Nam/Napalm FAQ

System Requirements

The minimum system requirements for Nam and Napalm are:

• An IBM PC or compatible computer
• 486DX4 100Mhz processor
• 16 Megabytes of RAM
• 60 Megabytes of available hard disk space
• 2X CD-ROM drive
• a Sound Card
• VGA graphics
  
  

For enhanced gameplay, a Pentium 133 or faster processor, and a SoundBlaster 16 or 100% compatible sound card are recommended.

A 28.8 modem is required for modem games.

Windows 95:

Before you install Nam or Napalm, you should quit all other applications you have running. This includes any background tasks you may have running such as screen savers, virus scanners, etc.

Then, follow these steps:

1. Insert the Nam or Napalm CD into your CD-ROM drive.
   
   If an installation screen does not appear, you probably have the Windows '95 AutoPlay feature turned off, and will have to bring up the installation screen manually. To do this, Double click on the My Computer icon, then on your CD-ROM drive icon, then on the Winstall.exe file.
   
   
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
   
   

To run the game after installation:

1. Click on the Windows 95 START button.
2. Click on "Programs".
3. Click on the "GT Interactive" folder.
4. Click on the "Nam" or "Napalm" folder.
5. Click on the "Nam" or "Napalm" icon.
   
   

You must have the CD-ROM in the drive every time you play.

Now you're ready to go! See the "Main Menu" section in the game manual for more information on starting and playing a game.

DOS:

1. Insert the Nam or Napalm CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Type in "D:\Install" and press <Enter>. If D: is not assigned to your CD-ROM drive, substitute the appropriate letter.
3. To install to the default installation directory, simply hit ENTER twice. The game files will be copied to your hard drive.
4. After the files are installed, type SETUP at the Dos Prompt.
   
   

To run the game after installation:

1. Type "CD\Nam", or "CD\Napalm", press <Enter>
2. Then type "Nam" or "Napalm" and press <Enter> again.
   If you installed the game to a directory other than the default, be sure to switch to the correct directory before starting the game.
   
   

You must have the CD-ROM in the drive every time you play.

Windows 3.1 or 3.11 Installation:

Nam and Napalm are DOS based games. Running in Windows may lead to unpredictable results such as slowdowns and crashes. To exit windows, click on File in the Program Manager, and then click on Exit Windows to return to DOS.

Setup Options:

The following is a list of options in the Setup utility, along with a description of what each option does.

Please note that Nam and Napalm are DOS based games. They will usually run well under Windows 95 if your system is well above the minimum system requirements for the game.

Windows logo keys:

If you are playing with a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, or some other Windows 95 compatible keyboard that has the new "Windows Logo" keys, and you accidentally hit them during game play, your game will be interrupted and control of your computer will go to Windows.

These keys can be disabled via the use of a Microsoft utility called "DOSWINKY". It is available on Microsoft's Kernel Toys Home Page, which is located at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/software/krnltoy.htm.

Please note that DOSWINKY is not a GT Interactive product and therefore unsupported at this site.

Lockups:

Be sure to close down all other applications prior to playing the game. This is a good idea for all games, but is especially important with DOS based games since they were not designed to run in a multitasking environment. DOS games expect to have access to all of your systems resources.

Other applications include, but are not limited to screen savers, virus scanners, system monitors, power management, and control panels for your video hardware or gaming device.

The fastest way to shut down all of your applications is to press control-alt-delete ONCE to ring up the task manager. Then, end all tasks EXCEPT for Explorer and Systray. Do not end either of these tasks or your system will crash.

Be sure that the sound card settings you used in the Setup utility match your sound card's actual settings. If your sound card is not listed in the Setup utility, try the "Sound Blaster" Setting.

You can check your sound card's Windows '95 settings by performing these steps:

1. Click on the Windows '95 START button.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on Control Panel.
4. Double-click on the System icon.
5. Select the Device Manager tab.
6. Click on the plus sign next to Sound, Video, and Game controllers.
7. Select your sound card.
8. Click on Properties.
9. Select the Resources tab.
   
   

The very first line is the memory address you need. The Interrupt Request and the DMA channels will also be listed further down.

Write these down and run the setup utility again, then plug in the correct values. Save and launch the game. You should now have sound!

Running in DOS Mode:

If you are unhappy with your game's performance in Windows '95, you can try playing the game in DOS. To do this, follow these steps:



1. Click on the Windows '95 Start button
2. Click on Shut Down.
3. Click on Restart the Computer in MS-DOS Mode.
4. If you installed the game at the default directory, type in "CD\Nam" or CD\Naplam", then press <Enter>.
5. Type Nam or Napalm, then press <Enter> to start the game.
   
   

If you get an "Error Initializing Sound" error when you start the game this way or the game tells you to insert the CD-ROM when it's already in the drive, then you probably don't have your sound card or CD-ROM drivers loaded in DOS.

Please be aware that many newer Windows '95 Systems do not come pre-loaded with DOS drivers for your hardware. You may need to contact the manufacturer of your Sound Card, CD-ROM drive, or both to get these drivers. If you need additional assistance, please contact your computer company for help.

Once you have all of the necessary DOS drivers, you can create a boot disk that loads these drivers and use it each time you wish to play the game. Please see our separate boot disk document for details on how to create and use a boot disk.

I can't hear any music or sound effects.

The game may have incorrect information regarding your sound card. Run the SETUP program to check if The game has the correct information on your sound card.

If you have a sound blaster, and your sound card drivers are properly loading in DOS, you can type SET at the DOS prompt and check the line that says "Blaster=" to determine what settings to use.

I can't get digital sound from my Sound Blaster compatible sound card.

You may be experiencing a DMA conflict. You may have a CD-ROM or hard drive on the same DMA channel that you specified in the SETUP program. Change the DMA channel of the sound card or offending device. If the problem persists, please contact your sound card vendor.

I hear static when listening to the game with my Sound Blaster (or 100% Compatible) card.

You should refer to your sound card manual for instructions on how to lower the Mic and Line volumes to 0 (zero). This is usually done through the mixer program that came with your sound card.

My Stereo Channels are reversed.

You can fix this in the sound menus of the SETUP.EXE program. Go to the Main Nam or Napalm menu, choose the options menu, and then the sounds menu. From there, you can toggle the "Reverse Stereo" option on or off. This should correct the problem.

I have a Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 and some sort of daughterboard add-on card like the WaveBlaster or Roland Sound Canvas daughterboard, and am having trouble getting the MIDI music and SFX working properly.

To fix this, first try selecting WaveBlaster as your music device, even if you don't actually have a true WaveBlaster. If this doesn't work, there is a fix for this type of problem available from Creative Labs. This fix is called the "Sound Blaster MPU401 Patch".

Please note: if you have to use this patch, you will most likely need to run the fix program every time you want to play The game. The program should be run just before you start the game. Some users have reported that their cards require the fix to be run even when they exit the game and immediately restart it. We have not been able to determine why this is required.

I have an A-W-E32 and am having problems initializing the sound.

Check the SET BLASTER line in your Autoexec.bat file. Make sure that E620 is one of the options listed.

I have an A-W-E32 Sound Card and get an "MPU-401 Initialization Error".

You will need to turn your computer totally OFF, wait about 5-10 seconds, and then turn it back on again. Delete the "Nam.cfg" or "Napalm.cfg" file from your game's directory, then run "Setup.exe" again and try reselecting your music and sound effects. Picking incorrect settings causes this error. If you pick the wrong settings for an A-W-E32, you need to power down and retry, not just reboot.

I have a Packard Bell computer and am using their combo modem/sound card but can't get any sound.

In your c:\sound144\utility directory there should be a program called setmode.exe. Change to this directory, and type "setmode /s-b-p". This will tell the card to operate in Sound Blaster Pro mode. If it is operating in Windows Sound System mode, you will NOT get any sounds, because the Windows Sound System is not supported.

I have a Gravis Ultrasound, and I'm not hearing any sound effects, or sound effects are scratchy and distorted.

Make sure that your have set your GF1 IRQ is set to 7 or lower. This is controlled by the SET ULTRASND= command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. A sample of this command line would be:

SET ULTRASND=220,1,1,7,5

The next to last digit on this line (the 7, in this example) is your GF1 IRQ. This number must be 7 or less for the game to operate properly. If it is higher than 7, you will need to edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT and change it to 7 or lower. Save the change, exit your editor, and reboot so that the change will take effect.

I'm using an Ensoniq Soundscape, and can't get any sound.

Make sure that you have installed your DOS based sound drivers from Ensoniq. You should also check that these drivers are loading when you boot up your computer, and that you have a SET BLASTER and SET SNDSCAPE entry in your autoexec.bat file. Detailed instructions on what to look for are available in the Namhelp.txt file on your CD.

When the game runs I get an "Insufficient Memory" error or it just doesn't run.

You don't have enough free memory to run the game. You need at least 8 Megabytes of free RAM. To free up memory, you can make a boot disk that loads only your CD-ROM, Sound Card, and mouse drivers. There is a boot disk FAQ available that can help you create a boot disk.

Note: do not use memory managers like EMM386, QEMM, etc. Nam and Napalm use the DOS 4GW-memory manager and other managers will simply get in the way. Do not use disk caching programs like Smartdrv, etc. either.

When I try to install or launch the game I see a "Runtime Error 200" error, then the launcher crashes.

This can happen for 1 of 2 reasons. If you have an exceptionally fast computer, such as a Pentium II 350 or 400, you may need to slow it down a bit. There is a free program named "Mo'Slo" that you can download that will slow down your system's processor when you need it to. This program along with instructions on its use can be downloaded free of charge on the World Wide Web at:

www.hpaa.com/moslo/

If you have an older computer that isn't so fast, so may just have other programs loading when you boot your computer that are causing problems with the game.

The best way to fix this is to create a boot disk, and use it each time you wish to play the game. There is a document available that can help you to make a boot disk.

I get the error that has the words "Granular Limit Error" in it.

This means your DRAM speed is too fast. You'll need to go into your CMOS and slow it down. Info on how to do this will be in your computer or your motherboard's manual.

I get the error "Exec Error: No such file or directory".

It's likely you have selected the controller configuration "Keyboard and External". Go back and reconfigure your controller. Do not select the "External" controller unless you have a controller or a device that specifically tells you that you need to select this.

I get an error while loading that says something like"* ERROR!(L63) Parameter 'BURNING_FLAME' is undefined", or some other error relating to the CON files.

Your game configuration, or con, files have been altered to the point where the game will not run properly. We strongly urge you to reinstall at this point. The C-O-N files are ASCII text files which can be edited and used to radically alter the game parameters. We strongly urge you to not change these unless you know what you are doing. If you corrupt these and run the game anyway, the game will likely crash.

TECHINICAL SUPPORT CANNOT HELP YOU IF YOU HAVE ALTERED OR DAMAGED C-O-N FILES. Your only recourse may be to delete the entire Nam or Napalm directory and then re-install the game.

I am getting an error that reads something like "General Failure reading Drive..." and the system locks up.

This probably means you're trying to play the game from a single shared copy on the network. You can't do this, you need to have the game installed on each local computer that wishes to play the game. Playing from a shared copy is not possible.

I get a "Fatal Sync Error - Please Restart Game" message

Something has gone awry in your game. Start a new game. If this happens often in local area network games, make sure that all of the computers on the network are using the same IPX driver version. You can also try using a different socket value in the setup program. If all else fails, one of the computers on the network may be far slower than the others, and simply cannot keep up. Remove the slow computer from the network.

For modem or serial games, check that both sides are using default, unmodified CON files, both sides have port speeds of 9600 or 19200, and both sides have 16550 class serial ports. 8250 or 16450 serial ports are prone to problems.

Also, make sure to manually enter the port settings and IRQ into the setup program. Don't let it use "default".

If all else fails, one of the computers on the network may be far slower than the others, and simply cannot keep up. Remove the slow computer from the network.

The CD-ROM is in the drive, but I'm getting an error that states "Please insert the CD in the drive".

First, check your NAM or NAPALM directory, and make sure there isn't a HIDDEN cdrom.ini file. To do this from the DOS prompt, type ATTRIB and press <Enter>.

You will see a list of all of the files in the directory, hidden or not. Hidden files will be marked with an H. If you have 2 copies of the cd-rom.ini file and one is hidden, delete the hidden cdrom.ini file.

Now, check the contents of the non-hidden cdrom.ini file in the same directory. This file contains the path to the support directory on your Nam or Napalm CD-ROM, and should read exactly as follows:

D:\support\

If your CD-ROM drive has a drive designation letter other than "D", substitute the appropriate letter. If the cdrom.ini file does not exist for any reason, create a file with that filename using a text editor that contains the path above.

If the cdrom.ini file checks out, try updating your CD-ROM drivers. If this doesn't work either, check config.sys and autoexec.bat to see if the Name of the drive is simply "CDROM". If it is, change it to another Name in BOTH places. If you change it in only one of the 2 files, your CD-ROM drive will not load up properly.

I'm getting an error that reads "Cannot play due to an invalid or conflicting IRQ".

This error means that your sound card is configured incorrectly. The setup program must use the same settings that your card uses. If you have already run the setup program, and set up your sound card correctly, but still get no sound, check to see if you have a SET BLASTER statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. For more information on the SET BLASTER statement, please read the section entitled "What is the 'SET BLASTER' Command?" in the Nam/Napalmhelp.txt file on your CD-ROM.

Also, if you have a sound blaster clone, please consult your sound card's manual for information regarding Sound Blaster Emulation to find out what port address (or "base address"), IRQ, and DMA channel is being used by your card for Sound Blaster Emulation. This information will be needed in order for you to follow the instructions in the "SET BLASTER" section of the help file.

I see a message that reads "Invalid Opcode".

You are probably trying to run the game on a 386-class computer. This cannot be done. You must have at least a 486 DX4 100mhz computer to play this game.

I get an error reading "No String - No Quotation Found at end of String in Nam.cfg".

Your configuration file has become corrupted. Please delete the "Nam.cfg" or "Napalm.cfg" file in your Nam or Napalm directory then re-run the setup program as if you had just installed the game. You will need to set up your sound card and any other options you may have changed before.

I see an error message stating "IPX & NetBIOS not detected".

Your network drivers are not loaded. You must have your network card driver, LSL.COM, and the IPX protocol loaded on all machines that will be playing before you can play a network game.

If you do not know how to do this, speak with your network administrator, or consult your network card's documentation.

When I try to start the game, an error reading "Cache Size of zero", or some cryptic message with three zeros in it comes up.

Your "Nam.GRP" or "Napalm.GRP" file has been deleted or has become corrupted. First, insert the Nam/Napalm CD into your drive. Then, switch to the directory where you installed the game. Now type "copy D:\Nam\Nam.GRP", or "copy D:\Napalm\Napalm.GRP" and press <Enter>. You should now be able to run the game.

I have an ATI Mach64 video card and cannot access the higher SVGA modes.

Check your C:\MACH64 directory for the file m64vbe.com. Run it before you play The game, and you should be OK. If you do not have this file, contact ATI for an update.

I have a Matrox Millennium video card and cannot get your video working properly.

Please make sure the BIOS on your video card is at least version 1.9. If it is not, contact Matrox for a BIOS upgrade.

I have a Diamond SpeedStar video card and I'm having video problems.

Disable Zero Wait State in your system's BIOS.

I have Compaq computer with a VGA card and the game tells me that I do not have a VGA card, and/or I'm experiencing lockups.

There is a device driver available from Compaq that will fix this problem Named FINDVGA.SYS. Please contact Compaq if you cannot locate the file.

I want to run the game in high resolution, but I do not have a Vesa driver for my video card.

You can contact your Video Card manufacturer, or you can try a universal Vesa driver such as SciTech's Display Doctor. You can download Display Doctor from the World Wide Web at http://www.scitechsoft.com

While starting a network game, I see an error that reads "General Failure reading Drive, etc...." and the system locks up.

This probably means you're trying to play the game from a single shared copy on the network. You can't do this, you need to have the game installed on each local computer that wishes to play the game. Playing from a shared copy is not possible.

I get a "Fatal Sync Error - Please Restart Game" message

Something has gone awry in your game. Start a new game. If this happens often in local area network games, make sure that all of the computers on the network are using the same IPX driver version. You can also try using a different socket value in the setup program. If all else fails, one of the computers on the network may be far slower than the others, and simply cannot keep up. Remove the slow computer from the network.

For modem or serial games, check that both sides are using default, unmodified CON files, both sides have port speeds of 9600 or 19200, and both sides have 16550 class serial ports. 8250 or 16450 serial ports are prone to problems.

Also, make sure to manually enter the port settings and IRQ into the setup program. Don't let it use "default".

If all else fails, one of the computers on the network may be far slower than the Others, and simply cannot keep up. Remove the slow computer from the network.

My modem initializes, but doesn't answer when an incoming call is received.

Try adding V1 to your init string. Also, make sure that your port speed is set at 9600 or 19200, and that you have the proper COM port selected.

In a modem or serial game, a message comes up that reads: "Invalid number of packets", or "Invalid Packet Size".

Check your port speed. Try it at 9600 (on both sides). If that doesn't work, try a port speed of 19200. If that still doesn't work, launch the level you wish to play directly from the command line. Check the Nam and Napalm Frequently Asked Questions document or the HELP.TXT file on your CD-ROM for an example of how this is done.

I'm having trouble using my Plug & Play modem or Winmodem in DOS.

These modems were designed for environments such as Windows 95, where the environment initializes the card. If you boot the computer directly into DOS mode, the card is never initialized, and therefore, cannot work.

Check your modem manual to see if there is a way to initialize your card in DOS. Be sure to make note of the port address and IRQ number that the card is initialized with. Then, set up Nam or Napalm to use your modem under the "Setup COM Port menu" under "Modem Game" in the setup utility.

Your modem must be set at IRQ 7 or lower to work properly with the game.

I see an error message stating "IPX & NetBIOS not detected".

Your network drivers are not loaded. You must have your network card driver, LSL.COM, and the IPX protocol loaded on all machines that will be playing before you can play a network game.

If you do not know how to do this, speak with your network administrator, or consult your network card's documentation.

How do I set up a joystick?

Run the Setup utility, and follow these steps:



1. Under Controller Setup, select "Choose Controller Type", then press <Enter>.
2. Select "Keyboard & Flightstick".
3. Select "Save and Launch".
   
   

During the game initialization phase, you will be asked to calibrate your joystick. If you are not asked to calibrate, you probably did not select Flightstick as your Controller.

I can't get my mouse to work in Nam/Napalm.

Run the Setup utility, and follow these steps:



1. Under Controller Setup, select "Choose Controller Type", then press <Enter>.
2. Select "Keyboard & Mouse" as your controller.
   
   

If this doesn't work, you probably don't have your mouse driver loaded in DOS. Try simply typing "Mouse", then press <Enter> at the DOS prompt before playing. If this doesn't work, refer to your mouse documentation on how to load your DOS mouse drivers.

I can't get my Sidewinder Pro 3D joystick working with Nam/Napalm.

First, move the switch on the bottom of the controller to "One". Then, pick "Flightstick" as your controller in the Setup program.

Joystick performance seems erratic.

Calibrate the joystick in the Setup program. If the joystick port you are using is speed adjustable, try tinkering with the speed. Check your port's manual for more information.

If you have more than one active game port on your system, disable one of them. If you have a special game port card that allows for this you should have no problems, but two game ports cannot be active on two different cards.

For a more detailed description of this problem along with more solutions, please check out the Namhelp.txt file on your CD.

The game locks up when I try to run it, or from time to time during gameplay.

Make sure that you don't have any memory management programs loading when you boot your computer. These include EMM386 and QEMM. These programs will interfere with the DOS 4gw memory manager that is used by Nam and Napalm.

The best way to remove these programs, as well as any other programs loaded in memory that may conflict with the game, is to create a boot disk that loads only the device drivers for your hardware. There is a boot disk document available that can help you to do this.

You may also have a DMA channel conflict between your sound card and another device. Change the DMA channel of the other device, or the sound card is absolutely necessary. If the problem persists, please contact your sound card vendor.

The Windows Setup program runs after installation.

The game is not installed, probably due to insufficient disk space. Free up some hard drive space and try to install again.

I was playing just fine, but always after a specific amount of time my screen goes black. I can still hear the music and sound effects in the background.

Some computers use a special Power Management or Energy saving system that blacks out the monitor, normally after a pre-set period of inactivity. If you have such a system you should refer to your computer manual or contact your computer company to help you disable this feature, since this is most likely causing the problem.

I'm using a NexGen/586 CPU/Motherboard, and can't get the game running.

Try going into your system's BIOS and look for a setting called "Alternate Instructions". If it is set to OFF, set it to ON. If this doesn't work, NexGen has a fix on their World Wide Web site called the Q87 floating point emulator. Their Web site can be reached at http://www.nexgen.com.

How can I get Nam or Napalm to run faster on my computer?

Try reducing the screen size. When playing the game, you can click on either the minus sign to reduce your screen size, or the plus sign to increase it.

Also, try reducing the amount of digital channels that you have set for sound effects. Some system configurations have problems with having the game set for higher than 4 digital channels.

You may also try reducing the mixing selection on your sound card from 16 bit to 8 bit. This is done from the SETUP.EXE program, under the "SETUP SOUND FX" menu item. 8 Bit Mono is the fastest music/sound combination there is in Nam/Napalm, so if you have slowdown problems, try selecting 8 Bit Mono.

Please note that this game was designed to run on local-bus type video cards. If you have an older ISA-only video card, your game performance will suffer.

The game keeps getting slower as I play. How can I fix this?

Try increasing the size of your disk cache. For example, to increase your cache to 4 megabytes, type "Smartdrv 4000" at the command prompt, then play the game. Make sure you have enough RAM installed on your computer to support the size of the cache you use.

My directories are gone after playing Nam/Napalm! What do I do now?

Type "SET" at the command line. If the setting for DIRCMD looks abnormal, reboot your computer, or type "SET DIRCMD=" and your directories should come back.

How do I enable the status bar when I enter the game?

You can adjust the screen size and make the status bar appear by pressing the plus or minus keys on your keyboard.

What's the difference between Nam and Napalm?

Nothing. Only the Names are different. This was done for marketing reasons only. Players of Napalm can still join in on Nam multiplayer games, and vice versa.

Where can I get additional levels to play?

Check out GT's website at WWW.GTGAMES.COM for additional levels for Nam and Napalm when they become available.

Where can I get help with Build and making my own levels?

GT Interactive does not support the use of Build, creation of your own user levels or problems associated with doing so. For information to use at your own risk, check out the NAM Map FAQ available at http://www.3dportal.com/nam/.

Where can I find out more info on using and creating RTS files for the game?

Again, GT Interactive does not support this sort of activity or problems associated with doing so. To obtain more information to use at your own risk, check out the RTS FAQ at http://www.gamesdomain.com/faqdir/Official-RTS.txt.

Hints

To use the Apers mines, you must perform a certain sequence of key presses that may take some getting used to. You must press crouch, then walk forward twice, then press "Open" or "Use".

Tank mode and huey mode are available in multiplayer only.

Cheat Codes

To activate GOD mode, type NVAGOD.

To skip levels, type NVALEVEL### and the number of the episode and level you wish to go to. For example, to go to tour of duty 1, level 4, type in NVALEVEL104.

© GT Interactive Software Corp., 1997-1999