Star Wars: Rebellion readme file

The Star Wars: Rebellion readme file (README.TXT) is the notes file that LucasArts supplied with Star Wars: Rebellion. It is headed "Star Wars Rebellion Readme v.1.0" and dated 2/25/98. The text is also included in the English folder of the community GOG patch package.

Contents

The file opens by pointing readers to the online troubleshooting guide, which is reached from the game launcher (see TSGUIDE.TXT). It then groups its notes under these headings:

• General information
• Gameplay issues (see Readme gameplay notes)
• Multiplayer issues (see Multiplayer troubleshooting)
• Keyboard commands (see Keyboard commands)
• Manual errata
• How to contact LucasArts (hint line, web support, mail and the company store)

General information

The general section covers installation and day-to-day technical points:

• Disk space. With less than 20 MB free on the hard drive after installing, the game may fail to start. Windows 95 also wants up to 150 MB of free space for its swap file while the game runs; that space is released afterward.
• Crashes. After a freeze or an unexpected return to the desktop, the file advises exiting Windows properly and rebooting, and never switching the computer off while the drive is active. On a black or frozen screen, it says to press ESC, Space Bar or Enter first.
• Saving. To store a game under a new name, click the next free slot and type a name; to overwrite, click the Save icon beside an existing entry. The game does not offer to save when it exits. A blank slot with a working load button means a game was saved without a name.
• Task switching. ALT+TAB is the recommended way to leave the game, ideally from the options screen. If the game was paused when switching away, the pause box may return off-center with an unclickable Resume button; pressing ENTER dismisses it.
• Display quirks. The original release of Windows 95 may show a corrupted font on the unread-message screen. Tooltips can look dotted or hatched with some video cards, or when the tooltip color is yellow or gray; setting the Windows tooltip color to white corrects this.
• Laptops. The game was not tested on laptops, so compatibility is not guaranteed. The file blames limited memory configurations, ports and sound hardware, and keyboards that squeeze the 101-key layout into multi-function keys.

Manual errata

The readme corrects four points in the printed manual:

• Death Star controls. When the Empire brings the Death Star to a tactical battle, a control appears above the tactical panel: a Death Star image, a charge indicator and a fire button. The player clicks fire, then right-clicks the ship to destroy. The laser fires when the game is not paused, and the charge indicator must show a full recharge before the next shot. A left click in the battle display cancels the control. Fighters and the planet cannot be targeted in the tactical game.
• Wrong icon. On manual page 108, the icon next to Troop Training Design is incorrect.
• Sabotage typo. On the same page, the Sabotage mission text should say that the mission cannot target the Death Star, not that it can.
• Alliance HQ. If a large enough fleet blockades the planet holding the Alliance headquarters, the headquarters cannot be moved away.

Support information

The contact section lists a paid automated hint line for the US and Canada, LucasArts web support with an interactive help desk, a technical support phone line, fax and postal address, and the LucasArts company store. It asks callers to state their sound card, CD-ROM drive, RAM, processor and (for multiplayer) modem, plus the game title and version. Contact details from 1998 are not reproduced here.