NOTICE!!!
If your copy of Balls of Steel has the words PLAY! RENT! BUY! On the CD, you have the CHANNELWARE version of the game. This version MUST be activated on-line before playing!!!! Please refer to the Channelware section of this document for help with activating this version of Balls of Steel!
PATCH INFORMATION
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IF YOU ARE TRYING TO RUN THIS GAME UNDER WINDOWS XP. THIS PATCH IS REQUIRED FOR THE GAME TO WORK!
A patch has been released for Balls of Steel that will upgrade your game version to 1.3. This version adds the following features to the game:
Key selection in the menu for flipper, plunger, and nudge.
A fix to permit extra ball awarding in Arcade mode.
A fix for Duke extra ball dotpanel display sequencing.
A fix to prevent Enter skipping highscore entry until highscore title shown. Increased maximum capping and adjustment for Powerball enabling.
A fix for 2-ball jackpot totaling in Firestorm.
A video driver update for problems with Matrox Mystique and Riva cards.
A fix for problems with cards based on Rendition chips.
A fix for problems using Video Setup button after installation.
A fix to allow single-screen view only on video cards less than 1Mb.
Automatic resetting of display profile if video options changed in menu.
An extra utility that will allow you to reprofile your video card should you run into trouble, or change video drivers, etc.
There are separate patches for the shareware and retail versions of the game. You can download the patches for free from our Balls of Steel Downloads page.
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The minimum system configuration you should use to play the game are as follows:
An IBM PC or compatible computer
A 100 megahertz Pentium processor or better
Windows 95
16 megabytes of free RAM
A double speed CD-ROM drive
A VESA compatible Super VGA video card with at least 1 megabyte of VRAM
A sound card
At least 70 Megabytes free on the hard drive.
DirectX version 3.0 or better must be installed, and all hardware must be 100% DirectX compatible.
For increased performance, a Pentium 133mhz or faster processor is recommended.
Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive of your PC, then wait a moment for the installation screen to appear. If It does not appear, you can manually bring up this menu by following these steps:
Double-click on the "My Computer" icon
Double-click on the CD-ROM drive icon
Double-click on "SETUP.exe".
DirectX version 3.0 or better is required for Balls of Steel to run. For your convenience, DirectX version 5 is included on your Balls of Steel CD, if you have purchased the registered version of the game.
If you do not already have DirectX version 5 installed on your system, click on the button labeled "Install DirectX 5". During the DirectX installation process, you may receive some messages about your hardware as to whether or not a driver should be replaced. In most cases, you should follow the install program's recommendations.
When DirectX has finished installing, you must restart your computer, as DirectX will not become active until the system is rebooted.
Re-insert the CD-ROM into the drive and wait again for the installation menu to come up. Click on the button labeled "Install and Play Balls of Steel". You will be prompted for a directory where the files will be installed to. Follow the on screen prompts to complete the installation.
UNINSTALL
If you choose to uninstall Balls of Steel, we strongly urge you to use the Add/Remove Programs Icon in the Windows95 control panel. Do not simply delete the Balls of Steel folder, and many unneeded files will remain on your computer.
To uninstall, click on Start, then on Settings, then on Control Panel, then on Add/Remove programs. Click on "Balls of Steel" in the list of available programs and click on Remove. All files related to Balls of Steel will be removed from your system.
STARTUP
To begin a game, click PLAY on the main menu to start the currently displayed table. The table begins in its 'attract' mode which shows off the table layout and gives basic instructions on the dotpanel. To play a one-player game, press ENTER, and then ENTER again to fire the ball and start the game. For some tables you can vary the force with which the ball is kicked out by holding down the ENTER key for a short time, then releasing it to fire the ball. You can also start a 2- 3- or 4-player game by pressing the 2, 3, or 4 keys during the table's attract mode.
I inserted the Balls of Steel into the CD-ROM drive, but nothing happened.
The Windows 95 AutoPlay feature may be disabled on your system. Please refer to your Windows 95 manual for help with activating the AutoPlay feature. Sometimes, AutoPlay will work the first time you insert the CD, but refuses to bring up the menu afterwards.
When this happens, you can manually bring up this menu by double-clicking on the Windows 95 "Start" button, then on "Programs", then on the "Balls of Steel" folder, then on the "Balls of Steel" icon.
Try setting the sound device to "Autodetect" or "DirectSound" in the Options menu. You can also adjust the sound quality by changing the "Stereo" and/or "Sixteen bit" check boxes.
The sound effects are garbled, and/or the music stutters.
Try setting the sound device to "DirectSound" or "Wave mapper" in the Options menu. Use whichever setting works better for you. Then, adjust the sound quality by changing "Stereo" and/or "Sixteen bit" check boxes.
The sound effects are "scratchy".
Try setting the sound device to "DirectSound" or "Wave mapper" (Options), whichever works better. Also, check the "Sixteen bit" check box.
The Sound effects are coming from the wrong speakers!
Check or uncheck the "Reverse stereo" check box under Options.
There are several game options that may fix this problem:
Turn off the "Shadows" option while in the options menu, or press <F3> when playing a game.
Set "Single screen detail" to "Maximum speed" by pressing <F9> during gameplay.
Uncheck the "Disable linear framebuffer" option in the options section of the Video Setup menu.
Reduce the game's sound quality by disabling the "Stereo" and/or "16-bit" options, or disable sound altogether.
I can't get the game to work with my Matrox Mystique, Nvidia Riva Series, or Rendition based card, OR the Video Setup button isn't working.
A patch has been released for this product that should fix your problem. You can download this patch from here.
If you have already installed the patch and the problem still occurs, see the section below labeled "Why should I use SciTech's Display doctor?"
I'm using a Voodoo 3, Banshee, or other 128-bit video card and I can't get the game to recognize it.
The latest upgrade patch will allow you to play the game with 128-bit video cards. You can download the patch from our website at www.ina-support.com. The patch is available for both the registered and shareware versions of the game.
The video display seems to flicker while the game is playing, or the game pauses often.
This type of problem can occur for a variety of reasons. First, check your display adapter's refresh rate in the Windows Display control panel. To get there:
Click the Windows 95 Start button
Click on Settings
Click on Control Panel
Double click the Display icon
Click the Settings tab
Click the Advanced button
Click the Adapter tab.
The box at the bottom of this window should read "Adapter Default". If it doesn't:
Click the Arrow button
Select "Adapter Default" from the list
Click the Apply button
Click on OK.
If the problem still occurs shut down all of your other applications before playing again. Your other applications may be using up too much of your system's resources.
The colors in the game are reversed or just look wrong.
This problem usually indicates that the game could not find set your video hardware the correct screen resolution and color mode. Try manually setting your video card to the 800x600 resolution with 256 colors. When you're done, run the game again, and select Video Setup, then Change, then Autodetect or Manual Override. (To learn how to switch video modes, please see our Windows 95/98 Video Troubleshooting FAQ)
You can now try playing the game again. If the problem still occurs, or the screen just turns black, you may need to update your video card drivers. (For more information on updating your drivers, see our How to update your drivers FAQ)
Why should I use SciTech's Display Doctor?
SciTech's Display Doctor fixes a variety of problems with many types of video hardware. You can download the trial version from SciTech's web site at http://www.scitechsoft.com. Please keep in mind that this is not a Infogrames, Inc. product and is therefore unsupported.
I get an error message reading "UVBELib: Couldn't detect video hardware", "Video mode not available", "Couldn't set video mode", or "Virtual scrolling not available".
Ensure the video card is capable of 800x600 display in 256 colors, has at least 1 Mb of video RAM, is a Super VGA and/or is VESA compatible. Then, manually set the video card configuration by selecting Options, then Video Setup, then Change. Then Manual override.
I get an error message reading "UVBELib: UNIVBE.DRV file is invalid" or
"UVBELib: UNIVBE.DRV file is an old version".
You must redetect your video card by choosing Options, then Video Setup, then Change, then Autodetect. If this doesn't work, select Manual override and choose your card from the choices provided.
I get another error message mentioning UVBELib.
Try closing all other programs. To do this, press Control-Alt-Delete once to bring up the Windows 95 task manager. On every program except for Explorer and Systray, click on the name of the program and then on End Task. Some programs may prompt you for confirmation of this action. Do not attempt to end the tasks Explorer or Systray, or you will need to restart your machine.
If this doesn't work, try uninstalling the game, and then re-installing it.
I get an error message stating "VBE driver not found" "VBE 2.0 or greater required".
Under Options in the main game menu, click on the box labeled "Use built-in display drivers". Be sure to install the VESA driver that came with your card if you try this. If this doesn't work, click on Video Setup, then options and uncheck "Disable VBE 2.0 extensions" and or "Disable linear framebuffer".
If this doesn't work, see the section below labeled "Why should I use SciTech's Display Doctor?"
I get an error message reading "Bank switched video modes not supported".
From the main game menu, select Options, then Video Setup, then Options.
Uncheck "Disable linear framebuffer" and check "Ignore old VBE BIOS" instead.
I get an error message reading "Couldn't determine the refresh rate of the display".
Redetect your video card by selecting Options, then Video Setup, then Change, then Autodetect or Manual Override. Under Options in the main game menu, click on the box labeled "Use built-in display drivers". Be sure to install the VESA driver that came with your card if you try this. If this doesn't work, click on Video Setup, then options and uncheck "Disable VBE 2.0 extensions" and or "Disable linear framebuffer".
If this doesn't work, see the section below labeled "Why should I use SciTech's Display Doctor?"
I can't select manual override during the video configuration.
This usually happens when your video card has an AGP port. There is a patch available that will fix this problem. You can download this patch from here.
The game is running at half speed or slower (balls appear to move in slow motion).
First, try turning off shadows in the Options menu or by pressing F3 during gameplay. Then set "Single screen detail" to "Maximum speed" by pressing F9 during gameplay. Next, uncheck "Disable linear framebuffer" check box under Options in the Video Setup Menu, and finally, reduce the sound quality by unchecking "Stereo" and/or "Sixteen bit" in options, or disable sound altogether.
The dotpanel is not visible on scrolling view.
Press F9 during gameplay to switch to Software panel.
The gameplay stutters, jerks occasionally, or is just too slow. How can I Improve game performance?
Bring up the Windows 95 task manager by pressing control-alt-delete ONCE. Exit all applications except for Explorer and Systray. Other programs such as virus scanners, video card control panels, etc. can interfere with the operation of the game. Once all unneeded applications are closed, try running the game again.
For slower machines, you can try turning off some features during gameplay to reduce the system demand. Press F3 to turn off Flipper and Ball shadows. Press F2 to choose single screen mode, and Press F9 to set single screen view at Maximum Speed.
You can also try turning off 16 bit and stereo sound in the options menu.
How do I get my score listed on the Worldscores Internet rankings?
Before you can do this, you must have an active connection to the Internet. You must also have a web browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer installed on your system.
For more information on this topic, please refer to page 8 of your game manual.
If the solution to your problem wasn't listed in this document or the given solution didn't work, here are some basic troubleshooting steps that you take:
Make sure that your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for the game as listed on the box and at the top of this document. The game will not run if your system doesn't meet these requirements.
Shut down any other programs that you may have running on your computer. Other applications can interfere with the game's operation. (For details, see our Windows 95 General Troubleshooting FAQ)
Check the shiny underside of the CD for fingerprints, smudges, or scratches that could cause your CD-ROM drive to have trouble reading it.
To activate your free rental time, you must first be connected to the Internet via your Internet Service provider.
Then, If you have not done so already, install Balls of Steel to your hard drive. Once installation is complete, you will be prompted to start Balls of Steel. When you select this option, the game will automatically try to connect to the Channelware authorization server.
Once you have connected to the server, follow the prompts to Rent, Buy, or start your free trial rental or Balls of Steel.
After your trial period has ended, you will need to fill out a new rental form and enter your credit card number. The channelware server will be updated to include pricing changes when necessary.
AOL Startup
AOL subscribers will need to dial into AOL and connect to the Internet before running the Channelware version of the game. Once the activation is complete, wait about a minute and then you may terminate your connection to AOL.
Proxy Setup
If you can surf the web from your computer, you will probably have no problems connecting to the channelware server upon launch. However, users on a corporate LAN may need to set up an HTTP PROXY at the machine level before connecting. This may NOT be done within your browser. If you do not know how to do this, or you do not have access to these functions, please contact your network administrator for assistance.
Manual (Channelware version only)
You can access the Balls of Steel manual in 3 easy steps:
First, click on the OPTIONS button located on the bottom of the main menu to access the options menu.
Click on the Help button located on the bottom of the options menu to access the balls of steel table of contents.
Click on the text for the item you need information about.
Troubleshooting
After completing a rental contract, you do not disconnect the modem but go to the game and it locks up.
When you are prompted to disconnect the modem, chose yes. If you chose no and the game does lock up, hold down ctrl+alt+del ONCE to bring up the task list. Select the name of the table you just chose to play and click on end task to close it. Once closed you can then disconnect your modem then continue playing normally.
Channelware Tech Support
For questions related to the free trial period, billing issues, rental forms, etc., please call Channelware technical support at 1-888-226-5656. Infogrames, Inc.'s technicians cannot help you with these issues.
