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DESERT THUNDER

Readme File

October 10, 2003
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Web/Support: www.hip-europe.com / www.groovegames.com
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Thank you for purchasing Desert Thunder.



This document contains last-minute information about Desert Thunder.
Please refer to this file for help answering questions about the game
and solving technical difficulties.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS



I. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

II. PATCH DETAILS

III. NOTES

IV. VIDEO CARDS

V. DirectX

VI. KNOWN ISSUES

VII. TECHNICAL SUPPORT

VIII. TIPS AND TRICKS




I. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

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1.0 Minimum Requirements

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For Windows 98/ME/2000/XP

Pentium III/750 MHz. or equivalent processor

128 MB RAM

600 MB Hard Disk Space

SVGA, high-color (16-bit)

16-bit DirectX 8 compatible sound card

32 MB DirectX 8 compatible video accelerator (capable of multi-texturing)

8X CD-ROM Drive

DirectX 8.0 or higher (included on CD)


Additional information on DirectX can be found at

http://www.microsoft.com/directx



1.1 RECOMMENDED SPECIFICATIONS
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PIII/1.4 GHz. or above

256 MB RAM

600 MB Hard Disk Space

SVGA, true-color 32 Bit Color

32-bit DirectX 8 compatible sound card

64 MB DirectX 8 compatible video accelerator (capable of hardware
accelerated transformation and lighting)

8X CD-ROM Drive

DirectX 8 or higher (included on CD)


Additional information on DirectX can be found at

http://www.microsoft.com/directx



II. PATCH DETAILS

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N/A



III. NOTES

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If you are experiencing poor performance or a low frame rate, reduce
your resolution, color depth and detail level under the GAME SETTINGS
menu.


IV. VIDEO CARDS

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Video Driver Resources

ATI (Radeon, Rage 128) www.ati.com

Intel (Intel 810/815) www.intel.com

Matrox (G400, G450, G550) www.matrox.com

Nvidia (TNT2, Geforce) www.nvidia.com



V. DirectX

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Desert Thunder requires a minimum of DirectX 8.1 to run, and ships
with DirectX 8.1b. If you do not already have a more recent version of
DirectX installed, you may choose to install this version of
DirectX.
Please visit and donwload directX on www.microsoft.com/downloads



VI. KNOWN ISSUES

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IMPORTANT!!!

If you experience a D3D EMULATION ERROR please UPDATE your Video Card
drivers. In most cases updating drivers fixes the problem. If you
continue to experience this error please contact technical support.


Joystick Compatibility: Desert Thunder does not offer joystick support.



VII. TECHNICAL SUPPORT

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For updates and questions visit the Groove webstie at

http://www.groovegames.com or e-mail support@groovegames.com

http://www.hip-europe.com

VIII. TIPS AND TRICKS

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-PATIENCE: Your cannon is your most powerful weapon, but it takes
time to reload shells. Don't madly click on targets. In a panic you
may waste a shot at a critical moment.

-TAKE COVER: Avoid driving out into the open if you can. Take
shelter behind walls, buildings, hills, boulders, anything that gets
between you and an enemy shot.

-KEEP MOVING: It will make you harder to hit. Shoot while moving,
never stay still. One particularly effective tactic is finding
cover, slipping into view for a shot, and then ducking back under
cover before the enemy can hit you.

-USE SPECIAL AMMO: Can’t pass a tough fight? Switch your ammo so
that weapons fire special attacks like EMP and High Impact. Special
ammo does not transfer from one mission to the next, so use it up!

-MIX IT UP: Armor Piercing and Explosive Tip minigun rounds can do
damage to armored vehicles. Try using them along with the cannon for
a faster kill.

-DEFEND: In missions requiring you to defend something from attack,
your best strategy is to search out and destroy your enemies before
they reach their target. Don’t hang around and wait for them to
arrive.

-BLOW STUFF UP: No, really. Shoot up buildings, boulders, even trees.
Sometimes their destruction can reveal useful pick-ups that will give
you more ammo, or even repair your tank. Before you move on to a new
area, make sure you’ve destroyed everything you can. Be sure to use
your unlimited weapons for this though. You don’t want to waste
special attacks on the terrain.

-BLOW STUFF UP, BUT: You might want to wait until all nearby enemies
are killed. The less cover, the easier you are to spot and hit.

-DRIVE OFFENSIVELY: You don’t always need to shoot soldiers to kill
them. Running over them is just as effective.