





                 KRONOLOG: The Nazi Paradox

                        Version 1.0

                        README NOTES
                          10/29/93

                THANK YOU FOR BUYING KRONOLOG





PLEASE READ THESE NOTES COMPLETELY BEFORE INSTALLING KRONOLOG





                             CONTENTS

      * 1 *  OPTIMIZE YOUR HARD DRIVE FOR FASTEST PLAY

      * 2 *  STARTING THE GAME

      * 3 *  SOUND CARD SUPPORT AND CONFLICTS

      * 4 *  CRASHES AND WHAT TO DO

      * 5 *  CHANGING SOUND CARDS OR TURNING OFF SOUND

      * 6 *  USING THE PC SPEAKER

      * 7 *  CONFIGURING A 2 MEG SYSTEM

      * 8 *  SAVING GAMES - A SOME TIME BUG

      * 9 *  ADDITIONAL NOTES AND HINTS FOR PLAYING THE GAME



* 1 * OPTIMIZE YOUR HARD DRIVE FOR FASTEST PLAY

      PLEASE OPTIMIZE (defragment) YOUR HARD DISK BEFORE YOU
      INSTALL KRONOLOG.  Read the section in the TECHNICAL
      REFERENCE GUIDE titled HARD DRIVE INSTALLATION for more
      information on defragmenting your drive.  If you have
      STACKER(tm) installed on your system, versions 3.0+, have
      their own optimization program built into them.  You should
      use this product, sdefrag.exe, to defragment a STACKER
      drive.  You can run this program from the STACKER MENU
      which is available by typing the command -- stac [Enter].

* 2 * STARTING THE GAME

      To play KRONOLOG, enter the KRONOLOG directory from DOS and
      type the following command:

               krono [Enter]

      The first time you play KRONOLOG, you will be asked to
      select a music/sound card configuration (or none at all).
      Once you have made your selection, an introductory
      sequence will follow which provides a cinematic style
      history of KRONOLOG's world from 1945 to 2020.  You can skip
      this introductory segment at any time by pressing the left
      mouse button.  The program will advance to the first scene
      of the game.  At this point you can either start a new game
      or load a previously saved version of KRONOLOG.  We
      recommend that you watch the introductory segment at least
      once, as it contains background information helpful in
      playing the game.

* 3 * SOUND CARD SUPPORT AND CONFLICTS

      KRONOLOG supports a wide selection of sound cards.  Most
      users will have either a SoundBlaster, AdLib, Pro Audio
      Spectrum or compatible.  KRONOLOG expects these cards to
      be installed with specific channels set as follows:

               -------------------------------
               SoundBlaster   DMA=1      IRQ=7
               -------------------------------
               AdLib          DMA=1      IRQ=7
               -------------------------------
               Pro Audio      DMA=1      IRQ=7
               Spectrum              or
                              DMA=3      IRQ=3
               -------------------------------

      If you have one of these card families or a compatible, you
      should use the settings listed above.  Other DMA and
      IRQ combinations may be acceptable; however, the above are
      known to work with KRONOLOG.  Incorrect DMA and IRQ
      settings may produce unexpected results in the game,
      including complete loss of sound, sporadic and inconsistent
      sound play, corrupted animations, crashes and lock-ups.
      If you experience any of these conditions with KRONOLOG,
      check your DMA and IRQ settings.  Resetting them to the
      above values will most likely resolve the problems which are
      caused by conflicts on these channels.  Consult your sound
      card's manual for the correct method of setting your card
      to these channels.

* 4 * CRASHES AND WHAT TO DO

      If you are experiencing frequent crashes and lock-ups in
      KRONOLOG, the most likely culprits are sound card DMA/IRQ
      conflicts, as stated above, and/or not enough low DOS
      memory.  KRONOLOG requires a minimum of 590K of low DOS RAM
      to run properly.  Please read the section, SETTING UP YOUR
      COMPUTER TO PLAY KRONOLOG, in the TECHNICAL REFERENCE
      GUIDE, to understand how to free up as much low DOS
      memory in your system as possible.  Should you continue to
      crash out of KRONOLOG after making the above alterations
      to your systems set-up, try turning off sound altogether.
      If this still does not resolve the problem, please contact
      MERIT SOFTWARE's technical support for assistance.

* 5 * CHANGING SOUND CARDS OR TURNING OFF SOUND

      If you have installed KRONOLOG and you wish to change your
      sound card selection to another card or you choose to turn
      off sound altogether, you will need to force a music/sound
      reconfiguration.  To do this, simply enter the KRONOLOG
      directory from DOS and type the following commands:

                    del krono.cfg [Enter]
                    krono [Enter]

      This will remove the existing KRONOLOG configuration file
      and then run the game.  When the game boots it will
      automatically enter the music/sound configuration routine
      where you will be able to select a new set-up.

* 6 * USING THE PC SPEAKER

      If you do not possess a sound card or you have an MT-32
      interface card which plays only music (MIDI), it is
      possible to use the PC speaker to generate the voices and
      sound effects for the game.  This is not a desirable
      alternative, but one which we are making available with the
      following provisos.  (1) The PC speaker is at best capable of
      producing only a limited range of sound and therefore
      produces a quality which we cannot recommend.  (2) Different
      machine manufacturers use various types of speakers (some are
      nothing more than buzzers) and their various methods for
      driving these speakers can produce a range of sounds which
      are heavily chopped and distorted.  Since this sound quality
      is totally inconsistent, we do not provide technical support
      for sound problems arising from
      the use of the PC speaker.

* 7 * CONFIGURING A 2 MEG SYSTEM

      Users with 2 MEG machines - KRONOLOG will run in a 2 Meg
      machine; however, this minimum configuration has some
      limitations.  You must NOT use smartdrv.exe or any other
      disk caching program.  KRONOLOG uses the entire 1 Meg of
      extended memory in a 2 Meg system for its own use and can
      not share it with the disk cache.  The absence of a disk
      cache will cause animations to run at considerably slower
      speeds than intended.  You may use a sound card in a 2 Meg
      machine without encountering major conflicts; however, the
      sound may not be correctly synchronized with the animations
      as the sound will play at real time while the speed of the
      animations will be dependent upon the transfer rate of your
      hard disk drive.  You must be sure that there are no TSR's
      or other programs running in your system and taking up
      precious space in this extended 1 Meg of RAM.  As with any
      other system configuration, the 2 Meg machine must also
      have a minimum of 590K RAM free in lower DOS memory in
      order for KRONOLOG to run properly.

* 8 * SAVING GAMES - A SOME TIME BUG

      It is possible in certain hardware configurations for
      KRONOLOG to kick you back to the DOS C: prompt after
      SAVING an undetermined number of games.  This is not fatal.
      The game you were in the process of SAVING at the time of
      the game shut-down will have been SAVED.  Simply re-run
      KRONOLOG and LOAD the game you just SAVED.  You will be
      returned to that position in the game with no loss of data
      if you follow this rule-of-thumb when SAVING: NEVER SAVE A
      GAME IF MARK HOFFMANN IS NOT STANDING ON THE GROUND.
      Although an inconvenience, this bug in no way prevents you
      from completing the game.  Filling out and returning your
      Registration card will assure you of a free upgrade to
      KRONOLOG and a fix to this problem.

* 9 * ADDITIONAL NOTES AND HINTS FOR PLAYING KRONOLOG:

  +   You cannot SAVE or LOAD a game from the MAZE or any
      other overlay or close-up view panel.  Refer to THE MAZE
      (page 10) in the USER'S GUIDE for detailed information
      about the MAZE and strategies for getting through it.

  +   Walking Mark Hoffmann about the screen requires pointing him
      in the right direction.  Clicking above his chest, but in
      line with his body vertically, will move Mark Hoffmann away
      from you.  Clicking below his knees, but in line with his
      body vertically, will move him toward you.  Clicking
      anywhere to the left or right of him, but outside his body's
      vertical space, will move him in those respective
      directions.  It is not helpful to click on the location to
      which you intend to walk him unless that location is in a
      direct, unobstructed horizontal or vertical line.

  +   Clues to the solutions to the various puzzles that make
      up KRONOLOG's overall challenge will be found in many
      places in Mark Hoffmann's world.  One place that should
      be explored with a keen eye is Mark Hoffmann's PIM.  The
      contents of "NADAnet's on-line service" may provide more
      pertinent information than may seem apparent at first
      glance.  Remember, Mark Hoffmann is a leader of the
      Unknowns and, as such, is a spy.  Snooping is allowed,
      almost expected, from such individuals in even the most
      proper and rigid societies.  So feel free to look anywhere.
      It's only considered bad manners if you get caught.

  +   SAVE games often; you will be glad you did.  After all, it's
      up to you to save the world from a fate far worse than ...

         GOOD LUCK AGENT HOFFMANN ... TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
