Peter and Jesus: A new CD coming from Sunday Software

Tech Notes for Faith Through the Roof CD
Looking for the CD's description? Go here!
Looking for the game guide, player's guide and game secrets? Go here!

TECH NOTES:

This is a relatively new release so some of the thoughts here are speculative based on what folks sometimes encounter with our other 3d style games. Your feedback is essential to helping us build a good tech page. Please email me directly with any comments, questions and suggestions, EVEN IF this page solves a problem I'd like to here from you.

We have updated this CD to version 1.1. If your CD's label doesn't say "v1.1" then you should download the free version 1.1 update and install it in the same directory where the game installed. <>< Neil neil@sundaysoftware.com

FOR HELP PLAYING THE GAME please view/print the teacher or player's guide for this CD

If you are having problems running this game and contact me for help...

I will probably ask you to give me your computer's "DirectX Diagnostics Report".

This report is easy to generate and will tell me A LOT about your system's capabilities. It will also help me look up your videochip and drivers and allow me to give you an expert opinion rather than a guess.

To create the DXDIAG report, do this:

In XP, Click the Windows Start button and type the letters DXDIAG in the RUN field. This will start DirectX Diagnostics program.

In VISTA and Windows 7, Click the Windows Start button, and type the letters DXDIAG in the SEARCH field. This will make the link dxdiag.exe appear above. Click that link to start the diagnostics program.

Once DirectX Diagnostics starts up, click the SAVE ALL INFORMATION button. This will create a dxdiag.txt file. EMAIL ME that text file. If the computer you're at doesn't have email, copy that text file and take it to a computer which does have email.

Short of that information, we're merely guessing about your computer. <>< Neil, Sunday Software

Problems you may encounter, and their solutions...

1. Slow loading game, videos

Our minimum spec for this games is 64mb of videoram. If you are trying to run this game on an older computer that has less than 64 mb of videoram and less than 1.5 gb of ram, you will likely have trouble. If you have an older computer with a 'budget' video chip, you may encounter problems. Solution: Add main ram and add an inexpensive videocard may be the solution.

I can help you figure out your videochip/driver issues, but only if you send me the dxdiag report outlined above.

2. If you are getting a DirectX error message or a "Videocard not supported" error message (in the white box which appears at the beginning of the game's load,

...it could mean that your video driver is not up to date or that your videochip/card is not compatible. Run the dxdiag report described above and at www.sundaysoftware.com/dxdiag and send me that report. I'll help you figure out what needs to be done and if there's a videodriver update for your computer which could solve the problem.

3. Video clip stretched, pixelated, jumpy, or not appearing at all.

There are two videos in the game, one when you click on the roof to go down and talk to Jesus (video1.wmv), and the other when you get to the end of the quiz (video2.wmv) --the music video. They are not small. Please remember to set your computer's DISPLAY setting in the Windows Control Panel to as close to 800x600 as you can. This will reduce drag on the video and make it appear larger on the screen. On older computers, set your color depth to 16 bit rather than 32 to reduce the drag on the videoram.

Note1: In version 1.0, both videos have a thick black border around them to reduce the bitrate demands on the typical videochip/card. The videos were resized in version 1.1 to be 'lighter' on the processor.

Note2: In version 1.0 we have include optional versions of EACH video in the c:/faith folder where the program installed. Look in the folder for video1lowerres.wmv file and substitute it (by renaming the file) for video1.wmv -if the video within the game is not running or is running oddly. These are not needed in version 1.1.

3b. Video Clips appear "small" on screen....

The videos in version 1.1 have a "fixed" screen size of 400x300. This was done to control the video quality across a wide array of machines.

This means that IF you have your Windows Display screen resolution set too high, then the videos will appear small in the middle of the screen. We recommend setting your screen resolution to AS CLOSE TO 800 x 600 as you can get it.

Bonus!

When you installed Faith CD, you also installed a special HIGH RESOLUTION Quicktime version of the MUSIC VIDEO which you can play OUTSIDE OF the game.

It's named video2-QuicktimeHiRes.mov and is found in the installed c:\faith folder. Find it in the folder and double click it to open it in Quicktime Player.

4. Player "stuck" in an object or behind wall.

This can happen in a 3d environment. Please note the exact location and email neil@sundaysoftware.com

Use your HOME and Forward Arrow Key at the same time to try and jump out of any wicked spots.

If you are stuck behind the DOOR that leads into Peter's compound (perhaps because you tried to climb up it as a shortcut to the roof) turn and face the door and jump back out. Adjust left/right arrow to square yourself to the door.

5. Player not able to get in boat at end of game.

Press X on the keyboard when you get to the boat. You must first speak to Jesus in the house, then speak to Peter outside the house, then speak to Stephen standing down at the dock. Then the boat is active.

6. "ACKNEX MUST CLOSE" error message

Acknex is the A6 game engine. 3d game engines are notoriously finicking.

Turn off all other programs. Even a pop up notification and unbalance the game.

Right click the Faith desktop icon and select "run as administrator." You can also Right click the icon and select Properties, then "compatibility" and tell Windows to "run as XP" to settle your computer down a bit.

7. Can't pick up stretcher inside Peter's compound.

If you have talked to Peter and talked to Stephen and are trying to pick up the stretcher and take it to the roof, but can't pick up the stretcher, try this: right click to turn the curse to the 'hand' icon and run into the stretcher again (you may have inadvertently right clicked and turned the cursor into the pointer arrow).

8. Red Arrow seems to be pointing in the wrong direction or at a wall.

In version 1.1, we made the red navigational arrow first seen on the boat, remain onscreen pointing the way to the stretcher, and then to Peter's house. However, you must first get the stretcher before you go to Peter's house and the red arrow may point to Peter's house instead. Also, once you have the stretcher, the red arrow points IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF Peter's House. When inside the village, it might point to a wall between you and Peter's house.

After talking to Peter on the dock, you need to go talk to Stephen up by the village. The red arrow, however, continues to point to the dock where the stretcher is. Ignore it until Stephen tells you his story.

9. Volume too low, or narration and music volumes not balanced.

Typically this occurs on laptops. If your computer's master volume doesn't help them matter, there is a separate audio/volume control panel for the game which you can access while the game is in progress. Here's how to do it:

1. Press your Windows Key to access the computer's master volume icon in the lower right corner of your desktop. If the Windows key is not working, press Alt-Enter at the same time to put your game in a "windowed mode" (it will shrink into a window).

2. Click your computer's volume control.

3. Click "Mixer". This will expand your volume control panel and you will see the 3D Gamestudio/A6 game engine sound control.

4. Turn up your master volume control and turn up your A6 game engine sound option.

5. Click the game window and press Alt-Enter again to return to full screen mode.

If your volume is still too low, make sure you have amplified speakers and they are plugged in to the wall outlet.

9. Can't hear sound in program.

The program's audio files are in the "ogg" audio format. Your computer may not have the ogg audio codec installed and so you'll need to do that,. (Note: the installer should have prompted you to install it, but on some system setups it may have been thwarted.) Ogg is a free open source audio codec. You can download the Windows "directshow" ogg filter at www.xiph.org/dshow. Once downloaded, execute the file.