INSTALLATION

Installing HardWar couldn't be easier. First make a directory where you want HardWar installed. The default directory is in Program Files.

Next run 'Setup.exe' from the first CD. Just follow the instructions in the dialog boxes and the game will load the needed files.

After the installation is finished, you will be directed to register your game. This doesn't cost anything. Just make sure you are not online. The game will ask for some information and call a toll free number to register you. You don't even need an Internet connection to register. You may cancel the registration and do it later from the 'Info' button on the games main menu.

THE MAIN LAUNCH SCREEN

When you start HardWar from the provided shortcuts (leading to a file called Hardman.exe in the main HardWar directory) you'll get an initial tabbed screen that provides you access to the game's configuration. The default tab is the 'Game' tab and let's you start a new game or play a saved one. To start a game click the 'Launch' button and a selection screen will appear. You can select your choice here and the game will begin.

You can escape the first initial screen by pressing the 'Esc' (Escape) key. The movie and following screens can be bypassed by left clicking your mouse until the loading screen appears.

If you are beginning a new game, you will be asked to enter a pilot name. Do so and click accept to move to the next screen. The next screen will ask you to pick an initial occupation and describe the type of Moth you'll begin using. Make your selection and you will start in a hangar relative to your chosen occupation. Now launch your Moth, exit the hangar, and play!

SAVING A GAME

You can save your game at any point by pressing the 'Esc' (Escape) key and clicking the 'Save Game' option on the closing screen. The save will be confirmed and you will go back to the closing screen where you are given the option to shut-down or continue. Save your games often. It will save you a lot of backtracking if you get killed.

SHUTTING DOWN

As much as we'd all like playing HardWar forever it pays to eat, sleep, and bathe from time to time. To shut the game down just press the 'Esc' key at any time. You will be presented the shutdown menu. You may save your game if you wish. Click the shutdown button and then click 'Yes' in the confirmation screen. That's all there is too it.

ARCHIVING SAVED GAMES

Archiving saved games means to copy them off on a floppy disk or other removable media. This comes in handy in case you crash. You can install your saved games right after you re-install HardWar. You won't have to start from the very beginning. You can also share games with other pilots and use other's saved games like the one's on my site.

The saved game files are in your main HardWar directory. This is the directory you installed the game in. They carry the file extension '.sav'. If you can't find your HardWar directory, you can use Windows Find function to find '*.sav'. This will find them and lead you to the directory. The filename will be whatever you typed in when starting a new game. For example, one of my favorite saved games is 'wealth.sav'.

It really pays to 'zip' or compress your saved game files once you find them. I use WinZip available here. This makes most saved games only a few hundred kilobytes. Once archived, you can attatch the files to e-mails and send them to fellow pilots or to me to put in my Downloads Section.

RE-INSTALLING SAVED GAME FILES

To install a saved game just decompress, or 'unzip', the file and copy the .sav file to your main HardWar directory. You can find the directory by using Windows Find function and looking for Hardman.exe. Put the .sav files in the same directory.

Once installed, you will see the file present when you select to play a saved game.