Copy the complete CD to your HD and install it from the HD instead of from the CD drive.

If Unreal calls for a missing file or crashes with an "allocation error", one or more files may have been corrupted during file-copy.

      Simply try uninstalling Unreal completely and re-install.

If Unreal crashes with a "General Protection Fault" or a "Out of Memory" message, you may not have enough RAM and virtual memory or Unreal conflicts with the memory use of an other program or a component driver.

      Shut down as many program as possible except Unreal.

      Make sure you have enough RAM and virtual memory as described in section 3.1.6

      Defrag your HD and re-install your swapfile.

An other popular reason for crashes are conflicts with your video or sound card or missing or outdated drivers.

      Try running Unreal in "safe mode". i.e. in software rendering mode with 3D hardware support disabled. If this works, try the other rendering modes. Try to disable as many options as possible in your advanced sound and video setup in the advanced options. Turn them back on one by one to track down the reason of the problem.

      Look on Epic's tech support page for updated Unreal drivers.

      Make sure you have the latest drivers for your graphic and sound hardware installed. Check your hardware manufacturer's website for latest updates.

      Make sure you got the latest DirectX drivers installed. The minimum version required for Unreal is DirectX 7.0

There are many more possible reasons …

Can I run Unreal without the CD in the drive?

Yes you can. There are a fewl ways to do that:

1. Provided, that you did a full installation, Unreal checks the presence of the CD only once at start-up. The CD is not required later and you can take the CD out of the drive.

2. Furthermore, there are the Unreal patches available on the web, in which the CD check is disabled. For example look here.

Note, that these workarounds with the CD check are illegal, if you don't have your very own legal copy of Unreal! Otherwise it's software piracy! We all like quality games and want more of them in the future, so we owe the makers of these games their money.

Can I run Unreal on more than one PC with one CD?

As described above, you can run Unreal without the CD in the drive, so you can take the CD out and use it to start Unreal on other machines, e.g. to have a nice LAN party .

3.3  Basic Configuration

3.3.1  Player Setup

Can I use symbols in my player nickname?

You can use most ASCII symbols in Unreal. Simply copy-paste them into the Unreal setup from an other text program. However, not all servers show the ASCII symbols correctly, depending on their country and keyboard settings.

Do the different classes (models) have any (dis-)advantages?

Unreal models have diffent sizes to them, the female models move faster and jump higher then the male models. Thus you do get an advantage from using the female model.

Where can I get additional models/skins and how can I make my own ones?

Look in the "add-on" section of this FAQ, chapter 5.2

3.3.3   Weapon Priority

How can I change my weapon priority?

The weapon priority (in which weapons are auto-switched in case you pick up a new weapon or run out of ammo for your current one) is defined in the menu:

[Options] ® [Prioritize Weapons]

Use the cursor key to move the weapons up and down as you like.

Can I remove a weapon from my priority list, so that it is never auto-switched?

No. Even if you edit your Unreal\System\User.ini file and delete the weapon in the [engine.playerpawn] section the weapon will be re-activated next time you start Unreal.

When I use the next/previous weapon keys, Unreal still switches using the original order. Why?

The previous/next weapon command refers to the weapon numbers as you can see them in the weapon list on the bottom of your HUD; the same as your number keys.

There is (unfortunately) no command to switch up/down weapons acc. your priority. I recommend using the weapon grouping alias instead (read 3.4.2

  Preferences

What do all the settings in the preferences do?

There is a good guide through all the settings to be made in the preferences menu on Sniper's Paradise Unreal Tips & Tweaks webpage.

http://www.snipersparadise/unrealtipsandtweaks.html

Please read it to get familiar with all the settings in the preferences.

What is a good keyboard setup?

Please read chapter 6.2, "What is a good controller setup?"

3.4   Advanced Configuration

  Console-Commands

What is the system console?

The console is a little window, that is used to enter commands and to see Unreal's system messages. You bring it up by choosing [System Console] by hitting the [~] tilde key.

You can also use the simple console command line by hitting the [Tab] key. Here you can only enter commands, but not read the system messages.

How do I enter the "advanced options" menu?

Bring up the console (see above) and type "preferences" (without the ") and the advanced options window will pop up. I'd recommend to switch Unreal to windowed mode before, so you can leave both windows permanently open and can see the effect of your changes instantly.

For users, who work with the AOs frequently, I recommend to bind a key to:

ENDFULLSCREEN | PREFERENCES

Is there a list of all Unreal console commands and starting parameters?

A list of Unreal starting parameters, console commands and cheatcodes can be found on Sniper's Paradise: unreal.epicgames.com/utconsole.html>

What are the Unreal cheats codes?

Bring up the by hitting the [~]or [Tab] key. Now type

to activate the cheat codes. Now type any of the following:

god, makes you invulnerable

allammo, loads every weapon you have with max ammo

ghost, go anywhere inside or outside the map

fly, now you can fly

walk, default mode (type to exit fly or ghost mode)

killall [class], kills every enemy in a certain [class]

playersonly, freeze time, type it again to cancel

behindview 1, view your player from behind (Tomb-Raider style)

behindview 0 , default view

addbots [#], add a number [#] of bots to the level

summon [item], make an item appear (see list below)

List of Unreal item names: Dispersionpistol, Automag, Stinger, Asmd, Eightball, Flakcannon, Razorjack, Gesbiorifle, Rifle, Minigun, Defaultammo, Clip, StingerAmmo, ASMDAmmo, RocketCan,FlakBox, Flakshellammo, RazorAmmo, Sludge, RifleAmmo, Rifleround, ShellBox

summon [opponentname] - bring on an Unreal 1 opponent

List of Unreal opponent names: warlord, titan, stone titan, squid, slith, skaarj, skaarjwarrior, skaarjscout, skaarjlord, skaarjberserker, skaarjassassin, iceskaarj, skaarjtrooper, skaarjsniper, skaarjofficer, skaarjinfantry, skaarjgunner, queen, pupae, nali, nalipriest, mercenary, mercenaryelite, manta, giantmanta, cavemanta, krall, lesserkrall, krallelite, gasbag, giantgasbag, fly, devilfish, cow, babycow, tentacle, brute, lesserbrute, behemoth, bots, skaarjplayerbot, humanbot, malebot, maletwobot, malethreebot, maleonebot, femalebot, femaletwobot, femaleonebot, nalirabit, horsefly, blobelt, biterfish, bird1, parentblob, horseflyswarm, deadbodyswarm, biterfishschool

Can I use cheats during online play?

Only if the server admin has it enabled. And certainly 99% don't do that. Imagine the mess, that it would cause, if cheating was able online. It would ruin the fun of the game for anyone.

So, before you accuse someone of cheating, better test yourself, if cheats are enabled. Most probably they aren't. Some players are just damn good. I've been accused cheating myself and I'm not even a top player. And even if you saw, that you hit him directly with 5 rockets and he still lives, think of the fact, that in an online game what you see client side may not be what the server has seen. And the server is the “referee”, that decides about dead or alive.

How can I repeat a command?

How can I change my FOV = "Field of View"?

The field of view is about equal to the angle of view. By default, it is set to 90. Values <90 mean, that you play with constant zoom; values >90 mean you play with constant "fish-eye" effect.

To change your FOV, us the console command: FOV <value>, e.g.

FOV 110

FOV change has to be enabled by the server admin online. By default it is disabled and few admins allow it, because it can be used for cheating.

  Key Binding and Aliases

How do I bind a command to a key?

For a detailed description how to bind a command to a key and all related problems, please check the Keybinding & Aliases Guide.

What is an alias and how do I define one?

An alias is a pre-defined sequence of commands assigned to a name for faster execution. Aliases can be bind to keys as a single command or be used in other aliases.

For a detailed description how to define an alias and all related problems, please check the Keybinding & Aliases Guide.

  Tweak Graphics & Sound

How can I check my framerate?

Type "timedemo" from the Unreal console. On the top left side of the screen, you will now see your current FPS count in "Frames per second" and an average over the last second.

An other way is to type "STAT FPS" in the console. You will now see some statistics on the bottom of the screen. Among them is the frame time in milliseconds. To get the FPS, divide 1000 by the frame time. For example, with a frame time of 20 ms, your FPS would be 50.

How can I improve my framerate?

There are numerous tweaking guides available on the web how to optimize Unreal's graphic and sound performance on your system. Check the "Tweaking" section in the Unreal links.

I can't see any fog in Unreal. I thought there should be some.

By default "volumetric lighting" is turned off in the [Options] [Preferences] [Video] menu, as it is a popular reason for problems with the graphic card and can reduce the framerate considerably.

But it’s a cool effect and so you should try enabeling it. If it runs without problems, keep it enabled!

I can't see the shieldbelt glow effect. Why?

To maintain the "minimum desired framerate" in the [Options] [Preferences] [Video] menu, Unreal may have turned off "shiny surfaces" in the [Advanced Options] [Rendering] menu. This will disable the shieldbelt effect.

3.4.4  Tweaking Online

How can I improve my ping / Packet Loss (from within Unreal)?

The only setting that you can make from within Unreal is the network speed in the [Options] [Network] menu.

You can also enter a value directly in the AOs [Networking] [TCP/IP Network Play] [Maxclientrate]. (All other networking settings in the AOs are server side settings!! There is no benefit from messing with them!)

That maxclienttrate is the maximum amount of data that you request servers to send to you in byte/s. If the amount of data, that the server sends, is higher than your connection capacity, this will result in packetloss and lag. So you should not set this too high!

Take your typical connection speed in byte/s, subtract about 20% reserve and divide it by 8. E.g. for a 56k modem, usually connecting at about 45kbit/s, a good value for maxclientrate would be 45.000 * 0.8 / 8 = 45.000 / 10 = 4500.

Note: Most server have the connection rate limited also from the server side to about 5000byte/s to save bandwidth and not to give LPB's too much advantage, so even if your connection allows for more, don't wonder if you don't recieve more.

3.4.5  Server Settings

For the basic setup of a server, see chapter Start a Multiplayer Game.

For more detailed questions about server config, please refer to the sites listed in the "server administration" section of the

  Starting / joining a

  Start a Singleplayer Game

Why should I play singleplayer anyway?

For sure, online play is much more fun. But for two reasons you should still play against bots:

-    For Training

Bots are excellent for training your aiming and dodging skills. A botmatch is also good to learn a map and test strategies and tricks.

A player, who knows nothing about the game and jumps right into an online server can ruin the fun for all other players on the server, especially in teamgames. So please, before you go online the 1^st time, play the in the singleplayer and train to a minimum level. I'd say: When you can beat "experienced" bot, you are ready.

How do I customize the bots?

In a Botmatch game you have the Configure Bots menu in the Game Option Menu ® Here you set their skill and number. You can configure the bots individually by using the Configure Individual Bots menu.

What are the best settings to create a bot with most human behaviour?

The most important thing for this IMO about it is to set the aiming skill to minimum and enable jumpy behaviour.

General:

- Basic skill = about adept ...masterful

- Accuracy = minimum

- Alertness = middle

- Strafing = middle

- Jumpy behaviour = enabled

Type 1: The Dogfighter

- Skill adjust = -1

- Favorite weapon = Flak or RL

- Camping = minimum

- Combat style = aggressive

Type 2: The Camper/Sniper

- Skill adjust = 0

- Favorite weapon = Sniper rifle

- Camping = maximum

- Combat style = avoidant

What is the difference between the 3 game style modes?

-    Classic is the base version.

-    Hardcore has increased weapon damage (150%) and increased game speed.
You can also jump higher than in classic.

-    Turbo is Hardcore with much increased gamespeed.

3.5.2  Join a Multiplayer Game

How do I join a multiplayer game on LAN or internet?

If you are connected to the internet:

Choose [Multiplayer] [Join Game]. This will bring up the Unreal Server Browser, aka as the "Ubrowser". It will start with the "Favorite" Tab, where you can add your favorite server to the list. Switch to the Tab of the gametype, that you would like to play. Unreal will now connect to the Masterserver(s) and "query" a list of all registered servers currently running a Unreal game on the internet. When it received the list, it will automatically start "pinging" all servers and sort the list of servers acc. to their ping. The fastest servers are on top. You can click a server to see the detailed server information and a list of connected players. Look for a server with a good ping, that is not full ("at capacity"). Doubleclick on the server to join the game.

If you want to connect to a LAN server:

Choose [Multiplayer] [Join Game]. This will bring up the Ubrowser, then choose the “LAN” tab. It will list all servers, that it can find on your LAN. Choose a server and connect just as explained above.

How do I "refresh" in the Unreal browser?

Press the right mouse button to bring up the mouse menu. It offers you 3 important things:

Info (used to pull up service information.)

Add to Favorites (Adds the server to your Favorite Server tabl.)

Refresh Servers (Refreshes all severs on your UBrowser.)

Sometimes the Unreal browser shows me absurd low pings. Is it a bug?

Yes it is. Just re-ping all servers and they will show you the real ping.

How can I split my favorites into gametypes in the Unreal browser and add custom tabs?

Got a large favorites list and lost overview? Would you like to split up your favorites into gametypes and have a separate Tab for each in the Ubrowser?

Here is how to do it:

Making a back-up copy of your Unreal\system\unreal.ini file is strongly recommended, before you Start!!!

1) Edit your Unreal\system\unreal.ini and add to the [UBrowser.UBrowserConsole] section:

ServerListNames[8]=UBrowserFavAll

2) Furthermore add to the same section one line as the following for any gametype, that you would like to have a Tab for in the Ubrowser (replace FavTeamGame by FavDeathMatch, ...).

ServerListNames[9]=UBrowserFavTeamGame

3) Add this section to your unreal.ini:

[UBrowserFavAll]

ListFactories[0]=UBrowser.UBrowserFavoritesFact

bHidden=True

bFallbackFactories=True

4) Add one section as the following for any gametype, that you've defined above in 2):

[UBrowserFavTeamGame]

ListFactories[0]=UBrowser.UBrowserSubsetFact,SupersetTag=UBrowserFavAll,GameType=TeamGame

For the other gametypes, change the "Gametype=TeamGame" and put in the Gametype Name: DeathMatch, Assault, Infiltration or Serpentine

5) Edit your Unreal\system\ubrowser.int file and add one line like the following for every section, that you have defined in 2):

UBrowserFavTeamGame=TeamGame Favorites

These are the names, that appear on the Tabs in the Ubrowser. You can choose the names as whatever you want. I would recommend to choose them as short as possible and also to shorten all other names, so the Tabs need less space in the Ubrowser. The tabs appear in the Ubrowser numbered from left to right.

Done!

Note that the lists will only show servers, when you're online, as Ubrowser filters out all servers, that didn't echo the ping.

How can I run Unreal behind a firewall / proxy?

Yes, it is generally possible, but Unreal and the proxy have to be configured to match:

In your Unreal\System\Unreal.ini, you’ll find the following entry:

[UBrowser.UBrowserHTTPClient]
ProxyServerAddress=
ProxyServerPort=

Put in your proxy's IP address and port.

This is all you can do from within Unreal. But in most cases, it’s the proxy’s settings, that cause the problem, not Unreal’s. These depend very much on the used firewall / proxy program. Contact your SysAdmin to change the setting of that program as follows:

General (posted by [NBK}Beavis on PU forums):

Unreal uses UDP at the transport level instead of TCP. So your firewall must be configured to pass the UDP port numbers that Unreal uses. The other problem with a firewall is that if it is set up for NATing, and you get a dynamic IP address on the internet side, it is possible for it to change during a game and that may screw you up.

Sygate (posted by GPF on PU forums):

To get your Sygate to work, you'll have to do a couple of things:

Open and edit the Apprule.cfg file on the gateway. That is where you open specific ports that Unreal uses to talk to the internet. Port 7777 will need to be opened for sure, and I'd suggest you open both TCP and UDP.

Run Unreal as a server on a different machine than your gateway. This modification won't help you if you try to run Unreal on the gateway computer.

AtGuard (posted by Tanqueray_Boy and Schizoid_Man on PU forums)

Turn on interactive learning mode in the AtGuard settings. It will put up a dialog box everytime Unreal wants to talk to the net. Tell AtGuard to let Unreal do anything it wants, and you won't have any problems.

If you've done that, then look at what protocols & applications etc. you've currently got blocked, and permit them one at a time until you find the one that's stopping Unreal working.

I'd be grateful, if users of other firewall/proxy systems would write me how to configure that system correctly.

I can connect to a server, but I'm flying around invisible and I can't shoot. Why?

Most probably you have “Play as spectator” checked in your player setup.

How can I disconnect from a server?

There is no command in Unreal to disconnect from the server. you will have to close down unreal, join another server or start your own server.

3.5.3  Start a Multiplayer Game

How do I start a server for playing over the internet?

I'll only explain the basics here. There are various other ways to launch and configure the server. For details please refer to the sites listed under the "Running a Server" section of the Unreal links.

For a quick and easy start: Choose [Multiplayer] [Start Game]. Set up the game exactly like a botmatch except pay attention to the following setting:

In the "Multiplayer" menu:

Select Game

Select the type of game you want to play

In the "Multiplayer" menu:

Select Map

Select the map you want to play

In the "Configure Game" menu:

Max Players

The maximum number of players that can connect to the server (see below)

Frag Limit

Number of frags it takes for the game to be over, server switches to new map.

Time Limit

Time it takes for the map to switch if the number of frags in the game has not been reached.

Weapon Stay

Setting this to true forces the weapon to always be available for pickup, once you have the weapon you can't pick it up again, you will only be able to pick up the weapons ammo.

In the "Configure Bots" menu:

Configure Individual Bots

This menu allows you to configure up to 15 bots.

Number of Bots

Set's the number of bots to spawn in the server.

Bots in Multiplayer

This allows bots to spawn in the game when set to true.

To set up the server you will need to go to advance options. To do this you will need to choose the "Options" menu then the "Advanced Options" menu in Unreal or type "Preferences" from the command prompt in either Unreal or Unreal Gold.:

In the "Advanced Option" menu:

Choose [Netwoking] [Public Server Information]:

Admin Email

Admin Name (your nick)

MOTD

Message of the day (shown for a short moment, when a player joins the server)

Region

If you would like to set the your Server Region. Here's the list:
0 No Region Specified (default, use any)
1 Southeast US
2 Western US
3 Midwest US
4 Northwest US, West Canada
5 Northeast US, East Canada
6 United Kingdom
7 Continental Europe
8 Central Asia, Middle East
9 Southeast Asia, Pacific
10 Africa
11 Australia, NZ, Pacific
12 Central, South America

Server Name

Show MOTD

Set this to true to broadcast the "Message of the Day" when a player joins the server

Choose [Netwoking] [Server Beacon]:

Advertise server

Set DoBeacon to true to list your sever.

Important! This setting will make your server be listed on the MasterServer. If the server is not advertised, only players, who know your IP address or have your server defined as a favorite, will be able to join.

Webserver Port No.

Choose [Netwoking] [Map List]:

Map List

This is where you add the maps that will be played on your server.

Choose [Netwoking] [Game Settings]:

Admin Password

Whoever knows this password can use the admin console commands.

No Cheating

Set this to true unless you want cheating to be allowed on your server.

Game Password

Password for players, who want to join. Set password, if you only want to play with friends in private or if your playing a macth with other clans.

Max Spectators

Spectators take some bandwidth, so don't set this too high.

Some players do not like to be spectated so that somebody can see their tricks. Unfortunately there is no indication, that you're being spectated. So maybe set MaxSpectators to zero.

Once you have completed these settings you are now ready to start your server. Close down Advanced Options: and go back to [Multiplayer] [Start Game]. From here you will be able to choose how you would like to start your game or run your server.

[StartGame]/[Launch Dedicated Server] menu

Important! If you choose "Start Game", you will run a "Listen Server", i.e. you play on the server yourself and the server is only running as long as you are on it. You can use the admin commands directly from the console w/o the “admin” prefix.

If you choose "Launch Dedicated Server", the server will run alone, without you on it. When you start a dedicated server, the graphic "surface" of Unreal will be shut down and all you will see, is a little symbol for the server on the MS-Windows task-bar. You can open the console from here to see, what is going on on the sever.

Note that you can still join the server just like any other client and leave it at any time. To do this, you have to launch Unreal a second time.

How many players is my server capable to handle for smooth gameplay?

This is much more a matter of your internet connection bandwidth that the power of your CPU

The simple rule: At least 28k bandwidth per player!

By QAPete from www.planetunreal.com:

"Let's say, for this example, you have a 768/384 KB/sec DSL line. What I suggest you do is divide your outgoing bandwidth by 28.8 KB/sec, then multiply that result by .9. Based on your bandwidth alone, you should be able to comfortably run a dedicated (not listen) server for 12 people. Going with a higher max players is only going to slow down performance for all players.

There's another important issue here - CPU speed. From the old scientific method of trial and error, plus my experiences with my own and other people's servers, you should be able to stick with the max users using the formula above if you are running a Celeron (or P2) 300 mhz or better for most maps. Anything slower, and you run the risk of slowdowns based on your processor. I'd also set the Game Engine cache to 40 mb or 1/2 of your total RAM, whichever is higher. This will reduce swapping to the drive, which will completely destroy your server performance."

How do I switch maps on my server while playing?

See next question right below.

How do I kick or ban players from my server or switch maps?

To do this, you have to use the server admin console commands.

There are some important differences, if you run a listen or a dedicated server:

On a listen server, you are the admin automatically and permanently.

On a dedicated server, you can join the server as a normal player or admin, to join as admin you will need to type the admin password before you join the server. There are a few ways depending on what version of Unreal you are using.

The first example can be used by Unreal but has to be used by Unreal Gold version users, open up the Unreal browser and type in the open box the IP of the server you want to join followed by ?password=add password here

For Example, if your admin password was "Unreal" and your IP was 70.154.245.12, then we would type:

70.154.245.12?password=Unreal

This example only works for Unreal and not Unreal Gold

Go to {Multiplayer] [Player Setup] and add your password there.

These are the admin console commands, copied from http://unreal.epicgames.com/console.htm:

(To enter an admin command on a dedicated server, you always have to type "ADMIN" before the command. On a listen server you can leave out the "ADMIN".)

• ADMIN SERVERTRAVEL <new level URL>

Switch to a new map, e.g. "ADMIN SERVERTRAVEL DMAriza"

How do I set up a server for a LAN?

Set up the LAN and make sure you have TCP/IP installed as one of you network protocols in the Windows [Start] ®[Settings] ® [Control Panel] ®[Network] menu.

Now one of you has to run a server on his machine exactly as described above for the internet.

The server should now appear on the Ubrowser of the other machines under the [LAN Server] Tab. Choose [Multiplayer] ® [Join Game].

Can I play over a serial cable connection or modem-to-modem?

Yes you can. You "only" have to establish a TCP/IP protocol connection between the two machines. Read how to install a TCP/IP connection: You do that by installing the built-in support from the MS Windows setup. Read here how to do that:

for Modem-Modem dial up: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q154/7/29.asp

To check, that the connection is working, try a little chat program, for example WinChat by Microsoft. It will also help you to communicate while setting up Unreal.

When the connection is established, one machine can start a server just as described above and the other player can join it.

How can I join a server, that is not advertised?

To do this, you have to know the exact IP address and port to connect. Enter these in the [Multiplayer] [Open] box.

If the server is up and running and you have a connection to it, you will connect.

4    Various

4.1 Various

How can I define more than one user setup?

There is an error on Epic's Unreal console command page http://unreal.epicgames.com/console.htm:

The command line parameter to start Unreal with an other ini than the default one is not "user=" but "userini="! For example, if I want to start Unreal with my personal INI file "Cleaner.ini", which must be located in the Unreal\system folder, I'd have to use:

Unreal.exe userini=cleaner.ini

Careful, the filename is case-sensitive!

I'd recommend writing a little batch file for each user and put them all in the Unreal\system folder and have shortcuts on your desktop.

How can I define more than one custom maplist?<

Per default Unreal has only one custom map list per gametype.

How can I make Unreal skip the intro?

To skip the intro completely, edit your Unreal\System\Unreal.ini file and right on top, in the [URL] section, …

replace: LocalMap=Unreal.unr

: LocalMap=Entry.unr

You still have to hit [Esc] to make the Unreal menu come up, but it's a lot faster now. You can use any map here you like. I use the SP3Lobby map so I can choose my skin and go into the server without too much effort

I want to back-up my savegames. In which files are they saved?

I have to re-install Unreal and don't want to loose my settings. Which files must I back-up?

All your user-made settings are saved to 2 files:

1) Unreal\System\Unreal.ini

2) Unreal\System\User.ini.

These are the files, that you need to back-up, if you want to keep your setting. Furthermore, if you have downloaded any user-made add-ons from the web, back-up the relevant subdirectory too.

How do I take a screenshot in Unreal?

In the default keyboard setup, a screenshot is taken by pressing F9.

The screenshot is saved to the Unreal\system directory as shot####.bmp file.

The screenshots are quite dark, so if you want to use them on a website or so, you'll usually have to lighten them up with the help of any imaging program.

  Music and Sounds

How can I play the Unreal music outside of Unreal?

You can open the Unreal Editor and export the music to a format, that is readable by "normal" players. For example, the popular Winamp can play the .IT format

There are several programs called "rippers" available, that can convert the UMX files into other, readable formats.

And finally, there are two players, that can play the UMX format directly: UMX player and Modplug

Look in the "Unreal Utilities Tools" section of the section, for links to the above mentioned tools.

How can I extract Unreal sounds?

There are two ways to do it:

1. Start UnrealEd (the editor which comes with Unreal) and on the right side, in the 'object browser' window, choose 'sounds' instead of 'textures'. Now look for the sound you want and choose 'export' from the menu to get a wavfile.

Ucc batchexport <SourceFile.uax> sound wav <TargetPath>

All sounds in the UAX file will be extracted to the target path.

4.3  Unreal Spectating and Demos

Why should I spectate and what is the best way to do it?

Well, I spectate very often and I find it very relaxing ... better than TV. And I can say that I learned a lot from spectating top players. I actively look for them on servers and when I find one, I'll peek and try to learn some tricks from him.

What is important is always to spectate in 1^st person view. To do this, type BEHINDVIEW 1 in the console. When you use that a lot, bind a key to it (or even better: BEHINDVIEW 0 | ONRELEASE BEHINDVIEW 1).

Bugs in Spectating / Demos?

There are a number of very annoying bugs, that you will notice, when you spectate a lot:

-    While spectating or watching a demo, the armor value is often not shown correctly. It appears as zero, even when the player has armor.

-    When you spectate in 1^st person view and the player is killed with a headshot, your view will be tilted to the angle of the head laying on the ground. This tilt is not reset, when the player respawns or even when you switch to an other player. All you can do is switch back to 3^rd person view.

-    When you spectate in 1^st person view and the player you spectate has his weapon hand set to 'hidden', the weapon will not be shown correctly to the spectator, but on the top of the screen, blocking the view. Solution: Set your weapon hand to 'hidden' yourself while spectating.

-    When you spectate in 1^st person view and the player you spectate picks up shieldbelt, you'll see the shiledbelt effect over your screen in 1^st person view. There's nothing you can do about it.

How do I record / replay a demo? Where is it saved?

Recording and replaying demos is done with (see chapter 3.4.1)

Start demo recording: Demorec <filename without file-extension>

Stop demo recording: Stopdemo

The demos are saved in the Unreal\system directory with file extension DEM.

Start demo replay: Demoplay <filename without file-extension>

The parameters for Demoplay are:

?noframecap, noframecap plays the demo back as fast as possible. This option is assumed if timedemo 1 is enabled.

?timebased, timebased gives a smoother playback if the playback machine is significantly slower than the recording machine.

?3rdperson, 3rdperson lets you fly around a first person demo as a spectator. 

?loop, loop makes the demo run endless

For example: demoplay mydemo?3rdperson?timebased

In 3^rd person view you can switch from player to player by hitting the fire button. (Problem: See

In any mode you can use the BEHINDVIEW to switch view.

Where can I find demos of top players or clans?

The number 1 spot on the web for demos is clearly www.cached.net.

I want to benchmark my hardware with Unreal. Where can I find a timedemo?

I heard, that timedemos do not really "do the job", if you want to benchmark your system. It seems, that the FPS values in demo replay mode are not comparable with the FPS in real playing mode. This makes benchmarking with a demo pointless. The same problem strikes for the into movie.

Nevertheless, there are several timedemos out.

I downloaded a demo from the web, but when I try to run it, I get an error. Why?

Thanks for Ultron from the GT forum for posting this good explanation:

Find your Unreal.log file in your Unreal\System folder. Open it with a text editor like Notepad or Wordpad. It'll tell you what caused the crash. Do a search for the word CRITICAL and the first line you see is usually where the problem is.

Here are typical sources of that problem:

• >Your version of Unreal is different from the version the demo was recorded in.
• The demo was recorded using a S4 card.
• A mod, skin or mutator was installed that added a ServerPackages line to the Unreal.ini of the person who recorded the demo. You don't one or more of those ServerPackage lines in your Unreal.ini which means you didn't install all of the things that were installed on the recording computer.
• A mutator is being used in the demo that you do not have.
• A map is being playing in the demo that you do not have.

What I advocate to ANYONE that records a demo for mass consumption, is to temporarily remove any ServerPackage lines in your Unreal.ini before you record. Also don't use uncommon mutators. Prefer stock mutators and skins. When posting your demo, list what version number the demo was recorded with. List any 3rd party maps, mutators, mods or skins that were used. If possible offer those links to your website

Why can is it that when I switch to an other player's view while watching a demo, suddenly he disapears?

When you record a client side demo, to keep the amount of data down, Unreal will track only the action within a certain range around the client (line of sight plus a bit more). So if you switch to an other player, simular to spectator mode, you can see his action only if he is within that range around the recording client. When the player leaves the range, he will disappear.

If you want to be able to switch to any player, you have to use a server side demo (see below).

How do I record a server-side demo?

If you want to be able to switch to any player during watching a demo, you have to use a server side demo, recorded and saved locally on the server. Server side demos are about 3-5 times as big as nomal demos for the same time! To start recording a server side demo from remote, you have to be logged in as admin and then use the console command

admin demorec <filename without file-extension>

The file will be saved on the server machine, so you need somebody who has direct access to the local machine to send you the file, if you don't have FTP access to it yourself.

5   Unreal Add-ons

5.1  Maps

Where can I download good user-made maps on the web?>

There are many sites available on the web (but only a few good ones).

Links section.

A map usually comes as a ZIP archive, containing one or more files: The map file itself and sometimes additional textures, sounds or music. Simply extract the files to their folder, acc to their extension:

Unreal\maps

UTX ® Unreal\textures

UAX ® Unreal\sounds

UMX ® Unreal\music

I have downloaded a map directly from a Unreal game server. Why is it not in my map list?

Maps as well as skins, mutators, textures, etc... that you download directly from a game server, are saved into your Unreal\cache folder.

Maps in this folder do not appear in your maplists and they are deleted after the time expires, defined in your PurgeCacheDays found in the Advanced section of Advanced Options. If you want to keep these files and be able to play them, you have to recover them from the cache.

The filenames in the cache are "encrypted" and all files have extension uxx, so you can't easily recognize, which file is what. For detailed information in how to convert these files go to the helpful information page and read how to convert the files found in your Unreal\System\cache folder. Rename the files and move them to their respective folder. Place the files in the correct folder by using the file-extension guide listed above.

I want to set up my server with user-made maps. How do I do it?

Just add the maps to the map list found in "Advanced Options".

I want to make my own map. How do I do it?

To make your own map, you use the tool UnrealEd, that comes free with the Unreal game. Its in your Unreal\system directory and you can start it through your windows [Start] menu.

UnrealEd is a very powerful program, but not too easy to use, especially the advanced features, so it will take you some time to learn it. Look in the "Editing" section of the Unreal links, for websites, where you can find tutorials on how to use UnrealEd and forums, where you can ask for help on specific problems.

When I start UnrealEd, I get an error message. What gives?

If you get an error message, you need to get this fixing file and run it.
http://SnipersParadise.Net/SP/UnrealEdFix4.exe

I have made my own map. How do I add the preview snapshot?

Unreal Editing Tip: Level Preview Snapshots for Unreal Maps.

Here's how to place a preview screenshot of your level in the map. This preview will be visible when your map is selected in Unreal.

Your preview screenshot must be a 256 x 256 pixel, 256 color .PCX or .BMP file.

In UnrealEd select Textures in the Browser window and then click the Import button to import your preview screenshot. A file dialog will pop up. Browse to the location where your preview is stored and select it, then click the OK button.

The Import Texture dialog will pop up. In the "Name:" field enter "screenshot" and in the "Package:" field enter "MyLevel". Uncheck the "Generate MipMaps" option and then click the OK Button.

After UnrealEd works for a moment you should see the "MyLevel" package displayed in the browser with your preview screenshot shown in the browser texture window.

5.2Models / Skins

What's the difference between a model (mesh) and a skin?

The "model" or "mesh" is the shape of the body, the "skin" is just the look of the surface.

Each model in Unreal usually comes with various skins.

Where can I download good skin and models on the net?

There are several good sites available on the web.

Look in the Links section of this FAQ to find links on "Skins/Models".

How do I install downloaded skins?

A downloaded skin will usually come as a ZIP archive. Unzip it and you will have two files per skin: An INT file and a UTX file. Copy the INT file to your Unreal\system directory and the UTX file to the Unreal\textures directory. If you only want to use the skin as a client, that's all you have to do. Unreal will detect the skins automatically.

If you run a server and want to enable the players on that server to use a custom skin, read below<.

I want to run a custom skin on my server. What do I have to do?

Install the skin as described above. Now edit your Unreal\System\Unreal.ini and add the skin to the
[Engine.GameEngine] section:

[Engine.GameEngine]

ServerPackages=<Skin FileName without Extension>

The same can be done through the [Game Engine] section in the advanced options.

I want to make my own Skin / Model . How do I do that?

There are several tutorials available for that on the web.

Look in the Unreal links section of this FAQ, to finds links on making skins.

5.3  Mutators & Mods

What is a mutator? What is a mod?

Mutators/Mods are little add-on programs, that do a change of the game. That change can be virtually anything: From small things like changing a weapon to complete changing of the rules or even changes in the Unreal user interface.

There is no difference between mutators and mods by definition. It's just that mutators usually do a minor change while a mod is a complete re-design of the game.

Where can I download good mods/muts on the web?

Look in the download section for "Mutator" downloads.

How do I install and uninstall mods / mutators?

If the mod/mutator has the file extension UMOD. To install the mutator, just double-click on the mutator file and it will auto-start an installation program.

When asked for the directory to install, choose your Unreal base directory Unreal, not the Unreal\system directory.

After you have installed the umod, you can activate the mod by the console command.

To uninstall, you have to remove the files manually.

6    Gameplay

6.1  General Tips

Could you please give a newbie some starting tips?

Look in the "Unreal tweak guide " for some good tweaks and tips for gameplay.

Here are some basic advices from myself:

A.      Choose a good controller setup as described below!

B.      Learn the maps!

I couldn't say that often enough. Jump into a map you don't know well and you'll loose. When you start playing Unreal, concentrate on a few maps. Learn their structure, learn where the items are, figure out the best defense and offense strategies, ...When you know them well, extend your maplist, till you know them all to the last detail.

C.       Practice your moving and aiming skills!

Keep moving. Nothing is easier to hit than a stand-still target.

Learn to "cycle-strafe". This means: Sidestep to one direction while turning to the other. This way, you can keep your aim on your opponent while dodging his shoots.

Jumping is much easier that dodging, but also very effective to make you harder to hit.

D.      Go for power-ups!

One of the most common mistakes among beginners is to underestimate the power of power-ups, especially armor/shieldbelt. Without them, even a good player won't survive very long. The shieldbelt virtually more than doubles your health! It's even better than the megahealth. Go for it very often. But don't camp it.

E.      Choose the right weapon for the situation!

As explained in the weapon section, every weapon has a range, where it's most effective. While you run through the map, always try to switch to the best weapon for the environment.

How can I find secrets?

There are two effective ways:

1. Activate the ghost cheat and fly around the map. In ghost mode, you can fly through walls and get a good overview, how the map is structured. You will easily see secret doors, hidden rooms and items. After you have found a secret, you will usually easily figure out, how to get there.

2. The bots know most secrets. Start the map in team game mode with only you and one bot on your team (no opposite team). Give your teammate bot a "freelance" command and spectate him by pressing the "teamview" key. He will now start running around the map, collecting items until he is fully equipped. During this, he will usually also go to the secret places.

6.2  Movement

What is a good controller setup?

Some people play with trackball or joystick or keyboard only and get very good with it, but the bulk of players finds a combination of mouse and keyboard the most effective and precise controller combination.

If you use that combination, I'd recommend to put the turning movement on the mouse and the transversal movement (back/forward/strafe) on keys. By default, the keys are the cursor keys, but (as a right-handed person) I'd recommend to choose it to some keys on the left side of the key, as those are easier to reach and you got lots of other keys around, that you can bind to various functions. AWSD or SEDF are very common keys for transversal movement. Bind the weapon keys, jump, walk, crouch and other keys, that you use regularly, to nearby keys of you choice.

I recommend not to use the strafe-modifier key, that converts turning into strafing. Even if you have used it for other FPS before, get rid of it and switch to 'real' strafing. You will not regret it. It will be one step back, but two steps forward after you've got used to it. Cycle-strafing will be a lot easier.

What is "cycle-strafing"?

This means strafing to one direction and at the same time turn to the other direction. This way it is possible to dodge your opponents fire, but at the same time keep your crosshair on him.

Cylce-strafing is a basic requirement, if you want to become a good player, so this is one thing, that you should practice as a beginner: Find a big room where you have space to move and that has an object in the middle (if there is non, you may simply drop a weapon there). Now just cycle-starfe around the object and try to keep your crosshair on it as exacty as possible.

If you can do that well, use a moving object. Start a game with one novice bot and don't kill him. Just cycle strafe around him. As he is slower than you and runs out of ammo fast, you should be able to cycle-strafe around him forever without being killed. You just need space to move.

Sometimes I randomly do jumps. Is that a bug? (Dodging)

No, it's not a bug; it's intention. It's called "dodging" and you do it by double-tapping one of the transversal movement keys (forward/back/strafe-left/strafe-right).

Dodging is quite difficult to do and I know only few players, that use it effectively. But when used right, it is very effective to avoid fire.

If you find dodging annoying, you can disable it in the menu [Options] [Options Menu] [Dodging].

AFAIK, there is no way to define an alias for dodging.

If you want to make dodging a little easier, you can edit your Unreal\System\User.ini and in the [Engine.PlayerPawn] section, increase the DodgeClickTime to a maximum of 0.3 seconds. Values above 0.3 are ignored and reset to 0.3.

I've seen bots jumping extremely high. Can I do that too?

Yes you can. The bot was probably using jumpboots. See chapter the Weapon & Item Guide for details.

I've seen people "rise from dead". Are they cheating?

No, it's called "Feign Death" and you can do it too. By default, it is the [F] key. While feigning death, you can't shoot and you are very vulnerable, but you can look around. Getting up takes some time, but you may manage to surprise somebody with it or lay a trap or avoid being shot while typing.

Note, that people feigning death are quite easy to recognize, as they don't have gibs laying around them. Also they will block your path if you try to walk or run over them.

I've seen people firing their weapon in the final scores screen. How do they do that?

Hold down the fire button and switch weapon. The new weapon will automatically fire. Just permanently hold down fire.

6.3  The Game Modes

Virtually any of the Unreal websites listed in the Unreal links section of this FAQ has an introduction into the Unreal gamemodes and their basic rules.

6.4  TheWeapons and Items

Please refer to the Unreal Weapons and Pickups for all questions about Unreal's weapons and Items.

6.5  The Bots

6.5.1   Playing against bots

How does the bot AI work?

If you'd like to know more about the bots AI, read this page from Epic:

http://unreal.epicgames.com/AI.htm

There is one thing I recommend, if you want to understand the bot behaviour a bit better:

Spectate a botmatch and while spectating a bot (preferably in 1^st person view with the BEHINDVIEW console command) use the VERBOSE console command. You will now see, what the bot "thinks", i.e. what it's AI instructions are. Quite interesting.

What are the differences between the various bot base skills?

Copied from http://unreal.epicgames.com/UT_AI.htm :

Unreal has 8 AI skill levels, along with a continuous range of intermediate skill levels.  Skill levels 0 to 3 are called "novice" skills, because bots at these skill levels move more slowly than players and their weapons do less damage than player weapons.  Bots with skill levels between 4 and 7 move at the same speed as players and their weapons do the same amount of damage.

Lower skill bots turn more slowly, and take longer to acquire an opponent.  They also have worse peripheral vision.  Higher skill bots have better aim, and do a better job of leading opponents.  Higher skill bots are also better able to strafe, or to move toward an objective while firing at an enemy at the same time. Low skill bots move much more slowly when strafing.   Higher skill bots are less disoriented when hit, and tend to fire their weapons faster (although never faster than players can).

High skill (non-novice) bots also understand the special moves with weapons, including the ASMD combo move and the sniper rifle headshot.

How do I beat the bots?

Use their weaknesses and avoid their strengthes:

Strength: - Their godlike aiming and their good dodging skills.

     Their timing of items respawning.

     They see you everywhere, even in the darkest shadow or invisible.

Weakness: - They are very predictable.

7    The Unreal Online Community

7.1   Unreal forums

Almost each of the Unreal sites mentioned in the has a discussion forum. Just look through them.

General:

Planet Unreal's forum: www.planetunreal.com/forums

7.2   Unreal clans

What is a clan?

Clans are the "clubs" of computer gaming. A group of people, who decided to join and play the game together. They will identify their membership by carrying a "clantag" in their nickname.

A clan will usually have regular training sessions to improve their teamplay and play matches against other clan. Many clans play in organized .

Should I join a clan?

A matter of taste. Many clans are a nice bunch of people and it's real fun to play with them as well as against them.

Do you play a lot and enjoy playing in an organized team? Enjoy talking about the game and sharing your tricks as well as learn tricks from others? Then try it and decide for yourself.

How can I find and join a clan?

Finding a clan is easy. Look for players with clansigns on the game servers, that you usually play on. If you get along well with them, ask them if they are recruiting and ask for their e-mail, ICQ or clan website. If you are good, maybe they even ask you.

For other clanlists and leagues see the Unreal links page.

Most clans have a website, where you can find information about the clan and how to join.

Some clans will ask you for a try-out before they allow you to join, to check, if you "fit" into the clan with your skill and attitude. I'd recommend choosing a clan, that has about your skill level or slightly above. You won't have much fun, if the others are miles ahead or behind you.

8   Links

For a list of Unreal related links please visit the Unreal links page.