Sunday Software's EXODUS ADVENTURES CD TECH SUPPORT



View and print the Complete Game Guide
www.sundaysoftware.com/Exodus/guide.htm

View the program description page
 www.sundaysoftware.com/Exodus 

Jump to technical issues and solutions on this page

"I'm stuck"

Basic Understanding of the Game's Layout

The adventures on the CD begin in St. Catherine's Monastery located in the Sinai Desert. Robin must first meet Deni the Monk and follow his instructions. Read the Game Guide for specific details.

Things must be done in order for the game to unfold. You cannot skip activities, clues or area. In each game there are things which Robin must "trigger" to happen. For example, in Game 1's Goshen Village she must approach several laptop computers to activate a videoclip. For example, you can run all over the monastery, even climb on rooftops, but that won't advance the game to the next step. You can't get into the helicopter any time you want. It will only open when you have completed a task (as instructed in the level or by the character) or if you have found the key. The only level you need to find the key to operate the helicopter is in the monastery. In all other levels, it will operate AFTER you have completed the tasks in that level and receive a message to use the helicopter.

It is very important for players to listen to the game's narrated instructions and characters and follow them. They tell Robin what to do next.

Controls

NAVIGATE Robin using the arrow keys.
HOLD the SHIFT KEY while pressing the arrow keys to make Robin run faster.
TO MAKE ROBIN JUMP -press the 'home' key while pressing the forward arrow.
Move your mouse to look down and up or aim the airblaster
Press the mouse button to fire the airblaster

Game Boundaries

Each "level" in the game that Robin walks or flies through has boundaries. She'll bounce back from them, or scrape up against them.

Trigger Points ~ Getting things to happen...

Some actions, such as the laptop videos or box climbing action, are activated when Robin approaches them. Sometimes you must back Robin up and approach the 'trigger' point again directly in front of the laptop. The proximity and angle of approach to the laptop is somewhat critical in order to properly trigger a video event. (just a vagary of the authoring tool). This can also apply to crates which Robin can automatically climb up in the Monastery. It can also apply to JUMPING up onto things or grabbing things, such as the BRANCH at the Well of Marah (pictured right).  If she isn't automatically climbing up a box, use your JUMP key while you press your Forward Arrow key to accomplish the same action. 

Order of events affects triggers as well. The helicopter key doesn't appear by the Pink Patio until Robin has watched the video in the Library. The guard in Goshen Village will not bother Robin until it is time to play the "Collect Straw" game. Then he will make her drop the straw if she gets in his way. Same thing with Sir Dabney and the Monks in Game 2. When approached they sometimes have important things to say. At other times they are silent.

Issues and Solutions... (in no particular order)

I can't find the Air Blaster

• In the Goshen Level it's found down in the dig site with a big exclamation point over it. Use it to blast the spiders, thought it's not required to complete the level.

• In Pharaoh's Court it is found behind the plants. You must use it to blast the guard before you proceed.

• In the Red Sea Room it is located in the terrain by the platform, but not needed to complete any task. However, in version 1.1 it appears in Robin's hand when she enters the level.

There's this "Divine Games" box left open on the screen after I close out the game

Ignore it and close it out. It's a small opening file you don't need to leave open.

"Sticky Keys" Problem when I hold down certain keys

Some versions of Windows come with a feature enabled for those with disabilities called "Sticky Keys". If you hold down a certain key the system begins repeating it for you. Open your Control Panel and turn off Sticky Keys.

Video on Dabney's laptop won't start,

Sometimes you must back Robin up and approach the 'trigger' point in front of the laptop or stand again. Back up and approach it STRAIGHT ON. If you try this a couple of times and the video won't start, it's possible that your computer can't play the video we have embedded in the game.

Opening Video doesn't Play...

You should see an opening video narrated by Sir Dabney, ending in the logo.
If you get an error, or the video starts and stop, or the video CHUGS ALONG... Possible Video Solutions include: Turning off all other programs to free up ram and videoram.  Opening your Windows Control Panel "Display" settings and setting your screen resolution to 800x600, 16 bit (High) color depth. Make sure you have Windows Media Player 10 or higher installed (free from microsoft.com) to run the videos!!

Why you need the proper edition of Media Player... It's possible that you don't have the proper video codec installed on your system. Fortunately, it's easy to correct. Go to www.microsoft.com/mediaplayer and download the latest version of Windows Media Player for XP and Vista. If you have an older system, select Windows Media Player 9 or 10 from the drop down list.

Game encounters an error and must be closed before it even gets started...

Slide the error window to the side using your mouse and look at the A5 Conitec Gamestudio WHITE BOX. It may have an error message there. Write down the exact error message and share it with us.

Common errors at start up:  
"Error 2000 Direct 3D," or similar... "No 3D capable Device detected." etc. This means your video driver or video chip is incapable of properly rendering the game's 3D graphics.

Solutions:

1) First try installing an UPDATED version of the Video Driver for your videochip. Consult the computer manufacturer's website for video driver updates.

2)  It's possible that your computer doesn't have a current edition of DirectX from Microsoft. Go to www.microsoft.com/directx and update your system's DirectX files.

3) Most likely, if your computers are more than 6 years old, the VIDEO graphic chip is inferior. It can't handle the 3d graphics. You need to buy an inexpensive videocard and install it.

4) If the game functions slowly at start up, or not at all, check to see how much RAM you have on the computer. IF you have XP, you should have AT LEAST 512 mb of RAM.

If the game starts, then falters, consider this: The game begins with a movie file. Could be that the opening Windows Media Video file (wmv) can't play due to various factors. First, reduce your screen resolution to as near 800x600 as you can. Then, make sure you have the latest version of Window Media Player on your system. It's free from www.microsoft.com/mediaplayer  Lastly, make sure you have enough free RAM. The game needs ram, and so does the video file. Free up ram in your system, or add more.

"WEAK CARD" or "Unsupported Card" detected at start-up

This game requires 16mb 3-D capable modern good quality videocard or chip. If the 3-D game play is whacky looking, slow response times, etc., then it's probably your computer's quality that is the problem. If you have Windows Me, your computer's video controller may be too old or low-quality to enjoy this game fully. XP era computers should be fine, except those early models or cheap manufacturers which contained sub-standard videochips. For example, is you have a VIA brand chip, or a "Pro Savage" chip, they're garbage, and you need to install an inexpensive videocard (preferably an Nvidia or ATI brand).

If you have an older computer and are experiencing video display problems with this program, try updating your videochip/card's video driver. Go to your computer manufacturer's website to get their updated videodriver (something they update regularly!)

I can't find the Helicopter Key
Can't climb the Tower of Masah
Can't find the Library
Can't find the Red Sea Room

Download or view the Game Guide. It's graphics and descriptions give away all the secrets!

    

The Monastery Library & Miriam's Song In both games, Robin must go to the library at the proper time to receive instructions. In the second adventure she must solve the Miriam's song puzzle in the library in order to open a secret door to the trail to Marah. Order of Tiles in the Library:   1. Green 2. Yellow  3. Orange  4. Purple  5. Red  6. Pink  7. Blue This order is found on the instructions which pop up as you approach the chest in the library. If you step on a tile out of order, you must go back and step on the RESET tile. Don't confuse Red and pink. The pink is really pinkish-purple. Once you have completed the tiles in order, go out into the library and look for the newly opened secret entrance to the Marah Trail. It's easy to accidentally step on the wrong tile while running around. Don't!  Also, for technical reasons, we recommend you don't stand on the edge of the tile TOO CLOSE to the bookshelves. Stand in the center or away from the bookshelves to activate each tile, otherwise occasionally Robin's model gets stuck on a shelf. It is recommended that you SAVE YOUR GAME before starting the Song Game. Stuck in the Library Song Game? Want to bypass it? After stepping onto a colored tile in Miriam's Library, go find Sir Dabney. He'll tell you there's a "switch". Actually, it's a book titled "Deni." Go up to that book (it's a bit hard to find), Save Your Game at this point, THEN press "Enter" and the Secret Passageway to Marah will be automatically opened on another wall.  The book trigger can't open the passageway until you step on a tile. Technical Glitch: ONLY in Version 0.9 and 1.0....  Don't stand too close to the book when you press enter, or it may make Robin unable to move. Scooch up to it and press enter, not standing too close. And Save your game first! - then press enter. This was fixed in version 1.1. Note: we don't want the kids to bypass the Library. The Deni book switch is really just for teachers. Please note: the Marah level can take up to a minute to load.

I'm Stuck

STUCK?  You should have saved your game by now so that you can LOAD your saved spot and try again. SAVE SAVE SAVE your game locations as you play so you can restart at recent location if you get stuck.

To "Save," press ESC, then SAVE, then click one of the six locations. Then return to game.  To "Load" a saved spot, click ESC, then Load and select a saved location.

At the beginning of a lesson, show your students how to SAVE their game, and save often.

To get UNstuck:
Try jumping away from a spot by pressing your forward arrow key and Home key at the same time.

Try jumping in different directions. Try BACKING AWAY from an object or hidden crack in the 3d. 

If you're stuck in the Dig Tent in the Goshen level, the spiders may be trapping you at your feet. Use your mouse to point your airblaster down at them, or jump over them.

Upon entering the Goshen level immediately go find Dabney and then the airblaster. He walks around but is often found down in the dig. The Air Blaster is down in the dig.

Stuck in the Well of Marah?  If you decide to swim in the Marah Well, then just about the only location you can JUMP out from is the far left corner (as seen while standing IN the well and looking at the steps). Home/Forward arrow a couple of times. And try for a bit of a running start. Same idea in the mupits and other water hazards. Sometimes Robin just needs to find the right "step" to get out. Secret: If you press forward arrow and jump key at the same time Robin can climb the rocks in the well to get out, but you have to position her over in the vertical crack at the back of the well.

Screen is Stretched Weird

W I D E screen issues.... (See example below) Many new monitors are wide aspect and not the standard 4:3 ratio. Exodus will stretch to fill the screen causing the width of the game images to be disproportionate to the height. Here's how you solve that... Press ALT-ENTER and the game will turn into a window. Now you can grab the sides of the windows with your mouse point and resize it to your preferred width and height. NOTE: Some monitors have built in correction for this!  My Dell LCD didn't, but my newer Samsung LCD does.

      

Game Save Info: 

At this time, there are only six game save slots, and you can't really tell the difference between game 1 or game 2 saved slots (we hope to remedy this in the future). So pay attention to the slot picture you create and which game it came from. You can erase saved game info by deleting the xxxx.sav file in the directory.

Options Menu:

Press ESC then click OPTIONS. You can adjust the relative sound volumes of the Music and Voices in the game by accessing the OPTIONS menu at the main menu. If you are experiencing BAD audio volumes, look there. Different computers handle sound a bit different, so play with the balances.  Set the "View Distance" all the way to the right IF you have a really nice computer. It will make distant graphics appear sooner.

Go to the Exodus Adventures Website at www.sundaysoftware.com/Exodus

Questions? Email neil@sundaysoftware.com