GAME OPTIONS

n addition to all of the game reports and controls that CaesarIII puts at your command, the program includes some features that let you customize the game to your liking. These are all found on either the Menu Bar or the Control Panel.

To store the game you are currently playing, click on the “Save” option under the File menu, then follow the on-screen instructions. Name the file whatever you like so that you will remember it easily. The “Load Game” option restarts a previously saved game. All saved games are stored on your hard drive in the same folder to which you installed the game.

It is a good idea to always save your game before exiting the program.

“Display Settings” offers you four different views of CaesarIII.

CaesarIII starts as a “Full Screen” program, meaning that it takes up all of the display space on your monitor. If you click “Windowed,” the game runs in a standard Windows display box. Use this option if you want access to Windows while the game is running. You can resize the game window, just like any other window, but CaesarIII's graphics will not look their best if you do that.

CaesarIII uses a lot of computing power, and we don't recommend that you run other programs while you're playing the game. Doing so can cause conflicts that will make the game run improperly.

The other choices under “Display Settings” enable you to define the resolution in which CaesarIII runs. At 640 by 480, everything will look bigger, but your screen will show a smaller section of the map; the game will probably run somewhat faster. At 1024 by 768, just the opposite is true: Everything looks smaller, your screen shows more of the map, and the game runs more slowly. The 800 by 600 option is midway between these extremes. CaesarIII's performance will change at different resolutions according to your computer's capabilities.

“Sound Settings” lets you control the re l ative volume of Music, Speech, Sound Effects and City Sounds. Adjust the mix of sound elements to your liking, or turn them off completely.

“Speed Settings” lets you control the rate at which time passes in Caesar III. Set any speed that you are comfortable playing.

Pressing the space bar on your keyboard pauses the game. You can still carry out many actions while time is paused, although nothing moves or evolves.

“Scroll speed” affects the pace at which the map moves when you sweep the cursor to the edge of the screen. You might prefer a slower scroll speed if you have an especially powerful computer.

CaesarIII offers a lot of information about various aspects of the game on-line, for easy re f e rence. Access some of it by right-clicking on most buildings, then clicking on the information button. Alternatively, choose “Help” from the menu bar to see the Table of Contents for all of CaesarIII's in-game information.

Mouse help is the text that appears in a white box when your mouse pointer hovers over some part of the game. It is “ON” when you first play Caesar III. Turning it “OFF” makes it go away entirely. Choose “Partial” to enable mouse help for the Senate building and the Overlay maps, but nothing else. Adjust this setting from the Help menu.

“Warnings” appear at the top of your map, reminding you that a building needs road access, for example, or that the city needs more workers. You can turn them off from the Help menu.