Games PC IGNITION User Manual

IGNITION

™

You’re about to enter a world of no-holds-barred auto racing - life in the really fast lane. Across exotic countries
and around some of the most punishing race tracks ever devised you’ll have to conquer a variety of other
vehicles in a nitrous sprint for the finishing line.

But if you think that racing lines, pit stops and aerodynamic car design is the way to win one of these races,
then you’re in for a serious surprise. Out on these race tracks you must use all means at your disposal to win ­if that means ramming someone off a 200ft cliff then so be it - they shouldn’t have got in your way. The brave
survive and the weak - well, they end up as jam on the Tarmac. Which is kind of poetic if you think about it.

How you approach each of the races in Ignition is entirely up to you, but remember - if you decide to play fair
you’re sure to get nudged into the nearest river. Learn the tracks, pick your vehicle wisely and drive in the most
devious manner you can and you might, just might, win.

Introduction

Welcome to Ignition, the foremost action racing game on the PC. Shortly you’ll get to race a wide variety of
vehicles, ranging from buses to sports cars around race tracks in places as diverse as Moosejaw Falls and
Cape Thor.

The game can be played in single player mode, against five computer controlled opponents, in a split screen
mode against a friend or over a network against up to five players.

Ignition has been carefully designed to get the most out of your hardware. It features a smooth overhead
viewpoint enabling you to see the action and forthcoming hazards at the same time. However it’s only over
time that you’ll learn how to take each of the corners, where the shortcuts are and where it’s best to nudge
your opponent into a cliff wall. The moral of this story is: if you keep getting iced, then you’re not playing dirty
enough.

What Comes With The Game

• This manual.

• 1 CD

1

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BEFORE

INSTALLING DIRECTX™ 3.0a ONTO YOUR COMPUTER....

Firstly though, we thought that you would like to know a little about the program itself....

DirectX™ technology has been wholly developed by Microsoft

®

. The result is that programs and software

designed exclusively for Windows

®

95 and that are using DirectX™, are able to talk directly to the hardware
inside your computer. This means that there are many benefits such as faster gameplay and smoother graphics.
However, in order for DirectX™ 3.0a to work properly, you must ensure that you have compatible DirectX™

3.0a drivers installed on your system.

To check that your system is fully compatible, please follow the instructions below:

Click on the [START] button select [FIND] then select [FILES OR FOLDERS]. In the Named box type in

DXSETUP.EXE and in the Look in box ensure your CD-ROM drive is selected, (this is normally D:\). Now click
on the [FIND NOW] button. Once the search has completed double-click on the DXSETUP.EXE icon with your
left mouse button. A window containing a list of drivers currently supported on your system by DirectX™ 3.0a
will appear.

If any of the components do not have Certified next to them in the third column, then there will be a few
explanations for this, and these are listed below with bullet points.

• The version of DirectX™ you currently have installed has been provided by the component manufacturer.

This will not have the certified tag in the display driver area, but should still be compatible with DirectX™

3.0a and work without any problems.

• If the driver is not certified and no version number is given, then you will probably experience difficulties. It

is recommended that you contact your component manufacturer (for example your display card
manufacturer or your hardware supplier) and obtain the latest DirectX™ 3.0a compatible drivers from them.

• If there is a version number, but the driver is not certified, then this particular driver was not installed with

the current version of DirectX™ on your system but should be DirectX™ 3.0a compatible. You may want to
try installing the version from Ignition or contacting your hardware manufacturer or your hardware supplier
for the latest compatible drivers.

• If you notice the message “No Hardware Support”, then this driver is not supported by DirectX™ 3.0a and

therefore in most cases the program will not work at all. It is possible that the program may run, but it will
use a lot of processor power. Again it is recommended that you contact your hardware manufacturer or
supplier, and obtain the latest DirectX™ 3.0a compatible drivers.

Note: In most cases, you will generally find that DirectX™ 3.0a errors will occur with your Display card or
Sound Card, so please contact your hardware supplier or manufacturer and ensure that you have the latest

compatible DirectX™ 3.0a drivers for these devices. If you do experience a problem you can restore your old
drivers by using DXSETUP.EXE as mentioned above and selecting Restore Audio Drivers or Restore Display
drivers.

If your computer has never had the pleasure of having DirectX™ 3.0a installed onto it, then when you attempt
to install Ignition, you may see a message prompting you to replace your existing drivers with the ones from the
DirectX™ 3.0a installation. It is recommended that you do NOT do this, unless you are certain that your
current drivers are fully DirectX™ 3.0a compatible. If you are unsure, then please contact your hardware
supplier or manufacturer and verify this information with them.

2

Installation

Note for DOS users:
Due to the way in which Ignition sets up your sound card under DOS, you must ensure that all of your DOS
drivers for your sound card are loaded beforehand. Ignition will take the required information from the SET
BLASTER line that is contained within your Autoexec.Bat file, so it is imperative that you check the information is
there before installing the game. This can be done by typing SET at your DOS prompt. If you see the SET
BLASTER entry, then you should have no problems, if you do not, then you will need to contact your sound
card manufacturer or system supplier and ask them for help on installing the necessary DOS drivers.”

Windows 95

• Insert the Ignition CD into your PC.

• Click on the [START] button and then on [RUN]

• Type D:\SETUP where D: is your CD’s drive letter
(it can be anything from D to Z).

• Now click on [OK] and installation will commence.

• After installation has finished you can run the game.

DOS

• Insert the Ignition CD into your PC.

• Type D:DOS_INST where D: is your CD’s drive letter.

• Installation will now take place.

Running the Game

Windows 95

• Ensure the Ignition CD is inserted into your CD-ROM drive.

• Click on the [START] button.

• Then [PROGRAMS], [UDS] then [IGNITION].

DOS

• Ensure the Ignition CD is inserted into your CD-ROM drive.

• Change to the directory you have installed the game to - such as C:\IGNITION.

• Type IGN_DOS and hit the return key.

3

Quick Start

If you can’t wait to get stuck in immediately then follow this procedure.

• Choose Single Player.

• Select Single Race.

• Pick a vehicle.

• Pick a track.

• Game on. The default control keys are listed below.

Control Keys

Ignition can be played using the keyboard or a joystick. The default keys are as follows.

4

Player One:

•⇑ [up arrow] - accelerate.

•

⇓

[down arrow] - brake.

•

⇐

[left arrow] - steer left.

•

⇒

[right arrow] - steer right.

• / - Gear Up.

• . - Gear Down.

• [Right Shift] - Boost.

• ‘ - Rear View.

Options

• [ESC] - Quit.

Player Two:

• F - accelerate.

• V - brake.

• C - steer left.

• B - steer right.

• \ - Gear Up.

• [Left Shift] - Gear Down.

• Z - Boost.

• S - Rear View.

Playing the Game

Vehicle Choice

There are eleven vehicles for you to choose from in Ignition. These vary from fast and nippy machines such as
Coop to gasoline hungry but surprisingly manoeuvrable behemoths like the School Bus.

On the face of it, your choice of vehicle is a simple one - just go for the quickest, right? Wrong. Each of the
automobiles in Ignition has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some are endowed with potent acceleration
and grip, but lack a decent top speed, whilst others lack any form of acceleration but stick to the road
extremely well.

So which vehicle do you go for? Our only advice on the subject is to experiment until you find the one you’re
most comfortable with. Despite appearances to the contrary, even the School Bus is capable of winning races ­you just have to figure out how.

Vehicle Inventory

Still can’t decide what to drive? Here’s the low down:

• Coop - Small, fast and perfect for nipping between cars and hazards.

• Evac - A jungle jeep with plenty of zip.

• Enforcer - Clear a path when you hear and see the siren and flashing lights !

• Redneck - Flash, slick and perfectly designed for showing off your powerslides !

• School Bus - Shaped like a house brick, fast and full of screaming children. The School Bus gets in
everybody’s way !

• Bug - Great all rounder and looks like an insect.

• Smoke - This diesel guzzling truck might not be the quickest of the vehicles, but it’s one hell of a road hog
when it wants to be.

• Banana - Excellent handling, fast acceleration and the coolest looking car (Only selectable after having
completed the Beginner League).

• Monster - Big mean and just plain angry looking. The 4x4 monster has great grip and looks to crush all
the competition.(Only selectable after having completed the Novice League).

• Vegas - Something of an all-rounder, the Outlaw’s high wheel clearance gives it good grip, which is
matched by zingy acceleration. (Only selectable after having completed the Pro League).

• Ignition - The champion of champions car. You won’t be driving this one for a while ! (Only selectable after
having completed the Mirror League).

5

Where You Gonna Race?

Everybody knows that the only real test of a driver’s skill is when you’re driving on real world surfaces - country
lanes, mountain highways and urban alleys. With that thought in mind, here are the tracks you’ll get to race
around in Ignition:

• Moosejaw Falls - Canyons gushing with water and farm machinery are just two of the hazards on this

verdant track. Watch out for the lightning, too.

• Gold Rush - From the dizzying heights of the canyons to downtown USA, this course features a couple of

shortcuts and some nasty rock hazards.

• Snake Island - Shimmering sea-side vistas and some of the most twisting bridges ever conceived. Watch

your speed on the spiral bridge.

• Lost Ruins - Rushing through Aztec temples you’ll encounter boulders in a hurry and some really fun

shortcuts. Fortune favours the brave.

• Yodel Peaks - The Alps have never looked more awesome, or more dangerous. Watch it on the corners or

you’ll end up in a ravine.

• Cape Thor - Drive carefully motormouth, because in Iceland, rutted roads and sweeping mountains paths

are the least of your worries.

• Tokyo Bullet - The sprawling urban clearways of this track favour quick and nimble cars. Fast, frantic and

not for the faint hearted !!.

Racing - A Winner’s Guide

Well you’re going to have to practice, because simply hitting the accelerate button and flooring it round the
whole track isn’t going to win you any races.

First of all, there are plenty of shortcuts scattered around the tracks in Ignition. Some of these can completely
obliterate your lap times.

How do you spot these shortcuts? Here are a few clues to help . . . . . .

Shortcut to Hell

To give you a taste of what to look out for, here’s the skinny on one of our favourite shortcuts. Head over to the
Cape Thor track, pick a car and head off onto the circuit. Cruise through the greenbelt section and head out
towards the volcano, which lies round the corner. Now instead of hanging a right at this mighty erupting force
of nature, keep your foot on the gas pedal and aim straight at it. If you’ve got enough speed up you’ll fly
straight over the top and save yourself valuable seconds.

Just as there are shortcuts in Ignition, there are also traps. You’ll undoubtedly find these a lot more easily than
you will the shortcuts because you’ll inevitably fall for each and every one of them on your first few circuits. The
way that the tracks have been designed within Ignition means that not all vehicles will succumb to all of the
traps - for instance, the bus is highly likely to get caught out by passing trains, due to it’s length, whereas
Coop’s small, tiny, compact shaped can usually sprint across in the railway tracks in complete safety.

6

Help !

If you having difficulties negotiating the course, there are a number of symbols that will flash up on the screen
to help your cause.

Do not ignore these symbols for it’s our way of telling you that something (usually nasty) is about to happen. In
particular, keep your eyes peeled for the red ‘bridge out’ symbol, which indicates a jump of some sort. When
you see this symbol, position your hand near the nitro button and get ready to fly, baby.

Your competitors are obviously out to stop you winning and unless you pay heed to us they will win.
Repeatedly. Learn to race with a cold heart. If someone keeps nudging you off the track then don’t get angry,
pick your moment to wipe them out !

Remember - revenge is a dish best served cold.

Race Options

Championship

This contest is a simple race for the top. Competing on all of the tracks, you’ve got to win the most points to
gain victory.

Single Race

For a quick game, choose this single race option, pick a track and try and come out on top.

Note : when playing the game for the first time, you will notice that a number of cars and courses listed at the
start of the manual cannot be selected. By competing in the championship, there may be a way for you to
unlock these !!

Time Trial

Learn how to control the vehicles in the game and figure out where the shortcuts are by practising. It’s just you
against the track.

Pursue Mode

This is a classic game of elimination. The objective of this game is to make sure you are never, ever in last
place during the race. If you should find yourself at the back of the grid, you will see flames pouring out of the
back of your car. This indicates that the bomb is now with you ! At this stage it is vital to pass the bomb onto
someone else because everytime a lap is completed the car at the back will be destroyed. The race will
continue in this vain until there is only one supreme champion.

7

Easy right Easy left Medium right Medium left Hard right Hard left Very hard right Very hard left

Jump! Road splitup Curvy road, first turn

to the right

Curvy road, first turn

to the left

Danger! Bumpy road! Steep! Wrong way, turn

around.

Configuration Options

Getting more out of the game.

Game Options

How do you want the game played and how good are you?

• Difficulty: Novice (Amateur, Pro and Mirror will become available as you progress through the

championships).

• Ghost Car: The ultimate race. You against your previous best time. This is a very rewarding game to play

and gives you the opportunity to learn everything there is to know about the course and the best racing
lines.

• Obstacles: Leave the obstacles off and miss out on avalanches and speeding trains. This option has no

affect in Championship Mode.

GFX Options

Find everything moving too slowly? Tweak these settings to get the game back up to speed.

• Resolution: There are three resolutions on offer: 320x200, 640x480 and 800x600. If you’re game’s

running too slowly, then drop the resolution.

• Screen Size: Alternatively, try dropping the screen size down a bit.

• Mip-mapping: Funny expression for what’s essentially a blurring technique. It is, however, quite memory

intensive, so only select this if you have a high spec PC.

• Perspective Polygons: Everything you can see on-screen is rendered in real-time, using polygons. If you’ve

got a Ninja PC and/or a good graphics card then it’ll be able to handle perspective polygons. If you’re
suffering serious slow-down try turning it off.

• Skid Marks: Check your pants and then check this. Skid Marks are actually useful for advance warning

about a hazard.

• Smoke: A graphical nicety that can help you decipher a race line. Alternatively if you just find it annoying,

then switch it off.

Sound Options

• SFX: The volume level of the sound effects. Do you wants tweets or roars?

• CD Track: If you don’t like the default setting music then switch to any of the other songs and enjoy !

8

Player Options

Two options menus for two players. Set up the controls to your taste and then show your friend what it feels like
to plummet 50 feet down a cliff face without a bungee cord.

• Name: Enter three letters which best describes yourself.

• Gear box: Auto or manual.

• Controls: Keyboard, joystick and pedals.

• Auto Acceleration: No Co-ordination? Turn this option on and you’ll have one less key to press. In two
player split-screen mode it is advisable that you use this option.

• Keyboard: Keep losing? Try changing the keys - it won’t impress us, but it might fool your gullible friends.

• Joystick Calibration: Want to play with your Joystick? Follow the on-screen instructions within this option to
calibrate your piece. Note for Windows

®

95 users: This option does apply, but you must ensure you have

calibrated your joystick within Windows

®

95.

• Pedals Calibration: Got a swanky steering wheel and pedals set-up? Very nice ! But no good if they aren’t
calibrated correctly. Follow the instructions in this option to help you. If you are experiencing difficulties with
your steering wheel and pedals then try setting them up as a joystick.

Best Times

A record of just how good you really are.

Restore Settings

Take all options back to their original default settings.

Reset Ghost Car

If beating the ghost car is proving too tough, reset the ghost car and start again.

Multiplayer Games

Split-Screen: It’s you and your friend, sat at the same keyboard, in front of the same monitor, battling it out for
supremacy.

Once you’ve chosen split-screen mode you’ll have to both choose a vehicle and then decide on a track to
race around. Player one’s on the right, player two’s on the left. Let the fight, ermm, race begin.

Network IPX:

• Select MULTIPLAYER

• Network game

• type of connection should read IPX connection for Direct Play.

9

• Click in the box reading session name and type the name of the network game.

• Click on the start key, select your car and course and wait for the other players to join the game.

Joining a game:

• Select Multiplayer

• Network game

• Click on the search key to locate the game. (This should be the same name that the host uses to create a
new game)

• Once located click on start, select car and when everyone is ready to go start the game and have fun!

There are three types of network games to play.

• Single Race : Standard one race affair depending on how many players you have the rest of the places
will be filled with CPU cars.

• Time Trail : No CPU cars involvement this time just you and your mates.

• Pursue mode : See Race Options section in the manual for details.

Credits

10

Virgin Interactive

Producer................................Marcus Iremonger

Assistant Producer ............................Tony Hinds

Product Manager ............................David Miller

Race-Team Manager ........................Gary Foley

Chief Mechanics ..........................Ronald Festejo

..................................................David Corless

Test Drivers ..................................Steven Frazer

....................................................Matt Howes

............................................David Isherwood

..................................................David Casey

..................................................Nigel Bragg

................................................Nana Penemo

......................................................Simon Lee

Quality Assurance........................Llewellyn Ligas

UDS

Internal Producer ........................Peter Zetterberg

Team Leader/Main Programmer ....Oskar Burman

Game Design/Track Design ........Mikael Emtinger

Game Graphics ......................Jimmy Gustavsson

Music & Sound Effects ..............Christian Bjîrklund

Additional Programming................Carl Lundqvist

............................................Daniel Strandgren

....................................................Hans Harrîd

Intro Animation ......................Thomas Andersson

................................................Mikko Tahtinen

Additional Graphics ....................Klaus Lyngeled

LISA Team......................................Tord Jansson

..............................................Nils-Erik Karlsson

..........................................Michael Brunnstrîm

Production Assistant ......................Petra Karlsson

Manual ..................................Andy Hutchinson

Technical Support

Thank you for purchasing Ignition. If you are experiencing difficulties with Ignition please take advantage of the
following product support. Please note that all our operators only speak English and that we are unable to give
game hints through our Technical Support number.

Technical Support: 0171 368 2266

BBS: 0171 468 2022

Fax: [phone]

Internet: customer_support

@

vie.co.uk

WorldWide Web: http://www.vie.co.uk

Address: Customer Services Department

Virgin Interactive Entertainment (Europe) Ltd.

2 Kensington Square, London, W8 5RB, England.

The Technical Support number is for technical assistance only and please remember that game hints cannot be
given through our Technical Support number.

In the unlikely event of a software fault, please return the complete package, with your receipt, to the original
place of purchase.

If you do telephone, please be sitting in front of your computer (if possible) and be sure to provide us with as
much information as possible. Make sure to note the exact type of hardware that you are using in your system,
including:

• Speed and Manufacturer of your Processor.

• Make & Model of your Sound Card and Video Card.

• Make & Model of your CD-ROM drive.

• Amount of RAM present.

• Any additional Hardware and Peripherals.

• Information contained in your Config.Sys & Autoexec.Bat files.

Note: If you have any problems in obtaining any System Information please consult your System supplier.

When contacting us by post, ensure you include the Title & Version of the game, a detailed description of the
problem you are experiencing and the exact type of hardware that you are using.

When sending us a fax, please remember to include your name, a return Fax number with the area code and
a Voice number so we can contact you if we experience problems when trying to Fax you back.

11

12

Epilepsy Warning

A very small percentage of individuals may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to certain light
patterns or flashing lights. Exposure to certain lights or backgrounds on a television screen or while playing a
computer game may induce an epileptic seizure in these individuals. Certain conditions may induce
undetected epileptic symptoms in persons who have no history of prior seizures or epilepsy. If you, or anyone
in your family, has an epileptic condition, consult your doctor prior to playing. If you experience any of the
following symptoms whilst playing a computer game: dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of
awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement, or convulsions, immediately discontinue use and consult
your doctor before resuming play.

Copyright

The computer program and its associated documentation and materials are protected by National and
International Copyright laws. Storage of the computer program and its associated documentation and materials
in a retrieval system, reproduction, translation, copying, hiring, lending, broadcasting and public performance
are prohibited without the express written permission of Virgin Interactive. All rights of the author and owner are
reserved world-wide. This program and its associated documentation and materials are sold according to
Virgin Interactive’s terms of trade and conditions of sale, copies of which are available on request.

Warranty

This product is guaranteed for a period determined by the law of the country of manufacture or purchase.
Virgin Interactive reserves the right at tall times to make improvements in the product described in this manual,
at any time and without notice. Other than as required under English law Virgin Interactive makes no
warranties expressed or implied, with respect to this product or this manual, their quality or their fitness for any
particular purpose. This does not affect your statutory rights.

Ratings

This product is exempt from classification under U.K. Law. In accordance with The Video Standards Council
Code of Practice it is considered suitable for viewing by the age range(s) indicated.

© 1997 Virgin Interactive Entertainment (Europe) Ltd. Virgin is a registered trademark of Virgin Enterprises Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virgin Interactive Entertainment (Europe) Ltd., 2 Kensington Square, London, W8 5RB.