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Alot of players will encounter problems of some kind when trying to play SubSpace for the first
time. This page will guide you through the complete installation process, and it will help you
configure SubSpace properly. If you can't find your answer here, then you should go to the
Tech Support Forum to post your message on the messageboard. I will
visit the board regularly to answer your questions, along with other people who have been helping
out on other Tech Support boards as well. |
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| Downloading and installing SubSpace |
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There are currently two versions of SubSpace available, v1.34 and v1.35. The first one is the original SubSpace with a special CD-crack included in the zipfile. Without this crack, you will get booted from most zones within 60 seconds because SubSpace can't find it's CD. Occasionally, the crack in the v1.34 version won't work on your computer. This happens when you run SubSpace, close it down, and run subspace again later without rebooting your computer. Because this is a very common problem, SubSpace v1.35 was developed. This version has the CD Check disabled, allowing anyone to play. The downside about this version is that there are a few bugs that cause SubSpace to crash in rare occasions. I suggest that you try SubSpace v1.34 before you try v1.35. |
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Right-click on the link of your choice below to download, and select "Save as". Save the file to your Desktop. |
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After downloading, go to "My Computer", and go to your C:-drive. Right click on an empty spot and select
New > New Folder. Name that folder SubSpace. Now go back to your desktop (where the zip-file is).
Doubleclick on the subspace file. If Windows doesn't recognize the file type, then you'll need to
download WinZip first. Click Here to download it.
If you do see a winzip screen popping up, then follow the on-screen instructions and Extract all the files in the archive to the C:\subspace folder you just created. You can close winzip after this ; SubSpace is now installed on your computer. Now all we need to do is make a shortcut to SubSpace, just to make things easier for you. Browse to your c:\subspace folder. Right click on the file called "Subspace.exe", and select "Create shortcut. If you have version 1.34, you should click on "Subcr134.exe" instead. Go to the C:\subspace folder, and right click on the file called "Subcr134" and select "Create shortcut". You should now see a file named "Shortcut to Subcr134.exe" appear in the folder. Right-click on this file once, and select "Cut". Close the folder, and go back to your desktop. Right-click on an empty spot, and select "Paste". The shortcut is now located on your desktop ; doubleclick it to start SubSpace. |
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After you download them, you should unzip all the files into your SubSpace folder. If you want to remove an add-on, simply delete all the *.wa2 and *.bm2 files in the SubSpace folder. All other add-ons that were installed will also be deleted, but that's not a problem if you keep a copy of the zipfiles on your harddisk. I will be adding a list of Graphics add-ons in the next month (when I find time, that is). I will also give some more information about these add-ons. Keep an eye on the News page, I will post a message there when I finish the page. |
| Configuring the game |
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When you run SubSpace, and click the "Play" button, you will see a list of zones on your screen. Some of them have numbers next to them, and some don't. The ones without the numbers don't exist anymore, you can't log-in to those zones anymore. You should click the Find Servers button and enter the address SSCENTRAL.VIE.CO.UK and click OK. SubSpace should now download a list of servers from the directory server. You also have the option of deleting those unused zones from your own list. Occasionally, even if you fill in the right addres, SubSpace will give an error and crash. This is because some way or another, your internet connection is blocking or interfering with the connection to the Directory server. You can try filling in SSCENTRAL.DS98.COM instead. This is a back-up Directory server, which comes in real handy for alot of people. Once you added and removed the zones of your choice, press OK. The servers you selected are now listed. |
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<File> menu : Play Game : Same as using the "Play Game" button. Won't do anything if you see a list of zones on your screen. Find Servers : Same as using the "Find Servers" button. Set Proxy Server : Enter a valid IP-adress for the proxy server SubSpace should use. Exit : It disrupts space and time, instantly blowing up your computer and all other electronic devices in a 200 mile radius. Additionally, Britney Spears will be waiting for you in your bathtub, and Elvis will be singing in the cellar. <View> menu : News : Shows you the news.txt file, located in your SubSpace folder. This text file was downloaded from one of the zones you played in. If you want to read the news file of a specific zone, just login to the zone and type ?getnews. Message Hot Keys : Gives you the option to enter all desired macros. For more info about macros, click here. Options : Gives a list of available options that you can change. Most options here are for your convenience only. Click here for a short description of all the options. Advanced Options : Gives a list of the more complicated options. For now it's best if you leave them the way they are. They are only useful when you are having problems running SubSpace. <Resolution> menu : This menu simply let you choose the resolution SubSpace will run in. The higher the resolution, the better, since you will see more of the battlefield. If the screen is jumping when you play, switch to a lower resolution and try again. <Help> menu : Message Ticker Help : Enables in-game help. Wvenever your ship is upgraded, you will see a brief description of the upgrade. This is a very useful tool for beginners, since you can immediately try the item out when you get it. I suggest you turn this feature off as soon as you are familiar with the game. It's an annoying feature when you already know everything. Tutorial : Will take you into an offline tutorial. The game will show you the essential basics, and it will teach you how to communicate with your own team. Quick Help Screen : Will show you a screen with all available ships, weapons and other items in the game. Point at an item with your mouse to see it's description. Contents : Will open the main page of the offline help file. If it doesn't, then you have a version without the help files. Don't worry, because everything in those files is also located on this site. About : Will open a list of the "legendary" people who created this game. You'll see a couple of those names again, since some of them are still around, helping to keep this game alive.p |
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To maximize the gaming experience, you should set your screen resolution to the highest possible setting. If you see more of the battlefield, you'll be able to see minefields up ahead. You'll be able to see what your opponent is doing, while he can only guess by looking at his inaccurate radar. The ony problem with setting a high screen resolution is the performance. If your computer is too slow, then everything will be very jumpy. It's just like having a slow connection ; you can't see things coming, and you die because of that. There are a couple of screen resolutions ranging from 640x480 to 1600x1200 pixels. You should start at the lowest value and enter a zone. Press ESC F. You'll see a small red number appear in the upper part of your screen. That's your framerate, the amount of frames your computer displays per second. I suggest you find a resolution that has a framerate of at least 30. Anything lower thatn 30 will cripple you a bit more. To optimize your display settings, scroll down to the Performance section. |
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These options can be found under the View > Options menu. If you're still unsure what an option does, then simply don't change it. If you can''t figure it out then it's not important. Weapon Gauge : Standard enables the graphic icons, Text uses text instead of that. Status Gauge : Standard enables the graphic icons. Text uses text instead of that. Energy Bar : Standard will make two large bars. Subtle makes a smaller, single bar. Radar : Small shows a 4 sector by 4 sector map of the area around you. Large does the same, only it's a bit more accurate. Font : Short enables normal text, and Tall will display taller characters. Legible enables an old subspace font. Sound : Sound is very important in SubSpace. Disable this feature ONLY if you want to increase SubSpace's performance. Message Lines : This is the amount of message lines you see at the bottom of your screen. Default setting is 4, although I suggest to set it to at least 6 depending on the screen resolution you play in. Target Bounty : Enemies who have their bounty higher than this amount will be colored light-blue on your radar. This way you can hunt them down or run for them if you are weak. Show Clock : Shows the current time in the lower right corner, just above your radar. Show Backgrounds : Shows the background graphics (planets, nebula's). Show Stars : Show stars in the background. This is useful to see in what direction and how fast you are moving. Gamma Correction : Increase the brightness of your screen. Shaded Boxes : Makes the background of the Status boxes gray. Opaque Messages : Will make sure that there's nothing behind the text lines. This way you won't have any problems reading. Wave Messages : Allows other people to send you short audio messages. Block Obscenity : SubSpace will block all known obscene words. Will delete the entire line that contains the obscene word. Message Alarm : SubSpace will beep when you get a private message. De-dupe Messages : SubSpace will delete duplicate messages if someone sends you the same message multiple times in a row. Ignore Public Macros : Macros are used to communicate with your team quickly, but they are also used to annoy and spam people in public chat. This options tells SubSpace to ignore all those (annoying) public macros. 3D Sound Effects : Greatly improves the sound quality. Adds cool 3D effects. Warning : This option uses alot of CPU power. Don't turn it on unless you have a fast PC. Message Entry Box : When you press ALT-TAB, you will see a message box that allows you to keep chatting when you're not playing. Detailed Explosions : Exploding ships will spit out more particles, making things more realistic. Rolling Ship : When you fly around a corner, your ship will rotate accordingly. This makes the game more realistic. Joystick : Enables the joystick for gameplay. You shouldn't use a joystick though, since you can't reach the keys for your special items in time. Translucent Effects : Allows several items in the game to be will transparent. Show Ping Times : Will display a ping time next to all the zones. A lower ping means a better connection. Skip Main Menu : You don't have to press the "Play Game" button anymore when booting up SubSpace. Visible Thrust : ALlows you to see your own thusters. Good way to determine your speed and direction. Multi-fire Starts On : Whenever your ship starts out with multifire, it will turn it on. Bomb Trails : Shows a trail behind all bombs. This makes it easier to see where they are headed. Bullet Trails : Shows a trail behind all bullets. This makes it easier to see where they are headed. Shrapnel Trails : Shows a trail behind all shrapnel. This makes it easier to see where they are headed. |
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The advanced options can be found at under the View > Advanced Options menu. Don't mess with the settings unless you know what you're doing please. If anything does go wrong, just reinstall the game. Software Emulation : This is for older video cards that don't support DirectX. Check this box if you have an old pc and are having problems with SubSpace. Skip Splash Screen : Skip the popup logo and sound when you start SubSpace. Avoid Page Flipping : This option can dramatically increase the performance of SubSpace. Enable it, and check your framerate inside the game to see if it for any better. Triple/System Buffer : Some videocards allow to load frames in advance. Enabling this option will increase performance on some videocards, but will also decrease performance on other cards. Just try it out. Force into system memory : Enable all of them or disable all of them and see what happens. Does different things on different videocards. Gamma Correct Percent : This is the change in brightness when you select the "Gamme Correction" option. Filling in 120 will add 20% lighting, and filling in 70 will decrease the brightness with 30%. |
| General troubleshooting |
| When installing SubSpace you'll probably encounter problems of some kind. The most common problems are listed below, as well as the solution to the problems. If you can't find your answer here, then you are encouraged to post your question at the Tech Support Forum. A couple of experienced players will check those boards on a regular base to answer all your questions. |
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Make sure you downloaded the updates Serverlist. Click on File > Find Servers and enter the address SSCENTRAL.VIE.CO.UK. Remove all zones in the right part of the screen, and add new ones from the left part. When you're done, press OK and enter a zone of your choice. A backup-directory server is SSCENTRAL.DS98.COM. Use this one in case the other one isn't working for you. If both adresses don't work, then you should check your firewall settings. Do you have one enabled? Are you connected to the internet through a proxyserver or firewall? Or maybe your ISP is just too slow. AOL users will usually find that their connection is way too slow for decent gameplay. If this doesn't solve your problems, then you are encouraged to post your question at the Tech Support Forum. |
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Here are a few things you people can try to fix this problem : - Install the newest version of DirectX, or reinstall your current version. - Disable FastFind. Navigate to C:\Windows\Start Menu\Startup and delete the FastFind icon. Restart your computer. - Click "View>Advanced options" and play with the four options in the top right corner. Try enabling one at a time, and enter a zone. Very likely to work. - Get rid of any Desktop wallpaper you have. Some wallpapers can make SubSpace crash for unknown reasons. - Set your desktop to 256 colors. 16-bit color could, in rare occasions, cause subspace to crash when initializing the video mode (it does that as soon as you press "Enter Zone"). - Disable Active Desktop. This feature will cause subspace to freak out in some occasions. - Uninstall any internet software you have installed. Especially programs like the Mindspring software are very likely to conflict with SubSpace. Make sure that you know how to re-install things again if something goes wrong tho. - Press CTRL-ALT-DEL and End Task the program called "Armon32" if it's there. (it it's not there just don't do anything). If this doesn not solve your problems, please visit the Tech Support Forum. Please mention that you already tried all the options listed in this guide ; that way we don't have to tell you to do the things you already tried. |
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When you log-in to subspace and it tells you your password is wrong, then you should simply choose a different playername. The name you selected is already taken, and SubSpace wants to login with that name using the wrong password. Obviously, that won't work. Just change your name by adding a number to it (ex. Scotty346). If you are absolutely sure that the name you entered is yours (you played in the game with this name before), then you should E-mail one of the Billing administrators. Their email adresses can be found at http://subspace.inet.fi. |
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This means that a moderator or Sysop kicked you out of the zone for doing something illegal multiple times. If the offense was very serious, they will ban your IP adress. This way, you can't play subspace anymore till they unban you. If you didn't do anything wrong, then it's possible that you have been banned by accident. If a cheater was using the same ISP that you are using now, then it could be that SubSpace is not allowing you to login because it thinks that you are that cheater again. You'll have to go to http://subspace.inet.fi to ask the administrators to unban you. They will give you further instructions to get you back in the game again. |
| In-game issues |
| When you get inside the game, several things could make gameplay kinda choppy and make other ships jump all over your screen. The tips listed below tell you how to increase the performance of your PC. |
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- Go to the View > Advanced options menu. There are four options in the top right corner. Play around with them, and check your framerat after every change. You can check your framerate when you are inside the game. Press ESC F and look at the red number on the top of your screen. A larger means a faster system configuration. - Set your desktop background to blank (no wallpapers) - Set the color depth of your desktop to 256 colors - Lower the resolution you play in. Maybe your computer just isn't fast enough to play in those high resolutions. - Go to the View > Options menu and turn off the options called "Rolling ships" and "detailed explosions". If you are still thinking that SubSpace isn't running the way it should, then just contact us at the Tech Support Forum. |
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When your connection to the server is bad, then it will take a long time for a signal from your pc to reach the subspace server, and the other way round. You will see other people jumping around your screen because of this, and they will see you doing the same. It's a pain for both you and the other players, so follow the next steps to improve your connection : - Don't download anything when playing SubSpace (pretty obvious isn't it). - Close all programs, especially the ones that have something to do with the internet (ICQ, virusscanners, Getright, GoZilla). - Use an onternet optimizer to uptimize your internet settings. Download one at www.download.com - Choose a different ISP. Providers like AOL are a really bad choice for online games. Just pick a different ISP and try playing SubSpace. - Play at a different time of the day. There's less lag in the morning than in the evening. |
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High packetloss is caused by internet routers that are overloaded. They can't process all the packets they receive, so they simply start discarding packets. If your weapon packets aren't coming through, then you can shoot till hell freezes over but you won't kill anything. The others simply won't see your bullets. The only things you can do about this : - Change your ISP. Whatever you choose, don't choose AOL. AOL is one of the worst providers to choose when you want to play online games. - Play at a different time of the day. Routers will usually be less busy early in the morning. |