
                              LAST OF THE FREE
                              ================

This file contains information intended to explain any error messages or
problems you may encounter while running the program, and suggest some
possible solutions. It also contains help for configuring your machine to get
the best performance out of the Sound Blaster sound options.

For installation details, and more general help, run README.


Not enough free memory to run
-----------------------------

The program ran out of (conventional) memory. This is only likely to occur if
you are using a Sound Blaster card.

The 8-bit sample version requires 536,000 bytes of conventional memory, and
the 16-bit version requires 566,000 bytes. You can check the amount of
memory available by running the DOS command 'CHKDSK'. The last line displayed
gives the relevant figure.

Consult your DOS manuals for help on freeing up memory.

Note: The exact amount of memory required varies with the sound card type.
The drivers for the newer cards are larger than those for the older cards, so
you may find that the program will run with less free than the amount given
above.


File missing/corrupted
----------------------

This indicates that one of the program files has been deleted or become
corrupted. It should never happen, but if it does, install the program again
from your original disk(s).


Configuration data not found
----------------------------

The program could not find the information that specifies your sound device
and option settings. To fix this, run SETUP.


BIOS too old
------------

The program needs to use some services provided by the machine BIOS that
were not present in early BIOS versions. If this message is given, there
is nothing you can do, because your machine falls into this category.


Sound Blaster - SETUP does not detect card
------------------------------------------

If a Sound Blaster card is installed in your machine, and SETUP fails to
detect it, it means that the Sound Blaster drivers have not been detected.

The program uses the drivers provided with the software that accompanies
the Sound Blaster card. If you have not installed this, or have later
removed some, or all, of the software, run the Sound Blaster installation
program again. Now when you run SETUP, the card should be detected
correctly. See your Sound Blaster manuals for further information.

Notes for advanced users:
-------------------------

The program only needs the drivers CT-VOICE.DRV, CTVDSK.DRV, and AUXDRV.DRV
(if the stereo option is selected), together with the environment variable
'SOUND', giving the location of the directory containing the subdirectory
'\DRV', in which the drivers are actually stored.

E.g. if SOUND=C:\SB, then C:\SB\DRV should contain the drivers.

SETUP reads the environment variable 'BLASTER' to determine the port and
interrupt number. If BLASTER is not defined, the factory defaults are used.
BLASTER does not need to be set to run the game.


Sound Blaster - driver not found
--------------------------------

The program could not find the driver software.

If a Sound Blaster is installed, install the driver software as described
above, or change the sound device by running SETUP.

Note: This error will also be given if you've got a basic Sound Blaster card,
but have selected the Sound Blaster Pro or 16 in SETUP, and have switched
the stereo option on. Change the setting to the basic Sound Blaster option.


Sound Blaster - cannot initialise card
--------------------------------------

The program found the Sound Blaster drivers, but the card could not be
initialised.

If a Sound Blaster is installed, check that it is working correctly with
the software supplied with it, or change the sound device by running SETUP.


Sound Blaster - port/interrupt setting is wrong
-----------------------------------------------

The wrong port and/or interrupt number has been set.

Run SETUP and change the settings to their required values. If you don't
know the right settings, use the software supplied with the card to
determine them.


Sound Blaster 'hi-score' sample pauses
--------------------------------------

You should be able to eliminate pausing during sample playback by using a
disk cache program, or if you already are, by increasing the size of the
cache.

The problem is most likely to occur when running the 16-bit version:

- If you have got more than 2Mb of RAM, a 1Mb cache should do, though you
may need to experiment.

- On a 2Mb system, try the largest cache size that leaves enough XMS memory
to run the program; even then, you may find that the hi-score sample still
won't loop without pausing. In this case you can use the option in SETUP to
switch to the 8-bit hi-score sample. This is smaller, and is therefore
less demanding on disk/cache access. You should find that this plays back
well with a cache size of, say, 400k, which should be a reasonable size to
fit in a 2Mb system without having to chop the CONFIG.SYS/AUTOEXEC.BAT file
contents down to a minimum.


Sound Blaster 16 sound output sometimes stops
---------------------------------------------

There seem to be a few bugs in the early Sound Blaster 16 drivers which may
cause the sound to stop playing, usually when you start a new game or have
just finished one. It doesn't usually affect 'normal play', but might occur
if you switch the sound on and off between games or while it's paused.

If you encounter this problem, you should be able to get the sound back by
turning the sound off, then on again, with 'S'.


Sound Blaster - general notes
-----------------------------

The samples sound best on systems with good bass response. If you haven't
got tone controls, placing the speakers next to a wall will probably improve
the sound quality.

If you've got a Sound Blaster 16, get the 16-bit sample version. The
difference is comparable to that between poor quality AM radio and high
quality FM. Also, check the treble setting on the mixer: for playing 8-bit
samples this should be set to zero, but for 16-bit samples it should be
set to a median value, say, 127.


Extended memory (XMS) not found (16-bit only)
---------------------------------------------

The program could not find the XMS driver, which is needed to access extended
memory.

Check that your CONFIG.SYS file contains a line for loading the XMS driver,
typically 'DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS'. Consult your DOS manuals, or those for
your memory management software, for detailed instructions.


Unable to allocate XMS memory (16-bit only)
-------------------------------------------

The program was unable to obtain a block of extended memory from the XMS
driver. The reason given may be:

    - Insufficient XMS memory free.

      The program requires 622,592 bytes (608K) of XMS memory. You can check
      the amount available by running the supplied utility 'XMSINFO'. The
      relevant figure is the 'largest free block'.

      You can increase the amount of free XMS memory by reducing the
      amount used by other programs. The most likely candidate is a
      disk cache program - reduce its size to leave sufficient free
      for LOTF, but otherwise keep the cache as large as possible.

    - No XMS handles free.

      The XMS driver can only provide a limited number of blocks of XMS
      memory, irrespective of the amount free. Other programs must have
      used up all the available 'handles'.

      Either disable other programs that are using XMS, or increase the
      number of XMS handles. Consult your DOS/memory management software
      manuals for instructions.

    - XMS error code 129

      A VDISK (ram disk) device was detected that conflicts with XMS.

      Disable any driver that may be causing the problem and try again.


XMS memory operation failure (16-bit only)
------------------------------------------

An error occurred while moving data between conventional and extended memory.
This *should* never happen.

Note: Error code 169 indicates a memory parity error - a memory chip may be
faulty.


Low animation rate too 'flickery'
---------------------------------

The success of the low animation rate seems to depend on the monitor used -
on some screens it works better than others. It also looks far worse if you
play it immediately after playing the game on the high or medium settings -
try coming back to it after a break.


Why is there no joystick option?
--------------------------------

Joystick control was tried, but the result simply made the game harder to
play due to the relative slowness of moving the stick around, and the
difficulty of making accurate movements. The keyboard allows much faster
responses, and complete accuracy when flying tricky manoeuvres.


Other
-----

If you find any bugs, or have problems with the program, or have any comments
or suggestions, please let me know:

     Adrian Page
     2 St Edburgs Close
     Bicester
     Oxfordshire
     OX6 8BL
     England

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Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Labs, Inc..
