SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Several issues have been brought about the system requirements. Many of my
freinds told me that I could not run Fallout on my Pentium 75 MHz. I played
it on the 75, beat it, later upgraded to a 233 MHz IDT C6-2 chip, and have
not noticed any performance gain (except for ending your turn/combat). So,
to clarify things, here is the "real" requirements to run Fallout.

WINDOWS REQUIRED TO RUN (actually)
----------------------------------
-HARDWARE
 - 32-bit x86 CPU with math co-processor (or 100% compatible)*
 - 16 megs of RAM
 - approx. 45 megs free hard drive space
   - 2 for binaries
   - 10 for saves
   - 32+ for swap file
 - 2x (Double-speed) CD-ROM drive for minimum install
 - 1x (Single-speed) CD-ROM drive for full install
 - PCI Local Bus graphics card, 1 megabyte of VRAM, must support 640x480
   resolution with 256 colors, must be compatible with DirectX 3.0a or
   above.
 - Keyboard
 - Mouse

-SOFTWARE
 - Win32 Kernel 4.00.950
   (Windows 95)
 - DirectX 3.0a Run-Time Library (minimum...only install it if you're
   running Windows 95 or NT 4.0 with service pack 3)

DOS REQUIRED TO RUN
-------------------
-HARDWARE
 - 32-bit x86 CPU with math co-processor (or 100% compatible)*
 - 32 megs of RAM with approx. 500k free conventional memory
 - approx. 12 megs free hard drive space
   - 2 for binaries
   - 10 for saves
 - 2x (Double-speed) CD-ROM drive
 - PCI or VLB graphics card, 1024k VRAM, must support 640x480 resolution
   with 256 colors, must be compatible with VESA 1.2 through hardware.*
 - Keyboard
 - Mouse

-SOFTWARE
 - MS-DOS version 5.0
 - If your card doesn't support VESA 1.2 through hardware, get the Scitech
   Display Doctor for support through software.
 - CD-ROM drivers, Mouse drivers

*NOTE: Fallout tends to have some problems running on Pentium clones,
 such as Cyrix, IDT Centaur, and (maybe) AMD K5 CPU's. It is recommended
 that Fallout be run on an Intel (Pentium and above) or AMD (K6 and above)
 processor. (For my story, please see CRASHES.)

 Some people have reported success with running Fallout on a 486 class
 processor. You might need a fast video card or more memory to run it
 on the lower CPU class. If you do plan to run it on a 486, make sure it
 is either an Intel 80486/DX or AMD Am486-DX processor; the minimum
 recommended speed is 66 MHz.

WINDOWS VERSUS DOS:
-------------------
DOS vs. Win32 or DOS running in Win32 DOS Shell :

DOS 5.x:
- Much slower load times
- Memory hog (even with 64+ megs of RAMM, possibly due to the
  lack of the swap file.)
- Requires fast (8-speed +) CD-ROM drivve to play movies at
  30 fps (otherwise they stutter). Sometimes they don't work
  at all.
- Faster gameplay with fast CPU and/or  graphics chip, up to
  60 frames per second (fps).
- Requires VESA 1.2 directly in hardwarre support (or through SciTech
  display doctor)

Win32:
- Much faster load times
- Not much RAM required, 16 megs shouldd run it well
- Slightly slower gameplay, limited to  about 30 fps (VSYNC enabled?)
- Requires DirectX 3.0a


INSTALLING FALLOUT ON WINDOWS NT-BASED OS'S (post Windows-2000)
--------------------------------------------
Well, the requirements are the same for the Win32 version, except for
the fact that you'll need 24 megabytes minimum memory and Service Pack 3.
Service Pack 6 is available at Microsoft's website at www.microsoft.com.
(Note that the information listed previously applies to Windows NT only.)
It should run on Windows 2000 and XP without service packs and possibly on
their respective beta builds.

Shown below are the instructions. Here, the CD-ROM drive will be shown as drive
D.

Requirements: (in addition to the requirements for the Win32 version):
- 24 megs of RAM for Windows NT 4.0
- 32 megs of RAM for Windows 2000
- 64 megs of RAM for Windows XP
- Service Pack 3 for Windows NT 4.0
  * You should update Windows NT and 2000 to their updated service releases for
    maximum compatibility, performance, etc.
  * Also, make sure that programs can run under the 8-bit 640x480 display in
    Windows XP.

1) Copy the file d:programwinalloutw.___ to c:alloutalloutw.exe.
2) Create a text file in the Fallout directory, and save it as
   fallout.cfg. This is the Fallout configuration file.
3) Open the file with Notepad (or a text editor) and insert the line:
   [system]

   You now have different options depending on what files you want to
   copy.

   - If you want to copy the Master Data File (master.dat, 318 megs) on
     your hard disk, go ahead and do so.

     Or, if you don't, then add this:

     master_dat=d:master.dat

  - If you want to copy the Critter Animations (critter.dat, 150 megs),
    go ahead.
  
    Otherwise, add this:

    critter_dat=d:critter.dat

  - Add this to the line:    (This line is for NT-specific issues)
   
    freespace=0   (zero)

  - Create a new block (sound) and add this:

    [sound]
    music_path2=d:datasoundmusic

4) This is how your configuration file should look:
   (NOTE: This is an example file with all of the data on the CD)
 
   [system]
   master_dat=d:master.dat     
   critter_dat=d:critter.dat
   freespace=0
   [sound]
   music_path2=d:datasoundmusic             

5) This is it! Run Fallout, and if it works, get the Windows 1.1
   patch from Interplay. (Latter applies to North American
   version only.)

   If Fallout won't work, then install the DOS version and
   play it on the DOS shell.   

 
INSTALLING FALLOUT ON LINUX
---------------------------
I'm not a big fan of Linux, much less UNIX (or any OS other than Mac
or Windows). But for those who want "Penguin Fallout", here is a FAQ
on the requirements for Wine. DOS emulation is not possible due to the
fact that DOSEMU in Linux does not have support for protected mode DOS
extenders (DOS/4GW), and Wine says it can emulate DOS, but it cannot as
far as I can tell.

You'll need:

- Latest build of Wine, available at wwww.winehq.com*
  (I've heard that it runs on build 990613)
- 5th-generation x86 CPU (runs too sloww otherwise)
- 32 megs of RAM with 63 meg swap partiition, 64+ megs recommended
- 5 megs of hard drive space
- PCI Local Bus video card with 1 megabbyte of VRAM
- Latest Kernel versions and XFree86 veersions are recommended.
  - Kernel v.2.x.x
  - X-Server

  - NOTE: Kernel v.2.2.19 is recommended for older computer models
          (less than 32 megs of RAM); faster computers with 64 megs
          of RAM and 300+ MHz CPU's should try out the latest versions
          of the 2.4.x kernel.

          A good X-Server to use is XFree86 3.3.6 or 4.(1+).x. Use
          the latter only if you have a newer computer model, as it
          requires a bit more memory.

- Fallout will run on Wine with the X-ssettings set to 640x480 resolution
  at 8-bit color depth. The display settings must be set. The exact
  procedure is different for each Linux distribution (Caldera uses COAS,
  Mandrake uses HardDrake, etc.)

Configure wine (the /etc/wine.conf file), and in the console, type the
following in:

wine --winver win95 file:/mnt/cdrom/install.exe

(If this does not work, change into the CD-ROM directory and
 type in 'wine --winver win95 install.exe' )

NOTE: Changing win95 to nt40 might be better, I don't know.

NOTE: The exact command parameters are different for the many versions of
      Wine. This is what you would type if you were running Linux-Mandrake
      v.7.1 with Wine from the Mandrake 7.1 disc.

Wine should run, and then install the program. Check your root C:
drive for the Fallout directory. If the installer won't install the program
correctly, do a manual install (see the manual install for NT above). You'll
have to change directories, like the example below:
 
copy file:/mnt/cdrom/master.dat to file:/win32/fallout/master.dat, and on the
config file, change it to c:alloutmaster.dat, etc.

In the console, change into the Falllout directory, and execute Wine again.
Example:

wine --winver nt40 file:/win32/fallout/fallout.exe

On some Linux distributions (such as Mandrake 7.1), some of the config
info might be incorrect. Check out file:/etc/wine.con and look where
the C: drive and the Windows directories are set. Create the Windows
and the Windows/System directories as shown below, as according to
the Wine.conf file. You might need to login as the 'root' user to modify
or view the Wine.conf file.

Windows directory       (e.g.  file:/win32/windows)
System sub-directory    (e.g.  file:/win32/windows/system)

I've also seen these variations:
- file:/mnt/hdb1/windows
  file:/mnt/hdb1/windows/system
  (these will show up if you have a slaved FAT hard disc drive loaded in
   the kernel)

- file:/root/windows
  file:/root/windows/system
  (sometimes Wine.conf will point to the home user's directory)

*NOTE: I personally have not tried this method, but some Win32 applications
 that I tried worked perfectly. (such as SESS.net's Cokehead) But yes, it
 does work, and I've seen instructions that parallel mine.

 You should log on as the root user while running Wine.

 You should also know that Wine is beta software and therefore you should
 expect many, many anomalities while running Fallout on Linux.

CRASHES AND INCOMPATIBILITIES
-----------------------------
On some Intel/AMD clone processors (like Cyrix, IDT Centaur, Rise MP6, etc.),
Fallout can (and probably will) crash on systems utilizing these CPU's.
It can happen when you are talking to an NPC with speech. There is no
workaround that I know of.

Also, sometimes Fallout randomly crashes upon completing something. This
is more common on systems without enough memory or with a slow processor.
It will not bring your entire system down, and Fallout can be safely restarted.
The crash might not even occur again.


CREDITS
=======
CONTRIBUTERS
- Chris Smith for writing an excellent  Fallout FAQ and for allowing me to
  take some info from his weapons tables.
- Eric "Xeen" Wills (lord_xeen@hotmail..com) for correcting many mistakes
  throughout the FAQ, particularly some info about Richard Grey. He also
  contributed the information of making Garl (raider leader) think that you
  are his father. He was the one who corrected the big mistake - Ghouls are
  victims of radiation poisoning, not the FEV virus. He also added some stuff
  to the 'tactics' section.
- Robert Sorrells (robertsorrells@hotmaail.com) for information regarding
  Vault 13, the Doc Morbid killings, and some info about the 'tactics'
  section as well as the idea for the Quick Shooter (end-game badass)
  character.
- Kurt Linsenbardt (Dead81436@aol.com)  for pointing out the radiation
  sickness and rads issue.
- John Nolden (phoon27@yahoo.com) for tthe extra information (two stimpacks)
  regarding Tandi's capture/release.
- Christian Gimelli (cgimelli@freeuk.coom) for telling me about the Brotherhood
  of Steel operations. They were present in v.1.66, but not in the right
  place...
- Chris Lucas (chaech@earthlink.net) foor finding out what happens to you if
  you're a male character and talk to Harry, the mutant at Necropolis.
- Steve Griffin (sgriffin2@carolina.rr..com) for telling me that there's a
  Hunting Rifle in Vault 15.
- "asp5" (asp5@mindspring.com) for poinnting the second diplomatic approach
  that I completely forgot about.
- Mors Muertos (der_death_wish@hotmail..com) for giving details about the
  crack paladins.
- "Jessica M" (jessi_rosario@hotmail.coom) for the nonviolent approach to
  disband the Skulz gang.
- "G Foyle" (gullyfoyle@hotmail.com) foor giving information about the links
  between the Thieves' Guild and Decker quests, and for pointing out that I
  had forgotten about Neal's urn.
- Thomas Teh (vilik@home.se) for contributing the information on how to
  extort money from Iguana Bob.
- Bernardo Barros (barrosbs@bol.com.br) for adding more info on the side-story
  about Richard Grey.

HOSTING
- Any websites hosting this version of the text-based walkthrough.
- Yahoo! GeoCities for hosting the Falllout-Next website.

Kevin Johnston's Blog - http://www.300bucks.ca