Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General
Multi-player
Macintosh
DirectX is not working, what do I do?
When the Direct X setup runs (after the Postal Setup) it examines
your drivers and tells you if they are up to date or not. We have
found that even if the Direct X setup said that the drivers were
up to date, the game still would not run. Usually if we ran the
Direct X setup again and installed new drivers anyway, the game
would work. If this does not fix the problem, you should try to
download the latest drivers from your video card manufacturer. Most
of them have a web site with new drivers. Once you have installed
these new drivers, try reinstalling the Direct X drivers. If you
still cannot get Direct X to run, you can run Postal without Direct
X.
You can either reinstall Postal using Setup on the Postal CD and
select custom install. One of the options is whether to use Direct
X or Standard Windows video mode. If you choose the Standard mode,
the game will run without Direct X. The only other thing you may
need to do is to set your color depth to 256 colors before running
the game. Windows 95 requires you to use this color depth with the
game. Direct X allowed it to run in any video mode. Windows NT will
also allow the game to run in any video mode.
If you do not want to reinstall the game, you can edit the postal.ini
file directly. In the [video] section, there is a line that reads
Type = DirectX
If you change that to
Type = GDI
Then it will use the standard Windows video mode.
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What do I do after I kill everyone on the level?
At the start of the level, a line comes up under
you score telling you what the mission goal is, its usually something
like "You must kill 80% of the hostiles". You can hit
F5 at any time to display the mission goal. Once you have met the
goal for the level, you can either keep playing or you may hit F1
at any time to go to the next level. This gives you the option of
killing absolutely everyone on the level and looking for hidden
areas etc., or going on to the next level once you have met the
goal.
The Demo version only contains one level. So,
when you press F1, it will take you back to the main menu.
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Why does everyone on the screen catch on fire
at once?
Check to see if you are playing the Beta version
of Postal. A message box should have come up that says it expired
on August 21, 1997. If so, you can download the new Postal Demo.
If you are playing the retail version, make sure the
Postal CD is in your CD-ROM drive. It must be in the drive for you
to play, even if you have done a full install.
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Why does the screen flash and then return to
the main menu?
We discovered a problem with the Install Shield setup
on the PC. A common thing was for people to install to a directory
like c:\games\postal and we found that a path with "game"
in it caused the postal.ini file to be updated incorrectly. To fix
this, you can either install to a different path name, or you can
fix your postal.ini by editing it directly.
In the postal.ini file, there is a section that should
look something like this:
[Paths]
CD = d:\
HD = c:\postal\
VD = c:\postal\
Sound = c:\postal\
Game = c:\postal\
Hoods = d:\
If you installed to a directory like c:\games\postal,
its probably messed up like this:
[Paths]
CD = d:\
Game = c:\games\postal
VD = c:\games\postal
Sound = c:\games\postal
Game = .
Hoods = d:\
Notice that the HD = line has been replaced with
Game = c:\games\postal, and the Game = line farther down is set
to.
These paths should either be your CD drive letter,
or the path where you installed postal. To fix the problem, change
the line between CD = and VD = to read:
HD = c:\games\postal
(or wherever you installed postal), Then if you did
a typical installation, or a custom install where you checked Animations,
then change your game = line to read:
Game = c:\games\postal
If you did a minimal install, or a custom where you
didn't select the Animation files, then change that line to read:
Game = d:\
(or whatever you CD drive letter is).
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Can I use the sounds from the game?
Any sound extracted from POSTAL is for PERSONAL use
only. NO commercial, freeware, or shareware use is allowed. By downloading
and/or using our sound extraction utility, you implicitly agree
to these terms. Right now, it only works for the original POSTAL.
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How do I play the challenge levels?
If you go to Start/Single Player/Challenge from the
main menu, you can choose the Gauntlet which is a set of challenge
levels that you can play through like the standard game, but they
all use different scoring than the standard game. There are levels
where you try to kill 30 people in 2 minutes, or see how long it
takes you to kill 50 people on the level. There are capture the
flag levels and checkpoint levels where you try to get as many flags
as you can. There are some cool variations on the levels using these
different scoring modes and different weapons. Each level keeps
track of a high score for the level so you can go back and try to
beat your best score, or your friend's best score. Give it a try
if you haven't already.
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Can I use a joystick with Postal?
Joystick support can be added to Postal by downloaded
the appropriate patch for your version of Postal. Once you
have downloaded the patch, unzip it into the directory you have
Postal installed into. It will replace your current Postal.exe
with a new one. Then, run Postal and go into the Options -
Controls menu. Make sure the "Use Joystick" option
is checked by selecting it with the Arrow keys and then hitting
Enter. You can then change the buttons on your joystick by
going into the "Joystick Setup".
Make sure your joystick is properly configured in
Windows95 or NT. There is no joystick configuration in Postal
itself.
Note: Although Postal supports most types of
joysticks, analog joysticks are not recommended for use with Postal.
Digital joysticks have a much better response for this type of game
play.
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Is there an online manual for Postal (or one
I can download)?
Sort of. There is a manual, but it is designed for
POSTAL PLUS, not for the original POSTAL. On the one hand, most
of it applies equally to both products, but on the other hand, you
won't necessarily know which parts don't apply!
Click
here for the online POSTAL PLUS Manual
You can download the HTML-format Postal
Plus manual ZIP file for reference when you are offline. (Be
sure to un-ZIP with the "use folder names" option, as
the Postal Plus manual is organized into folders.)
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Where did the Santa Patch go?
Sadly, the ever-popular "Santa Patch" is no longer
available due to technical support issues.
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How can I find people that want to play multi-player
Postal?
There are several places on the Internet to play
Postal. Two free multi-player gaming networks have Postal
on their list of games. One is MPlayer,
"earth's FREE multiplayer game service". The other
is the "new and improved" Heat.
Kali, the "Multiplayer
Gaming Network", also offers Postal.
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How can I improve multi-player performance?
Network Optimization
In order to improve the performance of multi-player
games, you should change one of your POSTAL settings. Note
that you can ONLY do this AFTER you have already installed POSTAL
on your hard drive.
- Open the folder where you installed POSTAL and look for the
file "Postal.ini". (Windows Only - the .ini extension
is only visible if you have the MS-DOS file extension active.
Depending on how your computer is set up, the ".ini"
portion of the file's name may be hidden, in which case look for
the file named "Postal" that has the "Notepad"
icon displayed with it.)
- Double-click on the file to open it with "Notepad"
(Windows) or "SimpleText" (MacOS).
- Look for a section of the file that starts with the line [multi-player].
- Within that section, look for the line "MaxFrameLag = 1".
- Change this line to "MaxFrameLag = 2".
- Save the file and exit from the application.
You can now run POSTAL with improved multi-player
performance.
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How do I use levels I have created in multi-player
mode?
One thing to note is that Postal always searches your
hard drive first for a INI file before looking for the one on the
CD. Once you create an INI file on your hard drive, if you were
to install, let's say the Postal Add-on pack (when it is available),
it would still be reading the INI file from your hard drive and
therefore you might not be able to access the new levels. In such
a case, you would have to delete the INI file on your hard drive.
Here's the step-by-setp instructions:
- Copy realms.INI from YourCD:\res\levels to YourPostalDir\res\levels.
- Edit the INI and add a section following the last one with the
section name incremented by one (i.e., the last one should be
[RealmNet15] so add one named [RealmNet16]).
- Note that this INI change has to be on all machines that are
going to play. Here's an example:
[RealmNet16]
Realm -- The relative path to the realm file -- easiest
if it is under the res/levels directory on your harddrive.
Realm = res/levels/MyRealms/MyRealm.rlm
Title -- The title you see on the loading screen and
in the list of levels in the Host dialog (when hosting a net game).
Title = My Realm, Hoser
Bg -- The background picture to use when loading this
realm -- grab one from one of the earlier RealmNet## sections.
Alpha -- Goes with the bg; use the same one as your
Bg.
Bg = res/cutscene/monster.bmp
Alpha = res/cutscene/monster.mlp
Text -- The text to appear under the title on the
loading screen.
Text = You will die by your friend's hands or something.
Music -- The music to play while waiting for the level
to start (I don't think this is used in multi-player mode but perhaps
it should be set just in case a future patch uses this value). Use
one from one of the earlier RealmNet## sections.
Music = music/71.wav
Here is what this new part of the INI file should
look like without the comments:
[RealmNet16]
Realm = res/levels/MyRealms/MyRealm.rlm
Title = My Realm, Hoser
Bg = res/cutscene/monster.bmp
Alpha = res/cutscene/monster.mlp
Text = You will die by your friend's hands or something.
Music = music/71.wav
These lines can be in any order.
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How can I play modem to modem?
There is no direct modem to modem support, only network
support. You can use dial-up networking in Windows NT or Win 95
to make a two player network that will allow you to play.
In Windows NT, in the Administrator Tools, there
is a utility called "Remote Access Admin" which allows
you to set up your computer to answer incoming calls. Using this
tool with the User Manager, you can set up dial-in accounts for
your friends so they can call you and you can play a two person
network game of postal.
In Win95, there is a similar utility available in
the Plus Pack. It will allow you to set up your computer for answering
calls and lets you set a password so that dial-in users will be
logged into your machine.
When you set up the remote access server, you should
select either TCP/IP, or IPX for the connection. Then select the
same protocol in Postal when you are starting a Multi-player game.
If more detailed info is needed for you to setup
your Windows NT machine for log-ins via modem, please let us know
via e-mail (support@runningwithscissors.com) and we will add it
to this document. Thanks for playing!
TO SET UP A DIAL UP SERVER UNDER Windows 95:
To do this you will need the Plus pack on one of
the machines. See the instructions below for info on how to setup
a Dial Up Server under Windows 95.
Both machines will need Dial-Up Networking installed.
If you have been using a modem under Windows 95 you probably already
have this.
INSTALLING DIAL-UP NETWORKING UNDER Windows 95:
Go to 'Add/Remove Programs' in the Control Panel.
Choose the 'Windows Setup' tab. Select the line labeled 'Communications'
and choose 'Details...'. If 'Dial-Up Networking' is already checked,
you already have Dial-Up Networking installed. Otherwise check this
item and choose 'OK'. Next, choose 'OK' on the 'Add/Remove Programs'
dialog and follow the instructions from there.
INSTALLING A DIAL-UP ADAPTER UNDER Windows 95:
As mentioned before, if you have been using a modem
under Windows 95, you _probably_ already have this setup. Choose
'Network' from the Control Panel. The Network dialog that appears
will contain a list-box with your network adapters, protocols, clients,
etc. If you see 'Dial-Up Adapter' in this list, you already have
one installed. Otherwise choose 'Add...'. In the dialog that appears
select 'Adapter' and choose 'Add'. There'll be two lists that appear.
In the one to the left select 'Microsoft'. In the one to the right
select 'Dial-Up Adapter'. Once both selections are made choose 'OK'
and follow the instructions from there.
INSTALLING IPX UNDER Windows 95:
Although you can use TCP/IP to connect via modem,
we recommend IPX for its simplicity of setup for modem use.
IPX is installed via the same dialog used to install
a Dial-Up Adapter so you may already be there. Otherwise choose
'Network' from the Control Panel. The Network dialog that appears
will contain a list-box with your network adapters, protocols, clients,
etc. If you see 'IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol -> Dial-Up Adapter',
you already have IPX installed. Otherwise choose 'Add...'. In the
dialog that appears select 'Protocol' and choose 'Add'. There'll
be two lists that appear. In the one to the left select 'Microsoft'.
In the one to the right select 'IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol'. Once
both selections are made choose 'OK' and follow the instructions
from there.
INSTALLING THE DIAL-UP NETWORKING SERVER UNDER Windows
95:
If you have not already done so, install the Dial
Up Server that comes with the Plus! Pack. If you already have Plus
installed but don't have the Dial Up Server installed, go to 'Add/Remove
Programs' in the Control Panel, select Microsoft Plus for Windows
95 and press 'Add/Remove...'. This should launch Setup for Microsoft
Plus. When prompted, choose 'Add/Remove...'. If 'Dial-Up Networking
Server' is already checked, you already have the Dial-Up Networking
Server installed. Otherwise check this item and choose 'Continue'
and follow the instructions from there.
CONFIGURING YOUR DIAL-UP NETWORKING SERVER UNDER
Windows 95:
Once installed, you need to configure your Dial Up
Server to allow log-ins via the 'Connections' menu in the 'Dial-Up
Networking' folder. You can get to this folder by double clicking
on 'My Computer' ('Dial-Up Networking' should be one of the folders
listed at the bottom) or via the Start Menu by choosing Programs
> Accessories > Dial-Up Networking.
Please make sure your modem is on.
Choose 'Dial-Up Server' from the 'Connections' menu
in the 'Dial-Up Networking' folder. Note that if you do not see
'Dial-Up Server' in this menu, you do not have the Dial-Up Server
installed and should refer back to "INSTALLING THE DIAL-UP
NETWORKING SERVER UNDER Windows 95". A dialog labeled 'Dial-Up
Server' should appear that contains tabs for each modem you have
installed under Windows 95 (if you only have one it may not appear
as tabs). If you have more than one modem installed, choose the
modem you wish to allow log-ins from. Choose 'Allow caller access'.
Use of a password is up to you. If you set one, you must remember
this password in order to change it in the future. Choose 'Server
Type...'. For 'Type of Dial-Up Server choose 'Default' and choose
'OK'. Once you have the connection set up, either player can choose
to be the host of the game. One player should choose to Host the
Multi-player game and then the other player can choose to browse
for multi-player games and you should see the name of the game that
the host has entered. Click on the name of the game, and you will
be connected to the host.
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When I installed Special Delivery on my Mac,
it tells me that I've got the wrong sound file installed and to
run Setup again. What should I do?
Depending on what sound quality you were using in
the original Postal, Special Delivery, the expansion pack for Postal,
might give you an error message after the installation process regarding
your sound files. This is very easy to fix.
First, open your postal.ini file, located in the folder
you installed Postal into.
Second, look for the section labeled [Audio].
It will tell you the DeviceRate and the DeviceBits that you are
currently using.
Then, look on your Special Delivery CD in your res/game
folder for the corresponding audio file. Copy that file into
your Postal installation/res/game folder on your hard drive.
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When a PC and Mac play multi-player, the games
go out of sync after the Mac player dies.
Right now, you will not be able to play a network
game between a PC and Mac. This is due to differences in the way
each machine handles floating point.
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If you have any other technical support issues,
please contact us at support@runningwithscissors.com
Please include your system type, the version of
Postal, and a clear description of the circumstances that lead to
your problem.
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