on any machine
which meets or exceeds AVP2's minimum system requirements (see
the answer to question 1). However, if you would like players
to have an enjoyable multiplayer experience in your game, it is
recommended that your machine also meet or exceed these
additional requirements:
650mHz processor
256 MB RAM
32 MB video card
ISDN, DSL, cable, or other broadband Internet connection
Also, it is highly recommended that you do a "Typical"
installation of the game before hosting a server, since this
will let you load levels from your hard drive rather than from
the CD. On most machines hard drive access is much faster than
CD access and you will be able to change maps more quickly,
which is important because players will have to wait while your
machine loads the next level and a player kept waiting too long
may "time out" and get dropped from your game. If you chose
"Compact" rather than "Typical" when you installed the game,
you can improve your server's map-switch time dramatically by
copying the "MULTI.REZ" file from your first AVP2 game CD into
the same directory on your hard drive where avp2.exe is
installed.
28) What are the recommended settings for a non-dedicated server?
The performance of your non-dedicated server will be limited
primarily by your system's processor speed, video card and
network connection speed. The two Host settings which most
impact server performance are "Max Players" on the "Setup" tab
and "Server Bandwidth" on the "Advanced" tab. The chart below
shows recommended settings for according to your system speed
and network connection type.
[Key]
Connection
The server's physical Internet connection type. Refer to
the "T3" connection settings if you are hosting a LAN game.
Machine Spec
A rough approximation of your system's speed:
"Minimum" ~ 450 to 650 mHz processor, 16 MB video card
"Fast" ~ 650 to 900 mHz processor, 32 MB video card
"Very Fast" ~ 900 and up mHz processor, 32-64 MB video card
Players
The recommended maximum "Max Players" setting. Decrease
this number if players are experiencing significant delays
in gameplay when the player limit is reached.
Bandwidth
The recommended maximum "Server Bandwidth" setting. This is
lower for minimum spec machines because network traffic may
be delayed by significant strain on the processor from the
in-game action. Also, use a lower setting if players on
your server experience periodic interruptions or hitches in
gameplay.
| Connection Machine Spec Players Bandwidth
| --------------------------------------------------
|
| 56k Minimum 2 56K
| Fast 4 56K
| Very Fast 4 56K
|
| ISDN Minimum 2 56K
| Fast 4 ISDN
| Very Fast 4 ISDN
|
| DSL Minimum 2 ISDN
| Fast 4 DSL
| Very Fast 8 DSL
|
| T1 Minimum 2 DSL
| Fast 4 T1
| Very Fast 8 T1
|
| T3 Minimum 2 DSL
| Fast 4 T3
| Very Fast 8 T3
29) What is a dedicated server?
The dedicated server allows you to host a server for other
players without actually participating in the game yourself.
The dedicated server runs in a window on the desktop, allowing
you to access other Windows functions while the server is
running. Dedicated servers will tend to have better network
performance than regular hosted games since the computer does
not have to process graphics and physics while the server is
running and does not have to hold game resources in memory.
30) What do I need to run a dedicated server?
NOTE:
Many network service providers' end-user license agreements
prohibit long-term user-hosted servers. Obtain permission
from your network administrator before running a dedicated
server on their network.
It is highly recommended that you only run a server on a
Typical install. If you don't have room for a Typical install,
we recommend that you at least copy the "multi.rez" file from
Disk1 into your AVP2 directory (default is "C:\Program
Files\Fox\Aliens vs. Predator 2") before running the dedicated
server.
A dedicated server machine should meet the minimum
specification for the game itself in processor speed and RAM
(450 mHz, 128 MB). For best performance it is recommended that
the server have a T1 or faster network connection. Many cable
modem and DSL services have very fast download speeds but
relatively slow upload speeds; since a dedicated server has to
upload information to all clients, servers on an upload-limited
cable or DSL connection will not be able to provide a smooth
gaming experience for as many high-bandwidth players
simultaneously as will servers running on a connection whose
upload speed equals its download speed, such as a T1 or T3
connection.
Hosting a dedicated server on a 56k dialup connection is not
recommended: due to the frequent instability of most dialup
modem connections, a dedicated server hosted over a modem will
generally be much less reliable than one hosted over a
broadband connection.
Dedicated servers on even the fastest connections may find it
advantageous to limit the number of players allowed in the
server at once: this will give each remaining player access to
more bandwidth, which will allow for smoother gameplay. The
server may also limit the total amount of data uploaded at one
time by using the "Server Bandwidth" setting in the Advanced
panel of the Host menu--this can help prevent lag caused by
high-bandwidth players taking all the available upload
bandwidth.
31) What are the recommended settings for a dedicated server?
As long as it meets or exceeds the minimum game requirements of
a 450mHz processor and 128 MB RAM, the performance of your
dedicated server will be limited primarily by your system's
network connection speed. The two Host settings which primarily
impact server performance are "Max Players" on the "Setup" tab
and "Server Bandwidth" on the "Advanced" tab.
The chart below gives recommended settings according to your
system's network connection type.
[Key]
Connection
The server's physical Internet connection type. Refer to
the "T3" connection settings if you are hosting a LAN game.
Hosting a dedicated server on a 56k dialup connection is
not recommended.
Players
The recommended maximum "Max Players" setting. Decrease
this number if players are experiencing significant delays
in gameplay when the player limit is reached.
Bandwidth
The recommended maximum "Server Bandwidth" setting. The
optimal setting for dedicated servers will usually be
equivalent to the server's Internet connection type. Note
that this assumes that you have unrestricted access to the
full bandwidth of your connection. If your server shares
bandwidth with other computers on a local network (in an
office, for instance) you should probably not exceed the
"ISDN" setting; in any event, you should always consult
with and obtain permission from your network administrator
before running a dedicated server. Also, use a lower
setting if players on your server experience periodic
interruptions or hitches in gameplay.
| Connection Players Bandwidth
| ----------------------------------
|
| ISDN 4 ISDN
|
| DSL 8 DSL
|
| T1 16 T1
|
| T3 16 T3
32) How do I start the dedicated server?
To run a dedicated server, go to the Multiplayer Internet or
Multiplayer LAN screen from the main menu, select the "Host"
item and set "Dedicated" to "Yes" in the "Game" panel, then set
up the game settings and map rotation to your own preference.
Now when you click "Launch" AVP2 will close and the stand alone
server application will run in a window on the desktop.
Once you have configured the dedicated server you can run the
server directly by clicking the "Stand-Alone Server" button on
the launcher window that appears when you first start the game,
or by double-clicking the avp2serv.exe file in your AVP2
folder. If you have multiple server configurations stored a
window will appear allowing you to select the desired
configuration.
33) What does the information in the dedicated server window mean?
The dedicated server window contains the following items:
Server Name: The name you gave your server in the Host
menu.
Game Type: The type of game being hosted (DM, Evac,
etc.).
Running Time: The total time the server has been running.
Peak Players: The maximum number of players that have been
in the server at any one time.
Total Players: The total number of players that have joined
the server during the current Running Time.
Stop Server: Pressing this button shuts down the server.
Pressing the [X] button in the upper right
corner performs the same function.
Players: Lists the players current using the server.
Name: The player's name.
Ping: The round trip time between player and
server, in milliseconds.
Kills: The number of kills the player has made in
the current round.
Score: The player's total point score for the round.
Lives: The number of lives the player has remaining
(applies to certain team modes such as Evac).
Time: The total amount of time the player has been
on the server.
Current Players: Total current players / max players allowed.
Average Ping: The average round trip time between the
server and each connected player, in
milliseconds.
Boot Player: Ejects the selected player from the server.
To select a player, click on their name.
Levels: Shows the levels in the server's map
rotation. The current level has a dot to the
left. Levels are played in descending order
and restart at the top of the list after the
level at the bottom has been played.
Time in Level: Time the server has been in the current
level.
Next Level: Skips ahead to the next level in the map
rotation, automatically ending the current
round.
Select Level: Switches to the selected level. To select a
level, click the level name in the list
window.
Console: Shows server activity as well as player chat
messages. The server operator can enter
messages in the command line below.
Clear: Clears the console window.
34) How can I communicate with players who join my dedicated
server?
You can enter chat messages in the command line below the
Console pane, at the bottom of the dedicated server window.
Type your desired message and press the [Enter] key to send it.
All players on the server will see the message in their chat
display.
35) I want to run a server on a machine that can't run the game
itself. What can I do?
To run the server on a machine which cannot run the game (a
machine without a D3D-compatible video card, for instance),
install the game on that machine, then configure the settings
as desired on a machine that can access the game menus. Copy
this machine's "ServerData" folder into the AVP2 game folder on
the server machine, then launch the server by double-clicking
avp2serv.exe.
Mods
====
36) Why does the game give me "resource" errors when I try to join
certain servers?
If you are consistently returned to the main menu with a
message about a missing or altered "resource" file when trying
to join a specific server, this could mean that the server is
running a different version of the game or that it is using a
custom user-created modification, or "mod," which you don't
have.
To make sure you aren't trying to join servers running a
different version of the game, set the "Version" filter in the
lower-left corner of the Find Games screen to the numeric
option, rather than "Any." The number will be in the format
"x.x.x.x," this is the version number you have. Only servers
whose versions match yours will show in the list when the
filter is set to this number.
If the version number matches and you still get "resource"
warnings when trying to join a server, they may be running a
custom mod. The column at the far right in the Find Games
screen, "Map," shows what level the server is using. If you
don't have this level you will have to find out where to get it
from other players. Even if the level is one you have the
server may still be running a custom mod which you will need to
install before you can join the server. The online forum at the
official web site, avp2.sierra.com, is an excellent place to
start looking for information on unofficial game mods.
37) How do I install custom mods?
Since the form of a custom mod and the method for installing it
may vary depending on how it has been put together, this FAQ
can only provide general instructions for installing mods which
conform to the standard mod format. You should always consult a
mod's documentation for directions on the mod's installation
and use.
NOTE:
Installing a mod can make your version of the game
incompatible with other players online. No official tech
support is provided for custom mods. Users installing
unofficial game modifications do so at their own risk. The
producers of Aliens versus Predator 2 are not responsible
for mod content or effects.
Standard mods come in the form of a ".rez" file. To install the
mod:
1) Copy the custom mod's rez file into your Aliens vs.
Predator 2 game directory (the directory which contains
avp2.exe). If you overwrite any retail game files you will
be unable to uninstall the mod so it is strongly
recommended that you back up the files in your game
directory before installing replacement .rez files.
2) Run avp2.exe. The game launcher window appears.
3) Click the Options button.
4) You'll see a command-line field in the middle of the
Options window. Insert a command in the following format:
-rez rezfilename
where "rezfilename" is name of the custom rez file,
complete with the ".rez" extension. For instance, if the
mod file's name was "coolbean.rez" your command line should
look like
-rez coolbean.rez
5) If you want to have more than one mod installed you'll
need separate "-rez" command-line parameters for each one.
Note that each successive rez file in the command-line will
override any files it shares in common with a mod earlier
in the list, so if you had two mods that both happened to
change the color of a character's helmet, the helmet would
end up the color of the last mod listed. For instance, if
the mod file "greenhelmet.rez" contained a custom
modification to the standard Marine headgear, the
parameters
-rez bluehelmet.rez -rez greenhelmet.rez
would result in the game using the helmet from the
greenhelmet.rez file no matter what was in the
bluehelmet.rez mod.
6) Check the "Always specify these command-line parameters"
box underneath the command-line field if you want to keep
the mod installed every time you run the game. If you leave
this box unchecked you will have to enter in the command-
line every time you run the game.
7) The mod is now installed. You can close the Options
window by clicking the OK button at the bottom. Click PLAY
on main launcher window to run the modified game.
To "uninstall" a mod, simply remove the -rez command-line
parameter pertaining to that mod.
38) How do I run custom mods on a dedicated server?
The dedicated server does not use the custom mod parameters in
the launcher's Options window command-line. If you want mods on
a dedicated server, do the following:
1) Make a text file named "customrez.txt" in your AVP2 game
directory.
2) Edit the customrez.txt file, adding the names of the
custom .rez files you want the dedicated server to use. You
have to follow the format
[Rez]
Rez0 ="mod1.rez"
Rez1 ="mod2.rez"
Rez2 ="mod3.rez"
For instance, if you have a "bighands.rez" file with
altered character models and a "fastpred.rez" file with a
modified character attribute file and you wanted your
server to use both of them, your customrez.txt should look
like this:
[Rez]
Rez0 ="bighands.rez"
Rez1 ="fastpred.rez"
It is important to note that if the .rez files share contained
files, for instance if both bighands.rez and fastpred.rez had a
modified predator pistol model, the second one in the list will
be the one that is used. So in the example above the server
would end up using the predator pistol model from fastpred.rez
even if bighands.rez had one as well. Ideally mod authors will
provide a list of files which the mod contains and modifies.
39) How can I make my own levels and mods for AVP2?
The official Aliens versus Predator 2 Tools, downloadable from
the game's official web site at avp2.sierra.com, will provide
you with tools to make your own custom levels and mod files.
Further Resources
=================
40) Where do I go for official technical support?
You will find the latest AVP2 technical support online at the
official web site, avp2.sierra.com. You can also find technical
support contact information, including mail addresses, email
contacts and phone numbers, in the "readme" text file(s) in
your AVP2 game directory.
41) Where can I find other AVP2 resources?
There are many fan-based AVP2 resources available online. Share
information and ideas with other AVP2 users in the forums on
the official web site at avp2.sierra.com.
*******************************************************************
AUTHORS INTRO]
HEY,HOW YA DOIN ITS ME WOLFE,OF COURSE YOU MUST HAVE SEEN MY FAQ IN OTHER GAMES AS
WELL
NO!!! WELL CHECK IT OUT,I CREATED AUTHORS INTRO TO TELL YOU THAT dont YOU
DARE COPY IT
that was clear wasnt it.SO Dont EVEN THINK ABOUT COPYING,OR
ELSE ;BURN IN HELL;.SORRY FOR BEING SO NOSY.
