Determine as quickly as possible if your gameplay style is better served by an offensive or defensive tact. If offensive, get Offensive hubs out first so you can strike your opponent before you get into their range. If Defensive, spend your first few turn to install Shields and Anti-Air so those early attacks don't get through to the important parts of your network.
Until you learn how far the hubs can "throw" components, consider throwing a 1-point Bomb to get a feel for the distance before you chuck that 7-point energy collector at that energy pool way off in the distance.
Obviously, the more energy you control, the more turns you get in a round. Collect as much as you can!
The following is a description of the minimum system requirements for Moonbase Commander. If your system does not meet or exceed these requirements, then the game will run incorrectly, or not at all.
IBM PC or 100% compatible computer
Pentium 2 233 MHz or faster processor
Windows 98, ME, 2000, or XP
32 MB RAM (XP requires 64 MB minimum)
600 MB available hard drive space
8X or faster CD-ROM drive
SVGA-compatible video card*
Windows 95 or 98 compatible sound card*
* Compatible with DirectX version 8.1 or higher
NOTE: Because the game requires an incompatible version of DirectX, this game WILL NOT WORK under Windows 95.
This game supports the Windows AutoPlay feature. Simply insert the installation CD into your CD-ROM drive and wait for the installation screen to appear. Then, simply follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
If the AutoPlay program does not start automatically:
Double click the My Computer icon on your Windows desktop
This game requires that Microsoft's DirectX version 8.1 be installed on your computer prior to playing the game. Windows XP users already meet this requirement, and do not need to do anything extra. Normally, if this is necessary, it will happen at the end of the installation process automatically.
If you do not already have DirectX version 8.1 or higher installed on your machine, or you need to reinstall for any reason, just follow these steps:
Insert the game CD into your CD-ROM drive.
Double click on the "My Computer" icon.
RIGHT click on the game icon.
LEFT click on "Open".
Double click the Game folder.
Double click the Directx folder.
Double click the Dxsetup icon.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Ignore any warnings you may receive by clicking on YES.
Restart Windows to complete the installation.
WARNING: While DirectX 8.1 should be able to determine what version of DirectX currently resides on a system and halt the installation if it deems it to be harmful or unnecessary, you should not attempt to install DirectX 8.1 on a Windows system running a more recent version of DirectX.
How to determine what version of DirectX you have installed on your Windows 98, Windows ME or Windows XP system:
Click Start, then Run.
In the Open box, type "DXDIAG"
If the DirectX Diagnostic Tool launches, you are at least running DirectX 5.0. To see what version, note the bottom line in the System Information box on the first page, "DirectX Version". Click Exit in the lower right hand corner of the window when you are finished.
If you receive an error that starts with "Cannot find the file 'DXDIAG'…", then click OK, which should return you to Step 2. Type "DXINFO"
If this launches a DXINFO program, the left-hand pane contains information about what version of DirectX is installed, with the version number in the hundredths slot of the "DirectX Version (Registry)" entry. (For example, 4.05 is DirectX 5.)
If you receive the error in Step 4 again, you do not have DirectX installed on your system. Follow the directions above to install it.
"I can't get the Skip box to come up during my turn, and I don't want to use any more Energy."
If you cannot get the Skip button to come up when you want to end your round prematurely, be sure you are cancelled all the way back to the top menu for your faction, as this is the only place it will appear. If it still doesn't come up, try selecting an item and then immediately canceling it, and try again. This problem has been fixed in the v1.1 patch. Please see the section labeled "Patch" for details.
"When I click Clear in the Map Editor to make a new map, the map itself resizes to be a Medium size map, but the label above the overall map does not change back to Medium."
We are aware of this problem with the Moonbase Commander Map Editor. This problem has been fixed in the v1.1 patch. Please see the section labeled "Patch" for details.
"Nothing happens when I insert the game CD into my CD-ROM drive."
The AutoPlay feature may be turned off on your computer.
If you wish to install the game without enabling AutoPlay, you can start the setup process manually by double clicking on the "My Computer" icon on your Windows desktop, then on your CD-ROM drive icon, then on "SETUP.EXE".
If a CD-ROM icon does not appear when you open the "My Computer" icon, or if clicking on SETUP.EXE doesn't start your game either, then your CD-ROM drive may be in "MS-DOS compatibility mode".
To learn how to enable AutoPlay on your system, or to learn how to see if your CD-ROM drive is in MS-DOS compatibility mode, please refer to our Windows 95/98/ME General Troubleshooting FAQ.
"The Installer starts to copy files, but then just quits to the desktop."
Make sure that you have enough hard drive space available on your system for the type of install you are attempting. A typical full installation requires 600 megabytes free. If you don't have this much space available, remember that this game can be run directly from the CD's, which costs you no hard drive space whatsoever.
If you have enough space, check the shiny underside of the CD for fingerprints, smudges, scratches, or anything else that may cause your drive to have trouble reading it.
If the CD looks clean and undamaged, then your CD-ROM drive may be running in "MS-DOS Compatibility Mode".
"I receive an error message stating that I do not have enough memory to run the game."
This will occur if the system does not have the required amount of RAM in order to run the game. Moonbase Commander requires a system with at least 32MB of RAM in order to run, or 64MB if you are running Windows XP. You should ensure that all background applications are closed when you install, and check the rest of the system components such as the video card to make sure they also meet the minimum requirements for the game.
"I receive an error message: 'Error Move Data Process 115'."
This error comes up during the installation process when you a) have selected the root directory of a drive as the install point, b) have a critical file on the CD open in another application, thereby locking it down and making it impossible to copy, or c) do not have enough free drive space to run the game.
To fix this, make sure you are installing the program to an actual folder on your hard drive (or go with the suggested defaults), ensure that all background applications are closed when you install, and make sure you have the necessary available hard drive space that the program requires for installation.
"I receive an error message about a missing DDRAW.DLL, D3D.DLL, or DSOUND.DLL file."
This is an indication that DirectX was not successfully installed. You should try reinstalling DirectX from the program CD, or download the latest version of DirectX from http://www.microsoft.com/DirectX.
To learn how to reinstall DirectX, please see the "DirectX Installation" portion of this FAQ, or our Direct X FAQ page.
"The game randomly freezes, crashes, or locks up the computer."
First, shut down all other applications that may be running on your computer. Other applications can interfere with the game's operation. For instructions on how to do this, please see our Windows 95/98/ME General Troubleshooting FAQ.
If this doesn't help, then the software drivers that Windows uses to communicate with your hardware may be out of date, or incompatible with the game. Install the latest DirectX compatible drivers available for your video and sound card from the card's manufacturer. If you have already updated to the latest driver version from the manufacturer and the problem persists, you may want to see if reference drivers are available from the video chip manufacturer. Reference drivers are usually more standardized than the manufacturer's versions and may work better with a wider variety of games.
For more information on this topic and contact information on a wide variety of hardware vendors, please see our How to Update Your Drivers FAQ.
First, check your speakers to make sure that they are turned on, connected properly to the rest of the system, and that the volume controls are turned up. If they are, then check your windows volume controls by clicking on the small yellow speaker icon on your taskbar.
If you have already tried the solutions above and still can't hear sound, then you'll need to update your sound card drivers to the latest versions available.
"I'm having problems setting up a multiplayer game."
You can set up a local area network (or LAN) game directly through Moonbase Commander, using the instructions on page 10 of your manual. Note that the player hosting the game controls the game options…the players joining may only change their color and faction.
To set up a multiplayer game over the Internet, you need to use the GameSpy Arcade software included with Moonbase Commander, as detailed on pages 12 and 13 of your game manual.
Please be aware that while GameSpy Arcade is included with Moonbase Commander, the GameSpy Arcade software is a third party product, for which support may be obtained through their Web site, at www.gamespyarcade.com.
This game uses Microsoft's DirectX for all graphics and sound effects. It cannot run properly unless DirectX version 8.1 or higher is installed on your computer. (Again, this is standard equipment on Windows XP; you need only worry about this if you are running Windows 98, ME, or 2000) It may also exhibit problems if the video card and/or sound card in your computer are not 100% DirectX compliant.
Re-install DirectX from the installation CD, then reboot your computer and try playing the game again. For instructions, see the section near the top of this document labeled "DirectX Installation".
If the problem still occurs, then you'll need to update your video and/or sound card drivers with the latest versions available from the manufacturer. For more information on this topic and contact information on a wide variety of hardware vendors, please see our How to Update Your Drivers FAQ.
"I've encountered a problem that was not mentioned in this document."
REBOOT your computer after installation, especially if you needed to install or update DirectX. Several updated system files are copied to your hard drive during installation, which can't take effect until you reboot.
Make sure that your system meets the minimum system requirements as listed on the box and at the top of this document. If your system does not meet or exceed the minimum requirements, it will run poorly, or not at all.
Shut down all other programs that you may have running on your system before playing. Other programs can interfere with the operation of the game. For detailed instructions on shutting down all of your other applications, please see our Windows 95/98/ME General Troubleshooting FAQ.
Make sure you have plenty of room left on your hard drive, or Windows may not have enough room for a swap file. This can cause some very strange problems. (As a general rule, make sure you have at least 100 MB free on your C: drive for your swap file.)
Make sure that the CD itself is not dirty or damaged in any way. If the CD is dirty, it can be cleaned. Most computer stores carry inexpensive CD-ROM cleaning kits that will safely restore your CD. If you want to try cleaning the CD without a kit, you can wash the CD using lukewarm water, MILD NON-ABRASIVE dish soap, and a very soft and clean COTTON cloth. Do NOT use any kind of paper product or abrasive soap to clean the CD, as these WILL scratch! Once the CD is clean, be sure to let the CD dry completely before inserting it into your CD-ROM, or damage may result.
If the CD is scratched or physically damaged in any way, you may need to send it in for replacement. For our mailing address and other important information regarding replacements, please see our Consumer Service Policies and Information.
Try uninstalling, and then re-installing the game.
