readme.txt for NASCAR Heat multiplayer 5% race workaround This is a workaround using a program named ded5work.exe --------------------------------------------------------- There are several bugs in the server command parsing for the dedicated server that ships with NASCAR Heat. For example, you cannot set a race length longer than 5%. If you try to set a race length of 50%, the parser sees the 5 and uses 5%. If you try to set a race length of 75%, the parser sees the 5 and uses 5%. If you try to set a race length of100%, the parser sees the 1 and uses 1%. Sometimes when you set the number of aicars, the race length and ai strength also change. Sometimes when you set the race length, the ai strength also changes. Sometimes when you set the track, the ai strength and race length would also change. etc. This is because the same character "1" was being used. server aicars 1 (for 1 ai car.) server track 1 (for atlanta) server race_type 1 (for 1% race) server ai_strength 1 (for easy ai) There are other uses of the character "1" also. What I have done to help things in the very short term is make different settings for ai strength and race length. This does not completely fix all the bugs in the dedicated server; but this does help some. For ai strength, I added an UPPER CASE S to the end: instead of typing server ai_strength 1 (for easy ai) you now type server ai_strength 1S (for easy ai) etc. for 2/2S, 3/3S, 4/4S, 5/5S, and 6/6S. For race_type, I added leading zeros: instead of typing: server race_type 1 (for a 1% race) you now type server race_type 001 (for a 1% race) server race_type 3 (for a 3% race) you now type server race_type 003 (for a 3% race) server race_type 5 (for a 5% race) you now type server race_type 005 (for a 5% race) server race_type 10 (for a 10% race) you now type server race_type 010 (for a 10% race) server race_type 15 (for a 15% race) you now type server race_type 015 (for a 15% race) etc. for 25/025, 50/050, 75/075, and 100 (unchanged). USAGE The code for the dedicated server is in a file named race.bin in the run directory on your NASCAR Heat CD. You need to copy this somewhere on your harddrive so it can be patched. This file will eventually need to be renamed patch.bin and be located in your NASCAR Heat install directory. Example: c:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat OPTION A: You could copy race.bin from your CD to C:\ to keep things simple. You could rename race.bin to patch.bin at this point. When prompted by the ded5work.exe program for the file name, type c:\patch.bin Now you need to move this patched patch.bin file to your NASCAR Heat root directory: Example: c:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat OPTION B: You could go ahead and copy the race.bin file from your CD to your NASCAR Heat root directory: For example, on my machine: c:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat Then rename the file from race.bin to patch.bin at this point. Then run the ded5work.exe program to patch the patch.bin file. You will need to give the ded5work.exe program the complete path to your patch.bin file. This is where the complexity comes in, this program is a quick and dirty thing that does not understand dos long file names. So a path like c:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat becomes c:\Progra~1\Hasbro~1\NASCAR~1 so the path to the normal install location will be c:\Progra~1\Hasbro~1\NASCAR~1\patch.bin If this is your case, just hit enter without entering a path and this default will be taken. If you installed to your D: drive or some non-standard directory, you will need to type the path using the old DOS 8.3 long file name substitution tokens. Regardless of your OPTION A: or OPTION B: choice, you should now have a patch.bin in your NASCAR Heat root directory that has been altered to help you work around the 5% race length bug. Start the dedicated server in the normal way (by setting up an icon to call NHeat.exe with the parm -dedicatedserver). The parms come after the " mark. On my machine, my shortcut is: "C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat\NHeat.exe" -dedicatedserver You could also add the -noautoplay parm to cut out the click on "PLAY". Your first clue that you have successfully patched your patch.bin and that it is located in the right place is the message: ded: Huggins UDP create on port 2001 (0x7d1). ded: SessionMgr created. Server name [anything].......................: If you don't see these three lines worded this way, then go back over these instructions. You might check the time and date of the patch.bin file in your \Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat directory. If it is 8/8/2000 3:09PM, then this is the shipped version of race.bin that you have renamed to patch.bin. You have not run the ded5work.exe program against this file yet. When you do, the time and date will be updated. The file size will remain the same. In the very near future, MGI/Hasbro Interactive will release a patch that will improve many aspects of the NASCAR Heat game. This ded5work.exe workaround will not be needed then. Please do not run this workaround against anything except the shipped race.bin file. DISTRIBUTION This program is a BHMS exclusive. It will be distributed via the website at http://www.bhmotorsports.com Look in the NASCAR Heat section under utilities. Please do not post this program to any other web sites without prior approval of Robert Huggins. COPYRIGHT This program is (c) Copyright 2000 by Robert Huggins. You may use the program as-is for your private, non-commercial purposes. LICENSE Robert Huggins grants you a non-exclusive license to use the Software free of charge for private, non-commercial purposes. SUPPORT If you are using the Software free of charge under the terms of this Agreement, you are not entitled to hard-copy documentation, support, or telephone assistance. I suggest you post any support issues to the nh.discussion newsgroup at news.simracing.org and hopefully some knowledgeable member of the sim-racing community can help you. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY Free of charge Software is provided on an "AS IS" basis, without warranty of any kind, including without limitation the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the Software is borne by you. Should the Software prove defective, you and not Robert Huggins assume the entire cost of any service and repair. For example, you and not Robert Huggins assume the risk that this software might one day patch and corrupt the wrong file. This software may have inherent limitations. You must determine that the Software sufficiently meets your requirements. This disclaimer of warranty constitutes an essential part of the agreement. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW EXCLUSIONS OF AN IMPLIED WARRANTY, SO THIS DISCLAIMER MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU AND YOU MAY HAVE OTHER LEGAL RIGHTS THAT VARY BY JURISDICTION. REVISIONS: 1.0 9/05/2000 Internal alpha reviewed by various BHMS members.