		Nitemare-3D Tech Notes
		======================

This file contains technical notes in the form of frequently
asked questions on running Nitemare-3D.


1.  How much memory does Nitemare-3D require?

At least 500Kb conventional memory.  Note that this amount
must be available, not just installed.  To find out how
much is available, run the DOS "mem" command.  If not
enough is available, try unloading some TSRs or drivers.
If you are running DOS 6.0 or higher, it includes a handy
utility called "memmaker" which will automatically maximize
your available conventional ram.  Nitemare-3D keeps many
often-used images in conventional ram so the more you
have available, the more efficiently the game will run.

Nitemare-3D also needs some extended memory.  It can run
without it but you will find it runs slower.  Any amount
up to 2Mb will be used.  For best results this should be
available extended memory but you may also allocate
all extended memory to a disk cache such as SMARTDRV with
only a negligable loss of speed.  (This is because the disk
cache is effectively using the extended memory the same way
Nitemare-3D would be using it).


2.  Is my sound card supported?

Music is supported on any Adlib or Sound Blaster compatible
sound card but digitized sound effects are only supported
on true Sound Blaster compatible cards.  Some cards, such
as the PAS 16, require you to set the card in SB-emulation
mode and you should consult your sound card manual.  The
emulation setting is usually IRQ 7, DMA 1, I/O Port 220H.


3.  Why can't I vary the music volume?

Only Sound Blaster Pro or later compatible cards include the
mixer chip which allows this function from within the game.
The same goes for the stereo sound effects.


4.  I'm having trouble running the game in Windows.

The game is not designed to run under Windows, however you
may be able to get it to run.  PC speaker sound is not
available when run from within Windows.  The game will run
slower and jerkily under Windows.  There may be sound card
problems running from within Windows.  In general, don't!
See the discussion below on use of startup switches.


5.  I'm having trouble running the game in DOS.

To allow for various troublesome combinations of hardware,
the following switches can be used singly or in combination
when starting the game, e.g. "n3d -t -x -s"

-t	Disable timer interrupts and use DOS time functions.
	This is enabled by default when running from within
	Windows but it is possible the game will not detect
	that it is running from within Windows and you can
	try this switch.  It may also be required from DOS
	if there are conflicts with your real time clock
	setup.

-x	Disable use of extended memory.
	The game attempts to use up to 2Mb of extended memory
	if available.  If you suspect this is causing a
	problem then use this switch to force it to ignore
	any extended memory.

-p	Force PC speaker sound.  If you are able to get music
	but no digitized sound from your sound card, you
	may be able to force PC speaker sound.  Note that PC
	speaker sound is not possible under Windows and the
	rendering of digitized sounds through the PC speaker
	gives very poor results, anyhow.  Do not attempt to
	use the -t switch with the -p switch since this can
	cause the game to freeze.

-q      Force detection of SoundBlaster compatible DSP.  This
	switch may be able to force detection of a sound card
	that is not auto-detected.  If you have a Sound Blaster
	compatible card but the game produces sound through
	the PC speaker try this switch to see if you can get
	digitized sound through your sound card.  You must include
	the port number and IRQ number after this switch.  Example:
	    n3d -q 220 7
	will assume the DSP is on port 220(hex), IRQ 7 (decimal).
	[Use the -o switch to check the results in DEBUG.TXT]

-s	Disable detection of sound cards.
	It is possible that the auto-detection function used
	to detect sound card hardware can cause the game to
	lock up during start up.  Use this switch to avoid
	this problem but be aware that sound, music and the
	joystick will be unavailable since they are all
	handled by the same third-party sound functions.

-o	Enable debug output.
	This causes a small text file called DEBUG.TXT to
	be written when the game starts.  It should look
	similar to this:

	Initializing...
	Bootstrap ok
	SB DSP detected at IRQ 7
	Sound card ok
	Timer ok
	Display ok
	Memory ok
	Keyboard ok
	Mouse ok
	Initialize complete!

	Examination of your DEBUG.TXT after an unsuccsessful
	startup may indicate the problem.
