WORMS ARMAGEDDON PATCH

V3.00 Multi-lingual

Updates European Release V1.05e (Mastered 14/1/99)

Updates German Release V1.05g (Mastered 15/1/99)

This patch will represent the next master built for production runs.

All Wormnet players will require the patch.

Note:
The patch will not work on or enhance illegal versions of the game.

PATCH FEATURE OVERVIEW

• Completely revised WORMNET connection & IP address resolution.

• Completely revised ranking/scoring system and 'cheat' detection.
• Greatly enhanced WORMNET stability and general operation.
• Fixed "Black Screen" hangs/crashes on some systems
• Added user-editable gravestones!
• Added option to minimise the game.

General Compatibility

• Fixed 'black screen' loading problem due to some machines running a dial-up request dialogue in the
background when Worms Armageddon is launched. (This can also be prevented by disabling the Dial-up
account by telling it to connect via LAN rather than Modem).

• Changes made to menu libraries to fix a number of compatibility problems which caused Black Screen
'Hangs' on some systems.

• Fixed bug in Deathmatch difficulty. (Where skill levels didn't increase if you won, then lost, then restarted
and continued).

• Upon installation of the new patch, old DLL files are automatically deleted.

• Improvements to launch code (Copy Protection routines) which increased DVD compatibility, fixed some
general-protection faults upon launch. [Note that a machine infected with the CIH virus caused many of these
problems.]

Wormnet Related

• Update to client & server to fix the problem of I.P. addresses being unresolved which led to users being
unable to HOST or even CONNECT to other games on Wormnet. (IP address appeared as '0' in the network
configuration screen.). The IP entry screen should now be left blank and not used UNLESS there is a problem
with connections since the server and client pick up the correct IP address transparently.

• Fixes to server and client which meant that some games did not appear on the server list on Wormnet.

• When hosting a network or open Wormnet game, the list of available custom levels was listed twice, this
has now been fixed, but caused no ill effect.

• When a client surrendered and quit, the host would crash back to Windows with an error.

• Fixed tabulation text display problems on Wormnet Rankings page.

• Clean up 'dead' or 'old' games quicker.

• Added ability to FORCE a certain I.P. address through the Network Configuration page. By default, WA
now resolves the I.P. addresses through Wormnet automatically. Forcing another I.P. address is only useful
when you have a non-standard connection (such as having both a local and global I.P. address).

• Added a warning when connecting to Wormnet which flags if the user has a conflict with their I.P. address
resolution. In simple terms, Wormnet is seeing a different I.P. address to the one which it ought to, this is usually
the case in connections with proxy servers or firewalls. The user may be able to fix this by using the FORCE IP
address (see above) but any user which is behind a firewall will simply not be able to host since Wormnet will
never be able to contact the host directly. (There should be no problem joining games under these
circumstances).

General Problems

• Some larger texts overspilled their text boxes, these have been fixed.

• Text error when confirming team delete fixed.

• On some machines, when importing files into the landscape editor, no colour information is retained or the
image is washed out. This has been fixed with new versions of the import libraries. Also speeded up the import
process.

• Some team files were being lost by a combination of events, now fixed.

• Fixed a problem with the single player Deathmatch mode which caused the difficulty to remain constant,
ensuring easier progress to 'Elite' status.

• Optimisation on the code has been turned off for some libraries and functions since this was causing
problems.

In-game Modifications

• Ability to fire rope vertically down has been disabled (via use of Grenades etc).

• Ability to 'knock' Worms around using the rope, leading to predictable moves and tedious play has been
disabled for some Wormnet channel games only. All other modes of play still allow it.

• Worm icon added to the cursor when teleporting Worms in at the start of the game, using the 'Teleport in'
option.

• Code size overhead reduced, mainly due to unrequired debug info being removed.

• Added extra function on the DELETE key, now shows TEAMNAME/WORMNAME in addition to existing
options.

Menu System Modifications

• Exit button added to the stats screen.

• A confirmation has been added to mid-game stats/chat screens on network games to avoid accidentally
quitting the game.

• 15 second turn time option added to existing options.

• Now altered the mission screen stats to indicate the current mission number you are on. Previously the
figure in the MISSION column referred to the number of missions complete and this was confusing when the
number of attempts were displayed in the next column.

• A minimise function has been added. Click the bottom of the screen on the main menu (the one after the
Worms Armageddon logo screen and music) to minimise Worms Armageddon. This function is not available on
other screens due to the way in which Worms Armageddon works. Please ensure the game CD is in the drive
before maximising the game again. Whilst minimised it allows usual access to Windows95/98 facilities.

• Added a great facility that allows you to custom design your tombstone! Simply put a 24x32 pixel bitmap
(Windows BMP format) image in the USER\GRAVES directory and select it from the CREATE TEAM/EDIT
TEAM screens. You must ensure the image is the correct size and colour resolution (ie. 256 colours/8Bit
Indexed colour) - if unsure, load one of the existing images into Windows Paint and edit that. A number of
examples have been provided and note that these tombstones are also sent in network games.

• We've re-instated all the old Worms/Worms2 levels to the generate random landscape routine, thus giving
a range of 28 different landscape styles instead of just the new ones. These can be over-ridden by selecting
new style from the landscape editor.

• Fixed a bug in the terrain editor that made imported levels have an indestructable border.

• Modified Cluster Bombs to make sure that +100pt kills are impossible to prevent this sort of abuse in the
game - a "fire in the hole" cluster attack (when all bombs are exploded simultaneously) now renders
approximately 75 pts damage and ensures clusters are used to provide widespread attacks, as they were
designed. [Note - this is on the standard 3* power setting]

• Added the terrain type in the help box in the landscape editor to make it easier to select a level (as
requested).

• Team weapons have been tweaked slightly to balance the options out more; Selecting Cows will now give
you 2, not 3; Selecting Pigeons will get you 2 and not just 1, but they will be delayed by 2 turns; Moles have
been powered up; Old Woman is delayed less and so is the Sheep launcher.

• Added a command-line function to make the game load quicker, skipping the logo and intro sequences. To
enable it, right click on the games' shortcut on the desktop, click PROPERTIES, then the SHORTCUT tab, in
the top box where it refers to target, add a space then "/nointro" (exclude the quotes). The game will then go
directly to the main menu upon loading.

Wormnet Modifications

• Improved the screen update (refresh) of the Wormnet screens.

• Added more open channels. Use these to set up your own games with 2-6 players. These games are not
ranked.

• Wormnet players with ELITE rank can now continue to play in the WormsLeaguePRO channel. The Elite
channel now has it's own seperate rank.

• Wormnet players no longer need to log out of the server to recieve any new rank they may have achieved.

• Personal stats information is always available, without the need to log out of the server.

• All the teams that play in ranked channels now consist of 4 worms, unlike previously where it was 8 in
Beginner, 6 in Intermediate and 4 in Advanced.

• When a ranked game is full (ie. 2 players are connected) then the system will return a message more
appropriate than "Connection Failed", it will say "Game full, try another game." or similar. All ranked channel
games are for 2 players only, to play a game with up to 6 players, use one of the OPEN channels.

• Code added to check when a game has been disconnected, also added code to ensure game stats are
reported on Wormnet.

• Modifications to the statistics and ranking lists on Wormnet - note: these are made server side
continuously.
• Ranked channels on Wormnet are now represented with a Trophy icon, rather than icons similar to the
ranking graphics. Chat channels are now represented with a speech bubble.

• Cleaned up a half-hidden button on the Wormnet Rankings page.

• Locked out people who were connecting to Wormnet via IRC chat servers, although they were doing no
harm apart from causing confusion.

• Decreased time-out period on Wormnet connections to 40secs from 60secs.

• Removed the PING information since it was not useful.

• Major modifications to allow us (and other server centres) to easily host new tournaments & game types
with fixed settings on Wormnet without the requirement for further patches. (Internal utility)

• Inactive Wormnet accounts deleted after 60days (accounts with 0 points)

• Wormnet Login remembers the last login name and goes immediately to the password requester to
facilitate easier logging in.

• When checking the locale and rank of a player, it no longer displays the default rank. It also displays a '?'
mark while performing the check.

• Added the following functions to the chat panel;

/time Displays the local time

/me <action> Produces an IRC style 'action' command
eg. /me SMILES would print "YOURUSERNAME SMILES"

• Added a verbose messaging system to Wormnet which makes for easier tracking of players movements
and what they are doing. You now get information when people host, attempt to join a game, fail to host or join,
or decide to return to the lobby.

• Added the schemes used in Wormnet ranked games to the USER/SCHEMES folder so they can be
practised.

• Added additional information when you connect to a game so you can see what the connection is doing
whilst waiting for the game to commence.

• Added immediate audio feedback and timer-waiting icon when you add a team when joining a host,
previously there was an unresponsive delay.

• Removed the ability to edit your teams once connected to a game since this caused many problems which
led to crashes.

• Alterations to the /away command to prevent message flooding. Now only prints the away message if you
are sent a private message. Also, typing any new text will automatically reset the away message to OFF.

• Added "Hall Of Fame" to Worms League channel, shows various "highest" values.

• There was an ommission that the chat panel didn't disappear on the host's side if the other player
disconnected. This has been included in the patch. Basically, if there is only 1 player in the game/room (or after
the game) then the chat box will disappear. If there is a chat box, then more than 1 player is active.

• Wormnet will now spot if you are behind a firewall when you connect, or if there is an IP address problem. If
there is - and you have 2 IP addresses, you should try using the FORCE IP command on the network
configuration page. If you have a proxy server on your connection (or firewall) then you should disconnect it.
You can still join games in these circumstances, but not host.

• Added an easy way of sending private messages. Simply double-click on the players user-name and this
will prepare your message text with /msg <USERNAME>. Type your message press return to send a private
message to that individual only.

• Added a time-out for Wormnet hosts to start the game. Some people were using this to force others to quit
and obtain points by deception. Not finishing games will now lead to points deduction. Generally, any form of
disconnection (either in-game or manipulated {dropping connection, etc}) will be scrutinised. In these cases,
there may be a short delay of up to 1 minute whilst the other machine registers that a machine has dropped out,
please be patient. If you purposefully quit out of a ranked game, there will be a delay while the other machine is
notified - in short, do not quit ranked games - play with real spirit! [Note: this applies to ranked games only]

(Please see the section on Wormnet for full details of the system changes and how it is structured, the
scoring system etc).

Notes

• On the BIG SHOT mission, the text indicates that the mission involves one Worm with an unlimited supply
of shotgun bullets.

This is incorrect, the actual ordnance for the mission is;

3x Handgun, 2 x Uzi, 2x Longbow, 3x Girder, Unlimited Blowtorch.

• If you want a weapons crate every turn, make sure weapons crates are set to max and all others are off.

Known Problems & Troubleshooting

• It is impossible to host Wormnet games behind a proxy server (Firewall) since this scrambles your
machine's IP address and Worms Armageddon relies on obtaining your correct IP address to host games..

• Matrox Millenium 8Mb AGP cards exhibit a flickering menu effect. This can be cured by deselecting the 4
advanced options in the display settings for the card.

• Creative Graphics Blaster Extreme exhibit flickering graphics on the water level within the terrain editor.

• Some video cards may exhibit slow-down with the stars in the background of the menus. This does not
affect performance of the game.

• The title music may not play on some machines when using Creative Soundblaster Awe-64 Value
soundcards.

• Hercules Stingray 3D/128 cards should only be used in 640x480 resolution, otherwise the game will
crash.

• Microsoft Intellipoint Wheel Mouse (and compatibles) users should not have the mouse buttons
allocated to 'Switch to shell' or 'Start menu' as this will cause problems in the menu system and the game may
stop responding. Note: A work around to this problem is to use CTRL-ALT-DEL prior to the game to
bring up the TASK LIST and end the task called EM.EXE.

• Some dial-up accounts may disconnect if their "Disconnect when idle" setting is enabled. To avoid this,
change this option if it affects your machine.

• It's possible to finish mission 14 "Super Sheep To The Rescue" by means other than we intended. This
makes it easier to complete. (Fixed on US master)

• A combination of internal Ethernet adaptor and Modem Dial-Up account may mean that the IP address
selected by Worms Armageddon is wrong, ensure that the correct details are entered in the Network
Configuration Screen and that you FORCE the correct IP.

Known Problems & Troubleshooting for European Copy-Protection System

Incompatible Hardware/Problematic Hardware;

• SANYO CRD-256P CD-ROM drive may become not ready after several launches of the game. This can be
solved ejecting and re-inserting the CD. However, this is unlikely to happen in practice since the game is
generally only ever launched once.
•
• SONY CDU77E CD-ROM drive (early firmware v1.0 versions) will fail if it is configured as a slave on the
IDE bus, but will work fine if reconfigured as a master.
•
• ACER CE-624a CD-ROM will fail if using real-mode drivers, installing protected mode drivers will resolve
the problem.

Incompatible Software;

• NUTS & BOLTS (McAfee Network Associates) - Will fail if the Bomb-Shelter utility is enabled in a certain
configuration. To prevent this, maximise Bomb-Shelter, select properties, In 'Error-Protection' group, select the
'advanced' button, In the advanced properties tab uncheck the 'Write Protect VMM' check box. Click apply/OK
on all subsequent screens until the Bomb-Shelter dialog disappears.

WORMNET

Wormnet Overview

"Wormnet" is a server system that allows easy access to other Internet Worms games with a minimum of fuss.
The system automatically tracks your rank and points and sorts these, giving a global ranking.

"Wormnet" servers can be linked together and you are able to see all players on all servers from the server you
are connected to. For example, if you log onto the US server, you will see all the people currently on the
European server too.

Open Channels

Open channels are not scored. They are meant to be for fun games with 2-6 teams involved. Depending on the
channel the host can set up the options, game style and full configuration, although we 'force' some of the
settings (such as the 'ShoppingCentre' channel) - see the channel information details for more information. Open
channels on the server are depicted by a Worm. Some open channels are for CHAT only. No ranks are required
to join Open channels.

Ranked Channels

These are represented by trophies on the server lobby. They are for 1 round matches between 2 players and
you score points (or lose points) by playing games. The system keeps track of these scores and converts them
into rankings.

The main channels are 'WormsLeagueAM' and 'WormsLeaguePRO' - the scores in these 2 channels are used
to show your player status on Wormnet.

Currently there are also two other, independently ranked channels 'EliteLeague' and 'RopeLeague' these have
seperate scores and they aren't part of the overall ranking as displayed next to your name on Wormnet.

Scoring and refereeing of the points is completely automatic by the system. We have included a number of
systems to spot cheating and manipulation in order to make the system fair.

When you start, you will begin in the 'WormsLeagueAM' channel and when you have earned at least 1 STAR in
your rank, you may then join the 'WormsLeaguePRO' channel. If you have 2 STARS in your rank, you will no
longer be able to compete in the 'WormsLeagueAM' channel - this is to ensure that new players are not picked
off by veterans. Should you get 3 STARS in your rank, you are considered ELITE and may then join the
EliteLeague where the best of the best are ranked seperately. Elite players may also continue to battle in the
'WormsLeaguePRO' channel.

Points System

It "costs" 5 points to actually play a game, these are deducted when you start the match. This is to encourage
completion, since if you lose, you get some points back, a little bit like a deposit. (People were dropping lines
rather than lose points in the previous Wormnet).

You also get more points if you beat someone of a greater rank (calculated by the difference in rank) and less
points for beating someone of a lower rank.

Manufacturing points/results

The system checks a number of things when viewing the result. If it is suspicious of the result it will award a
draw and simply hand back the original 5 point "fee" it cost to join the game.

Games now start automatically when both players are ready and there is no facility to time-out the other player
in order to force them to quit and win the match. The system also knows which line was dropped and awards the
win appropriately.

What happens to your past results since the upgrade?

Past points have been converted into the new system (no data lost) and you will find that your old user name will
be allocated a suitable ranking upon using the new system.

RANKED CHANNEL DETAILS

WormsLeague (Two channels - 'WormsLeagueAM' and 'WormsLeaguePRO')

(Replaces BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED channels on previous Wormnet.)

Game Settings for 'WormsLeagueAM'

Notes

Rope "knocking" is not allowed (ie. you can't move Worms around by abuse of the rope). There is
no blood spilled in this channel. Scores in this and the 'WormsLeaguePRO' channel are combined in the same
rating and used by the system to show your rank.

Rank Requirements/Limitations

Games in this channel can be played with anyone who has less than 2 STARS in their rank.
Players with a higher rank can compete in the 'WormsLeaguePRO' channel.

Game Settings for 'WormsLeaguePRO'

Notes

Rope "knocking" is not allowed (ie. you can't move Worms around by abuse of the rope) and
since you're in the pro channel, there's blood in these battles!

Scores in this and the 'WormsLeagueAM' channel are combined in the same rating and used by
the system to show your rank. Elite players (with 3 stars in their rank) can continue to compete in this
channel.

Rank Requirements/Limitations

Games in this channel can be played with anyone who has at least 1 STAR in their rank (earned
by playing and winning games in 'WormsLeagueAM').

Game Settings for 'RopeLeague'

Notes

Games are played on the HORNY level (the level used for Rope Training)

Rope "knocking" is allowed and there's blood in these battles!

Scores in the RopeLeague are independent of the other channels.

Rank Requirements/Limitations

Games in this channel can be played by anyone.

Game Settings for 'EliteLeague'

Notes

No rope "knocking" allowed.

Battles are bloody.

Scores in this channel are ranked seperately to form a 'best of the best' league.

Rank Requirements/Limitations

To join and play in this channel you need 3 STARS in your ranking.

OPEN CHANNEL DETAILS

These channels are not scored and are purely for fun games. They also allow 2-6 teams to compete.

AnythingGoes

Host can set up the game in it's entireity (options, weapons, landscape).
Games involve blood and rope knocking is allowed.

PartyTime

Host can set up the game in it's entireity (options, weapons, landscape).
Games are non bloody and rope knocking is not allowed.

ShoppingCentre

Forces a game where crate drops are more important. Plays a very different style, but not meant
to be a rope game. Host can select the landscape.

WormChat

This channel is for chatting only. It is not possible to host a game here.