Descriptions of the Mission CD Multiplayer Maps

Important Changes and News in the Online-Manual

General Questions

Questions about Game Play

Technical Questions

Missions and Choice of Maps

Blue Byte Hotline

 -

Time clock

New soldier display window

Saving multiplayer games

Automatic saved games in the campaigns

Additonal commands for chatting in the chatroom

***

General Questions about THE SETTLERS III

1-001-0 THE SETTLERS III - What's it all about?
1-004-0 What's new in the third edition?
1-005-0 Does SETTLERS III have multiplayer options?
1-006-0 Can you play SETTLERS III on the Internet?
1-008-0 How many CDs do you need for network games?
1-009-0 What hardware do you need for SETTLERS III?
1-010-0 How many players can play against each other?

-

Questions about Game Play

Are there any cheats?

Can you speed up construction?

Why don't the geologists / pioneers start working?

What can I do with gold or gems?

What is the meaning of graves or shipwrecks?

How can you establish a second colony using the pioneers?

How can you build a ship?

Why do the ships only get half-built? Do they need stone?

I can't take over an enemy tower. Why not?

I am playing the Egyptians and don't have any more stone.How can I get more stone when I can't build a new tower?

Why won't my bowmen attack soldiers in a tower?

A soldier can take the enemy out with one blow when he's not in enemy land. My iron smelter produces pigs and no new Settlers come out of the new residences when they are built What's wrong?

How do I use a trade ship?

How do I reload and fire my catapult/ballista/cannon?

-

Technical Questions

3-001-0 I keep getting a Direct Draw Error after starting the game.
3-001-2 I am an NT4 user - which Service Pack is necessary?
3-001-1 I am an NT user - should I use dithered shadowing?
3-002-0 When I create a game, the resource menu is overlapped and I can't read the last line. What does it say?
3-002-1 How can I configure my Proxy Server to be able to play THE SETTLERS III over the lobby system?
3-003-0 The installation program wants me to install DirectX 6.0, but I've already got it installed...
3-004-0 How can I delete the chat line in the lobby?
3-005-0 I can't get a connection to the lobby server over the Internet.
3-005-1 Where do I find my serial number?
3-006-0 How do you configure a TCP/IP network so that you can play SETTLERS III on a LAN?
3-007-0 The file converter crashes soon after it starts. What's wrong?
3-008-0 When I click on the button to start the tutorial or a campaign, the screen with the three helmets appears and then the game loads forever or crashes. What's the problem?

-

Questions about Missions and the Choice of Maps

4-002-0 I have won the mission. Can I simply stop?
4-004-0 I want to create a single player game but I can't kick the computer opponent out.
4-005-0 I am playing a single player game and my spies have found treasure. Why isn't it carried to the storage area?

Time clock

The SETTLERS III Level Editor allows you to define victory conditions, one of which requires a player or his ally to survive a certain amount of time. So that you can keep track of how long you've already played in such a mission, a stop watch is now displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. This clock starts automatically.
In case you are playing a map without this victory condition, you can still activate the clock by pressing the "t" key on your keyboard. If you want to disable the clock, simply press the "t" key once more.

5-002-0

New soldier display window

So that you have a better overview of how many soldiers you have of each type and of what rank, the soldier display window has been considerably expanded. This window appears when you select military settlers such as soldiers, geologists, pioneers or priests, or instruments of war, such as catapults, ballistas or cannons.

You now see a symbol for each type of soldier with the number of the units selected below it. Next to your soldiers you can see three boxes in a column which contain numbers. These numbers, from top to bottom, correspond to the number of captains, sergeants, and privates that you have selected from this type of soldier.

5-003-0

Saving multiplayer games

One of the most requested features for SETTLERS III was one enabling the player to save multiplayer games. Here it is. A multiplayer game can now be saved by clicking on the computer symbol in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and then on "Save". The game will then be saved on the computers of all the players in this game. If the game is ended without a victor, each of the players will be able to access the game from the SETTLERS III Lobby.

In case one of the players is no longer interested in playing the game to the end, a computer player can take his place. It is not possible, however, for a human player to take over a game once a computer player has taken over.

IMPORTANT:
Saved games from multiplayer games can't be accessed from "Load Game"! You'll find your saved games under the Menu item "Saved Multiplayer" when you initiate a multiplayer game.
You won't be asked to give the game a name. You also won't have to enter a slot. The game will be saved in the "Save/Multi" directory.

A display in the chat line shows all the players in the game who saved the game. To prevent someone from continually saving the game, there will be an interval of at least one minute before the game can be saved again.

A saved game can be accessed in the same way as a normal net game by entering the Lobby and clicking on "Create Game". You can then choose the saved game from the list of the multiplayer maps. Where you normally find the preview map, the name of the game, when it was saved, and a list of the players in the game will be displayed. Confirm your choice with "OK" and you'll then be at the meeting point where you can wait for the other players to join in for continuing the game.

5-003-1

Automatic saved games in the campaigns

When you've completed a map in a campaign, read the statistics that follow, and clicked it away, the mission briefing for the next map appears. When you click on "Back" at this point, the program was not able to recognize you'd already won the previous mission if you'd forgotten to save it. This can no longer happen. As soon as you look at the mission briefing for the next map, the program will now recognize that you've finished the previous map and have begun with the next one.

All of the missions of the original campaign have been made available here under the assumption that you have already successfully completed them.

You can load saved games by clicking on "Load Saved Games" in the main menu and then clicking on "Campaigns" in the menu that appears. A list will appear containing all of the campaign missions which you've already begun. Click on the mission which you've most recently interrupted.

5-004-0

Additonal commands for chatting in the chatroom

/Whisper Player's Name:
Sometimes when you are in the Chat room, you may want to speak with only one of the people there without the others listening in. By entering the command /whisper and then the name of person to receive your message (Don't forget the empty space inbetween) and then a colon, only that person will be able to read the message.

The colon can be omitted as long as the name of the person to whom you are sending the message contains no empty spaces.

Examples:

these are possible:
/whisper Volker Wertich: Are there really no cheats in SETTLERS III?
/whisper BB_ELEKTRA Are there really alligators hidden in the swamps?

this one is not possible:
/whisper Volker Wertich Are there really no cheats in SETTLERS III?

The third example isn't possible because the colon has been left out after the name and there is an empty space between the words "Volker" and "Wertich".

/Ignore Player's Name
Sometimes you may no longer wish to read what one of the other chatters has to say – for whatever reason. Type /ignore followed by an empty space and then the name of the player you wish to silence and finally a colon if the player's name includes an empty space. Afterwards, you will no longer see what this player has to say.
The command "Ignore" can only be cancelled by leaving the Lobby and logging in again

5-005-0

Economic War

In the menu for further adjustments for choosing a map, you'll now find a button in the lower right-hand corner where you can select a game to be played as an economic war. In this mode, the fighting strength of the soldiers outside their territory is so low that attacks on your opponents make very little sense. In this mode the game is oriented primarily to being the first to acquire a certain amount of goods.

This, of course, makes the use of thieves just that much more interesting...

[Answers]  General Questions about THE SETTLERS III

1-001-0

THE SETTLERS III - What's it all about?

THE SETTLERS III contains three campaigns, a Roman one, an Egyptian  one and an Asian one. This also applies for the MISSION CD. Just like its predecessors, the first thing on the agenda is building up a functioning economy. Unlike its predecessors, the player can now choose the race that he or she wants to play. Each race has its own god to whom it pays homage and distinctive talents which lie either in the area of construction or military strategy.
The AMAZON CD includes two campaigns. In the first you play the Amazons, in the other you play the three other races as allies against the Amazons.

The Settlers of the various races have their own unique appearance, wear different style clothing and live, work and worship in houses, buildings and temples of different architecture. You assume the role of leader of the race. Your god has determined that you are most fit to take over this role. All Settlers, no matter which race they belong to, are by nature industrious and raring to go. They begin constructing the buildings they need so that they can gather and process the stone, wood and minerals they find or produce food from grain, fish or pigs, or refine minerals for producing tools and weapons. There are foresters and woodcutters, diggers and builders, geologists and miners, farmers and animal breeders - altogether more than 50 different Settler occupations for each race - all awaiting your instructions for their next projects. Now it's clear why you have been chosen as leader. As energetic as the Settlers are, they need someone with vision and organizational skills to build up a thriving economy! Of course, this won't be such an easy task. Leadership has its price.

1-004-0

What's new in the third edition?

The SETTLERS III team has gone over your suggestions and incorporated many of them into THE SETTLERS III. The most important changes and newest developments for THE SETTLERS III include:

Completely new graphics. All of the numerous Settler characters and elements of the landscape have been completely remodelled in 3D. Special importance was attached to retaining the warm character of the figures.

Stronger emphasis on strategic elements. Construction and military strategy enjoy equal status in the game. Battles take place in real time and can now be controlled by the player. Soldiers can now also rise up in the ranks in SETTLERS III.

Expanded navigation. Each race has its own ships for transporting passengers or goods. You can now see your Settlers going onboard, sailing, and disembarking.

Expanded online playability. This change opens up entirely new dimensions for the player. With THE SETTLERS III it is now possible to match your skills with players from all over the world.

Priests, gods and temples as a completely new element. A competition among the gods makes up the framework for the campaigns. The construction of temples and pyramids can play a decisive role in the outcome of the game.

1-005-0

Does SETTLERS III have multiplayer options?

THE SETTLERS III supports multiplayer games both on LAN and on the Internet.

Numerous multiplayer levels in which up to 20 players can play together on a LAN or in Internet.

Complete Internet support with the special SETTLERS III SERVER where you can play against others around the clock from all over the world.

In the Internet you can form teams and play in tournaments. The internet rankings list is updated automatically.

In addition, you can either join a clan or even create your own. Take a look at our Internet pages at www.settlers3.com to find out how you do this.

1-008-0

How many CDs do you need for network games?

THE SETTLERS III comes on two CDs. After the game has been installed on the individual workstations, two players can play with each game, one player using the first CD and the second player the second CD. This does not apply for online games on the Internet.

1-009-0

What hardware do you need for SETTLERS III ?

IBM PC and 100% Compatibles

Minimum Configuration:
100 MHz Pentium®
32 MB RAM
2 MB Graphic Card (DirectX-compatible)
200 MB free hard disk space
2x-CD-ROM
Windows® 95 or Windows® 98 or Windows® NT 4.0
DirectX 6.0

Recommended Configuration:
166 MHz Pentium®
32 MB RAM
Sound Card (DirectX-compatible)
2 MB Graphics Card

Format:
PC CD-ROM
PC DVD

1-010-0

How many players can play against each other?

Up to 20 players can play against each other on a LAN or in the Internet. For the Internet game, ideal conditions will have to be at hand to allow this number of players, that is, a good ISP, Ping and a fast computer.

[Answers]  Questions about Game Play

2-001-1

Are there any cheats?

Singleplayer: F12 speeds up construction (jumps 1 Minute ahead).
Multiplayer: No cheats

2-007-0

Can you speed up construction?

You can speed up game play by managing the available resources wisely. Even if getting building materials is time-consuming at the beginning and you have the impression that your opponent is already arming to the teeth, you shouldn't let yourself be distracted. When you have an assured supply of stone and wood, construction will be faster in the crucial phase, the armament phase.

2-012-0

Why don't the geologists / pioneers start working?

Geologists and pioneers only begin working when you select the 'find resources' or 'take land'  button when they are in the area you want them to work in.  A shortcut for this is to press your right mouse button while holding down the ALT key on the area where they should begin work

2-012-1

What can I do with gold or gems?

Gold gives strength to your soldiers when they are outside of your own territory. Within your territory (or that of your allies) a soldier's strength is always 100% and thus can not be improved. You can view the current strength of a soldier by selecting him.

Mined gold is kept in storage areas. When gold is gained through divine intervention or conquest, and you are on your own territory, storage is not necessary. In this case, your settlers will simply leave the gold where it is to avoid overloading your storage areas.

Note: Egyptians don't simply prefer gems -- they love them! Gold is important, but it is only half as motivating for the Egyptians in comparison to other races. Gems, in contrast, motivate the Egyptians twice as much as the other races.

Note:The Amazons require gems primarily for their alchemist. She transforms gems and sulfur with the help of some secret potions into gold and iron.

2-012-2

What is the meaning of graves or shipwrecks?

With the arrival of the Amazons the gods have agreed upon removing some obstacles to performing some of the acts of divine intervention. The Romans, for example, needed ship wrecks to be able to transform iron into gold.

These conditions have been eliminated by the three gods so that they have a chance against Q'nqüra.

Graves and shipwrecks are now only picturesque elements, nice to look at, but no longer of any strategic importance.

This is also the case when there are absolutely no women in the area.

2-013-0

How can you establish a second colony using the pioneers?

First, you can send your pioneers to unexplored territory or transport them by ship to another island. After they have taken possession of enough land, you can begin constructing buildings. To get building materials to the construction site, you either need a market place or a transport ship and landing dock in your main colony.

Next, shovels, hammers, wood and stone have to be transported to the newly created outpost. The pioneers can then be converted back into normal workers (use the Settlers menu) and then become either diggers or builders when they get their respective tools. As soon as the building materials are delivered from your main colony, the construction phase will begin and then everything continues in the outpost in the familiar way.

2-014-0

How can you build a ship?

First you need to build a shipyard near a coast. In the Shipyard menu you'll find a button "set place to build" which lets the shipbuilder know where the ship is to be built. Click on this button and then left click in the water not too far from the coast. A wooden jetty will appear.

Finally, you can now choose which kind of ship you want to have built.

2-015-0

Why do the ships only get half-built? Do they need stone?

For building ships you need wood and iron bars, but no stone. After building an iron smelting works, iron bars will become available provided that you have enough coal and iron ore.

2-016-0

I can't take over an enemy tower. Why not?

This can only happen when another enemy tower is within the control area of the tower you have just captured. You can only take over this tower after you have also captured the other enemy tower.

2-017-0

I am playing the Egyptians and don't have any more stone. How can I get more stone when I can't build a new tower to get to more stone?

If no more reserves of stone remain within your borders and you don't have enough stone to build a tower in order to expand your territory, you still have two alternatives to get hold of the stone you need.

1. You can use your pioneers to locate stone and expand your territory where the stone has been found.

2. You can crush one of your buildings. You then get 50% of the original building materials back. You should in any case carefully consider which building you demolish. Tearing down a residence can lead to striking Settlers and crushing your last guard tower would even mean losing the game.

2-018-0

Why won't my bowmen attack soldiers in a tower?

This is intended to give the towers a strategic aspect, otherwise a fairly modest-sized troop of bowmen could take over the tower in no time and your opponent wouldn't have a decent chance to react.

2-019-0

A soldier can take the enemy out with one blow when he's not in enemy land. My iron smelter produces pigs and no new Settlers come out of the new residences when they are built. What's wrong?

This is not a programming error. You probably have the widespread virus CIH on your system which modifies various files. As far as we are aware to date, this virus can only be identified and removed by a virus scanner from the company AVP http://www.avp.com .

2-020-0

How do I use a trade ship?

To trade with ships you must firstly build yourself a landing dock (this is found in the 'misc buildings' menu. Once this is built, select the building and then click on the 'place dock' button. Now click on an area of shoreline close to the dock and a wooden jetty will appear.

Once this is done, click on the 'set destination' button and then click on the shoreline of the island you wish to send the goods to (you don't need a dock on the destination island). A line of pegs will now appear showing the route the ship will take. If you are not happy with this route, use the waypoint buttons to change the route the ship will take.

All you need to do now is select the goods that you want to transport andthe ship will take them over once they have been delivered to the dock.

2-021-0

How do I reload and fire my catapult/ballista/cannon?

When the catapult/ballista/cannon is built, it will already be carrying full ammo. To find out how much ammo the weapon is carrying, select the weapon and take a look at the small number that is above it's status dot. When this number is at 0, move the weapon back to a production house that has ammo outside it and then click on reload.

To fire the weapon, move it to a suitable range of an enemy tower or castle and then click on the tower or castle with the right mouse button. You can fire the weapon from your territory, allies territory, neutral territory or an enemy's territory.

[Answers]  Technical Questions

3-001-0

I keep getting a Direct Draw Error after starting the game.

Solution: Reinstall DirectX 6.0. Two tool files, Dxdiag.exe and Dxtool.exe have been included on the CD so that you can check the configuration of DirectX.

Another possibility is that your monitor is not set up correctly.  The best thing to do in this instance is to go into the 'Display Properties' in windows (right click on your desktop area and choose properties with the left mouse button) and go into the settings menu.  From here you should have access to some kind of 'advanced settings' menu (it differs between operating systems and graphics card drivers).  Within this menu you can change the monitor settings for your machine.  If your monitor is not available in the current drivers supplied by windows, try changing the monitor to a Standard Monitor Type, Super VGA with a resolution suitable for your graphics card (1024 x 768 should suffice). 

3-001-2

I am an NT4 user - which Service Pack is necessary?

Windows NT4 users will need Service Pack 4 for Multiplayer and Singleplayer mode. With Service Pack 3 you will only be able to play in Singleplayer mode. NT2000 users do not need to install service packs to play "The Settlers III".

3-001-1

I am an NT user - should I use dithered shadowing?

Both types of shadowing, dithered and transparent, function without any problems. Transparent shadowing requires more memory though and can slow down game play on slower computers with little RAM.

3-002-0

When I create a game, the resource menu is covered up and I can't read the last line. What does it say?

The word at the bottom is: High.

3-002-1

How can I configure my Proxy Server to be able to play THE SETTLERS III over the lobby system?

Configuration of the MS Proxy Server 2.0 for The Settlers III

Introduction

Thanks to Peter Prade and Michail Jones we have finally managed to find an initial solution for the proxy problem. Because none of us is terribly experienced in these matters, the current solution has a few weak points. Whoever has different proxy programs will have to pick out the information necessary to configure his/her proxy. I think, though, that experienced sys admins will be able to get things moving with the info and MS Proxy specimen configuration provided here.

The configuration listed here draws on the Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0. It allows the connection with several clients over the proxy to the Blue Byte Lobby system. Players behind the proxy server can only join games; unfortunately they cannot create them. If you have any suggestions for improvement or questions about the configuration, please submit them to the forum. We will then do our best to help you and provide updated information about any improvements.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not guarantee that this configuration will work.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE: Breaches in security could occur if Settlers III is played over a proxy or firewall.

Regarding the Ports

With respect to the network, The Settlers III is divided into two parts. First, there is the lobby area with the game lists and chats. Second, there is the game itself. In the first part, a pure UDP protocol is used. For the game itself, DirectPlay 6.0 is used.

Table of the Protocols and Ports Used

Lobby:

* The ports from 3346 upwards are only used when the ports 3343-3346 have already been occupied. This could happen on the proxy server depending on the number of players. In practice, it should be sufficient to make ports 3343-3350 free.

DirectPlay:

Configuration of MS Proxy Server 2.0

A number of protocols have to be set up and in addition, modifications to the mspclnt.ini file have to be made. We have put together a file for the protocols which can be imported into the Management Console with the Load command.

The following excerpts have to be placed in the mspclnt.ini file, which is typically located in the directory \Msp\Clients:

Depending on the adjustments, the mspclnt.ini file will then be replicated on the client computer either every couple of minutes or following a reboot. The replication can also be forced with the Winsock Client Applet in the control panel.

3-003-0

The installation program wants me to install DirectX 6.0 although I've already got it installed. What's the story?

In general it is advisable to reinstall the version of DirectX 6.0 supplied with the game. Then DirectX related driver problems can be eliminated.

3-004-0

Can I delete the chat line in the lobby without having to backspace it?

Yes, you can do this with the "Del" key above the arrow keys.

3-005-0

I can't get a connection to the lobby server over the Internet. Why not?

Your Internet access is probably not completely transparent, that is, your provider uses a so-called proxy server and not all of the ports necessary for the game are accessible.  Customers of some providers should not use the connection software of their provider for accessing the Internet but rather gain access by configuring access over a normal Dial Up Networking account. The Blue Byte Hotline will be happy to give you further information about how to configure this.   If you do require help from the hotline staff, please ensure that you have all the details of your account to hand (connection phone number, username, password, etc).

3-005-1

Where do I find my serial number?

The serial number is on a sticker on the back of your CD booklet and can be seen when you open the CD case.

If there is no serial number for some reason, please send the booklet to us at the following addresses:

For USA:
Blue Byte Software, Inc.
8140 North Mopac
Suite IV-230
Austin, TX 78759

For UK:
Blue Byte Software Ltd.
24 Billing Road
Northampton
Great Britain
NN1 5AT

You will get a new booklet including a serial number.

3-006-0

How do you configure a TCP/IP network so that you can play SETTLERS III on a LAN?

You have to assign every workstation its own IP number (for example, computer 1: 192.168.0.1, computer 2: 192.168.0.2 etc.). For the subnet mask you should enter 255.255.255.0. You can make these changes by entering the network menu under   Settings / Control Panel, and then going into the properties of the TCP/IP protocol connected to your network card.

3-007-0

The file converter crashes soon after it starts. What's wrong?

This problem has been fixed in the v1.23 update for the game.

3-008-0

When I click on the button to start the tutorial or a campaign, the screen with the three helmets appears and then the game loads forever or crashes. What's the problem?

You probably have an incompatible or out of date graphics card driver installed. Please get in touch with the Blue Byte Hotline. There you can find out which driver you should use.

You will most likely find that if you go to the home page of the manufacturer of your graphics card and download and install any driver or bios updates for your card, that the problem will be fixed.

[Answers]  Questions about Missions and the Choice of Maps

4-002-0

I have won the mission. Can I simply stop?

Sure, the mission has been won. If you end the game, the next mission will begin automatically. You can also play further on this map if you want to develop new strategies for instance or simply to build up a larger colony for its own sake.

4-004-0

I want to create a single player game but I can't get rid of the computer opponents. What can I do?

Computer opponents are built in on some of the maps and can't be deactivated.

4-005-0

I am playing a single player game and my thieves have found treasure. Why won't my carriers take it to the storage area?

To get to the treasure, it has to be within your borders. If the treasure is an end product like gold or gems, these won't be transported to the storage area. This is intended to save space. The value of the gold or gems counts completely for purposes of the fighting strength of your soldiers outside your borders. But maybe your thieves can pick that stuff up, if they have nothing else to do.

Hotline

Hotline Blue Byte USA

Our technical support lines are open between the hours of 8:30am and 5:30pm, Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays.

The number is +1 (512) 343-1099.

Or send us your request via E-Mail to: [email protected]

© Blue Byte Software, Inc.