I can't Get OpenGL Support
There is BETA OpenGL support included in the 1.3 version of TRIBES. This is an UNSUPPORTED release of this code. To enable the OpenGL driver, you must ensure that your config/autoexec.cs file contains the following line:
$OpenGL::Enabled = true;
Create the config/autoexec.cs file if it does not already exist using Notepad, or another similar text editor. NOTE: Typing this line at the console prompt in TRIBES will NOT enable OpenGL; it needs to be loaded when the game begins, and the autoexec.cs file is the most convenient place to specify this. Notepad *may* change the name of the file to autoexec.cs.txt, so be sure to change it to the proper name if it does.
Once your autoexec.cs file has been modified, if your video card supports accelerated OpenGL, it should be available in the Options/Video dialog. If it does not appear, check the troubleshooting tips below. Select OpenGL as the fullscreen device, and set the "Setup OpenGL for:" combobox to your card type. TRIBES currently supports only the TNT and i740 chipsets. If you have another card type, try selecting the i740 option; it may or may not work, and we cannot guarantee the visual quality. Exception: if you have a Riva128, and wish to try out OpenGL support, configure your Options for the TNT.
Riva 128
If you want the TRIBES OGL patch to work on your Riva128, you MUST have the 3.12 reference drivers. These are only available from Microsoft's FTP server...they were cleared through the WHQL (Windows Harware Quality Labs) labs, but for some reason (evidentely the same reason that the 2.83 drivers were never posted up on the nVidia site) they are NOT posted on nVidia's homepage. 2.77 (the ones that are on nVidia's site) will crash with invalid page faults or cause a black screen, or boot you to the desktop. Use the default 3.12 settings and in TRIBES make sure you set the mode to TNT, NOT i740. It's disconcerting that the latest drivers available from the nVidia site are 2.77 when the new builds, which are hard to get, fixes problems such as this. Maybe nVidia will smarten up sometime...Anyways, here are the links for the 3.12 drivers:
Win95:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/whql/drivers/win95/disply/A49338.EXE
Win98: (Link might be dead)
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/whql/drivers/win98/disply/A49339.EXE
WinNT4:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/whql/drivers/winnt40/disply/x86/A49340.EXE
Glide Shadows
Lots of people had problems with the 1.3 patch, especially if they were running in Glide (it would kick them out to Windows at the start of ANY game). I mailed Tim Gift about this, who forwarded it to the QA team. I was told that shadows in 1.3 are currently broken up, and turning them off should fix the crashing problems. Gracias to Eric Lanz of the QA team for helping me out.
Also, running 1.2 to keep shadows on won't affect client-server compliance. Any 1.xx version of the client is compatible with any 1.xx version of the server.
Glide Shadows Part 2
There are other work arounds to the 1.3 shadow issues besides reverting to a version 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2.
The shadow issue only affects GLide users. You can play just fine with shadows on in either Software mode or OpenGL mode. The GLide problem only seems to be during a spawn. So you can also start a game in either software or OGL mode and then switch to GLide after you have spawned. Of course, you need to revert back to either software or OGL between matches and after you have died. Obviously not the most elegant work around, but it does get the job done. Some people can only play for a couple seconds before crashing.
32-bit OpenGL
At this time TRIBES will not run OpenGL in 32-bit color. You need to go to your Windows display properties and click on the tab that is called 'Settings'. Swith it to 16-bit color and you will be fine.
Running TRIBES in 32-bit color will result in what feels like major lag, causing the mouse to become of no use. This is a simple fix that should help you run TRIBES in OpenGL mode.
There is BETA OpenGL support included in the 1.3 version of TRIBES. This is an UNSUPPORTED release of this code. To enable the OpenGL driver, you must ensure that your config/autoexec.cs file contains the following line:
$OpenGL::Enabled = true;
Create the config/autoexec.cs file if it does not already exist using Notepad, or another similar text editor. NOTE: Typing this line at the console prompt in TRIBES will NOT enable OpenGL; it needs to be loaded when the game begins, and the autoexec.cs file is the most convenient place to specify this. Notepad *may* change the name of the file to autoexec.cs.txt, so be sure to change it to the proper name if it does.
Once your autoexec.cs file has been modified, if your video card supports accelerated OpenGL, it should be available in the Options/Video dialog. If it does not appear, check the troubleshooting tips below. Select OpenGL as the fullscreen device, and set the "Setup OpenGL for:" combobox to your card type. TRIBES currently supports only the TNT and i740 chipsets. If you have another card type, try selecting the i740 option; it may or may not work, and we cannot guarantee the visual quality. Exception: if you have a Riva128, and wish to try out OpenGL support, configure your Options for the TNT.
Riva 128
If you want the TRIBES OGL patch to work on your Riva128, you MUST have the 3.12 reference drivers. These are only available from Microsoft's FTP server...they were cleared through the WHQL (Windows Harware Quality Labs) labs, but for some reason (evidentely the same reason that the 2.83 drivers were never posted up on the nVidia site) they are NOT posted on nVidia's homepage. 2.77 (the ones that are on nVidia's site) will crash with invalid page faults or cause a black screen, or boot you to the desktop. Use the default 3.12 settings and in TRIBES make sure you set the mode to TNT, NOT i740. It's disconcerting that the latest drivers available from the nVidia site are 2.77 when the new builds, which are hard to get, fixes problems such as this. Maybe nVidia will smarten up sometime...Anyways, here are the links for the 3.12 drivers:
Win95:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/whql/drivers/win95/disply/A49338.EXE
Win98: (Link might be dead)
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/whql/drivers/win98/disply/A49339.EXE
WinNT4:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/whql/drivers/winnt40/disply/x86/A49340.EXE
Glide Shadows
Lots of people had problems with the 1.3 patch, especially if they were running in Glide (it would kick them out to Windows at the start of ANY game). I mailed Tim Gift about this, who forwarded it to the QA team. I was told that shadows in 1.3 are currently broken up, and turning them off should fix the crashing problems. Gracias to Eric Lanz of the QA team for helping me out.
Also, running 1.2 to keep shadows on won't affect client-server compliance. Any 1.xx version of the client is compatible with any 1.xx version of the server.
Glide Shadows Part 2
There are other work arounds to the 1.3 shadow issues besides reverting to a version 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2.
The shadow issue only affects GLide users. You can play just fine with shadows on in either Software mode or OpenGL mode. The GLide problem only seems to be during a spawn. So you can also start a game in either software or OGL mode and then switch to GLide after you have spawned. Of course, you need to revert back to either software or OGL between matches and after you have died. Obviously not the most elegant work around, but it does get the job done. Some people can only play for a couple seconds before crashing.
32-bit OpenGL
At this time TRIBES will not run OpenGL in 32-bit color. You need to go to your Windows display properties and click on the tab that is called 'Settings'. Swith it to 16-bit color and you will be fine.
Running TRIBES in 32-bit color will result in what feels like major lag, causing the mouse to become of no use. This is a simple fix that should help you run TRIBES in OpenGL mode.