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READ FIRST! DW - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Updated and rewritten version of the original DW FAQ posted by TeddyBär and written by enigma6584 (at the SimHQ - DW Forums).
Dangerous Waters is available both Online and in Stores. NOTE: I will try to keep this list updated as retailers are added. Currently available at: (on-line and in-store where applicable)There is an up-to-date thread with this information at the SCS Forums here What are the differences between the various versions of DW? On the Strategy First(SFC) Website you can buy two different versions online. A boxed version that will be shipped to you and you can download the game directly to your PC. The boxed version includes the full game on 2 CDs, a printed 12 page Installation and Quick Start Guide, and the full 570 page game manual as printable PDF files on CD. Both games are the same, only difference is along with the boxed version you get a nice box for your game (and of course the original CDs). If you download it you have to burn those CDs yourself (as Backup). Neither one comes with the printed 570page manual. That is available through Strategy First only and you have to buy it separately. But it is well worth the price. Dangerous Waters was originally distributed by BattleFront.com (BFC). Are there any differences to my version from SF? The game version distributed by BFC was Dangerous Waters 1.0. The version from SF is Dangerous Waters 1.02. If you want to play online you need to patch your game to the latest version (currently 1.03Beta) to be able to play with other players. Aside from that and the nice box, both games are the same. What are the system requirements for the game?
- 550Mhz processor - 128 MB RAM - Eight-speed CD-ROM drive - Direct 3D compliant Video Card with 32MB RAM, (with DirectX 9.0b compatible drivers) - Sound Card with DirectX 9.0b compatible drivers - Desktop Resolution of 800x600 @ 16-bit color depth - 590MB hard-drive space for installation - Internet or LAN connection required for multiplayer
- 256 MB RAM - Direct 3D compliant Video Card with 64MB RAM, (with DirectX 9.0b compatible drivers) - 1GB hard-drive space for installation Can you tell me again; who are the two companies involved in the creation and distribution of Dangerous Waters?
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Want more detailed information? Go here for a full description of the features list. http://www.scs-dangerouswaters.com/features.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have technical problems and you are about to post on the SCS Tech Support Forum or want to write an email directly Sonalysts supportATsonalystscombatsimsDOTcom please include the following information (this was taken from an earlier post made by Jamie) :
If you can be as specific as possible with when the game crashes or steps to reproduce this behavior SCS would be really appreciative. Most helpful is the inclusion of the Offset from the Crash Report PopUp. It looks like this (You have to click on Details at the initial window) : http://www.scs-dangerouswaters.com/f...CRASH_INFO.JPG and the important part that we would like to post here if possible is something like this : AppName: dangerouswaters.exe AppVer: 0.1.0.0 ModName: pilot.dll ModVer: 0.1.0.0 Offset: 0000709d ************************************************** ****************************** EXAMPLE OF A TECH SUPPORT POST Operating System: WinXP SP1 Video Card (or on-board video): nVidia GeForceFX 5500 OC 256 Video Card (Driver Version): 6.14.0100.6693 (nVidia's Forceware Drivers) Game Resolution you are playing at: 800x600 (windowed) Sound Card: nVidia nForce Audio (on-board) Sound Card (Driver Version): 6.14.0442.0300 CPU: AMD Athlon 2.00ghz Memory Size: 512MB Game options enabled (CPU intensive): ( ) Enable Wind ( ) Enable Currents (x) Enable Waveriding Comments: N/A ************************************************** ****************************** Some Notes on Technical issues (taken partly from the game ReadMe): 1) Anti-aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering It is recommended that Anti-aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering be DISABLED or set to APPLICATION CONTROLLED from your video card's settings page. When these settings are enabled outside the game, visual anomalies may occur. In general, if you find a visual problem in the game, make sure you have the latest drivers installed for your video card. The NVidia and ATI download sites are listed below. NVidia: http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp ATI: http://www.ati.com/support/driver.html 2) Hardware Cursor A hardware accelerated cursor has been included as the default rendering of the cursor assuming that your video hardware supports it (this functionality is detected when the game starts for the first time). If you are having graphical difficulties and the game tends to "lock up" after having exited a mission in the Debrief screen, you may disable the hardware cursor in the "dangerouswaters.ini" file: [Graphics] .SoftwareCursor Yes 3) Slowdown - Please don't comment on the the mouse update rate when running at upper "time accelerations". As many of the BETA testers have commented on, DW is centrally a CPU intensive simulation and time acceleration will be extremely taxing on any system. There are MANY components that have been added or improved on since SC (addition of Wind, Currents, and a Physics overhaul - Wave riding, Maneuverability, etc.) but those improvements can have a significant impact on performance when enabled. However, if you are experiencing sub-par performance when running at 1x time acceleration (with limited Game options enabled) then that is something SCS would like to investigate and correct if possible. 4) Graphics options - If you are experiencing some slowdown when the 3D window is enabled in NAV (vs. when it is minimized) then you should try disabling the following features and see if your performance improves (in the following order): - Shadows - 3D clouds - Water Quality - Reflection Quality - Change to Plain shaded water (from Pixel shaded water) 5) Screen Flicker : With the patch 1.03 this should be a thing of the past. If you still experience general Screen Flicker then try running the game in Window mode or use the program EndItAll (can be found at the CADC) to end background programs that might try to steal the game screens focus. 6) Unexplainable crashes : If you have a Pentium PC with HT (Hyperthreading Technology) or any other dual core CPU and you experience crashes and problems, try to disable the 2nd CPU. Even tho it should be fixed by now, it seems that some single systems still experience problems with that. And of course if you get an error message post it in the Tech Support Forum. Possible Solution might lie within the following links : - English : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896256/EN-US/ - German : http://support.microsoft.com/?id=896256#kb2 - For AMD Dual Core Processors you should check this link : AMD Athlonâ„¢ 64 X2 Dual Core Processor Driver for Windows XP ************************************************** ****************************** Please provide your input for the following tests below so we can attempt to profile the game in a manner that will further pinpoint the problem... =========================== 1) FULL SCREEN vs. WINDOWED =========================== Action -- Run the game in windowed mode... NOTE: Your desktop must be set to 16-bit color in order to run in a window Quote:
2) Does the game still crash when run in windowed mode? (Yes/No) Please provide any additional comments that you feel will assist us: =========================== 2) TURN OFF "Hardware Cursor" SUPPORT =========================== Quote:
3) DISABLE SOUND =========================== Action -- Run the game with "-nosound" command line parameter or "uncheck" all the sound layers in Options->Sound. 1) Does the game performance improve when -nosound is used? (Yes/No) 2) Does the game still crash when run without sound? (Yes/No) Please provide any additional comments that you feel will assist us: =========================== 4) ENABLE VSYNC =========================== Action -- Run the game with "-wantVSync" command line parameter. NOTE: This will force the game to wait until the next available vertical refresh before displaying the new back buffer on the video card. You shouldl notice that your frame rate in the options/3D will be the same as your monitor's refresh rate for the resolution chosen in game (60hz, 75hz, 85hz, etc) assuming you can achieve that framerate. NOTE #2: You may then want to set the refresh rate for the display for the given resolution via the display properties/settings/advanced menu off the desktop. This option will only apply when the game is fullscreen. Some video cards let you force full screen apps to sync to the refresh rate via their control panel options (nVidia/ATI) thus overriding any in-game settings, so if available, you can try from there as well. 1) Does the game performance improve when -wantVSync is used? (Yes/No) 2) Does the game still crash when -wantVSync is used? (Yes/No) Please provide any additional comments that you feel will assist us: =========================== 5) PAUSING the NAVALSIMENGINE =========================== Action -- PAUSE the game (NavalSimEngine will be paused) and see if the frame rate improves. NOTE: This not only pauses the SIM, but pauses all auto-crew functionality, game timers, CPU intensive 3D updates, and many of the tasks in the game's main loop. When paused, if you have the 3D view shown in the NAV map station, the performance should be similar to that shown in Options->3D. Please denote below if it is not. 1) Does the performance match that which is shown in 3D->Options (your best estimate) when the game is PAUSED? (Yes/No) Please provide any additional comments that you feel will assist us: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
However you can easily download it at this link : DOWNLOAD -- Microsoft Speech SDK v5.1. And don't worry, this is the same as originally shipped with the game. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community & Help
Virtual Fleets & Leagues
If you don't have the actual Arcade Software you can get it here. Just click on the "Ad supported" button (unless you want to subscribe to GameSpy). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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If SCS decides to make an Expansion to the game, they will surely include more playable platforms - however don't expect them to shell out tons of them. The most likely approach to this will be the addition of platforms from nations to credibly oppose the current playable platforms to allow an even better Multiplayer experience. So the most likely platforms to be included in a future Expansion will again deal with ASW. And NO I don't think SCS will make a playable Carrier, or something to that extend. If DW however sells really well, SCS might decide to expand the scope of the game to include AAW and ASuW which would prompt the inclusion of a Ticonderoga or similar. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While SCS tolerated it at that time, they have stated (pretty clearly) that they explicitly reserve the right to create playable models for themselves and messing around with DLLs, EXE files and so on (which would be necessary to create a SCU like utility for DW) is a big NO NO! However modders are free to and actually encouraged to create improved textures, modells and so on for the game to visually, and audible enhance it. So while you might see all of the platforms from the real world in Dangerous Waters at a future date, you will only drive those SCS makes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So you are in command of one platform and can't switch between multiple platforms within a single mission (but you can play all of the platforms of course). No jumping from the Command of a FFG to the Pilot seat of a Helicopter or so. If you are able to do this in the real world, please contact your next available Navy recruiter - you have a tremendous career ahead of you. Bottom line you can command your platform and thats it. But if there are friendly Units in the mission with you (for example another FFG) you can promote your hostile contacts and the AI Units will help you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What to do - CTD (Sonalysts reply - need memory offset) __________________________________________________ ___________________ To be continued ... |
The main FAQ is now located at the Dangerous Waters Wiki here
Look there for updates and additions. Cheers OS |
Is there a keyboard command quick reference somewhere for this game?
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I've seen one floating around but that one basically was a screenshot of the options menu. To my knowledge there is no "real" keyboard shortcut list around (but than I've been known to get things wrong).
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Thank you. I have solved it.
Another one: Is there a basic operation tutorial video available somewhere on the web? |
Check out www.subguru.com for some video tutorials. Additionally there are quite comprehensive written manuals/tutorials available on the net. Check out the DW Wiki and the CADC Forums for more details at www.commanders-academy.com
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Sorry to necro such an old thread, but didn't think this warranted a post of its own. Might help some new players out though!
Cavitation explained, with video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/vi...ip-world-video |
Just in case anyone's watching, the download sites for the demos seem to be offline, any leads on where I can get the demo?
edit: found it in the gamershell.com downloads! |
Windows Vista
I haven't seen anything in any of the Sticky's regarding Windows Vista. I'm running Vista (32) and I want to know if I'm ok for running DW. I don't have DW yet but will purchase on Steam if I am sure it will run on Vista.
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I've had Windows Vista (x86) for about a year in 2009. But I cannot be sure I had DW installed in it. I did find some folders with a creation timestamp around that timeframe among my backups. But it may have been created in a Win 7 OS instead.
Generally speaking in my experience, any user software that works in Windows 7 also worked in Windows vista. In both OSes (well any since and including Vista) I would suggest to try to keep the game installed outside of the Program Files Folder. If you ever intend to mod it. As Windows tries to prevent modification and creation of files in any folders in there. And for DW that means you'll experience UAC warnings (or silent denials) trying to make save games and mission creations with the mission editor. As they reside in the Scenario folder. Or those changes temporarily succeeding but not sticking after a reboot. You mention you want to buy it with Steam. Steam by default installs into the Program Files folder. So that may be the beginning of a problem there. But the following procedure might be a workaround, by explicitly allowing modifying in the security permissions to the game folder and all it's files in it. Note, this video is intended for Silent Hunter (3) and is no guaranteed solution for this game. I personally have the disk version of DW, so did not have to try this and therefore no personal experience in this. And for the other games I got via Steam, I pre-emptively installed Steam not to be inside the Program Files folder. If you have not yet installed Steam itself I suggest you also provide an alternate path for it when you can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-YrGpji764 [EDIT]What Hinrich said! DW doesn't like things running in the background. Also I just remembered, it prefers to run on a single CPU. You may have to specifiy affinity to a single CPU core in Task Manager, instead of the Windows default of execution shared on all. |
Solid copy. I am glad to hear that it isn't recomended to buy from Steam. I have no problem picking it up from Amazon. I'm glad there don't seem to be problems running it on a Vista system.
Thanks for the reply's everyone. Is it recommended that I buy the download version or the hard copy version? I'm thinking about the hard copy for about $12.00. I can wait for a couple days to get it. Gives me more time to watch more videos on youtube about DW... OK, just ordered the hardcopy from Amazon. Should be playing by Tuesday night. |
I'd rather have a disk version that I can install whenever I choose. Even Amazon can go bankrupt one day, or decide to nerf the download service.
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I am not that worried about Amazon, as opposed to Direct2Drive/Gamefly, who just sold their Digital PC interests to yet another company. :k_confused: |
When you buy a game on Steam, all you have to do is launch steam and backup your games.
This creates a folder named something like Disk_01 etc in the steam directory or wherever you choose to back it up. Those backups are the entire game! Burn it to a disk or wherever or you can even back them up from Steam to a cd. |
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