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The Political Machine [August 2004] https://www.politicalmachine.com
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Overview
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Thank you for buying The Political Machine. This README file
contains information not included in the game's manual.
*** Important information for multi-player games ***
If you are using Windows XP SP2's firewall or a third-party
firewall on any supported platform, you must set it to allow
PolMachine.exe to connect to the Internet and allow traffic
on port 2509 (TCP).
Please see section 3 of this README.TXT (Multiplayer Notes)
for more information.
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Stardock Entertainment
THE POLITICAL MACHINE
August 2004
README.TXT United States of America
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Table of Contents
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1. Minimum/Recommended Specifications
2. Single Player Notes
2.1. Quickstart
2.2. Hotkeys
2.3. Windowed mode
3. Multiplayer Notes
4. Known Issues
4.1. Installing video drivers
4.2. Installing sound drivers
4.3. Installing DirectX
4.4. Known problems
4.5. Troubleshooting
5. Important Web Sites, Contact Information and Technical Support
5.1. Technical Support
5.2. Other Important websites
6. Legal Information
7. Copyright
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1. Minimum/Recommended specifications
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-Minimum Configuration:
Win 98/ME/2000/XP Only
DirectX 9.0b
600 MHz Pentium III, AMD Athlon, or equivalent
128 MB RAM (2000/XP users: 256 MB required)
32MB DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card with hardware accelerated 3D support
DirectX 9.0 compatible sound device
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM 2x or faster
100MB hard drive space
Windows-compatible mouse required
Display device capable of supporting 1024x768
-Recommended Configuration:
Win 98/ME/2000/XP Only
DirectX 9.0b
1.0 GHz Pentium 4, AMD Athlon or equivalent
256 MB RAM
64MB DirectX 9.0 compatible graphics card with hardware accelerated 3D support
DirectX 9.0 compatible sound device
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM 16x or faster
100MB hard drive space
Windows-compatible mouse required
Display device capable of supporting 1024x768
Broadband Internet connection for play PoliticalMachine.com
-Supported Video Cards at Time of Release
GeForce(TM) 2/3/4/FX/6 families
ATI(R) Radeon(TM) 7000/8000/9000 families
Matrox 400-450 and Parhelia(TM)
Hercules Kyro I & II
Intel(R) Extreme
These chipsets are the only ones that will run this game in 3D. Additional
chipsets may be supported after releasee. For an up-to-date list of supported
chipsets, please visit the FAQ for this game on our support website at:
http://support.ubi.com
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2. Single Player Notes
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2.1. Quickstart
Left-click to select your candidate or operatives.
Right-click on a target state to move there.
Build campaign headquarters to research the top issues in a given state,
raise funds, and increase awareness.
Create ads tailored to the most important issues in battleground states.
Use political operatives and endorsements to pump up your campaign and
counter your opponent.
Remember: at the end of the campaign, winning is a question of electoral math.
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2.2. Hotkeys
-State Action Hotkeys
1 - Create Ad (unhides the window)
2 - Campaign
3 - Raise Funds
4 - Headquarters
6 - State Details
-Map View Hotkeys
F1 - Normal Mode
F2 - Awareness
F3 - Wealth
F4 - Electoral Votes
F5 - Polling Data
F6 - Liberals / Conservatives
F7 - Popular Vote
F8 - Political Strategy
-Map Hotkeys
C - Select Player's Candidate Icon
TAB - Cycle through Assets (Operatives, Ads, Headquarters, ect.)
Spacebar - Request New Week
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2.3. Windowed mode - UNSUPPORTED
-To run PM in a window on your desktop (with a desktop resolution
of greater than 1024x768), modify the shortcut to load the game to
have a parameter of 'w'. e.g. "c:\PolMachine\PolMachine.exe w"
This is unsupported, as is Alt-Tab/Alt-Esc'ing away from the game,
but should work well for most configurations.
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3. Multiplayer Notes (Broadband Internet connection required)
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-Firewall/NAT configuration
To join a multiplayer game from behind a firewall or NAT, you must
open TCP port 2509 and forward it to your machine (if applicable).
-Firewalls in general and Windows XP Service Pack 2
To join a multiplayer game, you must configure your firewall to
allow PolMachine.exe to access the Internet.
With Windows XP Service Pack 2, the included Windows Firewall is
activated by default. You can add an exception for PolMachine.exe
via Control Panel / Network Connections / Local Area Connection /
Properties / Advanced / Settings / Exceptions. Use the Add Program...
and Add Port... buttons to Browse to PolMachine.exe AND allow
communication over TCP port 2509.
-Difficulty setting
As you are not playing against the computer AI, the Difficulty
setting has no impact on multiplayer games.
-Highscores
Highscores are not tracked for multiplayer games.
-ESRB Notice
ESRB Notice: Game Experience May Change During Online Play
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4. Known Issues
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4.1. Installing video drivers
If you experience any graphical problems, please install the latest video
drivers available for your video card. Links to the most popular video cards
manufacturers are available at the bottom of this document.
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4.2. Installing sound drivers
If you experience any sound problems, please install the latest sound
drivers available for your sound card. Links to the most popular sound cards
manufacturers are available at the bottom of this document.
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4.3. Installing DirectX
The Political Machine required DirectX 9.0b to run properly. This is included
on the CD in the SUPPORT\DIRECTX folder or please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads
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4.4. Known Problems
-ACE Mega CoDecS
Installation of the ACE Mega CoDecS Pack from the Internet is
unsupported and may cause elements of the game (like the intro movie)
to function abnormally.
-Music keeps restarting
Other codec packs or media players may overwrite or unregister default
system codecs that are used for playing music in PM. In some cases,
reinstalling these applications may fix up any codec conflicts.
https://www.stardock.com/files/ms_mp3codec.exe can be downloaded to
attempt to reregister your system codecs.
-Missing unit display on main map
Older ATI Radeon drivers had a bug with display the graphics on
the main map. Update to Catalyst 4.5 or later and this will be corrected.
-Intro movie on secondary monitor
The intro movie will not play if you are playing the game on
a secondary monitor (e.g. with a laptop having a second display
configured for use in addition to the LCD).
-Weird graphics in-game
Setting the ForceTextureUpdate=1 in PolMachine.ini will regenerate
the texture cache the next time you run the program.
-Using all numbers for character name
Using all numbers for your character name is not supported. Please
start your character name with a letter or unexpected results may
occur.
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4.5. Troubleshooting
-PolMachine.exe debug
Modify the PM shortcut to have a parameter of 'debug' to generate
additional information to a DEBUG.ERR file in the PM directory.
This information may be useful to support in tracing problem reports.
Shortcut Target: "C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Stardock\PolMachine\PolMachine.exe" debug
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5. Important Web Sites, Contact Information and Technical Support
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5.1. Technical Support
Before contacting Ubisoft's Technical Support, please browse through
our FAQ listings or search our support database at our website:
http://support.ubi.com. Here you will find the most recently updated information
since the games release.
Also please make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements,
as our support representatives will be unable to assist customers whose
computers do not meet these criteria.
Whenever you contact the Technical Support Department, please include the
following information or have it available if you are calling:
-Complete product title (including version number)
-Exact error message reported (if applicable) and a brief description of the
problem you're encountering
-Processor speed and manufacturer
-Amount of RAM
-Operating system
-Video card that you are using and amount of RAM it has
-Maker and speed of your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
-Type of sound card you are using
Contact Us Over the Internet
This is the best way to contact us. Our website is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week and it contains the most up to date Technical Support information available
including patches that can be downloaded free of charge. We update the Support
pages on a daily basis so please check here first for solutions to your problems
http://support.ubi.com/.
Contact Us by E-mail
For fastest response via e-mail, please visit our website at:
http://support.ubi.com/
From this site, you will be able to enter the Ubisoft Solution Center
where you can browse through our listings of Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ), search our database of known problems and solutions, or, for fastest
e-mail response, you can send in a request for Personal Assistance from a
Technical Support Representative.
It may take up to 72 hours for us to respond to your e-mail depending upon the
volume of messages we receive.
Contact Us by Phone
You can also contact us by phone by calling (919) 460-9778. Note that this
number is for technical assistance only. No hints or tips are given over the
Technical Support line. When calling our Technical Support line, please make
sure you are in front of your computer and have all of the necessary information
listed above at hand.
Be advised that our Technical Support Representatives are available to help you
Monday-Friday from 9 am- 9 pm (Eastern Standard Time).
While we do not charge for technical support, normal long distance charges
apply. To avoid long distance charges, or to contact a support representative
directly after these hours, please feel free to use one of the other support
avenues listed above. E-mail issues usually receive a response within 2
business days.
Contact Us by Standard Mail
If all else fails you can write to us at:
Ubisoft Technical Support
3200 Gateway Center Blvd
Suite 100
Morrisville, NC 27560
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5.2. Other Important websites
The Political Machine's official web site:
https://www.politicalmachine.com
Latest DirectX Runtime:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads
Latest ATI Drivers:
http://www.ati.com
Latest NVIDIA Drivers:
http://www.nvidia.com
Latest Matrox Drivers:
http://www.matrox.com
Latest Creative Labs Drivers:
http://www.creative.com
Latest Hercules Drivers:
http://www.hercules.com
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6. Legal Information
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Developed by:
Stardock Entertainment
17292 Farmington Road
Livonia, MI 48152 USA
https://www.stardock.com
Published by:
Ubisoft
625 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
http://www.ubi.com
Stardock is a registered trademark of Stardock
Systems, Inc. The Political Machine is a
trademark of Stardock Entertainment, Inc.
(c) Copyright Stardock Entertainment, Inc. 2004.
(c) Copyright Ubisoft 2004.
All trademarked names mentioned in this document
and SOFTWARE are used for editorial purposes
only, with no intention of infringing upon the
trademarks.
No part of this publication may be reproduced
without written permission from Stardock Entertainment.
All rights reserved.
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7. Copyright
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LICENCE TO USE THE MULTIMEDIA PRODUCT
Please read this Licence carefully before installing the game
("Multimedia Product"). This Licence is an agreement between you, the "User",
and Stardock Entertainment, Inc. which grants the User the non-exclusive
and non-transferable right to use the Multimedia Product. This Licence is
valid in every countries except in France, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy,
and United Kingdom. By installing the Multimedia Product, the User is
undertaking to respect the terms and conditions of the Licence.
1- The Licence
Stardock Entertainment grants the User a non-exclusive and non-transferable
Licence to use the Multimedia Product, but remains the owner of all the
rights relating thereto. Any rights not specifically transferred by this
Licence remain the property of Stardock Entertainment and/or its licensees.
The Multimedia Product is licensed and not sold to the User, for private use.
The Licence does not confer any right or title to the Multimedia Product
and cannot be understood as a transfer of intellectual property rights
to the Multimedia Product.
2- Ownership of the Multimedia Product
The User recognises that all of the rights associated with the Multimedia Product
and its components (in particular the titles, computer codes, themes, characters,
character names, plots, stories, dialogues, places, concepts, images, photographs,
animation, videos, music and text contained in the Multimedia Product),
as well as the rights relating to the trademark, royalties and copyrights,
are the property of Stardock Entertainment and/or its licensees and are
protected by national regulations or other Laws, Treaties and international
agreements concerning intellectual property.
3- Use of the Multimedia Product
The User is authorised to use the Multimedia Product in accordance with
the instructions provided in the manual or on the packaging of the
Multimedia Product. The Licence is granted solely for private use.
It is not permitted:
- To make copies of the Multimedia Product,
- To operate the Multimedia Product commercially,
- To use it contrary to morality or the laws in force,
- To modify the Multimedia Product or create any derived work,
- To transmit the Multimedia Product via a telephone network or
any other electronic means, except during multi-player games on
authorised networks,
- To create or distribute unauthorised levels and/or scenarios,
- To decompile, reverse engineer or disassemble the Multimedia Product.
The User cannot sell, sublicense or lease the Multimedia Product to a third party.
The User can only transfer the Multimedia Product if the recipient agrees
to the terms and conditions of the Licence. In this event, the User undertakes
to transfer all components and documentation relating to the Multimedia Product.
He also undertakes to delete any copy of the Multimedia Product from his computer.
In this event, this Licence is automatically and immediately terminated.
4- Termination of the Licence
The Licence is effective from the first time the Multimedia Product is used.
It is terminated automatically by Stardock Entertainment without notice if
the User fails to adhere to the terms and conditions of the Licence.
5- Liability
In no event can Stardock Entertainment and its licensees be held liable
for any direct, consequential, accidental, special, ancillary or other
damages arising out of the use or inability to use the Multimedia Product,
as well as out of the ownership or poor functioning thereof, even if
Stardock Entertainment and/or its licensees has been advised of the
possibility of such damages.
In particular, Stardock Entertainment and its licensees accept no liability
regarding use of the Multimedia Product contrary to the precautions for use
set out in the manual and on the packaging.
As some legislations do not allow exemption from liability in the event
of direct or incidental damages, it is possible that the aforementioned
exclusion does not apply to the User.
This Licence to use the Multimedia Product grants specific rights to the User
and he may have other rights depending on the laws in his State.
