         °°±±²²ÛÛ PLANET STRIKE v1.0 ON-DISK TECHNICAL SUPPORT ÛÛ²²±±°°

                        Game designed by JAM Productions
             Copyright 1994 Apogee Software, Ltd / Jam Productions
                       Published by FormGen Incorporated


                              ===================
                              SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
                              ===================

þ Planet Strike requires a minimum of a 386DX/25 computer, with 560k of free
  conventional memory, and MS-DOS v5.0+. Planet Strike also supports EMS & XMS
  for data storage, and is recommended due to greater game speed if EMS/XMS are
  used.  The Sound Blaster & Sound Blaster Pro sound cards are also optionally
  supported, as well as the Adlib card, and the Disney Sound Source.


                            ========================
                            BEFORE RUNNING THIS GAME
                            ========================

þ This game is not designed to be run under MicroSoft Windows.  Windows takes
  up far too many system resources that our programs require for efficient and
  proper operation.  When running this program, DO NOT LAUNCH FROM WINDOWS.
  Run it directly from DOS.  If you are in the Windows environment, quit
  Windows and then run the program.  (NOTE: Using the MS/DOS Icon does not exit
  you from Windows.  That is a shell from Windows. You need to completely close
  down the Program Manager to totally exit from Windows.)

þ Any kind of menu program such as Dos Shell will most likely cause problems.
  We recommend running our programs completely from the DOS prompt.  To test
  this, enter the word "exit".  If nothing at all happens, then you are
  completely at the dos prompt, and not "shelled" from anything else.  If you
  type exit, and return to another program (such as Windows or the MS/DOS
  Shell), then you need to completely exit the program that you returned to
  before attempting to run Planet Strike.

þ Planet Strike requires MS/DOS 5.0 or greater.  Any previous version of DOS
  may be sufficient in order to run the game.  The chief reason behind this
  requirement is that these older versions of DOS are sometimes incapable of
  providing enough conventional memory in order to run Planet Strike.

þ The music in this game is Adlib music, and all game play sounds are Sound
  Blaster digitized effects.  An example of the digitized effects are the door
  noises, your weapons firing, and the various speech from the people you'll
  meet in the game.


                          ===========================
                          PLANET STRIKE DETAILED HELP
                          ===========================

þ If the game crashes with a $81-03 error, then you need to check a few lines
  in your CONFIG.SYS file.  The values listed here may or may not be in your
  file.  If they are not, you will need to add them.  If they are in the file,
  but the values are less than what is stated here, they will need to be
  altered to match what is here.  If they are greater than the values listed
  here, then you can just leave what you have alone.  The four lines are:

  FILES=30
  BUFFERS=30
  STACKS=9,256
  FCBS=16,0

  If, for some reason, the errors still occur after you've added these lines to
  your file, try changing the FILES=20 to FILES=99.  If you are unfamiliar or
  are unsure on how to make these changes, please consult your DOS manual, the
  assistance you'll need for this procedure is there.

þ If the game crashes with an error that reads "Can't open MAPTEMP.VSI", you
  will need to check the values of a few lines in your CONFIG.SYS file. The
  values listed here may or may not be in your file.  If they are not, you will
  need to add them.  If they are in the file, but the values are less than what
  is stated here, they will need to be altered to match what is here.  If they
  are greater than the values listed here, then you can just leave what you
  have alone.  The four lines are:

  FILES=30
  BUFFERS=30
  STACKS=9,256
  FCBS=16,0

þ If the game crashes with any other error that begins with $81 or an $8F, this
  is usually the result of some sort of corruption of your copy of the game, or
  a conflict with your upper memory manager.  Try reinstalling your game, and
  if you're running on a compressed drive such as Stacker or DriveSpace, try
  moving the game to an uncompressed drive, and playing without the compression
  driver loaded.  You can also try running the game like this; it might help your
  problem. PLANET NOEMS NOXMS

þ If the game crashes with any one of the following errors, it means your
  SET BLASTER line is set up improperly.  Run the supplied utility program
  called SETBLAST.EXE for assistance in properly setting this up.  The errors
  to watch out for here are: $91-04, $91-05, and $91-06.

þ If, when you start the game, you get the error screen saying that you have
  insufficient memory in order to play the game, go to the "How do I make more
  memory available?" section later on in this document.  There is help for this
  issue there.

  If, however, you are running DR-DOS, then there is a separate issue to be
  addressed.  DR-DOS preallocates 64k of conventional memory to any .EXE file
  that it believes to be compressed.  Since the Main Planet Strike executable
  file *IS* compressed, DR-DOS is allocating 64k of conventional memory from
  whatever you have to begin with, almost certainly leaving you with
  insufficient memory in order to play the game.  There is a fix for this
  available from Novell.  You need to contact Novell and obtain "DR-DOS Patch
  326".  This will optionally allow you to eliminate the preallocation that
  DR-DOS is doing.  At the time of the writing of this document, Novell DOS 7
  was not released, and we do not have any idea if this will still apply to
  that version of DOS.  Check with Novell for more information.

  This patch is available in several places online as well.

   þ Software Creations BBS -> 1-508-368-7036 with filename DRDOS326.ZIP
   þ Novell BBS             -> 1-408-649-3443 with filename PATCH326.ZIP
   þ Internet               -> Email "drdos@novell.com"
   þ CompuServe             -> GO NOVLIB, File Area 12, Filename PAT326.EXE
   þ America Online         -> Do keyword search for "DR-DOS",
                                                and get filename PAT326.ZIP.

þ If you're playing the game, and it locks up when loading a level, (or locks
  up at any other time), there are a few things that you can try to resolve
  this problem.  First, try running the game using the NOEMS NOXMS parameters.
  See the section on "Command Line Parameters" for more detailed information
  on how to do this.  Another idea here would be to check your sound card
  settings.

þ Not all clone sound cards properly emulate the Creative Labs Sound Card.
  This program was written for a Creative Labs Sound card, and functions
  properly on all Creative Labs cards.  During the testing of this game, it
  was made to work on these following cards with very little effort.  They are:
  Pro Audio Spectrum 16 and the Gravis UltraSound Card.  Other clone cards
  should work, but if you're having problems, make sure to run the SETBLAST.EXE
  program, as it sets up an environment variable in your system that is
  required for proper execution.

  We get a lot of questions from people wanting to know why they have to use
  this if they don't have a Sound Blaster.  Well, it's simple.  This command
  has NOTHING to do with what type of card you use.  Apogee games that use
  digitized sounds expect a sound card to be at specific settings.  If they are
  not, then the game needs to be told where to send it's sound output to.  The
  way to do this is with the environment variable BLASTER.  Apogee has provided
  a program with this archive called SETBLAST.EXE.  This will assist in
  properly setting up the SET BLASTER line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  There is
  online documentation explaining this further.  Consult that documentation for
  more assistance.

þ If you are having lockup problems, or sound problems, you can run the
  supplied utility program called SETBLAST.EXE. This program will check your
  system's sound settings, and ensure that they are properly set.  This program
  will let you pick IRQ's, DMA's and port addresses until you get one that is
  correct.  When you get one that is correct (the program will alert you if
  what you are trying to use is incorrect), it will modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT
  file by placing the correct SET BLASTER line at the end.  Once you have quit
  the SETBLAST.EXE program, you need to reboot your computer, and then your
  sound problems should go away. An improperly set sound card can often cause
  system lockups.

þ If your IRQ is set to 10, you will not get proper sound performance, and your
  computer may also lock up.  Planet Strike requires that your IRQ be set at 7
  or less.  IRQ10 is a 16 bit sound IRQ, and since the sounds that Planet
  Strike makes are 8 bit, IRQ10 is unusable.  Please run the SETBLAST.EXE
  program for some more detailed assistance in properly setting up your sound
  card for Sound Blaster emulation if it is not a true Sound Blaster.

þ If you are running a Compaq computer, and the game tells you that you do not
  have a VGA card, and you know for a fact that you do, or you experience
  lockups, this is what you'll need to do.  You'll need to contact Compaq for
  an update.  The reason for this is that Compaq has some video cards that do
  not conform to all proper detection methods.  There is a device driver
  available from Compaq that will fix this problem.  The driver's name is
  FINDVGA.SYS.  Compaq does have this file available for download on their BBS
  with the filename SP0117.ZIP.

þ If you notice the game running slowly on your system, here are a few
  suggestions on improving game performance.

  ¯ Disable your disk cache.  Planet Strike does it's own internal caching, and
    sometimes external caches such as SmartDrive can get in the way, and slow
    things down.

  ¯ Try disabling the ceiling and floor textures during game play.  This can
    be done by using the [C] & [F] keys respectively.

  ¯ Try disabling the light diminishing feature of the game, as this can slow
    down the game.  You can disable this function with the [L] key.

  ¯ Reduce the window size.  You can do this during game play by pressing F5 or
    from the OPTIONS menu under CONTROL.

  ¯ Increase the amount of free memory your system has before running the game.
    See "How do I make more conventional memory available?"

  ¯ If you are a Sound Blaster or compatible sound card user, try disabling
    the Digitized sounds.  Press F4 during game play to bring up the sound
    menu, or use the "SOUND" menu under "GAME OPTIONS" when in the menu system.

  ¯ If you are an AdLib or compatible sound card user, try disabling the
    Background Music.  Press F4 during game play to bring up the sound menu, or
    use the "SOUND" menu under "GAME OPTIONS" when in the menu system.


                     =====================================
                     PLANET STRIKE COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS
                     =====================================

þ There are a few command line parameters you can try to use to help other
  things that might turn up when playing the game.  A command line parameter
  is something that you type on the command line after the name of the program
  you're running.  The /NOJOYS switch will be used as an example.  To use
  that one, you would need to start the game like this...

  PLANET NOJOYS  (or PLANET -NOJOYS, or PLANET /NOJOYS)

  The command line parameters for Planet Strike are stackable, which means
  that you can use more than one at a time, if you need to.  An example of
  a stacked set of command line parameters would look like this...

  PLANET NOJOYS NOMOUSE

  Here is a list of the common command line parameters you can use with
  Planet Strike, and what they are used for.

  VERSION    ¯ Displays the compile date and version of your copy of Planet
               Strike.

  SYSTEM     ¯ Displays technical information about your system.  This is
               primarily used if you would need to contact Technical Support.
               If you do contact Technical Support, please have this
               information ready.  This shows such information as if the game
               detects a mouse, a joystick, etc.  Please note that the memory
               available figure here IS NOT the amount of conventional memory
               you have available on your computer.  This figure is only how
               much is left over after the game has been loaded.  If you need
               to know your conventional memory figure, go to DOS and execute
               the "MEM" command.  The figure you're looking for will be in the
               "Largest Executable Program Size" line.

  NOEMS      ¯ Used to disable checking for EMS memory.  Useful in helping
               to solve memory manager conflicts.  Is almost always used
               in tandem with the NOXMS switch.

  NOXMS      ¯ Used to disable checking for XMS memory.  Useful in helping
               to solve memory manager conflicts.  Is almost always used
               in tandem with the NOEMS switch.

  NOJOYS     ¯ Disable Joystick detection.   If for some reason the game is
               moving you in one direction, and you can't get it to go any
               other way, it might mean the game thinks you have a joystick,
               when you don't. When using the "SYSTEM" parameter, if the
               program detects a joystick and you don't have one, use this
               parameter.

  NOMOUSE    ¯ Disable mouse detection.  This will disable the use of your
               system's mouse during game play.

  HIDDENCARD ¯ This switch overrides the video card detection routines if the
               program seems to be improperly detecting your video card and not
               letting you play the game.

  NOAL       ¯ This will turn off detection of an Adlib sound card, and will
               essentially prevent you from hearing any of the background
               music. (You will be unable to turn on background music from
               the game menus if you use this parameter.)

  NOSB       ¯ This will turn off detection of a Sound Blaster card.  This
               parameter will essentially cease any digitized sounds from
               being generated from the game. (You will be unable to select
               any digitized sounds in the game menus when you use this
               parameter.)

  NOPRO      ¯ This will disable the stereo effect of the game.  If you are
               running a Sound Blaster Pro or 16 card, you will get the benefit
               of stereo sounds, and depth sounds.  What this means is that a
               character further down the hallway will not sound as loud as a
               character standing right in front of you.  If you wish to have
               all the characters speak at the same volume, use this parameter.

  ENABLEGP   ¯ If you are attempting to run Planet Strike on a laptop, and are
               having problems with your gameport detection, use this
               parameter.  NOTE TO ACER OWNERS ->  Do not use this parameter
               on your computer, as it will lock up your computer!

  NOSS       ¯ Disable checking for the Disney Sound Source.  If you have one
               of these products, and are having problems, this parameter may
               be useful in tracking down problems.

  SST        ¯ Disable checking for the Tandy Sound Source.
  SS1        ¯ Disable checking for the Sound Source on LPT1
  SS2        ¯ Disable checking for the Sound Source on LPT2
  SS3        ¯ Disable checking for the Sound Source on LPT3


                      ====================================
                      HOW DO I MAKE MORE MEMORY AVAILABLE?
                      ====================================

If Planet Strike returns a message that says you do not have enough memory to
run the game, or the program behaves erratically when it is executed, you
will need to make more conventional memory available.

We get a lot of questions like "I have 8 meg of memory, what do you mean I need
more memory?" If this sounds like a question you might ask, then read the
section called "The 640k barrier".

There are virtually millions of ways a config.sys file can be arranged to
provide memory, and you'd be reading this document forever if we tried to
explain them all, so we'll just give you one simple example that will work.
It is a simple setup, and will provide you with enough memory in order to
run the game.  Furthermore, there are also several versions of DOS out there.
We will provide examples that use MS/DOS commands.  If your version of DOS is
not MS/DOS, you would need to use the appropriate substitute commands for the
MS/DOS counterparts.  If you are unfamiliar with editing your configuration
files, or are uneasy about it, get a friend of yours that is familiar with the
procedure to help, or check your DOS manual on how to use the Text (ASCII)
editor that comes with your version of DOS.

SAMPLE CONFIG.SYS
-----------------
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILES=30
BUFFERS=30
STACKS=9,256
FCBS=16,0
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\DRVSPACE.SYS /MOVE

The last line should only be used if you're using MS/DOS's DriveSpace utility.
(That would also most likely be the place you have a Stacker, SuperStor, or
some other disk compression driver).  Other things that would go in here would
be sound drivers (SoundBlaster 16, Pro Audio Spectrum 16, etc..).

SAMPLE AUTOEXEC.BAT
-------------------
@echo off
SET BLASTER=A220 Ix Dy Tz
C:\MOUSE\MOUSE
cls

You would only put the mouse line in there if you use the mouse to play the
game, and you would only use the SET BLASTER line if you are playing with a
sound card.  Planet Strike uses the BLASTER variable to determine where to send
it's sound output.

If you do find that you need some sort of modified config.sys and autoexec.bat
files in order to run this game, you might wish to explore what is about to be
said.  Later revisions of DOS (MS/DOS 6.x+, and DR-DOS 6+) have built into them
the capabilities of "Multiple Boot Configurations".  If you are familiar with
these procedures, it will be a snap to do.  If you are unfamiliar, you need to
consult your DOS manual.  The process varies greatly from computer to computer
depending on how you have your system set up, so this will not be explained
here.  However, the time spent learning this procedure from your DOS manual
will benefit you greatly elsewhere, in addition to this game.  When you do set
up a separate configuration, use what is listed above for the config.sys and
autoexec.bat commands in this new boot configuration.  This will work for this
game, and for most other Apogee titles as well.

This document does not pretend to be your DOS manual, but it does give you a
basic explanation as to why you may not have enough memory in order to run a
program of ours.  If you are still having trouble getting this program to run
after attempting the steps outlined above, you need to consult your DOS manual
on "How to make more conventional memory" available.  Your DOS manual has far
more exhaustive examples on how to do this than we could possibly document
here.  Apogee Technical Support is unable to assist beyond what is documented
here.  If you are still having trouble getting the program to run, it is not a
fault of our game, it is a limitation of DOS.  Please check your DOS manual, or
call MicroSoft's Technical Support Department.


                                ================
                                THE 640K BARRIER
                                ================

This section isn't actually needed in order to get our programs running.  What
is contained in here is for the most part background information to better
assist our customers in understanding why they need to make more conventional
memory available.

When MicroSoft first made DOS 1.0, 640 kilobytes (KB) was set aside as the
highest amount of memory that a computer could have.  The 640KB of memory is
what is called "conventional memory".  To maintain compatibility with older
versions, this was never changed.  Advances in memory management have made
access to memory beyond 640KB, but this memory can only hold data; the program
actually has to run in the first 640KB.  This first 640k is called
"Conventional Memory".

Here is a brief discussion of the different types of memory available on your
computer.  The most important one is Conventional memory.

  þ CONVENTIONAL MEMORY starts at 0k and normally ends at 640k.  (The instances
    where this is not the case are EXTREMELY rare)  If you are not using some
    sort of memory manager (such as DOS's EMM386, Quarterdeck's QEMM, or
    Qualitas' 386MAX), this is the only type of memory you have.  Conventional
    memory is used by DOS as well as device drivers and TSR's (Terminate and
    Stay Resident Programs).  A TSR is a program that is loaded into your
    computer's memory (usually from the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT files) and
    stays there.  Most programs remove themselves from memory after execution,
    a TSR does not. Device drivers and TSR's are programs that enable the
    computer to use additional hardware such as a mouse, scanner, CD-ROM,
    expanded or extended memory, etc.  A program such as an Apogee game is NOT
    a program that can be loaded as a TSR.  If all you have is conventional
    memory, anything that you would load as a TSR would come out of this
    section of memory.  Take too much away, and you're not left over with
    enough memory to run our product.

    If you are getting an out of memory error from our program, it is this
    memory that you are running out of.  Whether you have 1 meg, 8 meg of
    memory, or 32 meg of memory, it's irrelevant.  Only the first 640k of
    memory is available for program execution.  Please do not confuse this with
    hard drive space.  Your hard drive space is not memory, and is not relevant
    nor should be considered in this example.

  þ UPPER MEMORY starts at 640k and ends at 1024k.  Normally, this area is used
    for things such as system ROM, video and hardware cards, and the like.  On
    most PC's hardware does not use the entire upper memory area, and with the
    use of the aforementioned memory managers, (EMM386, QEMM, 386MAX, etc.) you
    can move some TSR's into this memory area.  These unused areas are called
    Upper Memory Blocks (UMB'S), and this is where some TSR's can be loaded.

  þ EXTENDED MEMORY (XMS) is the memory addressed above 1024k.  Extended memory
    requires the use of a memory manager, such as MS/DOS's HIMEM.SYS.  This
    region of memory is not usable for standard program execution; it can only
    be used for data storage.  Apogee programs that use this type of memory
    (such as Wolfenstein & Blake Stone), only use this to store level or
    graphic data.  The actual program itself is running in conventional memory.

  þ HIGH MEMORY AREA (HMA) is the first 64k of extended memory.  This is a
    special region of memory that is most commonly used to load DOS high.  When
    you issue the DOS=HIGH command in your config.sys file, the amount of
    conventional memory that was previously being occupied by DOS itself is
    moved into this region.

  þ EXPANDED MEMORY (EMS) is another type of memory that some MS/DOS programs
    can make use of.  Like XMS, this memory is not available for program
    execution, it's only used for data storage due to it's nature.  An
    explanation of this type of memory is rather technical, so it will not be
    delved into here.  If you're curious, check your DOS manual, or your memory
    manager manual.

When you first start up your computer, there are two files that your computer
looks at: CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.  These two files contain lists of device
drivers and TSR's that are automatically run when starting your computer.  Each
of these takes up space, and it is taken away from the 640k of conventional
memory.  As more and more programs are loaded from the autoexec.bat and
config.sys files, you have less and less available from the original 640k.
Since it is this memory that programs run in, you can see that the amount taken
away from the programs executed in config.sys and autoexec.bat would want to be
kept to a minimum.  This can be accomplished by either reducing the amount of
programs loaded in from config.sys and autoexec.bat, or moving them to high
memory via the use of EMM386, QEMM, 386MAX, or some other memory management
program.


            ========================================================
            WHAT IS THE "SET BLASTER" COMMAND, AND WHY DO I NEED IT?
            ========================================================

Planet Strike (and any other Apogee game that uses the Sound Blaster) uses the
SET BLASTER command to figure out where to send it's sound output.  A Sound
Blaster card can have many different sound outputs, and since there are
zillions of computers out there, a way needs to be used in order to tell the
game where your sound card is located.  The SET BLASTER line is how we do it.
Check to make sure that you have the SET BLASTER line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file.  The line looks like this.  This code is an example, and isn't exactly
what you need to put in your system, make sure to read this whole section.

SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T3
 |    |      |    | |  |
 |    |      |    | |  |______ Type of Card
 |    |      |    | |_________ DMA Channel
 |    |      |    |___________ Interrupt
 |    |      |________________ Port Address
 |    |_______________________ Environment Variable
 |____________________________ DOS Command

NOTE: There can be no spaces between the word BLASTER and the equal sign (=).
If you have a space in there, your system will read it incorrectly, and it will
not be recognized by our games.

Now, these may not (most likely not) be the same for your board, because the
Port Address, Interrupt and DMA Channel can be set by adjusting "jumpers" on
your sound board.  Some newer cards have this information controlled by
software, please consult your card's manual for more information on how to set
these things.  You should also check your manual if you are unclear as to how
to tell what settings your card is set at.  The information *IS* important, so
it's recommended that you know precisely what the settings are.  If you are
using a card that "emulates" the Sound Blaster (such as the Gravis UltraSound
through software, or the PAS16), you should check your card's manual on how to
set the card for Sound Blaster emulation.

For PORT ADDRESS, it's almost always 220.  That seems to be the default for
most sound cards out there, and unless you know you've switched it away from
220, it's a safe bet it's still there.

The INTERRUPT is something that varies from system to system.  Planet Strike
requires that your IRQ be set at 7 or less.  If your computer is at IRQ10, you
will have to change it to something lower than 8 in order to play the game.
Apogee does not recommend using IRQ2.  Most of the people we run into who use
IRQ2 have difficulty getting their programs to run properly, unless they switch
to a different IRQ channel.

The DMA CHANNEL is one that causes some people problems.  By default, this is
almost always set at 1.  Unless you have a specific need to change this, it's
probably still at 1.  If you're running into lockups using digitized sounds
with Apogee games, this is probably where your problem lies. If you get lockups
with an Apogee game that has digitized sounds, and this variable is correct,
try turning off the digitized sounds, and if the game plays right, you probably
have a DMA conflict.  Adjust the DMA channel on your sound card, then reflect
said change in this variable in the SET BLASTER line.

The TYPE OF CARD is something that is fairly easy to check out.  If you're
running a non-Creative Labs sound card, then you want this to either be 1 or 3,
depending on which card it is.  It's usually 1.  For a genuine Sound Blaster
card, it's one of these...

1 or 3 for a plain Sound Blaster.  2 or 4 for a Sound Blaster Pro, or a 6 for
a Sound Blaster 16 or an AWE32).  The factor in choosing between the two
numbers here is the age of the card.  If it's an older card, then choose the
smaller number (1 or 2).  Clone cards, or cards that emulate the Sound Blaster
usually have a T variable of 1.  Experiment to see what works best for you.

I get a lot of questions from people wanting to know why they have to use this
if they don't have a Sound Blaster.  Well, it's simple.  This command has
NOTHING to do with what type of command you use.  Apogee games that use
digitized sounds expect these cards to be at specific settings.  If they are
not, then the game needs to be told this.  The way to do this is with the
environment variable BLASTER.  That's why this is needed.  Some of our newer
programs (Raptor, Hocus Pocus) have specific setup programs which let you set
up this information manually, but they still require the SET BLASTER line to
operate at 100% efficiency.

Please remember to add this to AUTOEXEC.BAT, save the file back to disk,
reboot your computer, and make sure to delete the game config file (CONFIG.VSI)
before running again.  If you have any further questions, please drop Apogee a
line.


                          ============================
                          CONTACTING TECHNICAL SUPPORT
                          ============================

As a registered user of Planet Strike, you are welcome to contact our Technical
Support and Hints Department for any assistance required.  Technical support
and hints may be received by phoning (214) 278-5655, Monday through Friday,
between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 pm Central Standard Time or writing to Apogee
Software at P.O. Box 496389, Garland, TX 75049-6389.

To assist us in providing you with faster service, please be at your computer
system when calling.  Written inquiries are accepted, but the phone is a more
expedient method of solving problems.  If writing, please include the
information requested at the bottom of this section.

Please do not call our 800 line for technical support or game hints as this
information will not be given there.

If contacting us for a game hint, please include (or have with you) your order
number if possible.  If you purchased Planet Strike directly from Apogee, then
you are automatically registered for the game.  If you purchased it in the
stores, then you *must* send in your registration card (original only, please
do not duplicate the card) in order to be eligible for game hints and
assistance.

Apogee thanks you very much for playing our games.  Customer satisfaction is a
high priority of Apogee's, and we strive to please everyone.  Our Technical
Support staff is available to assist all of our customers in solving any
technical problems that may be experienced.  Our Technical Support Department
is available to answer your questions Monday through Friday during the hours of
8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Central Standard Time.  The phone number for the Tech
Support Department is (214) 278-5655.

However, the voice line isn't your only channel of contact.  We are also
reachable via a fax machine at (214) 278-4670, (24 Hours a Day) or you can
write to us.  Our mailing address is:

Apogee Software
POB 496389
Garland, TX 75049-6389
United States of America

Apogee Technical Support can also be contacted via a variety of electronic
medium.  Several major online services are monitored, and Apogee's E-Mail
addresses are listed below.   Also, a variety of Bulletin Board networks are
monitored as well, and those are also listed.

If you do contact our Technical Support department, please be at your computer,
and have it ready for assistance.  If you can't be at your computer, please
have printouts of the following things available, so that we may assist you
better.  It may be possible to provide technical support without these things,
but it will be much more difficult.

The needed files are CONFIG.SYS & AUTOEXEC.BAT, plus what happens when you
execute the "MEM /C" command (or just MEM if you get an error using MEM /C).

þ Major Online Services

America Online -> APOGEE              CompuServe     -> 74200,553
Delphi         -> APOGEE              GEnie          -> APOGEE
Prodigy        -> CXVP94A             NVN            -> JSIEGLER
FidoNet        -> 1:124/9006          Internet       -> joe.siegler@swcbbs.com

þ Bulletin Board Networks

There are several BBS networks that are monitored for Apogee messages.  Our
Online Support Representative monitors all of the following BBS networks.

Fidonet, Relaynet (Rime), Intelec, Ilink, U'NI-Net, Smartnet, & City2City.
All of these BBS networks have Games, Shareware, and Apogee conferences.

And of course, we can be reached on Software Creations, the Apogee BBS!

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