
                FALLOUT: A Post-Nuclear Role-Playing Game
                     Readme File - 19 November 1997
                               Version 1.2



       TABLE OF CONTENTS

       1.0 Installation
       2.0 Manual Errata
       3.0 Troubleshooting
       4.0 Contacting Interplay
       5.0 Product License



------------------
(1.0) INSTALLATION
------------------
The reference card included with your Fallout package contains all the
installation instructions necessary to get you up and running.  Basic
instructions and more details on disk space are also included below:

The Fallout website will contain the latest patches and fixes.  We
recommend that you check there before installing the game for the
absolute latest updates.  This version of Fallout incorporates all
the fixes and changes from the 1.1 patch.  You should never install
a patch for an earlier version (the lower the version number, the
earlier the version is.)  You can tell your version number of Fallout
by looking on the main menu in the lower right hand corner, or by
pressing CTRL-V while playing the game.

                                 http://www.interplay.com/fallout


(1.1) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-------------------------
The Win95 version of Fallout requires:
  Pentium(tm) computer
  16 megs of RAM
  Win95
  DirectX 3.0a or higher
  Monitor and video card capable of displaying 640x480 256-colors
  2x CD-ROM drive
  Mouse
  5 megs of hard drive space (plus space for save games)

The DOS version of Fallout requires:
  Pentium(tm) computer
  32 megs of RAM
  DOS 5.0 or greater
  SVGA (VESA compatible) card and monitor
  2x CD-ROM drive
  Mouse
  5 megs of hard drive space (plus space for save games)

Recommended systems (both DOS and Win95):
  32 megs of RAM
  4x CD-ROM drive or better

The various installation levels will install larger versions of the
game to your hard drive:

* Small     (2 megs: executable, config and support files)
* Medium    (89 megs: adds music)
* Large     (266 megs: adds creature graphics and animations)
* Humongous (650 megs: installs everything!)
     The install sizes are slightly larger under DOS.

You do not lose features if you pick a smaller install size, but
it will affect the speed of gameplay.

For both versions it is recommended that you use the largest possible
installation option for your hard drive.  The more room Fallout has on
your hard drive, the faster the game will play.

In addition, when you run Fallout, you will need around 20 megs of
free hard drive space for files that are created when playing and
a save game.  Save games take up more space the longer you have
been playing.  Each save game slot starts around 2 megs in size,
and will get larger the more areas you have explored.


(1.2) DOS INSTALLATION
----------------------
Run INSTALL.EXE on the Fallout CD-ROM to install Fallout DOS.

Run SOUND.EXE from the installed directory on your hard drive to
configure the sound card (the installer should have done this when
it was run).

DOS machines with the minimal amount of RAM may want to use the
BOOTME program to create a boot disk that will help alleviate
problems.  See the BOOTME.TXT file in the BOOTME directory.


(1.3) Win95 INSTALLATION
------------------------
If you are using autoplay, the autoplay menu will appear shortly
after you place the Fallout CD-ROM into your computer CD drive.  The
autoplay menu will allow you to install DirectX, view this readme,
install the game, play the game and uninstall the game.  Autoplay
will want to install DirectX 3.0a if a lesser version of DirectX is
detected or DirectX does not exist on your system.

If you have autoplay disabled, you will need to manually install
DirectX before you can run setup and install Fallout.  If you have
not installed DirectX 3.0a or higher, do that now.  You can install
DirectX off of the Fallout CD-ROM.  Open the DirectX3 directory and
run DXSETUP.

Run SETUP.EXE on the Fallout CD-ROM to install Fallout Win95.

To uninstall, go to Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs, select Fallout
and click on the Add/Remove button, or use the autoplay menu.

The uninstaller only removes the files installed by the installer.
Any files created after install (config file, save games, etc.) must
be removed by hand.


-------------------
(2.0) MANUAL ERRATA
-------------------
After the manual went to print, we found the following errors
or made the following changes to Fallout:


(2.1) MOVING MULTIPLE ITEMS
---------------------------
When moving multiple items, you can now type the number of items to
move.  This is especially useful when trading money for items.  Use
the keyboard to enter the number of items to move, use the backspace
key to make corrections.  You can enter a maximum of 999.  Press
ENTER when done.


(2.2) HIT POINTS PER LEVEL
--------------------------
Page 5-21 of the manual is in error.  The actual number of hit
points gained per level is 2 + (Endurance / 2).  This simple chart
will show the different HPs gained per level for each point of EN:

ENDURANCE  HPs GAINED        ENDURANCE  HPs GAINED
    1          2                 6          5
    2          3                 7          5
    3          3                 8          6
    4          4                 9          6
    5          4                10          7


(2.3) ITEM HIGHLIGHT PREFERENCE
-------------------------------
When set to the On position, items on the ground that can be picked
up will be highlighted with a yellow outline.  If set to Off, the
game will be slightly more difficult since you will have to make the
decision as to whether or not the item can be picked up and placed
into your inventory.  This preference defaults to On.


(2.4) LEVEL GAIN NOTICE
-----------------------
When you gain a new level, you will see a LEVEL icon just above the
interface bar.  This is to make sure that you know that your character
has just been promoted in rank.  When you enter the character screen,
the notice will disappear.


(2.5) ADDICTION NOTICE
----------------------
If your character is suffering from chem addiction, a notice will
appear above the interface bar.  As long as your character is
addicted to a chem, this notice will remain.  If your character is
addicted to more than one chem, you will only see one ADDICT sign.
Review the KARMA section on the character screen to find out details
of your character's addictions.


(2.6) STARTING COMBAT
---------------------
Left-clicking on the weapon button to get the targeting cursor will
automatically freeze movement and start combat.  You can also start
combat by pressing the 'A' key.  This is very useful if you want to
attack a fast moving enemy, or sneak up behind a target.


(2.7) SKILLS
------------
The base level of Unarmed is 65% plus the average of Strength and
Agility.  Starting characters will have a 70% skill.

The Not So Complete Skill List starting on page 3-10 of the manual
is incomplete.  The following two skills should have been included:

Melee Weapons.  The use of weapons in hand-to-hand combat.  Covers
the use of knives, spears, crowbars and other items that are held
in the hand.  Initial level: Starting Melee is equal to 55% +
(1% x the average of your Strength and Agility).  Average
characters will have a 60% skill.

Throwing.  The skill of using muscle-propelled ranged weapons.  If
a spear is thrown at someone, it will use this skill instead of
Melee Weapons.  This covers the use of throwing knives, grenades,
and rocks.  The maximum distance a weapon can be thrown is based
on your Strength and the max range of the weapon.  Initial level:
40% + (1% x Agility).  Average characters will have a 45% skill.

              
(2.8) PERKS
-----------
The following changes have been made to the Perk list starting on
page 5-24 to 5-33 of the manual:

Awareness: This Perk only has one rank.  It will give detailed
information about any critter that you Examine.  You can see
their exact hit points, and information about any weapon they
are equipped with.

Lifegiver: To clarify, this Perk gives +4 HP per rank everytime
you gain a level.  EX: If you have two ranks in Lifegiver, you
will get +8 HP in addition to the HPs from your Endurance, when
you go up a level.


(2.9) THROWN WEAPONS
--------------------
If you throw a weapon, an identical weapon will automatically be
replaced from your inventory, until you run out of like weapons.
This applies to grenades, thrown knives, spears and rocks.


(2.10) EXIT GRIDS
-----------------
The portion of a map that takes you to another area is called
an "exit grid."  The green exit grids take you to another map
in that location, while the brown exit grids return you to the
world map.


(2.11) HEALING RATE
-------------------
Your character will heal a number of hit points equal to your
healing rate every _three_ hours, not every _six_ hours as
stated in the manual.  This happens when you rest or travel.


(2.12) BARTER
-------------
Just to clarify pages 4-31 and 4-32 of the manual regarding
Barter, here are a couple of important notes:

 * The total value of the items on the barter tables are
   displayed.  These are the values after modifiers
   based on Barter skills and reaction.

 * You can make as many offers as you want without angering
   the person you are bartering with.


(2.13) NPCs
-----------
It is possible to have non-player characters (NPCs) join your
party.  You have limited control over their actions.  Talk
to them to issue very general commands.  You can also:

 * Barter or Steal from them to change their inventory.
   In this case, Stealing is not a hostile action and you
   can swap as much equipment as you want.  NPCs cannot
   wear additional armor.

 * Ask them to use their best weapon.  They will then draw
   their most favorable weapon in the next combat.  Make
   sure they have enough ammo of the proper type.

 * Give them Stimpaks.  If they get seriously hurt, they
   will automatically use them.

 * If they run away in combat, they have either a low
   number of hit points, or they have a crippled limb.



---------------------
(3.0) TROUBLESHOOTING
---------------------
These are tips to help improve the performance of Fallout on your
machine.  Also be sure to read the Interplay Productions Reference
and Troubleshooting Guide pamphlet that came in your Fallout box.


(3.1) DIRECTX 3.0A ("MISSING DINPUT.DLL")
-----------------------------------------
You must have DirectX 3.0a or higher installed to play Fallout.  If
you see the "Missing dinput.dll" error when you attempt to run
Fallout, you do not have a recent version of DirectX installed.

To install DirectX from the Fallout CD-ROM, change directories to the
DirectX3 directory and run DXSETUP.EXE, or use the Autoplay menu.


(3.2) DIRECTX 5.0
-----------------
We have also provided DirectX 5.0 on the Fallout CD-ROM for users
who wish to install it.  If you are having driver-related problems,
you might want to try installing DirectX 5.0.  However, we have not
done extensive testing with it since it was released so close to our
ship date.

To install DirectX 5.0, go into the DirectX5\directx folder on the
CD-ROM and run DXSETUP.EXE.


(3.3) S3 ViRGE VIDEO CARDS (SLOW GAMEPLAY)
------------------------------------------
Video cards with the S3 ViRGE chipset, such as the Stealth 64 3D 2000,
may perform poorly under Fallout.  You should attempt two things:

 * Install the most recent drivers available from your video card
   manufacturer.  Often, updated drivers will fix many of the older
   incompatibilities.  Contact your manufacturer, or check their
   website, for more information about their drivers.

 * Use the default S3 drivers (S3 PCI VIRGE) from the Win95 CD.


(3.4) WINDOWS NT
----------------
Currently, Fallout will not install to a Windows NT platform.
A version of the installer that will install to Windows NT is
being planned, and will be available from our website.

While Fallout does not officially support Windows NT, it will run
as long as you have Service Pack 3.  This is required since the
Win95 version of Fallout requires DirectX 3.0a or higher.  You can
get Service Pack 3 from Microsoft.


(3.5) DOS MACHINES
------------------
The DOS version of Fallout is very memory intensive.  Your system
memory useage should be as small as possible (minimal memory
resident programs and drivers, just enough to run the game.)  The
BOOTME program provided on the Fallout CD-ROM will help you
create a diskette with an AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS that is
"bare bones."  If you find you are having problems running the
DOS version, then you should use the BOOTME program or make your
own minimal boot files.

You must have a minimum of 32 megs of RAM to run the DOS version.
Anything less will cause problems.


(3.6) DIAMOND STEALTH 3000 & MONSTER 3D CARDS
---------------------------------------------
If your system has both a Diamond Stealth 3000 and a Monster 3D
video card installed, then Fallout will not install if you run
the Win95 setup program.  You can try these tips:

 * Download the latest manufacturer drivers from Diamond.
   This has been tested, and seems to fix the problem.

 * Disable the Monster 3D video card.

 * Run the DOS installer and play the game from a DOS box.


(3.7) GENERAL SLOWNESS UNDER Win95
----------------------------------
If you are playing the Win95 version, and find the game to
be running slowly, you can try these tips:

 * Adjust your Read Ahead cache for your CD-ROM drive.
   You may experience glitches with movies depending on your
   particular CD-ROM drive.

 * Install and run the DOS version from a DOS box.

 * Reinstall the Win95 version, but use a larger installation
   size.  Slow gameplay with a small installation version is
   probably the result of slow CD-ROM access.


(3.8) HARD DISK SPACE & OTHER PROBLEMS
--------------------------------------
If you are having slow gameplay, or frequent crashes, a common
problem is the amount of disk space you have free on the hard
drive that Fallout is installed to.  Fallout requires a lot of
"swap disk" space to run.  Savegames can get quite large.  If
you are having problems, check the amount of free disk space.



--------------------------
(4.0) CONTACTING INTERPLAY
--------------------------

                       Interplay Customer Service

  Telephone:  (714) 553-6678
        Fax:  (714) 252-2820  Attn: Customer Service

         Internet E-Mail:  support@interplay.com
          World Wide Web:  http://www.interplay.com
         Fallout Webpage:  http://www.interplay.com/fallout
                     BBS:  Telnet to bbs.interplay.com
  BBS Modem Phone Number:  (714) 252-2822
          America Online:  E-mail IPTECH
              Compuserve:  GO GAMBPUB or E-mail 76702,1342
                FTP Site:  ftp.interplay.com

  Mail:
    Interplay Customer Service
    16815 Von Karman
    Irvine, CA 92606


For Customer Service within the UK and Europe:
Write to:
    Customer Support
    Interplay Productions, Ltd.
    Harleyford Manor
    Harleyford
    Henley Road
    Marlow
    Buckinghamshire
    SL7 2DX
    ENGLAND
  
    tel:    +44 (0) 1628 423723
    Fax:    +44 (0) 1628 487752
  Email:  europe@interplay.com



---------------------
(5.0) PRODUCT LICENSE
---------------------

SOFTWARE USE LIMITATIONS AND LIMITED LICENSE

General Product License.   This copy of Fallout (the "Software")
is intended solely for your personal noncommercial home
entertainment use.  You may not decompile, reverse engineer, or
disassemble the Software, except as permitted by law.  Interplay
Productions retains all right, title and interest in the Software
including all intellectual property rights embodied therein and
derivatives thereof.  The Software, including, without limitation,
all code, data structures, characters, images, sounds, text, screens,
game play, derivative works and all other elements of the Software
may not be copied, resold, rented, leased, distributed
(electronically or otherwise), used on pay-per-play, coin-op or other
for-charge basis, or for any commercial purpose. Any permissions
granted herein are provided on a temporary basis and can be withdrawn
by Interplay Productions at any time.  All rights not expressly
granted are reserved.

Acceptance of License Terms.   By acquiring and retaining this
Software, you assent to the terms and restrictions of this limited
license. If you do not accept the terms of this limited license,
you must return the Software together with all packaging, manuals
and other material contained therein to the store where you
acquired the Software for a full refund.





Copyright 1997 Interplay Productions.  All rights reserved.
Fallout is a trademark of Interplay Productions.

Win95, Windows 95, Windows NT, DirectX are copyrights of
Microsoft Corporation.

