F1 2012.

[Mario]

Here is the official F1 2012 readme file.

F1 2012™ README (version 1.0, updated 09-08-2012)

Thank you for purchasing F1 2012. This document contains last-minute information about F1 2012 as well as other information not found within the game manual. Please read through this document if you are experiencing any difficulties running the game.


Codemasters Birmingham Studio


CONTENTS

System Requirements
Supported Controllers
Installation Instructions
Known Issues/Troubleshooting
Force Feedback and Steering Wheel Setup
Advanced Features
Useful Websites


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Specifications

• Windows Vista or Windows 7
• Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 5400+
• 2 GB RAM
• DirectX Compatible Sound Card
• 15 GB Hard Drive Space
• Dual Layer Compatible DVD-ROM Drive
• Graphics Card: AMD HD2600 or NVIDIA Geforce 8600


Recommended Specifications

• Windows Vista or Windows 7 64 bit
• AMD Bulldozer or Intel Core i7
• 4GB RAM
• DirectX Compatible Sound Card
• 15 GB Hard Drive Space
• Dual Layer Compatible DVD-ROM Drive
• Graphics Card: AMD HD6000 Series or Nvidia GTX500 Series minimum 1GB RAM


Supported Graphics Cards

· AMD Radeon HD2600 or higher, HD3650 or higher, HD4550 or higher, HD5000 Series, HD6000 Series, HD7000 Series.
· nVidia GeForce 8600 or higher, 9500 or higher, GTX220 or higher, GTX400 Series, GTX500 Series, GTX600 Series. Intel HD Graphics 3000 or higher, AMD Fusion A8 or higher.


Network Requirements

· Broadband internet connection required (512kbps+ recommended)
· TCP/IP Network


SUPPORTED CONTROLLERS

F1 2012 can be configured to use almost any PC controller, however, we recommend the following controllers for the best game experience:


Pad Controllers

· Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller
· Logitech Dual Action Gamepad
· Saitek P380 Dual Analog Gamepad
· Saitek P480 Dual Analog Rumble Gamepad
· Saitek PS1000 Dual Analog Pad
· Thrustmaster Dual Trigger Rumble Force
· Thrustmaster Firestorm Dual Analog 3
· Thrustmaster Run N Drive 3-in-1
· Thrustmaster Run N Drive Wireless Rumble Force
· Thrustmaster T-Wireless 3 in 1 Rumble Force
· Logitech Gamepad F510
· Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710


Wheel Controllers

· Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
· Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel with Force Feedback
· ECCI Trackstar 6000
· Fanatec Porsche 911 Carrera
· Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2
· Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 RS2
· Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S
· Fanatec ClubSport Pedals
· Logitech Driving Force GT
· Logitech Driving Force Pro
· Logitech Formula Force EX/RX
· Logitech G25 Racing Wheel
· Logitech G27 Racing Wheel
· Logitech MOMO Racing Force (Racing)
· Thrustmaster Ferrari 430 Force Feedback Racing Wheel
· Thrustmaster Ferrari GT Experience
· Thrustmaster Ferrari GT F430 Wireless Cockpit
· Thrustmaster RGT Force Feedback Clutch Edition
· Thrustmaster Universal Challenge 5-in-1 Racing Wheel
· Thrustmaster T500RS Racing Wheel
· Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 wheel Integral T500
· Logitech WingMan Formula Force GP Racing Wheel
· Atomic Super Sport Evo Steering Wheel
· Logic3 Tri Format Topdrive GT
· Logic3 Tri Format Topdrive RF
· Atomic TVR Sagaris Sport Racing Steering Wheel

Please ensure that the latest drivers for your device are installed.


For some wheels (e.g. Logitech MOMO, Fanatec Porsche) it is important that the pedals are on separate, rather than combined axis. From the Windows Control Panel, choose 'Controllers' and then 'Properties' for the wheel you will be using. Select 'Settings' and ensure that the 'Combined' or 'Single Axis' setting is unticked.


*There is a known issue with devices that utilise XInput being detected as Xbox 360 controllers. These devices should work within the game, however, in-game icons may be incorrect and the button mappings may need to be reconfigured to suit your controller via the controller set-up screen.


INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please use the following instructions to install the game.

· Insert your game disc
· Click “Run SETUP.EXE”
· Select the chosen language for your installation and click “OK”
· Click “Install F1 2012”
· Read and accept the License Agreement then click “Install”
· Read and accept the Steam License Agreement then click “Next”
· Select the installation directory and click “Install”
· Create a new or log in to an existing Steam account
· When prompted insert the “STEAM – ONLINE ACTIVATION” key from the back of the manual provided within the packaging
· When activation has been completed successfully click the “Next” button
· Select which shortcuts you would like adding and click the “Next” button

The game will now transfer all of the data from the disc and then automatically download any patches from Steam.


KNOWN ISSUES/TROUBLESHOOTING

Before reading the list below, make sure you're on the latest Graphics Drivers for your card. If you're having any kind of trouble running the game or you're seeing any strange behaviour then this is the first thing to check. Follow the links at the bottom of this page to the AMD or NVIDIA website (depending on your graphics card) and just follow the instructions you find there to ensure you're up-to-date. To a lesser extent the same is true of Audio Drivers and Windows Updates - try to make sure that all your hardware and software is up-to-date and you'll avoid most problems.


i) The game won't install
If you find that you are getting 'file not found' errors (or other similar messages) during installation, it may be that your DVD drive is malfunctioning. There are several simple tests you can perform to verify this:

Does the same disc install correctly on a different PC?

Does the same disc install on your PC using a different DVD drive?

If you browse the DVD manually, can you locate the missing file?

Try copying the contents of your disc directly onto your hard drive - do you get a standard Windows 'Insert disc' error (or similar) whilst copying?

If any of the above tests succeed, then it is highly probable that there is an issue with your DVD drive. Such problems may not manifest themselves with all discs, so even if other games appear to install correctly then this may still be the case.

To install or uninstall the game you will need administrative privileges within Windows. Simply enter the administrator password if and when you are prompted for it.

ii) The game won’t launch
If the game fails to launch ensure that the Steam client is running and that you are signed in to your profile.

Please ensure your copy of Windows is fully up to date using the Windows Update feature.

iii) I changed my graphics settings - now the game won't boot
If you changed your graphics settings and now can't get into the game - don't panic! This can occur if you enable an option unsupported by your graphics card, or set the resolution beyond what can be handled by your monitor. F1 2012 includes a 'Safe Mode' to help under such circumstances, this can be run by launching the game using the '-safemode' parameter. Safe Mode will simply boot the game using the lowest possible resolution and graphics settings.

Alternatively, simply delete the hardware_settings_config.xml file in Documents\My Games\FormulaOne2012\hardwaresettings and the game will generate a new one the next time it is run.

iv) Visible shearing/tearing
You may experience tearing across the picture. This can be avoided by turning on 'VSync', which is available from the advanced graphical options menu. Please note that this may reduce the performance of the game, and so is disabled by default.

v) Poor frame-rate
F1 2012 has been designed with multi-core processors in mind, and you'll require two or more cores in order for the game to be playable.

If the game runs at an unsatisfactory frame rate, try turning down/off some graphics systems from the graphics options menu.

More advanced users may want to tweak the settings in the hardware_settings_config.xml file, located in your savegame directory. Turning down the shadow mask quality to 0 has been found to provide good frame rate improvements for those with older graphics cards.

vi) The game looks stretched/squashed
Check that the aspect ratio and resolution settings that you are using are supported by and are applicable to the monitor you are using.

vii) Graphical Corruption
Using extremely high resolutions on graphics cards that aren't up to it may result in graphical corruption. To fix this try lowering graphical detail or running the game in safemode as described above.

viii) Can't accelerate properly with a racing wheel
Make sure the wheel is not set up to use a combined axis. See the Controllers section above for more info.

ix) Problems joining/creating network sessions
If you are running a Firewall, ensure it is set to allow the game to communicate on the following ports for both inbound and outbound traffic:

TCP and UDP port 3074.


x) General audio issues
If you are having problems with the audio while running the game, you may want to try updating your sound card drivers.


xi) The rear speakers are not playing
Switch your speaker configuration from stereo to surround in the Windows Control Panel. F1 2012 supports 5.1 surround. You must restart the game to hear the effect of changes to the PC speaker configuration.


xii) Poor Online Performance
If you notice opponents' cars 'jumping' around during online races, this may be caused by your low frame rate. Try turning down some of the graphics options for a better frame rate, and the improved performance may reduce this problem.


FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING

If you are still experiencing problems then please contact our customer support where we will be more than happy to help. Details can be found in the back of your F1 2012 manual or on the Codemasters website: www.formula1-game.com. You can also see if other users are experiencing similar problems by visiting the F1 2012 forums - see the link at the bottom.


FORCE FEEDBACK AND STEERING WHEEL SETUP

If you have a steering wheel, the following options are available in the F1 2012 controller setup screen.


Dead Zone

This setting can be used to create a dead area around the centre of the wheel. If you feel the steering is too twitchy, increase this setting to increase the size of the dead zone. Note that a higher Linearity value (see below) may give a more desirable effect than increasing the dead zone, so consider trying that before increasing the dead zone.


Saturation
This alters the amount that you have to turn the wheel to make the car turn. Increase this if you feel the steering is too sensitive. Reduce this if you feel that you have to move the wheel too much to get around the corners.


Linearity
This dampens the information received from the inputs made upon the wheel and what you see in-game. Increase this if you are finding steering too responsive. Decrease this if you feel the steering is too sloppy.

As well as the above settings, the following force feedback wheel options are available.


Force Feedback Strength
The overall strength of force feedback. Caution: setting this value too high may cause oscillation and an unrealistic feel to the force feedback.


Force Feedback Weight
Higher values make the force feedback feel 'tighter' - only small changes in wheel orientation are required to cause large forces. This increases the perceived strength, but removes some of the subtlety and smoothness.


Effects Strength
The amount of force feedback from crashes, rumble strips, and other environmental effects.


ADVANCED FEATURES

Motion Platforms

If your system has a motion platform, then F1 2012 should be able to control it. This feature is completely untested beyond checking that the basic data output is correct, and as such should be used entirely at your own risk. The output format is designed to be compatible with the "D-BOX" motion platform system.


USEFUL WEBSITES

Codemasters website: http://www.formula1-game.com

F1 2012 forum: http://community.codemasters.com/t5/F1-2012/ct-p/f12012

If you are having problems running the game, you may want to try updating your graphics card drivers from one of the following websites:

AMD: http://support.amd.com/

NVIDIA: http://www.nvidia.com/drivers