Ground Control II is a real-time tactics game set in a gritty science-fiction universe. The explosively fast game play focusing on combat tactics with full use of the 3D battlefield, with weather and other environmental effects affecting the unit's performance on the battleground. In the war torn year of 2741, Captain Jacob Angelus of the Northern Star Alliance (NSA) becomes the central figure in the fight against the warmongering Terran Empire. In an attempt to crush the NSA permanently, the Terran Empire sends in an alien race of powerful warriors - the Virons. It soon becomes apparent that the situation is bleak for the NSA and that their only hope is to embark on an Exodus to another part of the galaxy. Jacob Angelus must find a way to let his people survive.
Playable demo (1 SP mission, 3 MP maps).
MAY 27, 2004
=== README.TXT
Ground Control(R) II: Operation Exodus -- MP DEMO
Welcome to the Ground Control II: Operation Exodus Multiplayer Demo. Ground
Control II is a 3D action-strategy game and the sequel to the 2000
award-winning Ground Control.
The complete game will be available in stores worldwide in late June 2004.
Check out below for a few of the features that come with the full game!
* 24 action-packed missions
* Keep your enemy on the defensive by creating new unique units by melding
your Viron troops together on the battlefield.
* Drop-in Multiplayer – Unique drop-in multiplayer game servers allow up to
8 players to join an on-going game at any time.
* Cooperative Multiplayer – Play through the entire single player campaign
with up to 2 of your friends.
* Gripping Storyline – Immersive plot written in collaboration with
acclaimed sci-fi and fantasy author Joe Dever.
* Full Set of Game Editing Tools – Create your own multiplayer maps, single
player missions, full campaigns or modify almost any other aspect of the game.
Included in the package are the same powerful tools that the developers used to
create the game.
* The Massgate(TM) online community system gives immediate access to online
matchmaking, hi-score ladders, tournaments, chat rooms and much more. Join
thousands of players online to get a quick adrenaline rush at any time.
The following websites provide more information about the game and how to buy
it:
www.groundcontrol2.com
www.vugames.com
www.vugames-europe.com
www.massive.se
This Readme file is laid out in the following order:
System Requirements
Default Hot Keys
Camera Controls
Known Issues
Network Troubleshooting
End-User License Agreement
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Windows(R) 98/ME/2000/XP
* 800Mhz Intel(R) Pentium(TM) III processor or AMD(R) Athlon(TM) processor or
equivalent
* 128Mb RAM (256 Mb RAM for Windows 2000/XP)
* Nvidia(R) Geforce(TM), ATI(R) Radeon(TM), or equivalent 32MB Video Card
supporting Hardware Transform and Lighting with DirectX(R) 9.0b or higher
compatible driver
* DirectX(R) 9-compatible sound card and speakers or headphones
* 500MB available hard drive space
* 24X or faster CD-ROM
* Keyboard and Mouse
* 56K dial-up modem for online play, optimal multiplayer online play is
achieved using DSL, Cable or faster internet connection.
RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS: Windows(R) XP
* 1.5Ghz Intel(R) Pentium(TM) 4 processor or AMD(R) Athlon(TM) XP or faster
processor
* 256Mb RAM or more
* 128Mb AGP(R) video card or more recent chip set
* Broadband / LAN, DSL, Cable or faster internet connection for online play.
This game was tested using the latest video driver updates available at the
time, as follows:
* Nvidia(R) - 56.72
* ATI(R) - Catalyst 4.4
DEFAULT HOT KEYS
Note that most hot keys can be reconfigured in the options menu.
Up Arrow Move camera forward
Down Arrow Move camera backward
Left Arrow Move camera left
Right Arrow Move camera right
Page up Increase Camera Altitude
Page down Decrease Camera Altitude
A Attack
M Move
C Hold down for Reverse Move
R Repair
Z Select Landing Zone
W Move camera to currently selected Landing Zone
L Load APC / Enter building
U Unload APC / Exit building
E Meld (Viron only)
F Cycle formations
H Send dropship home to base
D Send reinforcements buy order & deploy units
V Toggle dropship status (return to base / stay on battlefield)
X Switch between primary and secondary mode
I Activate Upgrade dropship screen
K Activate Reinforcements screen
B Cycle fire behavior (Free, Return, Hold)
N Displays mission objectives
S Halt. Orders the selected unit to stop moving and cease fire
R Repair
Backspace Displays the multiplayer score board
SHIFT-C Toggle between Free Camera and Classic RTS camera modes
ALT Hold down to view health and team color of all visible units
SHIFT Hold down to queue multiple orders
SHIFT Hold down to select multiple units or groups of units
TAB Switches selection focus in current selection
ESC Close active window or abandon game if no window is open
Mouse1 (Left) Select units
Mouse2 (Right) Give order depending on context (e.g. attack, move,
etc.)
Mouse3 (Middle) Press to look around freely with the camera
LEFT CTRL Create Squad modifier
Force fire
Strafe/rotate camera
Pause Pause
Print Scrn Screenshot
Numpad + Zoom in on map
Numpad - Zoom out on map
LEFT CTRL+ENTER Chat
ENTER Team Chat
CAMERA CONTROLS
The battlefield in Ground Control II consists of truly three-dimensional
terrain and is viewed with either the free-flying camera or a traditional
top-down camera similar to most RTS games. The traditional top-down camera can
be pitched and swiveled by pressing the middle mouse button to look around.
Moving the camera is easy. In both modes, the arrow keys will move the camera
forward, back, right and left. In RTS mode these always correspond to north,
south, east and west because the camera always points north by default.
Press SHIFT + C to toggle between the two different camera modes in the game.
KNOWN ISSUES
* Hosting multiplayer games with 56k modem access is not recommended.
* Using a USB modem may cause lag issues.
* Massgate(TM): Switching the team chat and all chat buttons in options
disables team chat.
* Massgate(TM): 56k modem users can crash to Massgate(TM) lobby if 56k modem
user has more than 32 units and orders some to move.
* Load error message after disconnecting network cable from computer.
* Error message in Windows 2000, with no Service Pack update and 128Mb RAM, in
the first 2 to 3 minutes of a game. This can cause a one time freeze, but after
re-starting the machine this message is not seen again. Service pack 4 is
recommended for playing Ground Control II: Operation Exodus.
* When installing DirectX 9.0b it states version 9.0 runtime, when it is
actually installing DirectX 9.0b.
* Visual Options Menu: Contrast settings are reversed, setting the contrast to
a lower level equals a brighter screen and setting the contrast to a higher
level equals a darker screen.
* Skirmish Mode: Setting timer to 1 minute results in automatic Mission
Accomplished.
* Credits: To exit viewing the credits, press the escape button.
VIDEO CARD ISSUES:
* XGI Volari V8 Ultra - You may experience slow, choppy performance on Windows
98SE/ME/2000/XP when using this video card.
* PCI Graphics Card: Windows ME: You may get an error message when trying to
launch the game. The message says “Potential problems found when starting
Ground Control II. AGP acceleration is not enabled. It is highly recommended
that you update your motherboard drivers or game performance may suffer.”
DISABLED FEATURES
The following main features have been disabled in this demo but are included in
the final game:
* Hi-resolution cinematics
* Most single player campaign missions
* Skirmish missions
* Multiplayer on LAN
* The ability to play custom maps
NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTING
If you have an internet connection (e.g. DSL, ADSL or Cable modem) and have
installed a “personal firewall” on your computer such as Black Ice, Zone Alarm,
Norton Internet Security, etc., you may experience problems joining one of the
multiple games found on the Massgate(TM) servers. Servers are currently setup
in Europe, North America and Asia.
If however you do NOT see multiple games on your chosen regional server, you
may have to allow or teach your personal firewall to open access to play Ground
Control II: Operation Exodus.
To avoid problems with joining and hosting Ground Control II multiplayer game
sessions make sure that the ports below are open for UDP/TCP two-way traffic on
your firewall. Some personal firewall applications do this setup automatically,
depending on how your firewall is configured. Please refer to your firewall
instruction manual for information on how to do this.
The following UDP ports need to be opened:
6500 to 6520
13139
29910
42000 to 42200
The following TCP ports need to be opened:
80
6667
27900
28910
29900
29920
42000 to 42020
If you want to host a game using the game application you need to open up the
above ports for outgoing and incoming traffic. If you are behind a NAT/IP
firewall you can only host a game by setting up a separate Dedicated Server
application and forwarding the required ports to it.
Please refer to Groundcontrol2.com for further information about
Dedicated Servers.
END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT BEFORE
INSTALLING THIS SOFTWARE PROGRAM.
This software program, including: (i) files that are provided to you by on-line
transmission or otherwise to \'patch,\' \'update,\' or modify the software program,
(ii) any printed materials, (iii) any on-line or electronic documentation, and
(iv) any and all copies and derivative works of such software program and
materials (the \"Program\") are the copyrighted work of Massive Entertainment AB
its subsidiaries, suppliers, and licensors, specifically including Sierra
Entertainment, Inc.
All use of the Program is governed by the terms of the End User License
Agreement which is provided below (\"License\").
The Program is solely for use by end users according to the terms of the
License. Any use, reproduction or redistribution of the Program not in
accordance with the terms of the License is expressly prohibited.
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
1. Limited Use License.
Massive Entertainment AB, by and through Sierra Entertainment, Inc. who is the
designated distributor of the Program in the United States of America,
(\"Licensor\") hereby grants, and by installing the Program you thereby accept, a
limited, non-exclusive license and right to install and use one (1) copy of the
Program for your use on either a home or portable computer. The Program is
licensed not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Program.
You may not utilize this Program on a network the Program or otherwise install
it or use it on more than one computer at a time.
(a) The Program has a multi-player component that may allow use of the Program
over the Internet. Use of the Program over the Internet may be subject to your
acceptance of a Terms of Use Agreement.
2. Ownership.
All title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the
Program and any and all copies thereof (including but not limited to any
titles, computer code, themes, objects, characters, character names, stories,
dialogue, catch phrases, locations, concepts, artwork, animations, sounds,
musical compositions, audio-visual effects, methods of operation, moral rights,
any related documentation, and \"applets\" incorporated into the Program) are
owned by the Licensor or its licensors. The Program is protected by the
copyright laws of the United States, international copyright treaties and
conventions and any other applicable laws. All rights are reserved. The Program
may contain certain licensed materials and the Licensor\'s licensors may act to
protect their rights in the event of any violation of this Agreement.
3. Responsibilities of End User.
A. Subject to the Grant of License herein above, you may not, in whole or in
part, copy, photocopy, reproduce, translate, reverse engineer, derive source
code, modify, disassemble, decompile, create derivative works based on the
Program, or remove any proprietary notices or labels on the Program without the
prior consent, in writing, of the Licensor.
B. The Program is licensed to you as a single product. Its component parts may
not be separated for use on more than one computer.
C. You are entitled to use the Program for your own use, but you are not
entitled to:
(i) sell, grant a security interest in or transfer reproductions of the Program
to other parties in any way, nor to rent, lease or license the Program to
others without the Licensors prior written consent;
(ii) publish and/or distribute the computer images, sound, files, fonts,
graphics, clipart, animations, photographs, databases or other content of the
Program;
(iii) use any of the computer images related to identifiable individuals or
entities in a manner which suggests their association with or endorsement of
any product or services;
(iv) exploit the Program or any of its parts, computer images, sound files,
fonts, graphics, clipart, animations, photographs, databases or other content
in the Program, for any commercial purpose including, but not limited to, use
at a cyber café, computer gaming centre or any other location-based site;
(v) host or provide matchmaking services for the Program or emulate or redirect
the communication protocols used by the Licensor in the network feature of the
Program, through protocol emulation, tunneling, modifying or adding components
to the Program, use of a utility program or any other techniques now known or
hereafter developed, for any purpose including, but not limited to network play
over the Internet, network play utilizing commercial or non-commercial gaming
networks or as part of content aggregation networks without the Licensors prior
written consent. The Program may include functionality designed to identify
nonstandard software or hardware processes or functionality that may gives a
player an unfair competitive advantage when playing multiplayer versions of any
Massive Entertainment software or modifications thereof (\"Cheats\"). You agree
that you will not directly or indirectly disable, circumvent, or otherwise
interfere with the operation of software designed to prevent or report the use
of Cheats. You acknowledge and agree that Massive Entertainment or the online
multiplayer host of the Program (or any other Massive Entertainment product)
may refuse to allow you to participate in online multiplayer activities
relating to this Program (or any other Massive Entertainment product) if you
use Cheats in connection with the Program (or any other Massive Entertainment
product). Further, you acknowledge and agree that an online host may report
your use of Cheats to Massive Entertainment, and Massive Entertainment may
communicate your history of use of Cheats to the online hosts of the Program
(or any other Massive Entertainment product).
4. Program Transfer.
You may permanently transfer all of your rights under this License, provided
the recipient agrees to the terms of this License and you agree to remove the
Program from your home or portable computer.
5. Termination.
This License is effective until terminated. You may terminate the License at
any time by destroying the Program and any New Material. The Licensor may, at
its discretion, terminate this License in the event that you fail to comply
with the terms and conditions contained herein. In such event, you must
immediately destroy the Program and any New Material.
6. Export Controls.
The Program may not be re-exported, downloaded or otherwise exported into (or
to a national or resident of) any country to which the U.S. has embargoed
goods, or anyone on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated
National or the U.S. Treasury Department’s Table of Denial Orders. By
installing the Program, you are agreeing to the foregoing and you are
representing and warranting that you are not located in, under the control of,
or a national or resident of any such country or on any such list.
7. Limited Warranty.
The entire risk arising out of use or performance of the Program and Manual(s)
remains with the User, however the Licensor warrants up to and including 90
days from the date of your purchase of the Program that the media containing
the Program shall be free from defects in material and workmanship. In the
event that the media proves to be defective during that time period, and upon
presentation to the Licensor of the defective media Licensor will provide you
with another disk. The Licensor expressly disclaim any other warranty for the
Program and manual(s). EXCEPT AS PROVIDED ABOVE, THE PROGRAM AND MANUAL(S) ARE
PROVIDED \"AS IS\" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NONINFRINGEMENT. ANY WARRANTY AGAINST
INFRINGEMENT THAT MAY BE PROVIDED IN SECTION 2-312(3) OF THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL
CODE AND/OR IN ANY OTHER COMPARABLE STATE STATUTE IS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties, so
the above limitations may not apply to you.
8. Limitation of Liability.
NEITHER THE LICENSOR ITS PARENT, SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES SHALL BE LIABLE IN
ANY WAY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PROGRAM
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER
FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR ANY AND ALL OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES. ANY
WARRANTY AGAINST INFRINGEMENT THAT MAY BE PROVIDED IN SECTION 2-312(3) OF THE
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE AND/OR IN ANY OTHER COMPARABLE STATE STATUTE IS
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. I UNDERSTAND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE LICENSOR CANNOT
AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE FAILURES OR ANY OTHER
EVENT WHICH MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF DATA OR DISRUPTION OF SERVICE. Some states
do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential
damages, so the above limitations may not apply..
9. Equitable Remedies.
You hereby agree that the Licensor would be irreparably damaged if the terms of
this License were not specifically enforced, and therefore you agree that the
Licensor shall be entitled, without bond, other security, or proof of damages,
to appropriate equitable remedies with respect to breaches of this License, in
addition to such other remedies as the Licensor may otherwise have available to
it under applicable laws.
10.Miscellaneous.
This License Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and executed in the
State of California, and any dispute arising hereunder shall be resolved in
accordance with the law of California. You agree that any claim asserted in any
legal proceeding by one of the parties against the other shall be commenced and
maintained in any state or federal court located in the State of California,
County of Los Angeles, having subject matter jurisdiction with respect to the
dispute between the parties.
This License Agreement may be amended, altered, or modified only by an
instrument in writing, specifying such amendment, alteration, or modification,
executed by both parties. In the event that any provision of this License
Agreement shall be held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction
to be unenforceable, such provision will be enforced to the maximum extent
permissible, and the remaining portions of this License Agreement shall remain
in full force and effect.
You hereby acknowledge that you have read and understand the foregoing License
and agree that the action of installing the Program is an acknowledgement of
your agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of the License contained
herein. You also acknowledge and agree that this License is the complete and
exclusive statement of the agreement between the Licensor and you and that the
License supersedes any prior or contemporaneous agreement, either oral or
written, and any other communications between the Licensor and you including
any inconsistent written license agreement or on-line help accompanying the
Program.
* NOTICE: Intel and Pentium are Trademarks property of the Intel Corporation.
Athlon and AMD are Trademarks property of the Advanced Micro Devices
Corporation. Windows and Microsoft are Trademarks property of the Microsoft
Corporation. NVIDIA and GeForce are Trademarks property of the NVIDIA
Corporation. ATI and Radeon are Trademarks property of ATI Technologies
Incorporated.
(C) 2004 Massive Entertainment. All rights reserved. Ground Control, Massive
Entertainment and the Massive Entertainment logo are registered trademarks of
Massive Entertainment AB in the U.S. and/or other countries. Published by
Vivendi Universal Games International. Sierra and the Sierra logo are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Sierra Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S.
and/or other countries. This product contains software technology licensed from
GameSpy Industries, Inc. (C) 1999-2002 GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights
reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.